After waiting a full three days, Ye Qin finally managed to recruit one elder and one middle-aged cultivator.

Both cultivators were at the early Nascent Soul stage, hailing from minor powers in the East Sea. They had no substantial backing in the Blood Sea and were merely trying their luck. Upon seeing the recruitment notice posted by Ye Qin in Purple Sword City, they came to try out.

Ye Qin accepted the two, making his numbers barely adequate, and not wishing to waste any more time, he led the team out of the city to search for traces of the demon cultivator spies lurking outside the city walls.

It was unclear whether it was bad luck for the trio or if the demon cultivator was hidden exceptionally deep, but they scoured the area spanning four to five thousand li around the island repeatedly, yet failed to uncover any trace of the spy.

Ye Qin and his group stood guard outside for over ten fruitless days, only managing to slay a few unfortunate Tier Seven and Tier Eight sea beasts, gaining nothing—not even a single clue. The two recruited cultivators grew impatient midway through and abandoned the demon hunting mission.

Niu Qin, on his own, found the search even more difficult and could only return empty-handed, frustrated, back to Purple Sword Immortal City.

Upon returning to the city, Ye Qin made his way to the market district to sell the demon cores and hides of the low-tier demon beasts he had hunted.

"Elder Ye, a Nascent Soul Ancestor is currently waiting at the largest Immortal Pavilion in the east of the city, Green Essence Pavilion. He requested that I invite you over for a meeting!"

Just then, a purple-robed cultivator hurried up to him, cupping his hands in salute.

Ye Qin turned to look—this purple-robed cultivator was a member of the city patrol team, and moreover, he wore the uniform of a Purple Sword Palace cultivator. Ye Qin couldn't help but ask curiously, "Who is looking for me?"

"That Ancestor wears a golden robe and possesses a robust physique, his cultivation is unfathomably deep. He merely stated that he had an agreement with you from over a decade ago, but said nothing more. Your junior dared not ask further, assuming you must know him," the purple-robed cultivator described.

"An Ancestor in a golden robe?" A thought stirred in Ye Qin's heart.

He thanked the middle-aged cultivator and proceeded on foot to the Green Essence Immortal Pavilion in the east of the city. The Pavilion attendants, upon seeing Ye Qin, immediately led him to a luxurious private chamber. Outside the opulent room stood more than ten stern-faced Golden Core cultivators, their attire bearing the insignia of the Sacred Emperor Palace.

Ye Qin understood immediately upon seeing them.

He pushed the door open and saw a middle-aged cultivator with thick eyebrows and striking eyes, clad in a golden robe, radiating an imposing aura, seated in the main seat of the chamber. An air of majesty emanated from him, compelling immediate reverence. Inside the chamber, there was only the Sacred Emperor, no one else present.

"Your junior greets the Sacred Emperor!" Ye Qin said seriously, cupping his hands, his expression respectful.

"Little friend Ye, your reputation has soared in the East Sea these past few years! Even this Emperor often hears your name mentioned by cultivators within the Palace," the Sacred Emperor boomed with laughter.

"The Sacred Emperor praises me too highly! In the presence of the Sacred Emperor, your junior dares not speak of reputation!" Ye Qin flushed slightly. "Is the Sacred Emperor seeking your junior to retrieve the Silver Armored Guards?"

"Indeed. This Emperor has just arrived in Purple Sword City, and upon hearing you arrived a few days ago, I sent someone to fetch you. I specifically want to borrow your Silver Armored Guards to venture into a dangerous locale in the East Sea to retrieve a rare spiritual item."

The Sacred Emperor paused, then suddenly added, "Would you like to accompany this Emperor to retrieve that item?"

"Me? My Huanli... can he go?" Ye Qin was momentarily stunned.

"The last time we met, you were still at the Golden Core stage; going then would have been merely sending yourself to die. This Emperor had no intention of taking you along. However, now that you are a Nascent Soul cultivator, you possess some power of self-preservation—you may go," the Sacred Emperor explained calmly. "We knew each other in the Central Lands, and after several encounters, through twists of fate, you saved this Emperor from being trapped underground, establishing a certain destiny. Today, this Emperor offers you a fortuitous opportunity; it depends on whether you are willing to go with this Emperor."

"May I ask what spiritual item the Sacred Emperor intends to seek?" Ye Qin asked after a moment of thought.

The Sacred Emperor shook his head. "There are many Nascent Soul cultivators within the city, many ears and eyes; leaks are easily caused. This Emperor cannot speak the name of this item here." He quickly continued, "This Emperor can only tell you that this item is a legendary spiritual object in the cultivation world. This Emperor originally dared not harbor any hope of obtaining it. But this Immortal-Demon War's outbreak has brought an unexpected chance, giving this Emperor hope of acquiring it! If this spiritual item can be obtained, the benefits will naturally be immense, enough to benefit one for a lifetime. You only need to tell this Emperor: are you going or not?"

Ye Qin fell into contemplation.

He knew clearly that the Sacred Emperor was a supreme cultivator who had once stood half a step into the Soul Transformation stage, a figure few in the entire East Sea cultivation world could currently match. Even the former Master of the Northern Yu Sect of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, upon seeing the Sacred Emperor emerge, conceded and chose not to contend.

The item that the Sacred Emperor found interesting and wished to obtain was likely one of the top spiritual items in the East Sea cultivation world. It might be an item used for breaking through to the Soul Transformation stage, or perhaps another item related to that realm.

Of course, if it truly was a peerless spiritual object, the risks involved would undoubtedly be unimaginable.

At the very least, Ye Qin could not currently fathom how difficult it would be to obtain that spiritual item. Otherwise, the Sacred Emperor would not have remained in the Blood Sea for decades, needing such a long time to make all the necessary preparations, only now intending to retrieve it.

Since the Sacred Emperor was making a move, he likely possessed at least a fifty percent chance of success and would not be speaking recklessly to seek death without reason.

Ye Qin weighed the pros and cons for a considerable time.

"Go!" Ye Qin's gaze gradually firmed; without any unnecessary words, he uttered a single syllable, agreeing.

"Good! Truly possessing the spirit of this Emperor from back then! You don't know what the spiritual item does, nor where it is, yet you dare accompany this Emperor to retrieve it, taking such risks—that is indeed full of mettle. Ah, when this Emperor dominated the East Sea cultivation world, was it not also through extraordinary boldness!" the Sacred Emperor laughed heartily.

"The Sacred Emperor's actions are beyond ordinary men," Ye Qin replied with a faint smile.

"Let's leave now! We have two other companions waiting outside the city; we can discuss how to retrieve the spiritual item!"

"Ah, this junior still has the mission assigned by Sect Master Zhou to hunt the demon spy, which has not yet been completed... I fear it would be inconvenient to leave immediately. Could we wait a few days? After I hunt that demon spy, it won't be too late?"

"No need for pleasantries. Killing a demon spy is a trivial matter; why make such a fuss? Follow this Emperor!"

The Sacred Emperor and Ye Qin left Purple Sword City, taking more than ten Golden Core cultivators from the Sacred Emperor Palace, soaring on clouds and driving mist a thousand li away to a desolate island.

On the island, a young, handsome cultivator stood with his hands behind his back, resembling an unparalleled, graceful young master. His appearance was even more "youthful" than Ye Qin's, yet he was already a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. A delicate, five-colored lotus flower bloomed on his brow, almost seductively vibrant.

A thousand zhang away, on a hillside, floated a mass of ghostly mist over ten zhang wide. A Ghost Cultivator flickered in and out of sight within the mist, sitting motionless on the slope. However, the aura it emitted was intensely gloomy, making the surrounding hundreds of zhang feel as cold as an underground abyss. Its cultivation was at the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage—an extremely terrifying existence.

On another mountaintop, a thin old man holding a staff stood alone, gazing coldly out at the sea, resembling an ancient, enduring stone sculpture. His cultivation was also at the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage.

On this island, a young master at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, a Ghost Cultivator at the late Nascent Soul stage, and an old man at the late Nascent Soul stage—three cultivators with completely different auras—each occupied a corner of the island. The situation was exceedingly strange, yet no conflict had erupted.

Upon seeing the mass of ghostly mist on the island and sensing that familiar Ghost Cultivator aura, Ye Qin's heart plummeted, and he secretly cursed the bad luck. "Ghost Lord Arling, why is he here too? Could he be the companion the Sacred Emperor mentioned?" But it was too late to retreat now; he could only brace himself and follow the Sacred Emperor as they landed on the island.

Of the three Nascent Soul cultivators on the island, Ye Qin immediately recognized the Sacred Emperor's Lotus Flower Avatar and Ghost Lord Arling. He did not recognize the old man. However, for this old man to be qualified to stand alongside the Sacred Emperor and the Ghost Lord, he must certainly be a top-tier late Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Sacred Emperor, why did you bring back a junior cultivator when going to fetch the Silver Armored Guard?" The Ghost Lord opened his eyes, which were as black as ink, a flash of surprised brilliance crossing them before settling back into stillness. He glanced deeply at Ye Qin, his voice cold but seemingly unperturbed.

"This Emperor has reconsidered. He will accompany the rest of us to the Demon Realm to seek that spiritual item," the Sacred Emperor stated calmly.

The Ghost Lord fell silent, then said no more.

Ye Qin found it strange. Ghost Lord Arling did not mention the Ice Lotus Seed at all, appearing almost as if he didn't recognize Ye Qin. Ye Qin had stolen the Tier Thirteen Ice Lotus Seed that the Ghost Lord desperately wanted; it was unbelievable that in only a little over a decade, the Ghost Lord would fail to recognize him. There must be some hidden aspect here that caused the Ghost Lord to avoid mentioning it.

"This lad's cultivation is barely enough for self-preservation; he won't be much help in retrieving the spiritual item. But since he is here and knows what we plan, there's no need for him to return," the thin old man stated coldly, glancing at Ye Qin.

"This is the 'Hate Mountain Old Freak' from the Blood Sea. However, he has been in seclusion on Hate Mountain and you likely haven't heard his name," the Sacred Emperor said, pointing to the thin old man.

"I greet both Seniors!" Ye Qin cupped his hands toward the Ghost Lord and the old man.

The young man smiled at Ye Qin; he was the only one of the three island cultivators who seemed to have a favorable impression of Ye Qin.

The Lotus Flower Avatar and Ye Qin already knew each other, so the Sacred Emperor naturally didn't need to introduce them further.

The Sacred Emperor informed Ye Qin that he intended to retrieve a Ninth-Tier Silver Armored Guard he had refined long ago, planning to reforge it into a Tenth-Level Nascent Soul Silver Armored Guard, which would take about half a month. Only after the Tenth-Level Silver Armored Guard was refined would they proceed to retrieve the spiritual item.

Ghost Lord and Hate Mountain Old Freak had already been waiting a long time and didn't mind waiting an extra ten days or so.

Ye Qin also settled down, waiting on the island.

During this period, only the Lotus Flower Avatar left the island once, seemingly to attend to some matter.

Less than ten days later, the Lotus Flower Avatar returned, dragging the tentacle of a massive, several-hundred-zhang-long giant demonic cuttlefish carcass and tossing it onto the island's beach. The corpse of the Tenth-Tier demonic cuttlefish was covered in wounds, with several zhang-deep sword marks visible everywhere, but it wasn't quite dead yet, continuously oozing thick, inky-green, viscous fluid. The fluid seemed highly toxic, smoking and sizzling where it dripped onto the sand. However, this inky-green fluid had no effect on the Lotus Flower Avatar.

"This Eight-Clawed Cuttlefish is extremely skilled at stealth, lurking a thousand zhang deep underwater, only surfacing briefly every three days. Finding it took quite some effort. Little friend Ye, this must be the demon spy lurking around Purple Sword City that you mentioned?" the Lotus Flower Avatar laughed heartily.

Ye Qin looked at the Tenth-Tier demonic cuttlefish corpse, then at the Lotus Flower Avatar, and was stunned for a long moment.

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