C1416 A Clear Stream

Near the Frozen Hellscape, deep within the cerulean sea, Qi Nandou, with his effeminate aura, journeyed alongside Hou Tianzhao of the Ruby Hand, hailing from the northern reaches of the Land of Quiescence. They, along with a few others adept in arcane arts, were mostly at the stages of Lunar Spirit and Spirit Walk.

In days gone by, cultivators at these levels were keen to venture to the Land of Terror to fortify their spirited bodies. The place was steeped in dense Yin Qi, making it ideal for such tempering. Whether one was newly initiated into the Lunar Spirit or traversing the Spirit Walk, the Land of Terror offered significant benefits.

However, since White Bone ascended to God of Ghosts, claiming dominion over the Land of Terror, sects aligned with the five supreme forces seldom sent their disciples there. The fear was that their disciples might find favor with the local ghosts and meet an untimely end.

Below the Solar Spirit level, skirmishes between the two factions were not forbidden; such was the law. The Starmoon Sect, Forgeroses, and the Obsidian Thunder Sect would still dispatch their members to the Land of Terror. In the event of conflict, the ghosts of the Land of Terror were known to side with their allies, leaving no room for doubt.

"I heard Liu Ying is in seclusion, refining her Solar Spirit," Qi Nandou remarked as he sailed. His delicate face betrayed his envy. "Tianzhao, we're still in the middle period of the Spirit Walk, yet she's on the cusp of becoming a Solar Spirit. Does that make you feel any sense of loss?"

Hou Tianzhao, with his round face, bare chest, and copper rings dangling from his earlobes, chuckled heartily. "What's so impressive about that? My sect's Junior Sister Yuan Lianyao achieved the Solar Spirit even before Liu Ying!"

The men and women from the Ruby Hand, all at the Lunar Spirit level, couldn't help but feel envious upon hearing Yuan Lianyao's name.

"She's in a league of her own," Qi Nandou said with a wry smile.

"And how is that?" Hou Tianzhao retorted. "Liu Ying's rapid advancement is surely because she had Ghost King Luo Yue by her side in the Land of Terror, wandering far and wide. The Starmoon Sect now walks hand in hand with the Boulderdawn and the Chamber of Commerce. The nature of Liu Ying's relationship with Yu Yuan is hardly a secret to anyone."

Hou Tianzhao raised his voice, "We all know what it means to break through the Lunar Spirit and Spirit Walk realms in the Land of Terror, especially with the aid of the Ghost King! If I were to reach the Lunar Spirit and Spirit Walk realms there, I too could strive for the Solar Spirit!"

"Liu Ying is truly formidable."

"Ah, the Starmoon Sect has really come into its own."

"Just thinking about Liu Ying ascending to the extraterrestrial realm fills me with envy."

The men and women from the Taintborn, Ruby Hand, and Skyblight Cult began to chatter excitedly.

Qi Nandou was about to speak when a string of bells at his waist chimed suddenly. He tuned in with a thread of his remnant soul and, moments later, his handsome face was clouded with frustration. "Just my luck..."

Hou Tianzhao, intrigued, glanced at the bells on Qi Nandou's waist and inquired, "Who is it?"

"That mad dog, Lee Tihai! He's nearby, rallying the Skyblight Cult to help him hunt down Chou Muge and Lyu Geng!" Qi Nandou hastily corrected himself to prevent those around him from spreading his slip of the tongue with ill intent.

In Qi Nandou's eyes, Chou Muge and Lyu Geng were figures deserving of respect, hence his use of honorifics.

"I've heard that Lee Tihai and Lin Tianming from the Poison Cult, along with several independent cultivators from the Sundering Isles, nearly killed Senior Chou using their vile poisons?" Hou Tianzhao expressed his shock. "Mr. Lyu, with your average cultivation talent, you're still in the early stages of the Solar Spirit. Senior Chou... shouldn't pose much of a threat."

Hou Tianzhao, a member of the Ruby Hand and not the Skyblight Cult, felt little need for concern given his sect's strong standing. He continued to refer to Chou Muge and Lyu Geng as seniors, unconcerned with others' opinions.

"I'm not sure," Qi Nandou admitted, shaking his head. "I'll act as if I never received the message and won't respond."

"Don't do that!"

Hou Tianzhao's spirits lifted. He produced his transformed Phoenix Feather Fan and proposed, "Since we're free, let's go have a look. If there's a chance, we could covertly lend a hand to the two seniors."

"I'm with the Skyblight Cult. How can I be of assistance?" Qi Nandou said with a wry smile.

"I'll handle it!"

Hou Tianzhao let out a sinister chuckle. "Those independent cultivators invited by Lee Tihai and Lin Tianming aren't listed in our Skyblight Cult's genealogy. If I'm in a foul mood and I end up killing them, that's that. I seriously doubt Mr. Yun would confront the Ruby Hand over a few independent cultivators."

The Sect Master of the Ruby Hand had achieved the status of a primordial spirit, and the sect was brimming with formidable experts.

Armed with such confidence, not just Hou Tianzhao, but all disciples of the Ruby Hand felt emboldened in the Everlands.

They would sometimes even go out of their way to provoke members of the Sunlit Order.

Were it not for the common enemies they faced, including the Boulderdawn and the Chamber of Commerce, the Ruby Hand and the Sunlit Order might have already been at war.

"Fine, just tone it down a bit, don't put me in a tough spot."

Qi Nandou actually felt for Chou Muge and Lyu Geng and hoped there might be a way to secretly give them a chance at survival.

"Aren't you confident in how I handle things?" Hou Tianzhao roared with laughter, unfurling his Phoenix Feather Fan and declaring boldly, "Who else wants to come and have a look? Join me! But let me warn you, anyone who talks nonsense will have to answer to me afterward!"

"Me!"

"Count me in!"

"Senior Brother Hou, please include me too!"

...

Outside the cave, Chou Muge still appeared very weak.

His lips trembled slightly as he looked at the somewhat unfamiliar Yu Yuan, trying to express his gratitude.

"Enough, focus on assimilating that blood energy essence. It's rightfully yours, after all. Your recovery depends entirely on your own fortune."

Yu Yuan gestured dismissively, indicating that he should drop the formalities. He also motioned for the overly enthusiastic Lyu Geng to keep his distance.

"Yu Yuan, I've always known we're kin! You're a descendant of the Evil King, and it was he who forged the glory of our Skyblight Cult! The Evil King has ascended even higher now, becoming a peerless God of Ghosts! But I'm certain he still holds us in his thoughts!"

"Yu Yuan, could you lead us to the Land of Terror?"

"Even if we can't settle in the Land of Terror, with your intervention, we could establish ourselves nearby!"

Lyu Geng was practically leaping with excitement, already envisioning the prospect of founding a new sect on the fringes of the Land of Terror.

"There are others in the Skyblight Cult who share our dissatisfaction with Mr. Yun. We could follow the example of the Tempest's Edge and declare our independence from the Thunder Sect!"

His anticipation was palpable, fueled by Yu Yuan's arrival, his extraordinary abilities, and his current status, which kindled a sense of hope.

"Enough!"

Yu Yuan interjected with impatience.

"You really won't lend us a hand?" Lyu Geng inquired somberly.

"I'm simply waiting for Lee Tihai to show up. I'll deal with him first. As for Yun Hao, I suspect... he's biding his time for the right moment," Yu Yuan replied with a cool demeanor.

Yun Hao, a disciple of the late Yu Xi, had failed to protect the Yu family. He had turned a blind eye to Lee Tihai's atrocities, resulting in tragedies befalling Yu Ying, as well as Yu Yuan's father, Yu Jue, and mother, Jin Rourou. Given the Evil King's nature, it was improbable that he would let these grievances slide.

He wasn't rushing into action, partly due to recent accords with the Boulderdawn Sect and the commercial alliances.

Yun Hao seemed too cautious to leave the Everlands, wary of giving the Evil King an opening.

The Evil King was only concerned with dealing with leaders like Yun Hao. A rabid dog like Lee Tihai was beneath his notice.

Given his current status and power, Yu Yuan felt little need to concern himself with the fortunes of the Skyblight Cult or individuals like Lyu Geng.

He had ascended to great heights in this life, focusing only on those who were on a similar level or just a notch below.

People like Lyu Geng, Chou Muge, and Lee Tihai were far beneath him.

"Uh, how did they get here first?"

With a flicker of thought, Yu Yuan was taken aback by the sight of a crimson radiance streaking across the sky.

The vibrant hue heralded the arrival of the Phoenix Feather Fan, masterfully wielded by Hou Tianzhao. This enhanced heavenly spiritual weapon was one of the Ruby Hand's renowned rare treasures.

Upon spotting the Phoenix Feather Fan, he also caught sight of the corpulent, big-eared Hou Tianzhao and Qi Nandou, whose demeanor was the polar opposite.

As for the others, he barely gave the cultivators from the various sects in the northern reaches of the Land of Quiescence a second look.

"Qi, Qi Nandou!"

Lyu Geng was utterly bewildered. He rubbed his eyes and muttered in confusion, "When did this kid start running with that mad dog, Lee Tihai? In the current state of the Skyblight Cult, Qi Nandou is like a breath of fresh air. Has he been corrupted by Lee Tihai too?"

"My goodness!"

On the Phoenix Feather Fan, Qi Nandou was also rubbing his eyes. With a jolt, he leaped to his feet on the fan, exclaiming, "What am I seeing? Tianzhao! Am I mistaken?"

"No mistake! It's definitely him!"

Hou Tianzhao, with his chest exposed and his youthful flesh quivering, beamed with excitement, "I didn't see this coming!"

"Who is it?"

"Who's that?"

The young men and women on the fan, whose powers were not as advanced as theirs and who were of similar age, suddenly perked up with curiosity.

"Yu Yuan!"

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