Chapter 677 - 273: Black Profound
Although Black Profound Island was an overseas island, it was situated on a crucial shipping route and boasted a prosperous trade. As a result, a city of considerable scale, named Black Stone City, had been built upon the main island.
The city walls were constructed from the island’s unique black Profound Stone.
The Demon Sect’s stronghold wasn’t located in the bustling port district, with its motley crowd, but was hidden away in a relatively quiet area in the city’s southwest corner.
The place had once been a moderately popular folk temple dedicated to some long-forgotten Sea God. It was later abandoned for some reason, and the worship ceased.
The stronghold was set up within the meditation chambers in the backyard of this abandoned temple.
The meditation chambers had been renovated, giving them a refined and elegant air.
A few dim, yellow oil lamps flickered in the corners. Several figures sat around a large square table.
The ones leading the group were the three Demon Sect masters: Fang Cheng, Guo Pingling, and Zhao Yuandou.
And in the host’s seat sat a fair-skinned man dressed as a middle-aged scholar in a long brocade robe.
He was none other than the Island Master of Black Profound Island, Jiang Kui, the "Overturning River Ao."
"Thank you for your recent assistance, Island Master Jiang, for providing this precious place for us to stay. On behalf of the entire Holy Sect, I am eternally grateful." Zhao Yuandou was the first to speak, cupping his fist with a very polite tone.
Jiang Kui chuckled and waved his hand. "You’re too kind, Younger Brother Zhao. It’s a small matter, not worth mentioning."
"Ah, Island Master Jiang, this is no small matter."
Guo Pingling chimed in, "If not for Black Profound Island being so easy to defend and difficult to attack, and for the intimidating reputation of Yanzi Dock, we would have likely been targeted by those bastards from the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect long ago."
Zhao Yuandou nodded, his expression turning grave. "Brother Guo is absolutely right. Island Master Jiang, although this place is secret, things have been getting tense recently. The new True Disciple sent by the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect, Chen Qing, is no easy opponent. What’s more, he’s accompanied by Deng Ziheng, the ’Four Symbols of Mountains and Rivers.’ We still need to be cautious, continue gathering our forces, and prioritize concealing our movements."
Although Fang Cheng didn’t speak, he grunted and nodded in agreement with Zhao Yuandou.
"Rest assured, everyone!"
Jiang Kui pressed the Jade Ring on his finger against the table and declared boisterously, "As long as I, Jiang Kui, am on Black Profound Island, the people from the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect won’t dare to attack recklessly! The name of Yanzi Dock still carries weight in the Thousand Reefs Sea Region!"
While his words might have been an exaggeration, relying on the great tree that was Yanzi Dock truly gave him immense confidence.
Hearing this, Fang Cheng, Guo Pingling, and the others forced smiles and offered their flattery. "With your words, Island Master Jiang, we can rest easy."
"Exactly! With the Island Master and Yanzi Dock here, why should we fear the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect!"
For a moment, the atmosphere seemed quite harmonious.
After a bit more small talk, a strange glint flashed in Zhao Yuandou’s eyes. He lowered his voice and said meaningfully to Jiang Kui, "Rest assured, Island Master Jiang. The Holy Sect has always kept your... ’refined tastes’ in mind. Those young ladies from the Noble Families we promised you, the ones with ’excellent qualities,’ will be personally escorted and secretly delivered to your residence soon. I guarantee they’ll be fresh, tender, and delicious, enough for the Island Master to enjoy to his heart’s content."
Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Jiang Kui’s eyes.
He lifted his cup, took a sip, and smiled. "Well said, well said. Younger Brother Zhao is too thoughtful."
After a few more drinks, Jiang Kui stood up to leave, ready to return to his Island Master’s manor to await the good news.
However, just as the words left their lips, before they had even begun to disperse—
"WHOOSH—!"
An extremely sharp sound of something tearing through the air shot in from outside without any warning. The sound was shrill, the speed unimaginably fast!
It wasn’t an arrow, but a Money Dart infused with fierce True Astral energy. The dart spun as it tore through the air.
Fang Cheng’s reaction was the swiftest. Though he appeared crude and boorish, his combat experience was extremely rich.
The instant he heard the sound of something tearing through the air, he viciously kicked the edge of the heavy, large square table!
BOOM!
Splinters flew as the immense force of the kick flipped the tabletop up, shielding the men behind it.
PSHH!
At almost the exact same moment, the Money Dart pierced through the overturned tabletop. Its Momentum undiminished, it precisely struck the forehead of a Demon Sect master standing beside them.
His head exploded like a ripe watermelon, spattering red and white matter everywhere. The headless body swayed for a moment before collapsing to the ground.
"Not good! Enemy attack!"
Zhao Yuandou’s expression changed drastically. His reaction was also extremely fast; he grabbed the long saber leaning beside him, unsheathed it in an instant, and roared.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Two more blasts of True Astral energy came hurtling in, making the air tremble as if it couldn’t bear the strain.
This time, the Money Darts’ targets were two other Demon Sect masters who were momentarily stunned with horror.
THWIP! THWIP!
The two had no time to mount an effective defense. Their Protective Gang Qi was pierced as if it were made of paper, and two bloody holes instantly exploded in their chests. They died on the spot without so much as a grunt.
In the blink of an eye, three men were dead!
"Get outside!"
Someone shouted, and the five or six surviving Demon Sect masters, both shocked and furious, grabbed their Weapons, activated their True Astral energy, and charged outside.
The moment they burst out of the house, they saw several figures blocking their path like phantoms. It was Luo Qianjue, He Shuang, and a few other powerful disciples from Xu Wang Mountain.
"Kill them!"
Luo Qianjue’s eyes were ice-cold. The long saber in his hand was already unsheathed, its blade shimmering with a sinister, cold light.
With a flicker of movement, he transformed into a sharp flash of saber light and went straight for Fang Cheng, who had the most ferocious aura.
Fang Cheng roared as his palms instantly turned crimson as blood. A foul, bloody wind washed over them—it was his signature technique, the Blood Evil Palm!
He struck out with a continuous chain of palm strikes. The wind from his palms howled, carrying a venomous Power that corroded qi and blood as he clashed head-on with the edge of Luo Qianjue’s saber.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The clashes between saber and palm actually produced the sound of striking metal.
Luo Qianjue’s Saber Technique was fast, ruthless, and precise. Every strike aimed directly at the weak points in the execution of Fang Cheng’s Palm Technique.