Chapter 529 - 471: Fuyunzi, Crisis Approaches
At this time, having advanced to the late-stage Golden Core Realm, his physical body and Divine Soul had both smoothly ascended to the fifth rank.
Having achieved his goal, Su Ye piloted the Ghostly Flood Dragon back toward the Day Flame Sea Region.
Captain’s Cabin.
Su Ye’s mind stirred, a flicker of awareness in his eyes.
After his breakthrough, he could clearly sense a faint, restrictive force emerging within his consciousness.
It was the Heart Demon Oath. According to the agreement he’d made with the Dreamguards, he was to fulfill his end of the bargain and refine the Dao Source now that he had reached the late-stage Golden Core Realm.
And now, he had completed his breakthrough.
’Therefore, as agreed, I need to uphold my end of the deal.’
’Otherwise, this Heart Demon Oath could become a serious problem.’
Su Ye mused.
The Nascent Soul Tribulation.
Specifically, the Five Elements Immortal Thunder Tribulation and the Boundless Heart Demon Tribulation.
When he faced the latter, this Heart Demon Oath would cause the power of the Heart Demon Tribulation to skyrocket by several times, if not more.
The Nascent Soul Tribulation was already incredibly difficult to begin with—not even one in ten succeeded. With this additional amplification, death would be an absolute certainty!
’Fortunately, I was planning to honor the agreement anyway, so this Heart Demon Oath won’t affect me.’
Su Ye chuckled. Besides, refining the Dao Source was a good thing for him as well.
’Even if it were pro bono work, he’d still do it.’
’What’s more, the Dreamguards were quite generous and had promised him great treasures.’
’Once the agreement is complete, I’ll ask for a few more fifth-rank treasures. With the wealth of the Volcano Grotto Heaven, it shouldn’t be too difficult, right?’
Su Ye stroked his chin. As for whether refining the Dao Source would increase the Dreamguards’ power and cause complications for the Inner Sea Nine Sects’ campaign to conquer the Grotto Heaven?
Frankly, he hadn’t given it a single thought.
’Even if they conquer the Grotto Heaven, this particular one has nothing to do with me.’
’The Jade Void Sword Sect, the True Treasure Pavilion, and the Profound Light Cave—those three Nascent Soul powers—are the biggest beneficiaries... Of course, as a prospective True Disciple of the True Treasure Pavilion, maybe I’ll get a piece of the action?’
Su Ye mused. With Li Jinhua’s favor and the merits he had accumulated this time, a True Disciple position was practically guaranteed.
’But even as a True Disciple, would the share of the rewards I’d receive, at the absolute most, even be enough for two fifth-rank treasures?’
’How could that possibly compare to me taking matters into my own hands, cutting out the middleman, and sourcing directly from the Dreamguards?’
’Besides, a priceless and unobtainable treasure like the Dao Source can only be chanced upon, never sought. Could the Inner Sea Nine Sects, or even the Jade Void Sword Sect, the leader of the nine, just give me one?’
’Heh...’
Su Ye scoffed, his mind made up.
’I’ll head back soon, refine the Dao Source, and wrap up this business with the Volcano Grotto Heaven. Then, I’ll head to the Central Sea Region, take my place as a True Disciple of the True Treasure Pavilion, and prepare to advance to Nascent Soul True Monarch.’
Su Ye finalized his plan, feeling quite pleased with it.
’Yehai...’
’Tsk, tsk. I’m already getting impatient to hear that title.’
Su Ye murmured to himself, lightly twirling a strand of black hair around his finger, a faint smile playing on his lips.
...
「The next day.」
Deep within the sea, thousands of feet below the surface.
No light penetrated this far down; it was pitch-black.
The currents were turbulent. The Ghostly Flood Dragon, having taken on a submarine form that rather resembled a Sakaban Turtle, was cruising through the deep at a steady pace.
Even without flying and while maintaining Concealment, the spirit vessel’s speed was not the least bit slow.
"According to the sea chart and the hydrographic conditions, we should be in the Day Flame Sea Region by now..." Su Ye murmured, opening his eyes in the captain’s cabin.
It was easy enough to tell.
Even deep beneath the sea, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi he absorbed with each breath now contained noticeably more Fire Element Spiritual Qi Particles.
This type of Spiritual Qi environment was the most distinct characteristic of the Day Flame Sea Region.
After the Volcano Grotto Heaven opened, this characteristic had become even more pronounced.
"Hm?"
Just as Su Ye was thinking this, his expression suddenly turned grave, and he looked up.
The power of his Divine Sense surged, and his vision easily pierced through the ceiling of the captain’s cabin, the hull of the Ghostly Flood Dragon, and the thousands of meters of seawater to gaze at the sky!
WHOOSH!
In the sky, Gang Wind churned as a tall, slender figure in green robes approached, riding a flying sword!
He was heading directly for the Ghostly Flood Dragon’s position deep beneath the waves!
As if sensing Su Ye’s gaze, the green-robed figure let out a cold, faint sneer. His gaze, sharp as a sword, shot down fiercely!
His gaze struck!
Guided by Divine Sense, his Sword Intent flared!
In that instant, a blindingly sharp glint of sword light seemed to flash before Su Ye’s eyes.
The sword light was brilliant, dazzling. It descended from the heavens, carrying with it the overwhelming might of the sky. Like Moses parting the Red Sea, it cleaved the churning Gang Wind and the boundless Cloud Sea of the nine heavens in two!
’Sword Intent...’
Su Ye’s expression darkened. With a flicker of his fifth-rank Divine Sense, he leveraged his ’home-field advantage’ to shatter the incoming Sword Intent.
But even so, Su Ye’s expression remained incredibly grave.
’This level of Sword Intent... A Nascent Soul!’
’Damn it!’
Su Ye muttered, his face dark.
His Divine Sense Perception was crystal clear: the green-robed figure was, without a doubt, a Nascent Soul cultivator!
His fears had come true!
The opening of the Volcano Grotto Heaven was too great a lure. Just as he’d feared, unknown Nascent Soul cultivators were indeed roaming the Day Flame Sea Region!
’My luck is just terrible. On the way back, I had to run into one!’
"Oh?"
"Fifth-rank Divine Sense?"
"I am Fuyunzi, an elder of the Jade Void Sword Sect."
"Might I ask which fellow Daoist I am addressing? Would you be willing to show yourself and have a chat?"
When his Sword Intent was shattered, the green-robed figure in the sky had naturally sensed it.
A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by a confident smile, as if victory was already in his grasp.
’Fuyunzi?’
’An elder of the Jade Void Sword Sect?’
Su Ye’s mind raced as he heard this.
But his expression showed no signs of optimism.
’It was simple: even though the Jade Void Sword Sect was currently an ally of the True Treasure Pavilion...’