Chapter 229: Convincing Qiong Sea King (1)

Chapter 229: Convincing Qiong Sea King (1)

Within the jade chamber under Cloudhill, a hum filled the air. The three hall jades dimmed, returning to their original state. Seated in the lotus position, Bu Yu, Huan Jian, and Fang Xia simultaneously opened their eyes.

"Is it over?" Wu Yuan, standing nearby, asked with a smile.

Bu Yu nodded. "Mm. After the Middle Land Conference concluded, the Wu Sect gave us some time to exchange insights before closing the Middle Land Immortal Hall once more. It will remain closed for the next six years."

"Six years?" Wu Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

"Bu Yu, Huan Jian," Fang Xia interjected. "Having borne witness to today's proceedings, I believe both of you comprehend the extent of Wu Yuan's power."

Bu Yu and Huan Jian nodded in unison, their gazes involuntarily drawn towards Wu Yuan. A clear glimmer of respect shone in their eyes.

Previously, they had regarded Wu Yuan as a remarkably gifted individual. However, after stepping into the Unity level, Bu Yu regained her confidence. They both knew that Wu Yuan had reached Unity, but instinctively believed that there wasn’t a substantial gap between them, especially not in such a short span of time.

Yet, their trip to the Middle Land Immortal Hall had served as a brutal reality check. One of them ranked last among the Heavenly Rankers and the other second to last. Meanwhile, Wu Yuan's soul imprint ranking surpassed even that of Fang Xia. Bu Yu and Huan Jian understood the implications of this: Wu Yuan was destined to surpass them both.

Fang Xia continued solemnly, "Remember, the top Heavenly Ranker is Wan Liu. Wu Yuan is merely Wan Liu's direct disciple."

"Understood," Huan Jian replied.

"Senior Wan Liu is averse to meddling in worldly affairs, hence he seldom makes an appearance," Bu Yu added softly.

Fang Xia nodded in satisfaction. "During this Middle Land Conference, the various factions were all shocked and awed by Wan Liu. Combined with the combat strength I have displayed, it will usher in an era of peace for the Cloudstride Sect. This is our opportunity. Bu Yu, Huan Jian, use this time to open your qi seas and become true Qi Sea cultivators.”

Both of them nodded without hesitation.

"Very well, you two may depart now," said Fang Xia.

Without any delay, they left.

After returning from the Middle Land Immortal Hall, Bu Yu and Huan Jian realized that Wu Yuan's formidable soul allowed him to increase his strength at a rate far surpassing their own. There was a possibility that he could even surpass Fang Xia in the future.

In the jade chamber, only Wu Yuan and Fang Xia remained.

"Young Master, your soul..." Fang Xia shook his head, "It is extremely strong, unbelievably powerful! How far can your Soul Force reach now?"

Soul Force?

"It can extend about five li," Wu Yuan spoke softly.

"No wonder! No wonder Emperor Dong Pan was so wary," Fang Xia exclaimed, "Five li? A typical Golden Core cultivator can reach just over ten li upon their initial breakthrough. Although there’s still a gap between you and them, your range has already far exceeds the vast majority of ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivators!"

"From my evaluation, the likelihood of Qiong Sea King achieving a breakthrough on his own is less than ten percent," Wu Yuan concluded. "So, don’t you think he will seize an opportunity for a breakthrough?"

Fang Xia's eyes sparked with understanding. Niu Hao still had ample time to discover a method to advance to the next cultivation phase, so he wasn’t desperate yet. If Wu Yuan were to propose exceedingly unfavorable conditions, Niu Hao would likely reject them outright. However, Qiong Sea King had no such luxury!

"Young Master, do you have a way to aid Qiong Sea King?" Fang Xia inquired curiously.

"Hahaha," Wu Yuan chuckled, not providing an answer.

So far, Fang Xia had demonstrated unwavering loyalty and proved himself to be an outstanding bodyguard. Yet, Wu Yuan couldn't forget how Fang Xia was coerced into swearing fealty through the Blood Gu Art after enduring over 100 years of imprisonment by the realm master.

After everything Fang Xia went through, he was now the bodyguard of the realm master’s successor. Resentment would surely brew within anyone’s heart if they were subject to such circumstances.

It wasn't that Wu Yuan lacked trust in Fang Xia. However, in the treacherous pursuit of immortality, where life and death hung by a thread, rationality told Wu Yuan to never place absolute trust in anyone. No one!

As Wan Liu, Wu Yuan had carefully crafted an image of a lofty figure in the eyes of the various factions in the Middle Land. And now, he was gradually establishing his authority as a young master in front of Fang Xia. He only hoped that in 50 years' time, when this master-servant arrangement came to an end, they would treat each other as fellow Daoists and not foes.

...

One day later, an azure-scaled colossal jiaolong over 60 zhangs long rode the clouds towards Cloudhill. It was none other than Qiong Sea King.

Soaring 1000 zhangs above the ground, his large draconic eyes surveyed the bustling human city below. Such a prosperous human city, this must be Cloudhill City.

He was still several dozen li from Cloudhill City, but with his control over heaven and earth's power and extraordinary hearing as a body refiner, he could extract a wealth of information from the clamor below.

Hmm... it seems there are many wonders of the human race. Alas, I can’t go sightseeing. Qiong Sea King lamented inwardly, shaking his gargantuan head.

After reaching the Communion phase, one could manipulate the size of their body to some extent. But assuming a human form? It was impossible. Just as a Heavenly Ranker could employ Transfiguration to assume someone else's appearance, they could not transform from a human into a pig.

The art of Shapeshifting could only be learned during the Spiritual Body phase.

That must be Cloudhill. Qiong Sea King gazed at the peak of the tall mountain around 100 li in the distance. It was adorned with countless structures and teeming with a large population.

In Qiong Sea King's perception, the mountain peak was not exceptionally high. Yet, it was certainly large.

I forgot to ask Fang Xia how I’ll be meeting Senior Wan Liu. What should I do now? Qiong Sea King might have lived for more than 700 years, but the majority of that time was spent cultivating in the depths of the South Ocean, and he rarely engaged with the human race. Thanks to Black Jiao King, he learned of the defense array around the Cloudstride Sect and avoided barging in recklessly.

"Qiong Sea, come to the northern side of Cloudhill," a gentle voice resonated in Qiong Sea King's mind.

Senior Wan Liu? Qiong Sea King’s eyes lit up as he recognized the voice. It seemed gentler than it had been at the Middle Land Immortal Hall.

Without hesitation, the jiaolong whipped his tail and propelled its massive body forward to the northern side of Cloudhill. His presence was obscured amidst the clouds and fog, and heaven and earth's power refracted the light around his body. Thus, not a single person from Cloudhill Province nor Cloudhill City knew that a colossal jiaolong was passing by overhead.New n0vel chapters are published on