Chapter 404 - 372: The Despicable Sect
Chapter 404: Chapter 372: The Despicable Sect
Yongdeng Ansha was located two hundred li south of Red Tail Island. Its terrain resembled a spindle—pointed at both ends and wide in the middle. The waters were filled with hidden sandbars and reefs, with the shallowest point being less than three zhang deep.
Deep beneath the seabed lay a high-quality Tier Four Spirit Vein, its Spiritual Qi exceptionally abundant, attracting large populations of shellfish-type Demon Beasts to gather here.
It was precisely because of Yongdeng Ansha’s superior geographical conditions that the Earth Dark Sect had always coveted it, claiming that Yongdeng Ansha was part of Red Tail Island.
And since Red Tail Island was jointly owned by the Chenghua Sect and the Earth Dark Sect, Yongdeng Ansha should logically be treated the same way.
The Earth Dark Sect not only dispatched its Spiritual Ship Fleet to patrol the area but also regularly conducted "drills" with certain external sects.
The Chenghua Sect, of course, disagreed. However, their Primordial Qi had been wounded in a great war a thousand years ago, leaving them with insufficient maritime strength. The stalemate had persisted to this day.
As a result, the Spirit Vein had remained sealed, unexploitable by either side. They could only gather the naturally-formed Spirit Pearls.
Zhao Lin took a soft breath, inhaling the dense Spiritual Qi carried on the sea breeze.
’A nation or a sect can only guarantee the integrity of its territory and fend off foreign invaders if it is strong. It was true in my past life, and it’s no different in this one.’
"We’ve reached Yongdeng Ansha. That buoy marks the border."
After about half an hour, the sea vessel arrived in an area dotted with reefs. Gan Xingquan pointed to a red-and-white buoy on the water’s surface not far away and spoke.
As they drew closer, the group saw the buoy was about one zhang high. Through the water, they could clearly see several thick ropes tethering it to the reefs below.
"It’s still early. I’ll take you on a tour so you don’t accidentally cross the boundary during the mission."
Gan Xingquan gave a hand signal, and the sea vessel changed course, beginning to circle the waters of Yongdeng Ansha.
One sea vessel led the way, with three others carrying guard cultivators following behind.
After traveling for a while, a fleet of ships approached from the opposite direction.
The fleet consisted of three ships, all with slender hulls and pointed bows. Embroidered on their sails was a chrysanthemum-like crest. A single glance was enough to tell they weren’t from the Chenghua Sect.
’No need to even ask. We’ve definitely run into people from the Earth Dark Sect. It looks like they’re also here for the Spirit Pearl harvesting mission.’
On the lead ship opposite them sat sixteen cultivators dressed in black. They wore wide-shouldered garments, battle skirts on their lower bodies, and had slender long swords hanging from their waists.
"Their swords are so long. Are they magic treasures?"
Liu Lian stared at the opposing ships for a moment before asking curiously.
"Those are the ’Eyebrow Blades,’ unique to the Earth Dark Sect. They can be used as personal defense weapons or as magic treasures."
Fu Dong chuckled and took the initiative to explain, "Their blades are long, narrow, and have a significant curve, making them excellent for slashing."
"Their drawback is that they’re difficult to handle. It takes years of practice to wield them, so many Earth Dark Sect cultivators begin training with this type of magic treasure from the very start of their cultivation journey."
Hearing this, Gan Xingquan snorted in disdain. "They look intimidating, but they’re all for show."
"Against magic treasures like a Great-Sluice Blade, a Judge’s Brush, or a long halberd, they’re completely and utterly countered."
Then, his tone shifted. "However, you lack combat experience. If you encounter them, you still need to be careful."
Zhao Lin glanced down at the iron ruler at his waist and thought, ’When I get back, I need to consult an elder and pick a suitable magic treasure.’
Having reached the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, he should have been able to start using magic treasures.
However, Zhao Lin hadn’t had time to think about it, and a suitable magic treasure wasn’t easy to find. Thus, he had come on this mission empty-handed.
The ships drew closer and closer, and the group could now see that besides the black-clad cultivators, an old man was seated in the center of the opposing vessel.
The man looked to be in his fifties or sixties, with graying hair and a broad forehead. His wrinkled face was filled with a ferocious and cruel aura.
"Hahaha... Younger Brother Gan, what brings you to Chiwu Ansha?"
As the two ships drew nearer, the gray-haired old man suddenly let out a cackle, his voice extremely grating.
"What ’Chiwu Ansha’? This is Yongdeng Ansha, and it has been the territory of my Chenghua Sect since ancient times!"
Gan Xingquan retorted without reservation, "You’re nothing but a bunch of shameless, treacherous Sea Ghosts who’ve stolen another’s nest!"
"Since ancient times?"
The gray-haired man curled his lip in a sneer. "I only know that most of these waters now belong to our Earth Dark Sect. Talk is cheap. Just look at the battle records between our two sides over the past few years."
As he spoke, he swept his gaze over Zhao Lin and the others on their ship, his tone mocking. "Why don’t we just wait and see? In three days, let’s see how many of you are left on this vessel."
"We’ll see about that!"
Gan Xingquan’s expression remained calm, and he said no more. However, the bulging veins on his temples betrayed his inner thoughts.
The two ships passed each other. Zhao Lin activated his Qi Observation Skill and looked toward the opposing vessel.
The Earth Dark Sect cultivators were all in the Late-stage Qi Refining realm. However, most were at the Qi Refining Seventh or Eighth Layer; only two were at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.
’In terms of realm alone, our side is actually a bit stronger. Since our battle record is worse than theirs, it seems the Earth Dark Sect’s proficiency in Magic must be greater.’
After a while, once the Earth Dark Sect’s ships had moved off into the distance, Gan Xingquan said in a grave voice, "You’ve seen it for yourselves. This mission is nominally about gathering Spirit Pearls, but in reality, it’s a war—just a small-scale one, fought under the banner of a mission."
"You must all prioritize your safety. If you can’t win, run. As long as you’re alive, you can always earn more merit points. If you lose your life, everything is truly over."
Ran Pengfei asked, "Elder Gan, since we’re at a disadvantage in naval combat, can we operate in larger groups?"
Everyone thought this was a good idea and turned to look at Gan Xingquan.
Gan Xingquan shook his head. "Naval combat is different from land combat. The benefit of having more people is limited; it can even lead to confusion and friendly fire."
"Of course, a larger group is stronger than a smaller one, but it also means you’ll be slower at finding Spirit Pearls. And the issue of how to divide any Spirit Pearls you do find becomes a problem."
"In the past, there have been cases where people teamed up, only to end up fighting amongst themselves over a single first-grade Spirit Pearl."
After hearing this, most of them gave up the idea, though a few still began discussing teaming up.
In less than an hour, the sea vessel completed its circuit of the area, and everyone had a clear understanding of the general layout of these waters.
As the Hour of the Serpent approached, the two fleets met near a prominent reef.
"Remember this: once the mission begins, you cannot leave this sea zone. You can only come out at the Hour of the Serpent three days from now."
"During the mission, both sides will have ships patrolling the perimeter. If you cross the boundary mid-mission and run into one of our vessels, you’ll be fine. But if you encounter one of their patrol boats, they are authorized to kill you on sight, no questions asked!"
When the Hour of the Serpent arrived, Gan Xingquan and the gray-haired elder from the Earth Dark Sect exchanged a look and raised their arms simultaneously.
"The time has come! Everyone, into the water!"
At the command, Fu Dong was the first to leap into the water. With a SWISH, his figure quickly vanished.
Zhao Lin didn’t hesitate either. He activated his Water Manipulation Skill, followed them into the water, and dove quickly toward the seabed.