Chapter 445 - 437: The Enemy is in the Sea of Suffering

Chapter 445: Chapter 437: The Enemy is in the Sea of Suffering

In Bai Zichen’s left palm was a Blood Essence Core, and in his right, a black and white Crystal Stone.

The former was a unique Space Spiritual Object from the Blood Sea Sect. Once refined into one’s body, it could function like a Storage Magical Treasure.

After reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, one could use it as a foundation to smoothly develop their own Realm.

As for the black and white Crystal Stone, it came from the Fire Demon Relic beneath the volcano. It was the condensed manifestation of this Spirit Monster’s Void Divine Techniques.

With the help of a Space Spiritual Object, it could be transformed into the Power of Void, allowing one to bypass the initial development and construction stages of a Realm.

’Building a Nascent Soul Realm isn’t something that can be done overnight. I should find Huo Feiyan first... She’s already been missing for four or five years. Although her Soul Lamp is still lit, the longer I wait, the lower the chances of rescuing her become.’

Bai Zichen murmured, his brow furrowed.

’A disciple with only a Foundation Establishment Cultivation, who would likely struggle to even reach Core Formation... With such a cultivation level, under any other Nascent Soul True Monarch, she wouldn’t even qualify as a nominal disciple.’

’If she had become a disciple late in her life, her master might not even remember her name.’

’But Huo Feiyan’s life and death were not just about my own reputation and the honor of the Qingfeng Sect; it was about the duty and bond between a master and disciple.’

’Accepting a disciple means accepting a responsibility... When there is work to be done, the disciple serves. When there is danger, the master saves.’

A Cyan Green Copper Coin was tossed high into the air. He input Huo Feiyan’s birth date, time, and personal information. His plump, white Nascent Soul leaped directly from his Niwan Palace, its hands forming Magic Formulas.

Using a Nascent Soul Body to directly activate a Secret Technique would enhance the effects of any Magic.

To obtain the most accurate and detailed result, Bai Zichen used his full power.

The Copper Plate Divine Calculation was divided into three levels in total, with the final level requiring a Nascent Soul Cultivation to master.

Back then, the Copper Plate Sect had been quick to see which way the wind was blowing. They had presented their legacy and had their entire Sect join the Qingfeng Sect.

Nowadays, it wouldn’t be so easy for such a small Sect to merge with the Qingfeng Sect. They wouldn’t be granted permission unless they possessed a legacy that filled a critical gap the Qingfeng Sect urgently needed.

Bai Zichen was likely the only Cultivator in the history of the Copper Plate Sect, since it first acquired the Copper Plate Divine Calculation, to have cultivated this divine inference Secret Technique to its highest Realm.

A journey north. The flying bird bodes ill.

The Copper Coin fell and the hexagram formed, but his tightly knitted brow did not relax.

The target indicated by the hexagram was too vague; it was impossible to find someone based on this.

’I have so much of Huo Feiyan’s information, yet the divination result is still this ambiguous. The Copper Plate Divine Calculation really is unreliable...’

Bai Zichen sighed deeply. Arts like Divine Inference were easy to learn but difficult to master. In the entire Cultivation Realm, there were only a few reliable legacies for them.

Take the Northern Domain for example. The only well-known one was the Celestial Secret Sect, and their true expertise was in geomancy and managing Earth Veins.

Divination and Divine Calculation were merely their secondary skills.

Further down the list were wandering freelance cultivators like the former Copper Plate Sect, with only a handful of disciples and not even a fixed Mountain Gate.

It would be more accurate to call them charlatans than masters of Divine Calculation.

In the Central Domain, only the extremely mysterious Evil Fate Sect had delved deeply into the study of Divine Inference. They advocated that a person’s morality and life’s opportunities were unrelated to their actions, and were instead predetermined by fate.

Without cause or condition, fate is predetermined.

Many Cultivators believed that the Evil Fate Sect possessed a Cultivation Method that could set one upon the Destiny Path.

The location of this Sect’s Mountain Gate was unknown. On the rare occasions its disciples roamed the Cultivation Realm, the divination skills they displayed were enough to leave the world dumbfounded.

’It only told me to go north, without any specific direction. Even if I carried Huo Feiyan’s Soul Lamp and searched for decades without finding her, it wouldn’t be surprising... There’s still no news from Tong Huan. I’ll have to try another way to locate her.’

Bai Zichen suddenly had a thought: Huo Feiyan carried a Tier Two Flying Sword and other Spiritual Artifacts he had given her for practice.

’If I can find the location of the Spiritual Artifacts, wouldn’t that be the same as finding Huo Feiyan’s whereabouts?’

’Directly searching for a person didn’t work, so what if I change the target to the Spiritual Artifacts I personally refined?’

He immediately acted on the idea. After preparing the information for those few Spiritual Artifacts, he activated the Copper Plate Divine Calculation once again.

This time, the hexagram was indeed much clearer. He didn’t know if it was because searching for an object was easier than searching for a person, or if it was due to the more intimate connection he had with Spiritual Artifacts he had personally refined.

Endless Sea of Suffering. Qian and Xun opposing. A bloodline for a thousand li.

’No wonder the origins of those few Core Formation Demon Cultivators couldn’t be traced. They came from the Endless Sea of Suffering... To think someone hired people from the Thirty-Six Demon Caves to probe the Sect’s strength, and they abducted Huo Feiyan in the process.’

The Thirty-Six Demon Caves within the Sea of Suffering were originally established as a refuge by Demon Cultivators who had been driven out of the Central Domain.

As the number of Demon Cultivators grew, it semi-passively formed into an underground power that was largely ignored by others.

In fact, when it came to the number of Core Formation True Men, no single Sect in the Northern Domain could compare to the combined total of the Thirty-Six Demon Caves.

This place had gathered all the Demon Cultivators from across the Cultivation Realm who wanted to turn over a new leaf and struggle to survive.

As its reputation grew, other Core Formation True Men, not just Demon Cultivators, would think of the Endless Sea of Suffering when they had committed great crimes and had nowhere else to run.

Strangely, all the Nascent Soul Major Sects seemed to have a tacit agreement to give up the chase once their quarry fled into the Sea of Suffering.

But how could cultivators who were already vicious and desperate be expected to behave themselves in the Endless Sea of Suffering?

In reality, every Demon Cave maintained channels of communication with the outside world, and Cultivation resources were regularly sent into the Sea of Suffering.

At the same time, any shady commissions from the outside world could be handed over to the Cultivators in the Sea of Suffering. Several of the Thirty-Six Demon Caves even moonlighted as underground assassins.

Due to its location, the main sphere of activity for the Demon Cultivators of the Endless Sea of Suffering was still the Northern Domain.

Venturing any farther would significantly increase the risks for them.

But which Sect held such a deep-seated grudge against the Qingfeng Sect that they would specifically hire Demon Cultivators from the Sea of Suffering to act against them?

Bai Zichen summoned the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword, and his entire body transformed into a streak of Thunder Radiance, vanishing in an instant.

This speed of Sword Control was fundamentally different from before, far surpassing his Moonlight Sword Light. He even had the leisure to study the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword while in Sword Flight.

The complete Sword of Time could not be mastered in a short period. He decided to first cultivate the simplified version, the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword, and begin the Hidden Sword gestation process.

Bai Zichen easily performed the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword once. This time, the target for the Hidden Sword technique was the Cyan Dragon Sea Roaring Sword.

In fifty years, this Tier Three Flying Sword would be imbued with the Power of Time, allowing it to unleash that unfathomably mysterious strike.

’The Thirty-Six Demon Caves have survived to this day not because they are so powerful, but because they know their limits and never provoke powers they shouldn’t. Coupled with the harsh environment and lack of any resources in the Endless Sea of Suffering, there’s little value in conquering the place anyway.’

After analyzing the situation with the Endless Sea of Suffering, Bai Zichen flew for several days and began to feel the Spiritual Qi in the air thinning.

The ground turned into a barren, saline wasteland. After he entered the mountains, low, whistling howls could often be heard.

The true sign that he had entered the Endless Sea of Suffering was when his Sword Light dipped, and a strange pressure forced him down to the ground.

’It doesn’t matter which Demon Cave I arrive at. I’m not looking for proof. I’ll just search them one by one until someone releases Huo Feiyan.’

Bai Zichen took out a map of the Endless Sea of Suffering, adjusted his direction slightly, and flew toward the first Demon Cave.

"Bai Zichen of the Qingfeng Sect is here. My young disciple has fallen into the Sea of Suffering. I ask that my fellow Daoists do me the favor of informing me of her whereabouts."

An image of Huo Feiyan’s face was formed from light and projected into the air.

Bai Zichen’s voice rolled outwards, stirring up the dust in the Sea of Suffering and echoing layer by layer into the Demon Cave.

The Nascent Soul True Monarch had intentionally used a Sound Transmission infused with his True Essence, ensuring no one in the entire Demon Cave could escape the sound.

Before the time it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed, the Forbidden formation on the Demon Cave opened. Two black-robed Cultivators appeared, only their fearful eyes visible.

"The Demon Envoys of Jia Sha Cave pay our respects to the True Monarch. We have not seen any outside Cultivators here. Your disciple should not be here."

The black-robed Cultivator’s voice was hoarse and raspy as he spoke hastily.

Even living in the Endless Sea of Suffering, these Demon Cultivators had heard of the famous Cultivators from the outside; they weren’t completely cut off from the world.

"We in this bitter and desolate land have also heard of True Monarch Bai’s renowned Divine Sword. We know of your skill with the Flying Sword and would never dare to lie."

"The Thirty-Six Demon Caves may seem to be at odds, fighting over territory, but in reality, you communicate and support each other. That’s how you’ve managed to gain a foothold in the Endless Sea of Suffering. Do you really think I’ll believe your story?"

Bai Zichen remained expressionless as the Thunder Radiance Sword Light danced in his hand. The pressure belonging to a Nascent Soul True Monarch had already forced a group of Demon Cultivators in the distance to their knees.