Chapter 241: Retreat, Overseas

Looking at Elder Ancestor Zhu Dao True Lord's unyielding expression, Zhu Qingyun realized he had no room left to oppose.

Unless he could abandon the Congenital Jade Liquid, abandon the hope of reaching a Nascent Soul at twenty percent.

But how could he abandon it? Nearly a hundred years of painstaking effort and bitter endurance—how could he just say no? Moreover, his ambition and aspirations; if he cannot form a Nascent Soul, everything becomes a mirage.

He must become a Nascent Soul True Lord, become the leading figure of the Da Yu Cultivation World, renowned across the nations!

After forming a Nascent Soul, Su Wushuang will willingly attach to him, and everyone who has mocked him behind his back will instead praise him! He will no longer bear a scornful name, no longer be a clown; he will become the protagonist, become a legend!

And there is Red Sleeve True Lord, the woman who was once his fiancée and brought him endless humiliation; in the end she will be caught up by him and trampled beneath his feet! Yet now he has to beg the very woman who humiliated him for help…

"Fine, I, as a junior, am willing to go plead to Red Sleeve True Lord."

Zhu Qingyun said in a somewhat hoarse voice.

It's just that cultivators spend most of their time on cultivation, and they each have their own plans; claiming that all elders are intimately familiar is unrealistic.

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Zhu Qingyun, how clever, his mind turning quickly grasped the connection, and in a low voice asked: "So, Elder Ancestor, you actually don't intend to cooperate with Red Sleeve True Lord, but rather with the Jiulian Trade Association… and the other four Cultivation Nations?"

"Cultivation has nothing to do with luck; it's all years of accumulation!" Han Ce said with envy, then added: "Brother Fang, come with me now to see Elder Li; she has been waiting for you for a long time and has a mission to assign to you…"

After all, this elder at the late Golden Core stage is not yet over two hundred years old and still retains the hope of forming a Nascent Soul in the future.

Although during this process there are some exceptionally talented human cultivators who can explore deep offshore regions, ignoring danger, no one has been able to subdue the hordes of sea demons.

A formation shrouds the sky above the island; its level is very high, reaching the fourth tier.

Elder Li appears to be just over thirty; she does not possess eternal youth, yet shows no sign of aging, her looks are quite fine, truly still bearing charm.

But as long as the contribution points are high, there will always be disciples willing to take the risk.

Zhu Qingyun respectfully bowed, took a few steps, then turned into a flash of light and vanished into the misty drizzle.

Xiao Zhangqing pointed to his disciple Hu Li behind him and said, "She is the only remaining sole disciple I have now; I want her to follow me on the mission, no problem?"

After a brief arrangement, Xiao Zhangqing followed Han Ce to the very center of Blood Crystal Island, beneath a towering ancient tree, where he met Li Yuan, Elder Li.

In fact, even if Xiao Zhangqing can merge the power of heaven and earth into his magical abilities, in the eyes of a true Nascent Soul cultivator, it would not be a great threat, it is something that can be spoken of.

Xiao Zhangqing used his magical power to wrap his Token, tossed it into the formation, and after the San Yang Sect disciples inside the formation verified his identity, he opened a gap in the island-protecting array to let the party inside.

Xiao Zhangqing had no intention of goofing off, and immediately said, "Fine. However, the disciples I brought…"

She discerned that Xiao Zhangqing was at the mid Golden Core stage, but also saw that his magical power was not yet substantial, clearly having just broken through the mid Golden Core stage.

Generally, a Golden Core true person forcing their way is undoubtedly fatal.

Blood Crystal Island is now a primary target of the Fu Hai Sect, led by Lady Minghe, and is fraught with danger.

Zhu Dao True Lord did not conceal anything: "Hmm. That old demon's strength has surged, unstoppable; with just my old bones and the Sword Seven Old Ghosts, I cannot stop him. Moreover, the Demonic Sect is now deeper; besides that old demon, the resurgence of evils is becoming more frequent. Our five Cultivation Nations have for millennia been non-interfering and independent, but at a time like this, no one can remain aloof. If the Da Yu Cultivation World were to fall completely, the others would not fare well either."

Both are elders, but their statuses differ greatly.

For Golden Core cultivators, executing a teleportation technique for about the time it takes two incense sticks can span great distances.

Xiao Zhangqing smiled modestly and said.

But.

He does not actually harbor any discontent toward Xiao Zhangqing.

"A newly promoted mid Golden Core elder?"

"Lucky, lucky…"

Sea monsters, anomalous celestial disasters, bizarre strange incidents…

And he, whose Golden Core quality is slightly inferior, naturally receives less attention than before.

The historical records of the Qingxu Realm also reflect this.

When Qin Feng emerged, having formed the highest, flawless Golden Core, the entire sect regarded Qin Feng as the most promising genius capable of breaching the Nascent Soul realm.

When the day comes that he forms a Nascent Soul, all these grievances he will reclaim! …

Li Yuan glanced at Xiao Zhangqing and slightly frowned.

Authentic historical records show that only during the Five Elements Dynasty ten thousand years ago, before the Five Elements Emperor ascended to the immortal realm, he conquered the boundless ocean, causing many sea demon tribes to bow in submission.

The San Yang Sect has a considerable number of Golden Core elders, though not many; everyone certainly knows each other.

Xiao Zhangqing and Han Ce both slightly clasped their hands in a bow.

Zhu Dao True Lord nodded and said, "In about two or three years, Red Sleeve True Lord will return to the Da Yu Cultivation World, and then you, Xiao Zhu, will act as the bridge in between."

But the Elder Ancestor refuses to act personally for him, insisting that he must sacrifice his own dignity, obtain benefits for the sect, before he is willing to act.

Zhu Dao True Lord nodded and sighed: "We must prepare for the worst! If, by any chance, the Da Yu Cultivation World completely falls and becomes the Demonic Sect's territory, even our Xingyue Palace cannot keep the mountain gate from being breached; we must find a proper retreat route."

The so‑called sending him to find Red Sleeve True Lord to repay a favor is a lie; finding a retreat for Xingyue Palace is the real purpose!

Xiao Zhangqing was the first to step onto the flying vessel, leading the dozen‑plus San Yang Sect disciples behind him toward the island ahead, shrouded in a faint blood‑colored mist.

Of course, for cultivators at the Qi Refining Realm or even the Foundation Establishment Realm, this five hundred li is not so easy to cross.

Sitting on the flying vessel, Xiao Zhangqing's Primordial Spirit spread outward, and he found that once his perception entered the seawater, it was greatly compressed, to less than one‑third of its land‑based extent.

He truly understood.

……

Qingxu Realm.

Han Ce glanced and said, "It's fine; they will each have specific assignments, and there will be a person in charge to coordinate them here." Flying all the way, although they did not encounter any formidable sea monsters, the cultivators' innate vigilance reminded him that this endless ocean should not be taken lightly.

Blood Crystal Island is not far from the mainland, only about five hundred li away.

Any explanation is inferior to seeing it with one's own eyes.

It should be noted that at first his cultivation was even lower than Su Wushuang's, but Su Wushuang, bolstered by the Xuan Yin Dao Body, eventually left him far behind; naturally, Xingyue Palace supplied abundant cultivation resources.

Just as there are treatment differences between early and mid Golden Core stages.

The endless offshore region is, for the most part, a prohibited zone for human cultivators.

Now Xiao Zhangqing, having turned misfortune into fortune, has entered the mid Golden Core stage; his standing in the sect will thus be different!

"Very well, I understand, junior. If the Ancestor has no further instructions, I will return to the sect first," Zhu Qingyun said.

After reaching the Golden Core stage, if one's spiritual root quality is not high enough, the formed Golden Core will be of poor quality, and even centuries of arduous cultivation may not be enough to advance to the mid Golden Core.

"Brother Fang, why is it you who came?!"

Moreover, the situation on Blood Crystal Island is critical now; an early Golden Core Elder is insufficient and cannot resolve the crisis.

Only a Golden Core Real Person can move freely in the near‑sea region, and essentially no crisis would be beyond resolution.

"I've never seen the sea of the Cultivation World before."

Hence, he accelerated his cultivation to reach the late Golden Core, achieving completeness, at an extremely rapid pace.

Reaching the mid Golden Core makes one an elder with real authority, high status, and a top ranking.

Not even a Golden Core Real Person, let alone a Nascent Soul True Lord, would go there lightly.

"Heh, it's nothing more than having Qin Feng…"

In the past, Fang Yuan and Han Ce were merely acquaintances, only knowing each other's basic circumstances.

"I've poured my heart into the sect, always thinking of repaying it in the future."

Disciple Hu Li came to Xiao Zhangqing's side.

"Let's go, down."

"Brother Fang, your disciple… of course it's fine," Han Ce nodded, "Brother Fang, your task is heavy; you cannot guard it alone. You also need many Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators and pseudo‑Golden Cores to help. I will have the person in charge watch the allocation."

Because in the deep sea region, there are many dangers that can cause Nascent Soul cultivators to fall.

There are also Calamity Cultivators roaming between the far‑sea and near‑sea zones, acting as pirate raiders.

It's not the distance that's far, but the sea is not land; the unfathomable waters conceal countless dangers.

"My injuries are completely healed. Moreover, this time I turned misfortune into blessing, and my cultivation naturally rose to the mid Golden Core," Xiao Zhangqing said with a smile, immediately releasing a burst of his spiritual aura.

Zhu Qingyun seemed to recall something and asked, "Did Hong Xiu Zhenjun return to the Da Yu Cultivation World because of an invasion by Demon Sect Evil Cultivators?"

Zhu Dao Zhenjun waved a hand, stared at the floating fish, and said, "Return."

"I've met Elder Li."

The one in charge of guarding the formation is an inner‑gate Golden Core Elder named Han Ce.

An early Golden Core Elder can only be considered an ordinary elder.

This time Xiao Zhangqing not only brought Hu Li; he was accompanied by over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators, all of whom took on the "garrison Blood Crystal Island" mission from the sect to earn contribution points.

Feeling Xiao Zhangqing's robust Golden Core spiritual power, far beyond that of an early Golden Core, Han Ce raised an eyebrow and exclaimed in surprise, "I didn't expect, Brother Fang, that you would have such fortune and break through to the mid Golden Core!"

"Brother Fang, I heard you were severely injured by Madam Minghe not long ago; have you fully recovered? Also, didn't we request the sect to send a mid Golden Core elder for support? How come you came?" Han Ce asked, surprised and puzzled, firing off several questions at once.

However.

With the ascension of the Five Elements Emperor and ten thousand years passing, the endless deep sea region has long since become a forbidden zone for human cultivators.

Zhu Qingyun sneered inwardly.

"Master, we've arrived at Blood Crystal Island."

Even in the near‑sea region, the danger coefficient drops considerably, yet it remains lethal for low‑level cultivators.

It doesn't even require two Nascent Soul True Lords to resolve.

"If Hong Xiu Zhenjun is willing to help, Xingyue Palace will have a retreat."

And an elder like Li, who is in the late Golden Core and whose combat power ranks among the top in East Extreme State, holds a status vastly different from ordinary elders.

In the past, Fang Yuan and Han Ce were of this sort; after years of arduous cultivation, they still remained at the early Golden Core.

"Hong Xiu Zhenjun hails from the Da Yu Cultivation World; this time she represents the Nine Alliance Chamber of Commerce and several forces of the Dan Dao Alliance, coming to help investigate the Demon Sect's depths."

For many years, Zhu Qingyun has been cultivated by Xingyue Palace as a top‑priority seedling.

The far‑sea region is dangerous, but it also offers many opportunities—such as high‑level cultivator ruins, secret realms, and rare marine treasures. Thus some desperate cultivators will go overseas seeking a breakthrough, while others, cornered and pursued, will risk everything and plunge into the deep sea to evade their pursuers.

A newly promoted mid Golden Core likely cannot fulfill her plan well.

"Fine… having something is better than nothing."

Li Yuan shook her head.

With the sect's situation so precarious now, being able to dispatch a mid Golden Core elder to support her is already quite good.

She cannot be picky. (End of chapter)