Chapter 265: Heaven and Earth Fall Silent!

Chen Mu watched and laughed in spite of his anger.

That fellow Zhu Jiuchuan...

He was actually scheming to marry one woman to three—no, four—husbands!

First the Deputy City Lord, then the Huang family, then the Longevity Mo Sect, and now even the Flying Shark Island sea bandits who have been ravaging the coast and are notorious for their cruelty!

He intends to sell that list—enough to stir up a storm of blood and rain—to the highest bidder, or to whichever side benefits him most.

The situation instantly became urgent.

Zhu Jiuchuan was like a slippery loach, weaving and stalling between the several factions; every moment of delay increased the risk of the list being leaked!

Chen Mu took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He could not wait any longer.

He had to take the initiative and drag Zhu Jiuchuan out before he could complete any deal with any side!

But...

Just at that moment, Zhu Jiuchuan vanished!

【According to feedback, Zhu Jiuchuan sensed someone investigating him and immediately went into hiding.】

Su Donglai sent word.

Zhu Jiuchuan had gone into hiding!

The moment he sensed something was off, he immediately halted his actions and stopped contacting any of the parties.

Even though Chen Mu detested the fellow, he could not help but admire him.

Before this, Zhu Jiuchuan had needed to find people to trade with and shelter him.

But now, having revealed what was in his hands—the spy list for the Two Paths region—all the factions wanted it. At this point, the one hiding, the one in a hurry was not Zhu Jiuchuan, but the major factions themselves.

These factions were hardly a solid block; each had its own calculations.

The five Deputy City Lords of Bai Yun City were united outwardly, but internally their rivalry was fierce, and casualties among their subordinates were common.

The Longevity Sect and Flying Shark Island had long since forged a blood feud.

The previous night, when the "Hundred Herbs Pavilion" was raided by Flying Shark Island sea bandits, it was because the Flying Shark Island men had taken pills sold by the "Hundred Herbs Pavilion" and, without realizing it, ended up as medicine-guinea-pigs for the Longevity Sect!

The pills sold by the "Hundred Herbs Pavilion" all targeted the physical body; everyone who took the pills was a reserve "human pill" for the Longevity Sect!

Earlier, when problems arose from taking the pills and people came to make trouble, it was simply the pills rebounding—some people were unable to absorb them.

Chen Mu had suspected as much at the time.

Only after learning that the "Hundred Herbs Pavilion" was backed by the Longevity Sect did the truth suddenly dawn on him.

Over a dozen men from Flying Shark Island had been abducted by the "Hundred Herbs Pavilion" and fed to the Longevity Sect's followers.

Zhu Jiuchuan had gone into hiding, and Hua Shanhe's men had also vanished without a trace.

Chen Mu could only suppress the urgency in his heart.

Two days later.

The wondrous spectacle "Sea Rises to the Clouds" was finally about to begin.

Before the sky brightened, the four gates of Bai Yun City were already swarming with people.

Countless martial artists—whether disciples of sects, heirs of noble houses, or wandering cultivators and knights-errant—all filled with expectation and longing, streamed out through the gates like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, heading straight for the coast five li away.

Chen Mu also mingled in the crowd. He had changed into an ordinary blue cloth robe, his aura drawn in, looking just like an unremarkable wanderer of the jianghu.

Looking far into the distance, he saw masts on the sea like a forest, and ships stretching for a thousand li.

Over a hundred massive tower ships and war vessels stood scattered like fortresses upon the sea, while more than a thousand swift light boats and small craft wove among them, nearly covering the entire stretch of water.

Tens of thousands of martial artists had gathered here; the din of voices rose like a boiling cauldron, and banners of every color snapped loudly in the sea wind.

"I heard Brother Zhang had an unexpected gain here last year and made considerable progress in blade intent?"

"Ha, just luck. But with this wondrous spectacle of 'Sea Rises to the Clouds' appearing again, it holds the marvels of heaven-and-earth water vapor and colored clouds. For those of us cultivating intents related to water, clouds, and mist, it's a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity! This year, I am determined to glimpse its very essence!"

"Tsk tsk, look at this turnout—more people than last year!"

"Naturally. A wondrous spectacle of heaven and earth—to experience it in person even once is the greatest opportunity."

The people on the ships, whether they knew each other or not, were all excitedly discussing—some boasting of past gains, others confidently declaring they would surely break through this time.

Chen Mu spent some silver and boarded a large commercial vessel that specialized in this business, finding a spot near the rail to stand.

He appeared to gaze out at the sea like everyone else, waiting for the wondrous sight to arrive, but in secret he had already pushed his "Listening Wind" skill to its utmost.

His invisible perception spread out from him like a delicate spider web, sweeping past the noisy crowd around him, catching every wisp of sound and every ripple of aura.

The whispers and breathing of tens of thousands of people merged into a vast stream of information flooding into his mind.

Chen Mu patiently sifted and distinguished, trying to find, within this boundless sea of people, the unique traces belonging to Zhu Jiuchuan.

Whether it was his voice, his aura, or clues inadvertently mentioned by others.

Yet, until the sun gradually rose and then slowly tilted westward overhead, he still found no useful information related to Zhu Jiuchuan.

The man had simply evaporated from the world—or rather, he was hiding extremely well and had not lightly shown himself at such a public gathering.

Chen Mu's heart sank slightly, but he did not lose heart; he kept "Listening Wind" running and waited patiently.

From early morning until afternoon, and from afternoon until nearly dusk.

Between sea and sky, apart from the ships and the voices of the crowd, all remained calm, and a look of restlessness began to appear on many faces.

Just at the instant when the setting sun was about to meet the horizon, dyeing the edge of the sky a gorgeous orange-red—

The change came!

First, a gust of wind blew from afar.

The wind came gently, carrying not the slightest briny scent of the sea; brushing past everyone's face, it brought an indescribable coolness and comfort, as if it could cleanse the spirit and refresh the mind.

Immediately after, the sky began to change.

At the extreme edge of the horizon, the clouds that had been still began to roll slowly, as if stirred by some invisible great hand.

This rolling spread rapidly. In the space of a few breaths, the clouds across the entire sky above everyone's heads churned and surged violently like boiling water, the coverage stretching astonishingly to a radius of several dozen li!

The sea responded in kind.

The originally calm seawater began to stir of its own accord despite the absence of wind, rippling gently, with fine sprays gradually surging up.

On the sea surface several li directly ahead of everyone, a massive vortex formed without any warning!

This vortex was incomparably huge, its diameter beyond estimation, rotating slowly, yet eerily drawing not the slightest pull—as if it were merely a visual illusion.

At the center of the vortex, the seawater boiled as if heated by an invisible force, sending up countless wisps of mist as slender as willow catkins and as white as snow.

These wisps of mist rose at a speed visible to the naked eye. They did not drift about at random, but under the guidance of some profound, mysterious rule, swiftly condensed into clumps and clusters of solid clouds.

These newborn clouds began from the sea surface, layer upon layer, continuously piling and stacking upward…

One layer, two layers, three layers…

The clouds stacked faster and faster, their form growing ever more grand and magnificent.

Under the gaze of tens of thousands of martial artists filled with awe, a "Ninefold Heavenly Palace" reaching several thousand meters high, as if piercing straight to the heavens, constructed of endless colored clouds, stood imposingly above the vast sea!

The cloud qi drifted ethereally, rosy light flickered in and out, emanating a vast, ancient, mysterious and overwhelming aura.

At this moment, heaven and earth fell silent!