Chapter 10: Sheepskin Scroll Anomaly, Chaotic Space!

The Treasure Gathering Hall has been around for over a hundred years, its business is huge, and it deals in elixirs and magical artifacts among other things.

Its proprietor is a divine‑power cultivator whose name reverberates across seas spanning several hundred thousand li.

Chen Zheng came to the Treasure Gathering Hall, but not to shop.

He has only a few Mysterious Yellow Coins on him, which Chen Fu gave him back when he was on the Magic Ship.

That amount of Mysterious Yellow Coins is, for the demon‑beast blood he needs at this stage, merely a drop in the bucket.

The blood of powerful demon beasts comparable to Physical Body Ninth Layer or Tenfold is very expensive.

The reason he came is that he heard someone say the Treasure Gathering Hall is recruiting demon‑beast hunters.

As long as one becomes a demon‑beast hunter, one can enjoy free three‑meals, lodging provided by the Hall, and a special ship that shuttles hunters to and from the hunting grounds.

The Hall takes care of all clothing, food, shelter, and transport; all you need to do is focus on hunting demon beasts.

Of course, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

The Hall's provision of food, clothing, shelter and transport is conditional on you selling all the demon beasts you kill to them.

Moreover, being a demon‑beast hunter is a job that constantly licks blood off the blade.

In the process of hunting demon beasts, a single slip can send you to the beast's maw; the death rate is extremely high, and even with good treatment, ordinary people rarely take part.

The risk is too great.

But Chen Zheng is perfectly suited for this line of work.

There's no other reason; his profession matches perfectly.

And if he wants to advance quickly, returning to his clan with the power to slay Chen Mo and suppress Chen Xingye requires taking some necessary risks.

The cultivation world is not a pure land; where is absolute safety?

Even if you hide in a remote corner, there's still the risk of being killed by the aftershocks of a clash with a stronger being.

Furthermore, the Divine Clan will someday launch a massive invasion of the Mysterious Yellow Great World; hiding merely delays death.

In fact, Chen Zheng could use his clan's Magic Ship to go out to sea and hunt demon beasts himself.

However, the ocean is vast; encountering one or two demon beasts occasionally is normal, but finding a large number is unrealistic.

Professional matters should still be left to professionals.

Chen Zheng followed the crowd into the Treasure Gathering Hall.

"Name?"

"Chen Zheng."

"Background?"

"Jinyu Island Chen family."

"Realm?"

"Physical Body Seventh, internally robust."

"???"

As Chen Zheng explained his purpose, a female receptionist led him deeper into the Treasure Gathering Hall, to the grand hall where demon‑beast hunters register.

The person in charge was a slender elder with three long strands of beard and dozens of sparse white hairs neatly combed back, known as Xu Guanshi.

Xu Guanshi sat at a long desk, holding the brush that recorded Chen Zheng's information, never putting it down.

He stared at Chen Zheng with a head full of question marks, never having expected the young man to be only Physical Body Seventh.

The other applicants in the hall also cast surprised glances at Chen Zheng, seemingly wondering how he managed to slip in.

"Is there any problem?"

Chen Zheng ignored the gazes, remained calm, and asked Xu Guanshi.

Xu Guanshi set down his brush and gently advised, "Young brother, having Physical Body Seventh at your age is rare and valuable, but the demon‑beast hunter trade isn't suitable for you yet; you'd be better off waiting a year or two before returning."

Chen Zheng could not fail to catch Xu Guanshi's implication—that his realm was too low.

He remained unmoved: "As far as I know, your Treasure Gathering Hall doesn't forbid low‑realm applicants from signing up, does it?"

"…"

Xu Guanshi glared at Chen Zheng in irritation.

How can this kid ignore the advice?

At such a young age, there's nothing wrong with doing anything, yet he insists on learning from others to become a demon‑beast hunter.

Others are Physical Body Eighth, Ninth, even Tenfold warriors, all possessing a certain degree of survivability.

But you, Chen Zheng, are only Physical Body Seventh.

At this level, not only is hunting demon beasts impossible, you can't even breach a demon beast's defense.

There's no point in hunting any demon at all.

If it weren't for Chen Zheng's dignified looks and evident talent, he would have been too lazy to advise.

He would have even already scolded and driven him away.

"To be frank, I have experience fighting Physical Body Eighth, even Ninth warriors; hunting demon beasts is certainly no problem for me."

Seeing Xu Guanshi delay registering him, Chen Zheng, helpless, had to reveal a bit of his strength.

Fight? No way!

How could a Seventh possibly spar with a Ninth?

Do you think I'm a fool?

Or do you think my age makes me easy to fool?

Xu Guanshi almost laughed in exasperation at Chen Zheng, his heart seething with resentment.

The faint goodwill he had toward Chen Zheng faded considerably.

Enough.

He said no more, swiftly took up his brush and wrote Chen Zheng's name in the register, then tossed out a token.

"From now on, you are my Treasure Gathering Hall's demon‑beast hunter; the backyard provides lodging and meals."

"Tomorrow at dawn, the ship heading to the Forty‑Nine Islands for hunting will set sail; present this order to board."

Xu Guanshi lowered his eyelids, no longer looking at Chen Zheng, and waved his hand casually.

"Thank you, senior."

Chen Zheng caught the token, clasped his fists and said thanks, ignored the murmuring other registrants, and walked alone toward the back of the main hall.

That was the Treasure Gathering Hall's backyard.

"He's a bit reckless, but his talent's decent, and he knows etiquette; it'd be a pity if he died…"

Xu Guanshi glanced at Chen Zheng's back, muttered something, and returned to his work.

……

Chen Zheng arrived in the Treasure Gathering Hall's backyard.

Many demon‑beast hunters lived here, much like his former communal dormitory, with average conditions.

He disliked sharing quarters, left after a meal, and headed back toward the dock where his family's merchant ship was moored.

Upon becoming a hunter, he also informed Chen Fu and the others, so they wouldn't worry and search for him.

Yet when Chen Zheng returned to the family merchant ship, Chen Biao, Chen Fu and the others hadn't returned; only a few crew members guarded supplies on board.

The others had all gone to the market town to have fun.

Thinking about it, after a rare outing, they naturally wanted to relax and enjoy themselves fully.

Late at night, Chen Fu and the others still hadn't returned, having lost contact at the Spring Fragrance Courtyard.

The next day, the east turned a pale fish‑belly white.

Chen Zheng told the supply guard of his intention to hunt, then went to the hunters' boarding dock and, using the token Xu Guanshi gave him yesterday, boarded the ship with many other hunters.

Perhaps to carry back countless demon‑beast corpses, this vessel was far larger than the Chen family merchant ship—over five hundred zhang long—and much faster, shooting out of the dock like a giant arrow.

Destination: the Forty‑Nine Islands.

Chen Zheng didn't know where the Forty‑Nine Islands were, but learned from nearby hunters that they were a chain of desolate islands overrun by demon beasts.

Because recent goods were in short supply, the Treasure Gathering Hall sent many hunters to the Forty‑Nine Islands to clear the land, hunt and bring back demon‑beast corpses for pill‑refining and artifact forging.

Not only hunters, the Treasure Gathering Hall also gathered a group of herbal gatherers to collect spirit herbs.

Compared with gathering herbs, hunting demons is far more dangerous.

If hunters form teams to act together and besiege demon beasts, it would undoubtedly reduce risk.

Chen Zheng saw many small hunter groups around, three or five people gathering together.

Some smaller groups were asking around, trying to recruit members.

Perhaps Chen Zheng's aloof demeanor kept anyone from approaching him for now.

He harbored a secret and didn't want to team up.

"Little brother, do you have companions?"

While Chen Zheng sat upright on the deck, eyes closed, meditating, a questioning voice suddenly sounded.

Chen Zheng opened his eyes and scanned; not far away, a man and a woman in sleek black attire walked toward him.

The man was about thirty, with a friendly face and a long sword at his waist; the woman was just over twenty, with willow‑shaped brows, apricot eyes, a slender waist and curvy hips, possessing a hint of beauty.

The person who had spoken to Chen Zheng earlier was the sword‑bearing man.

"I have no companions, but…" sensing their intent to recruit him, Chen Zheng was about to refuse.

The sword‑bearing man laughed first: "Little brother, you're Chen Zheng, right? I'm Li Qiu, and this is my sister Li Rong. We're short of hands; why not hunt demons together with us siblings, so you have support."

Chen Zheng raised his eyebrows slightly, shook his head and said, "I'm not used to working with others; sorry, both of you."

"This"

Li Qiu's smile

Li Rong's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, as if she hadn't expected Chen Zheng to refuse.

Seeing Chen Zheng unwilling to engage further, Li Qiu hesitated, then forced a wry smile and clasped his fists: "Sorry for the disturbance."

The two turned and left.

"Brother, Manager Xu asked us to look after him a bit, so he wouldn't meet his end in a beast's jaws on his first hunt, but he refused our help; what should we do…"

This novel you…

Chen Zheng's ears twitched as he heard the sibling pair speaking softly farther away.

"Manager Xu? He's actually good."

Chen Zheng's eyes flashed with contemplation, and he continued to close his eyes and meditate.

The big ship sailed southward.

Two hours later, it would reach its destination.

"Is that the Forty‑Nine Islands ahead?"

Someone shouted, startling the hunters on board who were conserving their energy.

Everyone rose and looked.

Chen Zheng also stood, following the crowd's gaze toward the distance.

He saw massive islands, spaced not far apart, floating on the sea, stretching endlessly to the horizon.

The islands were covered with towering ancient trees, lush foliage, lofty peaks and flowing streams, rising amid the sea of clouds.

"Roar…"

Faintly, a beast's roar echoed from the giant islands, shaking sea and mountain.

As the big ship drew nearer to one of the islands, the beast roars grew louder.

"There are many monsters."

Chen Zheng's eyes lit up, as if he saw a mountain of gold waiting for him to mine.

If he slays all the monsters on the island and drains their blood, to what level would his cultivation rise?

Even if he cannot achieve the Rou Shen Shi Chong Divine Transformation, he could still advance to the Ninth Tenfold Spirit Communication, right?

"Everyone, the area ahead is the Forty‑nine Islands, a large archipelago of deserted islands that my Gathering Treasure Hall discovered during a recent voyage."

"The island is rich in spirit herbs, and monsters are active. Do your best; whatever monsters you capture, my Gathering Treasure Hall will purchase, all at market price!"

A tall middle‑aged man appeared at the ship's hatch, shouting loudly to the crowd and rallying the many monster hunters; he was Wang Guanshi, the Manager in charge of this operation.

Whoa!

The crowd erupted instantly, exhilarated as if injected with adrenaline, everyone rubbing their fists together.

"It seems the island is quite dangerous."

Chen Zheng was not dazzled by Wang Guanshi's words; instead, he grew quietly wary.

The Gathering Treasure Hall wields massive power, far beyond the Chen family; within its halls there are at least hundreds of Rou Shen Shi Chong masters, and the numbers of Eighth Tenfold and Ninth Tenfold practitioners are countless.

Such a force could sweep across the vast majority of deserted islands, seizing all valuable spirit herbs, monsters, minerals, and other assets on the islands.

Now that the Forty‑nine Islands have been discovered, they do not directly occupy them; instead, they gather a group of monster hunters to let them share a piece of the pie.

What is the reasoning behind this?

Chen Zheng guessed that perhaps the Gathering Treasure Hall is too busy to spare manpower to seize the Forty‑nine Islands.

Or perhaps the island's monsters are too powerful, or some danger exists, making a direct assault likely to incur heavy losses; thus they use profit incentives to turn the monster hunters into a vanguard, sparing their own losses.

In plain terms, the monster hunters are cannon fodder.

Of course, these are just Chen Zheng's own speculations; only the Gathering Treasure Hall knows the truth.

And the monster hunters are also willing.

Going out to hunt monsters is like fastening one's own head to one's belt; one must have at any

moment the mental preparation for death.

People die for wealth, birds die for food.

It's hard to say who is right or wrong.

The cultivation world is not a place for judging right and wrong.

Splash, splash!

Remember, the ship of Ju Bao Lou will berth at the edge of this island for three days; when the time is up, it will set sail immediately, and it will not wait for anyone.

"Remember, my Gathering Treasure Hall's ship will stop at the edge of this island

and remain for three days; when the time is up, it will set sail immediately, no extensions."

"One more thing, the spirit herbs on the island you

all may eat, but may not bring aboard; if I discover anyone secretly carrying them,

that person will be considered an enemy of my Gathering Treasure Hall

enemy!" Wang Guanshi said sternly several sentences, his sharp gaze sweeping the crowd,

causing many who had originally

planned to harvest spirit herbs on the island

to feel a chill in their hearts.

"How many spirit herbs can we actually eat? If only I had a storage artifact, after landing I could turn many monsters into dry corpses, and no one would notice," Chen Zheng thought silently

Just as Chen Zheng brushed aside the thought, the Sheep Skin Scroll deep in his mind suddenly stirred, emitting a vast, desolate aura.

shook his head.

He came to hunt monsters not for money, but to draw their blood to cultivate the Nether King True Body.

Like last time at sea, draining Chen Yuan was fine; after throwing the dry corpse into the sea, the ship set off, and

Here there is no sky above, no earth below, no sun, moon, or stars, nor any distinction of purity or turbidity, as if it were the boundless chaos before heaven and earth were formed.

This island is different; many monster hunters wander around searching for monsters,

and frequent corpse dumping easily draws attention.

Chen Zheng urgently needs a storage artifact; with this item to store corpses,

he can avoid many troubles.

Unfortunately, storage artifacts are extremely rare.

Ordinary cultivators rarely possess one, and Chen Zheng cannot obtain one for now.

Chen Zheng forced his excitement down and instantly whispered in his mind the phrases "True Demon Ten Thousand Calamities Unbreakable Body Second Layer", "Sage's Jade", "Three‑Life Stone", "Fate's Void Qi", and the like, attempting to make the Sheep Skin Scroll sense his urgent need.

Just as Chen Zheng's thoughts flickered,

the Sheep Skin Scroll deep in his mind suddenly moved, exuding a vast, desolate aura.

He immediately sank his spirit to investigate.

Who knew that as soon as his spirit touched the Sheep Skin Scroll, it was like a mud ox entering the sea, and he was drawn inside.

That thread of spirit did not lose contact with him, but entered a space with no visible

The brother‑sister pair who had earlier invited Chen Zheng to join them passed by, and the elder brother, Li Qiu, laughed again and asked, "Brother Chen, this island is dangerous; are you really not going to act together with us?"

Here there is no sky above, no ground below, no sun, moon, or stars, nor any distinction of purity;

it resembles the boundless chaos before heaven and earth were formed.

"Fine, Brother Chen, take this item; it should be of some use." Li Qiu handed over a small cloth pouch.

Chen Zheng felt a stir in his heart and tried to will the talisman on his body into the chaotic space.

Inside, to his amazement,

【181】 the talisman actually appeared!

【182】 His spirit was greatly uplifted.

【183】 "I've studied the Sheep Skin Scroll many times before and never found any space inside."

【184】 "And

【185】 just now I only subconsciously thought of a storage artifact, the space in the Sheep Skin Scroll automatically opened; perhaps it is related to my thoughts or needs?"

【186】 Chen Zheng forced down

【187】 his excitement, immediately muttering in his mind "True Demon Ten Thousand Calamities Unbreakable Body Second Tenfold",

【188】 "Sage's Jade",

【189】 "Three-Life Stone", "Fate Void Qi" and other phrases, attempting to make the Sheep Skin Scroll feel his urgent demand.

【190】 But no matter how he tried, there was no result.

【191】 The Sheep Skin Scroll showed no further movement.

【192】 "Fine, the storage space is also quite good; it can solve my immediate urgent need."

【193】 "Other

【194】 things

【195】 can

【196】

【197】 be

【198】 explored later; someday I will fully uncover the Sheep Skin Scroll's secrets."

【199】 As Chen Zheng's thoughts whirled, most of the monster hunters on the ship had already disembarked onto the island.

【200】 Earlier, the sibling pair who had invited Chen Zheng to join them passed by, and the elder brother Li Qiu smiled and asked, "Brother Chen, this island is very dangerous, you really

【201】 won't join our siblings in

【202】 the venture?"

【203】 "Brother Li, I appreciate your kindness; I understand,"

【204】 Having just obtained the storage space, Chen Zheng was in good spirits and showed a hint of a smile.

【205】 "Alright, Brother Chen, take this item; it should be useful," Li Qiu handed over a small cloth pouch.

【206】 "What is this?"

【207】 Chen Zheng was puzzled and did not reach out to take it.

Scent‑suppressing powder, when applied to the body, masks odor and prevents most demonic beasts from detecting you. Li Qiu placed the cloth bundle into Chen Zheng's hand and sighed lightly, "Take care, Brother Chen."

Having said that, he turned and disembarked.

Li Rong glanced at Chen Zheng, seemed about to say something but said nothing, leaving only a look that said "May you find your own blessings," and then twisted her waist and stepped off the boat.

……

Chen Zheng was speechless, feeling a sudden urge to kick the woman's ample butt hard.

Thanks to Xiao Taozi for the fearless big boss's 1,000 Heavenly Origin‑coin reward!

Thanks to Moon Master and Disciple and Big boss Wucun for the 100 Heavenly Origin‑coin reward!

Thanks to all the big bosses for the monthly tickets!

(End of chapter)