Chapter 502: Secret Realm in the Sea

Brother Qian Chen drove his cloud head leisurely, and as soon as he approached within a hundred miles of the desolate island, he was discovered.

The person who came saw him driving a cloud head and seemed quite surprised. He set up a flying escape magic tool from afar, cupped his hands, and laughed: "This fellow Daoist is quite unfamiliar. Could it be that you are also a fellow Daoist invited by Young Master Fan?"

Brother Qian Chen smiled slightly and said: "Exactly, invited to come!"

The Daoist swung the whisk in his hand, performed a bow, and sang: "This poor Daoist is Zuo Yuan, the master of the Golden Chicken Temple in the archipelago. Seeing you driving a cloud head, Daoist, with an extraordinary demeanor, I have the heart to make friends."

Brother Qian Chen saw that he was wearing a three-beam crown, a water-fire Daoist robe, and cloud shoes. His attire and the magic tools he carried were all in line with the rules of the Daoist Academy.

Although the Immortal Dao was opened by the three Daoist ancestors, cultivators all called themselves Daoist practitioners and often dressed as Daoists, but only those who were disciples of the Primordial Daoist Gate or the Daoist Academy had such strict rules.

But seeing the magic power leaking from his head, scattered and not condensed, mixed and not pure, he couldn't help but be curious: "I see your methods are strict, as if you have undergone the ritual. Could it be that the Golden Chicken Temple is a jungle of the Daoist Gate?"

The Zuo Yuan Daoist's face turned red, and he said timidly: "I admire the Daoist Gate, but I haven't had the luck to be admitted to the gate!"

Brother Qian Chen's inquiry scared him so much that he didn't even dare to call himself "poor Daoist" anymore!

So he is a fan of the Daoist Gate! Brother Qian Chen realized in his heart.

Zuo Yuan hurriedly explained: "The 'Lingbao Daoist Ancestor Preaching Scripture' says that those who admire the Great Dao and the Mysterious Gate, as long as they uphold the precepts, cultivate for more than ten years, take refuge in the Dao, Scripture, and Master Treasures, and write their own divine talismans to report to the Three Pure Sacred Realms, they can be counted as people of the Daoist Gate! There is no prohibition against rogue practitioners cultivating on their own! And there is no need for initiation or aperture opening!"

Brother Qian Chen used the method of observing Qi to look at the spiritual cloud of luck on his head and found that there was indeed a divine talisman floating in it, suppressing a wisp of clear Qi.

And listening to the tone of his words, he didn't seem to believe it himself, revealing a sense of lack of confidence.

But this was actually true!

Relying on a few Daoist scriptures and upholding the precepts for many years, he had already nurtured a Daoist nature. Although his magic power still belonged to the side door and his aptitude was not very good, just by relying on this talisman book, he was already counted within the gate of the Daoist Gate.

Speaking of which, it was shameful. Brother Qian Chen was a root-red and seedling-straight disciple of the Daoist Gate, but he had never taken refuge in the Dao, Scripture, and Master Treasures.

He called the Supreme, Supreme Old Man all day long, obviously having no respect for the three Daoist ancestors. And although he often read Daoist scriptures, most of them were just to comprehend the mysterious principles of the Great Dao contained in the scriptures. When he encountered conflicts with his own concepts, after reflecting on himself, he would secretly criticize them, which couldn't be called true belief.

As for those few fundamental scriptures, they were all copied by the Supreme from his memory. Every time he read them, he would secretly laugh at the Supreme.

He didn't even put the rituals and precepts of the Daoist Gate in his heart.

He had also read the "Lingbao Daoist Ancestor Preaching Scripture," and he had quite a lot of insight into the mysterious principles of the Great Dao, the changes of Yuan Qi, and even the divine nature of the Dao heart contained in the scriptures. But he never studied the parts about upholding precepts, taking refuge, red books, yellow talismans, Dao talismans, and rituals in detail.

But he didn't expect to meet a true believer of the Daoist Gate, only to find that what the Daoist Gate said about opening the gate wide and saving all living beings was indeed true.

It was rare to see such a Daoist, so how could he not treat him with dignity?

Brother Qian Chen joined his hands in a Primordial Taiji seal, a round hand seal like a pearl, and said: "What you said is correct... This poor Daoist is Brother Qian Chen, met you, fellow Daoist!"

The Primordial Taiji, Dao One, and Lingbao Dharma Seals represented the three branches of the Supreme, Primordial, and Lingbao of the Daoist Gate, and the hand seals behind represented the identity of a certain true transmission.

The Shaoqing Sword Sect was a sword finger, and the Zhengyi Sect was a scroll, representing their inherited Lingbao Shaoqing Sword and the Investiture of the Gods.

And the Dharma Seal Brother Qian Chen finally joined, round like a pearl, was naturally the symbol of Brother Qian Chen's own Dao Dust Bead.

It could be said that these two hand seals had frankly told Brother Qian Chen's identity, which was the etiquette only seen when true disciples of the Daoist Gate met.

The Zuo Yuan Daoist naturally didn't know these secrets, but seeing Brother Qian Chen salute with dignity, he was also very happy. After the two exchanged pleasantries, Brother Qian Chen invited him to get on the cloud head and descend toward the island.

After arriving on the island, besides an old man with white hair and a hunched back beside Fan Fan Cunlu coming up to greet them and saying some things, asking Brother Qian Chen to wait here, there was no other hospitality.

It was still the Zuo Yuan Daoist who introduced several fellow Daoists to Brother Qian Chen, all of whom were cultivators in the Core Formation realm.

Either they were like Zuo Yuan, who knew the roots and the bottom, had a family and a business, and even their own sect was under the eyes of the Hundred Boats Chamber of Commerce, or they were inner disciples of the Luo Zhen Immortal Sect where Fan Fan Cunlu was.

Brother Qian Chen came, but he was not the latest one. Fan Fan Cunlu, carrying the two old servants, didn't mean to set off immediately, but kept glancing into the distance from time to time, as if waiting for someone.

Brother Qian Chen found a clean place to sit cross-legged and waited quietly for the departure.

It was the Zuo Yuan Daoist who leaned over and laughed: "This poor Daoist once owed a not-so-small favor to the Hundred Boats Sea Assembly when establishing the mountain gate, so even though I knew that Young Master Fan had a big plan, I had to come and wade through this muddy water! The Hundred Boats Chamber of Commerce does business on a huge scale. I don't know what dangerous place they found this time, needing to borrow our strength."

"But this poor Daoist observes that Young Master Fan probably doesn't trust us either, and must have invited some Core Formation True Person from the Luo Zhen Immortal Sect..."

"I am a rogue cultivator from the Central Lands, and I don't know much about this place. What kind of sect is the Luo Zhen Immortal Sect?" Brother Qian Chen asked with a smile.

"The Luo Zhen Immortal Sect is one of the major proprietors of the Hundred Boats Chamber of Commerce. The Fan family has had disciples admitted to the sect for generations, and they have quite a bit of power in the sect. They are one of the sixteen aristocratic families of the Luo Zhen Immortal Sect and have long since defected to the command of the Luo family, the sect master. However, since you are from the Central Lands, Daoist, why come and stir up this muddy water?"

The Zuo Yuan Daoist pulled his beard and stared with wide eyes.

Brother Qian Chen smiled slightly: "I once spent a great price to purchase news of a spirit root. Young Master Fan told me that there might be a spirit root here, so I came!"

"So you are the one who beheaded the Li brothers!"

The Zuo Yuan Daoist opened his mouth and wanted to say something but stopped. At this moment, a surge of spiritual light surged from the western horizon, coming extremely fast. With a few tremors, a cloud ladder crossed over.

The leading cultivator was wearing a brocade Daoist robe, with a wide belt and a high crown, and brought several Core Formation cultivators across the cloud ladder. He stood proudly on the cloud head and swept his eyes over the crowd below.

Fan Fan Cunlu hurriedly brought the two old servants forward to greet: "Uncle-Master!"

"Nephew-Master Fan! I took action this time only for the bucket of Cloud Essence Sand you promised. Therefore, helping you deal with a few rogue cultivators is fine, and removing that Black Flood Dragon is also fine... But if you want me to risk my life to help you do things, then Uncle-Master can only say sorry!"

The cultivator on the cloud head said neither coldly nor warmly.

Fan Fan Cunlu agreed repeatedly, only saying that it was a favor for Uncle-Master to take action once, and he didn't dare to ask for more.

The cultivator's expression softened slightly, and his face relaxed a little: "I have always said the ugly words first. Although Uncle-Master speaks a bit harshly, every word is sincere. And whatever I say, I have never failed to keep my word. This time, bringing these disciples out is also finding other reasons, so you don't have to worry about the news leaking, Nephew-Master!"

The Zuo Yuan Daoist clicked his tongue secretly in the side and whispered to Brother Qian Chen: "No wonder this True Person is willing to sell. Cloud Essence Sand is a heavy treasure for refining cloud-forbidden magic tools. A bucket of Cloud Essence Sand is enough to refine two or three magic tools. If added to that cloud ladder, it is enough to raise its quality by a large grade. Speaking of which, you were tricked by a few words, Daoist. It's really too much of a loss!"

Brother Qian Chen laughed: "I am just a mere Core Formation cultivator, how dare I compare with a Core Formation True Person."

The Zuo Yuan Daoist held back for a long time before he couldn't help but whisper: "But I observe the cloud color you drive, Daoist, its quality is even higher than that cloud ladder. Don't look at this treasure's imposing momentum and noisy sound when it comes, in fact, your cloud-forbidden magic tool has obtained the essence of the cloud method! Cloud-forbidden... it's not about who flies fast and has a loud sound, but who flies high!"

"In this way, you may not lose to him, Daoist!"

Brother Qian Chen smiled without saying a word. This old Daoist is a rare ancient-method cultivator overseas. Being able to see some clues is not accidental...

After the Core Formation True Person of the Luo Zhen Immortal Sect also arrived, Fan Fan Cunlu finally led everyone to set off!

He stretched out his hand and threw out a jade plaque. The Mirage Dragon carved on the jade plaque spat out thick light, shrouding everyone.

The mirage gas blurred everyone's figure, making the light and shadow of the dozens of people twist and disappear into thin air on the sea surface.

Under the shroud of the mirage gas, not only did people outside lose the trace of Brother Qian Chen and the others, but the divine sense of the many cultivators in the mirage gas also found it difficult to release to peek at the outside world.

When divine sense touched the mirage gas, it would be distorted by the illusions within. This magic tool could send and receive illusions and shield divine sense, and its quality was not low.

"I heard that there are Mirage Dragons overseas, and the mirage gas they spit can even transform into a sea nation. Many cultivators who stray into it often get married and have children in the sea nation. Only when the Mirage Dragon leaves do they know it was a dream!"

"But this kind of Mirage Demon's cultivation is comparable to the Primordial Spirit, and this jade plaque should only be refined from the clam shell of a Mirage Demon cultivated by a giant clam in the sea. This mirage gas is relatively shallow, and even the divine sense of a Core Formation cultivator cannot be shielded or distorted!"

Brother Qian Chen reached out and stained a little mirage gas to comprehend the illusions within.

He casually turned this bit of mirage gas into a fake body and left it in place, while his true body ran out of the range covered by the mirage gas, driving a cloud above everyone's heads, following leisurely. While watching the scenery around, he got some fresh air!

These people flew for more than a day before seeing the sky in the distance look different.

Only then did they see a piece of ink-colored sea area between the sea and the sky, dark and deep, not a good place to look at.

Brother Qian Chen probed with his divine sense and found that the dark color was actually dyed by the dark black rocks in the sea through the water surface. It turned out that within a hundred miles of this sea surface, it was an underwater dead volcano, only a few feet away from the sea surface.

Fan Fan Cunlu arrived at this sea surface before dispersing the mirage gas and said: "Fellow Daoists! We have arrived!"

Everyone looked at the sea area below, and their expressions were all different. The Core Formation True Person of the Luo Zhen Immortal Sect looked at the surroundings and suddenly laughed: "So it is a dead underwater fire cave. If the fire vein were still there, it could be used to refine magic tools. Now, although it is dead, in my opinion, this fire cave still has a trace of vitality. I fear that in ten thousand years, it will be active again, erupting, raising the land, and forming an island."

"If we could wait until then, this place would be an excellent place for cultivation!"

"Uncle-Master is joking!" Fan Fan Cunlu apologized: "Who can live for ten thousand years? This place has another mystery. Please follow me, fellow Daoists!"

Everyone followed him to the side of a hole in the black sea. The hole was dark blue, round and neat, like an eye of this black sea area. The hole was a hundred zhang in diameter and should be the location of the crater of the underwater volcano.

Fan Fan Cunlu didn't know what he triggered, but the dark currents in the blue hole surged, and a thunder-like sound came from the ground. The seawater in the hole suddenly gushed out like a sea current.

A huge water column rushed into the sky, reaching a thousand zhang high. The second half of the water column contained great heat, and the seawater had already steamed into water vapor.

At this time, Fan Fan Cunlu shouted: "The passage is open, please follow me and jump in, fellow Daoists!"

The original blue hole had turned into a deep cave that couldn't be seen to the bottom. The surrounding seawater poured into the cave, gradually forming a huge vortex.

Following a huge swallowing force that faintly attacked, everyone released their protective magic tools and entered the cave along with Fan Fan Cunlu... ===== CHAPTER 503 =====