Chapter 1378: Disaster Befalls Penglai Island; Mount Halcyon’s Past
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After giving away the Wind Spirit Bow, Lu Zhou had nothing of value left to give away. Most of his things had been deconstructed. The remaining things were all high-grade treasures that he often used.
Weapons: Unnamed, Purple Glazed Ceramic(infinite grade), Confinement Seal(fusion grade), Pillar of Impermanence(infinite grade)
Lu Zhou could sense many people’s burning eyes on him. He thought he should continue collecting weapons for the Evil Sky Pavilion. Even if he could not use them, it was not a bad idea to use them to increase the overall strength of the Evil Sky Pavilion.
“Master, we should set off now?” Yu Zhenghai asked at this moment.
Lu Zhou shook his head. “Let’s wait first.”
Lu Zhou needed to confirm Si Wuya’s situation first before making any plans.
Yu Zhenghai nodded. “Now that I returned to the golden lotus domain, I miss my brothers from the Nether Sect even more…”
Ever since Yu Zhenghai arrived at the red lotus domain through the Heavenly Moat, he had not seen anyone from the Nether Sect. They were brothers who had gone through life and death together; how could he not see them now that he had returned to the golden lotus domain?
Without waiting for Yu Zhenghai to finish speaking, Lu Zhou waved his sleeve and interjected, “Alright, go. Come back early.”
“Thank you, master!” Yu Zhenghai turned around and rushed out of the main hall.
Coincidentally, when Yu Zhenghai left the main hall, he ran into Qin Naihe.
The duo nodded to each other by way of greeting and brushed past each other.
After entering the main hall, Qin Naihe bowed and greeted Lu Zhou. “Greetings, Pavilion Master.”
Lu Zhou said, “You came at the right time. I’ve already spoken to Qin Renyue, and he has no objection regarding your matter.”
“Thank you, Pavilion Master Lu,” Qin Naihe said as he kneeled on one knee.
Lu Zhou nodded and said, “You’re a Free Man, and you’re also the cultivator closest to being a Venerable Master in the Evil Sky Pavilion. I think highly of your talent. Hence, I’m giving you this blue crystal that will help you advance.”
Lu Zhou casually waved his hand.
The blue crystal that Lu Zhou had obtained from the Pillar of Destruction in Yu Zhong flew over.
“…”
Everyone was drooling when they saw this.
The cultivators from the Black Tower Council and the White Tower Council were particularly envious. They wondered if it was too late to make a request now.
Qin Naihe caught the blue crystal, greatly surprised. He naturally knew the value of the crystal. Many people risked their lives going to the Unknown Land just to obtain it. Although it could not be compared to the Great Void Seeds, it was the closest thing to the Great Void Seeds. Lu Zhou had ten peerless disciples, and no matter from which angle he looked at it, he did not think it was his turn to receive such a valuable thing. Moreover, he had only joined the Evil Sky Pavilion not too long ago. Was this a test?
Hence, Qin Naihe said, “Thank you for your kindness, Pavilion Master. However, I can’t accept such a valuable item. The ten disciples are all talented and need it more than I do. I hope the Pavilion Master will give it to them instead.”
Lu Zhou shook his head. “Since I gave it to you, you should keep it.”
“But, the ten disciples…” Qin Naihe was confused.
Mings.h.i.+ Yin interjected, “You don’t have to worry about that. Since my master gave it to you, you should accept it. If you want it, then don’t refuse it.”
‘I can’t tell you this thing is useless to us…’
Kong Wen knew that Mings.h.i.+ Yin had the Great Void Seed so he said, “Brother Qin, if you really don’t want it, then you can give it to me.”
Qin Naihe. “???”
Lu Zhou said, “The blue crystal belongs to you now. Who you give it to is entirely up to you.”
With this, Qin Naihe hurriedly put the blue crystal in his pocket, bowed to express his grat.i.tude, and retreated to the side. His actions were unexpectedly fast and smooth. Then, he glanced at Kong Wen, thinking to himself, ‘It’s impossible for me to give it to you…’
Kong Wen could only shake his head with a regretful expression on his face.
The cultivators from the Black Tower Council and the White Tower Council wanted to speak but hesitated. They really did not dare to speak up now. Even if Lu Zhou still had more blue crystals, could they afford to ask for them?
“Everyone can take their leave now,” Lu Zhou said with a wave of his hand.
After the other cultivators respectfully left the main hall, only those from the Evil Sky Pavilion were left.
Lu Zhou waved his hand and dismissed the people of the Evil Sky Pavilion as well.
After everyone left, Lu Zhou cast the power of sight and observed his disciples.
Duanmu Sheng and Lu Wu were still guarding the Misty Forest. All the cultivators who approached were frightened away by Lu Wu.
Lu Wu was very smart as well. It would prowl the Misty Forest, taking the initiative to look for curious cultivators and to scare them away.
Lu Zhou nodded. He was rather a.s.sured of Duanmu Sheng and Lu Wu.
Then, he looked at Ye Tianxin.
Ye Tianxin was still cultivating in the White Tower Council. Over the years, the White Tower Council had acc.u.mulated quite a lot of life hearts. It was enough for her to advance in her cultivation. Perhaps, it was due to Lan Xihe, the White Tower Council had always been very stable.
Lu Zhou wondered if Lan Xihe was also keeping an eye on Ye Tianxian and the White Tower Council. Based on the previous event, it was very likely.
Then, Lu Zhou observed his eighth disciple.
The runic pa.s.sage in the yellow lotus domain had long been completed, and Zhu Honggong had recovered from his injuries a few months ago. Currently, he spent most of his time mining mystic microstones and other resources.
Lu Zhou did not need mystic microstones for the time being so he was not in a hurry.
Finally, Lu Zhou observed Si Wuya.
Above the Endless Ocean.
The fog lingered in the sky, and the sound of waves cras.h.i.+ng rang from below.
“I keep feeling like something is amiss. Why don’t we retreat?” Jiang Aijian asked.
Si Wuya asked with a smile, “Do you not want the swords anymore?”
“Stop it. You’re so petty,” Jiang Aijian grumbled.
Li Jinyi stood at the deck, looking down at the sea. Since the Sky Shuttle was flying at a relatively low alt.i.tude, her view was rather clear. After a moment, she said, “Senior brother, I feel like these sea beasts are all heading toward Penglai…”
Upon hearing these words, Huang s.h.i.+jie and Jiang Aijian walked over to have a look as well.
In the sea, countless sea beasts were indeed swimming in the direction of Penglai.
Huang s.h.i.+jie frowned. “It’s fine if Penglai is gone, but the people and the people living nearby will suffer. Send a message back and tell everyone to evacuate…”
“Understood.” Li Jinyi did not waste time and sent a message back.
“Up ahead!”
Swoos.h.!.+
A sea beast leaped into the air.
“Slow down!” Jiang Aijian cried out anxiously.
Si Wuya’s expression remained calm as he made a sharp turn.
The Sky Shuttle made a 90-degree turn, avoiding the sea beast.
Jiang Aijian looked back at the sea beast, perplexed. “What the h.e.l.l is that?”
Everyone turned to look back as well.
The waves rose high into the sky as water arrows shot toward the Sky Shuttle.
Si Wuya pushed his hand out and accelerated the speed of the Sky Shuttle. “This Sky Shuttle had been modified and fortified many times before. Trust me.”
Primal Qi shrouded the Sky Shuttle in the form of an oval golden barrier. Its speed increased by a hundredfold in just a blink of an eye.
Swoos.h.!.+
The Sky Shuttle tore through the sky and crossed hundreds of thousands of feet in just an instant.
Creak!
After a while, the Sky Shuttle finally came to a stop.
Si Wuya inhaled deeply. Although the speed was fast, the consumption of Primal Qi was a lot as well.
When they turned back to look into the distance, they saw that it was a behemoth that had caused the waves to rise into the sky. It was black and seemed to tower in the sky.
“It’s really… f*c king big!” Jiang Aijian exclaimed. He was shocked that his legs weakened slightly.
“Let’s go!” Huang s.h.i.+jie flashed to Si Wuya’s side. He channeled his Primal Qi into the Sky Shuttle, and it sped into the distance.
The Sky Shuttle was like a tiny golden boat caught in a storm in the middle of the sea.
The four people took turns and flew for half a day before they successfully shook off the behemoth.
…
Two days later.
The Sky Shuttle finally emerged from the dense fog and storm.
The four people sighed in relief after surviving the disaster.
“I almost ended up in the stomach of the sea beast. I really have to reevaluate the value of the swords,” Jiang Aijian said as he shook his head.
Si Wuya calmly said, “If you don’t want them, then forget it. I’ll keep them.”
Jiang Jin was displeased upon hearing these words. He had gone through such a disaster that if he were to give up on the swords now, would everything not be for naught? He hurriedly said, “Hey, you can’t do that! We have an agreement!”
As soon as Jiang Aijian’s voice fell, Li Jinyi pointed to the front and said, “Senior brother, look.”
Everyone looked in the direction Li Jinyi had pointed.
A mountain that seemed like it rose from the sea and towered into the sky appeared in everyone’s eyes. It was lush and seemed like springtime on the mountain. From afar, it looked like a verdant leaf floating on the sea.
“We’ve arrived at Mount Halcyon,” Si Wuya said.
“T-this… This is Mount Halcyon? Are you joking?” Jiang Aijian asked.
Si Wuya said, “I’m not.”
“You’ve been here before?” Huang s.h.i.+jie asked curiously.
“I’ve seen it in my dreams,” Si Wuya replied.
“…”
Everyone thought the joke was not funny at all.
Si Wuya continued to say, “Whether you believe me or not, there’s no doubt I’ve dreamt about it many times. That’s why this image lingers in my mind for so long. Sometimes it’s like a fairyland, and sometimes it’s like a place inhabited by demons…”
Jiang Aijian shrugged. “I agree it resembles a fairyland, but I just don’t see it as a place inhabited by demons…”
“Perhaps, it’ll look like that when night falls…”
“…”
These words caused the trio’s hair to stand on end.
At this moment, Huang s.h.i.+jie sent movements from a talisman at his waist. He ignited it.
A halo of light lit up before an anxious disciple appeared. He said, “Island Master, things are bad! The sea beasts are attacking Penglai Island, and we can’t escape!”
Huang s.h.i.+jie frowned and said, “Where are the Sky Shuttles?”
“The Sky Shuttles are useless. The sea level is rising too fast!”
In the projection, they saw the sea water rising rapidly. Half of the four islands were already submerged.
Si Wuya said decisively, “Return.”
“Return?”
They had gone to so much trouble, escaping the danger, and they were going to return just like that?
“It doesn’t make a difference if I come to Mount Halcyon later. We’ll deal with Penglai’s crisis first, and we’ll talk about other matters later,” Si Wuya said.
Huang s.h.i.+jie nodded.
Si Wuya was just about to turn the Sky Shuttle around when a talisman at his waist moved. After igniting the talisman, he read the message before he said, “Penglai should be fine now.”
“How?” Huang s.h.i.+jie asked skeptically as he walked over to have a look at the message. Then, he exclaimed happily, “Brother Ji is back? That’s great! With Brother Ji’s help, everything will be fine!”
After that, Huang s.h.i.+jie immediately pa.s.sed the news to the disciples of Penglai, telling them to hold on until the reinforcement from the Evil Sky Pavilion arrived.
With that, they relaxed and continued flying toward Mount Halcyon.
Jiang Aijian stroked his chin and muttered, “I’m really curious… Why are there so many sea beasts all of a sudden?”
“The imbalance has worsened,” Si Wuya said as he looked at Mount Halcyon.
“Then why does it look like the imbalance doesn’t affect Mount Halcyon?” Jiang Aijian asked as he pointed at the calm sea and s.h.i.+ning sun in the sky. It was rather peaceful. If it was possible, would it not be very comfortable if cultivators were to migrate to this place?
Si Wuya shook his head. “It’s still too early to come to a conclusion. Let’s go and have a look first.”
Everyone nodded.
The Sky Shuttle picked up speed as it flew toward Mount Halcyon.
…
Penglai Island.
The seawater continued to rise.
The four islands were almost half-submerged, and the cultivators had all retreated to the highest island.
From time to time, sea beasts leaped from the sea. Cultivators who tried flying risked getting eaten by them.
“Madam Huang, we’ve counted. Three people died,” a disciple said grimly after stepping forward.
Another disciple stepped forward and said, “We’ve spoken to the Island Master. He asked for us to hold on until the reinforcement from the Evil Sky Pavilion arrives. It’s said that Pavilion Master Ji has returned.”
“Pavilion Master Ji?”
Everyone was surprised.
Madam Huang sighed softly. “It’s a good thing the Island Master isn’t here, and it’s a good thing we have many survivors. How many people have escaped so far?”
“Madam Huang, we have more than 3,500 disciples. More than 1,500 have left so we have about 2,000 left now,” a disciple replied.
Madam Huang nodded. “Pa.s.s down the order. No disciple is allowed to leave without permission. Do your best to fend the sea beasts off…”
“Understood.”
Swoos.h.!.+
A sea beast that was 1,000-feet long suddenly leaped up from the sea at the side, stirring up a huge wave that rose into the sky.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Countless avatars appeared above the island.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Droplets of water, like arrows, landed on the avatars.
The cultivators retreated as the sea beast fell back into the sea.
“It’s the Tigershark!”
“Watch out!”
“The Tigershark is a beast king that can only be defeated by a cultivator with at least five Birth Charts! What are we going to do?!”
Everyone was terrified. Some of the timid ones could no longer endure it and began to tremble.
“Don’t panic! As long as we can hold on until help arrives, we’ll be fine!” someone shouted.
The cultivators were now on the main island of Penglai. It was also the floating island that Lu Zhou had lifted with a hand back then.
Penglai had learned from their mistakes. After that incident, they had strengthened their formations.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sea beasts began to attack the barrier from the formations.
Everyone retreated again.
“We can only hope the barrier holds…”
Splas.h.!.+
A huge splash rang from below at this moment, causing everyone to shudder.
Then, several mutated red plaice leaped out toward the island.
“Red plaices? Attack!”
The cultivators manifested their avatars and rushed forward.
The plaices were one of the sea beasts that could maintain a longer flight in the air. Although they were not as strong as a beast king, their number was high.
Soon after, scarlet fishes that were hundreds of feet leaped out as well, looking like a swarm of bees.
Chaos descended upon Penglai Island immediately.
Madam Huang shouted, “Get into formation!”
“Understood.”
About 20 female disciples brought out their umbrella-like weapons and got into a formation in the air.
Madam Huang took the lead, unleas.h.i.+ng energy seals in the air from her umbrella.
The 20 female disciples worked together. Their energy seals were like golden snow flakes as they flew out in the air.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The small sea beasts were all pierced by the energy seals.
The larger sea beasts fell back into the sea in pain, letting out sorrowful cries that stirred up monstrous waves.
“It worked?”
At this moment, someone cried out, “What’s that?”
Everyone looked down and saw a huge shadow under the surface of the sea. It was even bigger than the Tigershark from before; it was bigger than the entire Penglai.
Madam Huang clenched her hands into fists upon seeing this. She said grimly, “Everyone, listen up! Get ready to abandon the island and leave with me!”
“Understood!”