Volume 1 Volume 7 Chapter 42

Volume 7 Chapter 42: The Journey Far Away (Part 1)

"I will obey your command."

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, a faint glimmer of blood appeared in Chou’s eyes as he respectfully extended his hands to take the list from Xu Qingfan.

Xu Qingfan spoke in a calm voice, his face showing a slight smile, but handing this task to Chou itself showed coldness and intent to kill. Watching this scene, Liu Ziqing felt a subtle sense of tension fill the air.

Last night, the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands just fought a great battle against the East Sea Demon Monster, and tonight, under Chou’s leadership, there would surely be another storm of blood and chaos, though everything that happened would be hidden in the darkness.

As Chou stepped aside, Liu Ziqing looked at the smiling Xu Qingfan and suddenly seemed to think of something. His body jolted, and a flicker of alertness and coldness crossed his eyes.

With the appearance of this list of spies, in that moment, Liu Ziqing finally understood everything that had happened. The bloodshed that Chou had caused in the East Sea over the years was actually allowed by Xu Qingfan, and this current battle was something Xu Qingfan had anticipated all along.

Taking advantage of this battle, Xu Qingfan used the opportunity to establish a reputation among the cultivators of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, strengthened everyone’s determination to follow him, tested the mindset and abilities of his people, provided a large amount of resources to the resource-depleted Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, and exposed various spies that had been hidden in the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands for years…

This was just what Liu Ziqing could think of. As for the purposes that Liu Ziqing did not foresee, he couldn’t even imagine how many there were.

Xu Qingfan, who seemed to have done nothing over the years, had secretly controlled everything about Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. Only after everything ended did everyone realize that, during this great battle, he had cleverly used all the conditions he could, guiding everything according to Xu Qingfan’s path and desires. In the end, the real winner of the battle was this smiling fellow in front of them.

This time, Xu Qingfan suddenly sent himself and Chou far away to hunt down Azure Dragon, only because he was afraid Azure Dragon might escape so easily.

When did Xu Qingfan become so powerful?

Without realizing it, Liu Ziqing squinted his eyes while looking at Xu Qingfan. This was Liu Ziqing’s habit; whenever he had strong suspicions about someone, he would squint to hide his feelings and thoughts while observing them.

This kind of situation had only occurred once for Liu Ziqing before, when he was still with the "Ming" organization, and the person he faced then was named Zhang Xusheng.

Strangely, Liu Ziqing thought back to two hundred years ago, when Xu Qingfan called himself Southern Wasteland rogue cultivator Xu Fan and arrived at Qingxu Gate. It was their first meeting, and at that time, Xu Qingfan was still so inexperienced…

Two hundred years have passed, and everything has changed so much.

…

After Xu Qingfan finished reminding them of everything they needed to pay attention to, Liu Ziqing and Chou stepped back.

The two people flew towards Tianshu Island, silent all the way.

Although Chou was not good at socializing, he was a very clever person. He understood the importance of his current position and strength, and he could sense the complicated relationship between Xu Qingfan and Liu Ziqing, which was both friendly and hostile, filled with cooperation and caution. In his view, he rarely showed himself and even less often spent time alone with Liu Ziqing. At this moment, Liu Ziqing should be trying to gather information and build a connection with him.

Chou had even thought about how he would respond.

Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Liu Ziqing, who was usually known for his calm and elegant demeanor, seemed distracted along the way. Although he occasionally spoke with Chou in a seemingly natural way, it was clear he was thinking about something else.

While Chou was surprised, he also felt relieved. This Liu Ziqing, like his master Xu Qingfan, gave him an air of mystery. With Liu Ziqing not focused, it actually relieved him of some trouble.

Although Chou had shown himself to be sharp and careful over the years, he had never experienced such high-level scheming before. The real meaning behind this battle, which seemed to have been brought about by him, was something he truly did not understand.

What Chou was thinking about now was something else.

Azure Dragon, a powerful being that was about to break through to a heavenly level, would greatly increase his strength after he absorbed it, making him nearly equal to Xu Qingfan. With that nearly invincible ability to consume, he could even face Xu Qingfan directly.

In this situation, why could Xu Qingfan trust me to handle Azure Dragon?

Does Xu Qingfan really trust me so much?

Chou did not understand.

While thinking this, Chou secretly flew towards Yaoguang Island.

At that time, Yaoguang Island was already occupied by the Dark Crow, and the remaining cultivators from Yaoguang Camp had no choice but to hide in a corner.

Under the cold and indifferent gaze of the endless Dark Crow, everyone except Chou felt a wave of anxiety; in the presence of the Dark Crow, they didn’t even dare to move freely.

In fact, if the Dark Crow had not become familiar with their aura over the years of evolution, and if it weren’t for Little Black’s warning, the remaining strength of Yaoguang Camp would have turned to dust long ago.

However, the people of Yaoguang Camp did not have good relationships; they suddenly found that, besides Yaoguang Island, they had nowhere to go. Staying outside Yaoguang Island felt awkward to others and even more so to them.

Under Chou’s leadership, Yaoguang Camp and the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands seemed like two different creatures from two worlds, completely incompatible. Although staying with the Dark Crow meant they could be killed at any moment, at least it didn’t feel as awkward.

At this moment, there were only sixteen people left in Yaoguang Camp. Besides the six great experts, there were also ten ordinary members of Yaoguang Camp. Surprisingly, among them was a boy who had just been recruited by Chou into Yaoguang Camp before the big battle. No one knew how he managed to survive after just gaining the power of the Blood Body Demon and not knowing how to use it.

Although Yaoguang Camp had lost more than half of its strength this time, neither Chou, nor the six great experts, nor the ordinary members of Yaoguang Camp cared at all. Due to the nature of Yaoguang Camp, their strength would soon be restored. In fact, those who survived this battle, regardless of willpower or strength, were the best of Yaoguang Camp. With this as a foundation, when Yaoguang Camp grew strong again, their power would only increase.

…

With the appearance of the Dark Crow, the mysterious mist outside Yaoguang Island disappeared, no longer holding the secrets of the past. In fact, everything about Yaoguang Island could even be faintly seen from the nearby Tianji Island or Tianquan Island.

For forty years, Yaoguang Island was filled with lifelessness, but now that it was revealed to the world, although it no longer felt lifeless, it still appeared extremely desolate.

Some cultivators wished to explore the mysterious Yaoguang Island, but both the Dark Crow and Yaoguang Camp were not what they wanted to face, so they had to hold back their impulsive desires.

In this situation, with everyone’s eyes on him, Chou slowly flew towards Yaoguang Island.

In a place where strength was respected, the Dark Crows flying around the Yaoguang Camp, boasting before Chou’s arrival, fled far away after Chou coldly glanced at them.

"Hmph, the Island Master has been too unfair to the young Island Master this time. My Yaoguang Camp put in the most effort and had the most casualties, while the young Island Master achieved the greatest rewards, yet all the benefits were taken by that Shen Gang. Just look at Shen Gang’s behavior when he was giving out rewards…"

A member of Yaoguang Camp said coldly.

Although Yaoguang Camp suffered great losses this time, the members did not care at all. Not long after the fierce battle ended, they began discussing Xu Qingfan’s treatment of Chou. It was as if they felt nothing about the fierce battle and the many deaths of their companions that had happened just a day before.

"Can’t you see? The Young Island Master’s strength has already made the Island Master cautious. Otherwise, why would the Island Master have sent the Young Island Master away during the battle with the dragon? It was simply because they were afraid the Young Island Master would become even stronger after absorbing the dragon and the transformation."

Another person said in a chilling voice.

Huangquan Baigui and Shier Daluo showed no desire to stop the discussion. They simply sat far away, with their eyes closed, looking neither angry nor happy, but it was unclear what they were actually thinking. They neither interrupted nor praised the conversation of the others.

Suddenly, both of them trembled slightly and stood up at the same time, walking toward the distance.

"Young Island Master."

When Chou arrived, Shier Daluo and Huangquan Baigui stood in two rows with a group of Yaoguang Camp cultivators, bowing to welcome Chou back.

"Twelve, Huangquan, follow me."

Chou only greeted Shier Daluo and Huangquan Baigui, ignoring everyone else as he walked alone toward the distance. Shier Daluo and Huangquan Baigui quietly followed behind him.

When the others saw Chou gradually taking Shier Daluo and Huangquan Baigui away, they exchanged glances, all wondering why Chou suddenly approached them.

"Uh, uh, uh…"

Suddenly, the three members of the Yaoguang Camp who had just participated in the discussion seemed to struggle to breathe, each covering their necks with their hands, their eyes bulging, faces turning blue, and their bodies strangely swelling up.

Seeing this scene, all the cultivators of the Yaoguang Camp were terrified and did not dare to come closer; they only hid at a distance.

"Boom…"

"Boom…"

"Boom…"

With three loud booms, the Yaoguang Camp, which had only sixteen members left after the battle, lost three more members.

…

At the same time, Chou continued to walk into the distance with Huangquan Baigui and Shier Daluo, seemingly unaffected by the self-explosion of the three members of the Yaoguang Camp.

After reaching a hidden place nearby, Chou stopped, turned, and looked at the two in front of him, then said, "Three things. First, in a few days, I will leave for a while to hunt down the injured Azure Dragon with Liu Ziqing. This time, I will be gone for a long time. During my absence, Huangquan Baigui will be in charge of Yaoguang Camp’s affairs."

"Yes."

Huangquan Baigui replied with a bow.

"The second thing is that we lost some people in this battle, so we need to recruit some new members from the ordinary people and low-level cultivators. Shier Daluo, you will be in charge of this matter."

Shier Daluo said nothing more, just silently bowed to Chou.

At that moment, Chou handed the list given to him by Xu Qingfan to Shier Daluo and Huangquan Baigui, and said coldly, "The third thing is that my master has ordered me to lead the mission to eliminate the spies from Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. Everyone on this list with a red name must be killed, and those with a blue name must be captured alive. Try to do this quietly, without drawing attention from others."

"Yes."

Shier Daluo and Huangquan Baigui bowed and replied again.

At that moment, Huangquan Baigui accidentally looked down at the list in his hand, and the first name made his body shudder.

"This person…"

Huangquan Baigui said hesitantly.

"I will handle this person. Master wants to see him; you don’t need to get involved."

Chou said softly.

"Yes."

After everything was said, Huangquan Baigui and Shier Daluo bowed respectfully to Chou and prepared to leave.

"Huangquan."

At that moment, Chou suddenly called out.

"Master, is there anything else?"

Huangquan Baigui’s eyes sparkled, and he turned to ask. But Shier Daluo did not react at all and continued to walk into the distance.

"That was you who arranged what those three people just said, right?"

Chou stared at Huangquan Baigui in front of him, and there was a faint glimmer of blood light in the darkness under the helmet.

Huangquan Baigui’s body trembled, and after hesitating for a moment, he lowered his head and said, "Yes, I misunderstood your meaning, Master. Please punish me."

"In the face of absolute strength, any means are just a joke, just like when I am before my master," Chou said slowly. "From now on, until I can rival my master, don’t have any more of these small tricks."

"Until I can rival my master…"

As he carefully considered Chou’s words, a hint of understanding flashed in Huangquan Baigui’s eyes. After bowing slightly, he slowly stepped back.

Chou still stood there, watching the sunset gradually descend below the horizon. His gaze was unreadable, and no one could see what thoughts were in his heart.

…

Huang Xuan, one of the members of Tianquan Camp, was calm and steady. He was highly trusted by Guan Tian, one of the guardians of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. When Guan Tian was in meditation, Huang Xuan usually took charge of Tianquan Camp.

One day, Huang Xuan was sitting in his room as usual but found it hard to focus. He felt restless, as if something was about to happen.

"Tap, tap, tap…"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Huang Xuan paused for a moment, and as he spread his senses, he recognized who it was. He frowned slightly.

"Please come in."

Huang Xuan said.

The door opened, and a middle-aged man quickly stepped inside.

"Niu Meng, why are you here? Didn’t I tell you not to contact me too often?"

After seeing the newcomer, Huang Xuan’s calm face instantly darkened, and he said coldly.

Niu Meng, one of the members of Tianxuan Camp, was strong and held a status equal to Huang Xuan.

Niu Meng looked nervous. After hearing Huang Xuan’s words, she quickly walked to his side and whispered, "Do you think I wanted to see you? I sent you a message to meet at the usual place. Why didn’t you come?"

Huang Xuan was slightly taken aback, and his expression tightened as he asked, "You sent me a message? When? Why didn’t I receive it?"

Niu Meng said in a low voice, "A day ago."

Huang Xuan’s expression grew even more anxious as he asked, "Are you saying the message was intercepted? Did it reveal anything?"

Niu Meng shook her head and said, "The message only said to meet you, to share some skills and have a discussion, but it did not reveal anything else. However…"

"However, what?"

As the uneasy feeling in his heart grew stronger, Huang Xuan instead calmed down and asked coldly.

"Monk Guanhai and Liu Suxian have been missing for two days."

At Niu Meng’s words, Huang Xuan’s body shook again as he said in disbelief, "Monk Guanhai and Liu Suxian, aren’t they from Immortal Zizhen?"

Niu Meng smiled bitterly and nodded, saying, "These guys always think they are clever and have no caution at all. We discovered them long ago, yet they were unaware. After the big battle that day, Monk Guanhai sent a message to Immortal Zizhen not far from us, but he didn’t notice our presence at all. I really don’t know how they do things. I worry that their disappearance was discovered by Xu Qingfan and they were captured."

"Impossible. If Xu Qingfan wanted to catch them, he would have done it long ago. From what I’ve observed, Xu Qingfan doesn’t know where they come from, unless…"

Suddenly recalling something, Huang Xuan’s face changed, turning as pale as a sheet.

"Unless what?"

"Unless Xu Qingfan has known about their existence for a long time, perhaps even knows about us too, but has been passing false information back through us. This time, in the battle with the East Sea Demon Monster, he exposed all the strength he has built up over the years… He does not plan to let us go… Even more, he might have found us through this battle. You just said that while you were passing messages to your master, Monk Guanhai and they were also sending messages to Immortal Zizhen nearby?"

"Yes."

Niu Meng’s face was even whiter than Huang Xuan’s.

"It seems we have all been tricked by Xu Qingfan."

Huang Xuan Ku said with a smile.

"So, what do we do now?"

Niu Meng asked nervously.

"Run! We must find a way to leave here immediately. Even if they haven’t discovered us, a search is inevitable. If we give ourselves away then, there will be no hope; staying here has no meaning anymore. Only by escaping do we have a chance to survive."

"How do we escape?"

Huang Xuan was about to say something when a chilling voice suddenly sounded from outside the room.

"This is Huangquan Baigui from Yaoguang Camp, seeking an audience with Taoist friends Huang Xuan and Niu Meng."