Chapter 121: The Rogue Cultivator "Qing You"

The vast expanse of the sea lay perfectly calm.

Two blinding streaks of black and purple light tore through the sky, crossing the horizon in the blink of an eye before descending over the ruins of a devastated island.

This was the once-renowned Black Fiend Island.

The Black Fiend Island couple who once held sway here were veteran Nascent Soul cultivators of the demonic path, famous across the region. Their combined assault techniques had shaken the four seas, proving formidable enough that even Middle Nascent Soul Stage experts gave them a wide berth.

Yet now, the island's spiritual veins lay shattered, its palaces reduced to rubble. The once-thriving demonic sanctuary was scorched earth, and its masters, the Black Fiend Island couple, were gone without a trace—their very bones lost to the devastation.

High above, amid the clouds, Wei Kun stood suspended in midair, his expression as grim as iron.

His eyes narrowed as he swept his gaze across the wreckage below, spreading his vast divine sense to probe every lingering wisp of spiritual aura on the island.

Behind him, Zhong Huo stared down at the dead ruins with an unsettled look, his heart full of shock and suspicion.

Taking two quick steps up to Wei Kun's side, he asked, his tone carrying an edge of wariness he couldn't hide, "Senior Brother, Black Fiend Island is the last lead we have. Have you found any clues?"

Wei Kun slowly drew in his divine sense. A heavy shadow hung over his brow, his face as dark as a thundercloud.

He fell quiet for a moment, pushing down the shock churning in his chest, before speaking in a low, heavy voice. "This wasn't the work of the Righteous Path Alliance. From start to finish, the destruction of the Three Sects and the bloodbath at Four Seas City came from a single hand."

Zhong Huo nodded heavily, raw terror in his eyes. "I noticed it earlier as well. The traces left across all four battlefields carry the exact same source and nature. It truly is the work of one man."

"The Black Fiend Island couple had both reached the Peak Early-Stage Nascent Soul realm," Zhong Huo continued, his voice trembling as the implications sank in. "Their joint secret arts complemented each other to rival a Middle Nascent Soul Stage cultivator. Ordinary practitioners couldn't even touch them. Yet a pair of top-tier figures fighting side by side was utterly wiped out in a single night—without leaving behind the slightest mark of resistance!"

"This person's strength is monstrous," Zhong Huo added, his words shaking. "His cultivation must have reached the Peak Mid-Nascent Soul stage, and he carries several premier ancient treasures. He is leagues beyond an ordinary Nascent Soul expert. But I still cannot understand—who possesses such terrifying means, and who would pay whatever price it took to wipe out four major factions in a row?"

The two exchanged a look and descended together onto the scarred ground.

Wei Kun glanced over the mangled corpses strewn across the terrain, a faint glint of dark light flickering in his eyes. After a close inspection, he crouched down and picked up a lingering shard of ice.

The ice was bone-chillingly cold, wrapped in wisps of a sinister, eerie ghostly aura.

Rubbing the frost between his fingers, Wei Kun stared into the dark crystal and murmured under his breath, "The souls of the dead were completely swallowed, leaving no spiritual trace behind. A pure ghostly execution method. And this frost qi is domineering and fierce, covering a massive area with horrific lethality. It has to be a top-tier cold-attribute divine ability."

"Peak Mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, mastery over ghostly arts, command of the Ice Path, and an old feud with both Four Seas City and the Three Sects..."

He tossed the ice shard aside, lifted his eyes to the brooding Zhong Huo, and asked in a low voice, "Junior Brother, can you guess who this is?"

Zhong Huo knit his brows tightly, sifting through the roster of Southern Border demonic path powerhouses in his mind.

Peak Mid-Nascent Soul, wielding both ghostly arts and ice techniques, and nursing a blood feud against those factions... Across the entire Abyssal Sea over the past century, only one person met every single condition.

A shiver ran down Zhong Huo's spine. His pupils shrank to pinpricks, and he looked up in utter disbelief.

"Jiuyou?! That's impossible!"

Wei Kun looked out toward the endless blue sea, his gaze distant and profound. Tinged with deep-seated wariness and reluctant awe, his words fell like a heavy stone.

"Why impossible?"

"Looking across the entire Abyssal Sea, who else besides Old Devil Jiuyou has such terrifying might and thunderous methods? Who else carries such a deep blood feud, capable of sweeping through and crushing four top-tier Nascent Soul factions over the span of two nights?"

"To think that old monster is still alive. Come, let us return and report."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

Two streaks of black and purple radiance shot into the sky, piercing the clouds as they sped off toward the horizon.

...

On a remote island, in a quiet market town.

A few cultivators were huddled at a street corner talking in hushed tones, repeatedly mentioning the Yuqing Sect and its recruitment of disciples. The market town was small and visitors were few, so their conversation quickly drew attention.

A burly, broad-shouldered man stood listening to his companion when he caught sight of someone walking toward them out of the corner of his eye.

The newcomer was slender and handsome, appearing around twenty years old. He held a crimson feather fan, swaying it gently with an elegant, easy smile.

"Fellow Daoist, are you also heading to the Yuqing Sect for the disciple selection?"

Seeing the man stop in front of him, the burly cultivator took the lead in asking. His own cultivation was at the Mid Foundation Establishment Stage, and seeing that the stranger's aura was steady and on par with his own, he did not stand on ceremony.

The cultured cultivator smiled faintly, his voice clear and refined.

"I am merely a rogue cultivator from Lingchuan. I took a Teleportation Array here intending to hunt a few spirit beasts for pill crafting. Having heard that the Yuqing Sect, a major Righteous Path sect of the Abyssal Sea, is recruiting disciples, I thought I would try my luck. But I do not know the way. Hearing you speak of going there just now, I wondered if I might travel with you? I will certainly offer a generous reward afterward."

Before the burly man could answer, a lovely young girl bounced out from behind him.

She stared at the refined cultivator, her bright eyes fixed on his handsome face, unable to look away. Though only at the Qi Refining Stage, she was the liveliest of the group.

"Of course! That sounds great!"

Her voice was crisp and sweet, brimming with excitement.

The burly man's brow twitched, and he clicked his tongue under his breath.

Seeing his hesitation, the girl grabbed his arm and shook it gently.

"Come on, Brother! The Yuqing Sect is a prominent sect of the Righteous Path, backed by a Grand Cultivator. Since this Senior dares to go, he must be a chivalrous man dedicated to vanquishing demons. Let's just give him a ride!"

"All right, all right, stop shaking me."

Helpless against his sister, the burly man turned awkwardly toward the young scholar and cleared his throat.

"Very well, Fellow Daoist. I am Liu Tiezhu, and this is my little sister, Liu Xiaofang. These two behind me are also rogue cultivators traveling with us. May I ask your name, Fellow Daoist?"

The elegant cultivator gently swayed the feather fan in his hand, nodding politely to Liu Xiaofang and the two men behind Liu Tiezhu before offering his name.

"Qing You."

Liu Tiezhu cupped his hands in return and introduced his two companions.

In their party of four, aside from Liu Xiaofang who was in the Qi Refining Stage, the other three were rogue cultivators between the Early Foundation Establishment Stage and the Mid Foundation Establishment Stage. Traveling together toward the Yuqing Sect, they hoped to try their luck and see if they could enter the sect's ranks.

"Brother Qing You, the Yuqing Sect is not close from here. We need to hurry."

With a wave of his hand, Liu Tiezhu summoned a spirit boat from his sleeve, letting it hover in midair.

The group boarded one by one. Jiuyou stepped onto the deck last. With a light flick of his feather fan, the boat rose steadily into the air, piercing the clouds as it flew toward the southeast.

Aboard the vessel, Liu Xiaofang leaned close to Qing You, chattering away without pause.

"Brother Qing You, are you really a rogue cultivator? Is cultivating as a rogue cultivator really hard?"

"It is manageable."

Jiuyou's tone was calm as he looked into the distance. He showed little interest in the young girl, though he remained polite.

Unfazed, Liu Xiaofang pressed on, "What kind of magical artifact do you use? I've never seen a rogue cultivator like you before. You look amazing."

"Xiaofang, don't be rude."

Liu Tiezhu hastily scolded his sister, giving Jiuyou an apologetic smile. Though he found the man somewhat mysterious, he saw no obvious flaws and took him for an ordinary rogue cultivator.

The spirit boat sailed through the sea of clouds, the rest of the journey passing in silence.

Jiuyou stood at the prow, his robes fluttering in the wind. Looking out at the vast horizon ahead, the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward, yet his eyes held no warmth at all.

The Yuqing Sect.

'When did Zhou Xuanzhen and that other Middle Nascent Soul Stage cultivator from their sect get tangled up with Wei Tianhe? If all three join forces, it might prove slightly troublesome.'

'Still, it hardly matters. Unless that Deity Transformation Cultivator steps in to stop me, a sect held by a mere pair of Middle Nascent Soul cultivators can be snuffed out with a snap of my fingers.'

The sea wind howled as the spirit boat drifted farther away, vanishing into the clouds.

Behind them, the remote market town shrank until it was nothing more than a black speck, finally swallowed whole between the sea and sky.