Chapter 754 - 436: Conquering the Northern Domain Again

Atop Huaguo Mountain in the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect, a medium-sized Flying Celestial Ship roughly a hundred meters long slowly ascended into the sky. The Immortal Sect Disciples who had come to see it off had already packed the mountaintop.

At the forefront stood several Elders who were well-acquainted with Zou Feng, alongside True Disciples like Ye Chenhua and Wang Tianhu. Zou Feng’s gathering of forces for a second expedition against the Northern Domain had naturally attracted considerable attention within the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect. Even after the Flying Celestial Ship he piloted lifted off, the Celestial Dao Cauldron chimed in a grand farewell, giving him the utmost prestige.

Although the Undying Master did not make an appearance, he had relayed intelligence regarding Gongyang Wuji a few days prior. Relying on his overwhelming fortune, Gongyang Wuji was still throwing his weight around in the Northern Domain. In truth, many of the guy’s actions were practically courting death. However, the most formidable aspect of a Child of Fortune was that no matter how recklessly he acted, he would not die. Therefore, the higher-ups of the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect did not expect Zou Feng to change the tide of the war or inflict immediate, catastrophic losses on the Tribulation Cultivation Sects and the Dubhe Divine Domain. His primary mission was simply to intercept Gongyang Wuji as much as possible and grind this Child of Fortune—who would absolutely become a grave threat to the Immortal Sect in the future—to dust.

For this purpose, the sect’s higher-ups had been quite generous, gifting him this medium-sized Flying Celestial Ship. Zou Feng named it the Holy Lotus.

Logically, there would be no issue if Zou Feng took a few True Disciples as his lieutenants on this campaign. As long as he gave the word, other True Disciples would absolutely be willing to board. Yet, Zou Feng had no such intentions; unless it was a True Disciple he was familiar with, any other so-called lieutenants would offer him little real assistance at his current level. Thus, the only True Inheritors he would welcome aboard were Ye Chenhua, Wang Tianhu, Jiang Wanzhao, and a few others.

However, Wang Tianhu’s near-death experience at the hands of Gongyang Wuji had left him with lingering psychological trauma regarding the northern expedition; he preferred to continue conquering unknown Outer Realms. Ye Chenhua had his own plans, intending to remain in secluded cultivation within the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect. As for Jiang Wanzhao... she had not returned to the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect with Zou Feng previously. Instead, she had joined the main northern expeditionary force, slaughtering Tribulation Cultivators on the front lines. More than three years had passed, and she had yet to return.

Since none of these familiar True Inheritors could board, Zou Feng naturally had no desire to recruit anyone else. He had especially given a flat refusal to Liu Chenyu, who had actively requested to join his ship and participate in the northern expedition. If that absolutely deranged woman actually came aboard, she would be of no use other than causing trouble.

For Zou Feng, lacking other True Disciples as lieutenants was truly not a major issue. The meticulously crafted Xuanwu Dance Troupe had already taken shape. Once he unleashed his Poison Domain, those meant to play music would play, and those meant to dance would dance; even if the enemy sent several Immortal Officials and Judges, he would not fear them.

The Holy Lotus set sail toward the north. Standing at the bow, Zou Feng continued to carefully sense the location where he had lost his connection with Zou Er. For some unknown reason, a sense of inexplicable urgency welled up within him; rather than finding Gongyang Wuji, he wanted to locate Zou Er as quickly as possible. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened there that required his immediate attention. Having reached his current Realm, no matter how baffling such intuition seemed, it was definitely not unfounded or a mere illusion. It meant there was absolutely a situation closely tied to him.

"Zou Lang, is something... on your mind?" Behind him, Tian Yun astutely picked up on Zou Feng’s slight anxiety.

Zou Feng nodded slowly. "Something happened with my Outer Body Incarnation. I need to go deal with it first..." With that said, he silently opened the List of Gods.

The names on it hadn’t been cleared out much. In fact, the number of formidable figures in the Golden Core Realm had even increased. This wasn’t surprising. Just as everyone on the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect’s side wanted to kill Gongyang Wuji as quickly as possible, the number of Tribulation Cultivators who wanted to kill Zou Feng would only be greater. However, perhaps because he had left the Immortal Sect and was starting to get closer to certain big shots, three flashing names on the list caught Zou Feng’s attention: Red Tiger, Jade Fox, Cyan Wolf.

These three names made Zou Feng feel rather perplexed. Even members of the Demon Race would adopt proper human names after taking human form, rather than referring to themselves so casually. Thus, it was highly likely that these three had some peculiar fetish. However, judging by the glow of their names, these three were likely Immortal Officials of the Ninefold Celestial Court. The Immortal Officials he had encountered previously all had normal names. Did these three names hold some deeper meaning? He wondered, "Could it be...?"

Zou Feng suddenly thought of a possibility, but immediately dismissed it as too absurd. He thought, "No way. Could these three Immortal Officials really do something so outrageous!?"

Meanwhile, in the civilian district in the southern part of Cheyue Country.

Two scruffy young men, one in front and one behind, cornered a girl in ragged clothes in a narrow alley. The girl’s originally smooth and shiny blonde hair hadn’t been washed in who knew how many days; it now covered her head in a messy, knotted tangle like weeds. Her face was covered in grime, but her eyes remained bright and spirited. This girl was none other than Zou Er’s disciple, Yue Ya.

Previously, when Zou Er passed away in a seated posture, he had left behind only a single Blood Spirit Pill. This had driven Yue Ya to the brink of despair and nearly caused her to completely lose her mind. But in the moments before she plunged into utter madness, the aura emanating from the Blood Spirit Pill, along with its waves of warm light, had calmed her down just in time. Yue Ya had stared blankly at the Blood Spirit Pill, feeling as if a familiar and incredibly comforting voice was constantly calling out from within it.

"Master!"

Yue Ya hugged the Blood Spirit Pill tightly, choosing to continue believing the words Zou Er had once spoken.