Chapter 528 - 497: Putting on a Full Show

Chapter 528: Chapter 497: Putting on a Full Show

After sailing at full speed for the better part of a day, they finally slowed as an island covered in seaweed and algae appeared in the sea.

The island was utterly silent, littered with sun-dried fish carcasses that gave off a foul, fishy stench.

The island hadn’t been there the last time they passed this way. Sweeping his Divine Sense over it, Chen Che discovered it was actually a Tier Four Dragon Turtle. It must have surfaced from the sea a few months ago and was now resting here, fast asleep.

The two exchanged a look and stopped the Spiritual Boat along the island’s edge.

Then, they slipped into the cargo hold.

Opening it, they found the hold filled with row after row of huge Bronze Boxes, each affixed with a seal.

He pried one open at random. Just as expected, it was filled with the Ore transported from the island reef.

"It’s all here!"

Xiao Chan inspected them one by one.

Chen Che nodded, then proceeded to check every hold.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that the other group of Cultivators who had appeared at the island reef was extremely strange. Because of this, he suspected the Spiritual Boat might be carrying other, rarer cargo.

Could it be that such items were what attracted the other party?

Chen Che even meticulously searched the deck and every hold for hidden compartments or concealed items.

Unfortunately, aside from the Ore, there was nothing else on the boat.

Meanwhile, Xiao Chan took out the Magical Artifacts and Weapons from the other group of Golden Core Cultivators to examine them, but he too just shook his head.

Although the items were of a high grade, they had no obvious distinguishing features. Many belonged to Loose Cultivators with no known background. Of course, no one could know if these Loose Cultivators were actually sleeper agents planted by some power.

"I couldn’t find anything, but I still think it’s most likely the Mist Rain Tower," Xiao Chan speculated.

"It’s not our place to worry about who they are. This is a headache for the Primordial Sect’s upper echelon." After the fruitless investigation, Chen Che gave up. He took out his Gourd and stored all the Ore inside.

"Do you want this Spiritual Boat?"

"Forget it. I have no use for it."

Xiao Chan immediately shook his head in refusal. "Taking this Spiritual Boat out is like painting a moving target on our backs for the Primordial Sect. It’s better to let the Dragon Turtle destroy the evidence."

That was precisely why they had stopped the Spiritual Boat here in the first place.

Chen Che agreed, but he felt it was a real shame to destroy the Spiritual Boat, so he simply stored it in his Gourd as well.

After that, the two took a long, circuitous route through the sea before heading toward the Jinyun Valley’s Spiritual Boat.

...

「Seven days later.」

Two large Spiritual Boats were moored on either side of Jinghai Island Reef. The entire island was in an uproar, with every Cultivator discussing the events of seven days prior. The Primordial Sect had ruled over the Sixteen States for hundreds of years, their authority as absolute as a Celestial Emperor’s. Their word was law.

Throughout the years, any rebellion, even the slightest hint of one, would be immediately crushed.

But in recent years, one tragedy had followed another.

And now, within their own territory, the Sect’s cargo had been plundered, and two Protectors and a Vice Chief had been publicly executed. To the low-level Cultivators, this was a world-shattering event.

「At this time.」

Inside the Primordial Sect’s office on the island reef, more than ten Golden Core Cultivators had already gathered. In addition to two high-ranking members and several Golden Cores from the Primordial Sect, even the upper echelon of Jinyun Valley, who had just returned from Celestial Ghost City, were all present. The situation resembled a tribunal.

Kneeling opposite them was a middle-aged male Cultivator. He was dressed in fine clothes, but his frame was thin and his face was pale and drawn.

His forehead was pressed to the ground as he spoke, his voice full of bitterness.

"Reporting to the Chief, that is how it was... COUGH COUGH. Every Cultivator on the island saw it with their own eyes."

"The Great Protector was already winning, but no one knew a second wave of Golden Core Cultivators would suddenly appear. What’s more, one of them was the Sect’s Rebel Disciple, Xiao Chan. To be honest, if he hadn’t held back from a full-on massacre, there probably wouldn’t be anyone left alive on this reef!"

Tang Linli said breathlessly. As he grew more agitated, blood kept trickling from the corner of his mouth.

At the time, he too had been ordered to guard the Spiritual Boat. But his opponent merely let out a thunderous shout, and he lost consciousness, plummeting from the sky. Not only was his body severely injured, but even his Divine Soul had suffered considerable damage.

"Valley Master Chen, this incident occurred in Jinyun Valley’s territory! Two separate waves of Golden Core Cultivators were hiding on your Jinghai Island Reef. How do you explain this?"

After hearing the report, Chen Jiyuan, the Chief of Xingtang Hall, abruptly raised his head. He stared at Chen Che, who was seated opposite him, his tone icy.

"Chief Chen, the Primordial Sect has also planted its flag on Jinghai Island Reef, so it should be considered Primordial Sect territory. The mine is also split in two, with half belonging to your Sect. Besides, the one who made the move was a Rebel Disciple of the Primordial Sect. What does this have to do with my Jinyun Valley?"

Hearing this, Chen Che set down his teacup and retorted without a hint of politeness.

"Furthermore, as far as I know, Xingtang Hall has been hunting Xiao Chan for seven or eight years now. From his time in the Qi Refining Realm until he reached Golden Core, you’ve come up with nothing. If you ask me, shouldn’t Xingtang Hall bear the greater responsibility?"

"And when this incident occurred, I was still on my way back from Celestial Ghost Ridge. Why are you demanding an explanation from my Jinyun Valley?"

"...You!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiyuan slammed his palm on the table, shattering it as he shot to his feet in anger.

Xingtang Hall reported directly to the Sect Leader.

Not even Duobao, the Interim Sect Leader, had the authority to command them. It was no exaggeration to say that Xingtang Hall was the equivalent of the Mortal World’s "Eastern Depot"—they did as they pleased. Even a Golden Core Cultivator who entered Xingtang Hall would be flayed alive, if not killed outright.

But he never expected that when he rebuked a subordinate Golden Core, the man would refuse to back down.

"Chief Chen, when something like this happens, your first thought should be about how to handle the aftermath and remedy the situation—how to recover the missing Ore and Spiritual Boat—not about finding someone to be the scapegoat. Wouldn’t you agree?"

Chen Che spoke slowly, completely unafraid.

"Chief Chen, please calm down. I believe Valley Master Chen has a point."

Just then, Qiu Tianshui, the Chief of the Internal Affairs Hall, interjected to smooth things over. "Jinghai Island Reef is populated by Foundation Establishment Cultivators. If a Golden Core Cultivator wanted to hide, they would never be able to find him. You can’t blame anyone for that."

If you were going to find a scapegoat, you had to pick a suitable target.

It was true that Chen Che had no backer in the Sect, making him a good candidate for a scapegoat. However, he had just recently eliminated a Protector from the Star-Picking Sect, a hidden City Lord, and an Evil Cultivation Ancestor. His contributions were immense.

Yet, as a result, he had been stripped of his authority and driven out of Celestial Ghost Ridge.

Although he had obediently returned, his direct opposition to Chen Jiyuan showed that he still harbored resentment.

Forcing him to be the scapegoat now—wasn’t that just pushing him to rebel?

Seeing Chen Jiyuan calm down, Qiu Tianshui continued.

"Valley Master Chen is right. What we need to do now is thoroughly investigate the origins of these two groups of Cultivators. Although the first group was completely wiped out, they were clearly well-prepared. I suspect there’s a power supporting them from behind."

"The ore transfer was no secret; any power could have gotten involved. We must do everything we can to salvage the battlefield, search for any remaining traces, identify the first group of Cultivators, and follow the clues."

"As for the second group, the Nameless Cultivator was with Xiao Chan and concealed his strength the entire time. He only used a Magical Artifact once, and with it, he killed the Great Protector instantly. We need to investigate the entire island, asking if anyone got a clear look at the Magical Artifact he used, and use that to find a clue."

"Then, send people to search for the Spiritual Boat’s whereabouts. At the same time, spread the word and strictly prohibit any major transactions of Ore. This way, the thieves will be stuck with both the Spiritual Boat and the Ore, buying us plenty of time to search."

One had to admit, Qiu Tianshui was quite capable.

The three points he proposed all struck at the heart of the matter.

"We are facing a great enemy. We must work together and not fall into disarray! Chief Chen, Valley Master Chen, what do you two think?"

Qiu Tianshui asked in a conciliatory tone.

"I have no objection."

Chen Che gave a slight nod.

When he and Xiao Chan had piloted the Spiritual Boat past the reef, he had specifically swept the island with his Divine Sense to confirm there were no other hidden Golden Core Cultivators. The battlefield had been a hundred miles away, far beyond the visual and Divine Sense range of any Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Furthermore, Xiao Chan had collected all the Divine Souls from the battlefield. As for the Spiritual Boat and the Ore, they were both inside his Gourd.

There was simply no way for them to find anything.

Still, he had to play his part. "Jinyun Valley will fully support this matter. That boy, Xiao Chan, is utterly lawless. Now he even dares to cause trouble right under my nose. I will certainly not let him get away with it."