36: Chapter 36 The Elder Arrives, A Righteous Gang Fight

Less than half a day after the purple-gold Flying Sword left the island, the clouds above Blue Moon Island split apart.

It was as if someone had taken a giant axe and cleaved a gap straight through the sea of clouds.

Rolling waves of clouds billowed to the sides, and immediately, a massive warship, silver-blue from stem to stern and carved with the Lu family's mysterious patterns on its prow, slowly descended from the high sky.

Rows of sword cases hung on both sides of the hull, and as spiritual light flowed between them, even the sea breeze below was suppressed.

The Dao soldiers, Mortals, and Workshop laborers patrolling Blue Moon Island all looked up almost simultaneously.

Some even forgot to put down the tools in their hands, staring blankly at the behemoth.

The main branch's spirit boat.

And it was heavier, faster, and more unreasonable than when Young Master Lu Qingshan had brought the Zixiao Sword Guards to hold the line last time.

Before the spirit boat had even landed, over twenty sword beams flashed down from the edge of the ship's rail, landing steadily in front of Qingyuan Terrace.

The leader, clad in moon-white light armor with sword-like eyebrows and cold eyes, was none other than Young Master Lu Qingshan, who had left the island not long ago.

Yet this time, he was clearly no longer the most eye-catching person on the scene.

Because standing behind him was an old man wearing a deep cyan robe with wide sleeves.

The old man was not tall, his hair and beard were half-white, and he held a palm-sized ancient bronze seal casually in his hand, looking like a wealthy old man who was too lazy to go out but had been forced to come.

Yet, the moment he stood by the edge of Qingyuan Terrace, the surrounding air seemed to be gently pressed down by an invisible giant hand.

Even the spiritual tides on the sea surface sank, as if they dared not churn at his feet.

Su Qingli only took one look, her expression changed slightly, and she lowered her voice: "False Core."

Lu Hu instinctively clenched his fists, then released them.

Such a figure existed only in rumors in a place like Blue Moon Island.

Lu Changyuan, however, had already stepped forward first, bowing respectfully: "Grand-nephew Lu Changyuan greets the Seventh Elder."

The old man squinted at him for two breaths, then suddenly grinned: "You are Changyuan?"

"When Qingshan returned to the main branch a few days ago, he rarely praised anyone. Yet, only half a day later, your purple-gold Flying Sword chased into the clan treasury, demanding that I come to the Outer Sea to smash the field for you."

"You have quite a lot of nerve."

These words were not harsh; instead, they carried a casualness typical of a powerful clan—and a protectiveness.

Lu Changyuan lowered his hands and said: "If your grand-nephew didn't have confidence, I wouldn't dare disturb the Elder."

"Bullshit," the Seventh Elder laughed, shaking the bronze seal forward, "If you were really the type who only spoke up when you had absolute certainty, you wouldn't have risen so quickly in this godforsaken place."

After laughing, his gaze swept across Blue Moon Island's training grounds, city walls, Outer Port, and the Purple Lightning Sea Cavalry currently lining up for a test charge in the shallow bay, and there was clearly a bit more genuine satisfaction in his eyes.

"Not bad."

"A concubine's son of the clan head, able to build such a foundation in the Outer Sea in a few months—that's enough to make it worth my trip."

Young Master Lu Qingshan, standing to the side, also added calmly: "Where is the location of the Cold Iron Ore?"

Clearly, the main branch had come in a hurry, and they had come directly.

No one intended to reason slowly with the sea demons.

Soon, the group entered the secret chamber of the Lords Mansion.

The sea chart was spread out, and the coordinates of the deep-sea trench to the east, the currents, the patrol paths of the sea demons, and the distribution of the Cold Iron Ore veins were all marked on the table.

Leng Feng recounted everything he had seen during his reconnaissance. Young Master Lu Qingshan listened without speaking, while the Seventh Elder listened while tapping the bronze seal, as if gauging which part would be most convenient to smash.

When he heard that a "Late Foundation Establishment Stage Giant Abyss Demon General was sleeping coiled around the Ore," the Seventh Elder finally clicked his tongue lightly.

"A Late Foundation Establishment Stage trench crawler actually dares to sleep on an Ore vein that my Lu family's junior has set his sights on."

"It really knows how to pick a place to die."

If anyone else had said this, it would sound like bragging.

But coming from the mouth of a False Core Cultivator, it was nothing but an unreasonable arrogance.

Lu Hu, listening from the side, felt his chest heating up.

A message was sent, the Elder arrived, and with a harder fist, he flattened the path. Such a thing was unimaginable for Loose Cultivators and small clans in the Outer Sea.

Yet Lu Changyuan did not relax because of this; instead, he pushed another wooden box onto the table.

The wooden box was opened, and inside were several items recovered from the borders of the Outer Sea and old battlefields over the past few days: Blood Shark Pirates' barbed darts, fragmented Explosive Talismans, blood-stained black flag fragments, and some chaotic traces left behind after the Merfolk had clashed with the Outer Sea pirates.

The Seventh Elder glanced at it and raised an eyebrow: "What is this for?"

Lu Changyuan said calmly: "Killing the sea demons is not difficult. What is difficult is ensuring that after killing them, this sea area doesn't immediately target Blue Moon Island."

"On the Merfolk side, I have already stirred the flames once using the Blood Shark Pirates' tokens. If we leave sufficiently convincing traces at the Cold Iron Ore vein this time, the attention of the Outer Sea will continue to shift toward the Blood Shark Pirates."

"Sea demons, Merfolk, and Blood Shark Pirates—these three forces already dislike each other. What we need to do is make them suspect and bite each other in the shortest possible time."

The secret chamber was silent for a moment.

Young Master Lu Qingshan was the first to understand, a faint smile flashing in his eyes: "First, borrow the Merfolk's anger to drag the Blood Shark Pirates into the chaos; then, use the account of the Cold Iron Ore vein to pin it on the Blood Shark Pirates as well. In this way, Blue Moon Island can continue to process the Ore amidst the chaos."

"Exactly," Lu Changyuan said, "And this time, just dropping a few tokens won't be enough. The scene must look like a sufficiently strong main force of the Blood Shark Pirates pulled off this job."

Hearing this, the Seventh Elder suddenly slapped the table and laughed.

"Good!"

"Your cultivation might not be the most ruthless, but your heart is dark enough, and you understand that darkness well."

"When our Lu family does things in the Outer Sea, we don't fear you being ruthless; we fear you being ruthless but unable to clean up the mess. This method of yours—smashing people first, framing them, and finally letting them tear each other apart—is quite interesting."

He stopped laughing, and his gaze became sharper.

"Then let's not drag it out."

"I will take care of the first blow and press that whatever Giant Abyss Demon General and its group of small fry to death."

"Qingshan, you take the Zixiao Sword Guards to cut off the perimeter; focus on killing those that can run and send messages."

"As for you, Changyuan,"

The Seventh Elder pointed at Lu Changyuan with the bronze seal in his hand, "You take your people and follow behind, responsible for identifying the Ore, collecting the Ore, and leaving traces. Since it's something you've set your sights on, finish it off with your black-on-black method."

"Yes," Lu Changyuan answered very steadily.

Once the plan was set, there was no more unnecessary talk in the secret chamber.

An hour later, the main branch's spirit boat had ascended into the sky again.

This time, not many people from Blue Moon Island went along. Except for Lu Changyuan, Leng Feng, Su Qingli, Lu Hu, and a batch of the most elite Ore-collecting Dao soldiers, everyone else remained behind. Because everyone knew that the ones truly responsible for fighting this time were the main branch's people who could directly smash the trench flat.

The spirit boat traveled through the clouds, its speed so fast that the clouds of the Outer Sea retreated in layers.

As they approached the target sea area, the Seventh Elder finally put away his lazy demeanor, shook his sleeves, and his entire Aura sank heavily. He held the ancient bronze seal in his palm; although its spiritual light was not fully unleashed, it had already caused the surrounding cabin walls to emit a very slight trembling sound.

"After arriving at the destination, keep quiet."

"Go down first and pin it down."

"Today's job is all about being fast, ruthless, and clean."

Young Master Lu Qingshan had already unslung the long sword from his back, and the twenty-plus Zixiao Sword Guards rose in unison, their eyes as cold as a row of blades waiting to drink blood.

Lu Changyuan also took this moment to emphasize the final division of labor one last time.

"I will take Blue Moon Island's people and follow in the third line, doing only three things."

"Identify the Ore, collect the Ore, and leave traces."

"If the Giant Abyss Demon General is not completely dead, if there are sea demons not cleared out, or if the battle is still ongoing, no one is allowed to rush forward to show off. In today's battle, we are going to pick up the meat that has fallen to the ground, not to compete with the main branch on who can fight better."

Lu Hu, who had originally felt his chest heating up from the Killing Intent of the Seventh Elder and the sword guards, immediately suppressed that restless urge upon hearing these words.

When it was time to risk one's life, the Young Lord would force people into the waves; but when an Elder truly stepped in to pave the way, he would not let his subordinates die inexplicably in a place they shouldn't die just to snatch a bit of empty fame.

Su Qingli checked the pre-prepared empty Storage Pouches, Ore-sealing talismans, and the Blood Shark Pirates' remnants again, having already calculated how much talisman ash to sprinkle, which crevice to throw the tattered flags into, and in what direction the Explosive Talismans should detonate. She knew very well that the Seventh Elder and Young Master Lu Qingshan's group were the ones truly responsible for the bombardment, but if the aftermath wasn't convincing enough, half the value of tonight's surprise attack would be wasted.

And further below, the deep-sea trench, like a pitch-black crack, was slowly opening up on the coordinates of the sea chart.

The spirit boat hid its main light, sliding silently across the sea surface, hugging the shadows of the clouds.

Dozens of main branch elites and the Blue Moon Island Ore-collecting team, led by the Seventh Elder, then lunged silently toward the deep-sea trench like a pack of hungry wolves that had truly caught the scent of blood.