166: Dragonbone Ghost and the Changing World of the Outer Sea

Abyss Sea, No-Return Island.

Once a desolate and lonely island, it was now shrouded in a thick scent of blood and the glow of treasures.

"Rise!"

Zhou Wannian (Old Man Han) hovered in mid-air, his hands moving like spinning wheels as he cast one complex Artifact Refining hand Seal after another.

On the beach below, the three-hundred-zhang-long skeleton of a Rank 8 Ghost Flood Dragon was rapidly shrinking and restructuring under the calcination of purple astral fire.

This was a top-tier Artifact Refining material. The spine of a Rank 8 Yao Beast was as hard as a top-grade ancient treasure and naturally possessed both water and poison attributes.

"Fuse!"

With a wave of his wide sleeves, Zhou Wannian threw in the core power furnace of the previous "Ghost Shuttle" (Tie Zhu's spare reactor) and a large pile of rare taiyi star sand scraps.

Zizizi—

The skeleton and metal fused perfectly, and the surface was covered with a layer of scales as black as ink.

Half a day later.

A flying boat about ten zhang long, pitch-black all over and shaped like a miniature, ferocious flood dragon, floated quietly above the sea surface.

Its prow was a ferocious dragon head (refined from the Ghost Flood Dragon's skull), holding the "Thunder-Guiding Whale" horn in its mouth. It could not only cleave through waves but also release the lifebound poisonous breath the Ghost Flood Dragon had possessed in life.

[dragon bone ghost ship].

Rank: Flying ancient treasure (Top-tier).

Characteristics: Extreme Water Evasion Speed, Aura Concealment, Rank 8 Monster Awe Deterrence.

"This is just too..."

Purple Spirit looked at the flying boat, which radiated a suffocating and ferocious aura, and swallowed hard. "Isn't it too high-profile?"

"High-profile?"

Zhou Wannian landed on the deck, stroking the cold bone railing, a cold sneer playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Twenty years ago, I was timid and subservient because I was afraid of death."

"Twenty years later, I am already a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator."

"If I still lived with my tail between my legs like before, wouldn't this cultivation level have been wasted on a dog?"

Zhou Wannian flicked his sleeves. Although he looked young and handsome now, the vicissitudes and overbearing aura emanating from his eyes made people afraid to look at him directly.

"Board the ship."

"It's also time to let the people of the Chaotic Star Sea know..."

"Who the new master of this sea region is."

...The dragon bone ghost ship entered the sea like a bolt of black lightning, instantly tearing through the mist of the Abyss Sea.

Its speed was actually three times that of the previous Ghost Shuttle!

Inside the cabin.

Purple Spirit was reporting the intelligence of the outside world over the past twenty years to Zhou Wannian (collected through the secret channels of the Wonderful Sound Sect).

"Mister, the current situation is very bad."

Purple Spirit's expression was solemn. "Since the disappearance of the void heaven cauldron twenty years ago, the Reverse Star Alliance (a coalition of Zenith Yin and the Six-Link Palace) has completely dropped all pretenses and officially declared war on the Star Palace."

"Now, the entire Outer Sea has completely fallen and become the back garden of the Reverse Star Alliance."

The Star Palace's forces have fully retreated to the Inner Sea, holding their ground by relying on Tianxing City's 'Starlight Forbidden Grand Array'."

Both sides have formed a long-term standoff at the boundary between the Inner and Outer Seas—the 'Qiyuan Island' line."

"Qiyuan Island?"

Zhou Wannian raised an eyebrow. That place he had once plundered had actually become the front line?

"Yes. Qiyuan Island is now the Reverse Star Alliance's bridgehead for attacking the Inner Sea."

Purple Spirit paused and glanced at Zhou Wannian cautiously.

"And regarding the wanted poster for you, Mister..."

"The bounty has now risen to... ten million Spirit Stones."

"Furthermore, Old Ancestor Zenith Yin has put out the word that as long as someone can provide your exact location, he is willing to offer a 'Pseudo-Spirit Treasure' in exchange."

"Ten million?"

Zhou Wannian smiled, a somewhat grim smile.

"It seems my head is quite valuable."

"However, that old ghost Zenith Yin probably never dreamed that not only am I not hiding, but I'm actually about to pay a visit to his base."

Zhou Wannian looked ahead.

"Where is the nearest island with a teleportation array?"

"It's 'Black Rock Island'," Purple Spirit replied. "It was originally a Star Palace stronghold, but it has now been occupied by the Reverse Star Alliance. It's overseen by 'Master Sanyang' (Early Nascent Soul Stage), who is specifically responsible for inspecting passing Cultivators to prevent Star Palace spies from infiltrating."

"Master Sanyang?"

Zhou Wannian searched for the name in his mind. An old monster who practiced fire-attribute Cultivation Techniques; he wasn't particularly strong, but his methods were cruel, and he enjoyed refining his enemies into 'fire corpses'.

"We'll go there."

Zhou Wannian stood up, his gaze piercing through the flying boat's window to look at the distant horizon.

"We'll borrow his teleportation array."

"And while we're at it..."

"Collect some interest."

...Black Rock Island.

The once bustling port was now filled with a chilling air. A giant black skull flag hung above the island, and several Reverse Star Alliance warships patrolled the sky.

On the port square.

A group of ragged Cultivators were tied up and kneeling on the ground. Some were Loose Cultivators unwilling to submit to the Reverse Star Alliance, while others were captured outer Disciples of the Star Palace.

"Speak! Has that 'Green Robe Old Demon' contacted any of you?!"

A red-robed Reverse Star Alliance Core Formation Elder with a fleshy face was holding a flaming whip, viciously lashing an old man.

"I... I don't know... I've really never seen him..." the old man screamed, his skin torn and flesh gaping.

"You don't know? Then you're useless."

The red-robed Elder gave a sinister laugh and flicked his whip, intending to wrap it around the old man's neck and strangle him.

"Stop! You animals!"

In the crowd, a young female Cultivator shouted in grief and indignation, "The Star Palace will fight its way back sooner or later! The Sages will not let you off!"

"The Sages?"

The red-robed Elder burst into laughter as if he had heard a joke.

"Those Twin Saints of Tianxing have been hiding in their turtle shell for twenty years, afraid to show their faces. They've probably died from their cultivation by now! In the Chaotic Star Sea now, our Alliance Leader has the final say!"

"Someone! Drag this woman down and give her to the brothers for some fun!"

"Yes!"

Several hideous-looking demonic Cultivators surrounded her with lewd grins.

Despair shrouded the entire square.

Just then.

"Ang—!!!"

A deafening dragon roar came from the horizon without any warning.

Immediately following that.

The originally clear sky suddenly turned dark.

A suffocating and terrifying pressure (Rank 8 Yao Beast + Nascent Soul Stage Divine Sense) smashed down onto Black Rock Island like a great mountain.

"Plop! Plop!"

Those demonic Cultivators on the square who were only at the Foundation Establishment or Qi Refinement Stages didn't even have a chance to react before they were forced to their knees by the pressure, foaming at the mouth.

Even the Core Formation red-robed Elder felt his legs go weak, and the whip in his hand fell to the ground with a "clack."

"Wha... what's happening?! A Rank 8 Yao Beast is attacking the island?!"

The red-robed Elder looked up in terror.

He saw a massive, ferocious bone dragon flying boat emitting overwhelming black Qi, like a ghost ship from Hell, slowly hovering above the square.

On the prow.

Stood a young man dressed in green robes.

With his hands behind his back, he looked down indifferently, as if he were looking at a swarm of ants.

"Just now, who said the Twin Saints of Tianxing were dead?"

The cold voice echoed throughout the island.

The red-robed Elder trembled all over, forcing himself to shout, "Se... Senior, who are you? This is a heavy stronghold of the Reverse Star Alliance, overseen by Master Sanyang..."

"Sanyang?"

Zhou Wannian's lips curled up slightly.

"Tell him to get out here and see me."

Before his voice had even faded.

Zhou Wannian extended a finger and lightly tapped toward the group of demonic Cultivators below who were about to commit their atrocities.

"Star Thunder · Descent."

Zila—!!!

Dozens of golden lightning bolts, only as thick as a finger but refined to the extreme, descended from the sky.

Without any deviation.

Those demonic Cultivators didn't even have time to scream before they were instantly vaporized in the golden lightning, turning into a wisp of dust in the air.

Meanwhile, the bound female Cultivator was completely unharmed, and she even felt the original Restrictions on her body shattered by the lightning.

The entire scene was deathly silent.

A miraculous lightning control technique!

"Evil-Warding Divine Thunder?! You are..." The red-robed Elder's pupils shrunk as if he had remembered some terrifying legend. "You are the one on the wanted poster..."

"Boom!"

Right at that moment.

The palace in the center of the island suddenly exploded.

A streak of crimson fire shot into the sky, transforming into a red-haired old man.

Master Sanyang.

He also had a look of shock and anger on his face as he stared intently at the bone dragon flying boat in the sky.

"Which Fellow Daoist dares to act so wildly on my Black Rock Island!"

Although he spoke toughly, Master Sanyang's heart was thumping. He couldn't see through the young man's cultivation, but that ship... was it refined from the skeleton of a Rank 8 Yao Beast?!

"Act wildly?"

Zhou Wannian looked at Master Sanyang, a flash of disappointment crossing his eyes.

"Early Nascent Soul Stage... too weak."

"You don't even have the qualifications to test my sword."

Zhou Wannian shook his head.

"However, since I'm here, I'll borrow your head."

"To consecrate the flag."

Zhou Wannian flicked his sleeve.

Buzz!

There was no sword light.

Only a sudden, blurry distortion appeared in the air.

[Great Geng Sword Formation].

Seventy-two invisible and formless [star thunder bee cloud swords], which had been infused with taiyi star sand and refined with golden thunder divine wood, had already silently surrounded Master Sanyang.

"Playing tricks!"

Master Sanyang was furious and sacrificed a fiery red pearl. "Taste my 'Sanyang True Fire'!"

However.

Just as he was about to circulate his magic power.

He suddenly felt a chill on his neck.

Followed by his arms, thighs, Dantian... "Chichi chichi chi—"

Dense sounds of cutting rang out.

Under the terrified gazes of the people below.

That overbearing and insufferably arrogant Nascent Soul Stage ancestor of Black Rock Island—Master Sanyang.

His body suddenly stiffened.

Then.

Like a pile of knocked-over building blocks.

Hualā.

His entire body shattered in the air into hundreds of neat pieces of flesh.

Even the Lifebound Treasure he had just sacrificed was cut into fragments.

A rain of blood fell.

A Nascent Soul flew out in terror, clutching a Storage Pouch and screaming as it tried to teleport away.

"Freeze."

A purple light flashed at Zhou Wannian's brow.

The Nascent Soul was frozen in mid-air.

A large hand condensed from starlight appeared out of thin air, grabbing the Nascent Soul and squeezing it until it squeaked.

"Soul Search."

Zhou Wannian didn't waste any words; his massive Divine Sense pierced directly into Master Sanyang's Nascent Soul.

A moment later.

Zhou Wannian casually sealed the listless Nascent Soul and tossed it to the Star Lord Clone behind him.

"So that's how it is."

Through the Soul Search, he learned a piece of important news.

The Reverse Star Alliance was recently assembling a large army, preparing to attack the last nail on the outskirts of Tianxing City.

And that nail... was exactly what he had left behind—[Tianxing City 50th Floor · Qingyun Recycling Station] (which hadn't completely fallen because of the Formations and secret support from the Star Palace, but had instead become an isolated island).

"This kid Ling Yunxiao is quite resilient."

Zhou Wannian's gaze turned cold.

"Purple Spirit, take control of the teleportation array."

"We're going back to Tianxing City."