241: Chapter 241 Deep into the Outer Sea! A Newly Advanced Transformed Great Demon!

Silver Shark Island, Outer Star Sea.

The salty, wild sea breeze whistled across the cliffs at the edge of the island, bringing with it the fishy scent of the deep sea and faint roars of beasts.

The sky here appeared higher and more distant, the seawater deeper and more azure. Occasionally, huge black shadows could be seen swimming beneath the distant sea surface, emitting heart-palpitating auras.

Compared to the Inner Star Sea, the Outer Star Sea was more vast and desolate, hiding more unknowns and dangers.

Lu Qiu stepped out from the light of the teleportation Formation, his gaze sweeping calmly over this island, which served as an important stronghold in the Outer Star Sea.

He did not linger in the island's marketplace, nor did he enter any shops. After identifying his direction, he directly steered an inconspicuous cyan escape light and sped off towards the north of the vast ocean.

According to his vague memory of the original story, Biling Island was located roughly north of Silver Shark Island, in a very remote deep-sea area far from regular shipping routes.

The distance was staggering, so far that even a Core Formation Cultivator would need to fly continuously for months without rest to possibly reach the edge of that sea area.

Even Han Li, in the original story, only managed to find the island after two full months of travel, relying on the astonishing flight speed of the Nascent Soul Stage.

This was the main reason why Lu Qiu had never rashly come to explore it while at the Core Formation Stage, despite having vague memories.

Firstly, the journey was too long, time-consuming, and full of variables.

Secondly, north of Silver Shark Island lay a vast, unexplored sea area that extended infinitely in a cone shape.

Its area was astonishingly large, almost equivalent to half of the Inner Star Sea.

Without exact coordinates, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

More importantly, this unknown deep sea hid countless powerful Yao Beasts, including terrifying entities comparable to Core Formation or even Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators.

Venturing deep into this place could very likely lead to encounters with packs of fierce sea beasts, or even, if one were "lucky" enough, to run into those Yao Race powerhouses who had already opened their spiritual wisdom and could take human form—Shape-Shifting Great Yao!

Those were terrifying existences at least equivalent to Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators. Some with strong Bloodlines and extraordinary talents had strength even surpassing ordinary Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators.

Without sufficient self-preservation ability, rashly venturing into such a dangerous place for a vague clue was no different from courting death.

"With my current cultivation base, venturing deep into the Outer Star Sea should be relatively safe!"

Lu Qiu's heart settled, his green robes fluttering in the gale caused by his high-speed flight.

His Nascent Soul Stage cultivation base granted him vast magic power far exceeding the Core Formation Stage, faster flight speed, and stronger confidence in dealing with sudden crises.

More importantly, his powerful Divine Sense, comparable to a Late Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator, was now like an all-around early warning radar, covering the sea area for over three hundred miles.

Any powerful life aura or violent Spiritual Qi fluctuation could hardly escape his perception, enough to let him avoid many unnecessary troubles and dangers in advance.

Even if his luck was truly bad and he encountered a Shape-Shifting Great Yao, with his many means—the complete Nine Nether Universe Array, Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman, eight-gate golden light mirror, chixiao thunder fire pearl, and the newly refined Yin Demon Slash, plus his Divine Sense comparable to a Late Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator and the Spirit Shocking Thorn.

Even if he couldn't win, escaping safely shouldn't be a problem.

If the opponent was just a newly ascended Eighth-level Demonic Beast, he even had the confidence, relying on his many trump cards, to attempt to kill them!

After all, although Yao Beasts had strong Physical Bodies and powerful innate Divine Abilities, they were often inferior to human Cultivators of the same rank in terms of Magic Treasure, Formations, and especially Divine Sense attacks and intricate calculations.

Thinking of this, the last bit of worry in Lu Qiu's heart dissipated.

His escape light suddenly accelerated, turning into a cyan line that was almost impossible to see, cutting through the sky and shooting towards the deep blue sea area in the north full of unknowns and opportunities, his figure soon disappearing at the intersection of the vast sea and sky.

...

Time passed quietly amidst the monotonous flight and the vast seascape.

Lu Qiu maintained a steady speed, flying while spreading his Divine Sense to its maximum range, both as a warning and to pay attention to the terrain and Spiritual Qi distribution of the islands in the sea below, trying to connect them with the sporadic descriptions of the environment near Biling Island in his memory.

After flying like this for about half a month.

This day, when Lu Qiu passed over a seemingly unremarkable island group composed of dozens of small reef islands, his powerful Divine Sense suddenly sensed, about two hundred miles ahead, on a larger deserted island, several strong auras of human Cultivators gathered.

"Oh?" Lu Qiu's heart stirred, and his escape light slowed down slightly.

In such a remote place deep in the Outer Star Sea, it was rare to encounter several Cultivators gathering at once.

He concentrated his Divine Sense and scanned quietly.

Five auras were clearly reflected in his perception. Three Late Stage Core Formation Cultivators, two Middle Stage Core Formation Cultivators!

Moreover, these five people had steady auras and pure spiritual power; they were clearly not mediocre. They were currently gathered near a natural stone cave on the leeward side of the deserted island, seemingly discussing something, with faint fluctuations of a magic Restriction isolating their voices.

Lu Qiu's eyes narrowed slightly.

The combined strength of five Middle and Late Stage Core Formation Cultivators was already a force not to be underestimated in this Outer Star Sea, enough to hunt many powerful Seventh-level Demonic Beasts.

Their gathering here certainly meant they were plotting something big.

His thoughts turned rapidly, and he instantly had a plan.

After leaving Tianxing City and venturing deep into the Outer Star Sea, he had habitually suppressed his own aura to the Middle Stage Core Formation level, which would neither be overly conspicuous nor cause unnecessary trouble.

At this moment, it was just right to use this.

He adjusted the direction and speed of his escape light, pretending to be a passing Core Formation Loose Cultivator, and flew unhurriedly towards the deserted island, without deliberately hiding his figure.

Soon, his figure entered the line of sight of the five Core Formation Cultivators.

The five people outside the stone cave on the deserted island sensed him almost at the same time, looking up one after another, their gazes sharp as they looked in the direction where Lu Qiu was flying, their eyes filled with vigilance and scrutiny.

When they discovered that the person coming was only a "Middle Stage Core Formation" Cultivator and was alone, their vigilance lessened slightly, but their confusion and curiosity grew stronger.

Lu Qiu pressed down his escape light when he was still dozens of feet away from the deserted island, landing on a reef, and similarly "cautiously" sized up the five people at the cave entrance.

"This Fellow Daoist, you look very unfamiliar. Why are you wandering alone in this deep sea?"

Among the five, a burly man with a rough face, wearing a short jacket exposing his bronze arms, spoke first. His voice was like a booming bell, his gaze sweeping over Lu Qiu, with undisguised surprise in his eyes: "Is your companion nearby? This place is not safe; traveling alone is too risky."

"This Lu is used to being alone and has no companions." Lu Qiu shook his head, his voice calm, looking at the other party frankly.

As soon as these words came out, the expressions of those five Core Formation Cultivators changed.

Some had undisguised contempt and disdain in their eyes, as if looking at a reckless young man who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.

A mere Middle Stage Core Formation Cultivator dared to venture alone into this dangerous Outer Star Sea to hunt Yao Beasts?

Simply courting death!

Others raised their eyebrows, with a bit more contemplation and assessment in their eyes.

Daring to venture this deep alone with a Middle Stage Core Formation cultivation base meant either having something to rely on or truly having some extraordinary ability; perhaps they could not be judged by common sense.

At this time, a Late Stage Core Formation Cultivator among the five, wearing simple and elegant green robes, with a refined face and a steady temperament, stepped forward, a kind smile on his face, and cupped his hands: "Fellow Daoist, to come here alone, you have great courage. This Lin Kun, these few are all Fellow Daoists I have known for many years. May I ask how to address you, Fellow Daoist? Since you are traveling alone, I wonder if you are interested in joining us for a 'big deal'?"

"Lu Qiu."

Lu Qiu gave his real name; in any case, the name "Lu Qiu" was not famous in the Chaotic Star Sea.

He revealed a hint of doubt and vigilance on his face just right: "A big deal? I wonder what kind of deal Fellow Daoist Lin is talking about? With my meager cultivation base, I am afraid it is difficult to catch the eyes of you all."

Lin Kun laughed, seemingly feeling that Lu Qiu was quite "sensible," and explained: "Fellow Daoist Lu, you have misunderstood. It is not to ask you to fight head-on. In fact, this 'deal' is a Yao Beast hunting operation personally organized by a Nascent Soul Stage Senior Nangong, targeting an Eighth-level Demonic Beast that has just successfully Undergoing Tribulation, just advanced to shape-shifting, and whose Realm is not yet stable!"

Nascent Soul Cultivator! Shape-Shifting Great Yao!

Lu Qiu's heart stirred, but on the surface, he showed just the right amount of shock and disbelief: "Nascent Soul Senior? Hunting a Shape-Shifting Great Yao? Fellow Daoist Lin, are you not joking? Just based on us... and that Senior?"

"Fellow Daoist Lu, do not panic." Lin Kun waved his hand and continued to explain, "Although that Yao Beast has advanced to shape-shifting, it seems to have suffered serious injuries during Undergoing Tribulation, and it has just taken human form, which is the weakest period when it needs to stabilize its Realm, so its strength is greatly reduced."

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Senior Nangong already has a comprehensive plan. When the time comes, we only need to follow Senior's arrangements, set up a Formation on the periphery to assist, block any other Yao Beasts that might interfere, or deliver a finishing blow at the critical moment.

Once successful, Senior Nangong has promised that all participants will receive substantial rewards, and Yao Beast Materials will be distributed as appropriate. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

He paused, seemingly trying to add persuasiveness, and lowered his voice: "The hunting location is three... to the east..."

"Brother Lin!"

Before he could finish, a sinister-looking Late Core Formation Stage Cultivator nearby, who hadn't spoken much, suddenly coughed heavily, gave him a stern look, and interrupted him.

The man swept a cold gaze over Lu Qiu, then turned to Lin Kun, his tone carrying clear dissatisfaction and warning: "Brother Lin, this Fellow Daoist Lu has not yet agreed to join. How can the hunting location and core plan be so easily told to an outsider? If word gets out and startles the Yao Beast, or leads to other complications, how will we explain it to Senior Nangong?"

Being interrupted by his companion, a flash of embarrassment and displeasure crossed Lin Kun's face, but he also seemed to realize he had said too much. He gave a sheepish smile and stopped talking, though the gaze he directed at Lu Qiu held a bit more expectation, seemingly hoping he would agree immediately.

Lu Qiu saw all of this and sneered in his heart.

These people seemed to be inviting him, but they were actually very guarded. The so-called "Senior Nangong" and the plan to hunt a Transformed Great Yao sounded enticing, but the dangers and variables involved likely far exceeded what they claimed.

For a Middle Core Formation Stage Loose Cultivator of "unknown origin" like himself to rashly join an operation led by a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator targeting a Transformed Great Yao was extremely risky. One careless move could turn him into cannon fodder.

On the surface, however, he showed an apologetic expression and cupped his hands: "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lin and everyone, for thinking so highly of me. However, my strength is meager, and I have other important matters on this trip. Furthermore, I am used to traveling alone and do not like coordinating with others; I fear I would only be a burden. I appreciate the kind offer, but as for this 'big business,' I'll pass on the excitement. Fellow Daoists, I shall take my leave here. I wish you all success!"

With that, he gave Lin Kun and the others no further chance to persuade him. He turned and took to his escape light, flying away toward the direction opposite the deserted island without a hint of lingering, as if he truly were just a cautious and timid lone Loose Cultivator passing by.

"Humph, how ungrateful! A total waste of Brother Lin's breath!" The sinister-looking Cultivator snorted coldly as he watched the direction Lu Qiu vanished in.

"Forget it, everyone has their own path. Without him, the plan proceeds as usual. Let's hurry to meet Senior Nangong, lest we miss the hour." Another person urged.

The five of them delayed no longer, each taking to their escape light and speeding toward the east, soon disappearing from view as well.

...

However, they did not know that after flying several hundred miles and confirming he was out of the range of their Divine Sense, Lu Qiu quietly made a massive arc. Relying on an escape speed and powerful Divine Sense that far surpassed a Core Formation Cultivator, he followed far behind the five.

"East, three... is it three hundred miles? Three thousand miles? Or thirty thousand miles?" Lu Qiu pondered as he followed from a distance.

Thirty thousand miles was too far for an operation organized by Core Formation Cultivators; it wasn't very likely.

Three hundred miles seemed too close.

The most likely distance was around three thousand miles.

This distance would require some flight time for Core Formation Cultivators, but it wouldn't delay the plan too much, and it was sufficiently hidden.

He didn't approach immediately but kept a safe distance, his Divine Sense locking onto the five escape lights from afar. Sure enough, the direction the five were flying was exactly East-Northeast.

After following for about an hour, the five's escape lights began to lower in altitude and slow down, eventually descending toward an area on the sea that appeared to be empty.

Lu Qiu's heart tightened, and he immediately withdrew his aura to the extreme, circulating the Myriad Transformations Hidden Origin Art with all his might. At the same time, he expanded the range of his Divine Sense to carefully sense that area.

Soon, he discovered a clue.

About a hundred zhang deep beneath that seemingly calm sea surface, there was an extremely subtle disharmony in the movement of the water and the distribution of Spiritual Qi. It seemed there was some clever hidden Formation or natural environment masking the true situation inside.

Had his Divine Sense not been strong enough and had he not been searching specifically, it would have been extremely difficult to discover.

"As expected, there's something strange. That 'Senior Nangong' must be in that hidden place." Lu Qiu understood. He didn't risk approaching the underwater area but instead looked toward the sea further east.

"Three hundred miles..." He first flew about three hundred miles due east, his Divine Sense carefully scanning the sea and sky, but he found nothing unusual, nor did he sense any strong Yao Beast aura or violent Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

"It seems it's not three hundred miles." Lu Qiu turned and sped toward the East-Northeast once more.

This time, he estimated the distance, and when he was about three thousand miles away from the hidden point, the outline of an island gradually emerged on the horizon ahead.

The island didn't look large, about four to five hundred miles in circumference. It was mostly exposed grey-black rock with sparse vegetation, only some low, salt-tolerant shrubs. The terrain was undulating, with many steep cliffs and deep gullies, appearing desolate and complex.

Lu Qiu immediately slowed down, withdrawing his aura until it was almost non-existent. He pushed the Myriad Transformations Hidden Origin Art to its limit, and his entire being seemed to turn into a wisp of clear breeze, blending into the surrounding environment.

He didn't choose to fly directly to the island from the sky, as that would make him too obvious a target.

He first circled the island from a distance at high altitude, observing its general terrain and Spiritual Qi distribution.

Then, he silently lowered his altitude, staying close to the sea surface, and finally plunged into the cold seawater.

After entering the water, he performed a Water Escape Technique, his figure moving like a fish close to the uneven seabed. Using the cover of reefs and seaweed, he silently approached the deserted island.

Although the seawater hindered his Divine Sense to some extent, it had limited impact before his powerful Nascent Soul Late Stage Divine Sense, enough for him to avoid some potential dangerous creatures on the seabed.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lu Qiu quietly landed on a rocky beach on the leeward side of the island.

He didn't go deep immediately but lurked in the shadow of a massive reef, extending his Divine Sense like the finest spider silk, extremely carefully, to investigate the situation on the island.

A moment later, his expression shifted slightly. In his Divine Sense, a golden escape light was flying toward the island from the southeast at extreme speed, staying close to the sea surface.

The flight path of that escape light was erratic, sometimes high and sometimes low; it was clearly also deliberately hiding its tracks to avoid drawing attention.

The golden escape light was extremely fast, arriving over the deserted island in an instant. After a slight circle, it plummeted like a swallow returning to its nest, accurately landing in a hidden mountain stream surrounded by several steep stone peaks in the center of the island.

Lu Qiu's heart settled; the target had appeared.

He hesitated no longer, his figure moving like a phantom through the jagged rocks and low shrubs. Every movement was silent as he fully utilized the terrain for cover, slowly approaching that mountain stream.

Under the full operation of the Myriad Transformations Hidden Origin Art, not only was his aura perfectly concealed, but even his figure seemed to blend with the colors of the environment. Unless one stared intently with the naked eye, it was almost impossible to notice him.

Finally, he crept to a stone crevice about a hundred zhang from the entrance of the mountain stream. This distance was within the clear perception of his Divine Sense, yet not so close that he would be easily discovered by a Cultivator of the same level.

He held his breath and focused, reducing his life force to its lowest point, like a lifeless rock. His Divine Sense carefully probed into the depths of the mountain stream.

Inside the mountain stream, there were jagged rocks, and in the middle was a small, deep spring.

Beside the pool stood an elderly Taoist with an immortal air and a long, flowing beard. His face was lean and refined, and a faint glint appeared in his eyes as they opened and closed. He wore a purple-gold Daoist crown and a magnificent golden Daoist robe embroidered with the Eight Trigrams. On his back was an ancient-styled sheathed longsword, and in his hand, he held a silver-silk fly-whisk.

Although his aura was deliberately withdrawn, the thick Spiritual Pressure unique to a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, which faintly resonated with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, could not be hidden.

"This person must be the 'Senior Nangong' those Core Formation Cultivators spoke of," Lu Qiu thought to himself, hiding even more carefully.

Fortunately, his Divine Sense strength far surpassed the other's, having reached the Nascent Soul Late Stage. Combined with the Myriad Transformations Hidden Origin Art, that Nascent Soul Early Stage "Daoist Nangong" clearly hadn't noticed that in this secluded spot on the deserted island, another Nascent Soul Cultivator was actually lurking, quietly watching his every move.