螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后 (the Mantis Stalks The Cicada, Unaware Of The Oriole Behind.)
“I didn’t expect that even this Nascent Soul Ninth Level Bat Cave Master wouldn’t be your opponent.
“Xie Fei, what kind of Opportunity did you obtain?”
Although Xie Fei did not reveal too much of his true combat strength, as Empress, what kind of eyesight did Zhou Hongxian possess?
After going to sea and observing the remaining auras, she immediately understood that the Bat Cave Master did not gain any advantage from Xie Fei.
Therefore, after discovering this, Zhou Hongxian’s gaze towards Xie Fei carried a kind of uncertainty.
She almost suspected that her Dao Companion from her previous life had been possessed by some Great Expert in this life.
“It was just fortunate.”
Xie Fei didn’t dwell on this question too much, turning to ask, “How are your injuries?”
Zhou Hongxian waved her hand, unconcerned, saying, “It’s fine. Although the Bat Cave Master was fast, I have a Protective Secret Method, and I wasn’t injured much.
“I cultivate a Five Elements Secret Method, which can borrow the East Sea’s water power to continuously recover.
“A mere Nascent Soul Ninth Level cultivator is not enough to injure me immediately.”
“Okay.”
Xie Fei didn’t have the mind to investigate her Profound Skill, turning his gaze to the sea surface, continuing, “The commotion just now was too great. I’m afraid it has already attracted Experts or powerful Demon Beasts to spy. It’s best to leave as soon as possible.”
Zhou Hongxian nodded in agreement, “Right, quickly deal with that poisonous jade turtle!”
Xie Fei’s thought moved, Sword Qi transformed into threads, lifting the poisonous jade turtle that had sunk into the sea.
The poisonous jade turtle’s aura was weak; after its transformation failed, its vitality was fading, and it had no power to resist.
Zhou Hongxian did not hesitate, pinching hand seals, activating a Crimson Flash of Inspiration, traversing the ancient patterns on the turtle shell.
The spiritual light was like a blade, cutting precisely.
After a moment.
The huge turtle shell was completely peeled off, revealing the muscles inside that glowed with a faint light.
The turtle shell was a hundred zhang in size, overly huge.
Zhou Hongxian frowned, took out a Spirit Artifact short blade, divided it into seven or eight pieces, and barely stored them in her Storage Ring.
She said with satisfaction, “The shell of this poisonous jade turtle is incredibly tough. After it’s refined into a Defensive Magical Treasure, it will not only have both offensive and defensive effects but can also release poison gas to kill opponents!”
Xie Fei waved his hand, and all the remaining body, Poison Sacs, etc., of the poisonous jade turtle were put into the System Space.
The System Space is a world of its own, capable of containing all things, far surpassing ordinary Storage Magical Artifacts.
Zhou Hongxian originally didn’t notice anything unusual. After she finished dealing with the turtle shell, she suddenly realized it and exclaimed, “Xie Fei, what kind of Storage Magical Artifact is this…
“It can actually hold the entire poisonous jade turtle?!”
She widened her eyes, full of disbelief.
The poisonous jade turtle was as large as a hill; she could only split the shell to barely store it.
Yet Xie Fei casually stored everything, not even missing the Poison Sacs and flesh.
Such a vast spatial artifact is extremely rare even in the Exquisite Holy Land which possesses Space Stone Mines!
“A minor fortuitous encounter, a minor fortuitous encounter.” Xie Fei replied with a smile.
Zhou Hongxian stared at him, a flash of understanding in her eyes, sighing, “Your Opportunity is not small!
“I have seen too much slaughter caused by opportunities, unending feuds, even affecting friends and family.
“You hid your cultivation very well before.
“Don’t worry, I will absolutely not leak this matter.”
“That would be best.” Xie Fei clasped his hands, a trace of admiration flashing in his eyes.
Zhou Hongxian’s discretion and caution impressed him.
He then asked, “How much do you know about the situation in the East Sea?”
Zhou Hongxian pondered for a moment, shaking her head, “What I know might no longer be applicable.
“But overall, it’s a place where dragons and tigers lie hidden, with countless Experts and powers.
“Like that Bat Cave Master, with Nascent Soul Ninth Level cultivation and possessing Bloodline Abilities, he can only be considered a second-rate character in the East Sea.
“The truly top-tier existences reside deep in the seabed or secret realms, and even Transformation Cultivators do not dare to provoke them easily.”
Xie Fei pondered, his gaze turning cold, “The Bat Cave Master has Strange Treasures and special abilities; the threat is not small.
“Since we have already formed a grudge, we cannot spare his life.”
“You want to hunt him down?” Zhou Hongxian turned her head, a flash of surprise in her eyes, “Do you know the location of the Bat Cave?”
Xie Fei’s lips curved into a slight smile, calmly saying, “When I fought him, I left a strand of Sword Intent on him, enough to track his movements.”
He had been prepared; when he trapped his enemy with his Sword Realm, he secretly attached a strand of invisible Sword Qi to the Bat Cave Master’s body.
This Sword Intent was extremely hidden; unless it was a Transformation Cultivator, it would be difficult to detect.
As for the Cave Master’s claim of “a thousand li to the east,” Xie Fei didn’t believe it at all.
The East Sea’s space-time was chaotic, with space-time rifts and nodes everywhere.
If one blindly trusts the other party’s guidance, one might very well fall into danger, facing a nine-death-one-life situation.
In the East Sea, this is what every cultivator fears the most.
“Oh? Since you can track the Bat Cave Master, then what are we waiting for?
“Let’s go!”
A flash of killing intent crossed Zhou Hongxian’s eyes as she said decisively.
She acted decisively and was not a merciful person.
Knowing that Xie Fei had the means to lock onto the Bat Cave Master, she immediately urged him to pursue and kill him.
Xie Fei nodded slightly, closing his eyes to sense the guidance of the Sword Intent within his body.
That strand of Sword Intent was hidden and invisible, already integrated into the Bat Cave Master’s body, becoming an invisible mark, guiding his location.
After sensing for a moment, he opened his eyes and said, “Southwest, about seven or eight thousand li away.”
The two did not delay any longer, urging the small boat, and sped towards the direction indicated by the Sword Intent, breaking through the waves.
…
The East Sea was vast.
A journey of seven or eight thousand li, even with Xie Fei and Zhou Hongxian’s strength, it still took a considerable amount of time to sail the small boat.
The sun was setting, and the sea surface was dyed a layer of golden red.
Then night fell, the stars were all over the sky, making the sea surface look like a reversed Milky Way, shimmering with light, beautiful beyond words.
The small boat stopped in front of a small island with jagged rocks.
The island was not large, desolate and lonely, covered with rugged rocks.
These strange rocks looked like crouching demon beasts, barren and devoid of any vegetation.
Xie Fei leaped ashore, his gaze sweeping across the rippling sea surface, sighing, “With such brilliant starlight, if we were to brew wine and enjoy tea, it wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
Zhou Hongxian put away the small boat, jumped onto the island, and said with a playful tone, “When did you become so sentimental?
“According to the rules, it’s most appropriate to kill people at night!
“No matter how good the scenery is, we have to do the important thing first!”
Xie Fei chuckled, shaking his head, “You’re right.
“The Bat Cave Master is on the island, let’s go!”
The two suppressed their auras, cautiously stepping into the depths of the island.
To avoid alarming the enemy, they did not fly, and did not even release their Spiritual Sense.
They only protected themselves to prevent any accidents or surprise attacks from Experts.
In the cultivator world, wantonly releasing one’s Spiritual Sense to perceive is a taboo.
Unless there is no other choice or one’s strength overwhelmingly surpasses the other, no one would do this.
Because doing this is very easy to cause misunderstandings, making others think that one is spying on them.
In most cases, this will lead to conflict and a fight.
Xie Fei, relying on the guidance of the Sword Intent, led Zhou Hongxian through the pile of rocks, proceeding step by step.
Just as the two entered the island.
Not long after.
Several streaks of escaping light suddenly appeared in the sky.
These streaks of light broke through the night and quickly landed on the other side of the island.
After the light dissipated.
Four or five figures were revealed.
They were all wearing uniform clothing.
Upon closer inspection, they were clearly disciples of the Exquisite Holy Land!
The two leading figures, one male and one female, had profound auras, both at the Nascent Soul Seventh Level.
Judging from their attire, they were clearly Holy Land Elders.
The other three were at the Golden Core Eighth or Ninth Level, with extraordinary demeanor, and were true inheritors of the Holy Land.
One young disciple respectfully said, “Master, Mistress, is the Bat Cave really in this desolate place?”
Another disciple frowned, “Master, it is rumored that the Bat Cave Master is at the Nascent Soul Ninth Level Peak, and his Bloodline Abilities are strange.
“If we don’t make thorough preparations, I’m afraid it will be difficult to kill him.”
The Male Elder’s gaze was gloomy, saying in a deep voice, “With your strength, you are naturally not the Bat Cave Master’s opponent.
“But there is no need to worry, your Master and I will personally take action.
“This person has been rampant in the East Sea, with a notorious reputation. After killing him, you will definitely be able to rank among the top ten true inheritors in the Exquisite Holy Land based on this achievement.”
The Female Elder nodded, her tone cold, “The Holy Land is about to restart the Holy Son and Holy Daughter plan. If you can become one of the top ten true inheritors, you will have the qualifications to compete for the position of Holy Son in the future.
“The treatment and opportunities for the Holy Son and Holy Daughter need not be elaborated upon. I believe you have all heard of them.”
She paused, her gaze sweeping across the island, and continued, “The Bat Cave Master is extremely cunning and not easily dealt with.
“When I came, I had already spread the news, saying that the Bat Cave contains a large amount of night-shining sand, attracting many East Sea Rogue Cultivators.
“Night-shining sand is a treasure for Pill Refinement, enough to attract those greedy people.
“To be safe, we will first let these Rogue Cultivators fight the Bat Cave Master to the point of mutual exhaustion, and then we can make our move.”
The Male Elder stroked his beard and nodded, “My wife has considered it thoroughly.
“The Bat Cave Master is extremely cunning, and many people in the East Sea want to eliminate him and obtain the night-shining sand from the Bat Cave for Pill Refinement.
“But they don’t know the location of this Bat Island.
“Now that my wife has told them about this Bat Island, Experts will naturally appear soon!”
Just as they were speaking.
Several Spiritual Power fluctuations suddenly appeared in the starry sky, breaking through the air and arriving.
The few from the Exquisite Holy Land quickly used Secret Methods to conceal their figures, their auras fading into nothingness.
The next moment.
A group of cultivators with powerful auras descended on the island, about ten or so.
Among these Experts, one was particularly eye-catching.
It was a solitary Sword Cultivator carrying a long sword.
His Sword Intent soared into the sky, unparalleled in sharpness.
Even just a glance made one feel as if their soul was subtly pierced.
…
At the same time.
Xie Fei and Zhou Hongxian continued to shuttle through the pile of rocks.
“This Bat Cave is actually hidden so deeply?
“And these strange rocks, they should have been adjusted by someone.
“Although it’s not a Formation, it also conforms to the wonders of the Eight Trigrams, which can cause people to lose their way.”
Listening to Zhou Hongxian’s words.
Xie Fei replied, “Don’t mind these, the Bat Cave Master cannot detect the Sword Intent I left on him.
“Although he used these stones and the terrain of the island to set up something similar to a natural Formation.
“But it still cannot stop my perception of that Sword Intent.”
Soon.
The two arrived at a hidden place on the north side of the island.
The strange rocks were sparse here, and the terrain was low-lying.
And in the center, there was a spring.
Sea water surged from the spring, gurgling and emitting wisps of hot air, as if it was boiling.
“This is the place.”
Xie Fei’s gaze sharpened, and he raised his hand.
A sharp sword light shot out, precisely striking the spring.
Bang!
The spring exploded, seawater splashing everywhere.
Then, like a mirage, it twisted and gradually dissipated.
The scene before their eyes instantly changed!
After the spring disappeared, what replaced it was a dark cave entrance.
The cave entrance was about half a person’s height and only one foot wide.
A strong fishy smell emanated from it, making people nauseous.
“Optical Illusion?”
Zhou Hongxian raised her eyebrows, a flash of surprise in her eyes, “What exquisite camouflage, if you didn’t have the Sword Intent guidance, it would be difficult to discover it.”
Xie Fei nodded, saying in a deep voice, “This is probably the so-called Bat Cave.
“Be careful, there may be an ambush inside.”
The two each erected a protective shield, blocking the fishy smell, then flashed their figures and silently slipped into the cave.
The cave passage was narrow and winding, extending deep underground. The walls were slippery, faintly exuding the salty smell of seawater.
Xie Fei was in front, Zhou Hongxian closely behind.
The two moved silently, using only faint spiritual light to illuminate their path, lest they alarm the Bat Cave Master.
After about a cup of tea’s time.
The cave passage suddenly opened up, and their vision suddenly broadened.
Before the two of them was a magnificent Underground Palace!
The palace was built of huge stones.
The dome was high, carved with ferocious bat totems, exuding a chilling pressure.
However, a strong fishy smell filled the hall, making people frown.
It was obviously the unpleasant smell caused by many bats living there for a long time.
“What a grand scale!”
Zhou Hongxian said softly, “This Bat Cave Master is only at the Nascent Soul Ninth Level, yet he can open up such an Underground Palace. I’m afraid he has hidden many secrets.”
Xie Fei did not answer, his gaze fixed on the depths of the hall, the Sword Intent’s perception becoming clearer.
The Bat Cave Master was here!
He no longer hesitated, the Limitless Sword Classic operating within his body, Sword Qi surging like a tide, transforming into a giant hand that crashed down towards the hall.
Boom!
The giant hand fell, and the earth shook.
Although the palace was magnificent, it was mostly built with ordinary materials.
Let alone Xie Fei, even an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator could smash this palace to pieces.
The entire palace collapsed on the spot.
Stone chips flew, and dust rose, revealing the scene inside the hall.
“Chirp chirp chirp…”
Countless black bats surged out from the ruins like a torrent.
Dense and numerous, covering the sky and blocking out the sun, their screams were piercing, carrying a Mental Shock.
Seeing this.
Zhou Hongxian snorted coldly, clasped her hands together, and Crimson Flames erupted from her body, turning into a raging sea of fire that swept across the surroundings.
The swarm of bats touched the flames and instantly turned into charred corpses, falling like a torrential rain.
The underground air was immediately filled with the smell of scorching.
“Ah!!”
From the depths of the ruins, came the roar of the Bat Cave Master.
“Thinking you are from the Holy Land, you dare to humiliate me so?!”
Along with the roar, the Bat Cave Master rushed out from a hidden stone chamber.
His hair and beard were all standing on end, his killing intent was overwhelming.
A huge, jet-black Alms Bowl was floating beside him.
It emanated a faint light, like a dome pressing down.
Xie Fei had seen this Magical Treasure before.
It was the one the Bat Cave Master used to block his sword.
At that time, it was only the size of an ordinary alms bowl. Unexpectedly, now it was like a ten-zhang dome!
It seemed that this was the true form of the Alms Bowl.
With the Bat Cave Master’s appearance, he brought with him an extremely powerful aura.
“No… this is not a Magical Treasure!”
Zhou Hongxian’s eyes narrowed, exclaiming, “This is a Demon Beast with cultivation at the Nascent Soul Ninth Level!”
Hearing this, Xie Fei was also greatly surprised.
Because from the external appearance or Spiritual Sense perception.
This Alms Bowl was completely indistinguishable from a Magical Treasure, without any aura of a Living Being.
But he didn’t doubt Zhou Hongxian’s judgment, so he immediately used the Fate Golden Eyes.
…
Name: Luo Dahai
Gender: Male
Lifespan: 1655/
Realm: Nascent Soul Ninth Level
Fate Aura: Purple
Purple Genius Fate…
Recent Needs: As the Clan Leader of the East Sea’s Jade Conch Clan, he was actually refined into an offensive and defensive artifact using a Secret Method. This is a disgrace to the Jade Conchs! Luo Dahai now only wants the Bat Cave Master to die!
…
After seeing this information.
Xie Fei fell into deep thought.
This Bat Cave Master actually possessed a Secret Method that could turn a Demon Beast into an offensive and defensive object?
Zhou Hongxian beside him was still exclaiming, “How on earth did he do that?”
Xie Fei snapped out of it, his gaze cold, no longer hesitating.
Fluctuations came from outside, obviously other Experts had appeared.
This battle must be resolved quickly!
He shouted in a low voice, his Sword Realm suddenly unfolding, Limitless Sword Qi pouring down like the Milky Way, transforming into countless sword lights, covering the sky and earth, slashing towards the Bat Cave Master.
Xie Fei came back to his senses.
This time Xie Fei didn’t hold back anything.
“Die!”
The Bat Cave Master roared, knowing that he had reached the point of life or death.
The power within his body suddenly erupted to its full extent.
Fist shadows were like mountains, layer upon layer, meeting the Sword Realm.
The Alms Bowl Demon Beast “Luo Dahai” floated above his head, releasing a black Light Screen, attempting to protect its master.
“Die!”
The Bat Cave Master naturally knew that this was the moment to fight to the death, and immediately poured out all his strength.
He unleashed a sky full of fist shadows, resisting the Sword Qi of the Sword Realm.
Bang bang bang…
The Sword Qi and fist shadows collided, creating a continuous series of explosions.
The underground palace shook incessantly, the stone walls cracked, and dust flew.
The more the Bat Cave Master fought, the more shocked he became, his eyes full of astonishment, “You actually held back your strength before?!”
During the confrontation at sea, Xie Fei’s Sword Qi could only shake his protective spiritual shield.
Now that the Sword Realm was fully open, every sword light contained destructive power, forcing him to retreat step by step.
The black Light Screen was swaying precariously under the impact of the Sword Qi, Luo Dahai’s roar was filled with pain, as if it was struggling against the constraints of the Secret Method.