On the flying ship:
Gu Hai described his experiences to Venerable Liu Nian in detail. While listening, Venerable Liu Nian frowned heavily.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
Suddenly, crackling came from the three thousand stone statues’ direction.
“Huh?” The two turned their heads to look.
The two saw one of the stone statues trembling. Then, the gray stone statue started to recover slowly.
“Shangguan Hen?” Gu Hai raised his eyebrows.
Black energy came out of the stone statue. Then, it suddenly shook intensely.
“Phew!” Shangguan Hen let out a long breath after recovering.
“Shangguan Hen, you are fine?” Gu Hai said in surprise.
“Milord, I am fine. Where are we?” Shangguan Hen nodded.
“We have left the Clear River Sect. This is Venerable Liu Nian!” Gu Hai pointed to Venerable Liu Nian at his side.
“Greetings, Venerable Liu Nian!”
However, Venerable Liu Nian stared at Shangguan Hen with a heavy frown. He asked, “How did you break this curse? Why could you break it?”
Shangguan Hen frowned back but did not explain.
Gu Hai asked, “Shangguan Hen, do you have a way to break the curse on the others?”
Shangguan Hen shook his head and smiled bitterly. “Milord, I could do it due to some special circumstances. With my current strength, I cannot help the others.”
“Alright! It’s good that you recovered. You will be responsible for guarding them after this. Don’t let anything happen!” Gu Hai said gravely.
“Yes!” Shangguan Hen answered.
Venerable Liu Nian was very curious, but since Gu Hai did not pursue the matter, he could not satisfy his curiosity.
Whoosh!
The flying ship flew rapidly and arrived at the Gu Residence in two hours.
Right now, a large number of cultivators fought in the surroundings of the Gu Residence.
“You trash! Why are you blocking us? That Century Lifespan Immortality Peach is just right there. Don’t stop me!”
“Scram! If you eat the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach, then what’s going to happen to my spirit stone? I lent him a superior-grade spirit stone. If you eat it, what will I get back?”
“I’ll give you two superior-grade spirit stones! Scram!”
“Dream on. You want to eat the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach for two superior-grade spirit stones? Not even in your dreams!”
The place below turned chaotic.
“They started fighting among themselves?” Venerable Liu Nian said with a frown.
“This is likely a clash between the people who lent me spirit stones and those who did not, a conflict of interest. Fights always occur due to conflicting interests,” Gu Hai said indifferently.
Thud!
Gu Hai suddenly descended from the sky and landed by the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach.
“Who is it?”
“Gu Hai?” All the cultivators revealed shocked expressions.
Then, they saw Gu Hai stretch out his hand and close the lid of the box the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach was in. Then, he put it away with a wave.
“Gu Hai, what are you doing?” many cultivators complained angrily.
“Everyone, many thanks for lending me spirit stones. Please prepare your receipts. Soon, someone will come out to return the spirit stones!” Gu Hai shouted.
“They can already be returned?” The eyes of many cultivators lit up.
Rumble…!
Suddenly, an enormous flying ship descended slowly from the sky into the foggy ritual array covering the Gu Residence.
“That flying ship, Elite Hall’s flying ship?”
“Fortunately, I did not mess around!”
“Elite Hall’s people entered the Gu Residence?”
Many people felt celebratory.
Soon, a group of old managers from the Gu Residence put up counters and started returning the spirit stones to the cultivators, according to the receipts.
“You lent us one superior-grade spirit stone. Here are two. We are returning it with interest. Do put it away carefully. Please sign here!” An old manager handed over two superior-grade spirit stones.
“Great! Great! It really is two?! Hahahaha!”
Laughter rang out outside the Gu Residence. When those who did not lend their spirit stones saw others earning more spirit stones, they were jealous. Some of the lenders evinced regret. Had they known, they would have lent more. Only a few days had passed, and their spirit stones doubled.
Everyone looked to the Gu Residence, hoping that Gu Hai would borrow from them again.
——
Inside the Gu Residence, Gu Hai stood on the top floor of the Soaring Pagoda, watching as the surrounding Gu Residence servants quickly buried spirit stones.
“Master, it is done!”
“Master, I’m done here as well!”
“Master, I’m done as well!”
The voices of the Gu Residence servants rang out in the surroundings.
Gu Hai extended his hand and pressed on a spirit-stone Go board as he shouted, “Rise!”
Boom!
A vast fog suddenly surged up in the surroundings.
“Gu Qin, try it!” Gu Hai looked at Gu Qin.
At this moment, Gu Qin held a Go-stone-shaped spirit stone.
“Adoptive Father, is this the Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array? I sense a vast energy that I can control!” Gu Qin said while goggling.
“It’s good that you can control it. Venerable Liu Nian and I will be leaving soon. Guard the residence. If you have any questions, you can ask Shangguan Hen!” Gu Hai said seriously.
“Yes!” Gu Qin answered.
“Shangguan Hen, while I’m away, do take good care of these stone statues!” Gu Hai said seriously to Shangguan Hen.
“Yes, Milord!” Shangguan Hen answered.
After leaving instructions, Gu Hai looked up at the sky, where the flying ship hovered.
Then, Gu Hai pushed off the ground.
Boom!
Gu Hai leaped onto the flying ship.
Venerable Liu Nian looked distractedly at the foggy ritual array below.
“Division Master Gu, an excellent ritual array!” Venerable Liu Nian marveled.
“Venerable, we had better make a move and quickly rescue the hall master. Then, we can find Li Qinghe and save my subordinates!” Gu Hai said gravely.
Venerable Liu Nian nodded.
Then, Venerable Liu Nian waved his hand.
Boom!
The flying ship sped towards the First Song Sect.
——
Four hours later, the flying ship arrived at the First Song Sect.
“This is the First Song Sect?” Gu Hai raised his eyebrows.
The First Song Sect before him looked completely different from the First Song Sect of half a month ago.
Mountains no longer surrounded the place. Instead, there were swamps and a sea.
A vast amount of water flooded the various valleys.
“This? Fu Xue diverted some rivers and brought the water over?” Gu Hai exclaimed in shock.
“Not the river, the sea. This place is low and near the sea. So, Fu Xue created a channel and filled the place with seawater?” Venerable Liu Nian frowned.
“Seawater? Why?” Gu Hai asked in bewilderment.
“Fu Xue is a flood dragon. Flood dragons are stronger in water. Previously, your ritual array could delay Fu Xue, but it can no longer do so. As long as there is water, that flood dragon will be in its element. This is its purpose in diverting seawater here. The seawater is its strength, its weapon. With a swing of its tail, it can kick up tens of thousands of strong waves. How long can your ritual array last against that?” Venerable Liu Nian said with a frown.
“Venerable, can you still capture it?” Gu Hai looked at Venerable Liu Nian.
“I don’t know. If the seawater were not here, I could capture it. Now…I don’t know how much stronger it has become,” Venerable Liu Nian said with a frown.
“Hey! It looks like Song Pingsheng and Li Qinghe have not returned yet!” Gu Hai suddenly narrowed his eyes.
Venerable Liu Nian looked where Gu Hai looked. He saw that water surrounded the First Song Sect’s Gold Armor Water Crystal Ritual Array. A sealed mountain valley at the entrance prevented the water from pouring in. In the valley were nearly twenty thousand ordinary people bound and screaming in horror.
“Immortal Venerates, spare us! Please spare us!”
“Demons! Demons! You are all man-eating demons!”
“Save me! Save me!”
The ordinary people screamed in horror as about twenty spirit-assimilated cultivators drank merrily and ate hearts and livers.
“Hahahaha! Who scolded me earlier? You! This great me will eat you, then. Hahahaha!” a spirit-assimilated cultivator guffawed as he somewhat drunkenly pointed at an ordinary person who scolded him earlier.
That ordinary person’s expression changed dramatically, appearing frightened silly.
Boom!
Suddenly, a bunch of snakes shot out and ripped open that person’s chest. Then, they consumed that person’s heart and liver.
“Argh!” that person screamed miserably.
“No! Don’t!” the surrounding ordinary people shouted in horror.
The spirit-assimilated cultivators leisurely ate the ordinary peoples’ hearts and livers without restraint, showing no sense of urgency. Clearly, Song Pingsheng had not returned yet.
“Demons running amok? Eating humans? Humph!” Venerable Liu Nian glared.
“Venerable, don’t get angry!” Gu Hai immediately stopped Venerable Liu Nian.
“Huh?” Venerable Liu Nian frowned as he looked at Gu Hai.
“I can deal with these twenty spirit-assimilated cultivators. Venerable, gather some fog, make them think that I brought over my three thousand subordinates again. Don’t expose yourself. Let’s lure Fu Xue out first!” Gu Hai said.
Venerable Liu Nian nodded. “I’ll give you a boost!”
When Gu Hai nodded, a gentle energy enveloped him and sent him into the distant valley. Then, Venerable Liu Nian put away the flying ship with a wave and caused a fog to appear, covering a mountain peeking out of the water.
“Who scolded me earlier? Was it you?” A drunk spirit-assimilated cultivator smiled sinisterly.
“It’s not me! I did not! I did not!” the indicated bound man shouted in horror.
“You are it, then!” The snakes on that spirit-assimilated cultivator’s head suddenly extended, rushing towards that man.
“Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!”
“Ah! Save me!” that man shouted in horror.
“No one can save you. Hahaha!”
Just as that spirit-assimilated cultivator guffawed, Gu Hai descended from the sky. Then, Gu Hai punched that spirit-assimilated cultivator’s head.
Boom!
That spirit-assimilated cultivator’s head exploded, splattering blood everywhere and creating a terrible scene.
“What?” Everyone’s expression changed.
Shing!
Gu Hai instantly drew that spirit-assimilated cultivator’s sword. Then, he looked coldly at the remaining nineteen spirit-assimilated cultivators.
Suddenly, one of the spirit-assimilated cultivators goggled. “Gu…Gu Hai?”
Shing!
Gu Hai promptly swung the sword at a drunk spirit-assimilated cultivator, sending a huge sword qi charging over and instantly chopping off that spirit-assimilated cultivator’s head.
Only now did the spirit-assimilated cultivators react.
“Gu Hai is here! Gu Hai is here! Quickly inform the primogenitor!”
“If Gu Hai is here, are the three thousand evil men here too?”
“No! Don’t kill me!”
Most of the eighteen spirit-assimilated cultivators ran back to the sect. Only five or six remained to charge at Gu Hai.
However, Gu Hai had already reached the Innate Realm’s eighth layer. Furthermore, he cultivated physically. The force he could erupt with rivaled that of a Golden Core Realm cultivator. Even without the bone saber, the spirit-assimilated cultivators were no match for him.
Boom!
At the first clash, Gu Hai broke the other party’s weapon and chopped down the other party. The remaining spirit-assimilated cultivators could only flee in horror.
“Save me! Gu Hai, save me!” shouted the bound ordinary people in the surroundings.
Not all the twenty thousand bound people were ordinary; some were cultivators. Many cultivators had come to Nine-Five Island to try their luck, resulting in many cultivators visiting the cities.
The hearts and livers of cultivators were even more delectable. How could the spirit-assimilated cultivators let them off? Naturally, the spirit-assimilated cultivators had captured everyone that they could.
