Chapter 116: Hunting the Demon, Fellow Daoist Lu Keeps Watch Outside the Culvert

On Haizhang Island, Shen Lian felt a sense of wonder at the surprisingly vast reach of Qian Dai’s business operations. A Rank 8 Foundation Establishment demonic beast was truly a rare sight in the human-cultivated waters of the Ten Thousand Star Sea. Given that scarcity drove value, he estimated the price would be twenty to thirty percent higher than the market standard.

"A Sea-Swallowing Dragon Fish—a beast with the bloodline of a flood dragon," Shen Lian mused. The demon core of a creature with such a lineage would be immensely beneficial for Sanqian’s advancement. Currently, Sanqian was at the ninth level of Qi Refining, but its strength remained underwhelming; its potential had yet to truly manifest. If its dragon bloodline could be further stimulated, it might prove invaluable in the future. Shen Lian preferred to plan ahead; better to invest in raising Sanqian to the Foundation Establishment stage now than to lament a lack of strength when the need eventually arose. The same applied to Dahei. Compared to Sanqian, Dahei’s path to becoming a Rank 2 demonic beast would be far more perilous; even if he found a Rank 2 earth-attribute demon core, its progression was by no means guaranteed.

Beyond the need for the dragon-blooded core, the beast’s blood was what Shen Lian truly coveted. It was a primary ingredient for the spiritual ink used in talisman making. "If only it were a fire-attribute beast," he thought. The high-grade Rank 2 spiritual ink he had previously purchased was either fire-attributed or inclined toward earth and wood.

"Fellow daoists who participate in the hunt for the Sea-Swallowing Dragon Fish will have priority in purchasing parts of the beast." The sound of Qian Dai’s voice came through the communication jade once more. Shen Lian couldn't help but twitch his lips. *This isn't very fair—discriminating against non-whales, are we?* After a moment’s thought, he sent a reply to Qian Dai: he would sign up first. He would go take a look, and if things seemed amiss, he would make a quick exit.

Not long after, Qian Dai’s voice returned. "Very well. Everyone, please gather at Ring Reef Island in two months."

Handing the communication jade to his spiritual puppet, Shen Lian rose and left his cave dwelling, heading toward the island’s marketplace. He spent two days wandering, purchasing various Rank 1 herbs and ores to enrich his collection. He wasn't looking for anything specific, just picking up whatever seemed useful. *Once I become an artificer, I will definitely craft a portable, upgradable cave-heaven treasure to store all these resources.*

Back in his dwelling, he pushed the restless thoughts sparked by his recent insights deep into his mind. With a single thought, he added the accumulated Enlightenment Points to his Earth Spiritual Root.

[Earth Spiritual Root: 69]

Shen Lian lay back comfortably, savoring the warm, gentle energy circulating within his dantian. Dahei lay at the edge of the room, observing him. "That's it, that's exactly how Master looked the time before last."

...

The hunt was scheduled for two months later, and Ring Reef Island was not far from Haizhang Island; even by spiritual boat, it would take only half a month. After upgrading his spiritual root, Shen Lian began carving the raw Mystic Spirit Jade pith he had purchased. When the time drew near, he cut three small pieces, packed his belongings, and quietly departed Haizhang Island.

Ring Reef Island was a landscape of water and stone. From a distance, it looked scorched and black, with very few trees. The entire island was composed of reefs jutting out of the water, with a deep, dark pool at its center. Long ago, this pool had been home to a massive population of Sea Spirit Shells, including some at the Rank 3 level. The Water Spirit Pearls cultivated by these Rank 3 shells were useful even to Nascent Soul cultivators practicing water-based techniques. Consequently, the colony had been wiped out. In the aftermath, swarms of cultivators descended, leaving behind only a few weak, early-to-mid Rank 1 shells—and even those were hard to find.

The marketplace on Ring Reef Island was located in the southeast, built into the undulating reef terrain without the protection of city walls. Shen Lian arrived early and thoroughly inspected the island. The reefs within the central pool were ruined, and the scattered shells were devoid of any spiritual essence. Cultivation, he reflected, was much like being a glutton; within one’s own limits, one consumed the world’s essence to fatten oneself. No wonder heaven triggered catastrophes and strife was everywhere. The thought vanished as quickly as it came; he had never even seen a Sea Spirit Shell before, so he had little room for sentimentality. If a catastrophe were to be blamed on the shells, it would have to start with that first Nascent Soul cultivator who led the harvest years ago. He was likely long dead by now, provided he hadn't reached a higher realm.

That morning, Shen Lian stood on a reef and saw a spiritual warship floating toward him, the clanking sounds audible from afar. He jumped into the deep pool in the center of the island, where several large caves at the bottom led directly to the open ocean.

The warship, *Sea Wind-Thunder*, crashed onto the reef, sending shards flying. On deck, large chairs had already been arranged, though none compared to the dragon-skin-upholstered throne reserved for Qian Dai.

"Fellow Daoist Qian, my apologies, but a sudden matter has arisen and I cannot make it." A maid handed a jade slip to Qian Dai.

Qian Dai didn't even look at it. "Who is this?"

"Sang Heyan, the Great Elder of the Sang family on Floating Crane Island."

Qian Dai waved his hand dismissively. Over the years, he had frequently invited Foundation Establishment cultivators to hunt in the deep sea. The more companions he had, the safer he would be—even if they didn't help when danger struck, they wouldn't necessarily kick him while he was down. Unless, of course, they were naturally cold-hearted. Earning spirit stones was one thing, but observing the capabilities of each cultivator was another. Moreover, there was another important reason: scouting for spiritual lands.

Half a day later, a flash of blue light streaked in and landed on the *Sea Wind-Thunder*. "Young Master Qian, it has been a long time." The cultivator stowed his boat, revealing a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion. "It seems I am the first to arrive."

"Fellow Daoist Qiu, long time no see." Qian Dai was polite, but he did not rise from his seat, offering only a perfunctory salute. Qiu Qian didn't mind; Qian Dai had a powerful background, while he was merely a rogue cultivator. Being able to curry favor with the young master of the Qian family was an honor, especially since the young man was known to be fair. Hunting in the deep sea was not for the faint of heart, and having the backing of a Golden Core family made the endeavor far safer than joining a wild group.

...

Two days later, Shen Lian arrived on his own boat. As he neared the *Sea Wind-Thunder*, he felt a surge of divine sense wash over him—an interaction picked up by the concealment rune on his robe. Once he was within a thousand feet, he sensed several more. The initial sweep, covering fourteen hundred feet, was undoubtedly Qian Dai’s. The young master appeared relaxed, but his divine sense exceeded that of an average ninth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator. Shen Lian had sensed his strength before, but now he was certain: the man was at the ninth level, despite claiming only the seventh.

He counted four others with senses ranging seven to eight hundred feet, two at six hundred, and three at four hundred. He could gauge their relative strengths accordingly. None of the probes were hostile, just simple reconnaissance. Shen Lian landed on the deck.

"Fellow Daoist Qian," Shen Lian said, saluting the man on the throne and then the others. "I am Lu You. Greetings, everyone."

The other cultivators returned the gesture with friendly smiles, showing no arrogance.

"Qiu Qian, from Bayu Island."
"Xu Chaoling, from Mingxin Island."
"Fu Jingcheng..."
"Zhao Siyun, from Ziya Island."

Shen Lian returned the salutations, mentally cross-referencing names with the divine sense signatures he had detected. Two at the eighth level, two at the seventh, two at the sixth, and four below the sixth, including himself.

Qian Dai had his maids serve tea. "Some of you have met before, others are new. Please, feel free to get acquainted."

The young cultivator next to him, Fu Jingcheng, leaned in. "Is this your first time joining a hunt?"

Shen Lian set down his cup and nodded. "Yes. And you?"

"This is my second." Fu Jingcheng was talkative. Through him, Shen Lian learned that this wasn't Qian Dai’s first time organizing such a trip; they had already hunted thirty to fifty beasts, including a Kui-Horned Python with combat power rivaling a False Core cultivator. Because Qian Dai’s reputation was excellent, many vied for a spot, though he remained capricious in his choices. However, Shen Lian saw through the facade: Qian Dai was a shrewd manipulator with grand, long-term ambitions.

...

With a ninth-level expert and ten other Foundation Establishment cultivators, hunting a Rank 8 Sea-Swallowing Dragon Fish was well within their capabilities. Two more youths arrived, bringing the total to thirteen. As night fell, Qian Dai opened his eyes. "Everyone who was invited has arrived. We depart."

"However, I will say this first: we are working together. If anyone attempts to sabotage the group or harbors ill intent, my family will hunt them to the ends of the earth, and if they belong to a clan, we will uproot it entirely."

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Qian. We all cultivate in these waters; we wouldn't ruin our own paths."

"Young Master Qian is kind enough to lead us in earning spirit stones. Anyone who harbors a double heart need not wait for you to act—we will crush them ourselves."

Qian Dai nodded and signaled his maid, Mo'er. She distributed jade slips containing detailed information on the target. Shen Lian reviewed the data and made his decision. He would participate. His analysis was clear: Qian Dai aside, the others were no stronger than the eighth level. Moreover, half were from established families, not just rogue cultivators. Qian Dai had succeeded dozens of times before. As for the danger, if things went south, Shen Lian had his Five-Elements Spiritual Puppets and was an expert at fleeing. The reason for such a large group was that deep-sea beasts were rarely alone. The Rank 8 fish was a "small king" with five or six Rank 2 subordinates and countless Rank 1 followers. They needed to clear the small fry first.

"Let's go." Qian Dai stood, and a blue light erupted from his palm, transforming into a thirty-foot spiritual boat covered in shimmering runes and exuding a frigid aura.

Once everyone was aboard, the boat unfurled dozens of wind-thunder wings, creating a gale that lifted them into the sky. Shen Lian studied the vessel, marveling at its vitality—the blue hull seemed to flow with liquid spiritual energy. *A fine piece of work, though a bit too flashy for my taste. I prefer the battle-worn look.*

The journey would take three months, even with this specialized boat. Shen Lian still wondered what the fat young master stood to gain. A Golden Core scion helping rogue cultivators? He didn't see a hint of altruism in the man. But as long as Qian Dai had no ill intent, he was worth befriending—especially since Shen Lian hoped to trade for other spirit materials.

Two and a half months later, they arrived at the destination. An endless ocean revealed a large island surrounded by mountains, with a deep, dark pool at its center.

"The nest is in that pool," Qian Dai said, pointing. "There are tunnels at the bottom leading to the open sea. We need people to guard the perimeter and plug the underwater exits to prevent the beasts from escaping."

"After the hunt, the spoils will be divided by merit. If shares are insufficient, we can compensate with spirit stones if all agree. Choose your tasks now."

"My strength is humble," Shen Lian said. "I shall guard the underwater tunnels."

"Very well," Qian Dai replied. "Fellow Daoist Lu takes the tunnel guard."