Chapter 90: Foundation Established in an Instant—Where Are the Demon Cultivators?

The vast ocean stretched endlessly before him.

Shen Lian steered his spirit boat, preparing to travel to Yushan Island. As he sailed, he noticed a small black dot appearing on the horizon. He squinted into the distance, then urged his spirit boat forward, accelerating. Most cultivators encountered at sea were robbers. Yet, as Shen Lian sped up, the black dot behind him also accelerated, emitting a blood-colored spiritual glow.

“A demonic cultivator?”
“There really is a demonic cultivator here.”
Shen Lian had assumed that the trouble on King’s Isle was something the Xuanhai Sect had concocted themselves. He hadn’t expected, after moving house and fleeing, to immediately run into a demonic cultivator in these waters.

Tan Xian, shrouded in demonic aura, rode a bone spike, skimming across the waves.
“Second Brother, Fifth Brother, I’ve spotted a Foundation Establishment cultivator from Xuanhai Sect.”
While pursuing Shen Lian, Tan Xian took out a blood worm, muttered a phrase, and sent a message. The three brothers had been lurking in this sea region for a long time; spiritual energy here was so barren that even Qi Refining cultivators were rare, let alone Foundation Establishment. Thus, the identity of any Foundation Establishment cultivator was easy to discern—aside from Xuanhai Sect cultivators seeking blood pearls on King’s Isle, no one else would come here.

“Right at...”
After sending the message, the bone spike beneath Tan Xian’s feet flashed with even more dazzling blood light and soared above the waves, vibrating the air with a piercing hum.
“Fellow Daoist, please wait!”
Shen Lian frowned as the figure behind drew closer. How unlucky—he’d barely stepped out and already run into a demonic cultivator, as if they were waiting for him. His flying boat did not slow in the slightest; he feigned a desperate escape.

Tan Xian, riding the blood-colored bone spike, gradually closed the distance. Upon seeing Shen Lian’s face, his eyes lit up.
In recent years, although Shen Lian hadn’t deliberately cultivated, his spiritual sense had grown to over six hundred and forty feet. Now, having advanced to Foundation Establishment Stage Two, his blood and flesh nourished his spiritual sense, expanding its sea and raising its strength to eight hundred and sixty feet—comparable to Stage Seven or Eight cultivators.

As the demonic cultivator entered the range of his spiritual sense, Shen Lian sensed him clearly.
“Damn!”
Feeling Tan Xian’s aggressive and excited gaze, Shen Lian’s skin crawled. This was a pervert—a death wish incarnate.

“Fellow Daoist, please wait—”
Tan Xian began to speak, forming a spell with both hands. The blood-colored bone spike beneath him erupted in sinister glow, swirling with chaotic soul shadows, and lunged at Shen Lian.

“Hmph!”
Seeing the demonic cultivator charge, Shen Lian’s sea of spiritual sense surged. A pale purple ghost demon emerged from within, unleashing a wailing scream.
Soul-Seizing Seal—an attack of spiritual sense!

Tan Xian, riding his bone spike, suddenly found his mind engulfed by endless ghostly howls. A ferocious demon shadow stepped into his spiritual sea.
“Ah…”
The sudden assault shattered Tan Xian’s attack, making him feel as if his spiritual sea was being torn apart by the demon shadow.
“Spiritual sense att—”
Even as the thought arose, Tan Xian’s eyes rolled white. His bone spike fell into the sea.

“Eighth Brother—!”
From afar, two black dots soared over the waves, their angry shouts echoing.
The surrounding sea exploded; strange, ribbon-like insects erupted from the water, baring their dense fangs as they lunged at Shen Lian.

“Buzz!”
But the moment these soul worms struck the spirit boat, they merely passed through Shen Lian, doing him no harm.

“Not good!”
Luo Yong, rushing forward, saw the soul worms’ attack fail and immediately sensed danger.
“Where is he?”

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Jiang Jingying’s expression changed.
“Are you looking for me?”
Across the glimmering sea, black spiritual light rose from the water, lifting Shen Lian upward. From his sleeve, a hundred talismans flew out, spinning rapidly and encircling the two demonic cultivators.

“So many talismans!”
“Don’t hold back, Brother!”
Jiang Jingying and Luo Yong were startled by the talismans’ destructive aura. To wield a hundred talismans at once—that was extravagance. Even among Xuanhai Sect’s core disciples, few could afford such wealth. A hundred talismans in a single move were worth at least twenty to thirty thousand spirit stones—did he own a spirit stone mine? Such divine tactics!

Boom!
In an instant, the Heavenly Gang and Earth Fiend Thunder-Fire Talisman Array activated—one hundred and eight talismans connected, forming a vast field of thunder and fire above the sea.

“Break it!”
Jiang Jingying reacted quickly, using his strongest technique. He slapped his chest, spitting out a mouthful of demon blood mixed with fragments of his organs. Under the spell, a fierce demon skull formed, trying to forcefully break the talismans.

Controlling the array, Shen Lian was prepared; he’d already noticed this Foundation Establishment Stage Seven demonic cultivator.
With both hands forming seals, five-element spiritual power wove at his fingertips, creating a five-colored ring.
“Five Elements Seal!”
The ring crashed onto Jiang Jingying’s demon skull, abruptly interrupting the flow of demonic energy within him. The demon skull formed only halfway.

Boom!
In that brief pause, thunder-fire from the talisman array rained down, incinerating the half-formed demon skull to ash, then struck Jiang Jingying repeatedly.

“Second Brother!”
Nearby, Luo Yong struggled, defending himself as soul worms were turned to charcoal by thunder-fire.
Yet, Jiang Jingying, scorched black, radiated a ball of black light. A small shield flew out, protecting him as he rushed to Luo Yong’s side. Their artifacts merged, shrinking into a turtle-like form.

Seeing this, Shen Lian formed seals, unleashing the full power of the talisman array.
On the sea, one hundred and eight talismans exploded into a hundred and eight fireballs, interwoven with lightning, forming a blazing domain.

Boom!
The array’s power surged, thunder and fire rolling. Countless fireballs bombarded the two figures within.

“Hold on, Brother—the array is weakening!”
Under their artifact, Jiang Jingying and Luo Yong endured, the repeated strikes causing internal injuries.

“Hold on, it’ll be over soon—we’ll break through together!”
Outside the array, Shen Lian waved his sleeve and sent thirty more talismans into the array.

Boom—
Thirty talismans hovered above Jiang Jingying and Luo Yong, exploding in unison.
In a flash, thunder and fire fused; thirty talismans detonated together.

Boom!
Amidst the storm, the two figures were blasted sideways in opposite directions.

“Go!”
The Five Elements Spirit Puppet transformed into black spiritual light, dropping from Shen Lian into the surging water, heading toward Luo Yong.

In Shen Lian’s spiritual sea, the Soul-Seizing Seal expanded, invading Jiang Jingying’s body and tearing his spiritual sea, devouring memory fragments.

“Buzz—”
Just then, from Jiang Jingying’s shattered spiritual sea, a seed of spiritual sense flew out and manifested externally.

Confronted by this sudden emergence, Shen Lian was startled. Foundation Establishment cultivators truly had unpredictable methods—this reminded him to watch for separated spiritual sense in future enemies.

“Buzz!”

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The Soul-Seizing Seal surged forth again, latching onto the separated spiritual sense seed.

“Disciple of Xuanhai Sect, I’m willing to reveal the whereabouts of the Old Demon of Black Cliff—I also know…”

“Pfft!”
The phantom of Jiang Jingying, shaped by his spiritual sense seed, was torn to shreds by the Soul-Seizing Seal.

“The Ancestor will remember you!”
A sinister voice echoed across the sea.
The lingering soul stirred the void, gathering scattered demonic aura into a black circle, rushing toward Shen Lian.

“Go!”
Seeing the demonic aura approach, Shen Lian quickly formed seals. Fire spirit techniques transformed into firebirds, striking the black circle.

“Ssssss…”
A harsh sound echoed as the black circle was burned to black smoke, though a few wisps drifted toward him.

Splash!
Elsewhere, the Five Elements Spirit Puppet, shrouded in darkness, fished three skeletons from the water.

Sensing the attached demonic aura, Shen Lian summoned fire spiritual power to burn it away, then steered his flying boat toward the distance.

...

Three days later.

King’s Isle.

The royal palace of Qian Nation’s capital.

Ai Jinfu held a jade box sealed with runes, nodding in satisfaction.

Soon, the grand hall doors opened, and eight disciples filed in.

“Greetings, Steward.”

Ai Jinfu nodded, his gaze sweeping the group until it settled on a blue-robed disciple.

“Jianfeng, how long have you been in the Xuanhai Sect?”

Li Jianfeng was surprised by the sudden question.

“Reporting, Steward—I’ve been here forty-three years.”

“Forty-three years.”
Ai Jinfu sighed. “So long, and the sect still hasn’t won your loyalty?”

Li Jianfeng’s expression changed.

“St-steward, I don’t know what you mean.”

“No matter. Let me ask—have you already sent out the information?”

Ai Jinfu’s gaze turned cold.

“Ah…”
Li Jianfeng could no longer conceal it. Spiritual power surged as he tried to flee, but before he could move, terrifying spiritual pressure pinned him to the ground.

Ai Jinfu walked up, mocking him. “Rest assured—the other nine Foundation Establishment cultivators of the sect are already on King’s Isle. This time, we’ll capture every last remnant of Black Cliff Sect, and drag out the Old Ancestor!”

...

Off the coast of King’s Isle.

Several Foundation Establishment cultivators soared above the waves, their pressure calming the sea.

Ai Jinfu dangled Li Jianfeng in midair, glaring fiercely.

“Speak! Where are the remnants of Black Cliff Sect?”

“Where has the Old Demon of Black Cliff hidden?”

Li Jianfeng breathed heavily, his eyes turning white, “...”

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