Without the interference of ghostly mist, Gu Yao's group easily found the correct direction after drifting at sea for a period. Finally, they spotted land.
This time, not only did Gu Yao and Chi Changye conceal their appearances, but even Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing also changed their looks. After stowing away their sea vessel, they found the nearest town. Upon entering the town, they noticed a peculiar atmosphere. They dispersed to gather information and later rendezvoused in a tavern.
Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing appeared with incredulous expressions. Upon entering a private room, they activated a formation to prevent eavesdropping.
"Trouble!," Lou Huaijing spoke in a low, deep voice. "Strange creatures, neither human nor beast, have appeared in many places. Several towns and villages are in chaos. In some areas, everything was slaughtered overnight. They are incredibly audacious and reckless. Those people have truly lost their minds!"
Upon hearing this news, Lou Huaijing realized that those individuals had unleashed the monsters imprisoned on the islands onto the mainland. These creatures lacked rational consciousness, driven only by bloodlust. The implications were clear—those madmen aimed to disrupt the entire Qianhao continent. What benefit did they seek from such chaos?Chi Changye and Gu Yao were equally shocked, never expecting the other party to choose such a method—truly an extreme act of madness, attempting to drag the entire continent into chaos. Gu Yao asked, "Where is your ancestor?"
Lou Huaijing, deeply shocked, rushed to inform Chi Changye and the others upon hearing the news. With concern, he said, "I haven't had a chance to contact him. I'll reach out to the ancestor now. I'm worried about him..."
Lou Huaijing stopped speaking, fearing that the ancestor might become a target of the Longevity Sect. He quickly turned and used a special communicator to send a message to the ancestor. When they escaped at sea, he had repeatedly pondered how to approach the ancestor about this matter—minimizing losses for the ancestor and the Lou family while alerting him to the dangers posed by the father-son duo from the Huo family.
After a while, Lou Huaijing returned, wiping his face, and said, "I don't know if the sect intentionally targeted the ancestor. The monsters he was sent to eliminate were created by them. The ancestor said he would be cautious, but I'm still worried."Chi Changye and Gu Yao couldn't deny that it might be a deliberate targeting, considering that they, the sect leader Huo, and the so-called "monsters" were well understood. Sending the Lou family ancestor to eliminate these creatures might be the sect leader covering for his son, or perhaps, despite the leader's authority, Lou Huaijing bringing this matter to light could destabilize the sect internally.
Chi Changye tapped the table and inquired, "Where is Ancestor Lou now? I'll try to arrange support. Ancestor Lou is a renowned Nascent Soul cultivator. Even if we rush there, it might not be of much help and could even fall into a trap."
Lou Huaijing's status, whether alive or not, could be determined by the soul jade left within the sect. Clearly, he hadn't perished. Sending the ancestor out might also have been a lure for Lou Huaijing.
Lou Huaijing was pleased as it was more effective than them going in person. He immediately revealed the ancestor's location. However, the ancestor disagreed with Lou Huaijing rushing over and instead advised him to find a safe place to cultivate. The ancestor trusted Lou Huaijing's account without any suspicion."We're leaving, find a larger city." Chi Changye and Gu Yao swiftly departed, no longer in the dark once back on land. It was easy to locate a major cultivation city, and their goal was to find a shop affiliated with the Mercantile Alliance and Silver Moon Trading Company.
They were grateful for the timely emergence of the Mercantile Alliance. Contacting Zhang Qianfeng in Baihe City and the Silver Moon Trading Company would have been challenging without it. However, since the establishment of the Mercantile Alliance, its influence had spread throughout every corner of the Qianhao continent. Any city would have shops affiliated with the alliance.
Chi Changye believed that the information he possessed could convince Zhang Qianfeng and the Mercantile Alliance to intervene. Before this revelation, no one could have anticipated that the creatures were created by cultivators themselves. Even as they walked through the city, they overheard discussions among passersby about these monsters.
Baihe City.
The appearance of monsters on the Qianhao continent had kept the Mercantile Alliance busy. Although unable to trace the source, the alliance couldn't ignore the presence of these creatures. They mobilized various resources to support cultivators engaged in the extermination efforts.
Lord Liu and Elder Zhang occasionally wondered about Gu Yao and Chi Changye, uncertain of their current whereabouts. However, there was a sense that, regardless of their location, they were likely doing well. Perhaps they were currently concealed, fighting against the monsters.
"Elder Zhang, someone specifically mentioned contacting you, holding items given by you."
Zhang Qianfeng felt a hint of surprise but didn't show it much. He calmly responded, "Alright, I'll go. It's probably another issue with gathering resources. Those major sects always want to scrape off some profit from our Mercantile Alliance."
People listening couldn't help but agree. The Mercantile Alliance's success had made those major sects envious, but they hadn't found an opportunity to intervene. Now, with the appearance of monsters, both sides had room for negotiation, and the Mercantile Alliance became a target.
When Zhang Qianfeng returned, an air of coldness surrounded him. Lord Liu couldn't help but ask, "What happened? Is someone causing trouble for the Mercantile Alliance again?""Madam!" Zhang Qianzhi tightly gripped Lady Liu's hand. He could hardly believe what he heard, but his rational mind told him that Chi Changye had no reason to lie about this matter, especially with a strong witness, the Longevity Sect disciple Lou Huaijing. "If I tell you that the creatures appearing outside are actually artificially created by some major sects, would you believe it?"
Lady Liu immediately realized that Zhang Qianzhi wasn't testing her; he genuinely couldn't accept this shocking truth. She felt a chill in her heart but quickly calmed her mind. "Qianfeng, I recall you mentioning something, that when consolidating various information for the Mercantile Alliance, you said that there were often unknown disappearances of wandering cultivators on the continent. Accumulated over the years, it must be a considerable number."
"Yes!" Zhang Qianfeng became calmer too. Since the problem had surfaced, finding a solution was paramount. Avoidance was the least desirable approach. "Are you suggesting that these wandering cultivators were taken by them... damned! These insane people, aren't they afraid of divine retribution?"
Lady Liu sneered, "Throughout history, have those with evil intentions ever feared divine retribution?"
Zhang Qianfeng nodded, "I need to make some arrangements. Friend Chi asked me to save someone, Lou Huaijing from the Longevity Sect. I also need to contact the leader of the Silver Wolf Tribe. Oddly enough, when Friend Chi asked me to convey a message, he said he has something the Silver Tribe leader needs urgently. Madam, what do you think this means?"
Lady Liu's eyes flashed for a moment but remained silent. Zhang Qianfeng promptly went to contact the Silver Wolf Tribe and organize the necessary actions. Since the Mercantile Alliance was already involved in the monster extermination efforts, redirecting resources to Lou Huaijing's location wouldn't raise suspicion. It also provided an opportunity to verify the truth of Chi Changye's claims.
"You're saying that Young Friend Chi mentioned they have something I desire the most?" The leader of the Silver Wolf Tribe raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking at Zhang Qianfeng on the other end of the communication array.
Zhang Qianfeng shrugged, "Indeed, that's what Friend Chi told me. They just escaped danger and came out of the Ghost Mist Sea."
The Silver Tribe leader paced back and forth in front of the communication array, a slight frown on his forehead. Zhang Qianfeng didn't dare to urge him verbally; although both were Nascent Soul cultivators, there was a distinct hierarchy between them, and the Silver Tribe leader could effortlessly eliminate him."Could it be..." The Silver Tribe leader murmured softly. Zhang Qianfeng couldn't hear what was said on the other end, but the Silver Tribe leader had turned around. His eyes seemed to gleam as he said, "Where are they, and what needs to be done? I will send our people."
After a cryptic conversation, the Silver Tribe leader actually dispatched assistance. Zhang Qianfeng became more intrigued by the implied meaning. He immediately provided the location of Lou Huaijing, and as soon as the Silver Tribe leader received the address, the communication ceased. A command was enough to set the Silver Wolf Tribe members in motion, and their response was even swifter than Zhang Qianfeng's arrangements.
After making the arrangements, Zhang Qianfeng returned to Lady Liu's side and recounted the Silver Tribe leader's reaction.
Lady Liu pondered for a while before saying, "I might guess a bit. Whatever has excited the Silver Tribe leader so much, it must involve either his young son or another significant matter. Think about it; we Nascent Soul cultivators have reached the pinnacle on the Qianhao continent. What comes after Nascent Soul? Where do we, Nascent Soul cultivators, go from here? From what I know, the Silver Tribe leader is among the strongest in the Nascent Soul stage. Can you blame him for being anxious? I even suspect that the appearance of these monsters might be related to this matter."
"I see, I see..." This time, it was Zhang Qianfeng's turn to murmur softly. He had thought that although Chi Changye had great potential, he had not yet formed his Nascent Soul. How could his words garner such attention from the Silver Tribe leader? It wasn't surprising that he hadn't considered such long-term implications, being relatively new compared to other Nascent Soul cultivators. He could afford to wait, but not everyone could.
After contacting Zhang Qianfeng, Chi Changye made arrangements for his people. Those who came with him followed his and Gu Yao's orders obediently. Unfortunately, their physical conditions were less than optimal, and their strength was only at the Foundation Establishment's peak. Currently, they could contribute little. The Qianhao continent was merely a transit station for them. They had no intention of establishing any influence here.
Considering this, Chi Changye and Gu Yao settled them in a town, leaving some resources for them to temporarily stay. Once matters on the other side were dealt with, the two of them would return. They also left Li Changhui behind to take care of them.Following that, they, along with Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing, hurried to the vicinity of the location of the Lou family ancestor, awaiting further information.