Chapter 1359: Undercurrent

A faint white light rose from the forest, revealing a hovering ship over twenty zhang in length.

The ship had two levels, its entire body pristine white as if forged from fine jade. Its surface was engraved with peculiar cloud-like patterns, shimmering with golden and silver runes, exuding an extraordinary aura.

With a slight tremble, the golden and silver runes suddenly burst apart, transforming into wisps of white clouds that enveloped the ship, turning it into what appeared to be an ordinary massive cloud.

The cloud then swirled silently before drifting off in a certain direction.

A bizarre scene unfolded!

Though the cloud seemed light and slow-moving, it traversed over a hundred zhang in the blink of an eye, its speed rivaling that of a typical Deity Transformation cultivator.

“Impressive. As expected of the Long Family, who oversee the human auction houses. Even a long-distance spirit vessel like this is within their possession. While the Spirit Cloud Ship isn’t particularly rare, one with such speed must be among the finest of its kind,” Xiao Hong remarked from the bow, surveying the ship with a satisfied nod.

“You flatter me, Fairy Xiao. As one of the Seven Great Demon Tribes, your people have surely seen treasures far beyond this humble vessel. Its speed is merely passable. However, the ship’s interior is quite spacious, with over a dozen meditation chambers. Aside from one person needing to remain vigilant outside each day, the rest can rest in their chambers. If all goes smoothly, half a year won’t feel too long—perhaps just the span of a single cultivation session,” Long Dong replied courteously.

“That works. Each of us will take turns on watch for ten days, while the others may move freely aboard. Let’s each select a chamber first,” the black-robed woman agreed.

Hearing this, Han Li and the others had no objections and promptly chose their preferred chambers.

Naturally, since these were their personal quarters for rest and cultivation, each set up additional restrictions to prevent prying eyes.

After a brief discussion, the five arranged their watch rotation.

Coincidentally, Han Li was assigned the last shift—meaning his turn wouldn’t come until forty days later.

Once everything was settled, Han Li wasted no time in entering his chamber and activating the restrictions.

The others, including the black-robed woman, did much the same.

Only Long Dong, who was on duty, remained outside.

With a faint smirk, he returned to the ship’s bow, flipping his hand to produce an emerald-green meditation cushion.

Placing it on the deck, he sat cross-legged upon it.

“Half a year… I truly look forward to that day,” the blood-marked youth murmured under his breath, his lips twitching with excitement before he closed his eyes, a peculiar smile lingering on his face.

—

In a chamber several zhang wide, Xiao Hong and the white-browed youth sat facing each other on wooden chairs.

“What? You’re saying that girl Ye Ying possesses the bloodline of the Heavenly Phoenix? She’s from a True Spirit Family?” The white-browed youth looked stunned, as if he had just heard something unbelievable.

“Why so surprised, Fellow Daoist Li? Your Black Eagle Tribe is a rare avian race—surely you sensed traces of her Heavenly Phoenix bloodline. Though our Black Phoenix Tribe is merely a branch of the phoenix lineage, in terms of purity, we cannot compare to her. But detecting her bloodline was effortless—there’s no mistake,” Xiao Hong said solemnly.

“So that’s why! No wonder I felt uneasy the moment I saw her, even acting somewhat rashly in the forest. But why are you telling me this? Do you have some scheme in mind?” The white-browed youth exhaled slowly, his expression turning peculiar.

“Nothing much. If she carried the blood of any other True Spirit, I wouldn’t care. But the Heavenly Phoenix—the sovereign of all avian creatures—is different. You know what that means, don’t you?” Xiao Hong smiled sweetly, though her eyes turned icy.

“Of course I understand. But don’t forget the elders’ orders and the importance of this mission to our tribes. If personal ambitions jeopardize our task, neither of us will live to enjoy the Heavenly Phoenix’s blood, no matter how precious it is,” the white-browed youth retorted after a moment of silence.

“Giggle! When did I ever suggest acting before we reach our destination? The mission comes first, naturally. But afterward… well, there’s nothing stopping us then,” Xiao Hong chuckled.

“Afterward? Hmm, if it doesn’t interfere with the mission, I suppose it’s possible. But what if the other two intervene? And even if we succeed, how do we split the blood? It can’t be divided,” the white-browed youth mused, shaking his head.

“While the Heavenly Phoenix’s blood is useful to you, its significance to our Black Phoenix Tribe is far greater. How about this: if you help me obtain it, I’ll reward you with three Blackflame Pills. As for the other two, I’ll find a way to divert them. Besides, the Blackleaf Forest is treacherous—who knows if they’ll even survive?” The woman gritted her teeth, offering an astonishing bargain.

“Three Blackflame Pills? You’re serious?” The white-browed youth’s eyes widened in delight.

“I hold some standing in the Black Phoenix Tribe. Though these pills are priceless, I’ve managed to refine three over the years—originally reserved for my breakthrough to the Void Refinement stage,” she admitted with a bitter smile.

“Then it’s settled. Once the mission is complete, I’ll assist you on the return journey. But extracting True Spirit blood is no easy feat, especially from a lineage as ancient as hers—it’s practically fused with her body,” the white-browed youth cautioned.

“Rest assured, our tribe has spent centuries researching the extraction of Heavenly Phoenix blood. I’m at least seventy to eighty percent confident,” Xiao Hong declared proudly.

“With such confidence, I’m satisfied,” the white-browed youth nodded in approval.

—

In another chamber, the white-robed girl Ye Ying sat cross-legged on a jade bed, her hands forming seals. Behind her head, a green halo several chi in diameter slowly rotated.

Upon closer inspection, the halo was perfectly circular, its edges flickering with white flames a foot high. At its center sat a faint humanoid silhouette, resembling the girl in miniature, also meditating with closed eyes and hand seals.

Suddenly, the girl’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smile—an expression mirrored perfectly by the silhouette within the halo, as if they were one and the same.

The sight was eerily uncanny.

—

Meanwhile, Han Li paced his chamber, his face expressionless but his eyes flickering with thought.

In one corner of the room, two small creatures rested on a jade table.

One was a leopard cub the size of a wildcat, sprawled lazily with limbs splayed.

Perched atop its furry head was a tiny black monkey, no more than a few inches tall, its gleaming eyes fixed intently on Han Li with remarkable intelligence.

Abruptly, Han Li halted. With a flip of his palm, he produced a small vial and a milky-white jade slip.

The vial bore ancient inscriptions—three characters reading “Dustbane Pill.”

After stroking the vial pensively, he sighed and stored it away, leaving only the jade slip in hand.

This slip had been left behind by the mysterious visitors who came to him before his departure from Skydeep City.

Han Li examined it briefly before pressing it to his forehead, immersing his divine sense within.

The slip contained an enormous map, though it appeared incomplete. At the edge of the missing section, a faint golden dot pulsed.

Though he had reviewed it multiple times, Han Li scrutinized it once more, as if searching for hidden clues.

—

Countless li away in Skydeep City, within a heavily concealed underground chamber, a monk and a Daoist sat facing each other across a plain stone table.

The Daoist appeared to be in his forties, with thick brows, large eyes, and a golden complexion.

The monk, however, was an elderly man with a half-foot-long white beard, his face deeply wrinkled and eyes narrowed to slits, as if too aged to open them fully.

“By my calculations, those dispatched to the other tribes should have already gathered and be en route,” the monk said weakly.

“Indeed, the timing aligns. But I still don’t understand why, after emerging from seclusion, Senior Brother Jinyue altered the original plan to send these juniors into foreign lands. They’re among the most promising of the newly ascended cultivators. You know as well as I that these intelligence-gathering missions, though seemingly straightforward, are perilous. The demons claim to cooperate, but their true intentions may differ,” the Daoist replied, frowning.

“You know why the foreign tribes are stirring, don’t you?” the monk countered slowly.

“Of course. It’s because of the new entry on the Primal Chaos Spirit Ranking—an Xuantian Treasure, ranked within the top three. The ‘Xuantian Slaying Spirit Sword,’ if I recall,” the Daoist answered gravely.