Chapter 379: Setting Sail (Part 2)

“Welcome, Fellow Daoist Qu. This humble one is Feng Sanniang of the Six United Palaces, here to oversee the formation alongside everyone.” A middle-aged woman around forty years old stood up and spoke with a warm smile.

Though she couldn’t be called stunningly beautiful, she still possessed a certain charm.

“So it’s Fellow Daoist Feng. I, Qu, offer my respects.” Qu Hun replied neither arrogantly nor humbly, then led Han Li toward the table.

With a quick sweep of his eyes, Han Li had already taken in the unfamiliar cultivators in the hall.

An ordinary-looking middle-aged scholar, a charming young woman in her twenties, an elderly man with grayish-white eyes, and a youth whose body glowed with a reddish hue—along with the woman who called herself Feng Sanniang, that made exactly five.

However, the young woman was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage and stood very close to the scholar, clearly a couple deeply in love. They were likely cultivation partners.

As Han Li was silently assessing the situation, Feng Sanniang spoke with a light laugh, “Fellow Daoist Qu, your timing is perfect. I was just discussing the variations of the ‘Six Evasion Water Ripple Formation’ with everyone. If we can practice and master it beforehand, it will surely make setting up the formation much smoother when the time comes. But before that, let me introduce you to the other fellow Daoists.” Feng Sanniang was evidently very skilled in social interactions; her soft-spoken words immediately bridged the distance between Han Li and the others in the hall.

“These two are Fellow Daoist Mao and his cultivation partner, Fellow Daoist Xue, both esteemed disciples of Island Master Zhantai of Weixing Island!” Feng Sanniang first pointed to the middle-aged scholar and the young woman as she introduced them to Han Li.

“Qu Hun? I know many cultivators from Kuixing Island, yet I’ve never heard of you.” The middle-aged scholar cast a cold glance at Han Li and spoke with a hint of arrogance.

For some reason, the scholar seemed to take an instant dislike to Qu Hun, opening with a clearly provocative remark.

This caused Feng Sanniang’s previously smiling expression to falter for a moment, though she quickly regained her composure.

“I am not originally from Kuixing Island. I’ve only recently arrived to visit my nephew, Han Li, who is settling there. Is it so strange that you haven’t heard of me? Besides, this is the first time I’ve heard your name as well.” Qu Hun retorted calmly without showing any emotion.

“You—”

“Let me introduce you. This elderly gentleman is Fellow Daoist Qing Suanzi, a recluse from Jin’ao Island. Though few know of him, his wood-element spells are virtually unmatched among those in the Foundation Establishment stage. As for Fellow Daoist Yan, he is even more remarkable. He possesses a Dark Fire Body and has mastered the Pure Yang True Flame to an extraordinary degree.”

The middle-aged scholar’s face darkened with anger, and he seemed about to say more, but the woman quickly cut in to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“Fellow Daoist Qing! Fellow Daoist Yan!” Qu Hun nodded slightly in acknowledgment to the old man and the youth.

Although these two were at the same late Foundation Establishment stage as the scholar, the pressure they exuded was far greater, clearly indicating their extraordinary cultivation techniques. Han Li had no intention of offending them lightly.

“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qu!”

“Yan pays his respects!”

Neither of them acted arrogantly, returning Qu Hun’s greeting with polite smiles.

This exchange only seemed to irritate the middle-aged scholar further.

Before Feng Sanniang could say anything else, he suddenly stood up and said sternly, “I wish to return to my room for meditation. We can discuss the formation another time.”

With that, he flicked his sleeve and turned to leave the hall. The young woman shot an apologetic glance at the others before following him out.

“Hmph! What gives him the right to act so high and mighty? Just because he has an island master as his master?” The youth surnamed Yan glowed red with anger as he spoke.

The old man and Feng Sanniang’s expressions shifted slightly, but the old man quickly resumed a neutral demeanor, while Feng Sanniang forced a smile and invited Qu Hun to sit, seemingly unwilling to discuss the scholar further.

“Weren’t there supposed to be six of us? Is Fellow Daoist Xue also part of the formation team?” Qu Hun sat down without ceremony and asked bluntly. Han Li stood quietly behind him, keeping a low profile.

“There is also Fellow Daoist Dou from Huaming Island, but I’ve heard he is cultivating a powerful technique and won’t be leaving his room for the next few days.” Feng Sanniang smiled and explained.

“I see.” Han Li nodded and said nothing more.

But Feng Sanniang seemed particularly interested in Qu Hun, frequently asking unrelated questions, which surprised Han Li, who stood behind Qu Hun. He couldn’t fathom her intentions.

However, when she asked if Qu Hun was familiar with the “Six Evasion Water Ripple Formation,” Qu Hun, under Han Li’s direction, firmly denied it.

Thus, the woman smiled and explained that none of the others were familiar with it either, and began to elucidate the intricacies of the formation to the three of them.

Surprisingly, Feng Sanniang turned out to be a rare formation master!

…

Although the middle-aged scholar seemed at odds with the others, he returned to the hall the next day to listen to Feng Sanniang explain the key points of managing the formation. After all, the Six United Palaces had invited them precisely for this purpose.

Three or four days later, Han Li finally met the other cultivator who had been secluded in his room—a burly, bald man standing seven feet tall, with a fierce expression and a face full of rough features. Despite his intimidating appearance, he was remarkably straightforward and got along well with the others.

Thus, after listening to Feng Sanniang’s explanations of the formation’s intricacies, Han Li and the others frequently had the ship stop so they could fly out to nearby waters and practice the coordination and evolution of the “Six Evasion Water Ripple Formation.” This was to ensure they could successfully capture the demon beast when the time came, to everyone’s satisfaction.

Naturally, this meant the ship progressed slowly, but the Six United Palaces didn’t seem to be in a hurry. Despite the frequent stops, Feng Sanniang remained smiling and never once urged them to hurry.

Once they had thoroughly mastered the formation’s variations, Feng Sanniang wasted no more time and ordered the ship to proceed at full speed. A month later, the ship finally dropped anchor near a small, unnamed deserted island about ten miles in size.

Led by Feng Sanniang, Han Li and the others disembarked.

As soon as they set foot on the island, a blinding golden light streaked across the sky, circling once before them before dissipating to reveal an elderly man with a pale golden complexion, staring expressionlessly at them.

This person showed no fluctuations of spiritual power—he could have been an ordinary mortal without a trace of magic, or someone so profoundly powerful that he could conceal his aura completely. This sent a chill down Han Li’s spine.

“Subordinate Feng Sanniang pays respects to Elder Miao!” Feng Sanniang stepped forward without hesitation and bowed deeply to the elder, her face filled with reverence.

At this point, Han Li and the others behind her immediately understood the elder’s status and hurried forward to pay their respects. A Core Formation cultivator was not someone they could afford to slight.

“No need for formalities. Feng Sanniang, you’ve done well this time, bringing these helpers promptly. Have they mastered the formation? The demon beast we’re dealing with is troublesome—we cannot afford carelessness.” The elder spoke slowly, his expression unchanging.

“Elder, rest assured. The fellow Daoists have thoroughly mastered the variations of the ‘Six Evasion Water Ripple Formation’ and will undoubtedly be able to trap the beast.” Feng Sanniang replied with full confidence.

“Good! Fellow Daoists, our Six United Palaces require your assistance. As long as you contribute earnestly, our palace will not treat you unfairly.” Elder Miao swept his gaze over the scholar and the others, his expression softening into a kindly demeanor.

“Elder, rest assured. We will do our utmost!” Before anyone else could speak, the middle-aged scholar stepped forward eagerly, a flattering smile on his face.

Seeing the scholar’s sycophantic behavior, the others showed slight discomfort but had no choice but to echo his sentiments.

Elder Miao seemed highly satisfied with their attitude. He nodded slightly and continued, “The formation was set up half a day ago. All you need to do is oversee it. Elder Gu is currently engaging and chasing the demon beast in the nearby waters. I will go now to lure it here with him. By tomorrow morning, we should be able to guide the beast into the formation. The rest will be up to you. For now, rest on the island.”

With that, Elder Miao transformed into a golden light and soared into the sky, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

“Fellow Daoists, you’ve all heard Elder Miao’s words. Let’s rest for half a day and gather our strength. Tomorrow, we face a tough battle.” Feng Sanniang turned to them and spoke solemnly.

Naturally, no one had anything else to say at this point, and they all nodded in agreement.

But just then, Qing Suanzi, who had remained largely silent throughout the journey, spoke up woodenly, “Fellow Daoist Feng, we’ve asked you repeatedly what kind of demon beast we’re dealing with, but you’ve always avoided answering. Now that we’re about to act, shouldn’t you finally give us some clarity?”

At this question, the others perked up, their eyes fixed on Feng Sanniang. They shared the same doubt.

What kind of fearsome and rare demon beast could warrant such extensive efforts from the Six United Palaces, with plans laid so meticulously? An ordinary sixth-grade demon beast wouldn’t justify this level of preparation.