Chapter 204: Goddess of the Sea’s Inheritance!
Chen Xuan’s sudden arrival left both Nascent Soul cultivators thoroughly shaken.
The moment they witnessed his speed, both men’s pupils contracted sharply.
They hadn’t even managed to catch a glimpse of his movement.
One moment, the mysterious cultivator had been standing at the edge of the island. The next, he was already between them, as though he had teleported through space itself.
A powerhouse!
At the very least, a Late Stage Nascent Soul cultivator!
The same conclusion erupted in both of their minds.
For a brief moment, even the elderly man who had just offered the Jade Treasure began to question whether he had made the right decision.
Considering the overwhelming demonic aura surrounding this mysterious expert...
Wouldn’t it be just as easy for him to kill both sides and seize the treasure for himself?
The elderly man’s heart suddenly sank with regret.
Likewise, the demonic cultivator inwardly cursed his terrible luck.
He had merely noticed someone interfering in the White Lotus Sect’s affairs and stepped forward to stop them.
Who could have imagined that such a casual action would end with him offending an expert of this caliber?
Even so, despite his unease, he wasn’t completely terrified.
The White Lotus Sect stood behind him. As long as the other party truly belonged to the demonic path, he should still show some restraint.
Experts of the demonic path valued benefits above all else. There was little reason to provoke a powerful ally over such a minor incident.
Even righteous cultivators wouldn’t act so recklessly, much less the cold, indifferent demonic experts.
Thinking of this, much of his confidence gradually returned.
"Senior, please don’t do anything that would damage the harmony of our demonic faction."
"Surely you haven’t forgotten our agreement?"
As though afraid those words weren’t persuasive enough, he hurriedly added,
"This Jade Treasure is something our Sect Leader has sought for many years. If Senior interferes and causes his plans to fail..."
He deliberately left the sentence unfinished. The threat hidden within his words was already obvious enough.
Unfortunately for him... Chen Xuan wasn’t paying much attention.
His thoughts remained fixed on a single phrase.
Jade Treasure.
He had never heard that name before. Yet the moment those two words entered his ears, several seemingly unrelated clues immediately connected inside his mind.
He recalled the Goddess of the Sea’s inheritance and the Beastkin woman who was still imprisoned by this clone.
More importantly, he remembered the five "keys" required to unlock that inheritance.
Thus far, he had already collected four. Only a single ornament remained missing.
If the so-called Jade Treasure truly was the final key to the Goddess of the Sea’s inheritance... then today’s trip had yielded an unexpected harvest.
’What happened? Has my recent breakthrough increased my luck?’
’Not only did I discover a suitable disciple, but I also stumbled upon the very treasure I’ve been searching for all this time.’
Luck itself was an intangible thing.
Aside from the Heavenly Insight Eye, Chen Xuan knew of no technique capable of observing it, much less manipulating it. Still, it was very much real, evidenced by Xiao Huo and his disciples’ existence.
Unfortunately, while he could observe the fortune of others, he couldn’t examine his own. Otherwise, he might have been able to verify his speculation.
Suppressing those thoughts, Chen Xuan shifted his attention back to reality.
The demonic cultivator was still attempting to persuade him not to interfere. Meanwhile, Yu Potian continuously transmitted respectful messages through divine sense, afraid of offending him in the slightest.
Chen Xuan ignored both. Instead, he instinctively activated the Heavenly Insight Eye.
Their status panels appeared before him. Nothing particularly remarkable.
They both possessed Spirit Bodies, and they had already reached the limit of their potential, with only a slim chance of ever advancing further.
However, Chen Xuan wasn’t interested in those details. After dismissing the panels, his gaze shifted toward the invisible fate surrounding the two men.
A dense cloud of misfortune hovered above Yu Potian’s head. The demonic cultivator, meanwhile, possessed an entirely ordinary destiny.
Yet as Chen Xuan silently reached his decision, the scene gradually changed.
The ominous cloud above Yu Potian slowly dispersed. Or rather, it seemed to drift away from him before gathering above the demonic cultivator instead.
Within only a few breaths, Yu Potian’s fate had returned to normal. Meanwhile, dark misfortune completely engulfed his opponent.
This was more than enough to showcase what decision Chen Xuan had made.
Indeed.
Just as the demonic cultivator prepared to continue his persuasion, Chen Xuan calmly reached into his spatial ring.
A black banner appeared in his hand.
Without the slightest fluctuation in expression, he casually waved it forward.
Initially, neither Nascent Soul cultivator realized what had happened. At most, they were surprised by the appearance of the Myriad Souls Banner.
Seeing such an ominous treasure only reinforced their belief that this mysterious expert truly belonged to the demonic path.
Judging by the resentment emanating from the banner alone, the number of lives it had claimed was probably beyond counting.
Yet soon, both finally understood the danger they faced.
The demonic cultivator’s expression changed dramatically. Terror flooded his face.
He hurriedly opened his mouth, hoping to explain himself.
Unfortunately, it was already too late by then.
Countless pitch-black chains erupted from the banner, accompanied by the shrill screams of countless resentful ghosts.
Their speed was horrifying.
One instant, they remained hidden within the black mist.
The next, they had already arrived before him.
Bang! Bang!
Two explosions echoed almost simultaneously.
The first shattered his physical body into countless fragments.
The second occurred as the black chains wrapped around his escaping Nascent Soul, dragging it screaming into the depths of the banner.
Only then did everything fall silent.
The chains quietly retreated. As did the demonic cultivator.
From beginning to end, the entire exchange had lasted less than a single breath.
Most cultivators present hadn’t even managed to see the chains clearly. All they witnessed was a Nascent Soul expert vanishing without a trace.
Yu Potian, however, had seen everything. Although weaker than Chen Xuan, he was still a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator.
Precisely because he understood what had happened, his heart trembled even more violently.
For a split second, every instinct within him screamed for him to flee.
Run! Escape as far away as possible!
Thankfully, reason prevailed before he acted.
Feeling Chen Xuan’s calm gaze resting upon him—and sensing the divine sense that had already locked onto him long ago—Yu Potian forcibly suppressed that impulse.
He wasn’t fooled by the young man’s peaceful appearance.
This was someone who had casually erased a fellow Nascent Soul cultivator without blinking.
Attempting to flee would only hasten his own death.
Taking a deep breath, Yu Potian instead did something completely contrary to his instincts.
He slowly stepped forward and respectfully cupped his fists.
"Senior, your divine abilities are truly heaven-shaking!"
"I never imagined an expert of your stature would grace our humble Pure Glaze Island."
"This is truly the blessing of my ancestors! I’ll pass today’s story down to my descendants, and they’ll surely pass it to theirs as well."
His astonishingly smooth transition into flattery left even Chen Xuan momentarily speechless.
He hadn’t expected this elderly cultivator to possess such... remarkable adaptability.
Unable to help himself, Chen Xuan took another careful look at him.
White hair. Black eyes. A long, somewhat messy white beard.
From his appearance alone, he looked every bit the secluded senior cultivator.
Yet the broad, flattering smile plastered across his face completely ruined the image. Rather than an aloof expert, he resembled a veteran merchant who had spent centuries negotiating deals.
Chen Xuan couldn’t help sighing inwardly.
’No wonder a rogue cultivator with only a Spirit Body managed to reach the Nascent Soul Realm.’
’This man... has such a keen eyesight!’ Chen Xuan praised, patiently listening to Yu Potian’s endless stream of praise with an ever-growing faint smile.
Only after several minutes—when the elderly man began repeating himself—did Chen Xuan finally raise a hand.
"That’s enough."
"There’s no need to flatter me."
"I only saved you for Xiao Lingxi’s sake and for the Jade Treasure."
Xiao Lingxi?
Yu Potian searched through his memories. Unfortunately, the name meant nothing to him.
Still, that wasn’t particularly surprising.
Although Pure Glaze Island belonged to the Yu Clan, the family had branched out for countless generations. Its members numbered in the tens of thousands.
Judging from the surname Xiao, the girl was obviously from one of those collateral branches.
Even while making that deduction—and silently resolving to have someone investigate afterward—Yu Potian’s smile never faltered.
"Senior, please rest assured. I have no intention of going back on my word."
"The Jade Treasure will naturally be presented to you."
He paused briefly before lowering his gaze toward the battlefields below. Hatred gradually surfaced within his eyes as he looked at the demonic cultivators still slaughtering his clansmen.
"But before that, may this junior ask Senior for a little time?"
"I would like to personally settle the score with these people."