Chapter 86 - 83: Returning with a Divine-Seeing Grandmaster
[Name: Chen Ye]
[Profession: Nightwalker (Level 3)]
[Talent: Shadow’s Son]
[Skills: Skillful Hand Level 10, Fast Blade Level 10, Roof Walking Level 10, Stealth Level 5, Throwing Level 5]
[Profession: Pearl Collector (Level 2)]
[Talents: Cold Resistance, Cow and Horse Body]
[Skills: Diving Level 2, Spirit Clam Sensing Level 2]
[Divine-Seeing Grandmaster: To enter the Dao through martial arts and become Immortal. One’s body is a divine weapon; one’s will is Heaven’s Will. The peak of the Martial Dao—an army of one, a nation unto oneself.]
[Talent: Martial Dao Celestial Heart — With heaven and earth as the furnace, all creation as the material, and the heart as the guide, one can refine all Martial Dao Myriad Techniques, shatter all shackles, and advance with valiant courage.]
[Martial Arts: Wind-Slicing Saber Technique Level 10, Mountain-Splitting Force Level 10, Array-Breaking Fist Level 10, Array-Breaking Step Level 10]
[Boat of the Other Shore (Cooldown finished, can be activated again)]
’It’s really here!’
He had actually brought back the Ultimate Profession, Divine-Seeing Grandmaster!
Even though he hadn’t brought back most of his Martial Arts, that didn’t matter at all!
What truly mattered was the Heaven-Defying Level Talent: Martial Dao Celestial Heart!
With it, he could relearn those Martial Arts sooner or later, and even surpass his past self!
Chen Ye suppressed his ecstasy and slowly clenched his fists.
An unprecedented sense of power surged from his limbs and bones. His flesh, sinews, and even every single cell were undergoing a world-shaking transformation.
This was a leap in the very essence of his life!
He could clearly feel his body rapidly approaching the Realm of the "Immortal" from the Martial Dao Realm.
With this power as his foundation, Chen Ye finally had a sliver of confidence.
In the ruthless Black Water Lake, a place that devoured people whole, he finally had the means to live like a decent human being!
However, Chen Ye didn’t let the power go to his head.
This wasn’t the Great Chen Dynasty, where he could blot out the sky with one hand. This was a world where Cultivators truly existed.
The oppressive might of the Blood Lotus Sect hung over this lake like an invisible mountain.
Until he understood the depths of this world, any hint of flamboyance or showing off could bring about a fatal disaster.
Therefore, Chen Ye remained extremely low-key.
Every day, he would take his small boat out onto the lake before dawn, only returning at sunset, dragging his "exhausted" body back.
Others only saw him as diligent, but they didn’t know that he spent most of his time rowing the boat into a remote patch of reeds to either meditate and regulate his breathing or lie back and leisurely soak up the sun.
This time, Chen Ye wasn’t in a hurry to find a High Grade Spirit Pearl to trigger his next transmigration.
On one hand, he needed time to fully assimilate his gains from the two worlds and completely unleash the potential of the Divine-Seeing Grandmaster.
On the other hand, High Grade Spirit Pearls could only be chanced upon, not sought out, so it was pointless to force it.
And just like that, two months flew by.
Suddenly, the Black Water Lake began to change.
The most immediate change was that the lake water became even more bone-chillingly cold than before.
Previously, the ordinary Pearl Collectors could barely withstand the yin cold by relying on the Exorcism Talismans they were issued.
But now, the cold felt as if it could pierce through flesh and seep into the very marrow, freezing even the soul stiff.
Secondly, the dangers underwater had also abruptly increased severalfold.
Bad news was frequently heard of Pearl Collectors meeting with disaster during their Pearl Collection, casting a pall of gloom and misery over the entire small town.
Relying on his strength that far surpassed ordinary people, Chen Ye managed to get through it all with a few scares but no real danger.
But he, too, sensed that something was amiss.
One day, as he was searching underwater, a familiar grayish-white mist billowed out from the silt ahead without any warning, instantly enveloping him.
The White Calamity Qi!
Chen Ye remembered it clearly. The last time he had encountered this stuff was beside that giant clam the size of a millstone. Back then, he had only managed to escape by a stroke of luck, relying on his Nightwalker Talent.
But now...
Chen Ye looked at the mass of mist before him, which radiated an ominous and deathly stillness, his expression completely calm.
He didn’t even try to dodge. He simply threw a punch.
There was no earth-shattering sound. The lake water in front of his fist was instantly sucked away by an invisible force, forming a temporary vacuum.
Then, his powerful qi and blood instantly and utterly destroyed the mass of White Calamity Qi.
Afterward, Chen Ye quickly surfaced and returned to his boat.
’Something is definitely wrong. In the past, this White Calamity Qi only appeared alongside High Grade Spirit Pearls. How can I run into it just by casually going for a dive?’
’Could it be... that some strange transformation has occurred in the Black Water Lake?’
His speculation was soon confirmed.
At dusk, all the Pearl Collectors were summoned to the docks by a High-level Sinner.
The docks were crowded with people, and the atmosphere was oppressive and panicked.
Chen Ye blended into the crowd and looked up. He saw the Blood Lotus Sect Outer Disciple, who was usually arrogant and looked down his nose at everyone, now standing respectfully to the side with a fawning expression, as if waiting for some important figure.
Soon, a flash of blood-red light flickered and vanished in the center of the docks.
When the light faded, a woman in a red dress stood in its place.
The woman was tall and slender with stunning looks and a temperament as cold as ice. A Blood Lotus floral mark on her brow added a touch of demonic charm to her appearance.
The moment she appeared, the entire noisy dock fell instantly silent.
The male Outer Disciple hurried forward, bowed, and said with a voice full of awe, "Disciple Zhao He pays his respects to Senior Sister Li!"
’Senior Sister?’
Chen Ye’s heart stirred.
Looking at Zhao He’s behavior, he could tell that this woman’s Identity must be far above his.
Li Qingyan merely gave him a cold glance before turning her gaze to the dark, gloomy lake before them.
"Is it confirmed?" Her voice was chilly, devoid of any emotion.
"It has been confirmed!"
Zhao He didn’t dare to delay and immediately reported the recent situation in the outer water area again.
It turned out that the Blood Lotus Sect had divided the Black Water Lake into different, strictly hierarchical zones based on the grade of Spirit Pearls produced and the level of danger.
The area where the Pearl Collectors operated was the outer region. The inner core waters were far more treacherous, and only high-Level disciples were permitted to enter.
And Li Qingyan was an Inner Sect Disciple responsible for managing a section of the Inner Water Area.
After hearing the report, Li Qingyan’s elegant brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and she then looked toward the assembled Pearl Collectors.
"The Black Water Lake has been restless lately. It’s possible an Abnormal Clam is about to emerge."
Li Qingyan’s voice wasn’t loud, but it reached every person’s ears with perfect clarity.
"Starting tomorrow, your Exorcism Talismans will be replaced with higher-Level ones. At the same time, your Pearl Collection tasks will be temporarily canceled."
Hearing this, looks of joy appeared on the faces of the Pearl Collectors.
But then they heard Li Qingyan continue, "However, you must enter the water daily to observe any movements at the bottom. If you notice any anomalies, report them immediately. If your report is confirmed, there will be a great reward. You could even be absolved of your Sinful People Identity."
As soon as she said this, the crowd erupted in an uproar.
Absolved of their Sinful People Identity!
For these Pearl Collectors, this was a heaven-sent opportunity, one worth risking their lives for!
Only Chen Ye seemed lost in thought. He quietly retreated to the back, using the crowd as a shield.