Chapter 549: Harassing the Enemy for Three Years

Inside a spacious palace.

"Bastard! That fucking bastard!" shouted the sect master, who donned a Daoist robe and had hair with streaks of white.

There were eight chairs on each side of the hall, though only four were occupied. Long Aotian, the only person seated on the left, wore an expression just as dark as the sect master's.

The three on the right were the other Heavenly Immortal elders of the Celestial Wind Sect. Based on the number of seats, the sect seemed to have nine Heavenly Immortals, including the sect master.

Well, they used to have nine.

Hundreds of people stood in long rows below the high seats, their heads bowed. No one dared make a sound.

The sect master stood up and looked over the crowd below. Slowly, he contained his anger.

He had just finished a long period of meditation when his people had given him a report on what had happened over the last few years. Even though he tried to be a fair and kind ruler, he was so angry that his Dao Heart destabilized.

"In just three years, that nameless sword immortal, who destroyed our mine, has killed hundreds of our soldiers and nineteen of our leaders! Yet you're telling me you can't do anything about it?! Raise your heads, all of you!"

The leaders did as instructed. Some looked scared, while others looked like they couldn't care less.

A female elder stood up and bowed. "Sect Master, the leaders did their best. The thief is just too hard to catch. He moves in a way we cannot predict and uses the ancient battlefield to hide. Also, we only suffered casualties from his first few attacks. We've since raised our guard and thwarted all of his recent plans."

The sect master looked at her.

In response, the female immortal quickly lowered her head and softly added, "Furthermore, the young master and Elder Tan Lang have already taken many experts to search for his trail. We're just waiting for good news now."

"He's just one man, yet he has done so much damage to our sect!" The sect master sighed deeply. "At this rate, we won't even be able to say that our sect has a smooth road ahead, much less think of ruling the thirteen qi stars!"

The people in the palace stayed silent.

Long Aotian reasoned, "We really tried everything, Sect Master, but that thief is quite strong. He has two strange artifacts and a powerful sword art. Even Heavenly Immortals struggle against him in a fight."

Another elder added, "What's even more strange is that we've tried everything we could, yet we still haven't found him. It is as if he comes from the void and returns to the void."

The female elder countered, "He's only using some secret techniques to hide his presence. There is nothing magical about it."

Appearing to be in deep thought, the sect master sat back down. The noise quickly died down.

"What does the person look like?" he asked.

A True Immortal below loudly replied, "He covers his face with a white bone mask. I fought with him once, but he was too strong. His sword energy injured me."

The sect master said gently, "Those two treasures have very old origins. It is only natural that you were not a match for him. How many times has he appeared in total? Where did he appear each time?"

"The sword immortal came back three years ago and has since attacked twelve times," the female elder answered. "Aside from the first and seventh, when he ambushed two of our outposts, he only attacked our restricted lands on the ancient battlefield.

"He has also destroyed some of our breeding grounds for celestial insects. Our profits from those insects have dropped by nearly ten percent over the past three years. If that child manages to survive, he'll be a serious threat to our sect."

The sect master thought for a moment. "Have the two experts from the North-River Sword Sect said anything?"

Long Aotian chuckled coldly. "Honestly, we only have to find that little thief's trail. Those two experts will naturally do the rest and catch him. They will certainly be faster than us."

The sect master nodded. He then ordered, "Send out notices across all thirteen qi stars that we're offering three thousand Immortal Stones and three artifacts to anyone who can provide actual information on that sword immortal's location.

"Those who can catch and bring him to us will be rewarded with nine thousand Immortal Stones and nine artifacts. Either way, those who help us get closer to catching him will be allowed to join our sect to cultivate."

All the immortals responded, "Yes, Sect Master!"

"Elder Long—no, Elder Long and Elder Qi. You two are to take a team and search the ancient battlefield with Tianyao and Elder Tan Lang."

Long Aotian and the female Heavenly Immortal immediately rose and gathered their respective forces. They led several dozen True Immortals out of the great palace, doubling the forces hunting down the nameless sword immortal.

The sect master then asked, "How has the Fengli Sect reacted to this matter?"

A leader below replied, "They haven't reacted at all, Sect Master. However, I suspect that the sword cultivator's ability to come and go without a trace is connected to them!"

The sect master frowned. "With our three main elders still in seclusion, it isn't a good idea to start a fight with them now. Do any of you know other ways to locate someone?"

The elder who had not spoken all this time finally broke his silence. "I know of one, but it requires asking for help from others."

"Oh? What is it?"

The elder smiled. "Divination arts. I have some basic knowledge of this Dao, but I'm by no means an expert on it. Throughout history, many talented people have found their own fated opportunities using divination."

"I wonder if the North-River Sword Sect has a member with such a talent."

"We don't need to look that far. In the thirteen qi stars, I know of a famous person who's skilled in divination."

"A famous expert? Why have we not hired them yet?"

The elder's smile turned bitter. "Because he's the sect master of the Xinghai Sect. Yao Xingzi's master, the Old Man of Xinghai, was once a well-known divination master in the Eastern Sky Region and had countless friends. Unfortunately, he revealed too much of the heavenly secrets, making it impossible for him to reach immortality.

"Yao Xingzi's divination art is quite powerful as well, but he's devoted to cultivation and has never revealed it to others. However, several dozen years ago, he once used divination to identify traitors within his sect. If we can get him to act, he'll certainly be able to find that little thief."

"In that case, I must trouble you to make a trip to the Xinghai Sect, Elder Meng. Prepare some gifts. If necessary, you may also agree to certain conditions from the Xinghai Sect. Do whatever it takes to make Yao Xingzi divine a hexagram and help us eliminate this calamity as soon as possible!"

The elder immediately bowed and performed a Daoist salute. "Yes, Sect Master!"

***

"I've been out here for three years. It's about time I head back."

While drifting along the edge of the ancient battlefield, Wang Sheng lay on his back against a soft cushion in the Shadowless Shuttle, idly playing with and gently rolling two jade walnuts in his hands.

Recently, stirring up trouble had yielded minimal effect.

The Celestial Wind Sect had grown smarter. They gathered large numbers of experts in one place or simply stationed a squad or two of celestial soldiers within certain restricted lands. Moreover, their True Immortals had gone into complete hiding.

Wang Sheng knew that those individuals had gone back to their sect's three qi planets. Since his enemy's main bases were located on those planets, he didn't dare approach them for now.

Though he had to cause trouble, his life was far more important.

If Mu Wanxuan came, then he could throw away both his life and the act of causing trouble.

"I wonder if Yaoyun has brought some videos of Senior Sister with her." Wang Sheng sighed, put away the jade walnuts, and took out a celestial fruit.

He took a bite of it, causing fragrance to envelop his lips and teeth. Not long after, as the aftertaste spread, he uttered elegant praises.

Alright. Time to go back to the Xinghai Sect and cultivate.

He still had forty to fifty years before Yaoyun returned, which was ample time to continue dealing with the Celestial Wind Sect.

Wang Sheng had killed several hundred celestial soldiers, eliminated nearly twenty True Immortals, and injured around seventeen or eighteen of their other experts. He had essentially killed enough people to have wiped out a mid-sized celestial sect in this region.

Nevertheless, it was far from a devastating blow for the Celestial Wind Sect. Otherwise, the Fengli Sect would have certainly taken advantage of the chaos already.

For now, he would return to the Xinghai Sect to cultivate for ten to twenty years, then come back out with the sect master to repeat the same old tricks. By then, the Celestial Wind Sect would have let its guard down again.

He made his immortal perception sweep across the surroundings, quickly determined his direction, and drove the Shadowless Shuttle straight toward Jinhua. Half a day later, beneath the primal qi passage of Jinhua, he arrived at the Celestial Wind Sect's newly rebuilt base.

With his greatsword strapped across his back, he looked at the six celestial soldiers ahead, who had turned pale. He even remembered two of them; they were also the gatekeepers back when he had come to Jinhua three years ago.

Wang Sheng drew his sword and cleaved downward. With a thunderous crash, the plaque and the gate structure behind it collapsed. The six celestial soldiers immediately cried out in alarm and dodged to both sides.

He paid them no attention at all. Instead, he charged straight into the courtyard, slashing and hacking. Using his increasingly smooth Thirty-Six Dragon-Slaying Strikes, he destroyed building after building.

Seven individuals flashed in from different directions, but unlike their predecessors, they didn't try to stop him. Instead, they crushed their transmission jade talismans and fled in different directions.

Wang Sheng quietly locked onto the one with the highest cultivation and used Soaring Red Feathers to give chase. In the blink of an eye, he intercepted the target and swung his greatsword horizontally.

His target had no intention of fighting at all. As soon as he saw the sword cultivator come with ferocious momentum, he fully unleashed his immortal power, which damaged his own primal qi, and fled desperately back the way he came. He didn't slow down in the slightest, even when sword energy cleaved and injured him.

Within the ruins, the glow of a teleportation array resembling a dried well had already begun to flicker.

Wang Sheng snorted coldly. Stopping the chase, he raised his head and glanced at the primal qi passage. He then transformed into a mass of flames and shot straight toward its entrance.

"Don't let him escape! He's trying to leave the thirteen stars!" a True Immortal roared angrily while hiding as unmovingly as a mountain in the distance.

With everyone watching, Wang Sheng seemingly entered the passage. What they did not see was that before reaching the layer of "light membrane" at its edge, he had already taken out a piece of wood and ignited it using his escape technique's fire.

Right before he collided with the passage, he dispersed the Soaring Red Feathers, shifted to the side, and slipped swiftly into the Shadowless Shuttle. Only the piece of wood crashed into the thin membrane.

He wasn't sure if this trick would succeed in deceiving the heavens, but trying was always better than not.

Piloting the Shadowless Shuttle, he quietly slipped away and headed straight to Fengmo.

He had done his best to stage the sword immortal's departure from the thirteen qi planets. Now, he could only hope that the Celestial Wind Sect believed it.

Wang Sheng originally planned to change his disguise and meet Huai Jing and the others in Xinghai City. However, upon getting closer to Fengmo, he sensed two familiar Heavenly Immortal auras. They were so blatant that Wang Sheng had no trouble determining that they belonged to the North-River Sword Sect's two Heavenly Immortals.

Wait, why are they in the Xinghai Sect?

Wang Sheng frowned deeply. With his mind racing, he quickly formed a plan. He piloted the Shadowless Shuttle into Fengmo and hurried back toward the vicinity of the Xinghai Sect.