Congyun Sea, on a deserted island.
Sikong Yi and Bai Li Chen cautiously surveyed their surroundings. After confirming that no one had followed them, they finally entered their hidden cave abode, which they had carefully constructed.
The interior was small and quite simple. Despite this, Sikong Yi felt unusually secure inside.
Bai Li Chen’s clone stood at the entrance, vigilantly on guard. Meanwhile, Sikong Yi himself relaxed completely, lying on the bed and contemplating his future plans.
“If my guess is correct, the strange phenomenon at the center of Congyun Sea should be the precursor to the appearance of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.”
“And the ‘Cloud Water Atlas’ should be located in these ruins.”
“100,000 contribution points,” Sikong Yi’s eyes glimmered with a hint of desire.
However, a moment later, hesitation clouded his expression.
“The Cloud Water Heavenly Palace likely still has descendants in the world. If I impersonate a disciple and am discovered…”
Recently, while his clone was practicing the ‘Sea-Stabilizing Divine Sword’ technique, it had unexpectedly sensed that someone else in Congyun Sea was also cultivating the same technique. This was surprising, as he had obtained this Golden Core technique from the remains of a Cloud Water Heavenly Palace disciple many years ago. By all rights, no one else should know of it.
And yet, here it was.
His first reaction was that there must still be descendants of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace alive. He had originally intended to investigate further, but the closer he got to the target location, the stronger the feeling of dread became.
If he had gone, he would have been walking into certain death!
Realizing this, Sikong Yi fled immediately in fear. After narrowly escaping, he found himself unable to eat or sleep peacefully, constantly worried that the person who shared his technique would track him down.
“The Golden Core technique may be precious, but compared to my life, it’s not worth the risk.”
After much hesitation, he decided to temporarily suppress the ‘Sea-Stabilizing Divine Sword’ technique, leaving only his pure cultivation power in his dantian. As a result, the strength of his clone significantly weakened. During this time, he acted with extreme caution, rarely leaving the safety of either the Tianxuan Mirror or this secret cave abode.
But now, as the day of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace’s opening approached, his thoughts began to stir again.
“100,000 contribution points, 100,000 contribution points…”
He muttered under his breath, a decisive glint flashing in his eyes.
“That old turtle Taiyi is not in his right mind. I’ll hurry to him first, then re-cultivate the ‘Sea-Stabilizing Divine Sword’, disguise myself as a Cloud Water Heavenly Palace disciple, and steal the Cloud Water Atlas.”
“Once I leave the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, I’ll quickly disperse my cultivation and head to the Tianxuan Mirror to claim my reward. By the time that descendant realizes something’s wrong, it will be too late to find me.”
“All I need to do is be faster than them.”
“Fortune favors the bold!”
Having made up his mind, Sikong Yi let out a long breath and was just about to take a well-deserved rest before his adventure when he suddenly noticed movement at the entrance of the cave.
His face changed dramatically, and he quickly got up, rushing to the entrance, where he and his clone stood on high alert.
“Is Daoist Bai Li present?”
The voice caused Sikong Yi’s heart to leap into his throat.
“Who is it? How do they know my identity? And how do they know about this cave abode?”
A flurry of faces flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed each one.
Narrowing his eyes, neither Sikong Yi nor Bai Li Chen responded. Instead, they took out their magical artifacts from their storage rings, secretly gathering their strength.
Seeing no reply, the voice outside spoke again, “Hehe, Daoist Bai Li, there’s no need to worry. I mean no harm.”
“I’ve come uninvited this time simply for the 100,000 contribution points related to the Cloud Water Atlas.”
Sikong Yi was shaken to the core by these words. His hands trembled, nearly dropping his magical artifact.
His expression fluctuated wildly, and after thinking it over for a long time, he finally spoke. He controlled his clone to ask in a hoarse voice, “What do you mean?”
The person outside chuckled, “Daoist Bai Li, you don’t need to play dumb. Did you really think that no one else besides you knows the origins of the ‘Sea-Stabilizing Divine Sword’?”
Realizing that the person wasn’t bluffing, Sikong Yi fell silent for a long while before speaking in a low voice, “What do you want?”
“What do I want? That’s a funny way to put it.” The voice outside laughed, “Naturally, I want a share of the profits. Who wouldn’t be tempted by 100,000 contribution points?”
Now that he knew the other person’s intentions, Sikong Yi actually felt somewhat relieved. After pondering it for a while, he finally disabled the entrance’s restrictions and, with his clone at his back, stepped out cautiously.
Outside the cave stood a plain-looking middle-aged cultivator with a thin face and a small goatee.
“There’s no need to be so tense. I mean no harm. I am Han Wuyou,” the middle-aged cultivator said, cupping his hands with a faint smile.
“Say what you came here for!” Sikong Yi was no longer as tense upon seeing that the man only had Qi Condensation cultivation.
After some back-and-forth, Sikong Yi learned the truth of the situation. It turned out that Han Wuyou had accidentally witnessed the battle in which Sikong Yi’s clone had used the ‘Sea-Stabilizing Divine Sword.’ Although Han Wuyou’s cultivation wasn’t high, he was well-read and had recognized the technique as originating from the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.
Recently, the strange phenomena at the center of Congyun Sea had caught his attention as well. After observing the scene briefly, he speculated that the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace was about to reappear. He connected this to the mission offering 100,000 contribution points and deduced that Bai Li Chen, having inherited the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace’s legacy, was certain to acquire the Cloud Water Atlas.
This was why he had followed them secretly and came to visit.
“Getting the Cloud Water Atlas is my own skill. Why should I share the profits with you?” Sikong Yi said angrily.
“Hehe, Daoist, you’re joking. You wouldn’t want news of your obtaining the legacy of an ancient sect to spread across Congyun Sea, would you?” Han Wuyou stroked his goatee, his eyes flashing with a cold gleam.
Killing intent rose in Sikong Yi’s heart, but before he could act, Han Wuyou continued, “But I don’t intend to take your benefits for nothing.”
“You have your path to wealth, and I have my way to the heavens.”
“If you’re willing to share some of the 100,000 contribution points with me, I also have a good opportunity to offer you.”
“With the three of us working together, 100,000 contribution points will just be the beginning!”
Sikong Yi’s interest was piqued. “Explain yourself clearly!”
Han Wuyou smiled slightly and said, “Even if we earn 100,000 contribution points, we’re still small fish. We would burn through it quickly. Isn’t that true?”
Sikong Yi thought for a moment, then nodded. “The speed at which Qi Condensation cultivators can earn contribution points is indeed slow. But once I break through to Foundation Establishment…”
Han Wuyou waved a hand dismissively. “So what if you reach Foundation Establishment? Are there few Foundation Establishment cultivators in Congyun Sea? Aren’t they all still struggling for those meager contribution points? Even for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, earning 100,000 contribution points would take 10 or 20 years, even without eating or drinking.”
“Then what brilliant plan do you have?” Sikong Yi asked skeptically.
Han Wuyou raised his head proudly, “Have you ever heard of Master Li Fan?”
Sikong Yi’s body shook as he exclaimed, “You mean, the ancient Heavenly Mechanism Sect cultivator, the one renowned for his divination skills and wealth, rivaling nations?”
Han Wuyou nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. “Indeed! I am acquainted with Master Li’s…”
He paused for effect, then added, “friend, Senior He Zhenghao!”
