Chapter 1198: Lively Coral Forest
Both Ye Tu and Teng Jiwen didn’t oppose or support his decision.
Li Qiye looked around the area a bit to make sure everything was ready before telling the two: “Okay, the two of you should change as well. Transform and conceal your identities, it’s up to you.”
“Transform?” Teng Jiwen was surprised. After all, he was the descendant of the Heavenvine Citadel. His conduct was open and straightforward, there was no need to hide or do anything in secret.
Li Qiye smiled and said: “There will be disputes when benefits are up for grabs. Conflicts are inevitable, so when one of you happens to be from the Void Imperfection School and the other from the Heavenvine Citadel, it will have a negative influence if you two follow me around killing.”
Ye Tu quickly said: “Young Noble, rest assured, the schoolmaster told me to guide you and be a good host. If anything happens in our territory, we will maneuver all three schools.”
This was not an exaggeration or a careless statement. There were very few things that the three schools couldn’t handle due to their sheer strength.
Teng Jiwen supported him as well: “Ye Tu is right, your enemy is our citadel’s enemy. We will always tread together with you.”
The Sunflower Forefather had instructed him earlier. This type of little trouble didn’t matter to their citadel, so they naturally wanted to take on some risk for Li Qiye.
“The two of you are mistaken.” Li Qiye shook his head and smiled: “That isn’t what I meant. Not wanting to cause trouble for the two of you is only a small part of the reason. The truth is that I don’t want you to block my way.”
“Block your way?” The two of them were a bit confused after hearing this.
Li Qiye explained: “With you two and your sects, who would dare to come and provoke me? How can I find a reason to kill then?”
Such words astounded the two; it was as if the guy was overzealous in his quest to become a mass murderer.
“There’s no need to overthink things.” Li Qiye chuckled: “I love trouble, especially those who come to chase me. The more the better so I can have a baptism of blood. This is the only thing that makes me feel alive and gets my blood boiling.”
With that, a glimmer of amusement flashed deep in his eyes. He could imagine this day play out already.
The two of them glanced at each other. For some reason, Li Qiye’s smile creeped them out; it was like a beast showing a kind smile to a little rabbit. Anyone would be scared after seeing this smile.
This had a greater effect on Teng Jiwen. He remembered when Li Qiye didn’t care for anything back at the Heavenvine Citadel. He held the ancestors in disdain and ignored absolutely everything. Just imagining the possible massacre back at the citadel left him shuddering. He could smell a sanguine stench right now. There was a faint scene of carnage with mountains of flesh and rivers of blood.
The two of them quickly hid their true identities and turned into ordinary attendants before standing next to Li Qiye.
Li Qiye sat down in a meditative pose inside the coral forest and slowly closed his eyes as if he was hibernating.
He was not the only one to occupy an area here at the coral forest. Many people had occupied their own locations and drawn circles around their chosen zones to warn others.
In a few short days, the vast coral forest became quite crowded. The latecomers didn’t have any spots, so conflicts became inevitable. In this enclosed situation, those who came from powerful sects or were personally strong were at a great advantage. No one dared to compete with them for the hills. Even if they came later, they could easily seize others’ territories.
Thus, the place became particularly lively in a short amount of time. All kinds of cultivators from all the races appeared in the forest to wait for the flowers to blossom.
Battles and robberies were common everyday occurrences. Many cultivators had yet to see the blossoming coral flowers before they fell in these struggles.
Yan Yanglong came as well during this waiting period. He came by himself; the places he stepped on were illuminated by sunlight.
After walking around the coral forest, he chose a hill near the Bottomless Trench. The problem was that some other cultivators had already claimed it.
He stood above them while sweeping over them with his eyes and told these cultivators: “This place is mine. Will you leave by your own volition or will I have to resort to force?”
The people who occupied this land didn’t want to fight against Yan Yanglong, so they packed their items and handed this hill over to him.
No one would laugh at them for conceding in this fashion. Yan Yanglong was a disciple of the Extreme Yang Monarch. This meant that he had enough strength to look down on them. Which minor sect or vagrant cultivator was willing to mess with the monarch’s disciple?
Not long after this event, Gongsun Qianer arrived as well. Her entourage was much bigger than Yan Yanglong’s. Her followers were all powerful. Their group, under her lead, was quite bullish; everyone had to make way for them.
No one dared to say a word about her aggressive attitude. Even though she was only a maid, they didn’t look down on her status and strength.
Her master was a concubine of the Profound God-Monarch — this was a young character known by all in the Heaven Spirit World. He came from Gu Chun’s four branches and had already become a God-Monarch. It could be said that he was invincible among the younger generation.
In terms of status and power, Yan Yanglong was not necessarily higher than Gongsun Qianer at all.
She took fancy to a bay close to the trench due to its excellent location. It had changed masters several times, so the current cultivator occupying it wasn’t friendly at all. He also came from a big sect and had just killed the last person who occupied this location.
She glanced over and told this cultivator: “Scram, this place is mine.”
However, he didn’t leave. He came from a big sect that was also quite famous at the Jade Sea. If he was to scram after she told him so, how could he have any face left?
He replied with a cold expression: “You are too overbearing, I have already occupied this place.”
She declared in a domineering manner: “I’ll make you scram then.” She had a high status back at the Profound Sea Dynasty, one of the four branches, so she didn’t care for a young cultivator of the same generation as her.
This cultivator stood up and sneered: “Fine, let me see the great techniques of the Profound Sea Dynasty, I hope you have at least learned a little from them.”
The followers next to her scowled and wanted to teach this guy a lesson, however she stopped them and revealed a cold smile: “Such impudent words, worthy of death!”
The phoenix hairpin in her hair flew out before she finished speaking.
It was violet in color and turned into a purple ray that moved at an indiscernible speed. It would pierce through people’s forehead before they could react.
This cultivator was also strong and had great reaction speed. With a changed expression, he formed a mudra to stop the hairpin.
“Pluff!” Blood slowly spilled. The cultivator’s eyes were wide open as he fell down. It was useless even if he was faster; his mudra couldn’t stop this hairpin. Not only did it penetrate his mudra, it also went straight through his forehead. It was a fatal blow.
She recalled her hairpin and coldly spat out: “Just an ant.” This hairpin was a treasure bestowed by the Profound Sea God-Monarch. It was quite powerful, so ordinary cultivators couldn’t stop its lethal might.
The crowd was astonished by this and didn’t dare to say a word or come closer. Back at Shallow Beach, she would have scruples about killing people due to it being under the jurisdiction of the Void Imperfection School. However, in this coral forest, she could kill whoever she wanted.
Many people were unwilling to near her in order to avoid getting killed.
Li Qiye’s hill was quite far from the Bottomless Trench. Very few people would care about his location, so it was a quiet stay for him. Of course, he wasn’t here for the needlefish, so he didn’t need to pick a place too close to the Bottomless Trench.
He was sitting here with his eyes closed as if he was sleeping.
Not long after Yan Yanglong and Gongsun Qianer got here, Dao Attendant Lin came as well. He also took a lap around the forest before stopping at Li Qiye’s hill.
“A bit courageous. In a world dominated by the three great races, a human actually dares to occupy a mountain by himself.” He stopped and coldly stared at Li Qiye.
Back at the inn, he had been completely humiliated by Li Qiye. If they weren’t at Shallow Beach, he would have taught the fool a lesson already.