Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 314 - 314 313 Island Distribution 3

314: Chapter 313 Island Distribution 3 314: Chapter 313 Island Distribution 3 The month had passed, and over thirty cultivators who had recently arrived at the Mirage gathered at the Jiedu Mansion in Lihai.

As far as their cultivation was concerned, they were all at the Tongxuan Realm, with the only difference being in the depth of their mastery.

Three cultivators from the Wo Sect stepped forward, all above the God Sensing level, with the one in the middle at the Natural Realm, just a step away from forming their Golden Core, their expression cold and solemn.

Zhu Changwen stood to the side, his eyes briefly glancing towards Hou Niao, his meaning clear, “Everything’s been arranged, no need to worry.”

The leading cultivator swept his gaze across the room, his voice resonant, “This time’s assignment is for filling this year’s vacancies, totaling nearly a hundred spots.

Yet, there are only thirty-two of you.

As per the rules of the Jiedu Mansion, to prevent collusion and disruption of the normal order of the Lizhi Sea, every deployment is not left to your choice.

Only those who have guarded the sea for a full seven-year term have the right to choose.

This isn’t targeted at anyone; these are the rules that have not changed for hundreds of years.”

Consequently, you may step forward individually and leave a mana imprint.

Later, we’ll scatter them across the chart, and you will go wherever your imprint lands—no transgressions allowed.

Anyone who violates this will have their qualification for this year’s assignment revoked.”

The cultivators did not object.

As the elder had said, it had been the rule for many years now.

Everyone who came here was well aware of this, with nothing to question.

The elder took out a chart, which was a magical treasure.

With a stroke in the air, it expanded to the size of half a wall, its surface shimmering with blue waves and dotted with islands.

Among them, nearly a hundred flickered with faint light, signifying the islands available for selection.

Thirty-two cultivators, one by one, approached the magical treasure, leaving their mana imprints on it, which became dozens of shining points, constantly moving.

After everyone had left their imprints, the elder softly exclaimed:

“I will activate the chart to find an island for each.

Let the Great Dao above decide each one’s fate.”

Finished speaking, he paid no mind to the reactions of those present and sent a surge of mana crashing into the screen of the magical treasure, prompting a change.

Immediately, thirty-two points of light chaotically darted across the screen, without rhyme or reason, at will.

Gradually, as the lights slowed down, it seemed as if the islands themselves were attracting the lights, and one by one, they began landing on the island markers, coming to a rest, merging into one.

Each cultivator watched their light intently, eager to discover their assigned location first.

There were those who appeared nervous, indifferent, anxious, and confident.

In truth, the secret was well understood by all.

Having cultivated to the Tongxuan Realm, who wasn’t clear on the nuances of worldly interactions?

It was just a matter of willingness to pay the price, and how much; and if there were any particularly auspicious locations, then a matter of competition would also arise.

Outwardly, they had to abide by the rules, leaving things to fate, but in this world of cultivation, who would honestly submit to the will of others?

Hence, there were no disputes.

Everyone here knew what they were doing, understanding how to achieve their goals.

Hou Niao was among those who remained composed.

He watched as his light point, after a few chaotic turns, slowly moved towards a part of the sea.

It was a location far removed from the coastline among the nearly one hundred islands, already surpassing a thousand miles.

Then it slowly approached a position, miraculously just as he had imagined.

It wasn’t the heavens looking after him, but him taking care of himself.

As all the points of light landed on the island, the old cultivator’s gaze turned profound, “I assume everyone here knows where they’re headed?

If there are no objections now, once the directive is issued, there will be no turning back.”

No one spoke, a silent consensus forming.

It was merely a formality; those with plans had already taken action.

How slow-witted would one have to be to wait until now?

No one spoke.

The elder immediately crafted the directive.

Soon, a jade talisman flew into Hou Niao’s hands.

Glancing at it, two very familiar characters stood out: “Crab Claw.”

Crab Claw Island, an encircling island some one thousand six hundred li away from the coastline; its shape long, narrow, and curved like the pincers of a crab embracing each other, hence the name Crab Claw Island.

Crab Claw Island is not large, but it boasts lush vegetation and plenty of freshwater.

Due to its distance from the coastline, no humans have settled there; it is a paradise for animals, especially snakes, which is why it is also known as Snake Island.

The reason cultivators are needed to guard the island is threefold: firstly, there is a shellfish bed a few dozen li away, where one can harvest Spiritual Shells during the right season; secondly, it serves as one of the many channels through which the Sea Clan invades the nearby waters; thirdly, its proximity to the Thunder Triangle means the sea conditions are treacherous, necessitating someone to warn merchant ships.

Overall, the task seems quite broad but lacks specificity;

The shellfish bed is seasonal, with the harvest lasting only a month or two; repelling the Sea Clan depends on luck and, with countless routes they could take, they might not even come this way; as for merchant ships approaching the Thunder Triangle, if seen, a warning is issued; if not, one can only shrug.

Who can possibly watch over the seas twenty-four hours a day, year-round?

This is where the ease of the job lies, a fact Zhu Changwen had hinted at.

However, Crab Claw Island itself lacks any natural resources; there are no mines nearby nor any profits to be made, and normal cultivators searching for islands wouldn’t choose such a barren place.

Resources are fundamental to cultivation; without the chance to make extra money, who would want to come here?

For Zhu Changwen, it was enough to accept the benefits and fulfill the responsibility of providing warnings.

Cultivators often act unpredictably, each harboring their own secrets.

Choosing such a desolate location at such a high cost must have an ulterior motive, but it is not wise to probe too deeply; contentment with one’s own situation is preferable.

Finally having determined his destination, Hou Niao left his contact information with the merchants of Shan Country and without further hesitation, set off.

Waiting here for a month had truly made him restless.

Many aspects of cultivation couldn’t be pursued here.

The small courtyard didn’t even have enough space to wield a flying sword, and using Earth Escape was troublesome, lest he accidentally burrow under the neighboring couple’s bed.

Traveling by sword control widened his view.

The azure waters met the blue sky, blending at the horizon; the sight of the vast ocean was novel for someone like him, who had lived inland all his life.

Over the past month, he had crammed knowledge about living and cultivating at sea, but reading about it couldn’t compare to traversing the seas, where one could truly understand the feeling.

The boundless sea rushed beneath him, then receded into the distance behind him, the shallow greens as lush as meadows, dotted with white sails; seeing the endless expanse made him feel as though he had become one of the seagulls fluttering above, carefree and free-spirited.

After a while, the excitement of the novelty gave way to sobriety, and he began to tackle the first practical problem of entering the ocean: How to navigate?

For now, the continental shelf was visible, so navigation wasn’t a problem, but as he flew further and the water changed from shallow green to deep blue, and then black, and when there were no landmarks around, not even the stars above, how could he ensure he wouldn’t lose his way?

Therefore, to familiarize himself with ocean navigation, he needed to start from the coastal waters, identifying a few islands with distinct features and using them to confirm his own position, so that on the way to Crab Claw, he could thoroughly explore the islands and reefs along the route.

This was a lifesaving skill, one that should not be taken lightly.