Supreme of the Heavenly Realm
Chapter 207 - 204 Setting Off

Chapter 207: Chapter 204 Setting Off

Blood Marsh, within a large camp.

At least a thousand people had gathered in this camp, including strong fighters from various sects, and the personnel from Heavenly Martial Hall were also stationed here.

Although they had been in Blood Marsh for quite some time, they had yet to achieve anything significant, just like most people, not even a glimpse of the Black Demon Sect’s shadow had been seen.

However, whispers spread within the camp at this moment.

"So many days have passed, and we haven’t even seen a ghost from the Black Demon Sect, but we’ve encountered plenty of poisonous insects and ferocious beasts. This can’t go on," someone said.

"Indeed, the Black Demon Sect people haven’t appeared for so long, but the Blood Demon King, the overlord of Blood Marsh, has left traces. He even fought with the Deputy Sect Master of Earth Evil Sect, Tu Ba. It is said that both were gravely injured in the end," another voice chimed in.

"I’ve heard about this too, but after that battle, Tu Ba disappeared along with Liu Sha, the Earth Evil Sect’s True Disciple who was with him. They’ve vanished without a trace and are most likely ill-fated. It truly causes trepidation among people," someone else added.

"You’re right. A Third Grade Martial Sect Master disappearing without a sound probably means he was killed. Do you think it was the Black Demon Sect’s doing?"

The crowd buzzed with speculation and not without a hint of worry, creating an air of unrest among many.

After all, Tu Ba was considered one of the strongest among the sects that had come to Blood Marsh. That he could vanish without a trace, with not even a body found, was undoubtedly chilling.

Unfortunately, they didn’t know that Tu Ba hadn’t died at the hands of the Black Demon Sect; Ye Xuan had killed him.

In the most central area of the camp, the disciples of Heavenly Martial Hall, wearing their uniform attire, gathered in small groups, looking somewhat listless.

The enthusiasm that had been building was largely worn away by the passing days.

"This Ye Xuan kid, I wonder what’s with him. The Sect Master said he had arrived at Blood Marsh, but why haven’t we seen him after such a long time?"

In the central tent, the main figures of Heavenly Martial Hall’s expedition were present, and speaking was the Yang Hall Master, Murong Yun.

"Master Murong need not worry too much, maybe he was delayed on the way," Ling Qianxue replied, still appearing untainted and ethereally beautiful despite the prolonged outdoor stays. Her beauty was undimmed like a lotus rising from the water, and she spoke with an indifferent tone, seemingly not very concerned with the matter.

"That’s unlikely, this kid Ye Xuan is always efficient in his tasks. If he planned to do something, he wouldn’t dawdle. I believe he must have already reached Blood Marsh," Murong Yun frowned, shaking his head thereafter.

"I think so too, Ye Xuan always does as he pleases. Maybe he has already arrived but deliberately hasn’t met with us. Perhaps he’s observing in secret and might show up when we discover something," Leng Ruofeng suggested.

"Heh, Junior Brother Ye is really mysterious. I heard that when he was in Wanxiang Mountain, he used a secret technique of the Black Demon Sect and suddenly unleashed overwhelming combat power. With his strength alone, he faced three Demon Generals. I am curious about where Junior Brother Ye obtained such a Black Demon Sect secret technique. His background is indeed worth delving into," Long Zhiyang piped up with a faint smile.

"Brother Long worries too much, Junior Brother Ye is definitely not a bad person. As for why he knows a Black Demon Sect’s technique, there must be some hidden story behind it. We’ll find out when we see him. We shouldn’t make random guesses," Leng Ruofeng furrowed his brows. Back in Wanxiang Mountain, whether they, along with Ling Qianxue and other strong sect figures, could have escaped without Ye Xuan was still in question. This left a deep impression on him, so he absolutely didn’t believe any claims of Ye Xuan having ties to the Black Demon Sect.

"I am not suggesting Junior Brother Ye has any issues. Still, to be on the safe side, it is better to clarify some things," Long Zhiyang continued to smile, but a trace of chill flickered deep within his eyes.

"Alright, no more quarrelling. If Ye Xuan hasn’t met up with us, there must be a reason. We’ll understand when he appears. For now, our priority is to find traces of the Black Demon Sect. So far, we have come up empty-handed, and we need to make progress quickly," Zhang Wuchen, the Qian Hall Master, interjected. He was responsible for this mission in the Blood Marsh, and the lack of progress, especially not finding any Black Demon Sect members, inevitably irritated him.

The question of whether Ye Xuan would meet up with them was minor and not something to worry about at the moment.

"Sect Master, rest assured, we’re not the only ones from Heavenly Martial Hall in this Blood Marsh. With so many sects and martial artists gathered here, even if the Black Demon Sect is good at hiding, they will eventually be exposed," Long Zhiyang reassured, transitioning into a light-hearted tone.

"That makes sense."

Zhang Wuchen nodded, feeling somewhat more settled. The Black Demon Sect’s experts had all emerged with undoubtedly significant plans, which he could not afford to ignore.

"Tomorrow, you four will scout ahead. If there’s any unusual activity, report back immediately. In the meantime, instruct the disciples to speed up their progress and move deeper into the marsh," Zhang Wuchen said after a moment of contemplation, issuing orders to the four True Disciples.

"Yes."

Long Zhiyang, Ling Qianxue, and the others bowed and folded their hands in response. Yet, as Long Zhiyang lowered his face, a sly smile emerged, fleeting in an instant before disappearing.

As the group emerged from the tent, Long Zhiyang turned to Ling Qianxue with a soft gaze and a beaming smile, "Qianxue, the weather is pleasant today, how about we take a walk outside?"

Yet his earnest invitation was graciously declined by Ling Qianxue, "No, thank you. I’m a bit tired today, and I need to scout the path tomorrow. Brother Long, I’ll go back to rest first."

Saying this, Ling Qianxue didn’t look back and walked away in another direction.

After Ling Qianxue had walked a distance, the brilliant smile on Long Zhiyang’s face gradually turned stiff, then a hint of coldness emerged in his eyes.

"Big Brother, Senior Sister Ling’s attitude toward you seems to have grown much colder than before..."

At that moment, a disciple with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks suddenly approached. Seeing the look on Long Zhiyang’s face, he shook his head and said.

"Hmph, really? I hadn’t noticed," Long Zhiyang snorted coldly, his expression darkening slightly.

"Hehe, why play the fool, Big Brother?"

The disciple chuckled, "As everyone knows, ever since returning from Wanxiang Mountain, Senior Sister Ling, who never had much interest in men, has been unable to forget Ye Xuan day and night. Perhaps before, Senior Sister Ling had affections for you, Big Brother, as you two were childhood friends. In Heavenly Martial Hall, the only one who could match Senior Sister Ling was you alone. But now, it’s rather uncertain. Big Brother, you’d better plan ahead. Otherwise, once things are set in stone, it’ll be too late for regrets..."

"I don’t need you to tell me that," Long Zhiyang sneered, his eyes flickering with ever-changing lights. Eventually, he curved the corners of his mouth slightly, as if he had made some decision.

Thinking he could steal his woman? A kid who’d just joined the Sect a few months ago? Once he turned the tables and made a fait accompli, on what grounds could Ye Xuan compete with him?

With this thought, Long Zhiyang suddenly felt extremely excited, and the smile on his face twisted somewhat.

...

A hundred miles away, within a cave,

A gaunt figure sat quietly in meditation. He tightly held two Martial Arts Golden Cores in his hand, from which streams of pure power were refined by True Qi and then drawn into his body, slowly strengthening the True Qi within.

The quality of Liu Sha’s Martial Sect Golden Core was slightly inferior, but the power contained within Tu Ba’s Martial Arts Golden Core was indeed vast. It took Ye Xuan three whole days to fully refine it.

After refining Tu Ba’s Martial Arts Golden Core, the Golden Core within Ye Xuan’s Dantian, emanating with a spectrum of colors, became much more solid. Faintly, it seemed to show signs of a breakthrough.

At this moment, Ye Xuan’s aura had risen to the pinnacle of a First Grade Martial Sect, only a step away from the realm of a Second Grade Martial Sect.

For an ordinary person, absorbing a Third Grade Martial Sect’s Martial Arts Golden Core would undoubtedly lead to advancement, but due to the special requirements of his Cultivation Technique, Ye Xuan required an extraordinary amount of energy to advance each time, and refining a Martial Arts Golden Core didn’t mean completely absorbing its power, only its most essential parts could be refined and then absorbed.

Sigh...

The two Martial Arts Golden Cores turned to dust, and Ye Xuan exhaled heavily. Simply relying on the Golden Cores of these two was too optimistic for advancement; he still lacked a bit to become a Second Grade Martial Sect.

Martial Arts Golden Cores weren’t easily obtained, and those of too low quality were useless even when refined. The higher the talent, the higher the quality of a Martial Arts Golden Core.

"How’s it going, kid?"

Just then, a man in green robes entered the cave entrance, looked at Ye Xuan, and asked.

"Not yet, how about you?"

Ye Xuan knew that the Flood Dragon had also devoured a significant number of Demon Cores. If it could succeed in advancing, that would somewhat make up for the shortfall.

"I’m still a long way off. Those few Demon Cores, they’re not even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth, unless I devour the inner core of that Blood Demon King, that might be of some use."

The Flood Dragon licked its lips, clearly coveting the inner core of the Blood Demon King.

"We’ll talk about it later. We’ve been staying in this cave for quite a while. Let’s go, it’s time to find out about Senior Sister Ling’s whereabouts."

Ye Xuan stood up from the ground. The matter of the spy was a constant thorn in his side, and if he couldn’t root out the traitor, Ling Qianxue and the others could be in trouble. It was best to resolve this sooner rather than later.

After he finished speaking, the Flood Dragon nodded, then with a swirl of its body, it transformed into a streak of green light and entered the Beast Soul Token at Ye Xuan’s waist. Ye Xuan then moved swiftly, darting out from the cave, his figure swiftly vanishing into the distance.