Chapter 383: Setting Sail (Part 2)

A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality, Volume 4: Winds Rise in the Outer Seas

"Welcome, Fellow Daoist Qu. I am Feng Sanniang of the Six Links Hall," said a middle-aged woman, about forty years old, as she stood up with a smile.

Though not strikingly beautiful, the woman possessed a certain charm.

"So it's Fellow Daoist Feng. Qu offers his greetings," Qu Hun said, neither humble nor arrogant, before leading Han Li toward the table.

With a quick glance, Han Li also took in the several unfamiliar cultivators in the hall.

There were exactly five people: an ordinary-looking middle-aged scholar, a charming woman in her twenties, an elderly man with cloudy, gray eyes, and a young man glowing with a reddish hue, along with Feng Sanniang herself.

The charming woman, however, was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, and sat intimately close to the scholar. It seemed they were a pair of Daoist companions.

As Han Li pondered this inwardly, Feng Sanniang chuckled and spoke:

"Fellow Daoist Qu, you've arrived at just the right time. I was just discussing the variations of the 'Six-Evading Water Wave Formation' with the other fellow daoists. If we can practice it thoroughly beforehand, I believe all of you will find it much easier when we deploy the formation. But before that, let me introduce you to the other fellow daoists!" Feng Sanniang was clearly very skilled at dealing with people. With a few soft words, she immediately made Han Li and the others in the hall feel more at ease.

"These two are Fellow Daoist Mao and his Daoist companion, Fellow Daoist Xue, the esteemed disciples of Senior Zhantai, the island master of Weixing Island!" Feng Sanniang said, first pointing to the middle-aged scholar as she made the introduction.

"Qu Hun? A cultivator from Kuixing Island. I know quite a few, but I've never heard of you," the middle-aged scholar said arrogantly, giving Han Li a cold glance.

For some reason, the middle-aged scholar seemed to dislike Qu Hun; his very first words were offensive.

This caused Feng Sanniang's originally smiling expression to freeze for a moment, but she quickly recovered.

"I was never a cultivator from Kuixing Island to begin with," Qu Hun retorted calmly. "I only recently arrived on the island to visit my junior nephew Han, who is settling there. Why would it be strange for you not to know my name? Besides, this is the first time I've heard your name as well."

"You..."

"Let me introduce you. This elder is Fellow Daoist Qing Suanzi, a reclusive cultivator from Golden Tortoise Island. Though few know him, his wood-element spells are virtually unrivaled among Foundation Establishment cultivators! As for Fellow Daoist Yan, he's even more formidable. He possesses a Dark Fire Body, and his Pure Yang True Fire can be cultivated to an incredibly refined degree."

The middle-aged scholar showed anger, his face darkening as he was about to say more, but the woman quickly interjected, changing the subject.

"Fellow Daoist Qing! Fellow Daoist Yan!" Qu Hun said, looking at the elder and the young man, and nodding slightly in greeting.

Although these two were also at the late Foundation Establishment stage, like the scholar, they clearly exerted far more pressure on Han Li than the middle-aged scholar. Evidently, the cultivation techniques they practiced were extraordinary, and Han Li wasn't willing to easily offend them.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qu!"

"Yan offers his regards!"

Neither of them acted superior; they both smiled and nodded at Qu Hun in return.

This scene made the middle-aged scholar even more uncomfortable.

So, without waiting for Feng Sanniang to say anything more, he suddenly stood up and said with a stern face:

"I wish to return to my room to meditate for a while. We can discuss the formation matters later!"

After saying this, he flung his sleeve and turned to leave the hall. The charming woman, casting an apologetic glance at the others, followed him out.

"Hmph! What's there to be so arrogant about? Just because he has a master who's an island master?" the young man surnamed Yan said angrily, a red glow intensifying around him.

The elder and Feng Sanniang's expressions also shifted slightly, but the elder quickly became expressionless. Feng Sanniang, meanwhile, forced a smile and gestured for Qu Hun to sit down, apparently not wanting to discuss the scholar's actions.

"Weren't there supposed to be six people?" Qu Hun asked frankly after taking his seat without formality. "Surely Fellow Daoist Xue isn't also a member assigned to manage the formation?" Han Li quietly stood behind him.

"There's also Fellow Daoist Dou from Huaming Island," Feng Sanniang explained with a smile, "but it's said that he's currently cultivating a powerful technique and won't be leaving his room for the next few days."

"Oh, I see!" Han Li nodded, saying nothing more.

However, Feng Sanniang seemed very interested in Qu Hun, constantly asking him irrelevant questions. This surprised Han Li, who was standing behind Qu Hun, as he wondered what the woman's true intentions were.

However, when she asked Qu Hun if he understood the 'Six-Cycle Water Wave Formation,' Qu Hun, under Han Li's silent instruction, naturally denied it outright.

Thus, the woman smiled and said that the others also didn't know the formation, and then began to explain its profound mysteries to the three of them.

It was truly surprising; Feng Sanniang was actually a rare formation master!

Although the middle-aged scholar seemed to be at odds with the others, he finally returned to the hall on the second day to listen to Feng Sanniang explain the important points for managing the formation.

After all, the Six Links Hall had invited them there precisely to have them manage this formation!

Three or four days later, Han Li finally met the other cultivator who had been in seclusion in his room. He was a seven-foot tall bald man with a coarse, fierce-looking face. However, his words and actions were surprisingly straightforward and open, and he got along quite well with everyone.

In this way, after listening to Feng Sanniang explain the profound mysteries of the formation, Han Li and the others often had the ship stop, and then flew out into the nearby sea, continuously practicing the evolution and coordination of the 'Six-Evading Water Wave Formation,' hoping to successfully subdue the demonic beast in one go when the time came, ensuring everyone's satisfaction.

Naturally, the ship couldn't travel very quickly this way, but the Six Links Hall seemed to be in no hurry. Although they stopped and went, Feng Sanniang remained smiling, without a hint of urging them on.

However, once they had truly mastered the various variations of the formation, Feng Sanniang no longer delayed and instead had the ship proceed at full speed.

A month later, the ship finally dropped anchor beside a desolate island about ten li wide and came to a halt.

Han Li and the others disembarked from the ship, led by Feng Sanniang.

As soon as they stepped onto the small island, a blinding golden light flew from the sky. After circling around them, the golden light dissipated, revealing an elderly man with a faint golden complexion, who stared at them expressionlessly.

There were no spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from this person. He seemed like an ordinary mortal with no spiritual energy whatsoever, yet also like someone whose spiritual energy was unfathomably deep and perfectly contained. This caused Han Li's heart to tremble.

"Your subordinate, Feng Sanniang, greets Elder Miao!" Without hesitation, Feng Sanniang stepped forward, bowed deeply to the elder, and spoke with a respectful expression.

At this moment, Han Li and the others standing behind her, now realizing the identity of this person, all stepped forward to pay their respects. A Core Formation cultivator was not someone they could afford to treat lightly.

"No need for formalities!" the elder said slowly, his expression unchanged. "Feng Sanniang, you did well this time, bringing these helpers in a timely manner! Have they mastered the formation? The demonic beast we are dealing with this time is very tricky; we must not be careless!"

"Elder, rest assured," Feng Sanniang said confidently. "These fellow daoists have completely mastered the various variations of the 'Six-Evading Water Wave Formation' and can definitely trap this beast!"

"Good!" Elder Miao, surnamed Miao, swept his gaze over the scholar and the others, his expression softening and becoming genial. "Fellow Daoists, our Six Links Hall requires your assistance. As long as you all exert yourselves well, our Hall will certainly not treat you poorly."

"Senior, rest assured, we will certainly do our utmost!" the middle-aged scholar quickly spoke up, his face full of fawning smiles, without waiting for others to speak.

Seeing the scholar's fawning expression, the other few, although their faces showed strange looks, could only echo his words in agreement.

Elder Miao was extremely satisfied with their attitude. After a slight nod, he continued:

"The grand formation was already set up half a day ago. You just need to go and manage it. Elder Gu is currently engaged in a chase with the demonic beast in the nearby sea, and I will go and lure it over here with him. We estimate that by tomorrow morning, we should be able to guide this beast into the grand formation. Then it will be up to your skills. You all should rest for a while on the island first!"

After speaking, Elder Miao transformed into a streak of golden light and flew into the sky, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

"Fellow Daoists, you've all heard what Elder Miao said," Feng Sanniang said solemnly as she turned around. "Let's all rest for half a day and replenish our spiritual energy. Tomorrow, there will be a tough battle!"

By this point, the others naturally had nothing else to say, and all nodded in understanding.

But just then, Qing Suanzi, who had spoken very little throughout the journey, suddenly asked in a wooden tone.

"Fellow Daoist Feng," he began, "we've asked you repeatedly throughout the journey what demonic beast we're dealing with, but you've always refused to say. Now that we're acting tomorrow, isn't it time you revealed the truth to us?"

Hearing the elder's question, the other few couldn't help but feel a stir in their hearts, and they all turned their gazes to Feng Sanniang.

They had the same question.

What kind of fierce and rare demonic beast was this, that it was worth the Six Links Hall making such a grand effort and planning for so long? An ordinary Class Six demonic beast wouldn't warrant such an undertaking!