Chapter 1399: Confusing the Audience

“Probably not!” Cheng Zhenyu chuckled. “If I discovered ruins, even if I didn’t live in them, I would keep them a strict secret. Why would anyone easily leak it? An innocent man is guilty for possessing a treasure.” He was speaking on behalf of the Wang family, and his words made sense.

“Indeed! It would be better if it weren't the Wang family's. If it truly were their ruins, we wouldn’t even get a sip of the soup. Don’t forget how many powerful cultivators came when the Azure Lotus Sword Sovereign formed his Nascent Soul. The South Sea is in chaos now; perhaps it’s a false rumor deliberately spread by Zhou Sihong’s accomplices to divert attention, allowing Zhou Sihong to secretly open a spatial passage.”

Zheng Nan nodded in agreement, speaking for the Wang family from the perspective of self-interest.

The red-robed Taoist nodded thoughtfully. What Zheng Nan said made a lot of sense. If the ruins truly belonged to the Wang family, they wouldn’t gain any benefit.

“Oh, some seniors are approaching,” someone exclaimed. Over a dozen streaks of light appeared on the distant horizon, swiftly flying towards their location.

Not long after, the streaks of light halted. It was Su Yunchang and his group, led by three Nascent Soul cultivators with ten Core Formation cultivators assisting them. This was already a formidable lineup.

The South Sea was currently in a period of turmoil, and Su Yunchang dared not be careless. If the spatial passage to the Demon Realm was in the Myriad Ghosts Sea, and it were to open, the cultivators in Golden Eagle City would be the first to suffer.

Su Yunchang's gaze swept over the cultivators present. Frowning, he sternly declared, “Unauthorized personnel, leave this area immediately! If you interfere with this important matter, you will be severely punished.”

Rogue cultivators always flock to where there's an advantage to be gained. These individuals were destabilizing factors and might interfere with their handling of the situation, so it was better to drive them away.

“Leave here at once! Without our permission, do not approach within one hundred thousand li of this location. Violators will be severely punished,” Li Ru said coldly. As the survival of the South Sea cultivation world was at stake, she would not be polite with these people.

Cheng Zhenyu and the other cultivators exchanged glances. Without knowing who led the initiative, they successively left the area.

“You all stand guard outside and do not allow any unauthorized personnel to approach this area,” Su Yunchang instructed the Core Formation cultivators. The three Nascent Soul cultivators flew forward, not at a fast pace, their faces filled with caution.

In the depths of the Myriad Ghosts Sea, there were spatial rifts; some were static, while others moved. Additionally, cultivators' divine sense was known to be affected in the Myriad Ghosts Sea. This was common knowledge, and even Nascent Soul cultivators faced the risk of falling there.

Before long, the three disappeared into the dense yin energy, as if they had never been there.

Over a vast expanse of sea, a dark streak of light rapidly streaked across the sky. The dark light was, in fact, a black flying boat several zhang long. A plain-faced young man in a blue robe and a curvaceous woman in a purple dress stood on the black flying boat, their expressions anxious, seemingly rushing somewhere.

These were Wang Changsheng and Fairy Ziyue, who had altered their appearances. They traveled day and night. Fortunately, Wang Changsheng had advanced to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, and his magical power had increased significantly. At their current speed, they would reach the Myriad Ghosts Sea in less than a month.

According to Ye Haitang, she had set up several sets of formations near the ruins. Even if someone discovered the existence of the Zhenhai Sect ruins, they might not be able to find its exact location, as divine sense was severely affected deep within the Myriad Ghosts Sea.

If this crisis could be resolved, Fairy Ziyue would remain at the Zhenhai Sect ruins for cultivation, unable to leave in the short term. This was good news for her; if not for Wang Changsheng's invitation, she would still be cultivating there, as her cultivation speed was faster at the Zhenhai Sect ruins.

“Senior Brother Wang, don’t worry too much. Everything will be fine,” Fairy Ziyue saw the worry in Wang Changsheng’s eyes and gently comforted him.

Grand Elder Nangong Miao must have considered this issue, which is why he left a special token. Without it, one could not normally enter or exit the ruins. However, it might be possible for several Nascent Soul cultivators to work together to open an entrance.

“Junior Sister Tian, if we can overcome this challenge, I will have to part ways with you. It feels a bit inappropriate to leave you there alone,” Wang Changsheng sighed. Over the years, their collaboration in artifact refining had deepened their bond significantly, and he felt a sense of reluctance at having to part with Fairy Ziyue again.

“There’s nothing inappropriate about it. Perhaps, this is just my destiny.” Fairy Ziyue smiled sweetly, seemingly implying something.

Wang Changsheng gave a wry smile and said nothing more. The immense spiritual power within him surged into the black flying boat beneath them. The flying boat immediately erupted with dazzling dark light, its speed more than doubling. After three breaths, the black flying boat vanished into the horizon.

Half a month later, Wang Changsheng and Fairy Ziyue arrived at Golden Eagle City. As soon as they reached the city, they received good news.

Su Yunchang of Golden Eagle City had led a group of high-level cultivators into the Myriad Ghosts Sea to search for the rumored ruins of a major cultivation sect. Unexpectedly, they encountered Nascent Soul-stage ghosts and spatial rifts, resulting in one Nascent Soul cultivator being severely wounded.

Regrettably, almost all of the Wang family’s personnel in Golden Eagle City had disappeared, as if they had vanished into thin air. It was noteworthy that these cultivators, who were spread across various professions—some running apothecaries, some posing as rogue cultivators, and some working odd jobs—had mostly vanished. This was truly strange.

The cultivators in the city were all discussing this matter, filled with curiosity. The fact that three Nascent Soul cultivators had personally intervened, yet failed to even catch a glimpse of the ruins, let alone find them, greatly dampened their enthusiasm. Without concrete evidence or witnesses, it was mere hearsay, and such news was highly unreliable.

Wang Changsheng and Fairy Ziyue strolled leisurely through Golden Eagle City. They had used spirit-transformation pearls to alter their appearances, making them unrecognizable even to Nascent Soul cultivators.

After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, they appeared at the entrance of a small shop called “Golden Bamboo Pavilion.” The owner was a clean-faced middle-aged man. Wang Changsheng and Fairy Ziyue had concealed their aura, so the middle-aged man was unaware of their true cultivation levels.

They entered Golden Bamboo Pavilion together. The shelves displayed various demonic beast materials, mostly ordinary goods with few valuable items. There were no other customers in the shop.

“Esteemed seniors, what are you looking for? Shall I show you around?” the middle-aged man was full of obsequious smiles.

Wang Changsheng turned his back to the outside and, with a flick of his wrist, revealed a square azure token in his hand. The token’s surface bore an azure lotus pattern. This was one of the Wang family's intelligence outposts. As per instructions, they never interacted with other clan members and primarily focused on collecting various information.

The middle-aged man’s eyes lit up, and his smile deepened. He said, “I didn’t realize we had such distinguished guests! Seniors, please tell me what you need. Though our shop is small, we will do our best to satisfy your requests.”

Fairy Ziyue took out an azure jade slip and handed it to the middle-aged man. “These are the items we need. See if you have them.”

The middle-aged man pressed the jade slip to his forehead, his brows furrowing slightly, then nodded and said, “Yes, we have them. I’ll package them for you right away.” He selected a few demonic beast materials, placed them in a storage bead bracelet, and handed it to Fairy Ziyue with both hands. Wang Changsheng paid the spirit stones, then left with Fairy Ziyue.

They weren't actually buying anything; instead, they were giving orders to their clan members to spread rumors and create confusion.

Having completed their task, they left the city, transforming into two streaks of light. They flew towards the Myriad Ghosts Sea and quickly vanished into the horizon, as if they had never been there.