Chapter 1425: Gathered Together

Wang Changsheng resided in a courtyard roughly an *mu* in size. At its heart was a half-mu lake, beside which stood a three-story blue pavilion.

Wang Changsheng transformed into a streak of blue light and flew out of Qingyu Island.

Half an hour later, he appeared above a barren island over a hundred *li* in size. The island looked somewhat desolate, with large quantities of reddish particles on the beach, resembling demon beast droppings.

With a slight flick of his wrist, a blue light shot out, revealing the Qilin Turtle.

The Qilin Turtle let out an excited roar, then vanished into specks of blue light.

The next moment, the Qilin Turtle appeared in the water and submerged to the seafloor.

Wang Changsheng landed on the beach. He fully extended his divine sense, scanning a hundred-li radius. Finding no other Nascent Soul cultivators, he finally felt at ease.

The calm sea surface suddenly erupted, sending waves over ten *zhang* high splashing into the air.

A blue shark, over ten *zhang* long, leaped from the water, its expression panicked.

Two blue lightning bolts, as thick as an adult's arm, shot from beneath the sea, accurately striking the blue shark. The shark let out a painful shriek, plunged back into the water, and created waves dozens of *zhang* high.

A moment later, the Qilin Turtle surfaced, its mouth gripping the charred blue shark. It then crawled onto the beach to enjoy its meal.

Even a mid-grade Level 3 Sawtooth Shark was no match for the Qilin Turtle. If it were to advance to Level 4, its strength would be comparable to the Sea-Quelling Ape.

In terms of raw power, the Sea-Quelling Ape was superior. Possessing the bloodline of the Mountain Ape, its immense strength was unmatched by most demon beasts of its level.

The Qilin Turtle had a voracious appetite. After devouring the Level 3 Sawtooth Shark, it dove back into the sea. This time, it simply chased and battered other Level 3 demon beasts, causing them to leap from the water periodically.

Wang Changsheng smiled, remaining silent. The Qilin Turtle was quite playful.

“Fellow Daoist Wang, what good spirits!”

A hearty voice drifted from the horizon. No sooner had it faded than a streak of golden light appeared in the distant sky.

Wang Changsheng narrowed his eyes, discerning the true form of the golden light.

The golden light was, in fact, a golden crow over ten *zhang* in size. Its entire body glowed with golden radiance beneath its belly, and it moved with great speed.

Gongsun Yang and Hai Xinren sat atop the golden crow, with dozens of Myriad Beasts Island disciples following behind them.

“Oh, Fellow Daoist Gongsun, Immortal Hai, long time no see,”

Wang Changsheng greeted them with a smile. Hai Xinren had already advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, but Wang Changsheng had been in secluded cultivation at the time and couldn't personally attend the celebration on Myriad Beasts Island, so he had sent Wang Mengfen to offer congratulations instead.

The golden crow circled high above, then landed on the beach, stirring up a gale that sent large amounts of sand and gravel flying.

Gongsun Yang smiled and nodded, then looked at the sea below. He praised, “Fellow Daoist Wang, your spirit beast is quite extraordinary. If it can be cultivated to Level 4, it will certainly be a tremendous asset.”

“When it comes to spirit beasts, I am no match for Fellow Daoist Gongsun,”

Wang Changsheng said modestly, his gaze shifting to the Myriad Beasts Island cultivators behind Gongsun Yang. He asked curiously, “Fellow Daoist Gongsun, are these the disciples you intend to send into the Flying Immortal Ruins?”

Gongsun Yang turned his head toward a dignified young man in a green shirt and said amiably, “Nephew Zhao, quickly come and pay respects to True Monarch Taihao.”

The green-shirted youth quickly stepped forward, bowed to Wang Changsheng, and said, “Junior Zhao Shou greets Senior Wang.”

Wang Changsheng observed Zhao Shou from head to toe, then smiled and praised, “Excellent. Qingling is very fond of controlling insects and beasts. Perhaps you two could get acquainted sometime. When you enter the Flying Immortal Ruins for treasure hunting, you might be able to look out for each other.”

Having more allies increases the survival rate.

“I’ve long wished to meet Immortal Baili, but unfortunately, opportunities have been scarce. I certainly cannot miss this one,”

Zhao Shou’s tone was sincere, and he appeared very polite.

A series of beast roars suddenly emanated from Gongsun Yang. He frowned, pulled out a green magic plate, and, after incanting a spell, said to Wang Changsheng, “Fellow Daoist Wang, we have other matters to attend to, so we’ll take our leave for now. Before the Flying Immortal Ruins open, we can gather again and allow the juniors to get acquainted.”

Wang Changsheng nodded, saying, “No problem, Fellow Daoist Gongsun, Immortal Hai, take care.”

The golden crow spread its wings, carrying Gongsun Yang and the others skyward, and quickly vanished from sight.

Boom!

A deafening roar erupted, and the sea surface exploded once more. A three-*zhang*-long golden catfish surfaced, its abdomen bearing a fist-sized blood hole, charred black around the edges and emitting steam.

The Qilin Turtle was hunting other Level 3 demon beasts underwater. The Water-Mana Divine Thunder it unleashed possessed immense power, which Level 3 demon beasts could barely withstand. It also excelled in Water Escape techniques, making it impossible for Level 3 demon beasts to surround or even touch it.

At dusk, the evening glow bathed the sea, tinting it a golden yellow. The Qilin Turtle floated on the surface with Wang Changsheng standing on its back, carrying him toward Qingyu Island.

Upon returning to Qingyu Island, Wang Changsheng allowed the Qilin Turtle to frolic in the lake while he retired to his room for meditation and qi regulation.

Seven days later, Li Rui sent him a sound transmission talisman, instructing him to bring the clan members designated for the Flying Immortal Ruins to the deliberation hall.

Wang Changsheng arrived at the deliberation hall with Wang Qingjing and five others, where Li Rui and Nangong Fu had already been waiting for a long time.

Ye Yuwei and Liu Xinchao were both present, each accompanied by three Core Formation stage juniors. In addition to them, there were also ten Core Formation cultivators from the Myriad Swords Sect.

“Fellow Daoist Li, does the Zhang family from Qingli Island not have any allocation of spots?”

Wang Changsheng asked with some curiosity. Zhang Wuchen had been unparalleled in prominence in recent years, contributing significantly to the Myriad Swords Sect. It seemed unlikely the sect wouldn't grant them a few spots.

“Of course there are. I’ve already sent someone to inform Immortal Zhang; they only arrived at Qingyu Island yesterday.”

“Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist Wang. With the Flying Immortal Ruins opening, and by the Myriad Swords Sect’s favor, our Zhang family also has allocated spots.”

Zhang Wuchen’s voice suddenly rang out. No sooner had her words faded than Zhang Wuchen, clad in a white palace gown, entered. Behind her followed four Core Formation cultivators, the highest cultivated among them being Zhang Hongguang, at Core Formation Level 8.

To Wang Changsheng’s surprise, Zhang Hongwu, a spirit body cultivator, was also present. To this day, he didn't know what type of spirit body Zhang Hongwu possessed, and he found it astonishing that Zhang Wuchen would dare send a spirit body cultivator into the Flying Immortal Ruins. It appeared she placed great importance on this expedition.

If the Wang family possessed a spirit body cultivator, he would never risk sending them into the Flying Immortal Ruins for treasure. Barring unforeseen circumstances, a spirit body cultivator should have no difficulty forming a Nascent Soul. If Zhang Hongwu were to meet with an accident, the Zhang family would lose a future Nascent Soul cultivator. He truly couldn't fathom Zhang Wuchen’s reasoning.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Wang Changsheng and the other six Nascent Soul cultivators took their seats, while the Core Formation cultivators stood to the side.

“Fellow Daoist Wang, Fellow Daoist Liu, Immortal Zhang, Immortal Ye,” Li Rui began, “you must have some understanding of the dangers within the Flying Immortal Ruins. Cooperating to acquire treasures significantly increases your chances of survival. Nephew Qian, Nephew Qin, why don’t you step forward and pay your respects to these four seniors?”

As Li Rui finished speaking, a tall, graceful young woman in a blue dress and a handsome, well-built young man in a red shirt stepped forward. They bowed to Wang Changsheng and the other three, saying, “Juniors Qian Yue (Qin Bin) respectfully greet the four seniors.”

Qian Yue was at Core Formation Level 9, and Qin Bin was at Core Formation Level 8.