Chapter 597: Doubt

He wasn't willing to return with his grandson; it seemed he had sensed something. From the beginning, he had no intention of using the Spirit-Slaying Palm. He only resorted to it when his wife was on the verge of being killed by the Crying Infant Beast. Logically, if he had used it sooner, he could have eliminated the beast much earlier. Why did he delay? Was someone perhaps reminding him not to easily display the spiritual arts associated with the *True Scripture of Gui Shui*? That makes no sense! The Zhenhai Sect was destroyed almost a thousand years ago. Even if its three core cultivation methods had spread, who would specifically warn a cultivator not to demonstrate the spiritual arts derived from the *True Scripture of Gui Shui*?

Fairy Ziyue's face was filled with confusion; she simply couldn't fathom it.

"That's possible; otherwise, he wouldn't have delayed using the Spirit-Slaying Palm. Oh, I just remembered: before the Zhenhai Sect was destroyed, internal factional disputes led to mutual attacks among disciples, and some ancient texts were lost, possibly stolen by Zhenhai Sect disciples. Fortunately, important Zhenhai Sect cultivation methods had backups. After the internal strife, the Zhenhai Sect was severely weakened. The Sun and Moon Palace then suddenly attacked and destroyed the sect. However, Zhenhai Sect disciples resisted fiercely and activated the sect's protective formation, sinking the entire island to the seabed, thus preserving their legacy. Afterward, the Sun and Moon Palace extensively hunted down Zhenhai Sect disciples. Our ancestor was an Elder of Transmission in the Zhenhai Sect, a primary target for the Sun and Moon Palace's capture. It is precisely because of this that we know the divine abilities associated with the three core Zhenhai Sect cultivation methods.

The three core cultivation methods of the Zhenhai Sect are the *Blazing True Aura Art*, the *True Scripture of Gui Shui*, and the *Heavenly Sound Overturning Sea Art*. The *Blazing True Aura Art* is a Heaven-grade cultivation method that requires vast cultivation resources; without special spiritual artifacts to aid cultivation, its progress is very slow. Both the *True Scripture of Gui Shui* and the *Heavenly Sound Overturning Sea Art* are Earth-grade cultivation methods. If one's spiritual sense isn't strong enough, forcibly cultivating the *True Scripture of Gui Shui* will lead to bodily explosion, which is why it's ranked as Earth-grade. The *Heavenly Sound Overturning Sea Art* is an Earth-grade cultivation method that belongs to sound-based cultivation. In fact, the *True Scripture of Gui Shui* and the *Heavenly Sound Overturning Sea Art* are complementary methods. Back then, two Nascent Soul cultivators of the Zhenhai Sect cultivated these two methods. When they joined forces, even the Sect Master, who cultivated the *Blazing True Aura Art*, was no match for them."

The red-robed elder spoke slowly, a look of reminiscence on his face.

"Great-uncle," Fairy Ziyue said, somewhat puzzled, "so many years have passed; surely the Zhenhai Sect's legacy hasn't fallen into the hands of the Sun and Moon Palace, has it? Even if the island sank to the seabed, couldn't people from the Sun and Moon Palace send search parties?"

"That's absolutely impossible, you can rest assured. The sect's protective formation is not as simple as merely sinking the island to the seabed. If people from the Sun and Moon Palace had found the island, they wouldn't have dispatched large numbers of people to apprehend our ancestors. On another note, evil deeds will eventually meet their retribution. Not long after the Sun and Moon Palace destroyed the Zhenhai Sect, internal strife also broke out within their ranks. Unfortunately, it ended quickly, and the rebellious Vice Palace Master of the Moon Palace was executed on the spot. Alas, this old man doesn't have much lifespan left. I wonder if I will live to see the day the Sun and Moon Palace meets its downfall."

The red-robed elder sighed. He cultivated the *Blazing True Aura Art*, and the search for specific cultivation resources had consumed a significant amount of his time. Fairy Ziyue had contributed greatly to his progress in reaching the eighth layer of Core Formation. He still had sixty years of lifespan remaining.

"Great-uncle, please don't be too disheartened," Fairy Ziyue comforted him. "The cultivators of the three core methods are now assembled. Once the Zhenhai Sect ruins appear, we will surely be able to break through the restrictions and obtain the Earth Flame Jade Marrow from the Zhenhai Sect's treasury. You still have a chance to reach the Nascent Soul stage." She knew very well that the red-robed elder's chances of advancing to the Nascent Soul stage were very low. There was no way around it; cultivating the *Blazing True Aura Art* required a large quantity of fire-attribute spiritual materials. Evading the Sun and Moon Palace's pursuit while simultaneously maintaining their own cultivation was indeed very difficult.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. He was very displeased when I controlled the Crying Infant Beast to attack Wang Changsheng's Dao companion. Let's build a good relationship with him first! Oh, Huang Yuxu invited you to Patriarch Huanglong's birthday celebration. Be careful; that boy clearly isn't good news. The way he looks at you, it's as if he wants to devour you."

Upon mentioning Huang Yuxu, Fairy Ziyue let out a cold snort and said, "That fool, your granddaughter is just using him. I'll be careful, Great-uncle, don't worry. Another day, I'll go find Chen Yilong to inquire about Wang Changsheng's background."

"No, you mustn't. Chen Yilong's wife seems to have sensed something. If you inquire with Chen Yilong and information is leaked, it will be troublesome. Don't forget, the Sun and Moon Palace hasn't withdrawn their wanted order! Five million spirit stones—who would refuse that?"

"Alright, I suppose that's the only way."

Tianhai Market is one of the four major markets in the Coral Sea Region, bustling with merchants and travelers, and rich in cultivation resources.

Three streaks of light, each a different color, flew from afar. Before long, they landed at the entrance of Tianhai Market; it was Wang Changsheng and his two companions.

They intended to gather information and hunt demon beasts.

The wide and clean streets were bustling with traffic, and pedestrians flowed like a stream.

Wang Changsheng frowned deeply, appearing preoccupied.

"Uncle, we've traveled for so long. Let's rest for a night and buy information tomorrow," Wang Ruyan suggested to Wang Huashan, noticing Wang Changsheng's troubled expression.

"No problem," Wang Huashan agreed. "Wait here tomorrow! I'll go browse elsewhere; you two can do as you please." He naturally saw that Wang Ruyan had something to say to Wang Changsheng, but it was inconvenient for her to speak with him present.

Wang Changsheng found an inn and settled in.

"Husband, do you suspect Fairy Ziyue recognized your cultivation method?" Wang Ruyan asked with concern, pouring Wang Changsheng a cup of tea.

"There's a strong possibility," Wang Changsheng said with a frown. "The Crying Infant Beast initially confronted me, then attacked me as if it were mad, seemingly trying to force me to use a spiritual art. When it realized it couldn't force me, it turned to attack you. The moment I used a spiritual art, it immediately fled. Most importantly, when Fairy Ziyue dealt with that low-grade third-tier Crying Infant Beast, even though it was injured by her, it didn't attack her wildly. Yet, you couldn't even harm that mid-grade third-tier Crying Infant Beast, and it attacked you wildly. That simply doesn't make sense. Our ancestor repeatedly warned against using the secret arts associated with the *True Scripture of Gui Shui* in the South Sea, lest our cultivation method be recognized. I don't know what our ancestor was worried about." He added, "Our ancestor didn't say which sect the *True Scripture of Gui Shui* came from, only that it was a core cultivation method of a certain sect in the South Sea and was not to be taught to outsiders, to avoid bringing trouble to the family. Was our ancestor worried about being apprehended by this sect, or was it something else?"

"Let's make a hypothesis," Wang Ruyan analyzed calmly. "Assuming Fairy Ziyue recognized your cultivation method, how did she figure it out? There are three possibilities. First, she also cultivates this method. Second, her sect of origin is the South Sea sect mentioned by the Wang family's ancestor. Third, people from this sect are wanted, and cultivators of its core methods are apprehended; she might want to claim a reward."