Chapter 717: The Cunning Nascent Soul Cultivator

The pattern of an azure carp on Zhang Guangyang's clothes was the very symbol of the Zhang family of Azure Carp Island.

"The Zhang family? Why are people from the Zhang family here? Don't they know their main base is under attack?" Wang Changsheng thought to himself, his expression calm.

"It's you, Fellow Daoist Wang. Aunt Zhimu speaks highly of you. And where is that other female Core Formation cultivator?" Zhang Guangyang asked with a smile. The Zhang family had its own intelligence hall. Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan had once collaborated with the Azure Carp Twin Beauties to kill an evil cultivator, and Zhang Zhimu had drawn their likenesses and stored them. Frankly speaking, the Zhang family had portraits and cultivation techniques for many formidable Core Formation cultivators. While cultivators could change their appearance, they couldn't do so every single time!

Wang Changsheng frowned. This was his first time meeting Zhang Guangyang. Zhang Zhimu? Could it be that Zhang Zhimu had drawn his portrait?

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, what are you doing here?"

Zhang Guangyang smiled faintly and recounted the full story.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, to be frank, all the teleportation arrays to other sea areas are currently closed. It's very difficult to leave the Red Moon Sea Area. Our Zhang family urgently needs manpower for a major counterattack, so you've come at just the right time. What do you say? Are you interested in cooperating with us?"

Zhang Guangyang spoke very politely, but Wang Changsheng knew it would be difficult to refuse. With the teleportation arrays closed, he couldn't go to other sea areas. One sea area spans tens of millions of miles, and it would take an unknown amount of time to fly out with a family. When war breaks out, people will inevitably kill others for treasures and fish in troubled waters. It would not be wise for the Wang family to leave at this time. Hiding somewhere? Afterwards, they would still need to rent an island for development. What if another war broke out in the new sea area and the Wang family had to migrate again? It wouldn't make sense.

Wang Changsheng had met the Core Formation cultivators of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect several times and could use this opportunity to deepen their relationship. The most important reason was that the Zhang family urgently needed manpower. If Wang Changsheng performed well, the Wang family might be able to rent a better island.

"Alright. My wife is still on Red Lotus Island; she can come with me."

Wang Qingshan and Wang Ruyan had similar cultivation levels, but Wang Ruyan could cooperate with Wang Changsheng. Together, they had killed a Core Formation Stage Six cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, I can send someone to inform your respected wife. You can stay here and discuss strategy with us. We haven't yet determined our target."

Zhang Guangyang was worried that Wang Changsheng would lead his clan members away from the Red Moon Sea Area, so he naturally wouldn't let Wang Changsheng leave easily.

Wang Changsheng took out a sound transmission talisman, spoke a few words, and handed it along with a handwritten letter to a Zhang family member. Without the letter and the talisman, Wang Ruyan would not have brought people easily.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Zhang, I have other clan members on your Azure Carp Island. Your Azure Carp Island won't be conquered, will it?"

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Wang, they are very safe. Now, let's talk about the plan! There are four attack targets: the Zhou family, Cuiyun Sect, Red Sun Island Sun family, and Xuanqing Sect. Among them, the Zhou family is the strongest. A female member of the Zhou family is a concubine of a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Whale Gate. The Zhou family has been passed down for a thousand years and has accumulated considerable wealth. The Zhou family controls a total of seventy-two islands, with four Core Formation cultivators on the surface, though the actual number is probably higher."

Zhang Guangyang's primary target was the Zhou family. A cultivation family that had existed for a thousand years was certainly incredibly wealthy.

"A thousand-year family, a ten-thousand-year sect. I think it's better not to target the Zhou family! Every time there's a major war, various forces try to eliminate the Zhou family, but none have succeeded. I suggest we pick on the easier targets, like the Xuanqing Sect! The Xuanqing Sect only has two Core Formation cultivators on the surface, controls seventeen islands, and at most, three Core Formation cultivators."

A green-robed old man with a goatee suggested this. The Zhou family was indeed a fat sheep, but if one's teeth weren't strong enough to bite them, they might break their own teeth. In the South Sea cultivation world, there was a saying about "thousand-year families, ten-thousand-year sects," meaning that cultivation families over a thousand years old and sects over ten thousand years old were difficult to destroy. The Zhou family was a staunch vassal of the Whale Gate, having endured for a thousand years, so they must have many trump cards.

"The Xuanqing Sect is too far from here, at least three months' journey. By then, the war might even be over. Besides, the Xuanqing Sect has been established for less than a hundred years; how much benefit could there be? Choosing the Xuanqing Sect is not as good as the Cuiyun Sect! Our Zhang family has spies in the Cuiyun Sect. Fellow Daoist Wang, Immortal Zhao, what do you think?"

Zhang Guangyang looked at Wang Changsheng and Immortal Ziyue, asking for their opinions.

"It's true the Zhou family has been passed down for a thousand years. Even if we can't conquer the Zhou family, plundering some cultivation resources would still be good. Then we can deal with the Cuiyun Sect."

The Zhou family had just sent people to attack Red Lotus Island, so Wang Changsheng naturally wanted to deal with them. Even if they couldn't take them down, there would be no loss. Immortal Ziyue nodded in agreement. For her, attacking any force was the same. If not for the Zhang family's coercion, she wouldn't have been willing to act. It was better to avoid trouble. She only wanted to cultivate peacefully and, when the time came, open the Protective Array of the Zhenhai Sect and go in search of treasures.

Though the Zhang family was promising benefits now, if she died, the Zhang family would at most give a sum of cultivation resources. If the Thousand Puppet Sect was destroyed, they wouldn't even need to provide those resources.

Days later, Wang Ruyan arrived at the Thousand Puppet Sect with fifty clan members.

Led by Zhang Guangyang, six Core Formation cultivators and five hundred low-level cultivators aggressively marched towards the Zhou family.

At the same time, conflicts erupted across the Red Moon Sea Area. The subsidiary forces of the Whale Gate, Hailan Sect, and Zhang family engaged in fierce battles. Some cultivation families were annihilated, while some cultivation sects repelled enemy attacks, turning the Red Moon Sea Area into a chaotic mess.

On Azure Carp Island, the seawater was stained blood-red, with countless bodies floating on the surface, along with many corpses of demonic beasts, and fragments of magical and spiritual artifacts.

Hundreds of cultivators hovered high in the sky. Leading them were two men and one woman: a medium-built blue-robed elder, a scholarly-looking man in green, and a plump purple-clad young woman. All of them were Nascent Soul cultivators.

Over a hundred cultivators were plundering treasures on Azure Carp Island. Piles of bodies lay on the ground, some from the Zhang family, some from their enemies, creating rivers of blood. The air was thick with the pungent smell of gore.

Three streaks of light flew from the island and stopped before them.

"Senior Uncle Liu, we've found the Zhang family's treasure vault, but the barrier is too strong. It's a Fourth-Tier formation. Even with seven of us Core Formation cultivators attacking together, we couldn't break it," a man in his early thirties said excitedly. He had already plundered many treasures, and the Zhang family's vault surely held more.

"You found the Zhang family's treasure vault? This Profound Yang Crimson is an ancient treasure; take it and use it. Send ten more Core Formation cultivators to attack it together. I refuse to believe we can't break that barrier," the green-robed man said, taking out a golden jade ruler shimmering with radiant light, and handing it to the middle-aged man as he instructed.

Old foxes they were. Having cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage, every one of them was cunning. They had set a trap to injure Zhang Wuchen and led a large army to attack the Zhang family's main base. With the Zhang family leaderless, and all the defending cultivators slain, the Nascent Soul cultivators were still wary of any tricks and dared not personally investigate the island.

"Yes, Senior Uncle Liu."

The middle-aged man took the golden jade ruler and flew towards Azure Carp Island with ten Core Formation cultivators.

Soon, huge roars echoed from the island, and the light of magic spells flickered.

The blue-robed elder and the two others frowned, exchanged glances, and suddenly realized something.

"No, it's a trap! Retreat quickly!" the blue-robed elder hurriedly transmitted to his subordinates. Dozens of Core Formation cultivators attacking together, even with an ancient treasure, yet unable to break the barrier—this was inconceivable. It was highly likely a trap set specifically for Nascent Soul cultivators.

A thick mist suddenly surged forth from Azure Carp Island, engulfing the entire island and obscuring the view within. Various colors of magic light flickered, followed by agonizing screams.

"This is bad, retreat quickly!"

At this point, if the three Nascent Soul cultivators still couldn't see the problem, they might as well bash their heads against a wall. They didn't prolong the fight and immediately fled with their subordinates, knowing that as long as they survived, they could always rebuild. As for the fallen Core Formation cultivators, most were from subsidiary forces; their deaths were merely casualties of war.