Old Fiend Chi Huo Enters the Stage

Chapter 409: Winds Stir Beyond the Seas – The Old Fiend Chi Huo

“Nangong Wan.”

Han Li had finally located the source of that faint ripple.

This female cultivator, called Zhuo Ruting, bore no resemblance to Nangong Wan in appearance. Yet she carried a certain aura, a hint of the same bearing, which had given him that strange feeling, stirring something deep within his heart.

Once he understood the reason, Han Li cast a complicated glance at Zhuo Ruting, then withdrew his gaze. His mind, once more, settled into an undisturbed stillness.

However, even though Han Li and Qu Hun had arrived, Madam Fan and Zhuo Ruting still showed no sign of immediate departure. Instead, they kept looking up towards the sky, as if waiting for someone else.

Seeing this, Han Li was puzzled, but he did not ask any questions. He simply found a secluded corner, sat down cross-legged with Qu Hun, and silently awaited the departure time.

This wait dragged on for half a day.

If not for the fact that everyone present was a cultivator with abundant patience, complaints would have likely arisen long ago.

Still, even so, someone finally displayed a hint of displeasure.

At this sight, Madam Fan and Zhuo Ruting also showed a trace of anxiety. They reluctantly huddled together, whispering a few sentences to each other in low voices.

Han Li took all of this in. He was just speculating on who they were waiting for when a faint rumble of wind and thunder reached his ears. Following it, a line of pitch-black color appeared on the distant horizon.

That blackness rapidly approached from afar, flying towards them at high speed, causing the meditating cultivators to rise one after another, gazing with expressions of surprise and suspicion.

In the blink of an eye, the black mass reached the sky directly above them. Only then did Han Li and the others see clearly what it was. This blackness turned out to be a vast expanse of dark clouds, roughly five to six hundred feet in diameter. Its sheer size was enough to cover almost the entire mountain peak beneath it. From within the clouds, rumbles and flashes of lightning and fire erupted incessantly, making it seem even more bizarre and ominous!

While the onlookers were still staring in a daze, a clear, cold female voice suddenly rang out from within the dark clouds.

“Senior Chi, you can set me down now. I need to say a few words with my two senior martial sisters.”

“Heh heh, of course, no problem!” an incredibly unpleasant, raspy voice replied.

Hearing these two voices, the expressions of Madam Fan and Zhuo Ruting shifted slightly. They exchanged a glance.

Among the other cultivators, those who recognized the origin of the dark clouds had their faces turn pale.

Han Li’s heart also tightened with alarm. As he was puzzling over the situation, he caught a muttered whisper from one of the cultivators.

“The Celestial Sound Sect’s reach is truly impressive. They even managed to invite the Old Fiend Chi of Yuan Gui Island!”

The man’s voice was very low, but Han Li, relying on his formidable spiritual sense, caught it with perfect clarity. A chill ran through his heart.

The words “Yuan Gui Island” and “Old Fiend Chi Huo” immediately brought the origin of the dark clouds to mind.

During his casual conversations with other cultivators, he had heard the great reputation of the “Old Fiend Chi Huo of Yuan Gui Island” mentioned more than once.

This man had risen to fame very early on and had already reached the late Core Formation stage. His heretical Water Kui Magic Art was unpredictable and ever-changing. He was even more renowned throughout the Chaotic Star Sea for his ruthless cruelty and fickle, treacherous nature.

Many had asserted that this Old Fiend Chi was one of the cultivators most likely to enter the Nascent Soul stage. It was only a matter of time before he became a great despot on par with the Extreme Yin Ancestor. Consequently, he dominated Yuan Gui Island, and no one dared to provoke him lightly. He was a figure of considerable infamy.

How had this notorious heretical cultivator come to be here? Had the Celestial Sound Sect truly invited him as a hired helper?

Maintaining an impassive expression, Han Li heightened his vigilance, fixing his gaze on the dark clouds for a closer look.

At that moment, the dark clouds roiled. A woman in a purple palace dress flew out from within.

She had a tall, slender figure with a graceful, lithe bearing. However, a faint purple aura obscured her face, making her true features indiscernible.

Madam Fan and Zhuo Ruting immediately went to greet her when they saw her appear.

“Junior Martial Sister Wang, why is Old Fiend Chi here? Did you invite him? But there was no need for that!” Zhuo Ruting asked in a low voice, her brow furrowed.

“Indeed! That Old Fiend is not someone to be trifled with. Inviting a deity is easy, but seeing them off may prove difficult! Besides, with our current manpower, it’s more than sufficient!” Madam Fan also said, her expression grave, a hint of discontent seeping through her tone.

“Do you two senior sisters truly believe that the cultivators who attacked our shipment last time were their entire force?” The woman in purple did not respond to their worries directly; instead, she said this in a flat tone.

“Junior Martial Sister, what do you mean by that? Are there other troublesome figures on their side?” Madam Fan was startled by these words. She immediately understood the implication and asked in surprise.

Zhuo Ruting also wore a look of astonishment.

“I received intelligence that there is still a late Core Formation leader sitting in their nest. Our strength, with just the helpers you two sisters gathered, would have been somewhat lacking. So, I made a trip to Yuan Gui Island and persuaded Old Fiend Chi Huo to lend his aid!” the woman in purple explained lightly.

Hearing this, Madam Fan and the other woman exchanged a look of skepticism but refrained from further comment.

Although they knew that the price their junior martial sister must have paid to move a heretical cultivator like Old Fiend Chi to action was undoubtedly enormous, now was not the time to discuss such matters. They could only settle the current affair first and consider the rest later.

By now, the woman in purple had already surveyed the other cultivators on the mountaintop. She nodded, appearing quite satisfied.

“The Core Formation cultivators you two invited are even more than I expected. With Old Fiend Chi Huo’s help, this time we will exterminate this band of heretics to the last man, avenging our mother’s murder!” The woman in purple’s voice turned icy cold, brimming with murderous intent.

“Rest assured, the two of us will definitely avenge the Sect Leader!” Zhuo Ruting lightly brushed her jet-black hair and said slowly.

“That’s right. The Sect Leader was a great benefactor to both of us. Even if we must stake our lives, we will destroy the enemy,” Madam Fan echoed, her expression solemn for the first time.

Hearing this, the woman in purple, visibly moved, gave the two women a deep bow.

“This time, I must trouble you two senior sisters to put forth your greatest efforts! As agreed earlier, as long as we can avenge my mother, the position of Sect Leader of the Celestial Sound Sect shall be held by whichever of you two sisters wishes it! Wang Ning will certainly not covet this position!” The woman in purple declared with a look of absolute resolution.

After these words left the palace-robed woman’s mouth, a flicker of complex emotion passed over Zhuo Ruting’s beautiful face. She parted her lips, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately did not speak.

As for Madam Fan, though she maintained a composed expression, a barely concealed excitement flashed in her eyes.

…

“Tsk, tsk! That must be the Ziling Fairy of the Celestial Sound Sect! It’s a shame her face has been magically veiled. What a pity!” The cultivator surnamed Meng, standing not far from Han Li, suddenly muttered to himself.

Han Li’s heart stirred upon hearing this.

He had heard the name of the Ziling Fairy mentioned before. Reputed to have a beauty that rivaled celestial maidens, she was one of the most famous beauties in the Chaotic Star Sea. Was this her?

Somewhat surprised, Han Li cast a distant glance at the woman in purple a couple of times.

By then, the woman in purple had finished her conversation with Madam Fan and Zhuo Ruting. Her palace dress flowing gracefully, she flew back into the dark clouds like a celestial maiden.

Then, under the solemn gazes of the two beautiful female envoys, the group finally departed.

Over a dozen streaks of multi-colored light soared up from the mountain peak, forming a loose formation as they flew northward.

Han Li and Qu Hun were positioned in the middle-rear of the formation, traveling in silence.

But the cultivator surnamed Meng, for some reason, flew over to Han Li’s side and began chattering away with a grin.

“Fellow Daoist Han, how were you persuaded to help the Left Envoy Fan? I’m here because one of my concubines is a personal disciple of hers, so I couldn’t refuse the debt of gratitude. Could Fellow Daoist Han be in a similar situation…”

“I don’t have such good fortune as you, Brother Meng. Madam Fan merely promised to give me an item after this matter is concluded.” Han Li replied in a flat, indifferent tone.

“Ah, how regrettable! Young brother, the best things in the Celestial Sound Sect are naturally those beautiful female disciples. Especially the ones personally trained by the two envoys. They are truly…”

Listening to this non-stop chatter, Han Li remained outwardly calm, but inside, he felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.

However, this familiar, garrulous manner reminded him of that chatterbox Senior Martial Brother Yu back in Yellow Maple Valley. It made it hard for him to feel any genuine dislike for the man.

And so, with Han Li occasionally offering a word or two in reply, the entire group, led by the Celestial Sound Sect members, flew toward an unknown destination.

…

Half a month later, the group finally arrived at a desolate island.

Several low-level disciples of the Celestial Sound Sect were already waiting there for them. The nest of those bandit cultivators was on another nameless island not far from this one, where other disciples were keeping watch.

After being informed that all the heretical cultivators were inside their lair and had not gone out, the Ziling Fairy, who had emerged once more from the dark clouds, promptly instructed Han Li and the others to rest for a while. The plan was to launch a surprise attack at dawn the next day, catching the enemy off guard.

(Author's Note: Trying to fix my body clock again. It’s really not easy to reset it. I have no energy during the day, and can’t sleep at night. It’s truly infuriating!)