Chapter 562: Gold Sun Island
With their combat abilities, it wouldn’t be much of a problem for the eight god corpses to kill a martial practitioner at the peak of the Fragmentation Realm.
Once he made sure that the island master of Gold Sun Island was the only one at the peak of the Fragmentation Realm, Qin Lie’s worries disappeared.
“We can try making contact,” Qin Lie said, determination shining in his eyes. “It would obviously be best if we didn’t expose ourselves and managed to get a free ride to the place that Senior Sister Xue spoke of.”
“Shall we try, then?” Song Tingyu’s eyes lit up.
“We can try. Even if they find out who we are or have ill intentions, it won’t be too late to summon the god corpses.” Xue Moyan sighed.
“Is something else on your mind, Senior Sister Xue?” Qin Lie asked, surprised.
“This Copper rank force, Gold Sun Island… they are kind of related to Blood Fiend Sect,” she said softly. “If we end up having to kill them… I’ll regret it.”
“What do you mean?” Qin Lie asked.
“Gold Sun Island’s island master, Xing Yumiao, should be a member of the Xing Family. Like the Xiahou, Su, and Lin Families… the Xing Family was one of the five great families of the Heavenly Calamity Continent,” Xue Moyan explained. “The five great families used to be Blood Fiend Sect’s Copper rank vassal forces, serving the sect in order to survive. The Xing and Miao Families, however, were purged along with Blood Fiend Sect. They fell into decline and eventually disappeared from the continent. The Xiahou, Lin, and Su Families then rose to prominence in the Heavenly Calamity Continent by using Blood Fiend Sect’s destruction as a stepping stone.”
Qin Lie seemed to understand the situation somewhat.
“Were the Xing and Miao Families loyal to Blood Fiend Sect?” he asked.
“Yes.” Xue Moyan nodded. She appeared relatively calm as she said, “It’s exactly because the Xing Family and the Miao Family stayed loyal to Blood Fiend Sect, that they were destroyed.”
“This Xing Yumiao is a member of the Xing Family?” Qin Lie asked.
“The remainder of the Xing and Miao Families knew that they wouldn’t be able to survive in the Heavenly Calamity Continent. The Xiahou, Lin, and Su Families hunted them down, so they could only venture out into the ocean. In the end, Xing Yumiao became the island master of Gold Sun Island, and Miao Yangxu became the valley master of Blue Moon Valley. Both of them are descendants of the Xing and Miao Families.” Xue Moyan sighed. “Xing Yumiao and Miao Yangxu are capable people. They fought to establish themselves in the Heavenly Slaughter Continent so the remaining members of the Xing and Miao Families could have a place to live.”
“What is Xing Yumiao’s current attitude towards Blood Fiend Sect? Have you tried to get in contact with him?” Qin Lie asked grimly.
Qin Lie said “you,” but he was actually referring to Xue Moyan and the members of Blood Fiend Sect. Those people were currently hiding in the Heavenly Slaughter Continent. They knew that Gold Sun Island and Blue Moon Valley were closely connected to the Xing and Miao Families.
Yet... why did it seem like they hadn’t tried to recruit either force?
“Blood Fiend Sect did contact them, but they refused to associate with Blood Fiend Sect.” Xue Moyan said, a dull expression on her face. “Blood Fiend Sect became a public enemy of the Land of Chaos. If I were Xing Yumiao or Miao Yangxu, I wouldn’t want to get involved with Blood Fiend Sect again either.”
“It’s been so many years,” Du Xiangyang said, his mouth twisted into a sneer. “Xing Yumiao and Miao Yangxu are just descendants of the Xing and Miao Families. They probably don’t feel any connection to Blood Fiend Sect.”
“I believe that must be the case as well.” Xue Moyan nodded slightly.
“Gold Sun Island’s ships are getting closer,” Song Tingyu said in a low voice. “If we want to try the peaceful approach, you need to have the god corpses descend now, Qin Lie.”
“Prepare to swim, everyone!” Qin Lie shouted.
Immediately after he said that, he leaped into the ocean. He then took out the Demon Sealing Tombstone and sent commands to the god corpses.
Dragging the enormous basket with them, the eight god corpses quickly descended deep into the sea.
The six people that remained standing on the heads of the god corpses immediately plunged into the water and had to use spirit power to stay afloat.
“What should we say to those people of Gold Sun Island when they get here?” Luo Chen asked as he treaded water. “What should our identities be?”
“Let’s say that we were travelling from the Heavenly Calamity Continent to the Heavenly Slaughter Continent, and a storm destroyed our ship in the middle of the journey, forcing us into the ocean,” Xue Moyan said, making up a story for everyone. “Many martial practitioners from the Heavenly Calamity Continent are too poor to afford the exorbitant fees of intercontinental teleportation. Since they can’t use the teleportation formations to reach the Heavenly Slaughter Continent, most endure the long voyages. Some find themselves stuck at the verge of breaking through to the next realm, so they use also choose the travel to the Heavenly Slaughter Continent by ship to gain experience at sea and take in the vast scenery of water.”
Xue Moyan paused then said,” Any name should be fine as long as our surnames aren’t Xiahou, Lin, or Su.”
“So Gold Sun Island and Blue Moon Valley still hate the three great families of the Heavenly Calamity Continent?” Song Tingyu asked in surprise.
“They hate them down to their very bones!” Xue Moyan nodded. “It’s a pity that Gold Sun Island and Blue Moon Valley are just Copper rank forces. In all these years, they’ve never dared to enter the Heavenly Calamity Continent because they know that the three great families hate them as well. They only dare to attack members of the three great families in the Heavenly Slaughter Continent.”
“Once Blood Fiend Sect has been rebuilt, maybe we can use that hate to recruit them,” Qin Lie said, rubbing his chin.
As they spoke, the eight god corpses had long sunk deep into the sea.
Enormous shadows no longer appeared just below the water’s surface.
The flag embroidered with a golden sun slowly drew nearer. Five gigantic steel ships parted the waves.
A few minutes later, a Sword Leaf Boat emerged from the large ship. The small, fast-moving boat carried five Gold Sun Island martial practitioners. They wore golden clothing with the insignia of a sun at the center of their backs.
“Who are you?” the leader of the five asked harshly. “Why are you swimming in the ocean? Where’s your ship?”
Xue Moyan quickly narrated their prepared backstory.
“We hail from the Heavenly Calamity Continent,” she said. “We… we didn’t have enough spirit stones to pay the fees required to use the teleportation formations, so we could only travel by ship. Some time ago, we were unlucky enough to encounter a storm. It destroyed our ship and left us floating in the ocean.”
“Just you?” The people on the Sword Leaf Boat clearly didn’t believe her. “Ships that traverse the ocean usually carry thousands of people. Your ship was destroyed, but only seven of you survived?”
“The winds and the waves separated all of the survivors, carrying everyone else to other places,” Xue Moyan said. “We’re the only ones here.”
“You were headed to the Heavenly Slaughter Continent?” the leader asked.
“Yes.”
“To do what?”
“Gain experience.”
“What are you called?”
Everyone in Qin Lie’s group reported fake names, making sure that they didn’t use the surnames Xiahou, Lin, or Su. They also mentioned that they lived on the outskirts of the Heavenly Calamity Continent.
When it was his turn, Qin Lie’s mind went into overdrive and said he was called “Xing Lie.”
When he did, the person questioning them immediately looked at Qin Lie and interrogated him about his ancestors.
“I don’t remember much about my ancestors. Since I was young, I lived deep in the mountains with my family. My grandfather always said that our Xing Family originally prospered, but had to hide in the mountains to avoid a calamity,” Qin Lie said with a sigh, then continued, “Before he died, grandfather warned us not to tell anyone in the Heavenly Calamity Continent that my surname was Xing. He constantly told me that, if I had the chance, I should leave the Heavenly Calamity Continent as soon as possible. Only when I left would I be able to tell people my true name.”
“What’s your surname?” the leader asked, his stern expression wavering. “Say it again.”
“Xing,” Qin Lie, said in a natural manner. “My name is Xing Lie.”
“Let them come aboard!” a soft, feminine voice resounded from the largest ship that had stopped in front of Qin Lie’s group. A trace of excitement could be heard in it. “Little Wu, bring the boy named Xing Lie to me. Alone. I want to question him!”
“Yes, Big Sister!” A youth on the Sword Leaf Boat immediately nodded. He then turned to Qin Lie and the others, saying, “Come! Follow me to the ship.”
Then, after a moment of hesitation, he beckoned Qin Lie forward.
“You!” he said. “Come here! This Sword Leaf Boat can carry one more person. You may come aboard, Xing Lie.”
“This… this isn’t appropriate, right?” Qin Lie said, embarrassment showing on his face as he looked at the rest of his group still floating in the water.
“Nothing’s wrong.” The youth’s attitude toward Qin Lie clearly improved. “Come on now. Climb aboard.”
“I’m… I’m so sorry.” Qin Lie made his way onto the Sword Leaf Boat as Song Tingyu and the others watched.
The youth was even nice enough to give him dry clothing to wear.
The rest of Qin Lie’s group still floated in the ocean, soaking in the water. They channeled spirit energy as they watched the Sword Leaf Boat speed back to the largest ship. All they could do was follow the boat as fast as they could.
“That Motherf***er!” Du Xiangyang exclaimed regretfully. “If I knew that would happen, I would’ve said my name was Xing Xiangyang.”
“That bastard Qin Lie!” Xie Jingxuan cursed.