Chapter 83: The Attack of the Sunflower Water Sect!-From Servant to Saint: The Path to Enlightenment(The mountains rise high beneath a small, distant moon.)

Now that the subordinate factions had begun to clash, both sides naturally protected their own. With the two major sects setting things in motion, the other cultivator forces of the Eastern Sea could hardly remain uninvolved.

At first, they merely exchanged heated words, but soon enough, cultivators began to fight in earnest. Fortunately, none of the factions had fully committed to open war.

The higher-level cultivators on both sides were no fools. Grudges and enmities aside, they cherished their own lives above all. Both sides adopted a strategy of attrition: slow, drawn-out skirmishes, hunting and killing any lone enemy cultivators they could find.

Though neither side would muster their disciples for large-scale battles—indeed, not even Foundation Establishment cultivators had been dispatched—they still lay in wait for ambushes, and any member of the opposing faction, upon being spotted, would be slain without mercy.

While these confrontations did not threaten the very foundations of either sect, they were by no means trivial.

When Shen Yan learned that the Jade Immortal Sect and the Kuisui Sect were settling in for a war of attrition, his face turned ashen. In the past, during such conflicts, he could simply hide away safely on Jingyun Island. But now, he was on Qinglian Island. If he were to be surrounded and hunted by the Kuisui Sect, the danger would be unimaginable.

At any moment, he might become their next target, marked for the kill. Yet, in pursuit of Foundation Establishment, he could not leave Qinglian Island.

The rivalry between the Jade Immortal Sect and the Kuisui Sect had thus placed him in a most difficult position.

Moreover, while their conflict was one of attrition, both sects resorted to every conceivable tactic. These cultivators who, in normal times, seemed like paragons of serene immortality, were, in truth, ruthless when necessary. Shen Yan believed that if he encountered a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the early stage, he might not win, but he could certainly escape. But should he cross paths with a mid- or late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, his life would be in grave peril.

“I have no choice but to take things one step at a time,” Shen Yan sighed. He had originally intended to continue his preparations for Foundation Establishment, but now, with circumstances beyond his control, he could only attempt the breakthrough sooner than planned.

Before that, however, he needed to intimidate the Kuisui Sect’s cultivators to buy himself some time. After all, he had no way of knowing how long his Foundation Establishment would take. If he were interrupted during the process, he might be seriously injured, or even lose his life and soul.

A day later, after scouting Qinglian Island’s perimeter, Shen Yan indeed discovered several cultivators lurking nearby. Feigning ignorance, he left the island and began fishing for black-scaled fish in the sea.

The baleful energy within the black-scaled fish could aid in tempering his body, so he took the opportunity to collect more.

“Who would have thought that Fellow Daoist Zhou possessed such a secret technique? No wonder he was the first to notice the peculiarities of the black-scaled fish.”

“There are countless extraordinary people in the world. Today, my eyes have been opened once again.”

Just then, a clear voice echoed from every direction. A’Ruo started, awakened from her thoughts, and looked around anxiously.

She saw bright lanterns on all sides as massive tower ships swiftly approached, encircling Shen Yan from every angle, though keeping some distance, and saluted him from afar.

A few greeted him, but Shen Yan gave no response. The atmosphere grew awkward, then tense.

At last, a female cultivator stepped forward and spoke: “Fellow Daoist, you are a disciple of the Jade Immortal Sect, but Qinglian Island lies within the territory of our Kuisui Sea. For you to fish for black-scaled fish here—isn’t that a bit much?”

At her words, Shen Yan replied in an icy tone, “Get lost.”

“You…” Hearing Shen Yan’s rebuke, the group exchanged glances, all frowning. Still, they pressed on, “To be honest, we’re here to search for the remaining secret realm of the Water Moon Sect. This concerns the interests of all fellow cultivators, not just ourselves. If you refuse to negotiate, then we will have no choice but to…”

“What will you do? If you want to fight, get on with it. If you want to reason, go talk to the steward of the Boundless Sea Immortal Sect.”

At this, silence fell among them, the atmosphere heavy. Eventually, the female cultivator spoke again: “Since you insist, don’t blame us for causing offense.”

With that, she leapt from her tower ship, her magic weapon aimed directly at Shen Yan.

She struck with all her might from the start. Shen Yan’s feat of defeating two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators single-handedly had left them all wary. If not for orders from above, they would never have confronted him.

A resounding clang rang out, sparks flew, and the female cultivator flipped back to the deck of her ship. The massive impact caused the vessel to lurch downward, sending ripples across the water. She staggered several steps before regaining her footing, barely avoiding falling into the lake.

Even so, terror was etched across her face, her body trembling uncontrollably. His reputation was truly well-deserved. Her face turned pale, cold sweat beading on her brow.

“Fellow Daoist, your power is profound. I am no match for you! Thank you for your mercy. Please forgive my offense.” She bowed, then her ship retreated at once.

“Farewell!”

The others, seeing this, exchanged uneasy glances, then withdrew in unison.

Yet, just as they departed, a blazing red light appeared in the distance, approaching Shen Yan with overwhelming force.

“Xu Shengnan of Kuisui Sect, here to test your skills.”

The red light flashed, and a stunning figure shot forward with a cry.

“Kuisui Sect?” Shen Yan’s gaze sharpened, his expression unchanged as he thrust his Flowing Cloud Sword to meet her attack.

A metallic clang rang out, sparks flying. Xu Shengnan’s figure twisted like a phantom as she struck again. She was quick, but Shen Yan was quicker; mana surged along the Flowing Cloud Sword, and in a flash, he shattered Xu Shengnan’s sword energy and landed a direct blow on her.

A muffled thud sounded, blood sprayed, and Xu Shengnan let out a pained grunt as she flipped away, transforming into a streak of sword light and fleeing.

“My thanks for the lesson!” She came and went in a flash. Shen Yan merely smiled, making no move to pursue.

…

“Sister Xu, are you all right?” No sooner had Xu Shengnan landed back on her ship than her companions crowded around, concern written on their faces.

“His strength is unfathomable. He appears to be at the late stage of Qi Refining, but even those who have completed Qi Refining are no match for him. We must not act rashly—better to report back to the sect.” Xu Shengnan left these words, then, ignoring the others’ gazes, strode off with a frosty expression.

The rest looked at one another in dismay, uncertain what to do.

Now that hostilities between the Jade Immortal Sect and the Kuisui Sect had begun, under normal circumstances, a single Foundation Establishment cultivator could have been sent to eliminate him.

But with Xuanjizi about to step down, the Kuisui Sect was unwilling, at this critical moment, to risk embarrassing him over a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator and a spirit spring.

Yet to allow such a cultivator to occupy a spirit spring in their own territory was galling to them as well.

Thus, they sent their Qi Refining disciples to drive out or even kill Shen Yan, but his strength caught them off guard, leaving them in an impossible dilemma.