Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Handling the Aftermath, Soul-Chasing and Life-Taking

Donglong Island.

The beach.

"I’ve asked around. The elder who has arrived in the Dongning Sea Region this time is Zhaoxia."

"He and Qinghe belong to two different factions and have never gotten along." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Furthermore, Li Hengyan came here of his own accord. It had nothing to do with the sect’s orders..."

"Please, Mr. Su, don’t let this create a rift between you and the sect..."

Xiao Sheng walked over slowly, choosing his words carefully as he spoke to Su Ye.

Su Ye’s gaze swept over him.

He could feel that Xiao Sheng’s attitude had, compared to before, become unconsciously much more reserved.

This was only normal.

Su Ye, at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, had defeated a Late-stage Foundation Establishment True Disciple of the Cyan Profound Sect. Such combat prowess was naturally unsettling!

This was even more true given Xiao Sheng’s identity.

While he couldn’t stand the overbearing Li Hengyan or the toxic internal environment of the sect...

...he was, in the end, a cultivator of the Cyan Profound Sect.

This position made him feel conflicted when facing Su Ye.

"Mr. Xiao, what are you saying?"

"Our Donglong the Luo Clan has revered the esteemed sect for over three hundred years with unwavering loyalty."

"Besides, as you said, this person acted on his own. It has nothing to do with the esteemed sect..."

Su Ye chuckled, his attitude gentle.

"Phew..."

Seeing this, Xiao Sheng felt a sense of relief.

But at that moment, Su Ye’s expression suddenly changed, his face turning pale.

The aura of his Magical Power plummeted at an incredible speed, falling from the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment and barely stabilizing at the level of someone who had just entered the Foundation Establishment realm?!

"Mr. Su, you...?!"

Xiao Sheng exclaimed in astonishment, but at the same time, a part of him felt it was to be expected.

’After all, it’s impossible to display such Divine Techniques and Magical Power at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment without paying a price.’

"It’s nothing... I just used a Secret Technique..."

Su Ye waved his hand, forcing a smile.

HUM!

By the side of the beach, Luo Xiyin’s figure appeared, blocking Su Ye from view.

She stared at Xiao Sheng, holding an ancient-looking talisman, her gaze full of warning.

’A quasi-third-rank talisman...’ Xiao Sheng murmured to himself.

The ancient talisman faintly emanated a feeling that made his heart pound with fear.

"Xiying, there’s no need for that. Mr. Xiao is a friend of mine... COUGH COUGH..."

Before Su Ye could finish, he was interrupted by a fit of urgent coughing.

"My apologies, Mr. Xiao. I can’t chat any longer."

"I’m not in good condition. I need to enter seclusion to recuperate for a while..."

Su Ye said with a wry smile.

Seeing Su Ye’s pale face,

Xiao Sheng’s expression grew complex. He sighed softly, seemingly having made some kind of decision.

"Mr. Su, I have an audacious request. Could you... also give me a copy of the detailed sea chart of the Dongning Sea Region?"

"Mr. Xiao... you’re planning to leave Donglong Island?"

Su Ye’s expression tightened slightly.

He had a rough idea of what Xiao Sheng wanted to do...

"I can’t just keep running away forever, can I?" Xiao Sheng gave a bitter smile.

"What’s more, you acted to protect me and defeated Li Hengyan. You’ve surely incurred his resentment..."

"With such a petty person making trouble, the consequences are hard to predict..."

"Therefore, I must meet with Zhaoxia to report the truth of what happened, rather than letting him twist right and wrong."

Xiao Sheng’s expression was earnest and calm.

"..." Su Ye was silent for a long moment.

He would bring the detailed sea chart, a key bargaining chip, to meet Zhaoxia and supplement it with his own testimony.

This would prevent anyone from stirring up trouble and causing the Cyan Profound Sect to become hostile toward Su Ye and the Luo Family.

The price, however, was also obvious.

And that was...

—Xiao Sheng himself would have to return to the whirlpool of the Cyan Profound Sect’s internal conflicts...

Su Ye’s gaze was filled with admiration.

’There’s a reason Xiao Sheng is so adept at navigating social situations and building good relationships.’

’This cultivator has the air of a gentleman of old. He’s truly someone worth befriending...’

He took out a jade slip and engraved the sea chart onto it with his Divine Sense.

"Mr. Xiao, please take this..."

...

Luoyue Mountain.

Inside the cave residence, Su Ye, dressed in a black robe, had a flicker in his eyes as he fell into thought.

The whole "using a Secret Technique" story was, of course, something he had just made up.

’Defeating a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator while only at the Mid-stage, without even shedding a drop of blood? That would have been a bit too outrageous.’

But Su Ye had no regrets about revealing his strength and severely injuring Li Hengyan.

The man’s attitude was vile. He had directly ordered his spirit ship to bombard Donglong Island’s Island Protection Array.

Then, he used it as a pretext to cause more trouble,

wanting to condemn him with baseless accusations!

’Uh... I guess they weren’t entirely baseless.’

’Well... that’s not important!’

And after Xiao Sheng’s detailed questioning of the Feiyan’s crew,

Su Ye learned even more.

When Li Hengyan arrived, he had fully intended to use his status to bully them.

Not only did he want the Ghostly Flood Dragon to be deployed, but he also planned to order the Luo Family to dispatch a large number of cultivators to search for traces of the white whale for him!

Without a doubt, it was tantamount to using human lives to clear a minefield—using the blood of the Luo Family’s cultivators to light up the ’sea chart’.

With such a malicious guest showing up at his door, harboring such ill intentions, it would have been useless even if Su Ye had conceded!

A conflict between them was inevitable!

On the contrary,

by revealing combat strength comparable to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, defeating the strong while being weak, and severely injuring Li Hengyan,

he had, at the very least, bought himself some time.

’Besides, with Xiao Sheng mediating and Zhaoxia being on bad terms with Qinghe...’

’...my current situation is relatively safe, at least for a short while.’

Su Ye’s jade-white fingers tapped lightly on the stone table, producing a rhythmic sound.

This time, he had revealed combat strength at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment level, and Luo Xiyin had clearly demonstrated her skills as a quasi-third-rank Talisman Master.

For a short period, no one should dare to have designs on Donglong Island.

A Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was a renowned expert in this sea region, enough to intimidate an entire area!

’But... once the Cyan Profound Sect’s whale hunt is over and Li Hengyan returns to the sect, things might get difficult...’

The blood relative of a Core Formation cultivator and a True Disciple—with such status, he was practically a second-generation immortal!

If he didn’t die, Su Ye wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep in peace!

’So...’

’Li Hengyan... must die!’

A dark light flickered in Su Ye’s eyes, revealing a cold, murderous intent.

When he defeated Li Hengyan, Su Ye had placed an imperceptible spiritual soul imprint on him.

Because he had used the [Heart of the Vast Sea],

this imprint was like a naturally clinging wisp of oceanic Spiritual Qi and wouldn’t arouse any suspicion!

And with this imprint, Su Ye could pinpoint Li Hengyan’s location!

’The Cyan Profound Sect and the Immortal City want to hunt the whale.’

’And the natives are bound to fight back...’

When the time comes, it wouldn’t be difficult for Su Ye to fish in troubled waters, using the [Illusion Spirit Pearl] to disguise his identity and assassinate Li Hengyan.

’Even...’

He looked within himself. The crimson, diamond-shaped divine seed representing [Soul-Chasing Life-Stealing] was floating and spinning quietly...

After ten years, this terrifyingly powerful quasi-Divine Technique had finally finished charging!

’A whale hunt, huh?’

Su Ye muttered to himself.

...

...

...

My apologies, my apologies.

I had an urgent matter to attend to in real life this morning, so I started writing very late.

It’s not resolved yet, so I’ll try my best to get one Chapter out this afternoon...

So sorry, so sorry...