Chapter 115: Chapter 20: Killing with a Borrowed Knife

The Flying Boat from the Five Elements True Spirit Sect was ascending into the sky. In an instant, Huangyuan Marketplace was left far behind.

Flying Boats used various methods of propulsion. Some utilized Wind Escape, which was swift and agile, allowing for extremely fast adjustments to the vessel’s orientation. However, its power was limited, making it suitable only for small to medium-sized Flying Boats. Cloud Escape, on the other hand, was powerful. It could propel large Flying Boats with immense cargo capacity at impressive top speeds. While all types of Flying Boats used it, its slow acceleration made it most common among commercial cargo vessels.

Martial Might-level Flying Boats, however, employed Primordial Magnetic Power. Their acceleration was incredibly fast, and their maneuverability was second only to vessels using Wind Escape. At maximum output, their power was no less than that of Cloud Escape, allowing them to propel the massive ships at tremendous speeds.

Their greatest drawback was their immense consumption of Spiritual Qi. For the same power output, they consumed three times as much Spiritual Qi as Wind Escape and seven times as much as Cloud Escape.

An ordinary large Flying Boat could be powered by Upper Grade Spirit Stones. A Martial Might-level Flying Boat, however, could only travel two hundred li on a single Upper Grade Spirit Stone—and that was with all of its various Array Formations deactivated.

The true power source of a Martial Might-level Flying Boat was a Spiritual Eye Object.

Spiritual Eye Objects were a type of Celestial and Earthly Treasure nurtured within Spirit Veins. If a location within a Spirit Vein remained saturated with dense Spiritual Qi for many years, a Spiritual Eye Object might eventually form through a fortuitous confluence of circumstances. They often manifested as pearls, stones, jades, or springs.

It was rumored that the Supreme Profound Sun Sect even possessed a Spirit Eye Tree of the highest tier.

These Spiritual Eye Objects were essentially mobile Spirit Veins, their tier being one to two levels lower than the Spirit Vein that created them.

The prospective Outer Sect Cultivators for this year stood on the deck of the Flying Boat, facing the strong headwind. They spoke with fervent passion, grandly discussing the state of the world. The wind was strong enough to force a mortal’s eyes shut, but it did nothing to dampen their soaring spirits.

Just then, three streaks of Sword Light, trailing long tails behind them, shot toward the ship at an astonishing speed, catching up to the Flying Boat in an instant.

Even though the Flying Boat had yet to accelerate to its full potential, their speed was still staggering.

“Who are you? How dare you obstruct a Flying Boat of my Five Elements True Spirit Sect!”

Yue Fashan’s voice boomed. A moment later, the Flying Boat’s various Array Formations activated.

“I am Zuo Renlong of the Taixu Sword Sect’s Demon Slaying Hall. We have uncovered a major case in Huangyuan Marketplace and require the assistance of our Fellow Daoists from the Five Elements True Spirit Sect.”

One of the streaks of Sword Light dispersed, revealing a young cultivator. He held up a golden Token and addressed Yue Fashan.

With a solemn expression, Yue Fashan flew out of the Flying Boat. He stayed close to the protective array, carefully inspecting the Token in the Sword Cultivator’s hand.

According to the pact between the Six Great Sects, the Taixu Sword Sect’s Demon Slaying Hall was responsible for handling all intelligence matters in the Western Continent that involved Demons. If they presented their Token, disciples from the other five sects were obligated to provide all possible assistance.

Yue Fashan knew full well that any matter involving the Sword Cultivators of the Demon Slaying Hall was never a small one. One could only imagine how thorny this “major case” he spoke of must be.

And the greater the matter, the less he could afford to stand idly by.

Steeling himself, Yue Fashan had no choice but to lower the Array Formation and allow the three Sword Cultivators aboard.

“May I ask, Fellow Daoist Zuo, what has happened?”

Although the Demon Slaying Hall had the authority to act as they saw fit, Yue Fashan still asked cautiously. He didn’t want to be led into a trap, completely in the dark.

“Who is on this Flying Boat?”

Since Zuo Renlong had stopped the Flying Boat with the intention of requesting their assistance, he was prepared to disclose some information.

“This vessel carries 35 officers, 280 soldiers, and 21 prospective Outer Disciples of the Five Elements True Spirit Sect.”

As large instruments of war, the numerous Array Restrictions on a Martial Might-level Flying Boat required a large crew of skilled cultivators to maintain and operate. A mere handful of cultivators could never manage it alone.

In the event of a battle against Demons, it could even accommodate over a thousand soldiers from the Demon Suppression Army.

Zuo Renlong nodded.

“From this moment on, activate the Isolation Array. Cut off all communication between the inside and outside of this Flying Boat.”

Yue Fashan could only obey. A moment later, the array activated. From that point on, neither Divine Sense nor any type of Communication Talisman could be sent from or received by the vessel.

Only then did Zuo Renlong retrieve a corpse from his Storage Bag.

The body appeared to have been immolated by intense flames; it was burned nearly to a crisp.

“This is Wang Tong, the Third Shopkeeper of the Celestial Treasure Tower.”

“Wang Tong!”

A cultivator who knew him from Huangyuan Marketplace cried out in shock. Wang Tong was a notable figure in the Marketplace; no one expected that the next time they saw him, he would be burned beyond recognition.

“Yes, this is Wang Tong. However, he had another, secret identity: he was a member of the Profound Carp Association. My Demon Slaying Hall has long been aware of a clandestine organization in the Western Continent smuggling various elixirs to the Demon Country. But this organization is exceptionally well-structured and involves a diverse array of individuals. Due to the complex web of interests, we’ve gathered very little useful intelligence—until now.”

Upon hearing about smuggling elixirs to the Demon Country, the faces of everyone present turned either pale with fear or grim with gravity.

Yue Fashan felt as though he’d been struck by a bolt from the blue. He couldn’t fathom what rotten luck had led him to become entangled in an affair of this magnitude—one that could easily cost him his head.

Yang Jing, inconspicuous within the crowd, felt a sense of certainty. ’The first step of my plan is complete.’

’Among all the disciples of the Six Great Sects, the Taixu Sword Sect’s Demon Slaying Hall was the least likely to harbor a member of the Profound Carp Association.’

’After all, it was the Demon Slaying Hall that had first cracked open the case against the association years ago.’

’He had ordered Yinjiao to use the Inconstant Illusionary Form Technique to assume Wang Tong’s appearance. Yinjiao then entered the Huang Clan Territory, which was already under surveillance by disciples of the Taixu Sword Sect. Once inside, Yinjiao produced the real Wang Tong from a Beast Taming Bag, staged a scene to look as if Wang Tong had been cornered and forced to commit suicide by self-immolation, and left behind a Jade Scroll.’

’The Jade Scroll contained everything about the Profound Carp Association: their transaction methods, organizational structure, and a list of members.’

’The method was crude, simple, and riddled with suspicious details. But as long as the information on the Jade Scroll was authentic, it would still spell doom for the Profound Carp Association.’

“Members of the Profound Carp Association communicate with each other using Profound Carp Mirrors. I have already secured the Celestial Treasure Tower and suppressed the news of Wang Tong’s death—the extinguishing of his Soul Lamp. The Association should be unaware that he is dead, which makes this the perfect opportunity for us to apprehend them one by one according to this list,” Zuo Renlong explained.

Although the Demon Slaying Hall had dispatched a considerable number of Sword Cultivators to deal with the Yao Nian Army’s spies, they lacked the manpower to simultaneously arrest every member of the Profound Carp Association across the entire Chen Kingdom with the necessary speed.

After all, there were quite a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators among the Association’s members.

While it wouldn’t be difficult for the Demon Slaying Hall’s Sword Cultivators to subdue them, it would be nearly impossible to prevent them from sending a warning to the rest of the Association.

’But right now, there just so happened to be a Flying Boat from the Five Elements True Spirit Sect, sent to ferry new disciples to the sect. And it was crewed by a ship full of elite soldiers from the Demon Suppression Army.’

’The Flying Boat’s speed was exceptional, it was equipped with an Isolation Array capable of blocking the Profound Carp Mirror’s communications, and even Foundation Establishment Cultivators would be helpless against its arrays. It was the perfect tool for carrying out the arrests.’

It was all so convenient that a sliver of suspicion arose in Zuo Renlong’s mind. ’Is some other organization using my Demon Slaying Hall as a borrowed blade to eliminate the Profound Carp Association?’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep