Chapter 474: Plague God Comes in Person

Cloudmist Sea, an uninhabited island.

Sikong Yi and Baili Chen cautiously surveyed their surroundings. Once they confirmed no one was following them, they entered the hidden cave dwelling they had constructed.

The space inside was small and very simple.

Yet, inside, Sikong Yi felt exceptionally at ease.

The clone, Baili Chen, stood guard carefully at the entrance.

Sikong Yi, the main body, was completely relaxed, lying on the bed, contemplating his future plans.

“If my assumption is correct, the anomaly in the center of the Cloudmist Sea should be a precursor to the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace appearing.”

“The Cloudwater Scroll should be inside that ruin.”

“One hundred thousand contribution points.”

A hint of longing flashed in Sikong Yi’s eyes.

However, a moment later, a trace of hesitation emerged.

“There should still be a successor of the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace alive. If I impersonate a disciple and happen to be discovered…”

The thought made Sikong Yi feel a little disheartened.

Some time ago, the clone, who was cultivating the ‘Sea-Stabilizing Divine Sword’ technique, suddenly sensed that there was another person cultivating the same technique somewhere in the Cloudmist Sea.

It was important to note that he had acquired this Core Formation technique from the remains of a Cloudwater Heavenly Palace disciple from back then.

In the present world, no one else should have known about it besides him.

Yet, such a thing had precisely occurred.

His first reaction at the time was that a successor of the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace was still alive.

Originally, he wanted to follow the sensation and investigate.

However, the closer he got to the target location, the stronger his unease became.

Going there would only lead to certain death!

Upon reaching this conclusion, Sikong Yi was so frightened that he immediately fled far away.

It made sense; how could a small Qi Condensation cultivator like him possibly contend with a legacy spanning thousands of years?

After narrowly escaping back, Sikong Yi had been restless, fearing that the other party might follow the shared cultivation technique’s sensation and come knocking.

“Although a Core Formation technique is precious, it’s nothing compared to one’s life.”

After much hesitation, he temporarily dissipated the Sea-Stabilizing Divine Sword technique, leaving only pure cultivation power within his dantian.

Affected by this, his clone’s combat strength significantly decreased.

He had also become increasingly careful and cautious in his actions during this period.

He avoided going out unless necessary, preferring to stay in the Sky Profound Mirror or this secluded cave dwelling as much as possible.

Now, as the day for the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace to open gradually approached, his mind began to stir with activity.

“One hundred thousand contribution points, one hundred thousand contribution points…”

He mumbled softly to himself, and slowly, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes.

“That muddled old Taixu turtle, I’ll rush to him as quickly as possible first. Then I’ll re-cultivate the ‘Sea-Stabilizing Divine Sword’ technique, disguise myself as a Cloudwater Heavenly Palace disciple, and trick him into giving me the Cloudwater Scroll.”

“After leaving the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace, I’ll quickly dissipate my cultivation and go to the Sky Profound Mirror to claim the reward. This way, even if that successor realizes something is wrong and tries to find me, it should be too late.”

“The only thing I need to do is be faster than him.”

“Fortune favors the bold!”

Having made up his mind, Sikong Yi let out a long breath. He was about to enjoy a good sleep to conserve energy for the upcoming adventure.

However, he suddenly noticed some movement at the entrance of the cave dwelling.

Sikong Yi’s expression changed drastically. He quickly got up and moved to the entrance.

He and his clone became highly vigilant together.

“Is Fellow Daoist Baili there?”

Those words made Sikong Yi’s heart jump into his throat.

“Who is it? How does he know my identity? And how does he know about this cave dwelling?”

In an instant, many figures flashed through Sikong Yi’s mind.

But he dismissed them one by one.

Narrowing his eyes, Sikong Yi and Baili Chen did not reply. Instead, they took out their magical artifacts from their storage rings and secretly gathered their power.

Seeing no response for a long time, the voice outside spoke again: “Heh heh, Fellow Daoist Baili, don’t worry, I mean no harm.”

“My uninvited visit this time is actually just for the hundred thousand contribution points from the Cloudwater Scroll.”

Upon hearing this, Sikong Yi’s heart trembled violently. The magical artifact in his hand almost slipped from his grasp.

His expression kept changing, and after pondering for a long time, he finally spoke.

Controlling his clone, he intentionally used a hoarse voice and asked, “What do you mean?”

The other party chuckled: “Fellow Daoist Baili, stop pretending to be confused while being clever. Do you really think no one else in the world knows the origins of the Sea-Stabilizing Divine Sword apart from you?”

Finally confirming that the other party wasn’t playing games, Sikong Yi remained silent for a long time before asking in a deep voice, “What do you want?”

“What do I want? What a question.” The other party sneered, “Naturally, I want a share of the spoils. Who wouldn’t be envious of one hundred thousand contribution points?”

Knowing the other party’s objective, Sikong Yi actually felt relieved.

After much deliberation, he finally opened the entrance restriction. His main body and clone, back to back, walked out together.

Blocking the entrance of the cave dwelling was an unremarkable middle-aged cultivator.

He had a goatee on his chin and a gaunt face.

“Don’t be so tense, I truly mean no harm. My name is Han Wuyou!” The middle-aged cultivator cupped his hands and smiled slightly.

“Speak plainly!” Seeing that the other party was merely at the late-stage Qi Condensation realm, Sikong Yi instantly felt less tense.

After a confrontation and exchange among the three, Sikong Yi understood the whole story.

It turned out that the Sea-Stabilizing Divine Sword technique, which his clone had used earlier in a conflict with someone, had coincidentally been secretly witnessed by this person.

Although Han Wuyou’s cultivation wasn’t high, he was well-informed and had read widely from ancient texts.

He had actually recognized that this technique originated from the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace.

Recently, the unusual phenomenon in the center of the Cloudmist Sea had also caught his attention.

After observing the site for a while, he surmised that it was a sign of the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace’s imminent appearance.

Connecting this to the mission offering a hundred thousand contribution points as a reward, he thus believed that Baili Chen, possessing the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace legacy, would certainly be able to obtain the Cloudwater Scroll from the ruins.

That was why he had secretly followed him all the way and quietly paid a visit.

“Obtaining the Cloudwater Scroll is my own ability. Why should I share it with you?!” Sikong Yi said indignantly.

“Heh heh, Fellow Daoist, you jest. You wouldn’t want the matter of you acquiring an ancient sect’s legacy to become known throughout the Cloudmist Sea, would you?” Han Wuyou stroked his beard, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Killing intent began to rise in Sikong Yi’s heart. Just then, he heard the other party say: “However, I won’t take advantage of you for nothing, Fellow Daoist.”

“You have your path to fortune, and I have my stairway to heaven.”

“If you’re willing to share some of those hundred thousand contribution points with me, then I also have a clear path to share with you, Fellow Daoist.”

“With the three of us cooperating, one hundred thousand contribution points would just be the beginning!”

Sikong Yi’s heart stirred: “Explain it clearly!”

Han Wuyou smiled slightly and said, “Our strength is humble. Even if we obtain one hundred thousand contribution points, we’d quickly deplete them by simply relying on them. Am I right?”

Sikong Yi pondered for a moment, then nodded: “The speed at which Qi Condensation cultivators earn contribution points is indeed very slow. But once I break through to the Foundation Establishment stage…”

Han Wuyou waved his hand: “What about the Foundation Establishment stage? Are there few Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Cloudmist Sea? Aren’t they all struggling daily for those meager contribution points? One hundred thousand contribution points, even if a Foundation Establishment cultivator doesn’t eat or drink, would still take ten to twenty years to accumulate.”

“So, what good method do you have then?!” Sikong Yi asked, somewhat unconvinced.

Han Wuyou raised his head slightly, a proud look on his face: “Have you ever heard of Master Li Fan?”

Sikong Yi was slightly stunned, then his body trembled: “Are you referring to that ancient Heavenly Mystery Sect cultivator who is exceptionally skilled in divination and rich enough to rival a nation?”

Han Wuyou nodded and said proudly: “Exactly! Master Li and I…”

He paused, then continued: “…I have some connections with Senior He Zhenghao, a friend of Master Li’s!”