Chapter 423: Chapter 203: Crossing the Sea Under Cover: Arriving at Hundred Herbs City (Part 2)

This had caused the powers surrounding the Jingkong Sea to be extremely wary of the Three Great Clans, fearing they intended to continue their outward expansion.

However, since both sides were still evenly matched, they had no choice but to negotiate peacefully.

After all, several days had already been wasted. Capturing Chen Xiao as soon as possible was the top priority.

As the negotiations progressed, the latest portrait provided by Zhao Hongwen made its way to the members of the Golden Dawn Sect.

Master Gui Xia’s eyes widened as he stared at the portrait.

’Isn’t this the young cultivator who disembarked from the Fu Hai!’

He had seen the old wanted poster before, and when he met Xiao Chen, he had thought their builds were somewhat similar.

But on the poster, Chen Xiao was merely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, whereas Master Yanlong had easily slaughtered three Sky Crossing Birds. This made him uncertain if they were the same person.

Now, seeing the latest portrait, it instantly hit him. ’I’ve been tricked!’

’That Master Yanlong’s surname isn’t Xiao at all! He used a fake name!’

’Even that letter was probably a fake.’

’He deliberately fabricated the identity of a "Junior Brother Xiao" to handle any potential inspections.’

’What a cunning and deceitful bastard!’

At this thought, Master Gui Xia’s first instinct was to step forward and provide this information.

But as the words reached his lips, he suddenly hesitated.

’If I say something, doesn’t that mean I was derelict in my duty?’

.

If the Sect investigated this, the matter of the Sky Crossing Birds would be impossible to hide.

They might catch Chen Xiao, but Master Gui Xia himself certainly wouldn’t receive any reward. The best he could hope for was that his merits and demerits would cancel each other out.

It would be better to just keep his mouth shut. That way, he couldn’t be held responsible.

After a moment of indecision, he chose to remain silent.

Fifteen minutes later, the two sides reached a simple verbal agreement and immediately launched a joint, large-scale search within the Golden Dawn Sect’s territory.

A Golden Core Cultivator from the Three Great Clans would be paired with one from the Golden Dawn Sect, with each pair keeping an eye on the other.

They began to sweep through the land, checking every mountain and every river.

But while they were carrying out their massive manhunt, Xiao Chen had already returned to the checkpoint at the edge of the Jingkong Sea.

When the guards at the checkpoint saw a Golden Core Cultivator, their attitude was quite polite. "Fellow Daoist, please step forward and stand before the Mirror of Truth."

Having learned that Chen Xiao had broken through to the Golden Core realm, all four checkpoints had been equipped with special Spiritual Artifacts designed to counter Disguise Techniques.

Furthermore, the Mirror of Truth was specifically designed to defeat all Illusion Techniques.

Under normal circumstances, even a Celestial Level Disguise Technique would be easily seen through unless it had been cultivated to the Peak of Perfection.

However, with the hundredfold enhancement from his Augment, Xiao Chen managed to block the detection using only an Entry Level Mystic Sect Illusion Technique.

He once again savored the beauty of raw stats.

Seeing that the person in the Treasure Mirror matched the man standing before it, the guard didn’t dare to delay him any further.

Instead, he let him pass respectfully. "The Chu Family thanks you for your cooperation, Fellow Daoist. Please, this way. Have a safe journey."

Having successfully passed the checkpoint, Xiao Chen finally relaxed.

He leisurely departed via Sword Control, glancing back over his shoulder.

He had, of course, seen the large number of Golden Core Cultivators conducting their joint search along the way.

The thought of them still searching aimlessly made him want to laugh. ’Hehehe, you all can take your sweet time searching. This young master is outta here.’

Since the main forces of the Three Great Clans were either in seclusion or had already been dispatched to Xilai Country...

...there were hardly any Golden Core Cultivators to be found within the Jingkong Sea’s domain.

Xiao Chen even took a stroll through the Jingkong Sea’s largest marketplace, the Jingkong Market, and bought a Nautical Chart from the Jingkong Tower, a business jointly operated by the Three Great Clans.

There was a well-known saying in the Eastern Domain: The Endless Sea will eventually devour all.

When Cultivators went to sea, they not only had to avoid the territories of High-Tier Demon Beasts but also various natural disasters.

For example, some regions were prone to thunderstorms so powerful that even a Nascent Soul True Monarch would have to steer clear.

The thunderstorm Xiao Chen had encountered in the Boundary Sea could only be considered of medium intensity.

In other areas, the sea would occasionally boil, with a vast expanse of water churning as if it were in a pot, sending plumes of hot steam into the air.

Strangely, it would return to normal after a short time, and the cause of the boiling could never be found.

Then there were regions that occasionally produced ghost fogs or mirages.

Any Cultivators who wandered into them and couldn’t escape in time could be completely consumed by the Illusions.

Xiao Chen wasn’t afraid of that, though; after all, he had the Divine Protection Veil.

...

In short, to travel safely across the vast ocean, a detailed Nautical Chart marking safe routes was indispensable.

Of course, such charts were sold everywhere.

The reason Xiao Chen specifically chose to buy his at the Jingkong Tower was purely out of a sense of wicked satisfaction.

’The Three Great Clans want to capture me, but not only have they failed, they’ve even provided me with the very Nautical Chart they compiled.’

’Win!’

’Of course, a win is a win, but I’ll still keep a record of what they owe me.’

’In a few years, the Three Great Clans will pay the price for what they’ve done today.’

’They’re so fond of the Immortal Palace Secret Technique, aren’t they? When the time comes, I won’t mind letting them personally experience the power of my Yang Fire Seal.’

’If I can successfully obtain the Yang Water Seal, maybe I’ll even consider giving them a taste of both ice and fire.’

With the Nautical Chart to guide him, the journey was smooth.

As he was leaving the Jingkong Sea, Xiao Chen came across another checkpoint.

"Fellow Daoist, please hold the Lie-Detecting Treasure Pearl."

In front of the guard was a fist-sized pearl that emitted a soft, white glow.

"Are you Chen Xiao?"

"No."

"Do you know the Chen Xiao shown in this portrait?"

"I do not."

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