Chen Jingzhai could not be bothered to deal with Lord Dong. This fellow was not a good person either.

If he was truly doing this for Chen Jingzhai’s sake, Lord Dong should be shielding him from Lord Yu.

If he did so, even if Chen Jingzhai did not appreciate it, the Luo Sheng Sword School would and would offer him gifts in return.

However, he was now saying all these things in a manipulative manner, pretending to be doing this for Chen Jingzhai’s benefit when he actually wanted Chen Jingzhai to surrender the spiritual treasure to him and seek his protection.

Lord Dong was implying that surrendering the treasure to either of them was essentially the same.

By that logic, Chen Jingzhai giving it to him was more worth it than giving it to Lord Yu!

“If Lord Yu is unwilling to give up two Grade 3 spiritual herbs, why doesn’t Lord Dong pay for him instead?” said Chen Jingzhai as he looked at Lord Dong with a faint smile. “The Eastern Ocean Triad are sworn allies. For someone with Lord Dong’s background, two mere spiritual herbs should be a trifle.”

The corner of Lord Yu’s mouth curled upwards. Even though he did not know why Chen Jingzhai was insistently provoking Lord Dong, Chen Jingzhai’s words had pushed Lord Dong over to his side. This was great for him.

“Have you made up your mind?” asked Lord Dong with an ugly expression.

“Both of you are greedy!” said Chen Jingzhai with a sigh. “I do not wish to drag this out any longer. Two Grade 3 spiritual herbs are no longer enough. I want two Grade 4 spiritual herbs, otherwise I will kill them immediately.”

“Presumptuous!” said Lord Yu, no longer able to maintain a smile. He grinded his teeth and said, “I have Grade 4 spiritual herbs, but do you dare take them from me?”

As he said this, he waved his hand and two beams of light appeared, gently landing between the two of them.

The faint veils of light pushed away the ocean water. Enveloped within them were two Grade 4 spiritual herbs.

“Blood Fat Ginseng and Golden Thread Vines! These are good herbs. Don’t mind if I take them.”

After Chen Jingzhai recognized the two spiritual herbs, his eyes flashed, and he immediately sent the two hostages flying out.

The corners of Lord Yu’s mouth curled to reveal a look of mockery. In an instant, a clone of his appeared. Both he and his clone raised their hands.

Ma Yuliang and Yin Cailing disappeared from the ocean water and were immediately retrieved by the clone.

However, at the same time, the two Grade 4 spiritual herbs disappeared.

Lord Yu, who had raised his hands and was prepared to teach Chen Jingzhai a lesson, was stunned.

He suddenly turned around and looked at Lord Dong. He said, “Lord Dong, isn’t this going too far?”

“It wasn’t me!” said Lord Dong as he shook his head slightly.

“Lord Yu, your vision has gone bad. What a joke,” said Chen Jingzhai as he showed off the spiritual herbs in his hands. He beamed at Lord Yu and said, “Thank you for the spiritual herbs!”

“You are truly seeking your own death,” threatened Lord Yu as his rage flamed up.

“You will have to catch me first!” replied Chen Jingzhai with a laugh as he instantly disappeared from his original spot.

Rumble.

Explosions occurred on the surface of the ocean as the Ocean Taming Drum rumbled. Its sound waves kept expanding outwards.

However, his attack was useless. It only managed to kill off many sea creatures.

“He has already left,” said Lord Dong with an ugly expression. “He has comprehended the Dharma Intent. With the enhancement of the Dharma Intent, his water escape spell can instantly shift him several hundred miles away.”

“The spiritual treasure on him is mine,” said Lord Yu with a look as cold as ice. “It is useless no matter how fast he runs.”

“I will not involve myself in this,” said Lord Dong in a depressed tone. “We missed the opportunity when we did not immediately seize it. Do as you please. When the sword cultivators of the Luo Sheng Sword School arrive, even the Mystic Sound Pavilion cannot protect you from them. That band of sword fanatics is not easy to deal with.”

After he finished saying this, he immediately flew off on the banana leaf towards Crescent Moon Bay.

Lord Yu coldly snorted. He immediately left the people on the Ocean Taming Drum behind and departed alone on the magic treasure. It seemed that he would not stop until he had captured Chen Jingzhai.

A spiritual treasure was enough for him to cast aside his pride and act without any hesitation. He would not foolishly kill Chen Jingzhai. He merely wanted the spiritual treasure and the cave residence. Once he got his hands on these two things, he would enter the Tempest Ocean.

Years ago, he had accidentally entered the Tempest Ocean. He discovered a narrow ocean domain that was considered stable. With the spiritual treasure, he was certain that he could overcome the risk and hide away in the space to cultivate.

He would emerge when he reached the True Venerable Spirit Plane. He might even leave in secret. He did not have a strong sense of belonging towards the Mystic Sound Pavilion. For his own cultivation, he would give everything up.

As he dove into the ocean water, Lord Yu beat the Ocean Taming Drum. He knew that Chen Jingzhai’s water escape spell was miraculous. He did not hope for the sound waves of the drum to hit their target. He did so to find some trace of Chen Jingzhai’s whereabouts.

“People know that my magic treasure is called the Ocean Taming Drum, also known as the Dragon Summoning Drum. Yet, who knows of its might in the ocean?” thought Lord Yu with pride as he activated the Ocean Taming Drum’s Restriction.

A dragon phantom flew out. Lord Yu stood on the Ocean Taming Drum as the dragon phantom circled around it. Very soon, small vibrations and a special aura began to come from the ocean water.

“Found you!” said Lord Yu as the corner of his mouth curled upwards. He instantly disappeared.

After four hours, Lord Dong arrived at Tidal Sound City on the banana leaf. Along the way, the cultivators from various forces went their separate ways.

All the cultivators of the Eastern Ocean immediately knew that the inheritance of Venerable Ning, both the cave residence and the spiritual treasure, had been obtained by Chen Jingzhai of the Luo Sheng Sword School. He had also killed Little Jupiter Zhang Ye.

After Lord Dong arrived at Tidal Sound City, a deacon from the sect came to find him immediately. After determining that Chen Jingzhai had obtained the inheritance and had killed Little Jupiter Zhang Ye, the deacon revealed a bitter smile.

“Did something happen?” asked Lord Dong.

“Little Jupiter Zhang Ye’s father, Venerable Zhang, was giving a lecture on cultivation methods in our sect. The instant he sensed that Little Jupiter Zhang Ye had perished, he immediately left in a rage,” said the Mingyuan Dao Sect deacon with a bitter smile. “Our conference was cut short just like that. Many of our members were injured, yet he ditched us and flew towards the southern region of the Eastern Ocean. Along the way, when he heard the news of Chen Jingzhai escaping, he disappeared without a trace.”

“Are you saying that Venerable Zhang went to find Chen Jingzhai?” asked Lord Dong with a look of surprise.

“It is highly likely that he has done so,” said the deacon with a sigh. “This is truly troublesome. Venerable Zhang was originally a rogue cultivator. He slaughtered his way to where he is now.”

“What is the response of the sect?” asked Lord Dong as he frowned.

“The True Venerable Spirit Plane cultivators of the sect have already informed the Luo Sheng Sword School,” said the deacon. “However, from the looks of it, our True Venerable Spirit Plane cultivators will need to intervene. If anything happens to Chen Jingzhai in the Eastern Ocean, we will not be able to bear the consequences.”

“What is there to explain? All of this is Chen Jingzhai’s own doing,” said Lord Dong, his anger yet to subside. “He offended a True Venerable Spirit Plane cultivator. Why does our Mingyuan Dao Sect need to clean up after him?”

“Lord Dong, please do not speak in anger,” said the deacon hurriedly. “Our sect invited the disciples of the Luo Sheng Sword School to explore the cave residence, so we definitely need to guarantee the safety of their disciples. Otherwise, the 1000 years of friendship between our two sects will be nulled. If we offend the Luo Sheng Sword School, the consequences are unthinkable.”

“Why does the sect fear the Luo Sheng Sword School?” asked Lord Dong in a dissatisfied tone.

“We do not fear them,” said the deacon with a wry smile. “You broke through to the next plane in the Eastern Ocean. It is natural that you do not understand the inner workings of the situation. I heard from an elder of my family that the Luo Sheng Sword School is more than what it appears to be on the surface.”

“Oh?” responded Lord Dong as he frowned.

The deacon before him was only a Zhenjun, but the master of his house was a Spirit Plane Grand Elder. The house he served could be considered one of the more traditional clans of the Mingyuan Dao Sect. That was also why Lord Dong treated the deacon with respect.

“In summary, things have taken a turn for the worse!” said the deacon as he sighed. “If a True Venerable Spirit Plane cultivator acts, there is practically no chance of survival for the other party, especially when the former is in a rage. If anything happens to Chen Jingzhai, the Luo Sheng Sword School will most likely mobilize and the Eastern Ocean might become a battlefield.”

“Is it that serious?” asked Lord Dong in astonishment. “No matter how high his seniority is, he is only a Foundational Cultivator! Will the Luo Sheng Sword School truly go to war for him?”

“The Luo Sheng Sword School’s rules are strict. Seniority determines one’s status in the sect,” explained the deacon confidently. “You might not know this, but Chen Jingzhai is one of the few aspirant cultivators who became a direct disciple upon joining the sect. The sect leader even made an exception for him and made Chen Jingzhai his junior brother. Such a figure is definitely favored by the sect.”

“Tsk, this is really bad!” said Lord Dong as he drew in a breath. “I am afraid that Venerable Zhang will return empty handed! Before this, Lord Yu of the Mystic Sound Pavilion had already given chase.”

“What did you say?” exclaimed the deacon as he instantly stood up. He had a look of shock as he stared at Lord Dong and said, “Why did Lord Yu give chase? Has the Zhenjun of the Mystic Sound Pavilion given up his image to deal with a mere Foundational Cultivator?”

“It is for the spiritual treasure and the cave residence,” explained Lord Dong helplessly. “As dignified Zhenjuns, we do not even have a single spiritual treasure, yet alone a portable cave residence. Who wouldn’t be motivated?”

“Ridiculous!” said the deacon as his face turned red. “This means serious trouble now!”

As he said this, he ran off.