Chapter 187: Crisis Approaches

“The Giant Wealth is not just a top-tier defensive treasure; it can be said to be the very entrance to the Giant Wealth Palace!”
Hua Guang Zhenren said solemnly, “The Giant Wealth can change in size at will—small as a grain of sand when tiny, and towering tens of thousands of feet when enlarged. Most of the time, it serves as the crucial entrance to the Giant Wealth Palace, bearing tens of thousands of its core disciples.”
Hearing this, Su Che nodded and said, “I’m somewhat familiar with that period of history. Back then, the Giant Wealth Palace incurred widespread anger due to certain actions and was besieged by more than a dozen sects from both the immortal and demon realms. That battle was earth-shattering—many of the palace’s disciples either died in battle or surrendered. In the end, only the current palace master alone fought his way out of the encirclement, and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since…”
“That’s right!”
Hua Guang Zhenren gestured outside the cave and said, “Later, the palace master was also fatally injured and passed away. Before dying, he sank the Giant Wealth Palace deep into the Arctic seas.”
“The Arctic seas?”
Su Che was shocked. He turned to look at the deep ocean outside the cave and exclaimed, “Right in this sea?”
Hua Guang Zhenren nodded gently.
“But is this information accurate?” Su Che couldn’t help asking.
“Absolutely accurate,” Hua Guang Zhenren replied with a sad smile. “Because I am a descendant of that former palace master.”
“Uh…”
Su Che was completely stunned. He never expected that the great leader of the Benevolent Recluse Alliance had such an extraordinary family background.
“As for the affairs of our family, they are far too complex to fully explain even over three days and nights. Moreover, there’s no need to go into detail.”
Hua Guang Zhenren sighed softly. “If I die, this lineage will be completely severed. It was all caused by my pursuit of the Aurora Path in my youth—being overly eager for success and reckless in my actions. I didn’t realize that the Arctic light would prevent me from having descendants, turning me into the culprit who ended my family’s lineage…”
“Let’s not talk about these things!” he waved his hand. “In any case, I’m absolutely certain that the Giant Wealth is sunk deep in the Arctic seas. It was a remark made by our ancestor on his deathbed. However, feeling deeply guilty, he didn’t want future generations to be entangled in the conflicts of the Giant Wealth Palace, so he didn’t specify exactly where it sank.”
“Since then, only the head of each generation has known this secret. By my time, I’m the last one left—without any family at all.”

At this point, he took out a complete map of the Arctic Sea: “For hundreds of years, I have explored all these areas. Only less than a quarter of this sea remains… That’s why I say that given me another hundred years, I will surely find the whereabouts of the great treasure.”
Su Che had almost understood the whole situation, so he accepted the map marked with so much effort. The remaining quarter of the sea would have to be explored by him himself.
Hua Guang Zhenren reminded him again, “Without reaching the Golden Core stage, we can’t rush this. In the depths of the Arctic Sea, many monstrous beasts possess Golden Core strength. Your current level is far too low.”
“I understand,” Su Che replied humbly.
Next, Hua Guang Zhenren explained various techniques for searching the sea area and the various taboos to be mindful of—valuable experiences accumulated over hundreds of years.
A few hours later, Su Che flew alone into the sky and continued toward the vast sea. As for Hua Guang Zhenren, he stayed in the cave on the seabed. Perhaps he still had many things to think about and do…
Su Che held deep respect for this old man and kept the promise he had made firmly in his heart.
One day, the Aurora Island Freelancer Alliance would flourish again, even more than before.
As for the great treasure, Su Che wasn’t overly eager to obtain it. If he got it, it would be fortunate; otherwise, it was fine as it was.
At the same time, thousands of miles away, the massive army of cultivators from the Taiyi Sect had already taken complete control of Aurora Island. More than two thousand freelancers who harbored dreams of joining the sect were gathered in a frozen area on the island under surveillance.
The Taiyi Sect explained that they needed to verify each person’s identity and background. Those without serious crimes could join as outer disciples; those who performed well or had special talents could be formally admitted to the sect…
Seeing that the Taiyi Sect wasn’t slaughtering everyone and still maintained the dignity befitting an immortal sect, the freelancers were overjoyed. They truly believed that being admitted this time was a great fortune. From now on, they would no longer be rootless freelancers.
“I am a disciple of the Taiyi Sect!”
What a glorious moment that would be once those words were spoken!
Although they were in a snowy wasteland and their situation resembled that of prisoners under guard, the freelancers saw it as a trial before joining the sect. If they couldn’t endure such hardship, how could they talk about cultivating immortality? Why should they be admitted at all!

Inside what was once the residence of Master Huaguang, a dignified middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back and said to his subordinates, “This so-called leader of the Independent Cultivators is indeed a true cultivator. One can tell from the arrangements here that his state of mind already possesses a transcendent quality.”

This man was at the late Golden Core stage and was on the verge of reaching the Great Perfection stage of the Infant Core realm, similar to the Mystic Lord of Tianxuan Sect. Several subordinates at the mid-Gold Core stage agreed with him and reported some characteristics of Master Huaguang. After listening, the middle-aged man fell silent for a moment before asking, “Zheqiu, have the spies you arranged discovered anything unusual?”

The Golden Core elder with the Dao name Zheqiu was in charge of intelligence work. Half a year ago, he had sent a group of subordinates disguised as independent cultivators to infiltrate various levels of Aurora Island. Some time ago, the other two leaders of the Independent Cultivators Alliance had contacted “Zheqiu” several times, eventually agreeing to today’s operation.

So, Zheqiu described in great detail how “Wuli” and “Wanhai” were injured, collapsed, and lost their vision. He also took out several image crystals and played footage of Su Che using his Soul Seizing and Demon Prisoning techniques in an ambush from several different angles. These video recordings were, of course, captured by several spies from Taiyi Sect from various locations.

The images recorded on the image crystals could be activated using true energy or vital essence to reproduce nearly three-dimensional, clear images in an open area, as if it were a live performance by a real person.

“Not even at the Golden Core stage yet, yet he already possesses two such divine techniques, both of which are extremely rare and special types,” the middle-aged man said with interest, smiling. “This kid is quite interesting.”

He then asked, “Does anyone know him?”

“Yes!” Zheqiu replied respectfully.

“Bring him here.”

“Understood.”

Soon, “Ying Lian,” the monk with the hooked nose from the Silver Moon Dharma Wheel, who had been taken captive by Su Che, was brought into the room by a Golden Core cultivator.

“Junior Ying Lian greets all the seniors,” he said as soon as he entered, kneeling in a grand apprenticeship bow. He thought that perhaps because of some reason, a high-ranking figure from Taiyi Sect had taken a liking to him and wanted to recruit him officially.

Two days ago, he finally obtained a top-tier spiritual artifact he had long desired and showed it off heavily among his peers, naturally receiving plenty of praise and envy. This made him arrogant and self-important. “Does anyone know this person?”

The invisible pressure from the middle-aged man as he turned around jolted Ying Lian out of his illusory thoughts, causing him to break into a cold sweat in an instant. Trembling, Ying Lian turned to look at the repeated scenes in the hall and immediately nodded, saying, “I recognize him, and I even made a deal with him.”
“Oh?”
With hundreds of years of life experience, the middle-aged man wouldn’t miss any details and immediately asked, “What kind of deal was that?”
“I exchanged a wooden plaque for a top-quality spiritual artifact from him,” Ying Lian replied truthfully, not daring to lie, and recounted the entire transaction in detail.
Upon hearing about the wooden plaque inscribed with the character “prison,” the middle-aged man narrowed his eyes, waved his hand, and pulled Ying Lian over. Without saying a word, he pressed down on his head. Ying Lian couldn’t even scream; his eyes rolled back, and his body trembled slightly, as if suffering from an epileptic seizure.
This was the vicious technique Su Che feared the most: soul search!
A moment later, the middle-aged man withdrew his hand. Ying Lian’s mouth and eyes were twisted, his expression vacant, showing clear signs of madness. What difference was there between such a fate and death?
“The Ancient Prison Demon Talisman!”
The middle-aged man murmured, “It’s actually the Ancient Prison Demon Talisman! His ability to imprison others came from that ancient talisman… How is that possible? How did he transform the power of the ancient talisman into his own ability? It’s simply inconceivable!”
The several subordinates nearby remained silent, but they all understood: something that could move the Great Lord so much must be serious. Perhaps an order would be given soon…
Sure enough, a few breaths later, they heard the middle-aged man’s deep voice addressing everyone, “Issue orders to seal off the Arctic Sea and capture this man at all costs. It’s better to arrest ten thousand wrong people than let one escape! Within ten days, I want him standing before me.”
“Yes, Great Lord!”
All the subordinates replied in unison.
In less than fifteen minutes, hundreds of teleportation beams rose from Aurora Island, all moving at high speed. Even several Golden Core cultivators, each wielding a tracking artifact, followed the direction Su Che had left the island in, guided by witnesses.
Additionally, a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator rushed back to Taiyi Gate to gather more people to completely encircle the entire Arctic Sea.
By now, Su Che was already thousands of miles away from Aurora Island and had no idea that he was once again facing the misfortune of being chased by Golden Core cultivators.

On the vast ocean, it seems like an endless, monotonous flight—quite dull and boring. Fortunately, one can still chat with people like Lao Hei or Snake Woman in one’s mind to pass the time.