But it was already too late. He Yuan got angry, and his spirit pressure surged forth. "Azure Yang Devil Lord? What kind of nonsense! I am He Yuan, direct inheritor of the Primordial Devil lineage. Have Blood Nightmare come see me!"

The powerful Golden Core aura crashed forward and forced the two Adepts to step back in embarrassment. The onlookers were equally stunned. The outburst caught them off guard, but what shocked them more was the way he called out to Blood Nightmare, as if issuing a command. After all, Blood Nightmare was the master of the Devil's Snare, and a dignified Sage was not someone to be summoned at will. If word spread, how could the lineage still hold its ground in the Northern Sea cultivation world?

Before anyone could react, Wu Qi's pupils shrank. He was not as impacted as the others by He Yuan's overwhelming pressure, and he instantly caught a glimpse of the underlying pitch-black aura. Devil energy! Pure devil energy!!

As Wu Qi recalled the information he had received earlier, he suddenly understood. He shoved his two companions aside and stepped forward against the pressure. His lips moved as he walked, but no sound followed.

Hearing the voice transmission, He Yuan's brows arched, then let out a cold snort. "Hmph! I have matters to attend to and will not argue with you now. But I'll remember what happened here."

With a cold snort, He Yuan strode forward. Wu Qi quickly stepped aside and motioned for the others to follow behind him. The two pale-faced Adepts moved closer, clearly wanting an explanation.

Wu Qi said nothing and simply urged them onward. Before leaving, he cast a regretful glance toward the Bai family ship. In the end, he did not see the person he had been hoping for.

***

On the Bai family ship, the previously lively atmosphere became oppressive after the farce. The others started whispering like a swarm of mosquitoes once they were gone.

"We thought that the Devil's Snare was warmly welcoming Adept He Yuan. Turns out it was all just a misunderstanding."

"Who is this Azure Yang Devil Lord? For Wu Qi of Divine Witch Island to personally come and receive him... how have we never heard of him before?"

"That name does sound familiar... feels like I've heard it somewhere."

"Putting that aside, He Yuan hasn't even joined Devil's Snare yet, and he's already clashed with their Adepts. If Fellow Daoist Chen and the others follow him, they're probably in for a rough time."

"I don't see it that way. Adept He Yuan is incredibly strong. Just his aura was enough to pressure two peers. And he spoke of Sage Blood Nightmare without the slightest courtesy. His background must be extraordinary. Fellow Daoist Chen and the others have probably latched onto a powerful backer!"

"Alright, enough of that. Let's drop it. Check the ship and get ready to go ashore for trade. And let the other passengers know... Eh? Where's Fellow Daoist Luo Hai?"

Bai Xiang swept his spirit consciousness out, but Luo Hai was nowhere to be found.

Someone nearby casually said, "Maybe he slipped off the ship during the commotion." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Bai Xiang frowned. Luo Hai was truly a strange one. He was clearly skilled in dealing with others, yet after boarding the ship he had behaved rather oddly. Now that they had reached Coldlight Island, he had left without hesitation.

After thinking for a long time, he shook his head helplessly. "Maybe I misjudged him. He might be just a novice who picked up a bit of worldly conduct from his elders. He does some things well, but he's still rough around the edges. Coldlight Island is a mess of tangled forces. If he goes wandering around alone with no backing and ends up provoking the wrong people... Well, he'll be on his own now."

***

The novice mentioned by Bai Xiang was now walking across Coldlight Island. With his feet on solid ground, the unease caused by prolonged life at sea faded at once. Luo Chen looked around, taking in the local customs and scenery. Buildings worn by sea winds, clothing styles unlike those of the Eastern Wilderness, and speech tinged with various accents...

But all of it was only on the surface. In truth, he was speaking with Han Zhan through divine consciousness. "Just as you thought, Devil's Snare has been paying close attention to you. They even sent people ahead to wait for you before you arrived."

"Hehe, with He Yuan taking the spotlight, I can stay out of sight for now."

"Seems they think highly of you. So why go through all this trouble?"

"Not until I figure out what kind of person Blood Nightmare really is. I'm not going near him before that."

At this point, Luo Chen slowed slightly. "It's weird. How can an Adept like He Yuan talk to a Sage like Blood Nightmare like that? I thought in the cultivation world, strength and cultivation are everything."

Han Zhan chuckled. "Is it, though? Think about it again."

Luo Chen frowned as his thoughts turned. A memory surfaced—when Tao Wan had just secured the Dao Scion position and made her first visit to Tianlan Immortal City. He remembered she was still an Initiate at the time, yet an Adept accompanied her and took her orders.

Han Zhan said slowly, "Looks like you're figuring it out. You did found a sect, but you weren't raised in one, so there are still things you don't understand. In a sect, cultivation and strength decide your status in principle, but there's one kind of person to whom the rule does not apply. A genius! A genius with exceptional talent is a sect's future! For someone like that, they'll pour in resources without holding back, whether we're talking about pills, treasures, techniques... They'll even have higher-realm cultivators personally protect them just to make sure they reach their full potential."

Luo Chen said, "So you're saying He Yuan is one of those geniuses?"

Han Zhan nodded. "More or less. He already has pure devil energy at the Golden Core Realm, and he's a direct inheritor of the most prestigious Primordial Devil lineage, so he is undoubtedly a great talent. At the same time, in a Holy Land, there are far more experts than in ordinary sects like ours. Sages aren't nearly as lofty as they seem elsewhere."

When something becomes too common, it loses its value. Luo Chen, of course, understood that scarcity gives things their worth. Even so, seeing a Sage getting dismissed by a mere Adept still felt deeply out of place.

"A Holy Land doesn't really care how many Sages it has. What they're after are those with the potential to reach Divine Transformation. Because of that, an Adept with that kind of potential can outrank ordinary Sages."

Luo Chen found it hard to accept. "How can anyone who reaches the Nascent Soul Realm be called ordinary?"

"Being classified as ordinary or exceptional isn't about the realm; it's all in comparison. All of us made it this far by standing out from the crowd. An Initiate looks impressive among thousands of Qi Refinement cultivators. But put them among a hundred of their peers, and you'll still see who's better and who's not. So why wouldn't the same apply to Sages?"

Luo Chen opened his mouth, then sighed. "It's not that I don't understand what you're saying... I just don't understand these Divine Transformation Holy Lands."

Han Zhan smiled, but there was no ease in it this time. Instead, it carried a trace of heaviness and bitterness. Before the Holy Land, Sages like them amounted to nothing. Even figures as powerful as Divine Origin and the Grand Elder of the Silktree Sect still struggled for a chance to cultivate in a Holy Land. Ultimately, these sects were the true rulers of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

Han Zhan dropped the heavy topic and asked, "So, what's your plan next?"

Luo Chen forced a smile. "Haven't we already decided? We'll settle down in Jadecold City first, then play it by ear."

Han Zhan did not object.

In the fading glow of the sunset, a man in black with a long white bundle on his back walked step by step toward a vast city of jade-green hues. The entire city shimmered with a cold and eerie light.