Chapter 246: The Sky-Covering Palm, Old Man Long Guanzi

“Greetings, Senior,” Yu Chen bowed, head lowered.

“Board the ship,” a booming voice echoed from within the giant vessel, reverberating above the Yu family fleet.

The cultivators on the fleet exchanged wary glances. This powerful aura—it was no ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator. Could there truly be someone of mid-Nascent Soul cultivation wandering these dangerous seas for so long?

Yu Chen’s eyes narrowed as he rose into the air, quickly approaching the massive vessel.

The sleepy-eyed elder followed closely behind, but Yu Chen hesitated, sensing it was against protocol.

“Hold it!” Xiao Chi roared from afar. “Who gave him permission to follow?!”

“Senior…”

“There’s no need for alarm,” the old man replied with a faint smirk. “I am Long Guanzi. I merely wish to speak with your companion—no harm intended.”

Long Guanzi’s sharp gaze flickered. The black-robed being intrigued him—its garment’s ability to shield even Nascent Soul-level senses and block Extinguishing Spirit energy was beyond standard artifacts. He wondered if it might be crafted from something like Thousand-Strand Spirit Vine, an uncommon material absent from his Yu family’s stores.

Xiao Chi recoiled at the probing gaze, growling and stepping back defensively.

Suddenly, an extraordinary shift occurred above them.

The sky above Yu Chen and Long Guanzi filled with a chaotic surge of elemental energy, a radiant force gathering and swirling like a roiling sea. An overwhelming sense of impending doom began to brew.

Boom!

A colossal palm formed from the concentrated elemental energy, crashing down upon them. Its staggering pressure engulfed the fleet, leaving everyone frozen, as though an invisible hand gripped their throats.

The sheer magnitude of this attack, invoking awe and dread, brought silence to all.

“Senior!!!”

“What is the meaning of this?!” Long Guanzi’s eyes bulged with shock. His spiritual power began to stutter under the pressure, and he summoned his Extinguishing Spirit energy in defense. His palm rose, radiating dark energy to resist.

*Hum!*

The clash of their palms sent towering waves across the sea, their power terrifying. The deafening crash of energy vibrated through the fleet, forcing ships to lurch backward.

Thrown off balance, Yu Chen clenched his teeth. Things had taken a terrible turn.

Sputtering, Long Guanzi spat blood. His hair tangled, his robe torn and stained, he gaped in horror. What kind of ancient forbidden spell was this?

In his long life, he’d never encountered a power so pure in spiritual pressure and technique.

“Do you not understand the rules of the cultivation world? You dare to probe my domain?” Chen Xun’s cold gaze pierced down at them, his tone chilling. “Long Guanzi, do you not value this incarnation?”

“My apologies, Daoist,” Long Guanzi quickly composed himself, smoothing his robe. A creature of his age and experience could easily put aside minor humiliations.

Farther back, Yu Chen clenched his fists. His carefully orchestrated meeting had been disrupted by the interference of his family, eroding the trust that had once felt like fate’s arrangement.

On the giant ship, Brother Ox’s gaze sharpened as he set the Five Elements flags in motion. They were ever cautious when dealing with these powerful families, ready to flee if needed.

Xiao Chi hid behind Brother Ox, his eyes brimming with admiration for Chen Xun. He nearly burst out shouting, “Mighty Brother Xun!”

Radiating authority, Chen Xun took another powerful step forward, each footfall echoing with a resounding boom, intimidating everyone present into stillness.

“Yu Chen, you still owe me. Let’s settle that now.”

His tone was as cold as his piercing gaze. Their group had been noticed by influential figures, and it was time to reassess their strategy.

He then turned to Long Guanzi. “Daoist, you will wait here. We’ll speak afterward.”

“I understand. I’ll wait patiently,” Long Guanzi replied smoothly, his demeanor polite. “With your strength, I trust you won’t harm a mere Golden Core junior.”

Chen Xun scanned the fleet with a faint smirk. They had certainly brought along a crowd.

If he hadn’t acted, there was no telling if Long Guanzi might have turned hostile. As for the old man’s body, Chen Xun had been unable to discern if it was a puppet or an incarnation.

But Brother Ox’s Five Elements cultivation had revealed the truth: Long Guanzi’s form bore no human characteristics. Lacking meridians, it was composed of black veins, more a humanoid Extinguishing Spirit artifact than a person.

Brother Ox glanced at Chen Xun, then hastily moved Xiao Chi toward the Five Elements Crane Tree, covering the ship with the tree’s energy.

“Moo?!”

Brother Ox watched in shock as the Crane Tree emitted an unexpected surge of power.

“Brother Ox?”

“Moo~”

Brother Ox shook his head, gesturing for Xiao Chi to stay calm, as Xiao Chi remained oblivious to the tree’s transformation.

“Brother Ox, are we ready to bolt?” Xiao Chi asked eagerly, his claws sparking with flame. “If Brother Xun moves, those Golden Core cultivators are all mine!”

“Moo!” Brother Ox pressed a hoof on Xiao Chi to settle him down.

Xiao Chi’s gaze grew sly, confirming his suspicions that humans were indeed untrustworthy. He scanned his surroundings, sensing a thick tension building.

Hovering in mid-air, Yu Chen forced a smile as he spoke to Long Guanzi. “Uncle, I’ll proceed as planned.”

“Go ahead,” Long Guanzi replied, waving him off and resuming his watch on the shadowy giant vessel. Despite the earlier attack, Long Guanzi remained unshaken, feeling confident in the absence of any outright hostility. So long as diplomacy held, he believed they could still negotiate.

Arriving on the giant ship, Yu Chen bent low, respectful as ever. “Senior, I apologize on behalf of my family.”

He retrieved several physical cultivation techniques from his storage ring, collected from various sources and transcribed from ancient realms. However, many of these transcriptions were less effective than the originals and often presented difficulties in comprehension.

“I won’t take advantage of you,” Chen Xun replied coolly, presenting a selection of items from his own storage. “These two stalks of Lotus Demon Coral—take them. We’ll trade strictly by market value.”

“Understood.” Yu Chen’s face fell slightly. The senior’s manner was far colder than it had been the previous year.

But he had come well-prepared, with significant family support, including large, medium, and small-scale formation diagrams for various teleportation arrays.