Chapter 1493: Chapter 1493: Hunt for the Descenders (Part 1)

Drawing from the essence of his battle experience, Ye Qiu spent half the afternoon before rising from cultivation and leaving the cave.

Right now, he was no longer puzzled by breaking through barriers; instead, he aimed to accumulate a deeper foundation at the peak realm.

“I wonder if those guys have left.” Ye Qiu pondered, preparing to return to Wangyue Peak.

Just as Ye Qiu was about to leave the island, two auras rapidly approached.

Ye Qiu furrowed his brows. Had he been discovered? That shouldn’t be possible; he constantly suppressed his aura, making it impossible for others to detect him.

He didn’t leave immediately but found a hidden spot to conceal himself.

Swish swish.

Two figures landed, both young people.

“Turns out they aren’t those Protectors.” Seeing it was two youngsters, Ye Qiu relaxed quite a bit. Handling them is more than attainable given Ye Qiu’s prowess.

Nevertheless, he didn’t act immediately but instead attentively listened to their conversation.

“Where do you think that guy is hiding?”

“Who knows, anyway, up until now, no one has found his whereabouts.”

“It’s a relief we haven’t encountered him with our power; if we do, should we engage?”

“Are you dumb? What’s his strength compared to ours? If we find him, the only thing to do is quickly report back. Engaging with him would be pure suicide.”

“If it weren’t for those strong folks offering a substantial bounty, I wouldn’t even wade into this mess. This native isn’t someone easy to deal with; one mistake could cost us dearly.”

Glancing around and finding no one, the two spoke without restraint, not knowing Ye Qiu was lurking nearby, secretly eavesdropping on them.

Listening to their conversation revealed they were drawn in by the bounty those descendents offered. Their target was Ye Qiu.

Ye Qiu remained motionless, stealthily listening, gradually gleaning the information he desired.

“Word of my departure from Wangyue Peak has spread to these folks. There seem to be many seeking me,” Ye Qiu mused. He also realized those he previously gambled with had come too, waiting for him to return to Wangyue Peak, ready to ambush him on the road.

This revelation startled Ye Qiu. Luckily, he hadn’t hurried off; otherwise, he’d find himself blocked by several descendents on the way back, unable to escape.

After listening for a long time, Ye Qiu was well-informed about the descendents. Even as the two Loose Cultivators departed, Ye Qiu refrained from acting. Killing these two was of no significance after all; they were merely inconsequential folks.

After they left, Ye Qiu remained in his hidden spot, motionless, as his mind mulled over a plan—one both dangerous and thrilling.

Swish.

Ye Qiu stood up, and his Ghost Mask duplicate appeared simultaneously beside him.

He gazed toward the direction those Loose Cultivators mentioned the descendents being least numerous and spoke casually: “The fewest descendent numbers are in this direction; I’ll start from here.”

A hint of coldness adorned Ye Qiu’s face as his figure flickered. Waves were left in the sea, no sight of him, just a breeze passing by.

The sea breeze was somewhat chilly, but to the descendents, it’s merely a gentle wind; no matter how cold it got, it didn’t matter to them.

The sea was calm and unobstructed in sight.

A descendent stood on the sea surface, spiritual power covering a radius of dozens of miles; even a grain of sand beneath the sea couldn’t escape his awareness.

“Still nothing.” This descendent sighed slightly; even after searching thousands of miles, Ye Qiu’s figure was not found, suggesting he wasn’t in this sea region.

“It benefits others, I suppose. Had I known, I wouldn’t have chosen this area.” The man regretted his decision; he ventured alone to avoid sharing the bounty with others. Finding Ye Qiu meant all his treasures would be his.

Yet searching alone limited the search area.

He prepared to return, just as he stepped forward, a sudden voice sounded.

“Are you looking for me?”

Huh?

The man’s expression shifted; delight dawned upon seeing Ye Qiu’s visage: “You dare reveal yourself?”

“If I don’t show up, how can I kill you? I disdain a sneak attack.” Ye Qiu stated flatly.

“Kill me? A sneak attack? Haha… Did I hear wrong?” The man laughed in disbelief.

“You heard right. I openly appear to kill you and hone my martial path, deepen my foundation. Now, you can make your move.” Saying this, Ye Qiu advanced aggressively.

An Emperor Realm dared say he’d kill him, use him to sharpen his martial path; the man scoffed inwardly, utterly contemptuous. Was this native insane? Couldn’t differentiate between dream and reality?

“Hmph, no matter your madness, I won’t hold back, or engage in gambling combat.” The man’s figure flickered, charging Ye Qiu, voice that coldly intoned: “Die, ant.”

Swish swish…

The two figures clashed violently, then the mad combat began.

Ye Qiu melded the force of the Six Paths into his fists and feet against the opponent’s guiding power, locked in a fierce battle.

Though Ye Qiu could match collision with the opponent, power drained too fast; within moments, he was left with just half.

Without hesitation, Ye Qiu grabbed a handful of star coins, absorbing energy while battling.

And so, the two fought wildly for one hour, four hours, six hours…

A thousand star coins were spent, the opponent finally showed fatigue.

“Damn it!” The man’s face turned ugly; Ye Qiu had star coins to restore strength, unlike him. Especially watching Ye Qiu use handful after handful of star coins stirred jealousy. Even he never squandered star coins so, but here it was happening with a native.

The man wasn’t a Protector of any major sect but a Loose Cultivator, similar to Taohua Daoist, albeit weaker in strength than Taohua Daoist.

Another hour passed, the man had just forty percent of his strength left, whereas Ye Qiu, with star coin supplementation, remained lively and full of fighting spirit.

“How is this native so monstrous; I exceed him by a realm yet can’t subdue him.” The man’s face darkened; Ye Qiu far surpassed expectations. Previously, he was arrogant, questioning how strong a native could be even if Ye Qiu gambled combat with eight descendents. He thought it was nothing; those descendents deliberately lowered their realm, thus Ye Qiu won. It only indicated Ye Qiu’s potential, not that he could defeat a Virtual Shattering Realm with an Emperor Realm.

But now, he realized he was gravely mistaken; this native was more monstrous than even the ancestral prodigies.

Four hours passed.

The man refused continuance, feeling his strength would deplete further regardless of winning or losing.

Escape!

At this moment, reputational concerns aside, when Ye Qiu saw the man fleeing, there was no worry at all. He watched him rush several hundred meters when suddenly a figure emerged from the water, penetrating the man’s chest.

Stunned gazes met the sudden figure; it was a Virtual Shattering Realm expert.

Slap.

The man’s body fell lifelessly, no thought left. In an instant, him, slain by the Ghost mask’s Bahuang Sword.

Seated on the sea, Ye Qiu rested briefly before suddenly rising, calmly declaring: “Next sea region!”