CHAPTER 386: CHAPTER 386: PECULIAR_1

Cao Ren seemed oblivious, his eyes sparkling as he spoke, "Truth be told, I came upon a spell in the tomb of an ancient cultivator! This spell allows my soul to freely roam the Dark Blue Zone. It’s as though stepping into a Dungeon; I can cultivate and temper myself within this realm, fight with people to hone my skills, and even come across divine magic and powerful skill. I even passed on this spell cultivation method to my father. Unfortunately, his Talent is inadequate, and he can’t grasp it. If you want it, I can teach you..."

The more Shen Mo listened, the more he felt something was off. Previously, when communicating with Cao Ren through the Sound Transmission Talisman, he had been secretive about his fortuitous encounter, without revealing a single word. But now, with just one casual question, he poured everything out!

Moreover, Shen Mo was not the only one present. Many of the inner disciples, including Chen An, and both inner and outer Deacons, all heard Cao Ren’s words and looked at him with curiosity and inquisitiveness.

How could someone like Cao Ren announce his fortuitous encounter so openly in front of so many fellow practitioners?

Shen Mo’s gaze shifted to Cao Shanyue and saw the man wore a surprised expression. Clearly, he hadn’t expected Cao Ren to behave in this manner.

After confirming through Divine Sense that Cao Shanyue had indeed received a spell technique from Cao Ren, Shen Mo’s expression became even more grave.

"Brother Cao, could you share this spell technique for me to practice? I am willing to exchange it for a Grade II Elixir."

"I’m also interested! If Brother Cao is willing to teach me, I can offer a middle-grade profound level Flying Sword."

"I don’t have any spare magic artifacts or Elixirs. However, I have about one hundred low-grade Spirit Stones in my Universe Bag."

"I don’t know if you need talismans..."

Soon enough, inner disciples and Qi Gathering Realm Deacons surrounded Cao Ren. Even Chen An prepared to exchange his leftover Elixir for the spell.

Seeing Cao Ren indiscriminately about to transmit this spell technique to others, Shen Mo instantly took out the Sound Transmission Conch and communicated with Ming Yu, who was hidden in The Smallest Space.

"WHOOSH!" Everyone only heard a sound like roaring sea waves. Then, before their eyes, Shen Mo, Cao Ren, and Cao Shanyue disappeared out of thin air.

"Huh, where did Senior Brother Shen and Brother Cao go?"

"Exactly, they were just here. How did they disappear in the blink of an eye!"

"Could it be that Senior Brother Shen didn’t wish for us to... ahem..."

"My fellow disciples, please calm down. Senior Brother Shen must have his reasons. We should just wait here for a while until they return."

Not far away, Zhao Lingyin, who was whispering to Chen Mengze, also noticed the situation. She immediately came over and, in the role of a semi-host, began comforting the guests present. Fortunately, most of those attending the banquet were old acquaintances of Shen Mo. Additionally, given Shen Mo’s current status, no one caused any trouble.

「Inside Ming Yu’s The Smallest Space, Cao Ren stood on his Flying Sword, hovering mid-air.」

A flash of ruthlessness flitted across his eyes as he sharply questioned, "What on earth do you mean? If you want this spell too, just ask me. I’d be willing to pass it on to anyone else... Given our relationship, how could I possibly withhold it from you! Are you trying to endanger my life and monopolize the spell by trapping me here?"

Standing on Coral Island, Shen Mo did not pay attention to Cao Ren but turned to Cao Shanyue beside him and asked, "Uncle Shanyue, how long has he been like this?"

On any other day, even with their close relationship, Cao Ren would not dare to speak to Shen Mo this way. Not to mention, his words sounded incredibly strange.

Given Shen Mo’s current Cultivation Realm and his showcased unparalleled stature, why would he be jealous of the spell Cao Ren possessed? If he had such intentions, he could have simply offered cultivation resources in exchange at the feast earlier. Why would he go through the trouble of bringing both Cao Ren and his father Cao Shanyue into this The Smallest Space? The accusation of threatening his life was even more absurd! Shen Mo couldn’t even be bothered to refute it.

Given the current scenario, even an outsider could tell that something was wrong with Cao Ren.

Cao Shanyue naturally noticed it as well. After a moment of shock and puzzlement, he shook his head helplessly. "I don’t know," he said. "This boy was completely fine; how could he suddenly go mad!

"There were no strange symptoms in the past few days. His cultivation has progressed much faster than when he first entered the Qi Gathering Realm. This improvement has been ongoing for about a year. His demeanor and confidence have also boosted significantly compared to a year ago. I thought he’d found some sort of opportunity that enlightened his cultivation, leading to these changes.

"As for that peculiar spell, it only consists of nine easy-to-understand pithy mantras, making it easy to cultivate. However, when I tried it myself, I never entered the Dark Blue Zone that Cao Ren mentioned. So, I figured this spell was incompatible with me and never gave it any further thought."

Hearing this, Shen Mo nodded. The next moment, his hands swiftly formed a complicated seal. Accompanied by a low chant, he unleashed the Southern Vermilion Bird Stars Ghost Palm at Cao Ren!

A realistic phantom of the ancient Ghost Golden Sheep, covered with runes, charged directly at him.

Unexpectedly, Cao Ren opened his mouth and spat out a cloud of multicolored mist. The mist collided with the Ghost Golden Sheep phantom, sending it skewing wildly before it dimmed, then finally disintegrated and disappeared.

"This..." Cao Shanyue’s mouth fell open in shock; he was speechless.

As a father, he knew his own son’s capabilities all too well. How could he possibly withstand the magical techniques of a Spirit Sea Realm powerhouse? Not to mention, Shen Mo wasn’t an average Spirit Sea Realm practitioner, but a top-tier figure who could hold his ground against the likes of Jiang Lingfeng, the core second seat! Yet, at this moment, Cao Ren had been able to dispel Shen Mo’s Palm Magic by spitting forth a cloud of colorful mist... Could someone capable of such powerful techniques really be his son, and not some other entity?

Shen Mo remained calm. Seeing Cao Ren’s listlessness after spitting out the multicolored mist, he cast another Ghost Palm. This time, Cao Ren was evidently unable to respond. He was struck by the Ghost Golden Sheep phantom and plummeted from mid-air, crashing to the ground.

"Go!" Shen Mo tossed a bright Immortal Binding Rope from his sleeve, tightly binding Cao Ren and dragging him back to Coral Island.

This rope was forged in accordance with the binding magic artifacts of the Enforcement Hall. It was made using the flood dragon tendon of Shen Gao—the offspring of the Shen Lei big demon—as well as spiritual materials from the Class III Demon-corrupted Marine Race members Shen Mo had slain. Its quality reached the top-grade of the profound level, capable of binding even a middle-stage Spirit Sea Realm powerhouse for a Shichen or two.

Dragged back to Coral Island, Cao Ren continued to struggle, the hostility and eerie glow in his eyes intensifying.

"Brother, how are you planning to deal with him?" Ming Yu, who had been hiding in the seawater all this while, also moved his jade bed onto Coral Island and asked.