Chapter 432 430: The Villain's Plot

If Qiu Rong Wanxue knew the six young disciples had mistaken her interest in Li Qiye for romantic feelings, she probably would have been furious.

"I think so too," another disciple whispered. "How about we give them some time alone after we get ashore?" As he spoke, he made a gesture indicating he wanted to set Li Qiye up with their Clan Leader.

The six young disciples exchanged glances and shared a knowing snicker. They began to egg each other on, eager to set up their Clan Leader with Li Qiye.

If Li Qiye and Qiu Rong Wanxue knew of this, who knows what they would have thought.

"Haul in the net!" The next day was their last haul. Li Qiye gave a deep shout and instantly began pulling. After fishing with him for a month, Qiu Rong Wanxue and her disciples had developed a tacit understanding. The moment Li Qiye gave the order, they all hauled in their nets at once.

As the net was pulled up, a swath of golden light appeared. Inside, Night Sun Fish leaped about energetically. While this wasn't their first bountiful harvest—in fact, after a month of this, they had almost grown numb to such success—they still couldn't help but gasp in amazement at the sight of a full net.

Qiu Rong Wanxue and the others were now quite proficient. They quickly transferred all the Night Sun Fish into their Treasure Bottles. Everyone was filled with a sweet sense of satisfaction; a harvest like this would excite anyone.

"Others probably couldn't catch in three years what we've caught in one month," Peng Zhuang said with emotion. Of course, he understood this was all thanks to Li Qiye. Without him, they would be no different from ordinary cultivators, to say nothing of the heirs from the Great Teaching Territories.

"Don't move." Just then, Li Qiye's gaze fixed upon the surface of the sea. In that instant, a terrifying light burst from his eyes.

Qiu Rong Wanxue and the others were startled by Li Qiye's sudden intensity. They immediately held their breath, not daring to move an inch, completely unaware of what was happening.

Suddenly, Li Qiye cast his net, flinging it out in a flash before starting to haul it back in at an incredible speed.

SPLASH! Before Li Qiye could even pull the net back, huge waves erupted on the sea's surface, as if his net had snagged some behemoth.

This scene gave Qiu Rong Wanxue and her group a huge fright. They had caught countless Night Sun Fish, but they had never caused such a huge commotion.

Just as Qiu Rong Wanxue was about to help him pull the net, Li Qiye let out a deep shout. The Ferry Boat rocked, and he yanked the entire net out of the water in one go.

When Li Qiye hauled the net up, brilliant rays of light shot out, so blinding they made everyone's eyes ache. Qiu Rong Wanxue and the others stared intently and saw that he had actually caught a turtle!

The turtle was only the size of a palm, its entire body flickering with flames. These flames cascaded downward, forming strands of Order Divine Chains, each one like a Great Dao of profound mystery. This tiny, palm-sized turtle was emitting piercing rays of light, each ray like a silver needle that could stab into one's eyes.

Qiu Rong Wanxue and her disciples were dumbfounded. They had been fishing for over a month and had never caught anything but Night Sun Fish. Moreover, Qiu Rong Wanxue had been here several times before and had always heard that the Night Sea contained nothing but Night Sun Fish.

And that had been her experience; in all her previous trips, she had only ever caught Night Sun Fish. In fact, it wasn't just her. Throughout history, no one who came to fish in the Night Sea had ever caught anything other than Night Sun Fish.

Yet today, Li Qiye had suddenly caught a completely different kind of turtle. How could this not shock them? They had never even heard of turtles existing in the Night Sea!

"What a find!" Upon seeing the turtle, Li Qiye was instantly delighted. His hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the creature just as it was about to break through the net and escape.

"It's a treasure!" Just as Li Qiye grabbed the turtle, a voice called out across the water. Qiu Rong Wanxue and her group looked up and saw two Ferry Boats approaching them.

By the time the two Ferry Boats drew near, Li Qiye had already sealed the turtle inside a Treasure Bottle. He patted the bottle lightly. 'This has been a bountiful trip. I never expected to catch this thing.'

In a distant age, Li Qiye had once spent nearly an entire epoch in the Night Sea. He had managed to catch one of these creatures back then, but only after performing lengthy divinations. He never expected to simply run into one this time. It could only be said that his luck was exceptionally good.

As the two Ferry Boats drew closer, Qiu Rong Wanxue's heart sank when she saw who was on board. The passengers were none other than members of the Black Cloud Ghost Clan and the Yin Moon Ghost Clan.

The Black Cloud Ghost Clan and the Yin Moon Ghost Clan traveling together was definitely not a good sign for the Snow Shadow Ghost Clan.

It turned out that Prince Yin Yue was indeed interested in Qiu Rong Wanxue. After entering the Night Sea, he had been leading his men, fishing while searching for her, hoping to travel alongside her group.

He had chanced upon Young Master Hei Yun. The Black Cloud Ghost Clan was much weaker than the Yin Moon Ghost Clan, so the young master was keen on currying favor with them. He told the prince about his encounter with Qiu Rong Wanxue and mentioned that her group was able to catch a dozen or so Night Sun Fish in a single haul.

Compared to the ignorant Young Master Hei Yun, Prince Yin Yue, as the heir of a second-rate Great Sect, was far more knowledgeable. When he heard that Qiu Rong Wanxue's group could catch more than ten Night Sun Fish in a single haul and that every single one of them was having a bountiful harvest, he found it peculiar.

For everyone on a single boat to have a bountiful harvest with every cast was nothing short of a miracle. There was only one plausible explanation: Qiu Rong Wanxue's group must have found a school of Night Sun Fish.

So, Prince Yin Yue kept this matter in mind. He never expected that upon finding Qiu Rong Wanxue's group today, he would witness Li Qiye's catch before even having a chance to say hello.

Seeing Li Qiye net a turtle sent a jolt through Prince Yin Yue. He was far more knowledgeable than the young master of a minor clan like Hei Yun. He had never heard of anyone pulling anything but Night Sun Fish from the Night Sea. In that instant, he realized the turtle was extraordinary—an absolutely world-shaking treasure.

Fengdu City was rife with legends of world-shaking treasures. Though Prince Yin Yue didn't know what this turtle was, he knew that anything caught in the Night Sea other than a Night Sun Fish had to be an incredible item. At that moment, his heart filled with greed for the turtle.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent! Congratulations to Miss Qiu Rong and her companions," Prince Yin Yue said with a smile, clapping his hands. "It looks like your group has had a truly bountiful harvest."

Seeing Prince Yin Yue together with Young Master Hei Yun, Peng Zhuang and the others knew this was bad news. While they weren't afraid of the Black Cloud Race, the Yin Yue Race was an existence they couldn't afford to provoke.

Qiu Rong Wanxue's heart tightened, but she replied with a smile, "Prince Yin Yue, you overpraise us. It's hardly a bountiful harvest. We've only caught a dozen or so fish this whole month. I suppose it's acceptable compared to the average take."

"That's already quite good," Prince Yin Yue said with a smile. His gaze then shifted to Li Qiye. "I saw this young brother catch a turtle just now. It looked quite peculiar. I wonder if you would be willing to bring it out for me to see?"

If not for giving face to Qiu Rong Wanxue, Prince Yin Yue wouldn't have even bothered to speak to Li Qiye. In the Eastern Netherworld, what was a mere junior from the Human Race? He could have just snatched the turtle by force.

"No." Li Qiye didn't even spare him a second glance. Knowing full well what the prince was after, he refused flatly.

The smile on Prince Yin Yue's face stiffened, but he managed to force it back. He chuckled and said, "I have a hobby of collecting exotic creatures. This turtle of yours, young brother, is quite to my taste. How about selling it to me? I'll offer two thousand Ancient Saint Essence Jades."

Prince Yin Yue's offer angered Peng Zhuang and the others. While two thousand Ancient Saint Essence Jades was an astronomical price for a minor sect, even Night Sun Fish could fetch such a price, let alone a mysterious turtle like this one.

For Prince Yin Yue to offer only two thousand Ancient Saint Essence Jades was a clear attempt to swindle them.

Li Qiye couldn't even be bothered to reply. He simply instructed the Ferryman, "Let's go. It's time to head ashore."

"Hey, human junior, didn't you hear His Highness the Prince speaking to you?!" Young Master Hei Yun, eager to curry favor with the prince, immediately bellowed at Li Qiye.

Li Qiye paid him no mind whatsoever. Prince Yin Yue's expression sank. He said in a low voice, "Young brother, one shouldn't be so arrogant when away from home. This is the Eastern Netherworld. There's no place for your Human Race here! In the Eastern Netherworld, you must know your place. When you see a member of the Ghost Race, you are to address them respectfully as 'sir.' Do you understand?"

Qiu Rong Wanxue's heart sank. She knew Prince Yin Yue was just using this as a pretext. While it was true that the Eastern Netherworld was the Ghost Race's domain, even the great clans couldn't be bothered with Human Race cultivators unless there was a conflict of interest. For Prince Yin Yue to invoke the entire Ghost Race now, his intentions were crystal clear.

Only after Prince Yin Yue finished speaking did Li Qiye give him a lazy glance. "So what if it's the Eastern Netherworld?" he said nonchalantly. "Forget about a pathetically small clan like the Yin Moon Ghost Clan. Even if you summoned the Ten Thousand Bones Throne itself, I wouldn't so much as bat an eyelid. Stop buzzing in my ear, or I'll throw you into the Night Sea!"

Peng Zhuang and the others wanted to cheer at Li Qiye's words—Prince Yin Yue was being an absolute bully—but when he dragged the Ten Thousand Bones Throne into it, they could only force a bitter smile. They wailed internally, 'Oh, little ancestor, you can eat the wrong food, but you can't speak the wrong words! Offending the Ten Thousand Bones Throne in the Eastern Netherworld... forget about a small clan like ours, even a Great Teaching Territory would be wiped from existence!'

The Ten Thousand Bones Throne... what a terrifying existence was that? It was a lineage that had produced Three Emperors, an invincible power in the Eastern Netherworld!