Volume Six: To Steal Is to Rob - Chapter Five: The Saintess of the Demonic Sect (Part Two)

Chapter Five: The Sacred Maiden of the Demonic Sect (Part Two)

The Sacred Maiden of the Demonic Sect pondered for a moment before continuing, “If it weren’t dangerous, how could it be called one of the Five Great Perils? Within our Demonic Sect alone, over tens of thousands of years, hundreds of Martial Sovereigns have ventured into the Star Domain of Divine Resentment and never returned. I hear your Kuang family lost many as well.”

At that moment, a cold voice spoke from behind the Sacred Maiden, “You may describe the Star Domain of Divine Resentment as you wish, but for us old-timers who have yet to reach the War God realm, it is a graveyard. Almost all human Martial Sovereigns eventually choose it as their final resting place.”

“Ah!” Jing’er and Kuang Chi both exclaimed in surprise, this was the first time they had heard such things.

Kuang Chi glanced at Jing’er once more, then suddenly turned to the five members of the Demonic Sect and asked, “I once asked the Ghost Immortal about this, but I want to ask again. This Ghost Pirate Ship is so precious—why don’t you just seize it directly? Given our current strength, I doubt you would have any trouble.”

The Demonic Sect members fell silent again. After a long pause, the Sacred Maiden sighed deeply, her face full of bitterness. “Centuries of mistakes... I doubt anyone wishes to see them repeated.”

She paused once more before continuing, “In truth, this ship, in anyone’s hands, represents at least a stable source of the Goddess’s Heart for all the human sects. With this ship, there is at least a relatively safe way to reach the Nether Soul Sea without risking the lives of Martial Sovereigns and pleading with the fickle God of Luck for a minuscule chance of survival.”

Kuang Chi looked puzzled and asked, “What exactly is the Goddess’s Heart? The Ghost Immortal never mentioned that.”

“The Goddess’s Heart is a device made from soul crystals from the Nether Soul Sea, the Bright Moon Divine Diamond, the Azure Blue Crystal, the Pure Sky Stone, and other special materials. We call this device the Goddess’s Heart. As for its purpose, I believe the Ghost Immortal would not hide it from you.”

Jing’er, beside him, quickly asked, “Why don’t you just take the ship by force? I don’t think we could stop you.”

Before the Sacred Maiden could answer, the voice behind her replied coldly, “If another family or sect, or even the Royal Family of your Whirlwind Empire, possessed this ship, we might have seized it long ago. Although doing so could lead to the same disastrous outcomes as centuries ago, under the careful handling of our Demonic Sect, the risk is much lower. But now, the ship belongs to the Kuang family. Perhaps to your great royal houses, the Kuangs are known for recklessness and their strength is far inferior to yours in many respects. Yet in some areas, they are unmatched — such as the number of high-level warriors in their family.”

He paused before adding, “We originally intended to forcibly take the ship when we came to Qingye Star, but facing the Kuang family, we gave up. Even if we managed to seize the ship, their retaliation would surely bring its destruction. Though we are confident the Demonic Sect’s strength rivals theirs, this ship would not survive. Thus, we chose cooperation.”

Kuang Chi furrowed his brow, clearly understanding the implication: the Demonic Sect was warning that refusal to cooperate would lead them to risk destroying the ship rather than letting Kuang Chi keep it. If Kuang Chi couldn’t have it, no one else would. Understanding their mindset well, Kuang Chi thought for a moment and said, “We have no objection to cooperation, but we don’t require a percentage of the profits as payment.”

The Sacred Maiden smiled with delight upon hearing this. “You may not need it now, but I’m sure the Martial Sovereigns of your family would be very pleased to receive it.”

Kuang Chi shook his head with a light laugh. “They will journey to the Nether Soul Sea alongside your elders. I believe they can settle their own needs.”

The Martial Sovereign seated behind the Sacred Maiden, who had spoken before, asked, “Then what exactly do you require?”

It seemed women were always more proactive when it came to gaining advantages.

Before Kuang Chi could answer, Jing’er eagerly interjected, “The Demonic Sect is one of the Seven Great Sects — you must have some good things. We have no use for the Goddess’s Heart, so we want something else.”

The Demonic Sect members ignored Jing’er and all turned their gaze to Kuang Chi.

Kuang Chi looked at Jing’er but was unfazed by their impoliteness. To them, a princess of an empire was hardly a figure of significance.

He thought for a moment and said, “The so-called Life Heart is useless to us. I only want things useful to us.”

The Sacred Maiden asked curiously, “For a family like yours, with so many Martial Sovereigns, what could be more important than the Goddess’s Heart?”

Kuang Chi smiled. “I don’t speak for my entire family. What they need may not be what I need. Also, please note—the Ghost Pirate Ship belongs to me personally, not the Kuang family. Only those of us who rebuilt this ship have the right to claim rewards from it.”

The Demonic Sect members finally nodded, glancing toward Jing’er. Kuang Chi’s words were a subtle reminder not to be disrespectful toward the princess.

The Sacred Maiden smiled and asked Jing’er, “Your Highness, how would you like us to pay this reward?”

Jing’er thought for a moment before saying, “I feel like our ship is a bit weak. The Demonic Sect, with such a long history, must have some valuable items or ways to obtain things we can’t.”

The Sacred Maiden looked at the little spirit beast Jing’er was holding and said, “I have a vial of strange liquid from the Landi Tribe that can accelerate the growth of spirit beasts. Would your Highness be interested?”

Unexpectedly, Jing’er shook her head. “No, my little darling is cute now, but if it grows up, it won’t be. How could I still hold it then?”

The Sacred Maiden then asked, “Would your Highness like to learn the technique of the Flame Prison Soul Refining Hand, named after this very martial art?”

Jing’er was momentarily stunned. Kuang Chi also exclaimed in surprise.

Before Jing’er could speak, Kuang Chi quickly said, “Sacred Maiden, Jing’er cannot become a disciple of your Demonic Sect. The True Martial Sect of the Whirlwind Empire would never allow a princess to join the Demonic Sect.”

The Sacred Maiden smiled. “The Flame Prison Soul Refining Hand was created specifically for this martial art. Since the Ghost Immortal was willing to give it to Princess Jing’er, as long as she promises not to spread it, I will personally teach her.”

She then turned her face beneath her cloak toward Jing’er.

Upon hearing this, Jing’er no longer cared about the True Martial Sect’s rules. She nodded eagerly. Even if she had to join the Demonic Sect, her expression showed she would do so without hesitation and with unwavering courage.

The Sacred Maiden smiled and then turned to someone behind her. “Elder, thank you for your efforts these past days.”

Jing’er remained visibly excited, but Kuang Chi was startled. The Demonic Sect’s Elder was rumored to be one of the few Martial Sovereigns closest to reaching the War God realm, separated by only a hair’s breadth.

However, Kuang Chi knew well that such a gap could be insurmountable—a lifetime’s barrier many never cross, much like the divide between innate and acquired cultivation. Even if one can perceive what lies beyond, without breaking through, it is all in vain.

The Sacred Maiden then looked once more at Kuang Chi and said, “Young Master Kuang, please tell us what you wish as payment for this venture.”

She added, “And please don’t say you need nothing. Our Demonic Sect never likes to owe favors.”

No sooner had she spoken than the Martial Sovereign she called Elder suddenly spoke, “Is that behind your right ear the Golden Shark Monster, the guardian beast of the Death Star Sea’s Moku Tribe?”

Kuang Chi was taken aback and instinctively touched the small creature resting behind his right ear. He nodded quickly, then asked curiously, “How did you know?”

A few chuckles came from beneath the Elder’s cloak as he extended his hand, revealing a small purple Golden Shark remarkably similar to Kuang Chi’s, only finger-length.

“I happen to have one just like it,” he said with a smile.

Withdrawing his hand beneath the cloak, he continued, “It seems you don’t know how to feed it properly.”

Kuang Chi nodded repeatedly. Over the years, this little Golden Shark had caused him no small trouble. Since it had emerged from a broken pot, it had eaten only that pot and a single Ant Crystal. No matter how many Ant Crystals Kuang Chi brought after, the creature showed no further signs of activity.

The Elder pondered, then said, “This Golden Shark, called the Golden Shark Monster by the Moku Tribe, is actually a cosmic beast. You probably didn’t know that.”

Kuang Chi shook his head and nodded. “The Moku Tribe master who gave me this Golden Shark didn’t tell me that, but later I learned from other sources it might be a cosmic-level beast.”

The Elder reflected for a moment before continuing, “Currently, only the Moku Tribe knows how to feed such cosmic beasts artificially. Only those Golden Sharks given by the Moku Tribe can be controlled by humans. But the Moku Tribe will never share their feeding methods. I myself have spent centuries just to uncover a bit of how to care for them.”

He paused, then offered, “How about I use my centuries of experience, along with some rare delicacies that these fierce little beasts love, as the reward for this Nether Soul Sea expedition?”

Kuang Chi frowned, feeling the offer somewhat insufficient. Jing’er immediately said, “Isn’t that too little?”

The Elder smiled and said, “Do you know how powerful these Golden Sharks are?”

As he finished speaking, a streak of purple light flashed like lightning across the cabin, accompanied by a whirling sound and a piercing roar of wind that made Kuang Chi and Jing’er cover their ears.

After the noise died down, the Elder said, “I spent more than fifty years covertly observing the Moku Tribe’s home planet to understand how to feed these Golden Sharks. Are you still dissatisfied with this reward? Someone like you wasting such a hard-won Golden Shark is a pity. Though artificially raised Golden Sharks lack the intelligence and growth potential of wild ones, even the few well-trained ones within the Moku Tribe give me no advantage.”

Jing’er, who had seen the little fish behind Kuang Chi’s ear before, exclaimed excitedly, “So powerful! I’ll ask my father to get some for me when I return.”

The Elder sighed deeply and said, “It’s not that easy to get them. These Golden Sharks come only from specially treated eggs gifted by Moku Tribe elders. There’s no other way to acquire or raise them. I earned this one only after saving dozens of villages and hundreds of thousands of Moku people.”

Kuang Chi nodded and said, “I agree. But I want to ask, how many of you from the Demonic Sect will go to the Star Domain of Divine Resentment?”

The Sacred Maiden whispered with the Elder for a moment before replying, “The more the better, naturally. After all, this matter is crucial to us, and the tide of the Nether Soul Sea only comes once every hundred years or so. But we hope to discuss this with the Martial Sovereigns of the Kuang family before deciding. Rest assured, Young Master Kuang, we will never put you in a difficult position. After all, you possess this Ghost Pirate Ship. Following this cooperation, the Demonic Sect will continue to work with your family.”