Siren Attack

On Eternal Blossom Island, where blossoms drifted like snow, Bai Lan and her two companions departed after receiving their mission and exchanging a few words with Lin Leihan, the disciple who had assigned it.

Primarily, Bai Lan had no desire to converse with outsiders. Their task was straightforward: collecting Hundred Flowers Nectar.

Given that Eternal Blossom Island was essentially a world of blossoms, there was no need to search far and wide. They simply needed to find a tranquil spot to begin their work.

As this was Bai Lan’s first mission, Xue Linglong and Li Yunxi needed to guide her through it.

At that moment, Xue Linglong was demonstrating how to extract the Hundred Flowers Nectar. She approached a shrub laden with white flowers, then raised her hand, enveloping the blossoms with her spiritual energy. Increasing the pressure, she compressed the petals.

Moments later, a single drop, resembling rainwater, emerged from a bud.

Xue Linglong swiftly produced a jade bottle to collect it.

“There, Sister. This is how you extract the Hundred Flowers Nectar. It’s quite simple; you should understand it at a glance, right?” Xue Linglong offered the porcelain bottle to Bai Lan for inspection.

Bai Lan accepted the bottle, glancing at the single drop of flower nectar within. She then took a sniff, and a rich, clear fragrance immediately wafted towards her.

This scent was far more potent than the general floral aroma carried on the breeze, yet it was never overpowering. On the contrary, it felt remarkably refreshing.

“Mhm, I understand. I’ll give it a try.” Bai Lan nodded, then raised her hand and focused her energy on a single fresh flower. Initially, everything proceeded smoothly, and the flower nectar began to emerge.

However, the instant the nectar left the flower bud, it froze into a crystalline shard, falling into the porcelain bottle with a crisp clinking sound.

“Eh? What happened? Why did it turn into an ice crystal?” Li Yunxi and Xue Linglong wondered aloud.

Bai Lan herself was equally puzzled. She poured the frozen nectar from the bottle into her palm. Once transformed into an ice crystal, it was remarkably solid, much like a diamond, shimmering under the sunlight.

“Yun Yao, what’s going on?” Bai Lan inquired.

“Your power is the purest yin energy in all the heavens and earth, imbued with intense cold. When it comes into contact with liquids, this is naturally the result. However, you needn’t worry; while your power freezes the nectar, it doesn’t affect its efficacy. On the contrary, it serves to perfectly preserve the essence of the flowers and herbs within the liquid,” Yun Yao promptly explained.

Upon hearing Yun Yao’s words, Bai Lan breathed a sigh of relief. If there was no adverse effect, then she had no reason to be concerned.

“It’s nothing serious; my power is simply quite cold, so it freezes the liquid,” Bai Lan casually explained.

Xue Linglong and Li Yunxi remained puzzled, yet they merely nodded without further questions, then resumed their task. Their mission was simply to fill their bottle and then report back to the mission board.

Eternal Blossom Island, while not vast, was sufficiently large that they were bound to encounter other disciples on missions. This task of collecting flower nectar offered little competition, so even if they met other disciples, there was no cause for undue concern.

Moreover, with the combined strength of Bai Lan and Xue Linglong, no one in the entire Outer Sect would dare to provoke them at present. However, Eternal Blossom Island was not an absolutely safe haven.

Being situated in the open sea, it was susceptible to demon beasts inhabiting the waters, land, and sky. Sea demons, in particular, were abundant and frequently infiltrated various islands, attacking the human inhabitants.

Coastal cities in the Seven Kingdoms were especially prone to these sea demon assaults. Today, it seemed exceptionally unlucky, for Bai Lan’s very first mission coincided with a large-scale sea demon invasion.

The sky above Eternal Blossom Island abruptly grew dark and overcast, an utterly unnatural shift in weather, devoid of any prior warning.

“Hmm? What’s happening?” The moment the sky darkened, Bai Lan felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

She wasn’t alone; Xue Linglong, at the same instant, looked up at the sky. A golden light shimmered in her eyes as she frowned, having also detected abnormal energy fluctuations.

Dark clouds obscured the sun, and soon, winds began to howl, thunder rumbled, and rain descended. For some reason, Xue Linglong noticed something churning within the ominous clouds.

“Strange, why has the weather changed so drastically? And why is it only affecting our Eternal Blossom Island?” Li Yunxi gazed into the distance with a puzzled expression.

Far off, the sky remained clear and blue, making their current location feel like the epicenter of a localized thunderstorm.

“This is no ordinary localized storm. It’s demonic energy,” Bai Lan stated, her brow deeply furrowed.

“Demonic energy?” Li Yunxi gasped, startled.

Indeed, the moment the dark clouds appeared, a notification echoed across Eternal Blossom Island from the higher echelons of the sect.

“Warning! All Outer Sect disciples currently on missions on the island, please immediately gather at the entrance to the sect’s core area! I repeat, these dark clouds are not merely a change in weather; a powerful sea demon has arrived.” It was Luo Yan’s voice.

Yes, the sea demon attack had begun.

Upon hearing the warning, Bai Lan immediately grabbed Xue Linglong and Li Yunxi’s hands, urging them to leave the area at once. Judging by the scale, the Luoshen Sect was undoubtedly in for a fierce battle.

“Hahahaha… you human women on Eternal Blossom Island! This King, the Azure Dragon King, has returned! My minions, heed my command: attack Eternal Blossom Island! Devour all those tender-skinned women!”

Not long after Bai Lan and the others began their retreat, a thunderous voice reverberated through the sky. It was a man’s voice, incredibly savage and brimming with oppressive power. This was clearly a Demon King speaking.

The moment his command fell, a multitude of grotesque creatures emerged from the waters surrounding Eternal Blossom Island. These monsters were neither fully human nor fully beast, varying wildly in appearance, yet it was clear they were primarily aquatic races.

Ordinary aquatic creatures, once transformed into demons, resembled these very beings – the so-called ‘shrimp soldiers and crab generals,’ though that was merely a broad classification.

A pungent, fishy odor emanated from these sea demons, instantly engulfing the entire Eternal Blossom Island.

“Azure Dragon King, why have you returned? Was the lesson we taught you last time insufficient?” Shortly after the Demon King spoke, several figures soared out from the core area of the Luoshen Sect.

Leading the charge were Luo Yan and Bai Yiren, along with three others. They flew directly into the sky, confronting the great demon lurking within the dark clouds. Meanwhile, the inner sect disciples of the Luoshen Sect, led by several important disciples, surged directly towards the hordes of sea demons that had already crawled onto Eternal Blossom Island.

Among the leaders were Ximen Xue and her faction of direct disciples.

“Disciples of the Immortal’s Abode, heed my command! Clear out the sea demons that have landed on the island!” Ximen Xue, clad in flowing white robes and wielding a pristine white sword, floated in the air, her gaze sharp as she pointed towards the sea demons and issued her order.

As her command descended, hundreds of female cultivators from the Immortal’s Abode, riding their magic treasures, struck directly at the sea demons. Wherever they passed, sword light erupted, and a great number of sea demons were slain, leaving behind trails of blue blood and corpses. It was important to remember that even the weakest inner sect disciples were at the Foundation Establishment realm.

Those at the Foundation Establishment realm could fly using treasures and wield them in combat. The disciples of the Immortal’s Abode were all sword cultivators, representing the Luoshen Sect’s strongest fighting force. Most of the sea demons, however, were only at the Qi Refining realm, at best slightly stronger than human cultivators of the same level.

This was not the first time the inner sect disciples had experienced a sea demon invasion; they occurred every few years, so their offensive was well-organized.

However, it was simply bad luck for Bai Lan and her companions to have encountered it today.

Bai Lan and the others had already retreated to the core area, where a grand formation had been activated, enveloping the entire region. All outer sect disciples were rushing into the safety of the formation.