Chapter 2003: On the Way
ire blazed atop the hill, and men and women danced and sang in praise of the shaman god, their laughter and joy echoing through the air.On the lakeshore where the Yuyi tribe resided, a towering altar...A gust of wind swept across the sea.
Between the ripples, a white tiger with an elongated and deformed body, yet unusually agile, is running on the water.
The white tiger treads on water, leaving no trace. It appears to be dashing with all four legs, but it is actually employing a highly skilled evasion technique. If someone were in the path of the white tiger, even if it passed by their side, they would only feel a slight breeze and wouldn't see its figure at all.
Even cultivators with insufficient cultivation would be unable to see through the White Tiger's form.
The white tiger charged straight north, encountering no obstacles along the way. It would leap over entire islands as if flying across the sea.
Qin Sang looked out the window, seeing only endless rows of the same sea view. After Li'er set off, the ship was completely silent. The passengers remained in their respective private chambers, each one having set up a barrier to isolate themselves from the outside world.
They are now located roughly in the southwest of Genzhou, but Li'er is heading directly north. It seems that once they leave Jitian Peak, the sea becomes turbulent. They may need to frequently detour and avoid danger afterward, which explains why it takes ten years to reach their destination.
For cultivators of the Void Refining realm, ten years is often spent comprehending a single divine ability. As long as safety is ensured, Qin Sang wouldn't mind taking things slow.
However, he wasn't ready to simply 'sleep' through it all. He asked Zhuque to keep watch outside and wake him if anything interesting happened. After all, one of the purposes of his journey was to broaden his horizons.
...Also, to record this route for the future. Maybe it'll be useful when I return to Yuet Du Wan.
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Zhuge knew that there were many experts on the ship, any one of them could crush it with a finger, so now it was very obedient.
Qin Sang quietly activated his divine powers, summoning a wisp of Qingluan True Thunder. The power flowed into his palm like water.
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With his current abilities, he can control the Azure Phoenix True Thunder so that it doesn't leak even a trace of its aura.
With his palm spread open, the Qingluan True Thunder gathered in his palm, forming a pool. Qin Sang gazed at the true thunder, silently circulating the Guan Lei technique in his palm. His eyes gleamed with wonder, as if this thread of true thunder had evolved into a world, deeply captivating him. He maintained this posture, unmoving as the sun rose and set, for an extended period.
His mind was completely absorbed, forgetting time and everything around him.
The Qingluan dharma form, coupled with the Palm Thunder Technique, allowed Qin Sang to experience the true power of thunder. He touched upon the subtle levels, sensing every variation, familiarizing himself with it, controlling it, and learning to utilize it.
The deeper Qin Sang's understanding became, the more he marveled at the mystery of the Qingluan Zhenlei. The Qingluan that left behind the true lightning was at least a Nascent Soul cultivator, perhaps even higher, but it surpassed Qin Sang's comprehension and couldn't be accurately judged. Those ancient powerhouses sealed in the Tempestuous Realm were probably no weaker than the Qingluan, and one could only wonder what great secrets the Tempestuous Realm held.
A mere wisp of true lightning, when Qin Sang realized his consciousness had dived in, it was like entering a sea of azure. The seawater was composed of thunder, but not the ordinary thunderstorms one knows. It was the unique demon lightning of the Qingluan divine beast, something beyond human comprehension.
Like an unfathomable ocean, waiting for Qin Sang to explore. Even with the aid of the Qingluan Dharma Form and the technique of Observing Thunder in the Palm, he could not touch the seabed, only swimming on the surface. The depths below remained heavy and mysterious.
That's right, he can now use the Azure Crane True Thunder to condense the Five Thunders Heavenly Heart Seal, greatly enhancing the power of his thunder techniques. However, his understanding is still superficial, and he remains ignorant of the true principles, just like when he used the Ten Directions Yama Banner to manipulate the Nine Nether Inferno back then.
>
The difference is that the Qingluan Dharma Aspect and the Palm-Sized Thunder Technique can guide him, inching him closer to the seabed. His path ahead is clear, and perhaps he won't need to reach an extremely high level of cultivation before mastering this power.
Now, Qin Sang's main task was to become as familiar with the Qingluan Zhenlei as possible, so that when he cast his thunder techniques, they would be smoother and faster.
>
A faint ripple appeared on Qing Lei's surface, condensing runes. The runes formed for a moment before dissipating, their changes unpredictable.
After an unknown amount of time, Qin Sang was suddenly woken up by Zhuque. His mind returned to the present, and he heard the sound of the mechanism spring firing.
Releasing a wisp of divine consciousness, I probed the quiet room and immediately sensed the divine consciousnesses of others. It was clear that they had all been startled by Li'er.
It turned out that Li'er was changing forms. The white tiger's body curled up, its mechanisms tightly locked, only maintaining stillness. Everything else changed form dramatically, from a white tiger to a sphere.
The sphere was multifaceted, pieced together from countless thin plates and finally covered with a layer of fur. This form had been completely divorced from flesh and blood, then it took to the wind and flew into the sky.
>
It was the dead of night, with the moon shining brightly in the sky.
Li’er flew towards the moon following the moonlight. She soared to the highest point before continuing northwards.
Like an inflated leather bag, being pulled by a beam of moonlight, hanging on the moon hook, swaying in the wind, its speed greatly reduced.
There must be a reason for doing this. Qin Sang looked down at the sea, and sure enough, he discovered that the color of the seawater was getting darker as they moved north, eventually becoming as black as ink.
Who knows what lies beneath the sea, turning this place into a sea of ink.
Qin Sang felt a prickle of unease, but until dawn nothing unusual happened. Just as the moon dipped below the horizon, Li'er stopped her descent. Directly ahead lay a deserted island, and Li'er landed on it. She remained there until nightfall, when the moon rose again before she set off.
Day and night alternated, resting during the day and traveling at night. For two consecutive months, it didn't fly out of the ink sea.
It was just that evening.
Li'er was about to take flight when suddenly a voice rang out.
"Let me down."
The others on board also heard, Qin Sang frowned slightly. He could tell that it was the man in the hat named Wen Sheng speaking.
This person has always been secretive. What could they be up to by getting off the boat now
"Huh"
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Li'er didn't expect anyone to disembark, so she was very surprised. "Our distinguished guests cannot disembark here, oh! It will attract danger from the depths of the sea, and Li'er cannot wait here alone for our distinguished guest."
“I don't want to go to Genzhou anymore. Can I get off the boat midway” Wen Sheng questioned in a hoarse voice.
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"Of course you can disembark, but the fare is non-refundable, and it's really dangerous here. Are you sure you want to disembark here, esteemed guest" Li'er kindly reminded.
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"Open the door."
The temperature rise is unequivocal.
Qin Sang frowned and looked out the window. He saw Wen Sheng, without looking back, his figure flickering, disappearing into the depths of the ink sea.
With one person missing, Li'er was about to adjust the structure when Qin Sang suddenly spoke up, "Wait! See if this person left anything behind."
"Not bad, fellow Daoist, you've thought things through carefully," a steady voice agreed.
The others immediately understood that Wen Sheng was behaving strangely, and feared that he might have something to do with it, trying to cause trouble elsewhere.
In an instant, a myriad of divine senses swept across Wen Sheng's quiet chamber, leaving no trace he had passed untouched.
“That esteemed guest has never been anywhere else,” Li’er said timidly.
>
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Although they came away empty-handed, no one felt it was a waste of time. Silence fell back over the ship as it continued its journey.
Finally flying out of the ink sea, the seawater returned to its normal color. Li'er fell from the sky, her form changing again into a ship.
Qin Sang and others 'lived' in the cabin. The deck was flat, except for a long mast standing upright.
The mast stood bare, solitary and tall, a shimmering bell hanging from its peak.
Li'er went against her usual nature. Instead of hiding, she actively exposed herself.
'Ding Dong...'
The ship sailed upon the sea, its lights illuminating a radius of tens of miles, as conspicuous as the full moon. A melodious chime resonated in the wind and spread far and wide.
Accompanied by the ringing of bells, they traveled day and night without encountering any danger. Not even a single monster came near them, as if they were sailing through a dead sea.
Qin Sang guessed that the bell was a kind of token, and Chanjin City should have reached some kind of agreement with some existence in this sea area, allowing them to travel freely.
As expected, nothing happened until Li'er put away her bell and changed into a new form.
Thus, all the way, Li'er transformed into various forms, utilizing all sorts of peculiar methods to smoothly traverse one sea after another.
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Even a powerful force like Chanjin City could do this meticulously. Others, even if they remembered this route, couldn't possibly pass through safely...
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Qin Sang secretly shook his head, once again feeling the weight of Chanjin City.
Five years after leaving Jitian Peak, they arrived in an ordinary sea area. Li'er stopped on a small island.
Everyone initially thought that Li'er, like Mo Hai, would only be a short stopover, but unexpectedly, she stayed for several months and showed no signs of leaving.
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"What is Li'er waiting for"
At last, someone couldn't help but ask.
"Li'er was waiting for a big tide, as the elder had instructed. She had to wait for the tide to come in; otherwise, she absolutely couldn't leave," Li'er replied.
"What's dangerous ahead" someone asked.
"Pear didn't know what dangers lay ahead, honorable guests, please be patient and wait," Pear said, trying her best to comfort them.
Fortunately, everyone was reasonable and understood the situation, so they no longer urged him and patiently waited for the high tide.
Months have passed in the blink of an eye, and nearly a year has been spent waiting on the island. They didn't wait for the high tide, but instead, they waited for an unexpected visitor.
That day at noon, Qin Sang was pondering the Azure Phoenix True Thunder when he suddenly felt a jolt in his heart and woke up abruptly.
The next moment, Qin Sang felt a powerful aura approaching at an astonishing speed.
The other party made no attempt to conceal their imposing presence, which swept across the heavens and earth. Their target was clear: they were charging straight for the small island.
"Hiss! Late stage of Refining the Void!"
Qin Sang was startled, leaping to her feet and looking out the window. She saw that the sea conditions had changed drastically, with sudden wind and clouds gathering.
"Wow!"
The hurricane surged ashore with fury, monstrous waves crashing endlessly, an endless storm encircling the small island. In an instant, the sky darkened and the world was plunged into chaos.
"Boom!"
A violent wind swept across the island, uprooting trees and causing dust and rocks to fly everywhere.
A terrifying aura immediately descended.
A gray wind swept across the sky. This was no ordinary wind, but a terrifying spiritual wind formed by manipulating the vital energy of heaven and earth through secret arts. It could destroy everything. If cultivators with weaker powers were caught in the wind, they would be blown to ashes instantly.
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‘Boom!’
The island was overwhelmed, trembling constantly.
The four seas surged, giant waves like mountains, easily capable of shattering the small island. The seawater and spiritual wind eventually formed eight colossal water dragons, towering and stretching from heaven to earth, like a cage imprisoning the little island.
Li'er was a beast trapped in prison.
Everyone on board felt the intense pressure, a ripple of unease went through them, but they held their ground, remaining silently vigilant.
In the face of such heavenly might, it's remarkable that Li'er could still respond calmly. She raised her head, spat out a jade token, and said, "Li'er, the twenty-ninth officer of the Chanjin City branch, is here by order of the three elders of Chanjin City. I travel freely through these lands. If I have inadvertently offended any predecessors during my journey, I apologize profusely. I hope you will show me leniency."
The jade pendant flew towards the storm, but was directly bounced back by a gust of wind.
A shadowy figure emerged above the feng shui pillar, followed by a cold snort. "I don't care who you are," he declared. "The person I'm looking for was taken by you! Hand him over immediately!"
Revenge is here!
Qin Sang and the others all had this thought, and they unanimously thought of Wen Sheng who had disembarked earlier.
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Looking at major cultivation worlds like Yue Du Wan, cultivators at the late stage of refining emptiness are rare and precious. One wonders what Wen Sheng did to attract such powerful figures, no wonder he's so mysterious.
“I wonder who you’re looking for, senior. Perhaps you could tell Li'er first” Li’er asked in return.
“Where did all this nonsense come from!”
A powerful divine consciousness surged forth, about to tear through Li'er's barrier.
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"Senior, please calm down. I meant no disrespect. If that person were on the ship, Li'er would not have stopped him. But the others are esteemed guests of my Canjin City, and Li'er is duty-bound..."
Li'er responded urgently, her whole body burning with a pale flame, emitting an odd ripple, daring to resist.
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With a flash of divine consciousness, the mysterious man coldly snorted, "You really think I can't kill you!"
"Although a senior could crush Li'er with just one finger, this is Li'er's duty. If Li'er dies, it will die without complaint. I believe the Third Elder will avenge Li'er," Li'er replied calmly and confidently.
Just then, a sigh came from a quiet room, "Alas! After many years, Master Meng's temper is still so fiery."
This voice is the one who had agreed with Qin Sang back then.
"Huh"
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A mysterious figure watched over, discerning the other's identity, and said in surprise, "How did you get here"
"My junior brother has already taken the seat of the Sect Master. I, a defeated soldier, staying here would only be an annoyance. It just so happens that I've long had a desire to travel the Great Zhou, and I didn't expect to meet Island Master Meng here," said a man in a quiet room. "Is it this person you, Island Master Meng, are looking for"
A figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat manifested from the void, and emitted an aura similar to Wen Sheng's.
"It's him! Where is he now" The mysterious man was seething with rage.
In the silent room, someone sighed: “Master Meng arrived a step too late. This man is cunning and had already disembarked beforehand. Everyone can testify to this, so please don't make things difficult for Miss Li.”
“Indeed, I can also attest to this. I have long heard of Lord Meng's illustrious reputation, and finally get to meet him.”
"Indeed."
“If I had known this, we would have kept this person for Lord Meng.”
People spoke up one after another, testifying and describing in detail where Wen Sheng had disembarked, all hoping to send this plague god away as soon as possible.
Qin Sang was unaware of who this Lord Meng Island was. The top forces he knew about didn't have such a figure, so he must be a hidden expert.
As Meng Dao's figure faded, the cage that imprisoned the heavens and earth disappeared, and calm returned.
This person's strength far surpasses that of the Black Demon Peng!
This can be considered Qin Sang's first time, directly facing a late-stage Refining Void powerhouse.
Although Meng Island Master wasn't targeting him, the feeling of heaven and earth being controlled by the other party, while he was like a beast in a cage, left a deep impression on him.
>
This was a small interlude, a month after Meng Daozhu left. A white line appeared at the juncture of Tianhai, and the tide surged in, deafeningly loud. Beneath the surface, undercurrents churned, a massive ocean current flowing through this place.
The tide has finally come!
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>n as a guest envoy was more important than Huiwen's, and his authority seemed quite high. Not only could he mobilize some resources from the Qiong Yu Merchant Association, but if he encountered a cris...