Chapter 600 - 330: Boundless Sea
The torrential rain poured down.
Ever since they entered the Boundless Sea, the scenery had remained unchanged. The sky was perpetually covered in dense storm clouds, interwoven with thick bolts of lightning that writhed like serpents. Occasionally, a bolt would strike the ink-black sea below, and the chilling, mournful roars of unknown Sea Beasts could be heard, enough to make one’s blood run cold.
The fleet, which had seemed so vast on land, now looked utterly minuscule.
This was especially true when they encountered colossal waves. The two-hundred-zhang-long hulls were tossed high into the air like small sampans before crashing back down into the troughs. Every time they faced such long swells, the cultivators on board inevitably suffered, a constant reminder that the road to riches in the East Sea was not an easy one to travel.
But it wasn’t all bad news.
In weather this foul, not even the Sea Beasts would venture out to hunt.
Throughout the voyage, aside from a few unlucky Low Tier Sea Beasts that were stunned by the waves and crashed into the ships, damaging their armored plates and devouring a panicked sailor who fell overboard, they had not encountered any significant threats.
Lü Zhong was quite satisfied with this.
However, the fleet had only just entered the Boundless Sea. It was normal not to run into trouble yet.
According to the information from Yuu Mingzi, once they ventured more than sixty thousand li deeper into the Boundless Sea to a region known as the "Cyan Sea Abyss," it was highly likely the Demon Cultivators would be lying in ambush.
That would be when his challenge began. If he couldn’t repel the attacking Demon Cultivators, his only option would be to fly to the East Sea on his own.
Doing so would be both exhausting and dangerous, and there was no telling how many battles he would have to fight along the way.
’The Unstable Sea... If not for this region, the fleet could sail straight to the East Sea. Why would we need to take such a huge risk, venturing almost into the inner reaches of the Boundless Sea?’ Thinking of the Boundless Sea, only a few brief entries surfaced in Lü Zhong’s mind, giving just a rough description of this perilous place.
The Boundless Sea was located off the coast of the Celestial Origin Immortal Palace. It was said to have once been a battlefield of Immortals.
’Immortals? Heh. If it truly was a battlefield of Immortals, the great war probably happened before the ancient era, back when civilization in this world had not yet begun.’
Lü Zhong couldn’t help but continue speculating.
What could have possibly driven Immortals to come to blows?
It was probably just a conflict of interest.
After all, even after cultivating to become an Immortal, one could not escape the fundamental concept of "interest." And where there are interests, there will inevitably be conflict. Even Immortals were likely no exception to this rule.
’Maybe I’m actually right,’ Lü Zhong thought to himself.
In the days that followed, the fleet continued its journey toward the deep sea.
Strangely enough, the deeper they sailed into the Boundless Sea, the weaker the storms became. The color of the water also began to change, shifting to the normal hue of the deep ocean.
At the same time, the number of Sea Beasts they encountered started to increase.
As a result, the attacks on the fleet grew more frequent with each passing day.
Cultivators were constantly dying.
Due to the cost, the fleet did not keep its protective shields active at all times.
Consequently, strange Sea Beasts often infiltrated the fleet. Their abilities were wildly varied. Some could release toxins, causing mass casualties among the cultivators. Others parasitized cultivators to reproduce, with the hosts remaining completely unaware until the young beasts burst from their abdomens, by which time it was far too late.
Then there were the exceptionally gifted Sea Beasts. Though their physical bodies were incredibly weak—so much so that even a mortal could easily strangle one—they could perfectly disguise themselves as cultivators, fooling even the Celestial Net Secret Eye Technique.
If not for Lü Zhong’s True Retrospection, even he would have been deceived.
Compared to these bizarre and unpredictable Sea Beasts, he much preferred a straightforward, head-on confrontation. He wouldn’t even mind if the opponent was a Transformed Demon Cultivator. At least then he wouldn’t have to waste so much mental energy trying to outwit these strange creatures.
So many had died along the way that even Lü Zhong had grown numb to it.
For a fleet of this size, the death toll was merely an acceptable loss. As long as it could be kept under five percent, it would be considered a joyous outcome for all.
After all, according to typical data, the casualty rate was usually around thirty percent.
Before purchasing their tickets to the East Sea, all the cultivators had accepted this condition.
They were taking such risks for one reason only: to reach the East Sea, a land brimming with opportunity.
Lü Zhong deeply agreed with this sentiment.
But while the East Sea was full of opportunity, it was also a bottomless pit that devoured human lives.
The low-level cultivators on board probably knew this as well. Yet, compared to the hopeless Central Earth, they were more than willing to risk their lives for a chance to make their mark in that land of opportunity.
Either they would end up in the belly of a demon...
...or they would become the new legends of the East Sea!
...
「In the tenth month of the journey.」
THUD!
The sea vessel jolted violently, nearly sending the tea Lü Zhong had just brewed flying.
"Just now... I think I sensed an astonishingly strong Demon Qi. Did you feel it?" Shuini’s willow-like brows furrowed slightly. She guided the levitating teacup and teapot back to their places as she spoke to Lü Zhong.
"I felt it," Lü Zhong replied, his expression turning grave.
The Demon Qi was the strongest he had ever encountered in his life, even surpassing that of the Black Flood Dragon by several degrees.
The intensity of Demon Qi was often a direct measure of a Demon Beast’s power. Typically, the stronger the Demon Qi, the more terrifying the Demon Beast’s strength. There were never any exceptions to this rule.
"You should continue to focus on your recovery. It would be best if you could heal up before we reach the Cyan Sea Abyss. I’ll go see what’s happening." Lü Zhong gently pushed Shuini back down as she tried to get up. In her current state, it wasn’t convenient for her to fight, nor was there any need for her to do so. It was better to rest and recover quickly.
After all, if they encountered a Sea Beast or Demon Cultivator so powerful that even he couldn’t drive it back, there would be nothing left to consider. They would just have to use an Escape Skill and flee for their lives.
’I hope it doesn’t come to that...’ He gave Shuini a reassuring look, but couldn’t help the thought that surfaced in his mind.
Compared to the known continents, even a million years after the Immortals had passed down their teachings, the vast, boundless ocean remained a region rarely explored by Immortal Cultivators. Even today, no one knew what lay on the other side of the Boundless Sea.
After reassuring Shuini, Lü Zhong teleported to the deck, where a Core Formation Steward was already waiting.
However, he didn’t need the Steward to explain the current situation. With his own two eyes, he could already see what had just happened.
To the left of the fleet, colossal islands had appeared, and they were constantly moving.
Deep within the Boundless Sea, there shouldn’t be any islands. In a situation like this, there was only one explanation: they had encountered "Island Turtles."
Island Turtles were gentle by nature. As long as one didn’t provoke them too excessively, they usually wouldn’t retaliate.
Given how incredibly tough their hides were, only a Nascent Soul True Monarch was capable of what would be considered "excessive provocation."
"Reporting to you, Senior, we’ve encountered a pod of Island Turtles. The tremor just now was caused by a young turtle that accidentally bumped the bottom of the hull while surfacing."
The Steward pointed to a spot beside the ship, where an island reef had indeed appeared.
Through the deep blue water, one could see the flailing limbs of the Island Turtle. Its form was similar to most sea turtles, and its head had a somewhat simple and honest look.
Before long, the reckless young turtle swam further and further away.
’Well, it was just a false alarm,’ Lü Zhong thought, breathing a sigh of relief.
Just then, he saw streaks of Escape Light flying from the ships up ahead. He figured some cultivators saw this as a rare opportunity and wanted to land on the islands on the Island Turtles’ backs to collect any treasures that might be there.
The fleet would not stop them, but neither would it offer any assistance.
After all, one had to take responsibility for one’s own decisions.