Chapter 218: Polar Night Sea Spirit-Show Transforms into Fish, Blockade and Solicitation

Murong Xue said, "I sense eight auras, all at the Earth Fiend Realm."

Ji Zixuan calculated, "If a fight breaks out, how many can you handle?"

Murong Xue remained silent. Why did things have to turn to killing so suddenly?

"Must we resort to violence? Why not try talking it out?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Zixuan knew this naive young girl couldn't be relied upon, so she stopped speaking and began preparing on her own.

A moment later, the two flying boats entered attack range.

Murong Xue immediately employed a Wind Art, sending a voice transmission to warn them: "Friends, we have just entered this area; we are merely passing through and have harvested no treasures..."

But it had no effect.

Not only that, the Blood Shadow flying boat accelerated, and as it closed to within a thousand meters, eight harpoons were fired toward the Arrowfish flying boat.

The heads of the harpoons were four meters long, sharp and diamond-shaped, connected by eight chains to the Blood Shadow flying boat.

It was clear that the Blood Shadow flying boat intended to capture the Arrowfish flying boat.

"What?" Murong Xue was shocked, never expecting the other side to attack without a word.

Ji Zixuan, however, was prepared; she maneuvered the flying boat into a death spin.

This was a high-difficulty flying boat maneuver, but Ji Zixuan performed it with ease.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—bang!"

Seven harpoons were dodged, but one still managed to break through the boat's defenses and pierce the hull.

"Clack, clack, clack—" The harpoon split open, quickly locking onto the Arrowfish flying boat.

There was no helping it; even with Ji Zixuan's superior skill, she could not withstand the blockade-style capture of the Blood Shadow flying boat.

Seeing the target hit, the Blood Shadow flying boat immediately changed direction and dove sharply.

"Snap!" The thick black chain was pulled taut.

The Arrowfish flying boat was forcibly yanked off course, spiraling out of control toward the ground.

Murong Xue stumbled, nearly falling to the deck.

"Don't just stand there!" Ji Zixuan shouted, struggling to control the boat. "Are you waiting to be tied up?"

Murong Xue gritted her teeth and immediately employed a Wind Art, cushioning the Arrowfish flying boat and stabilizing its horizontal posture.

With her assistance, Ji Zixuan regained control, finally avoiding a crash.

But at this moment, the Blood Shadow flying boat was still dragging them toward another mountain peak.

"You take the helm," Ji Zixuan commanded. "I'm going to deal with them."

Without waiting for Murong Xue's agreement, Ji Zixuan leaped from the boat, transforming into a phantom as she charged toward the Blood Shadow flying boat.

Just then, Zhao Xing also came online.

He felt the violent shaking of the flying boat, clearly indicating an attack.

"Hmm?"

Zhao Xing's nine Myriad Dharma Straw Men simultaneously raised their heads and opened their eyes, looking forward.

In an instant, he understood: they had encountered bandits.

Observing the Blood Shadow flying boat with his Heavenly Eye Art, Zhao Xing instantly gained a rough understanding of the enemy's strength.

"Eight Earth Fiend Realm cultivators; their strength is mediocre." Zhao Xing immediately controlled the Myriad Dharma Straw Men to fly beside the Blood Shadow flying boat.

"Eight Earth Fiend Realm cultivators—half martial artists, half sorcerers."

Zhao Xing assessed them. He had activated his 'Invisible Straw Man.'

The people below, including Ji Zixuan, had no idea he was there.

Zhao Xing was in no rush to act; he could control the situation while observing Ji Zixuan's strength.

Facing those of lower rank, even Zhao Xing's Myriad Dharma clones could completely crush them.

"Ssh, ssh, ssh—"

Ji Zixuan held a slender sword, transforming into a silver stream of light as she dashed into the encirclement.

"Fast speed. This girl is nothing like someone who just entered the Earth Fiend Realm." Zhao Xing watched with interest.

He could see that Ji Zixuan was using the Azure Water Sword Art, a core technique of the Azure Water Academy.

After charging in, Ji Zixuan faced four martial artists in close-quarters combat while simultaneously dealing with the long-range interference of four sorcerers.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—" Although she held a slender sword, the collisions it produced were astonishingly powerful, as if the blade possessed immense strength.

"Using weight as if it were light—does this sword actually weigh a thousand catties?" Zhao Xing was surprised, recognizing the extraordinary nature of the weapon.

Though only a fifth-tier divine weapon, it was crafted with enough material to forge seven or eight such items.

"Swish—" After parrying a joint strike from the four martial artists, Ji Zixuan suddenly appeared beside the enemy on the south side.

She thrust her slender sword lightly, and the martial artist holding the saber saw his expression change instantly.

He realized that the opponent seemed to be thrusting countless swords at once, leaving him no idea which one to block.

Moreover, her speed was too fast.

He swung his saber, only able to guard his vital points.

"Thousand-Fold Mountain!"

Thousand-Fold Mountain was a defensive saber technique; when he used it, it felt as if a great mountain stood before him.

However, he clearly hadn't mastered it, as the phantom of the mountain was full of gaps.

Only his vital points were guarded; the rest of his body was wide open.

But as long as he could withstand this sword, it would be enough to make this reckless woman pay, as three teammates were already attacking Ji Zixuan's back.

With enemies attacking from behind, Ji Zixuan still firmly delivered the strike.

"Puff—"

The slender sword pierced through the saber-wielding martial artist's throat.

From back to front.

Meanwhile, the Ji Zixuan in front of him was struck by a Fire sorcerer's flame spell and burst into flames.

But after she burned, her body vanished, leaving only half a burning talisman paper behind.

"H-h-h..." The saber-wielding martial artist widened his eyes, unable to comprehend how the sword had come from behind him.

So this one was a phantom... He died with his eyes wide open, falling toward the sky.

At the same time, the other three martial artists struck empty air.

They too had been deceived by Ji Zixuan's 'Talisman Phantom.'

"It really is her, the Phantom Assassin under Princess Youruo in her past life!" Zhao Xing stared below. "The Phantom Assassin—her moves are strange, her methods numerous, and she is especially skilled at utilizing talismans."

Being able to incorporate talismans into combat was something not everyone could do.

It required perfect timing and a deep understanding of talismans; since it was basically impossible to use someone else's talismans, it meant Ji Zixuan herself was proficient in talisman crafting.

"It's not a Talisman Dharma Body yet, just a Talisman Phantom Body, but it's enough to fool these people. And with her speed, it seems I don't need to intervene." Zhao Xing thought to himself.

The Azure Water Academy was one of the Great Zhou's seventy-two academies; graduating with honors was no less difficult than Zhao Xing earning first place during his training at the Military Agricultural Office.

The subsequent battle went exactly as Zhao Xing had anticipated.

During the fight, Ji Zixuan used four Talisman Phantoms, making it impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Even Zhao Xing had to use his Soul Heavenly Eye to identify which was real and which was fake.

As for the others, they were completely toyed with by Ji Zixuan.

The four sorcerers on the boat couldn't land their spells on Ji Zixuan, and they couldn't use area-of-effect spells because their teammates were still in the fray.

"Pfft—"

Before long, the second melee martial artist was killed, stabbed by Ji Zixuan, and fell.

She perfectly utilized the Azure Water Sword Art combined with Talisman Phantoms to run the four melee martial artists and the four sorcerers on the boat in circles.

By the time she killed the third person, the four sorcerers on the boat were already thinking of retreating.

"Unhook! Start the boat!"

One of the Fire sorcerers immediately unhooked the chain that was grappling the Arrowfish flying boat.

Then he turned, intending to pilot the flying boat away.

"Shoo—"

Ji Zixuan flicked her left hand, multitasking, and a flying knife instantly pinned itself into the back of the Fire sorcerer.

"Hum—"

The blood-stained flying knife stuck in the door panel, still trembling.

"The Azure Water Sword Art uses weight as if it were light, the Talisman Phantom is perfectly timed, and she can even multitask to throw a flying knife. She is one against eight and still has energy to spare," Zhao Xing praised.

"Heroine, spare me!"

The remaining three on the flying boat had their psychological defenses collapse and began to beg for mercy.

Ji Zixuan said nothing, quickly killing the remaining martial artist before leaping onto the flying boat.

Once a sorcerer is closed in upon, they can only be slaughtered.

"Puff, puff, puff—"

The three sorcerers were instantly pierced through the heart.

Having lost control, the Blood Shadow flying boat came to a sudden stop.

But the Arrowfish flying boat where Murong Xue was located had lost control and was plummeting downward.

"Rise!"

Zhao Xing employed a Gale Art, forcibly cushioning the flying boat.

He still had some items on board; he couldn't let it just explode.

Zhao Xing revealed himself, and only then did Ji Zixuan notice he was already beside the Blood Shadow flying boat.

"When did he get to the side..." Ji Zixuan's pupils contracted.

She was seventh-rank, but she prided herself on being able to save her own life even before a sixth-rank, and perhaps even having a chance to kill one.

Yet Zhao Xing, a sixth-rank, was only a clone, yet she hadn't sensed his presence; he had silently hidden right beside her.

"You did very well." Zhao Xing's gaze turned to Ji Zixuan.

"Thank you for the praise, Senior Brother." Ji Zixuan lowered her head. She couldn't see through Zhao Xing, but Zhao Xing had seen through her true form at a glance.

His strength is far greater than I imagined... Ji Zixuan thought to herself.

The Arrowfish flying boat could no longer be used; it had been damaged by the harpoon. After cleaning up the stragglers, Zhao Xing, Ji Zixuan, and Murong Xue switched to the Blood Shadow flying boat.

The Blood Shadow flying boat was a standard divine weapon, better suited for charging formations and fighting than the Arrowfish flying boat.

After everything was done, Murong Xue felt somewhat uneasy, because Ji Zixuan had killed everyone, while she had done nothing but use Wind Art to correct the boat's flight posture at the very beginning, and even then, she had nearly let it crash.

"Why didn't you act just now?" Zhao Xing approached Murong Xue.

Although he had 'logged off,' he hadn't completely disconnected; once he logged back on, he could know the previous conversation on the flying boat.

"I thought they were all people of Great Zhou, so..." Murong Xue said.

"What are your thoughts now?" Zhao Xing asked. He knew Murong Xue wasn't from the Military Agricultural Office and likely hadn't been on a battlefield; coming from a great clan, she must have been well-protected since childhood.

"If I had the strength, I would have taught them a lesson and let them leave," Murong Xue said. "Killing is not the best solution."

"Suppose they didn't listen to your reasoning, gained an opportunity in a few days, became stronger than you, and came to cause you trouble—what would you do then?" Zhao Xing asked.

"I..." Murong Xue opened her mouth, wanting to say something but stopping.

"Say whatever you want; no need to be reserved," Zhao Xing said.

"Agricultural officials rely on heaven to eat, helping the weak and supporting the people; we should uphold a heart of benevolence," Murong Xue said. "My lord is perhaps too cold, and thinks too maliciously of people."

Zhao Xing nodded: "Agricultural officials are for the people; you are right about that. But benevolence must be distinguished by the person. Why don't you open your eyes and look at the portal to the grotto-heaven—can commoners enter this Ten-Sun Grotto-Heaven?"

"In my eyes, agricultural officials don't rely on heaven to eat; we fight heaven and earth for food!"

"If the world were always favorable and harvests were plentiful every year, where would the position of agricultural official come from?"

"My lord is a Military Agricultural Official," Murong Xue said indignantly. "Naturally, you are accustomed to fighting."

Murong Xue then added: "The imperial court does not forbid fighting; this rule is not appropriate."

Zhao Xing laughed dumbly; this girl was quite stubborn. When she couldn't argue, she turned to say it was the world's fault.

"It's useless to tell me that; neither of us is the one who sets the rules," Zhao Xing said. "Instead of complaining, it's better to strive to adapt, slowly grow stronger, and fight to become someone who can set the rules."

Murong Xue said nothing; she felt her worldview had been impacted.

Zhao Xing didn't want to preach, but Old Liu had asked him to bring Murong Xue along, and this mindset wouldn't survive here.

However, he didn't say much more; after staying in the Ten-Sun Grotto-Heaven for a long time, she would slowly come around on her own.

There was just one thing Zhao Xing had to make clear: "You can have a kind heart, but you are not acting alone now. Ji Zixuan and I are your teammates."

"Once you act, they are enemies. The greatest respect for an enemy is to wipe them out completely."

"You are here for training, not for a vacation. If you remain indifferent next time, you will be a burden."

"If you are not convinced, you can tell the teacher to have someone else bring you. I have said my piece; weigh it well yourself."

The words were not polite, but Zhao Xing was not running a charity. Since she wanted to participate in this cruel competition but didn't want to kill—where was such a good thing?

"Yes." Murong Xue bowed and walked out.

Seeing Murong Xue come out in a bad mood, Ji Zixuan showed a faint smile.

Before, she had asked Murong Xue to act, and this girl had actually replied with persuasion? Naive!

Now that she heard her questioning Zhao Xing's previous decision, Ji Zixuan couldn't help but laugh in her heart.

Zhao Xing had climbed from a small clerk to his current height; would he like Murong Xue's soft-hearted style?

"If he doesn't like her, then he must like my style of doing things. I just don't know how much he likes it." Hearing Zhao Xing call her, Ji Zixuan restrained her emotions and walked into the cabin.

"Senior Brother."

"Hmm." Zhao Xing nodded. "This time searching for Spirit-Show, is there anything you particularly want?"

Ji Zixuan was happy in her heart, but it didn't show on her face: "I leave it to Senior Brother to decide. Whatever Senior Brother leads me to find, I will use."

"Greedy, you want everything, don't you?" Zhao Xing smiled. People who say 'whatever' are often very picky.

"Senior Brother saw through me." Ji Zixuan smiled playfully.

"Fine, you continue to control the flying boat and search according to what I say."

Zhao Xing intended to give Ji Zixuan more benefits; the future Phantom Assassin was worth him spending some effort to help find treasures.

"Yes." Ji Zixuan retreated.

The flying boat continued smoothly, not encountering any other teams.

The Nanqing Garden was not small; with over a thousand people inside, it was actually quite difficult to run into others.

Zhao Xing used his Five-Finger Heavenly Fate to calculate, and soon led the two to find a piece of 'Prime Dharma Spirit-Show.'

It was a peach blossom forest; among the pink peach blossoms covering the mountain, there was an extremely short tree that bloomed with golden peach blossoms.

Consuming the peaches on it could increase Essence Gathering and also improve one's understanding of the Wood element.

Zhao Xing ordered the two to go and pick them, after which the two women sat cross-legged under the peach tree to digest them.

Time passed, and a day and a half slipped by in a flash.

On the Qilin flying boat, Zhao Xing's true self had also long since awakened.

Seeing the sky around them gradually dim, he knew they were close to the Polar Night Sea area.

"Where have we arrived?" Xia Jing walked over at this time. "It's pitch black, and everything is changing everywhere; I can't really tell anymore."

"It should be just past Pine Snow Lake," Zhao Xing said.

"Oh, this place." Xia Jing suddenly remembered. When he and Zhao Xing teamed up for [Supply Training], Zhao Xing had been farming here.

He had even used the Five Elements Earth-Splitting Art to destroy the earth's water veins, making the frozen soil loose.

"Even Pine Snow Lake has thawed." Xia Jing looked at the celestial phenomena around them with emotion. "Back then, the Fangwu Office said Pine Snow Lake was known as the 'Thousand-Year Unmelting.' I never thought it would melt in two years."

"The grotto-heaven is upgrading, and heaven and earth are undergoing drastic changes. Rare phenomena that are usually hard to see are everywhere now," Chen Shijie said. "Although it is chaotic right now, this is developing in a good direction and will eventually form many blessed lands."

"Heaven and earth are changing, and Spirit-Show is being born and destroyed. We, the travelers of heaven and earth, have arrived at just the right time; it is truly a blessing cultivated over several lifetimes," Ji Ziyun laughed. "Zhao Xing, don't you think so?"

Zhao Xing nodded, but thought to himself: When the ten suns fill the sky, you won't think so; you should be glad you can escape in time.

"Zhao Xing, what benefits do you think will be here? Can you calculate it?" Xia Jing asked.

"Do you take me for a divine calculator?" Zhao Xing said. "We still have to observe the phenomena in the sky first."

At this moment, above the Polar Night Sea, auroras flickered, snowstorms roared, tornadoes howled, and the sky turned green and then red, with constant rumbling sounds.

Mirages appeared, with various scenes flashing by.

In one scene, golden carp leaped up, breathing in essence energy.

In another, a sea island appeared, covered in blooming divine trees.

The phenomena in the sky were constant, as if treasures were everywhere.

"The Polar Night Sea was originally the largest wonder in the north. With phenomena occurring frequently now, I don't know how many people have come here," Xia Jing said.

"Those who can come to the Polar Night Sea won't have low strength; everyone be careful," Ji Ziyun reminded. "The Polar Night Sea is too vast, and there are no Worry-Forgetting Tablets set up, so be careful."

The flying boat flew for a while longer, with Zhao Xing personally at the helm, searching constantly.

His Five-Finger Heavenly Fate had reached the high rank, and he could already obtain some information about opportunities.

"There is an area in the Polar Night Sea where large-scale Spirit-Show transformation into fish will occur. I wonder if it has started yet."

Zhao Xing stood on the deck, looking toward the northeast of the Polar Night Sea.

Just then, Ji Ziyun, who was holding an Earth Mirror, suddenly looked serious.

"Everyone, I have relatives who say that seven top-tier exploration groups have arrived at the Polar Night Sea."

"This includes Prince Liang's youngest son Ji Dan, the Thirteenth Young Master Ji Chen, and the Nineteenth Young Master Ji Ye, as well as the direct descendants of the Tianjue Prince and those who entered through the relationship of the Ling Shuang Prince."

"What, so many people have come here?" Xia Jing was surprised. "What's going on?"

"Let me ask." Ji Ziyun was also surnamed Ji; he knew much more about news among the royal clan.

Zhao Xing also looked solemn. Seven top-tier exploration groups had arrived at the Polar Night Sea so quickly?

No wonder the hexagram said: "Kan has danger, seek small gains."

Normally, it would be difficult for others to get any benefits from these seven top-tier exploration groups.

A moment later, Ji Ziyun looked up and said:

"The seven major top-tier exploration groups have united with dozens of high-tier exploration groups and are attempting to blockade the sea area near 'Night Fortress No. 98'."

"It seems there has been a major discovery!"

Zhao Xing's heart jumped. The area he wanted to find was exactly this region, which also included Night Fortress No. 98.

"Those top-tier exploration groups are not to be trifled with; they arrived at the Polar Night Sea so quickly and found a treasure land."

Zhao Xing felt that this trip might not be so smooth.

If Ji Ziyun's news was true, then there would be a large number of fifth-rank experts appearing in the sea area near Night Fortress No. 98.

"There are probably quite a few fifth-rank experts over there," Chen Shijie said with a solemn expression.

"What are you afraid of?" Xia Jing said. "Even if they are fifth-rank, they might not be able to kill me."

Xia Jing was even more confident after his Gluttonous Eating Art and Xuanwu Shield broke through.

"Let's see the situation in a while. If there are too many experts, it would be safer for us to call for help," Zhao Xing said. "I will send a message to the teacher, and you all should also ask if you can invite some fifth-rank experts to help."

If you have connections, naturally you use them.

The benefits here in the Polar Night Sea were huge, and perhaps they could allow his luck to break through again.

For sixth-rank and fifth-rank experts, luck Spirit-Show was what they valued most.

Because to advance further as an official in a luck dynasty, one's own luck must be strong enough.

The baptism of the national luck was the result. The strong remain strong; those whose luck is strong will have a smooth career and are more likely to stand out.

Otherwise, it is very normal to waste decades in one position.

The flying boat continued to fly toward the northeast for half an hour.

A small island was visible in the distance, and there was a fortress on the island; that was the observation Night Fortress once set up in the Polar Night Sea.

In the Polar Night Sea, there were many such fortresses, named 'Night Fortresses,' which existed before the grotto-heaven Spirit-Show erupted.

Originally, no one would come to such a bitter and cold place.

But now, many flying boats and warships had appeared.

"Stop!"

Suddenly, a voice like a thunderclap reached the Qilin flying boat where Zhao Xing was.

"The area ahead is blockaded by a top-tier exploration group; those who come, stop!"

Swish, swish, swish, swish~

Then a ten-person team darted out from a flying boat in the distance.

Zhao Xing looked closely and saw that these ten people were all at the perfection of the Heavenly Gang Realm!

"Brother Ji, that is the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Flag; it's your turn to come forward," Zhao Xing said.

He didn't know anyone in the royal family.

As a small third-class marquis at the middle stage of the Heavenly Gang Realm, going over and saying he was a member of a top-tier investigation group probably wouldn't be very convincing.

"Alright, let me go and talk." Ji Ziyun nodded, then changed into fine clothes and rode the wind, slowly approaching.

"Friends ahead, I am Ji Ziyun, the son of the Prince of Pingyang, and a member of the top-tier exploration group founded by Liu Tianning."

"According to the rules, we are qualified to explore anywhere; please make way."

Ji Ziyun was a member of the royal clan, and he had stated he was a member of a top-tier exploration group; logically, they should give him some face.

But the other side shouted: "Stop! Non-members of the seven major exploration groups and unrelated personnel are forbidden from entering! We are only acting under orders."

"If you have connections, you can find your superior to discuss it."

Ji Ziyun tried to reason with them, but the patrol team remained unmoved.

There was no other way; Ji Ziyun could only retreat.

"They won't let us pass. Ji Ye's subordinates are too pedantic," Ji Ziyun said resentfully. "I tried to reason with them and asked them to report it, but they refused."

"Prince Liang is like that," Long Xiao snorted. "Like father, like son."

"If you ask me, let's just charge through. We are also a top-tier exploration group; what are we afraid of?"

"Calm down," Chen Shijie shouted. Facing Prince Liang, the people of the Divine Might Army couldn't stay calm.

After all, he and Long Xiao had been demoted for five years, and back then, they hadn't even thought there would be a day when the Divine Might Army would be reorganized.

"Brother Ji, can you contact Ji Ye?"

"Ji Ye is the nineteenth son of Prince Liang, a fifth-rank official, at the perfection of the Pure Essence Realm," Ji Ziyun shook his head. "He was born many years before me; I only saw him from afar once during ancestor worship."

"Even if I could talk to him, he wouldn't look down on me."

They were both princes, but there was a big difference between princes. The Prince of Pingyang was the cousin of the Emperor, while Prince Liang was the Emperor's own younger brother.

"He was born many years before you, yet he is still fifth-rank; he is clearly a piece of trash," Xia Jing snorted.

"Stop talking, hurry up and contact someone to see where we can get through," Zhao Xing said.

With the seven major exploration groups blockading, they didn't necessarily have to pass through Ji Ye's side.

Zhao Xing, Ji Ziyun, and Xia Jing walked into the cabin and began calling for help.

Long Xiao and Chen Shijie were still on the deck; the only person they could call was Yang An.

But Yang An probably couldn't help much.

With Prince Liang present, Yang An's connections couldn't play a big role.

"Teacher."

Zhao Xing's phantom appeared in the Myriad Dharma Palace.

He was using an emergency contact method, with one of Liu Tianning's clones specifically responsible for guarding it.

"What trouble have you encountered?" This Myriad Dharma clone of Liu Tianning had been meditating with eyes closed, but now suddenly became spirited, clearly having 'logged on.'

"Disciple's true self flew to the Polar Night Sea, but was suddenly told that seven top-tier exploration groups, united with dozens of high-tier exploration groups, have blockaded the sea area within three hundred miles of Night Fortress No. 98."

"Disciple stated my identity, but still couldn't get through."

"The main forces are..."

After listening to the situation, Liu Tianning said: "Stay where you are and don't move; give me a quarter of an hour."

Zhao Xing said: "Can Teacher come in person? There might be a great treasure here, which should also be beneficial to Teacher."

Liu Tianning pondered: "Alright, I will arrive in one day."

"Thank you, Teacher."

After Zhao Xing finished speaking, the phantom disappeared from the Myriad Dharma Palace.

A quarter of an hour later, Liu Tianning sent a message:

[Someone should come to invite you soon; you can choose as you please.]

Zhao Xing put away the Earth Mirror and walked out of the cabin.

At this time, Xia Jing and Ji Ziyun also walked out.

"How is it?" Zhao Xing asked.

"My cousin's family is contacting the Tianjue Prince; his direct grandson 'Yun Duo' is the person in charge of one of the top-tier exploration groups."

"In addition, our two families have invited three fifth-rank experts who are already on their way," Xia Jing said. "I believe there will be news soon."

It's not about the number of people; it's enough if they are sufficient.

"I only invited Liu Tianning," Zhao Xing said.

Actually, he had also intended to invite Tian Shan, but considering Tian Shan was already very old, he might not participate in this kind of dispute for his sake.

It's not about the number of people; it's enough if they are sufficient.

"Hum—" Just then, the three people's Earth Mirrors trembled simultaneously.

"News has arrived."

The three of them each picked up their Earth Mirrors to check.

Zhao Xing walked back into the room.

Unexpectedly, the first one to send an invitation was Prince Liang's youngest son, Ji Dan.

[I have long heard of the great name of the Marquis of Yuanrang. I heard that you have arrived at the Polar Night Sea and were blocked by my brother. Dan happens to be here, occupying a corner of the Night Fortress. Dan sincerely invites the Marquis of Yuanrang to come east of the Night Fortress to seek spirit treasures together.]

"Hmm? Ji Dan?" Zhao Xing was stunned when he saw this message.

He already knew that Liang Ruohai was Ji Dan's teacher.

Previously, inside the Heavenly Gate, he had used his Heavenly Fate as a sword to slay that worm.

At that time, Liang Ruohai couldn't calculate him, but he could see Liang Ruohai's situation.

Now Ji Dan was actually inviting him?

"I backlashed Liang Ruohai; could it be that he called me over to harm me?"

"Impossible. Inside the Heavenly Gate, Liang Ruohai couldn't possibly calculate who I was."

"Then what is Ji Dan's intention?"

Zhao Xing was puzzled, and soon another message appeared in his Earth Mirror.

[Seeing the words is like meeting. My nineteenth brother is a martial artist who rashly blocked the Marquis of Yuanrang from entering the Night Fortress sea area. Chen apologizes on behalf of my nineteenth brother and sincerely invites the Marquis of Yuanrang and his friends to sit for a while west of the Night Fortress.]

"What the hell, this Ji Chen is also inviting me? I am a member of the Divine Might Army, and I even cut down Qian Shougang earlier... How much influence does Old Liu have?"

Once Ji Chen's invitation arrived, Zhao Xing felt relieved.

Ji Dan couldn't possibly use this method to take revenge on him; the method was too crude. The reason he sent the invitation was probably out of respect for Liu Tianning.

"Qian Shougang is probably Ji Ye's subordinate, and this brother and younger brother are probably not getting along with Ji Ye."

"If the brothers don't like it, then try to win them over?" Zhao Xing thought for a moment and had a guess.

As for the rift between Prince Liang and Yang An, what did that count for? Moreover, it was revealed on the surface.

And Liu Tianning's group was also top-tier; sooner or later, they would occupy a piece of land.

Inviting them now was a favor, neither big nor small, equivalent to picking it up for nothing.

Judging by Prince Liang's way of raising children, if they could poach a genius from the Divine Might Army, he wouldn't blame them; instead, he would praise his son for doing a good job.

However, Zhao Xing would never board Prince Liang's sinking ship.

The Emperor was already sharpening his butcher's knife in the capital, just waiting for his little brother to stretch his head out voluntarily.

One knife down, and no one knew how many people would die; even a little involvement would affect his career.

Hum~

A third invitation arrived.

It was from the Ling Shuang Prince's direct grandson, 'Pei Yuanchang.'

"Zhao Xing." Pei Yuanchang used the Earth Mirror's imaging method to communicate. After connecting, he went straight to the point. "Princess Youruo ordered me to let you pass through my side."

"If you don't mind that the place I occupy is small, come to the southwest of the Night Fortress. I can vacate a piece of land for you."

Pei Yuanchang knew how to speak; he had a small place but was willing to give up a piece. This show of goodwill was much greater than the people before him.

"Please allow me to discuss it with my friends, Young Master," Zhao Xing bowed.

"Alright," Pei Yuanchang said readily. "You are welcome at any time."

A moment later.

Zhao Xing discussed it with Xia Jing and Ji Ziyun.

"Yun Duo has many people; he allows us to go over, but I'm afraid we would have to join his command and be under his control," Xia Jing said.

Even this was quite good. After all, everyone was a top-tier exploration group, and there was no question of who suppressed whom. Now, whoever arrived first and occupied the land to carry out the mission was the one in charge.

"Pei Yuanchang, the direct grandson of the Ling Shuang Prince, said he could vacate a piece of land for us," Zhao Xing said. "However, the place is relatively smaller. My suggestion is to go to Pei Yuanchang's side; after all, our actions won't be restricted."

"Agreed," Xia Jing nodded.

Actually, it didn't matter where they went. If there were really great benefits later, under the same background, whoever had the bigger fist would be in charge.

Zhao Xing replied to Pei Yuanchang quickly, and he didn't receive any other invitations after that.

The flying boat changed direction and headed toward the area occupied by Pei Yuanchang.

"He refused." After seeing Zhao Xing's tactful reply, Ji Dan felt slightly disappointed. "This person cut down Qian Shougang, a subordinate of the nineteenth brother. If he could be won over, he could become a great help in dealing with him."

"His teacher is Liu Tianning, and behind Liu Tianning stands the Luohou Prince."

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Who was the Luohou Prince? Other princes had to respect the Luohou Prince by three points.

Not only because the Luohou Prince was the supervisor of the military world, but also because the Luohou Prince was strong and highly valued by the Emperor.

"However, he didn't go to the thirteenth side either." Ji Dan felt slightly more comfortable in his heart.

Ji Chen didn't care either, just from the fact that he only let his subordinates send a message instead of contacting him personally.

It was enough to see that his sincerity was aimed at 'Liu Tianning' and not Zhao Xing.

Whether Zhao Xing came or not didn't really matter; he just wanted to try to see if he could get on Liu Tianning's line and sell a favor.

As for Ji Ye, he simply pretended not to see it.

Qian Shougang, whom Zhao Xing cut down, was his direct subordinate.

No matter what, he couldn't recruit him again.

If he couldn't please him, he simply ignored him.

"Hahaha, I have long heard that you are all talents of the Ten-Sun Grotto-Heaven. Seeing you today, you are indeed extraordinary." Pei Yuanchang gave them face; after they arrived, he personally invited Zhao Xing, Xia Jing, and the others onto his building boat.

"The Marquis of Yuanchang overpraises," Zhao Xing bowed. His name was his marquis title. "Thank you, Marquis of Yuanchang, for letting us pass."

"Just a small matter. If you don't mind, you can just call me Brother Pei," Pei Yuanchang said. "I am only fifty-three years old, not much older than you."

"Brother Pei."

"Hahaha, good." Pei Yuanchang was very happy. "You have just arrived; let me introduce the situation to you."

Pei Yuanchang pointed to the cloud disk map: "In the current Polar Night Sea, many phenomena have occurred around Night Fortress No. 98."

"Among them, the most miraculous is the Spirit-Show transformation into fish!"

Xia Jing: "..."

Pei Yuanchang noticed Xia Jing's abnormality and couldn't help but stop: "Linyun, is there a problem?"

"Brother Pei, forgive me, my internal practice of the Gluttonous Eating Art has side effects."

"So that's it... Alright, let me continue what I just said," Pei Yuanchang said. "The sea area around Night Fortress No. 98 was originally a frozen layer."

"The solar terms here remain in the Great Cold all year round, and the ice layer is deep."

"Look now, it is slowly thawing, and fish are leaping out of the sea."

"Eating those fish has various benefits!"

"It has been verified that there are various effects such as Essence, Dharma, Longevity, Pure Essence, and Water Element Luck!"

After Pei Yuanchang finished speaking, he looked at the reactions of the few people.

All five were unmoved.

Even Chen Shijie and Long Xiao were people who had seen the world now.

Following Zhao Xing, they had eaten plenty of good things.

Xia Jing should have been supportive, but he was afraid he would vomit if he opened his mouth.

Coming to the sea, he couldn't stand it again.

Zhao Xing was the one who was supportive: "Truly miraculous!"

"Hahaha, exactly," Pei Yuanchang said. "The thousand-year cold ice is thawing, and the essence energy stored in the seabed for many years is released at once. The intersection of heaven and earth has created these miraculous fish."

"Brother Pei, it's not easy to catch these fish, right?" Zhao Xing asked.

When he came, he didn't see many of Pei Yuanchang's men active.

"Yes," Pei Yuanchang nodded. "It's difficult to catch them."

"Everyone, look, this is a 'Warmth-Transforming Bottle' just taken from the water outside."

Pei Yuanchang held a transparent bottle, which had two layers, upper and lower.

At this time, only the lower layer had pale blue light spots flowing.

The upper layer had no light at all.

"When there is a point of blue light in the Warmth-Transforming Bottle, the outside world freezes."

"The colder it is, the more blue light there is."

"There are already 139 points now, enough to freeze a seventh-rank expert to death. This is still data taken from ten meters underwater."

"If you continue to go down, even sixth-rank experts will suffer frostbite."

"Ordinary cold-resistant items are useless," Pei Yuanchang said. "The current highest record was created by a fifth-rank expert, who could only dive to five hundred meters."

"So, the seven major exploration groups are just chiseling ice and waiting for the fish to leap up on their own."

Xia Jing couldn't help but frown. Even fifth-rank experts could only dive five hundred meters; it was indeed cold enough.

He didn't know if he could withstand it.

Zhao Xing was glad that the time was still early and there was still time to prepare.

If they could dive into the water on a large scale now, I'm afraid it wouldn't be his turn to fish for many benefits.

After a pause, Pei Yuanchang continued: "All parties are urgently preparing cold-resistant items. Under my command, there are two Cold-Leaf Ice-Breaking Ships, and another one is on the way."

"This ship can dive into the seabed and use sharp weapons to shoot and capture spirit fish."

"No need to go into the water yourself."

"If you don't mind, you can explore and develop with me."

Pei Yuanchang made this suggestion, firstly to sell Liu Tianning a favor.

If that big shot came over, flattering his disciple would naturally leave a good impression.

Doing this was equivalent to giving Zhao Xing and the others Spirit-Show for nothing.

He expected Zhao Xing to agree, because the five of them had only come with one Qilin flying boat.

Without divine weapons and sharp tools, how could they go into the sea to fish with just their strength?

But he didn't expect Zhao Xing to refuse.

"Thank you for your kindness, Brother Pei. You are willing to let us pass and share a piece of land for us to explore; that is already a great favor. We absolutely cannot trouble Brother Pei any further."

Zhao Xing couldn't possibly agree to Pei Yuanchang's kindness, and in the end, Pei Yuanchang had to give up.

He gave Zhao Xing and the others a few cold-resistant Dharma robes and watched them leave.

"Young Master, these people really don't know what's good for them," a subordinate beside him said. "Young Master is willing to share Spirit-Show with them and sell a favor, but they don't even accept it."

"Liu Tianning's disciple, could he be a fool?" Pei Yuanchang watched the back of the Qilin flying boat leaving. "Send someone to pay attention. Their area is close to mine. If they really have other methods, just watching them will allow us to see some ways."

"Yes." The subordinate immediately followed the order.

Pei Yuanchang guessed right; Zhao Xing really had a way.

Knowing they were coming to the Polar Night Sea, how could they not prepare?

At this time, he was rummaging through boxes and cabinets in the cabin of the Qilin flying boat.

Before long, he pulled out two boxes.

"Old Chen, time to work!"