Chapter 213: Dragon Fish Sea

Shao Shao Shiyu, leading the way, saw the dark river beneath her suddenly surge into towering waves that rolled backward toward her; her wrinkled old face instantly turned fierce, her gaze cold as a blade as she stared across the water, her true qi and magical power surging within.

"Tobak Kui of the Black Demon Sect!" Yet Shao Shao Shiyu's expression shifted to a flicker of fear; her surging true qi and magical power vanished instantly like a receding tide, and she shot backward, avoiding the towering waves.

"Hah!" Tobak Kui's long hair whipped in the wind as he glanced contemptuously at Shao Shao Shiyu and the other three, then burst into loud laughter before stepping into the vortex passage.

Xia Daoming's expression remained unchanged, but Shao Shao Shiyu and the other two turned pale, halting their advance and hovering above the dark river.

"Something's off. Foundation Establishment cultivators who've reached peak level have already brushed against the threshold of Jin Dan formation. It's said that entering the Dragon Fish Sea stirs minor changes in the realm's heavenly qi, easily drawing attacks from Level Four beasts—making the casualty rate among peak Foundation Establishment cultivators even higher than that of ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"Though the Dragon Fish Sea holds many opportunities, no great boon beneficial to Foundation Establishment cultivators seeking Core Formation has ever been reported—so after weighing risks and rewards, few peak Foundation Establishment cultivators now enter the Dragon Fish Sea seeking fortune."

"But intelligence says two Wu Yue Kingdom peak Foundation Establishment cultivators entered the Dragon Fish Sea just over ten days ago, and now Tobak Kui of the Black Demon Sect has joined them—this is far too concentrated." Mo Mo Yongzhi's expression turned grave.

"After enduring countless hardships to reach peak Foundation Establishment, with the prospect of Core Formation, these cultivators value their lives more than we do—they dare not risk losing everything at the final step."

"So the only reason they'd risk entering the Dragon Fish Sea must be a great boon that aids Core Formation," Shao Shao Shiyu mused.

"I won't even think about what kind of Core Formation boon it might be. I only hope they don't turn the place into a bloodbath or trigger beast uprisings that ruin my search for the thousand-year Mystic Pearl." Wan Yan's face was grim.

"The Dragon Fish Sea is vast. If only these three peak Foundation Establishment cultivators are inside, their impact should be minimal, and our chances of encountering them are slim—but if more peak Foundation Establishment cultivators keep entering, trouble is inevitable. We should leave early." Mo Mo Yongzhi said.

"Why leave early? If more peak Foundation Establishment cultivators keep coming, it's certain a great boon has appeared in the Dragon Fish Sea! With our talents and backgrounds, our chances of forming a Jin Dan through ordinary means are negligible—but if we seize this boon, our odds skyrocket." Shao Shao Shiyu said.

Mo Mo Yongzhi was swayed by these words.

Wan Yan was no exception.

Having chosen the path of cultivation, how could she truly be content to remain forever at Foundation Establishment? She had merely abandoned hope, too faint to grasp, and resigned herself to a carefree, peaceful present.

But if a Core Formation boon truly lay before her—even at great risk—she would at least dare to fight for it.

"Talking now is useless. We'll decide based on circumstances. But Daoming, if you're alone and the situation turns dire, leave early." Mo Mo Yongzhi quickly added.

"I understand," Xia Daoming nodded.

At present, he and his two wives were still far from the Jin Dan path—there was no need to begin preparing now.

So the great boon they spoke of held little interest for Xia Daoming.

His only interest was entering the Inner Sect as soon as possible and finding the path beyond the Grand Master.

Once he found that path beyond the Grand Master, his power would surely match that of a Jin Dan Ancestor upon his next breakthrough.

At that point, seeking a Core Formation boon would naturally become far easier.

But for now, this boon was too risky—he should not get involved.

The four soon flew again toward the vortex passage.

This time, no incident occurred.

A whirl of dizziness, then sudden brightness.

Xia Daoming found himself hovering above a small island.

Around the island stretched endless blue ocean, where tiger-sized fish leapt from the water, sending up sprays of spray.

Though the island was only a few hundred mu in area, its trees were astonishingly tall.

Nearly every one stood over ten zhang high, some even dozens of zhang, so thick it took several or even dozens of men to encircle them.

In the center of the island stood a small cluster of buildings.

Though small, everything was present.

There were shops for buying and selling goods, teahouses and taverns, even an Immortal Fragrance Pavilion.

In addition, at either end of the island's center stood two grand palaces.

These two palaces were covered by arrays—residences of the Changhe Sect and the Blood Saber Sect in the Dragon Fish Sea.

The Dragon Fish Sea's Ancient Ruins is a place of fortune and a training ground for disciples.

Each year, many disciples from both sects enter the Dragon Fish Sea seeking fortune and trials, so a permanent base was established at the other end of the passage.

Fighting is forbidden in the waters near this island.

Beyond the vicinity of this island, where the sects' bases cannot monitor, they no longer interfere.

This ensures safety for those entering and exiting the passage.

The four landed on the island, inquired briefly, learned nothing special, then consulted their map to confirm direction and flew southwest.

The Dragon Fish Sea's Ancient Ruins has a mysterious connection to the world of Great Liang.

The sun of Great Liang shines into the Ancient Ruins, allowing one to judge direction.

The sky above the Dragon Fish Sea appears unnaturally low, pressing down with an indescribable weight, as if it might collapse at any moment.

Though low, the sky is unreachable.

Even peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, powerful enough to fly high, cannot soar in the Dragon Fish Sea.

For in the Dragon Fish Sea, the higher one flies, the greater the pressure.

Above three hundred zhang, even peak Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot withstand the pressure.

In the Dragon Fish Sea, flight altitude is generally kept below one hundred zhang.

Above one hundred zhang, pressure severely hampers flight agility and speed.

Southwest, according to the Product Record, is where adult Dragon Fish spawn.

Dragon Fish fry begin life in the deep seabed, where cultivators cannot hunt them.

Once the fry leave the deep seabed, even the weakest are Level Three Lower-Class beasts, their strength comparable to Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivators.

These are the Dragon Fish fry most easily hunted by cultivators.

But in practice, the Dragon Fish fry cultivators typically find are mostly Level Three Middle and Upper Class—equivalent to Foundation Establishment middle and late stage.

The Dragon Fish Sea is the Dragon Fish's domain.

Hunting Level Three Middle-Class Dragon Fish fry in the ocean is extremely difficult.

Moreover, Dragon Fish usually appear in groups of three to five, their combat power formidable in water.

Thus, under normal circumstances, Shao Shao Shiyu and the other two could hardly hope to kill Level Three Middle-Class fry—their target is Level Three Lower-Class fry.

The Dragon Fish Sea is vast, and many regions are occupied by Level Four beasts, while Jin Dan cultivators are barred from entering—so to this day, large portions of the Dragon Fish Sea remain unexplored.

Xia Daoming piloted the flying boat, flying twenty zhang above the sea surface, while Shao Shao Shiyu and the other three took turns vigilantly watching the sea and surroundings.

The depths of the Dragon Fish Sea harbor many ancient water beast descendants.

Among them are no shortage of Level Three beasts, which sometimes sense the air above, suddenly surging from the seabed or casting beast arts to gather water spiritual energy, forming ice spikes, blades, and arrows to strike the flying boat—constant vigilance is required.

Also, if other cultivators appear above the sea, one must be alert and try to change course early to avoid them.

Besides watching for underwater beasts and airborne cultivators, they must also constantly scan the sea below for the water beasts and spirit herbs they seek.

"Stop! Ice-Whisk Jellyfish below!"

As Xia Daoming piloted the flying boat, Shao Shao Shiyu suddenly shouted a halt.

Xia Daoming instantly stopped the flying boat.

An ice-spike artifact shot out, piercing the sea.

In an instant, the artifact burst back above the surface.

Its sharp tip impaled a half-zhang-wide, umbrella-shaped creature, its edges hung with dozens of zhang-long, crystal-clear tentacles.

"Shao Sister, your reflexes and spellcraft are superb! Such a large Ice-Whisk Jellyfish—snatched so easily!" Wan Yan praised.

"Stop flattery—it's only a Level Two beast. Shouldn't I catch it easily?" Shao Shao Shiyu, pleased with her catch, showed a rare spark of life on her wrinkled, cold old face.

As she spoke, she stored the Ice-Whisk Jellyfish in her storage ring.

At that moment, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from the seabed.

The previously calm sea erupted into violent winds and towering waves.

"Level Three Upper-Class beast! Flee!" Shao Shao Shiyu's face turned pale; she snatched control of the flying boat and, with full force, accelerated it away.

Standing on the boat, Xia Daoming looked back at the spot where they had hovered—the sea split open, and a massive crocodile-like water beast burst forth.

It stepped upon the waves, carving a long white trail across the ocean as it chased the flying boat at incredible speed.

As it pursued, its tail whipped the sea, lifting water into massive blocks of ice that crashed down like mountains and tidal waves toward the boat.

"It's the Frost-Scaled Xiong Crocodile! Thank heavens we fled fast—otherwise we'd be in danger!"

Watching the huge ice blocks smash harmlessly into the sea behind them, splashing up waves, and seeing the beast halt, its lantern-like green eyes glaring fiercely from afar, Mo Mo Yongzhi let out a deep breath of relief.

Watching the massive chunks of ice crash harmlessly behind them into the sea, sending up towering waves, and seeing the water beast halt its advance, its lantern-like emerald eyes glaring fiercely at the flying vessel, Mo Mo Yongzhi let out a deep sigh of relief.

A single flying boat drifted aimlessly.

The four occasionally gained small finds, and occasionally encountered danger.

Along the way, they spotted another flying boat—but both sides silently turned away upon seeing each other from afar.

At dusk, the four found a coral island.

They landed, searching the island and surrounding shallows for fortune.

Shao Shao Shiyu even dropped Dragon Fish incense bait.

Unfortunately, after guarding all night, they gained nothing—wasting a bait worth thirty spirit stones.

They found no fortune on the coral island or its shallows.

Clearly, this place was too close to the passage island—likely already discovered and stripped.

The next day, the four flew from the coral island, continuing their drift in search of fortune.

That day, they relived nearly the same events as the first.

Thus passed three days.

Xia Daoming felt that continuing with them was no different from buying a lottery ticket to find a three-thousand-year Blood Rain Dragon Breath Grass—he decided to act alone.

PS: Another chapter should be out before eleven tonight.

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