Chapter 266: You Really Are Fated With Us!

Everyone was awestruck by the magnificent wonder born from the operation of the world's rules, their hearts swaying beyond their control.

On the merchant ship, Chen Mu gazed up at the cloud-sky spectacle that bridged heaven and sea, likewise feeling his own insignificance.

But at the same time, he keenly perceived that the "Water Intent" he had comprehended had begun to stir of its own accord, naturally radiating outward, producing a subtle resonance with the silent yet infinitely vibrant sea beneath his feet and with the grand cloud-sky spectacle.

At once, Chen Mu cast aside distracting thoughts, his mind opening completely, and immersed himself within it.

His will followed the rising of water vapor, sensed the gathering and dispersing of clouds and mist, and experienced the profound mysteries contained within the process of "clouds rising from the sea into the heavens."

This manifestation of the world's rules produced an incomparably powerful stimulating and enlightening effect on Intent, as if personally performing the ultimate transformation and sublimation of water's forms.

It was not only Chen Mu—nearly every martial artist on every ship, regardless of cultivation level, had at this very moment fallen into some state of comprehension as if by unspoken agreement.

Some closed their eyes in concentration, some gesticulated wildly, some wept openly...

Before the wonders of heaven and earth, all living beings seek something, and may also gain something.

Chen Mu's consciousness was utterly immersed within the heaven-and-earth wonder of "clouds rising from the sea into the heavens."

His mind followed the rising, gathering, dispersing, and cloud-forming of the water vapor, truly feeling the natural might and the tracks of rules contained within.

This could not be compared to dry descriptions in books or verbal guidance from others—only by personally touching it and merging one's mind within could one comprehend the profound mystery and grandeur originating from creation itself.

Under such deep-level comprehension, the Water Intent around his body was stirred by the power of rules, becoming active, growing, and deepening at an unprecedented speed.

Wisps of pure water vapor gathered from the sea surface and from the air, lingering around Chen Mu's body. Strangely, it did not dampen his clothes or hair, but instead, as if possessing life, transformed into nimble water sprites that, following some mysterious rhythm, lightly leapt and flowed around Chen Mu.

Without Chen Mu himself even noticing, his comprehension of Water Intent had reached fruition, quietly breaking through an invisible barrier and stepping into the more profound and mysterious second heaven!

At this time, most of the other martial artists on the ship had already gradually awakened from their initial shock and comprehension.

On the merchant ship of over a hundred people, only two remained immersed in a state of deep-level epiphany.

One was Chen Mu!

The other was a woman wearing a light veil over her face, who happened to be standing not far from Chen Mu.

The fluctuations of aura around her showed she had clearly gained no small benefit, and her ability to maintain such a state of epiphany was largely due to borrowing the light of the rule-ripples stirred up when Chen Mu's Intent broke through.

Seeing this, the surrounding crowd was first astonished, then many revealed envy and even greed in their eyes, instinctively wanting to approach and share in this opportunity.

"Halt!"

A low cold shout imbued with true qi rang out.

Five figures swiftly interposed themselves between the crowd and Chen Mu and the veiled woman.

These five had condensed auras—each was clearly a skilled practitioner at the late Innate stage!

The leader, a wiry man of about thirty, swept his gaze across the crowd like lightning, his voice carrying an unquestionable warning: "Anyone who dares step forward and disturb our Young Lady's comprehension is making an enemy of City Lord Situ!"

City Lord Situ?

Situ Xiaoyue!

One of the five vice city lords of White Cloud City, and himself a powerhouse within the Heavenly Palace realm!

The crowd, who had originally harbored some petty schemes, turned pale at his words and fell silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to make any further move.

The entire merchant ship fell into an eerie silence, with only the sea wind and the distant faint hubbub remaining.

As Chen Mu's will stepped into the second heaven along with his Water Intent, his perception grew ever sharper and vaster.

He felt as if he had become a part of this wonder, his will merging into the vast sea, swimming freely in the deep ocean depths.

The next moment he burst out of the sea surface, transforming into a wisp of cloud, gathering with the high-altitude air currents like cotton mountains one moment and dispersing like light veils the next, his consciousness seeming to drift with the wind to the four corners of the sky, finally shooting straight toward the peak of the "Nine Heavens" constructed by the clouds...

Just at the instant his will seemed about to touch some core of the firmament, a soundless thunderbolt exploded within his sea of consciousness, jolting Chen Mu awake from that profoundly mysterious state!

His eyes opened, and a fleeting image of flowing water and rolling clouds seemed to flash within his pupils.

Chen Mu discovered the sky had already turned pitch black, yet the sea surface was not a sheet of darkness.

Beneath the seawater, there were actually "bright lamps" of varying sizes, emitting soft or brilliant light, illuminating the seabed in a gorgeous and fantastical manner, and making the sea surface shimmer with rippling light as well.

"The 'Cloud Lotus' has ripened! Grab it!"

"Over there! What a huge one!"

"Get lost! This one is mine!"

"..."

Thunderous roars erupted from several nearby ships, instantly pulling Chen Mu back to reality.

Only then did he understand that the wonder of "clouds rising from the sea into the heavens" had already ended, and now was the moment when the heavenly treasure "Cloud Lotus," born alongside the wonder, had ripened and triggered a scramble!

In an instant, the martial artists who had long been waiting—whether loose cultivators or disciples of factions—leapt into the sea one after another like dumplings being dropped into water, the light of true qi and weapons flaring to life as they pounced toward those glowing "Cloud Lotuses."

Fighting erupted immediately; the clash of weapons, roars, and screams never ceased, and the clear seawater was soon stained red by wisps of blood.

Sword qi, blade light, palm prints, and fist winds collided fiercely in and on the water, churning the sea into rolling waves with surging spray, plunging the entire bay into a chaotic battlefield.

Chen Mu stood at the bow, not entering the water.

Although the "Cloud Lotus" had the effect of purifying true qi, for Chen Mu, whose true qi had long been refined to the utmost purity, its effect was negligible and held little attraction.

But the dead...

【Corpse discovered. Pick up?】

"Yes!"

Card after card obtained.

Chen Mu stood at the bow, immovable as a mountain.

Amidst this chaos, suddenly, Chen Mu experienced a strange premonition, as if a sudden impulse, clearly pointing toward the depths of the sea.

Right at that not-far-off place, there seemed to be something extremely useful to him, attracting him!

This feeling came abruptly yet was incomparably real—absolutely not an illusion.

Chen Mu's gaze flickered slightly. After a brief moment of thought, he stopped hesitating.

His figure stirred, and like a nimble sea swallow he vaulted into the air, skimmed over the chaotic sea surface, and following that mysterious sense of guidance, flew straight toward the outer edge of the bay.

Along the way, the occasional reckless martial artist in the water or stray shockwave of an attack came at him, all of which were easily neutralized by the bursts of Qi he casually flung out.

At the same time…

【Corpse discovered. Loot?】

"Yes!"

……

Flying all the way, looting cards all the way.

A moment later, Chen Mu broke free of the main growth area of the "Cloud Lotus" and arrived outside the bay.

The seabed here was dim and dark, no longer lit by those glowing spirit plants.

But Chen Mu possessed the ability of "Night Vision," his eyes still seeing clearly in the darkness; entering the water had no effect on him whatsoever.

Plop~

Like a swimming fish, he dove into the water, following that increasingly clear sense of guidance, descending continuously.

After descending roughly two hundred meters to the seabed, at the bottom of a deep, dark undersea trench, Chen Mu's gaze locked onto a single object.

It was a palm-sized token, dark blue all over, neither metal nor jade in material, with ancient and intricate patterns inscribed upon it.

Chen Mu reached out and picked up the token.

The token felt smooth and warm in his hand, yet carried a faint chill.

The instant his fingers touched the token—

A magnetic, deep male voice, as if crossing through space, rang out directly inside his mind.

"You truly are fated with us."