txolops Chapter 46 Hiking
Chapter 46 Hiking
The dock on Kuixing Island was unusually noisy, and the sea breeze, carrying a salty smell, hit us in the face.
The giant ship "Breaking Waves" stands majestically like a mountain, with a huge "Ancient" character printed on its sail.
On deck, ordinary sailors were chanting as they carried heavy crates of copper ore and bundled ironwood into the hold.
The boat owner, Gu Changfeng, stood at the bow of the boat, greeting a young man in a blue robe with a broad smile.
"Master Ye, it is truly my honor that you agreed to accompany me on this journey!" Gu Changfeng bowed respectfully, his eyes filled with eagerness.
Ye Qing remained calm and nodded slightly: "You're too kind. Since I've accepted your spirit stones and agreed to be your guarantor, I will ensure your safety along the way. However, let me make this clear: if we encounter any sea beasts of level three or higher, I can only save my life, not the goods."
"Understood, understood! With a celestial master in charge, those low-level sea beasts will certainly not dare to act recklessly," Gu Changfeng replied hastily.
With a resounding horn call, the "Breaking Waves" slowly departed from the port and headed towards the vast, chaotic sea of stars.
At the bottom of the ship's hold, deep within the cargo area, an array isolates the original appearance of the area. The spiritual energy within the array is abundant, twice as high as that outside.
Inside, three figures—one large and two small—were meditating with their eyes closed, practicing their martial arts. They were completely still and quiet. Only a single yellow bubble occasionally bounced, aimlessly leaping among the goods.
It was Han Xiaoliu, Daya, and Yu Niangzi.
After leaving the Dreamy Three Realms, the group used their bubble invisibility ability to leave the Star Palace Law Enforcement Hall. After making some inquiries, they learned that the Gu family had a merchant ship that was about to leave Kui Xing Island, so Han Xiaoliu and his group quietly boarded the ship.
They activated an array on the ship to isolate their presence, and successfully left Kuixing Island today.
Within the formation, spiritual energy swirled and flowed like mist, completely isolating the outside world from noise.
Han Xiaoliu sat cross-legged on a carved pear wood box, his small body standing straight, like a newly sprouted pine tree.
His brows furrowed slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, clearly indicating that he was fully engaged in practicing his cultivation technique, guiding the rich spiritual energy around him.
His small face was tense, his lips were pursed into a line, revealing a focus and determination that was beyond his years.
Beside him, Daya sat in a much more casual posture, hugging her knees, her head nodding off, her long eyelashes casting a light shadow under her eyes.
Occasionally, she would unconsciously smack her lips, as if she had tasted something delicious in her dream, and a satisfied, silly smile would appear on her face.
Unlike them, Lady Yu sat gracefully cross-legged on a wooden box. Her eyes were gently closed, her breathing was long and even, and she exuded a tranquil and peaceful aura.
Even while cultivating, her posture was like a tranquil painting, exuding a composure born of worldly experience.
However, her pale face and the occasional flash of pain between her brows reminded others of the difficulties she had faced in switching to the path of the ghost.
"Kiss!"
A crisp sound broke the silence within the formation.
It's a bubble.
Bored, it bounced around among the mountains of goods.
It would jump onto the copper ore and rub its translucent body against the cold stone; then it would leap onto the ironwood and curiously examine the wood's grain.
Its round body glowed faintly in the spiritual energy, like a mischievous little elf, adding a touch of life to this dull cultivation place.
After another bounce, the bubble landed on Han Xiaoliu's head and bounced softly twice.
Han Xiaoliu was interrupted by this sudden "attack," and his brows furrowed even more.
He opened his eyes, reached out and tugged the bubbles off his head, placing them in front of him, and scolded in a low voice, "Stop fooling around! We're cultivating. Go play by yourself."
Bubble shrank back sadly, its body color dimming, like a child who had suffered a great injustice.
Lady Yu opened her eyes at some point and waved to Bubble.
Bubble immediately perked up, and with a "pop," it happily jumped into Jade Lady's palm, affectionately rubbing against her fingers.
Daya was also woken up. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, yawned widely, and asked groggily, "Young Master, where are we?"
Looking at Daya's adorable appearance, Han Xiaoliu's serious expression melted away instantly, replaced by a doting smile.
He reached out and ruffled Daya's hair, saying softly, "Soon, once we reach Black Snake Island, we'll go down."
"Really?!" Daya's eyes lit up instantly, her drowsiness vanished, and she excitedly grabbed Han Xiaoliu's hand.
"Of course it's true. When has Young Master ever lied to you?" Han Xiaoliu promised with a smile, but his eyes were fixed outside the formation.
He could almost see through the layers of wooden planks and cargo to the vast and dangerous sea of chaotic stars outside.
After three days of sailing, the once clear blue sea suddenly changed color.
Lead-gray clouds seemed to pour up from the seabed, instantly lowering the sky and filling the air with a nauseating, salty smell.
"Oh no, it's a monster!" The old helmsman's face, as rough as tree bark, turned deathly pale instantly. His withered fingers gripped the rudder tightly, his knuckles turning blue from the force.
He pointed in terror at the sea, where the waves were churning and a huge black shadow could be vaguely seen approaching like a moving mountain.
Ye Qing stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat, his clothes fluttering in the strong wind.
His divine sense spread out across the sea like an invisible net, revealing the aura of the enormous creature—it was nothing more than the first-level three demonic beast, "Canglan Ghost Chapter".
"Listen up, everyone! Seal the doors and windows! No matter what noise you hear, anyone who dares to peek out will be killed!" Ye Qing's voice wasn't loud, but it was imbued with spiritual power, exploding in everyone's ears like thunder.
Before he finished speaking, he made a hand seal, and a pale blue light shield instantly rose from the ship, enveloping the entire ship like an inverted glass bowl.
Immediately afterwards, a long spear, entirely emerald green, appeared in his palm. A cold glint flickered at the tip of the spear, which transformed into a streak of blue light and pierced straight into the sea!
"boom!"
The sea surface erupted in a thousand-foot spray, and the monstrous beast, shaped like an octopus with tentacles like a giant python, cried out in pain.
It frantically swung its tentacles, each slap sending up towering waves that crashed against the cyan light shield with a sickening "crunching" sound.
The ship rocked violently, as if it would capsize at any moment.
Inside the cabin, Gu Changfeng held the door tightly, his thick cotton coat already soaked with cold sweat.
He listened to the apocalyptic crashing sounds outside, and the groans of the light shield as it succumbed to its strain. His face turned ashen. Beside him, several experienced old men clasped their hands together, their lips trembling, silently chanting the names of gods and Buddhas they had long forgotten.
To trade in the chaotic Star Sea is to risk one's life for a living.
The lives of ordinary people here are as worthless as grass.
Every voyage was like walking through the gates of hell. What they were transporting might be spiritual herbs urgently needed by a cultivator, or ordinary iron ordered by a sect. But no matter how precious the goods were, in the face of towering waves and demonic beasts, these mortals were nothing more than consumables that came with the ship.
Cultivators who protect the Dharma must pay an exorbitant price in spirit stones; if a ship is destroyed and people perish, the family will simply provide a sum of compensation; if a ship is swallowed by a demon beast, not even its remains can be recovered.
What they were gambling on was exchanging a near-death experience for a sliver of opportunity that might change the fate of their family.
On this sea, there is no warmth, only cold interests and cruel rules of survival.
After an unknown amount of time, the sounds of impact outside gradually subsided.
The Azure Ghost Octopus finally dared not linger any longer, letting out a long, mournful cry before dragging its massive body into the deep sea.
Ye Qing put away his gun and stood there, his expression unchanged, as if he had simply brushed away a speck of dust.
He swayed and returned to the cabin.
Only then did Gu Changfeng dare to push open the cabin door. His legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.
His hands trembled as he pulled a warm teacup from his robes and handed it to Ye Qing, his voice shaking uncontrollably: "Thank you... thank you so much for saving our lives, Immortal Master! If it weren't for your divine powers, we would have been that monster's meal long ago!"
Ye Qing glanced at him, calmly accepted the teacup, and remained silent.
Everyone on the ship thought the calamity was over, but no one knew that while Ye Qing was locked in battle with the demonic beast and everyone's attention was drawn to the earth-shattering scene, two ghostly figures had silently boarded the ship under the cover of night and waves.
Like two drops of water merging into the ocean, they made no sound, and by sheer bad luck, they hid in the compartment next to where Han Xiaoliu and the others were.
Hiring someone on a boat!
interesting!
Having witnessed all of this, Han Xiaoliu felt a surge of curiosity. There was a strange sense of familiarity about their story.
The Dragon King is back?
Or is it a case of a loser achieving a comeback?