Chapter 704: Coral Palace 2

In that case, seeking the protection of the Four Seas Commerce Association would be a viable escape route.

“Thank you, Master. If that day ever comes, I will surely not disappoint you!” Hex Luo said.

“Also, take this. Now that you’ve reached the Fake Infant Realm, it’s time to prepare for Nascent Soul Formation.” Lü Zhong handed over a Nascent Soul Immortal Guide.

He had prepared this in advance. The original materials were already luxurious, and after obtaining Fang Daoyun’s Storage Bag, he had replaced one of the spiritual materials.

In terms of effectiveness, it was no inferior to the work of an Immortal Sect.

“This is all I can do for you. From now on, you must take good care of yourself.”

After saying this, Lü Zhong stood up and walked out of Bihai Hall.

Outside the entrance, Su Caocao glanced at the figure inside the hall, flicked her hand to toss out a Jade Scroll, and then turned to leave.

Once the last Flying Ship had disappeared into the Light Gate, Lü Zhong tucked the Mountain and River Map into his sleeve and shot straight toward the Nether Abyss Continent. There were still many things there that he needed to collect.

…

「Nether Abyss Continent.」

At this moment, a great battle was unfolding.

On one side were various cultivators, plus the natives of Nether Abyss Continent. The two factions had formed an Allied Army and currently held the upper hand.

The other side was the disciples of the Bihai Sect. They were outmatched in both strength and numbers. If not for the assistance of the Insect Swarm, they would have likely been defeated long ago.

In the center of the battlefield, two people were facing off.

“Du Xiaohai, you backstabbing traitor!” Yaoyun pointed at the dark-faced, burly man opposite her and cursed loudly.

“Hahaha, you naive little girl! Aren’t contracts made to be broken?” Du Xiaohai roared with laughter.

Now that the Bihai Sect could barely protect itself, he, as a famous sea bandit, had a formidable force under his command. Coupled with the natives’ longing for their homeland, it was a rare opportunity to form an alliance.

With such perfect timing, a geographical advantage, and popular support, how could he not seize the opportunity to plunder?

He looked at Yaoyun mockingly and said:

“What, didn’t your master teach you that all’s fair in war?”

“You!”

Hearing his arrogant laughter, Yaoyun nearly ground her teeth to dust. Her heart was filled with regret. ‘I shouldn’t have fallen so easily for his ploy to lure the tiger from the mountain! He successfully tricked Baqiong, which created an opening in Nether Abyss Continent’s defenses and brought on this crisis.’

Seeing her fellow sect members fall one by one, Yaoyun knew it was time to make a decision.

“Retreat! Abandon everything! We’re retreating!”

Compared to their lives, a few possessions were nothing.

‘Even if this is the foundation for my future advancement!’

“Not bad. That’s the correct course of action.”

As the voice of praise rang out, Lü Zhong appeared.

Then, with a wave of his hand, a Light Gate opened. A black shadow immediately flew out from it—it was none other than the Mountain Shaking Ship, followed by over a hundred Flying Ships of various sizes.

The moment they appeared, the Allied Army’s front collapsed like a landslide.

The tide of battle turned in an instant!

Meanwhile, Lü Zhong walked over to Yaoyun.

Ignoring the stunned Du Xiaohai to the side, he smiled at his young disciple and offered some timely advice, “A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years; for someone with a Celestial Spirit Root, a thousand years is not too late! You must learn to use the advantage your talent gives you. Since you’ve suffered a loss this time, you must cultivate even harder. When your cultivation surpasses your enemy’s, you can take back what you lost—with interest.”

“Master!” Yaoyun’s nose tingled, and she couldn’t help but start crying.

“There, there. Why does everyone like to cry so much?” Lü Zhong said helplessly.

Then Lü Zhong pointed at Du Xiaohai and said to Yaoyun, “Although he’s scared out of his wits, he’s still good practice. He’s a sea bandit with blood on his hands, so you can kill him with a clear conscience. Afterward, I’ll take you to meet your Mistress and your Eldest Martial Sister.”

“Yes!” Yaoyun wiped away her tears and nodded.

A moment later, Du Xiaohai was decapitated.

With his death, the dramatic battle came to a close.

Inside the Mountain and River Map, Yaoyun met her Eldest Martial Sister, Su Caocao.

Su Caocao’s reputation preceded her.

The more she managed the Nether Abyss Continent, the more Yaoyun was awed by Su Caocao’s capabilities. And now, this formidable Eldest Martial Sister had even successfully achieved Nascent Soul Formation, becoming a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

Even she, who had always been wild-hearted, couldn’t help but feel a little afraid upon seeing Su Caocao again.

But Su Caocao had an aloof personality. With the two of them together, the air became unusually quiet, until Yu Feng’Er couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped in to mediate:

“Caocao, you should talk a little more. Don’t frighten your little martial sister.”

“Yes, Mistress,” Su Caocao replied.

She was aloof and taciturn, but she had always been exceptionally intelligent and incredibly mature for her age. She didn’t need to resort to any Sect Leader-like tactics; after just a simple dressing-down, she had Yaoyun listening obediently, nodding her head incessantly like a little chick.

But very soon, Su Caocao regretted it.

Because Yaoyun was like sticky candy, impossible to shake off.

“Eldest Sister, Eldest Sister, what you said just now made so much sense! Could you say it again? And that aura, that look in your eyes—it was so impressive! Could you…”

“Eldest Sister, Eldest Sister! Why are you ignoring me?”

“…”

Watching this scene from a distance, Lü Zhong couldn’t help but smile knowingly.

‘I was worried that if Caocao continued like this, she might end up on the path of heartlessness. But now it seems I was worrying for nothing. With a little martial sister like this around, she’s in no danger of losing her emotions.’

“Caocao will be fine, but what about you, my husband?” Yu Feng’Er asked with concern.

“Don’t worry. With the Star Shifting and Dipper Changing Seal, not even a Divinity Transformation Grand Venerable can deduce my location. As long as I stay away from the Human Race’s territory, there’s almost no chance of an accident,” Lü Zhong said with a light laugh. Although he couldn’t guarantee it, he was very confident.

“So, where are we going next?”

Shuini, who was standing to the side, interjected at the right moment.

“With the Spiritual Qi provided by the Tree of Spiritual Eye, I can cultivate to the Quasi-Deification Realm even if I don’t find any fortuitous encounters. So, this time, I don’t plan to focus on searching for Spiritual Objects. I want to cross the vast Boundless Sea and see what’s on the other side!” Lü Zhong revealed his thoughts.

The ancient texts had very clear records about the geography west of the Vast Forest Sea: a desert with chaotic space. Many texts could prove this. However, there was no description of the other side of the Boundless Sea in the texts. Lü Zhong guessed it wasn’t that there were no records, but that they might have been hidden by the Immortal Sects.

Therefore, he planned to take this opportunity to see what was on the other side of the sea.

“That sounds pretty good,” Shuini said with a nod.

Crossing the Boundless Sea wasn’t a difficult task for a Great Cultivator. Furthermore, with the death of the Water Palace Demon Saint and the endless wars among the Flood Dragon Race, the risks of passage were greatly reduced, making it far less dangerous than before.

“I’ll follow your lead, my husband,” Yu Feng’Er said with a light laugh.

“Alright, it’s settled then!” Lü Zhong laughed heartily and raised his cup.

…

「One year later. The Boundless Sea.」

Lü Zhong gazed out at the vast ocean. ‘The Boundless Sea truly lives up to its name,’ he thought.

By his estimation, he had already flown three million li.

Yet he hadn’t seen a single island along the way.

Not just islands; he hadn’t even seen a reef breaking the surface.

All there was were countless Sea Beasts. The Boundless Sea was truly a paradise for them. Under the sweep of his Divine Sense, all Sea Beasts, familiar and unfamiliar, were revealed, their numbers easily exceeding a thousand.

Sometimes, if he encountered a Sea Beast herd, it would be a massive, sprawling group of at least ten thousand. Trailing behind them were numerous predators. They were not of the same species but would cooperate to tear open the Sea Beast Group’s defensive formation, looking for a chance to pick off stragglers.

‘With such a huge number of Sea Beasts, how could the Boundless Sea only have the Water Palace?’ By Lü Zhong’s calculations, there ought to be many more Water Race factions in the sea, not just the Water Palace.

He quickly thought of a possibility.

‘Could it be that the Water Palace’s location is nothing but a remote backwater?’

Based on this deduction, there should be regions deeper in the Boundless Sea where the Water Race gathered in large numbers.

Thinking of this, Lü Zhong decided to go into the water and have a look.

Thanks to the enhancement from his Realm, he had a thorough understanding of the Flood Dragon Transformation Technique. If he were to transform into a Water Flood Dragon, he could almost pass for the real thing. He estimated that blending in wouldn’t be a problem.

So, with a quick hand seal, he transformed into a member of the Flood Dragon Race at the Mid-stage Transformation.

After dispelling his Escape Light, he plunged into the sea.

Unexpectedly, he made a discovery almost immediately!

Lü Zhong had just dived down and swum for nearly a thousand li when he discovered a magnificent coral structure. A large number of Sea Beasts were converging on it from all directions, each carrying a Demon Cultivator.

But what puzzled him was that the strength of these Demon Cultivators varied greatly. Although there were powerful Demon Cultivators who had reached the Transformation Stage, like his disguise, most were only at Tier Three. Some were even as weak as Tier Two, yet they had also taken human form.

‘Could it be that they’ve all taken Transformation Grass? And why have so many Demon Cultivators gathered here?’ Lü Zhong wondered.

So, he decided to blend in and take a look.