Chapter 710 Heaven-Suspended Sea

Lü Zhong could now see it clearly. The ball of light was a Jade Seal, carved entirely from some unknown type of Cyan Jade. For some reason, it possessed immense power, blasting away a tenth of the Black Flood Dragon Banner’s might in a single strike.

If it weren’t for the lack of an Artifact Spirit, he would have suspected it was a Spirit Treasure.

It wasn’t particularly strange for a Demon Cultivator to wield a Magical Treasure. After all, if they learned the proper Nurturing Technique, they could just as easily produce a Demon Treasure.

Lü Zhong composed himself. Seeing that his Flood Dragon Transformation was at a disadvantage, he reverted to his human form. Aided by the Water Flood Dragon Banner’s Water Control Divine Technique, he parted the surrounding currents and clashed with the Golden Meng Water Monarch once more.

Seizing an opening, he thrust a finger forward.

Instantly, the sound of cracking echoed across the giant beast’s body. Under the might of the Shattering Star Finger, its incredibly resilient Protective Demon Qi shattered inch by inch, exposing an area several feet wide.

The Golden Meng Water Monarch’s expression changed drastically, and he immediately activated the Small Seal to force Lü Zhong back.

But Lü Zhong paid it no mind, willing to take a blow to the shoulder for the chance to cave in the Water Monarch’s chest with a punch. Besides, he had a Pure Spirit Body; recovery was far simpler for him than for a being of flesh and blood.

The next moment, the Water Monarch finally spat out a mouthful of blood.

A cold glint flashed in Lü Zhong’s eyes as he pressed his relentless assault.

Again and again, the Golden Meng Water Monarch finally sustained severe injuries. The most obvious sign was that when he traded blows with Lü Zhong, his power hadn’t just been halved from what it was at the beginning—it had dwindled to less than a third.

Barely a hundred breaths had passed since Lü Zhong first made his move.

The Golden Meng Water Monarch realized this as well. After mustering his strength to knock Lü Zhong back, his body flickered as he reverted to his human form, determined to escape the Jade Water Abyss and avoid perishing in its depths.

Unexpectedly, a “black python” shot out from behind.

Wielding the Magic Chain, Lü Zhong yanked the ensnared Golden Meng Water Monarch back and unleashed another brutal beating. Only when the seawater was dyed gold did he finally place the lifeless corpse into his Storage Ring.

Immediately after, he paid no mind to healing his own injuries.

To prevent any unforeseen complications, he simply swallowed a Healing Elixir and immediately began to descend.

On his way down, he came across Jin Yuan’s corpse and naturally collected it. He couldn’t afford to miss the Golden Water Ape Primordial Spirit; whether the Water Flood Dragon Banner could be improved depended entirely on it.

The deeper he went, the more astonishing the water pressure became.

However, if even a Golden Water Ape in the Mid-stage of Transformation could reach this depth by relying on its divine techniques, then for Lü Zhong, a Great Cultivator, it was by no means an impossible destination, despite the immense pressure.

The only difference was the price one was willing to pay.

The Golden Meng Water Monarch had been unwilling to damage his strength, which was why he had resorted to scheming.

Lü Zhong, on the other hand, had no need for brute force. Relying on his Gray Mist Space, he ran continuous simulations and chose a path with a relatively small cost, quickly reaching the depths of the Sea Abyss.

He reached into the ball of light and snatched the object within.

It was a formless, luminous mass.

This was an Innate Spiritual Treasure.

In essence, it was merely an embryo. To become a Spirit Treasure in the conventional sense, it still needed to undergo a process of refinement before it could transform into a true Spirit Treasure.

With the treasure in hand, Lü Zhong hurriedly ascended.

SPLASH! Water flew everywhere.

Encountering no obstacles, Lü Zhong surfaced smoothly, then transformed into a rainbow and soared high into the sky.

Only then did he finally breathe a small sigh of relief.

Regardless, this trip had been incredibly fruitful. Not only had he obtained a Golden Water Ape Primordial Spirit, but he had also acquired a Spirit Treasure Embryo. Once he refined it, he would have a new Spirit Treasure perfectly suited to him.

And an Innate Spiritual Treasure at that!

‘I wonder what Divine Techniques it has?’

Lü Zhong wondered as he continued to fly east.

According to the map Hei Sha had given him, the territory of the East Endless Sea was still two million miles away. Along the way, he would have to pass through the Eight Directions Palace and the Jade Mushroom Palace to reach the Emperor Whale Dao.

According to the map, a large landmass lay to the east of the Emperor Whale Dao.

Judging by its scale, it was vast enough to rival the territories of the Human Race.

Yet, for some unknown reason, the Barbarian Whale Race hadn’t labeled it.

‘An information blockade!’

Lü Zhong felt a sense of resignation.

It was the same in Central Earth, and it was the same here in the Boundless Sea.

‘Forget it. I should find a place to heal my injuries first.’

With this in mind, he looked down at the map in his hand.

According to the records of the Barbarian Whale Race, eight hundred thousand miles from his current location was a region of chaotic space, known by the Water Race as the Heaven-Suspended Sea.

The area was affected by a gravitational imbalance, resulting in not only vast floating oceans but also great clusters of floating islands—a perfect place to hide.

…

「Coral Palace.」

Great Saint Jin Guang sat on his throne, his expression terrifyingly grim.

All the Demon Cultivators in the hall trembled in fear, terrified of becoming the target of his wrath. Just then, a figure stepped forward and reported cautiously, “Great Saint, the Water Palace has responded. They said they have no record of such a flood dragon and that if you, Great Saint, should capture him, you may dispose of him as you see fit.”

“No record of such a flood dragon?” Great Saint Jin Guang sneered.

His gaze shifted to his left, where a seat sat conspicuously empty. That was where the Golden Meng Water Monarch should have been. With no one currently worthy of the Grand Commander position, it had to be left vacant for now.

At this sight, his expression grew even darker. He then glanced to his right, where a dwarfish figure sat shrouded in shadows, only a pair of blood-red eyes glinting in the dark.

This was the Prime Minister of Coral Palace, a member of the ocean-dwelling Huoming Race. In exchange for their naturally diminutive stature, they were blessed with a wisdom rarely seen in the world.

“Prime Minister Kan Cang, what do you make of the Water Palace’s statement? How much truth is in it?”

“Your Greatness, I believe their words are true.” Kan Cang paused in thought before continuing, adding in a hoarse voice, “This servant has also investigated the scene. While there was indeed the aura of a flood dragon, there were far more traces of Thunder Skills. Therefore, it was either the work of the Mirage Dragon Dao, or… it was done by an Immortal Cultivator!”

Hearing this, Great Saint Jin Guang had his answer.

The Mirage Dragon Dao was located in the North Boundless Sea and had always stayed out of the affairs of the other three seas. Once that possibility was eliminated, the answer became clear. The attacker was obviously an Immortal Cultivator.

At this thought, his eyes narrowed.

“…Furthermore, this servant made an additional discovery. Contrary to the Grand Commander’s previous report, the treasure at the bottom of the Jade Water Abyss is likely a Spirit Transformation Treasure. Immortal Cultivators have another name for it: an Innate Spiritual Treasure.” By this point, Kan Cang had pieced together the entire truth.

If he was not mistaken, an Immortal Cultivator had coveted the treasure, then used Thunder Skills and other means to kill both Great Young Master Jin Yuan and the Coral Palace’s Grand Commander, Golden Meng Water Monarch.

After a pause, Kan Cang continued, “Therefore, this servant suggests that Your Greatness arrange for that old turtle from the Jade Mushroom Palace to act. With his Divination Skills, he can deduce this Immortal Cultivator’s whereabouts. Based on the traces left at the scene, the attacker’s cultivation is not high—he should still be in the Nascent Soul realm, making him no match for Your Greatness. We might be able to take this opportunity to reclaim the Spirit Treasure.”

“I appreciate your efforts, Prime Minister.”

Great Saint Jin Guang nodded, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes.

…

「Heaven-Suspended Sea.」

When Lü Zhong arrived, even he, who had seen countless wonders of the Cultivation Realm, could not help but feel a sense of shock. This place was truly an ocean suspended in the sky. Within it floated countless bubbles, each enclosing an island of varying size, all of them lush and verdant.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that a unique ecosystem had developed here due to the gravitational imbalance. The many creatures of the Heaven-Suspended Sea might have originated from the Boundless Sea, but they had now all mastered Gravity Spirit Patterns, which allowed their massive bodies to rise and fall, letting them traverse the floating ocean with ease.

‘What a treasure of a place!’

Lü Zhong decided to stay here for a while.

Partly, it was to heal his injuries.

The other reason was his plan to capture the unique Floating Beasts native to this region. He hoped to master their Gravity Spirit Patterns and break through the current limitations on manufacturing Flying Ships.

Traditional Flying Ship manufacturing had been developing for hundreds of thousands of years, yet it still relied on Floating Arrays. The primary material for these arrays, Soul Wind Crystals, was becoming increasingly rare and difficult to find. Coupled with the deliberate blockade of information by Central Earth, Flying Ship technology in the Cultivation Realm had stagnated for the last few hundred thousand years.

‘If I can really analyze the Gravity Spirit Patterns,’ Lü Zhong thought, ‘then building more Mountain Shaking Ships will be easy. It might even be possible to construct even larger Flying Ships.’

It was common knowledge in the Cultivation Realm that a Mountain Shaking Ship could contend with a Nascent Soul cultivator.

‘If a Flying Ship were even larger, could it fight against a Divinity Transformation expert?’

Lü Zhong wasn’t sure about that.

But if it were possible, then in the future, after he successfully reached the Divinity Transformation realm, he would no longer need to fear being besieged. He could lead a fleet back home and reclaim everything he had lost.