Chapter 285 An Invitation from Earth Spirit

The pill dissolved quickly after entering Hao Nhien’s mouth.

Warm medicinal force descended toward his dantian, then moved through the meridian routes that remained relatively clear.

It could not immediately replenish the enormous amount of True Qi he had lost.

But the burning dryness in his meridians eased slightly.

The violent fluctuations around the Golden Core also began to stabilize.

The places still obstructed by Yin energy, however, showed no obvious change.

Hao Nhien slowly exhaled.

Then looked at Lang Tuyet.

“The formula.”

She blinked.

“What?”

“I need the formula for this pill.”

Lang Tuyet stared at him.

Then laughed helplessly.

“You nearly died, and the first thing you think about is the pill formula?”

Hao Nhien smiled faintly.

“If I ever have to use that bow again…”

He paused and felt the emptiness in his dantian.

“I would rather not spend every attempt lying down afterward.”

Lang Tuyet shook her head.

“We can discuss the formula later.”

“For now, recover.”

“All right.”

Hao Nhien did not argue.

Lanh Hoa had remained silent throughout.

He looked at Hao Nhien’s pale face.

His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword.

In the end, he still said nothing.

Little Spirit approached.

The child looked at the bow in Hao Nhien’s hand.

Then at his face.

Its expression was unhappy.

“Don’t pull it again.”

Hao Nhien nodded slightly.

“I don’t plan to try a second shot right now.”

Little Spirit stared at him.

“Next time too.”

Hao Nhien laughed.

Before he could answer, he noticed the gazes directed toward the Cosmic Ark from the distant warships.

Not only from the Earth Spirit Merchant Association.

Even the pirates were now looking away from the place where the sea beast had vanished and toward Hao Nhien’s ship.

He lowered his gaze toward the ancient bow.

One arrow had been enough to make the colossal sea beast stop attacking.

Whatever the true reason, anyone who had witnessed it would understand that this weapon was anything but ordinary.

More importantly, the reactions of several people aboard the Earth Spirit warships felt strange.

They had not merely seemed shocked by its power.

It was almost as though they recognized something.

Hao Nhien was about to store the bow when he noticed a tiny change across its surface.

He paused.

On the originally smooth, dark body of the bow, a thin pattern was slowly appearing.

At first, it was only several broken lines.

As they gradually connected, Hao Nhien recognized the shape.

An arrow.

The pattern remained faint.

As though it were slowly carving itself deeper into the bow.

Hao Nhien immediately thought of the black arrow he had fired.

He knew he possessed only one arrow.

He did not know where it was now.

Nor had he ever tried recalling it after firing.

What did this new pattern have to do with it?

He carefully extended a thin strand of spiritual sense.

The bow did not react.

Only the arrow-shaped pattern continued becoming slightly clearer.

Hao Nhien did not probe further.

With his True Qi almost empty, he had no intention of risking another activation.

He memorized the change.

Then stored the bow away.

Afterward, he circulated the small amount of True Qi restored by the pill and steadied his breathing.

Across the sea, the pirate fleet began changing formation.

Several people continued staring toward the Cosmic Ark with obvious greed.

But no one moved forward.

The Earth Spirit warships, meanwhile, were regrouping.

Defensive formations came back online.

Damaged ships were moved toward the center.

Golden Core cultivators still capable of fighting took control of important positions.

The Cosmic Ark continued keeping its distance.

But its current position placed it loosely on the same side as the merchant-association vessels.

The pirates observed for a while longer.

No new order to attack came.

Eventually, the outermost warship turned.

The others adjusted after it.

The crescent formation that had once surrounded the merchant fleet slowly transformed into a defensive withdrawal.

Their coordination remained practiced.

No panic appeared.

The Earth Spirit Merchant Association made no attempt to pursue.

Both sides had suffered losses.

The sea beast’s appearance and Hao Nhien’s strange arrow had made the situation far more unpredictable.

Continuing the battle was no longer sensible.

At least not for those still present on this stretch of sea.

Hao Nhien silently watched the pirate ships retreat until the final sails disappeared into distant mist.

He still did not know what they had intended to steal.

Nor whether the sea beast had appeared for the same reason.

The image that remained in his mind was the enormous chains suddenly losing tension.

What exactly had been held beneath the sea?

And was its disappearance connected to the sea beast’s decision to leave?

Hao Nhien did not rush to answer.

He turned away and was about to return inside the Ark to continue recovering when one of the Earth Spirit warships slowly separated from the formation.

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It approached the Cosmic Ark.

The middle-aged man who had previously stood near the front emerged at the bow.

He cupped his hands toward Hao Nhien.

“Fellow Daoists.”

His voice was not loud.

But True Qi carried it clearly across the water.

“Thanks to your intervention, we avoided another unnecessary battle.”

Hao Nhien looked toward him.

“We were only protecting ourselves.”

“There is no need for thanks.”

The middle-aged man smiled.

His gaze briefly dropped toward Hao Nhien’s hands, where the bow had vanished.

Then returned to normal.

“This region has just seen battle.”

“It is not suitable to remain here for long.”

“If you have no destination yet, perhaps you would be willing to travel with our fleet for a while?”

Lang Tuyet spoke from beside Hao Nhien.

“Where are you going?”

“Sea City.”

At those words, Hao Nhien’s attention shifted.

The middle-aged man continued.

“Our fleet belongs to the Earth Spirit Merchant Association.”

“We are returning now.”

“If you do not mind, the association would be pleased to receive you.”

Hao Nhien looked toward Lang Tuyet.

She did not answer immediately.

Her gaze moved over the symbol on the warship.

Then toward the man.

Her expression remained calm.

But Hao Nhien could tell she was already calculating something.

After a moment, Lang Tuyet nodded faintly.

Hao Nhien asked no further question.

They had been searching for the Earth Spirit Merchant Association.

Now the other side was inviting them directly.

Whatever the association wanted, this would at least save them time.

“Very well.”

“Then we will trouble you to lead the way.”

The middle-aged man cupped his hands again.

“Not at all.”

“Please follow the fleet.”

He did not ask about the bow.

He did not mention the arrow.

But before turning away, his gaze lingered on Hao Nhien once more.

Thoughtful.

Difficult to read.

The Earth Spirit fleet quickly changed course and left the battlefield.

Damaged warships were moved toward the rear.

The intact ones guarded the outside.

Several people continued watching the sea as though expecting the enormous beast to reappear at any moment.

But the waters gradually became calm.

No new whirlpools formed.

No unusual fluctuations rose from below.

The Cosmic Ark followed behind the merchant fleet at a moderate distance.

Inside a room near the outer deck, Hao Nhien sat cross-legged and recovered.

The pill Lang Tuyet had given him continued working.

It helped the overstretched meridians gradually stabilize.

But the loss of True Qi had been too severe for rapid recovery.

More concerning were the abnormal fluctuations in his soul after drawing the bow.

He had found no sign of serious injury.

Yet every time he circulated the Soul Art near the affected area, the cold sensation returned.

Hao Nhien did not force the matter.

He allowed his True Qi to recover gradually.

At the same time, he carefully memorized his condition after the first true use of the Ancient Bow.

The sound of sea waves continued outside.

The fleet traveled toward Sea City.

By the afternoon of the following day, the mist ahead had thickened.

Unlike ordinary sea fog, this mist formed distinct layers.

Some were thin enough to see the horizon through them.

Others, only a short distance away, were so white and dense that they concealed everything.

The Earth Spirit fleet did not slow.

Guiding formations aboard the warships lit up one after another.

Thin strands of spiritual energy connected the ships.

The entire fleet maintained stable direction as it entered the fog.

Hao Nhien had finished one round of recovery.

He now stood at the bow of the Cosmic Ark beside Lang Tuyet.

His complexion had improved compared with the previous day.

But his aura had not fully returned to normal.

He studied the layered fog.

“Does every route into Sea City pass through this place?”

Lang Tuyet watched for a while.

“I have never traveled this route.”

“But major merchant associations usually have their own navigation methods.”

“The Sea Region is too vast.”

“If one relies only on ordinary direction, it is very easy to drift into dangerous waters.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

He remembered the Mirror Sea.

The Fire-Thunder island.

Compared with land, the Sea Region contained far too many places that could not be explained by ordinary rules.

The Cosmic Ark continued following the merchant fleet.

After nearly an hour, the fog began to thin.

Then the world suddenly opened.

The first thing Hao Nhien saw was ships.

Countless ships.

From tiny vessels carrying only a handful of people to warships hundreds of zhang long, they crowded the broad waterways leading toward the harbor.

Some were built entirely of black wood, their hulls covered in spiritual patterns faded by time.

Others were reinforced with metal and carried high observation towers across their decks.

Some flew banners belonging to merchant associations, sects, or families.

Others bore no identifying symbol at all.

Farther ahead, enormous piers stretched into the sea like a spiderweb.

Large ships anchored in deeper berths.

Small vessels constantly moved between them, carrying people and cargo.

Above the water, cultivators flew on artifacts.

Most maintained a fixed altitude, apparently following harbor regulations.

Beyond the docks stood an enormous city extending along the coast.

There was no single wall encircling it.

No orderly structure like the cities Hao Nhien had seen before.

Buildings overlapped and climbed across the terrain.

Stone bridges, suspended bridges, and long elevated corridors connected entire districts.

Some towers rose from cliffs.

Lower down, hundreds of buildings stood directly on floating platforms or foundations partially submerged beneath the sea.

Several larger structures had extremely unusual forms.

They looked as though they had been assembled from architecture belonging to different eras.

Ancient stone walls stood beside newer towers.

Above them, glowing formations continuously moved cargo between lower and upper levels.

Light from spirit stones, formations, oil lamps, and countless artifacts intertwined across the streets.

Even in the afternoon, the entire city glowed with relentless activity.

Hao Nhien watched for a long time.

This Sea City was nothing like Western Wastes.

Nothing like Heavenly Eye.

Nothing like Thanh Van.

The cities he knew had usually been built around the authority of a clan, a sect, or a central ruling power.

This place felt different.

It seemed to expand simply because expansion was useful.

When one harbor was insufficient, another pier was built.

When a market became crowded, buildings grew upward or stretched farther over the sea.

Roads curved around terrain and older structures.

The resulting network looked chaotic.

Yet everything continued moving.

In Hao Nhien’s eyes, Sea City resembled an enormous living creature.

One that grew every day.

Constantly changing shape to adapt to whatever brought it greater benefit.

As the Cosmic Ark approached the docks, a mixture of smells arrived on the sea wind.

Not merely salt.

Fresh blood.

Medicinal herbs.

Heated metal.

Cooking smoke.

Strong liquor.

And hundreds of other scents Hao Nhien could not immediately identify.

Voices rose from everywhere.

Shouting.

Bargaining.

Arguments.

The growls of spirit beasts.

The clash of metal.

Noise without end.

To the right side of the harbor, a sea beast more than ten zhang long had just been dragged ashore from a hunting vessel.

It was still alive.

Huge chains pierced several places around its four limbs.

Two iron hooks held its jaws open.

Every time the creature struggled, people standing nearby circulated spiritual energy through the chains and forced the massive body still.

Dozens of people waited around it.

No one paid attention to its cries.

“Keep the core intact!”

“Don’t let the blood cool!”

“The belly hide is still undamaged. Anyone who reserved it, come claim your portion!”

A man carrying a long knife stepped forward.

Spiritual energy covered the blade.

He cut through the beast’s thick scales.

The instant blood flowed out, people rushed forward with jade vessels to collect it.

Others quickly removed intact scales.

Separated bone.

Tendons.

Organs.

Every valuable part.

Nearby merchants continuously recorded quantities, argued over quality, and quoted prices.

Several had already begun bidding on parts that had not yet been removed from the creature.

What caught Hao Nhien’s attention was not the hunting of sea beasts for resources.

He had witnessed such things many times in the cultivation world.

What was different was the efficiency.

Capture.

Processing.

Division.

Sale.

Every stage happened according to a sequence everyone seemed completely accustomed to.

Hao Nhien watched the beast struggling beneath the chains.

He frowned slightly.

“They do this in the middle of the harbor?”

Lang Tuyet watched as well.

She had never visited this Sea City before.

But commerce on this scale was not entirely unfamiliar to someone with long experience inside a merchant association.

“Sea beasts are probably an important commodity here.”

“Look at how they divide and record everything.”

“They likely already have buyers waiting for every useful material.”

Hao Nhien looked toward the shops packed behind the harbor.

“This place really is nothing like the cities we know.”

“Indeed.”

Lang Tuyet’s eyes carried visible interest.

She watched one merchant arguing fiercely with the person responsible for dividing the carcass.

The corner of her mouth lifted.

“Look.”

“The beast is not even dead yet and they’re already pricing every part of it.”

Hao Nhien watched as well.

Then asked,

“What do you think matters most in a place like this?”

Lang Tuyet observed the harbor.

Then smiled.

“I have never been here.”

“I would not claim to understand the city.”

“But looking at those people, isn’t it obvious what they care about first?”

“What?”

“How much it is worth.”

Hao Nhien was silent.

Then looked again at the crowded harbor.

The bargaining continued.

No one appeared to find the scene unusual.

He suddenly remembered the Fire-Thunder island.

Two clans had needed generations of war before beginning to understand that some things might matter more than victory.

Here, a single look at the harbor made him curious about how people defined the value of everything around them.

The Cosmic Ark slowly entered the assigned area.

The Earth Spirit warships docked one after another.

Harbor cultivators approached immediately to inspect cargo and damage.

A group wearing matching clothing was already waiting at the end of the pier.

A divided-circle symbol was embroidered across every chest.

The same symbol as on the merchant fleet.

The middle-aged man leading the fleet disembarked first.

He exchanged several words with the person heading the reception group.

Then looked back toward the Cosmic Ark.

Hao Nhien, Lang Tuyet, and Lanh Hoa also left the vessel.

Once everyone was safely ashore, Hao Nhien withdrew the Cosmic Ark like an artifact.

The internal space remained stable.

Tieu Lan continued resting in her protected room inside, unaffected by the external transformation.

Lang Tuyet studied the people waiting on the pier.

Her eyes moved briefly across their clothing.

The symbol.

The arrangement of personnel.

Her expression remained calm.

Hao Nhien noticed.

He did not ask.

As their group stepped onto the pier, a man in gray robes approached.

His gaze swept across the newcomers.

Then stopped on Hao Nhien.

“The one who used the bow?”

His voice was calm.

There was no threat in it.

Hao Nhien looked at him.

He did not answer immediately.

The man did not press.

He slowly cupped his hands.

“Earth Spirit Merchant Association.”

Then his eyes rested on Hao Nhien once more.

“Someone wishes to meet you.”

Hao Nhien frowned slightly.

Fast.

He had barely set foot in Sea City.

Yet the association already knew exactly what had happened outside.

Then he remembered the reaction of the middle-aged man when the bow appeared.

Perhaps it was not surprising after all.

Hao Nhien looked toward Lang Tuyet.

She remained calm.

Only when their eyes met did she give a slight nod.

Hao Nhien understood.

He turned back toward the gray-robed man.

“Please lead the way.”

The man studied him for a moment longer.

Then stepped aside.

“Please.”

Hao Nhien descended the stone steps leading deeper into the city.

The instant his foot touched the broad paved road, the sound of Sea City rushed toward him from every direction.

Buying.

Selling.

Bargaining.

Arguments.

The calls of merchants echoed between rows of shops.

Cultivators in unfamiliar clothing moved through the crowded streets.

Some hurried while transporting cargo.

Others argued in front of small auction stalls.

Farther ahead, beast-drawn wagons crossed enormous bridges.

Above them, cargo artifacts moved continuously between towering buildings.

Signboards crowded both sides of the road.

Some advertised pills.

Others displayed artifacts.

Several shops sold nothing but old maps or jade slips containing information.

Groups of cultivators stood before large notice boards, reading missions written in several different scripts.

One man laughed when he saw a reward.

Another suddenly changed expression and hurried away.

Auras of every strength overlapped through the crowd.

Hao Nhien sensed many Golden Core cultivators.

Several presences were difficult for him to judge at all.

Yet strangely, almost no one paid attention to him.

No one asked where he came from.

No one cared what he had experienced before entering the city.

Passersby occasionally glanced at the unfamiliar clothing worn by Hao Nhien’s group.

Then immediately continued with their own affairs.

It was as though Sea City received countless strangers from distant lands every single day.

Hao Nhien slowly lifted his gaze.

Ahead, overlapping roads stretched deep into the city.

They vanished between towering structures and brilliant signs.

Sea City.

They had finally arrived.