Chapter 309 - 273: (Revised) Gazing at the Sea (Bonus for Cumulative Tips 2)
With just one sentence from Jiang Yuebai, an image of her committing murder, burning bodies, and a series of actions that neatly conceal the crime emerged in Li Shenzhi’s mind.
And it’s not easy for him to save up some family assets...
"Oh, Senior Sister, how did you get so badly hurt? It’s all my fault. I’m going to take you back to heal right now."
"Huh?"
Tang Weimian looked bewildered. Li Shenzhi brushed his sleeve, swiftly gathering the Dragon Tiger Shark’s corpse beneath him.
"Nephew Jiang, I’m sorry, but I must take Senior Sister back first."
After speaking, Li Shenzhi winked at Tang Weimian, who, realizing what was happening, quickly clutched his stomach and hunched over.
"Hiss~~ I’m injured, it hurts!"
Li Shenzhi apologized with a look of regret to Jiang Yuebai and swiftly left with the ’severely injured’ Tang Weimian.
Jiang Yuebai: .....
Jiang Yuebai shook his head helplessly and followed them back to the ship.
Without the Dragon Tiger Sharks blocking the way, the Floating Boat continued to sail at full speed.
The sea roared, and the voyage was monotonous.
Apart from cultivating, most of the disciples on the ship sat around various parts of the deck chatting about various topics.
"Senior Sister Jiang, do you play chess?"
Hee Wangchen approached Jiang Yuebai with a smiling face, holding a chessboard.
Jiang Yuebai scratched his head, "I don’t know how to play."
Hee Wangchen was taken aback, "You don’t play chess? What do you do when you’re not cultivating?"
"When I’m not cultivating, I draw talismans, refine Elixirs, read books, and farm..."
"Wait, I meant things to relax your mind."
"Fighting at Heavenly Sword Peak."
"....."
Hee Wangchen wiped his face, "Senior Sister Jiang, your life is too dull."
Jiang Yuebai blinked, "Is it dull? It’s actually quite fulfilling."
Hee Wangchen twitched at the corners of his mouth, "Never mind, let me teach you to play chess. Playing chess can cultivate your temperament, develop your brain, enhance your thinking ability and overall control, it’s greatly beneficial."
Hee Wangchen took Jiang Yuebai to sit under the mast, set up the chessboard and pieces, and began to explain the rules of Go to her.
As Jiang Yuebai listened, she split her Divine Thought to pay attention to what the people around were talking about.
"... Do you guys think there are Merfolk in the North Sea? I heard Merfolk are really beautiful."
"What’s beautiful about them? Merfolk are guides to the Underworld, only the Netherworld Sea has them. If you see a Merfolk, it means it’s time for you to descend to the Underworld for reincarnation."
"How long before we reach Biya Island?"
"At the current speed of the ship, barring encounters with fierce beast groups or strong waves, it should be another twenty days before we arrive."
"That long, huh? I wonder if we’ll make it in time for the Flower God Banquet at Feiyan Pavilion, to see the celestial beauty of the Twelve Flower Goddesses of Feiyan Pavilion would make life complete."
"Shoo, shoo, you’re still young, yet so audacious. The female cultivators of Feiyan Pavilion aren’t easy to deal with, and since Feiyan Pavilion is the North Sea Dominator, it’s best to show respect if you encounter its female cultivators."
"The Pavilion Master of Feiyan Pavilion is indeed strong. In just two hundred years, she broke the original ruling Heavenly Nine Palace to pieces, led the Twelve Flower Goddesses to drive out fierce beasts, reclaimed the seven islands occupied by beasts, and pushed the boundary between the Inner and Outer Sea northward by ten thousand miles."
"She’s indeed remarkable, but her actions have also made the North Sea more chaotic. Now, not only is the Heavenly Nine Palace constantly troubling Feiyan Pavilion, but it’s also said that remnants of the Three Elements Sect are gathering somewhere in the North Sea, scheming to revive the Ghost Clan."
"I’ve heard that too. They used to say the Quicksand Domain was chaotic, but compared to the North Sea now, Quicksand Domain is a peaceful place. The North Sea is where the truly vicious gather. Loose Cultivators here take no action unless necessary, and if they aren’t from Feiyan Pavilion, they can hide in the depths of the North Sea, never to be found after killing someone."
"So, let’s not split up lightly and avoid flaunting wealth. Be careful not to be targeted as easy prey."
"If we can’t make it to the Flower God Banquet, will we be able to wait long enough for the North Sea Dragon Palace Ruins to open? It’s said to happen once every two hundred years."
"Stop dreaming. Without the strength at the Golden Core Stage, you wouldn’t even know how you died going in there. No more talk, I’m going to train for a while. Disperse, disperse."
"Senior Sister Jiang?"
As the conversation ended, Jiang Yuebai picked up a black piece, and asked curiously, "Do we still have dragons in the Earth Spiritual Realm now?"
"Dragons have been hunted to extinction as their entire bodies are valuable. Now the dragons in the Earth Spiritual Realm are actually all just flood dragons. True dragons exist only in the Upper Realm."
Jiang Yuebai nodded and placed her piece.
Clap!
Hee Wangchen looked at the board, his pupils dilating in shock, "I... did I lose?! Senior Sister Jiang, is this really your first time playing?"
Jiang Yuebai nodded, "It truly is my first time; you explained the rules so clearly and they’re not hard to understand."
"But... but..."
"Could it be that I’m not particularly skilled, but you are..."
Too weak!
Jiang Yuebai left the sentence unfinished, piercing Hee Wangchen’s heart.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Master Lingjun yawning as he emerged from the cabin. Jiang Yuebai patted Hee Wangchen’s shoulder.
"Master Lingjun!"
Jiang Yuebai stood up and darted to Master Lingjun’s side, catching him by the sleeve just as he was about to leave.
"What kind of conduct is this!"
Master Lingjun had prominent brows and large eyes, naturally possessing an authoritative appearance. When Jiang Yuebai was twelve and attending his Array Dao Class in the Inner Sect, she was quite intimidated by him.
Later, when Master Lingjun was invited by her master to teach her personally, she discovered that Master Lingjun was all bluster and no bite and not frightening at all. In terms of teaching disciples, he was one of the most responsible Masters in the Heavenly Intereance Sect.
"Don’t be afraid, Master. I just want to ask you a question. We still have over twenty days on this journey, and you can’t possibly sleep every day in the cabin, can you?"
"Nonsense, who’s sleeping? Golden Core Masters don’t need sleep at all."
Jiang Yuebai nodded eagerly, "Right, right. Now that you’ve achieved Golden Core Perfection, you should be more cautious with your cultivation. Since you’ve nothing else to do, why not guide me? I’m just wondering about the specifics of condensing a Qi Elixir at Peak Foundation Establishment and how this affects cultivation at the Golden Core Stage."
Master Lingjun pulled back his sleeve with a huff, "Is that really just one question? There are many issues involved here! Are you... are you already starting to condense a Qi Elixir? Is your cultivation progressing that fast?"
Jiang Yuebai chuckled, "Not yet, just preparing in advance, so I’m not at a loss then."
"Still as diligent as ever."
Master Lingjun shook his sleeves and glanced at the Heavenly Gang Peak disciples scattered around the deck, even noticing some playing cards, and compared them with Jiang Yuebai, he grew more annoyed.
"All disciples at the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment come over, time for class!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a collective groan arose.
Even Tang Weimian, ’healing’ in the cabin, was called out by Master Lingjun, totaling eleven Late-Stage Foundation Establishment disciples who now sat cross-legged on the deck obediently.
Jiang Yuebai had early secured a spot in the middle of the front row, sitting upright.
Master Lingjun cleared his throat and began, "At this moment, you are all at the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment, ready to integrate Dao Platform Spiritual Energy and condense the Qi Elixir. The Qi Elixir is the first step in forging a Golden Core and the most crucial one. Before condensing the Qi Elixir, except for disciples with a Single Spiritual Root, one must first integrate the Dao Platform Spiritual Energy."
"During Foundation Establishment, the number of Spirit Roots equates to the number of Dao Platforms, but there’s only one Golden Core. Here lies the last advantage for those with a Single Spiritual Root on the path to immortality: having only one Dao Platform, they can skip the integration step and proceed directly to condensing the Qi Elixir."
"For disciples with Multi-Spirit Roots, it is first necessary to integrate the Dao Platform Spiritual Energy. My suggestion is to follow the Five Elements Mutual Generation sequence, incorporating different attribute Spiritual Energy. You can start by integrating the softer Water and Wood Spirit Qi. If Spiritual Energy becomes agitated during integration, immediately suppress it with the opposing attribute. This process is slow grinding and cannot be rushed."
"Once all Dao Platform Spiritual Energy is integrated and stabilized, you can use external aids, like Elixirs, or strengthen the Spiritual Energy Vortex, drawing in more Divine Soul Power inward to compress and rotate until a gaseous Round Elixir Pill forms..."
Master Lingjun lectured at a leisurely pace, while Jiang Yuebai listened earnestly, grasping the basic concepts but noting that Master Lingjun mentioned some unique tips not shared by other Masters she had consulted.
She jotted down notes while following Master Lingjun’s explanation, channeling Wood Spirit Qi into the central cyclone of the Dao Platform...
The voyage was uneventful; Jiang Yuebai cultivated at night, sought guidance during the day, occasionally dove into the sea to catch a fish, and hunted fierce beasts when needed.
Every dusk, she sat on the mast watching the tides rise and fall, gradually recapturing the feeling she had when observing thunder at the mine, deepening her understanding of Water Intent. The barrier to transforming Water Spirit grew thinner.
Unbeknownst to her, dawn broke, seagulls cried as they flew, and the North Sea Biya Island drew near, visible in the distance. Jiang Yuebai stood atop the mast, spotting three people on the dock, seemingly waiting for them.
Isn’t the one at the lead her master?
