89: Chapter 89 Seven Star Reef

Seven Star Reef.

As one of the most common sea areas in the East Sea, this region, filled with jagged reefs and complex shipping lanes, was unusually lively today.

The sky was barely bright, the sea mist had not yet dispersed, and many figures had already appeared on the calm sea surface.

There were lone travelers steering simple skiffs, drifting with the waves.

There were groups of Martial Artists riding sturdy fishing sailboats, three or four zhang long and with deep drafts.

Even more extreme were those directly riding exotic flying beasts with wide wingspans and iron-like feathers, circling in the low altitude and casting large shadows.

Everyone had one thing in common.

They maintained a distance of at least one hundred zhang from each other, scanning their surroundings with vigilant eyes, like beasts about to enter a hunting ground, both guarding against possible dangers and assessing potential opponents.

On the outskirts of this temporarily formed, silent, and tense "camp," a large ship was particularly eye-catching.

The hull was about twenty zhang long, crafted entirely from dark brown "iron pear wood," with smooth lines, and the sides of the ship were covered with polished brass plating, reflecting a wealthy and steady luster in the morning light.

At the top of the main mast, a flag with a deep blue background, embroidered with golden waves and the ancient seal script character "Zhao," fluttered loudly in the sea breeze.

"The Zhao Family of the Four Seas!"

Knowledgeable Loose Cultivators' pupils constricted, and they whispered this name, their tone filled with awe and wariness.

The prominent Family of the West Sea, the Zhao Family!

Although their power was mainly entrenched in the West Sea, they also had significant assets and influence in the East Sea; they were a true wealthy and powerful clan with deep foundations, far beyond what ordinary Jianghu forces could compare to.

On the deck of the large ship, a youth of about seventeen or eighteen, dressed in luxurious brocade robes, was slowly fanning himself with an ivory-boned folding fan.

His face was as handsome as jade, and between his brows and eyes carried the haughtiness and aloofness unique to disciples of aristocratic families; he was none other than the Young Master sent by the Zhao Family to participate in the Dragon Abyss Palace assessment, Zhao Yuanjing.

Behind him, four beautiful and graceful maidservants stood with their hands down, their breathing long and steady, clearly possessing extraordinary cultivation.

Further out, eight guards dressed in black tight-fitting outfits with long swords at their waists stood like iron towers, their gazes sharp as eagles, scanning the surrounding sea surface and sky, the aura radiating from their bodies was condensed and heavy—they were all experts of the Viscera Burning Realm!

Such a display made the eyes of many Loose Cultivators in the distance, who were riding small boats or even standing on the water by their own cultivation, increasingly complex.

Zhao Yuanjing fanned himself, his gaze slowly sweeping over the various candidates around him, a barely perceptible arc hooking at the corner of his mouth, while his heart was full of disdain.

"A bunch of bumpkins, thinking that just by coming to Seven Star Reef, they have the qualifications to participate in the Dragon Abyss Palace assessment?"

He sneered inwardly.

As a direct descendant of the Zhao Family, he naturally knew more inside information.

The Dragon Abyss Palace was opening its gates to accept disciples; how could just anyone participate?

Without a "summoning token," no matter how high your talent or how strong your power, you would never find the true entrance to the assessment, let alone gain recognition from the palace.

The number of summoning tokens was limited, scattered throughout the vast East Sea, and those who obtained them were all people who possessed Luck, power, and Opportunity.

"However... there are a few guys worth noting."

Zhao Yuanjing's gaze narrowed slightly, and the speed of his fanning slowed down.

His gaze swept over the crowd, landing first on a huge reef protruding from the sea about three hundred zhang away from the Zhao Family's large ship.

An old man with a weathered face, messy gray hair, and wearing brown short-garments washed to a pale color sat cross-legged there.

Beside the old man lay a dark, heavy iron-wood fishing rod, the fishing line dangling into the sea, as if he were truly fishing, indifferent to the tense atmosphere around him.

"Wu Huo... the famous 'client' of the East Sea, at the Perfection of the Viscera Burning Realm, skilled in fire-attribute Cultivation Technique and arts of concealment and escape, once successfully escaped from the pursuit of an Early Stage Dragon Elephant Realm expert... This person must have a summoning token."

Zhao Yuanjing's mind flashed with this person's information, and his eyes gained a bit more seriousness.

Being able to practice the skill of fleeing to this extent was also a terrifying ability.

Then, his gaze turned to the other side.

It was a small willow-leaf boat, with only one person on board.

A woman dressed in a light blue tight-fitting outfit, her face covered with a light veil.

She sat on the bow of the boat with her knees hugged, a long sword in its scabbard placed flat beside her.

The scabbard was simple, but looking with the Family's secret "Spirit Eye Technique" that Zhao Yuanjing had practiced since childhood, he could "see" that the long sword was surrounded by a layer of clear, autumn-water-like azure spirit light, condensed and not dispersing, faintly echoing the surrounding seawater.

"A spirit weapon!" Zhao Yuanjing's pupils constricted, "And it is a spirit weapon that is extremely compatible with the water attribute! This woman's cultivation... I cannot see it clearly, but being able to hold a spirit weapon, she is definitely not a mediocre hand. Which force was she trained by?"

Besides Wu Huo and this Blue-clothed Woman, Zhao Yuanjing also noticed a few others.

A burly man with a physique like an iron tower, dark skin, and a pair of short halberds on his back; his Qi and blood were as vigorous as a furnace, and he likely followed the path of fierce Body Refining.

A youth dressed as a scholar, holding a book, looking refined and gentle, but his aura was rounded and harmonious, with sharp light hidden deep in his eyes; he was likely a dual cultivator of Confucianism and Martial Arts.

And a thin figure shrouded in a wide black robe, whose face could not be seen, stood quietly on the bow of a black-awning boat, radiating a cold and dead aura that made people feel disgusted at the sight.

"It seems that this time, the opponents are not all trash." Zhao Yuanjing calculated in his heart, assessing the strength and potential threats of these people.

He sat down on the carved rosewood armchair that the maidservant had already brought over, took the warm tea handed over by another maidservant, sipped it gently, and his gaze continued to scan the whole scene, like a prince inspecting his territory.

Time passed slowly in silent waiting and mutual vigilance.

The sea mist gradually dispersed, the sunlight became more intense, making the sea surface sparkle.

The number of people gathered in the Seven Star Reef area was increasing, and a rough look showed there were no less than two hundred.

But strangely, with so many people gathered, except for the sound of waves and wind, there was hardly any conversation, and the atmosphere was as oppressive as the calm before a storm.

Zhao Yuanjing put down his teacup, just preparing to close his eyes and rest for a moment.

Suddenly—

An unexpected change occurred!

Without any warning, above the sky, the clouds that were originally drifting slowly began to rapidly converge towards a certain point in the center of the Seven Star Reef area for no reason!

It was as if an invisible giant hand was stirring the firmament.

The clouds rotated, gathering thicker and thicker, forming a huge vortex with a diameter of over a thousand zhang in the blink of an eye!

At the center of the vortex, sunlight was refracted and scattered by countless water droplets, bursting into gorgeous, dazzling, layered seven-colored rainbow light.

Like a magnificent rainbow bridge spanning the sky, it was breathtakingly beautiful, yet carried a kind of heart-stopping power of heaven and earth!