482: secretly crossing the Chencang River

"Congratulations, Third Paternal Grand-Aunt, on your great progress in cultivation."

Zhou Xiutong felt joy in her heart, stood up, and respectfully bowed to Zhou Liyue.

"Haha, you..."

Zhou Liyue shook her head and chuckled softly.

Zhou Xiutong performed a bow and sat down again.

She then looked towards a tall, ancient, and simple stone tablet in the distance.

Below the tall, profound, and ancient stone tablet, which was engraved with names, a young figure wearing a scholar's turban sat cross-legged with closed eyes.

"That kid Tailai hasn't been sitting like this for over ten years, has he..."

Zhou Xiutong was startled and asked Zhou Liyue, who was sitting opposite her.

When she first entered solitary cultivation, Zhou Tailai looked exactly like this, and now that she had emerged, he was still in the same state.

"Not exactly, but these past few years, besides his daily cultivation, Tailai has been sitting there. It's just tough on Senior Black Demon."

Zhou Liyue followed Zhou Xiutong's gaze and said with a smile.

"How persistent..."

"His cultivation has indeed advanced greatly; he is close to Core Formation."

Zhou Xiutong nodded, concentrated her gaze for a moment, and said.

Zhou Xiutong withdrew her gaze.

She stopped paying attention to the persistent Zhou Tailai... More than a month later.

In the central part of the Chaotic Sea, within Thousand Star Island, inside Thousand Star City.

Several figures emerged from the headquarters of the Thousand Island Alliance.

"Senior Zhang, this matter..."

Zhou Leren, dressed in black robes, handsome, and quite young, slightly furrowed his brow as he walked outwards and spoke to the figure beside him.

"Let's talk about it when we get back."

Zhang High Peak, the Soul Transformation Venerable of the Zhang Family, said this to Le Ren and the several figures around him.

The group nodded and quickly left the headquarters of the Thousand Island Alliance.

Thousand Star City, the stationed location of the Zhang Family of Xuyuan Island.

Three figures sat facing each other beneath a pavilion.

"In recent years, the Dao Palace's momentum has been too strong. We have gotten closer to the Xiwu Divine Hall, and I fear we have already incurred the Dao Palace's displeasure."

"The mission assigned to our three families this time will likely not be easy to complete."

Inside the pavilion, Venerable Bai Yuan of the Qingtian Sect, dressed in azure robes embroidered with sky patterns, spoke to Zhang High Peak and Zhou Leren with worry in his heart.

As Venerable Bai Yuan spoke, a command talisman appeared in the hand of Zhang High Peak, the Zhang Family Venerable. Activated by magical power, the talisman turned into mysterious light, enveloping the Zhang Family's stationed location.

During this Thousand Island Alliance meeting, Cen Ling Dao Palace assigned the mission of transporting resources to the Thousand Island Alliance Chamber of Commerce Branch in the Zhongli Dynasty on the Eastern Desolation border to three families: the Zhang Family of Xuyuan Island, the Zhou Family of Gui Zhou Island, and the Qingtian Sect of Junyu Island.

"That's right. Among these resources are Sixth-Tier Deep Sea Origin Stones, which are extremely valuable. If they were lost while in our hands, the reputation of our three families in the Li Luan Sea Region would likely plummet to rock bottom."

Zhou Leren nodded and continued.

Deep Sea Origin Stones are spiritual Materials unique to the Li Luan Sea Region and are controlled by the Thousand Island Alliance.

The quantity that can be produced annually is small.

Moreover, Sixth-Tier Deep Sea Origin Stones are excellent Materials for refining Sixth-Tier Divine Weapons, making them exceptionally precious.

"I fear the Dao Palace is operating with this exact intention."

"As long as our three families are defeated, the Xiwu Divine Hall will lose its support, and the balance will quickly be broken."

Zhang High Peak, the Soul Transformation Venerable of the Zhang Family, also had a solemn expression.

"The Old Ancestors must not move lightly. This mission will be undertaken by the three of us: myself, Fellow Daoist Bai, and Fellow Daoist Cangwu."

After a pause, Zhang High Peak continued.

According to his idea, the Soul Transformation Venerables of the three families would jointly escort the shipment, acting in secret to avoid detection and deliver the batch of resources.

"Fellow Daoists, what do you think?"

Zhang High Peak asked the two of them.

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy..."

Venerable Bai Yuan of the Qingtian Sect sighed, but he had no better idea.

"Seniors, Venerables are too large a target. If the Dao Palace has made arrangements, even a few more Venerables would be useless."

"In this Junior's opinion, why don't we..."

"..."

"This is the Strategy of Openly Repairing the Plank Roads While Secretly Marching Through Chencang."

A moment later, Zhou Leren finished his sound transmission.

"Do you have confidence?"

Zhang High Peak and Bai Yuan exchanged glances.

They focused their voices and asked Zhou Leren via sound transmission.

"I certainly don't have absolute confidence, but it is worth a try."

Zhou Leren nodded and said solemnly.

"Alright, we will follow Fellow Daoist Zhou's suggestion."

Venerables Zhang and Bai deliberated for a moment and decided on the matter.

The three continued to discuss for a while.

They each sent messages back to their respective islands.

More than a month later.

Three massive spirit boats, flying the banners of the Thousand Island Alliance and the three families, sailed away from the Thousand Star City port, heading in the direction of the Eastern Desolation Continent.

Aboard the spirit boat flying the snake-patterned zhou character banner.

Venerable Cangwu was stationed atop the spirit boat.

Aboard the spirit boat.

Figures with snake-patterned zhou character tokens hanging from their waists stood in orderly rows.

Mysterious light covered and enveloped the spirit boat.

The three spirit boats sailed far away from Thousand Star City.

More than a month later.

Above the vast and boundless sea region.

The defenses of the three massive spirit boats were fully activated.

Lines of spiritual light shone brightly against each other.

"Be careful, Sea Beasts are attacking!"

Cries rang out from the spirit boats.

Within the sea region.

Ferocious Sea Beasts of various shapes leaped out of the sea region, attacking the three spirit boats.

Aboard the spirit boats.

Figures dressed in different attire flew out.

Magic Treasures and Spells were unleashed simultaneously from their hands, repelling the massive Sea Beasts.

"Damn it, how many times has this happened now?"

"This is the fourth time."

"..."

While resisting the Sea Beasts.

Voices of conversation rang out.

Several hours later, the Sea Beasts retreated.

Above the sea region, tranquility was restored.

Only the massive spirit boats continuously sailing away and the reddened seawater indicated what had transpired here.

The remaining Sea Beasts scattered and fled.

After the spirit boats vanished from sight.

An invisible fluctuation swept across the sea region.

The hard-to-detect fluctuation flashed and disappeared, sweeping past the scattered and fleeing Sea Beasts.

A moment later, the fluctuation disappeared.

At the bottom of the sea region.

A pitch-black scale, devoid of light and hidden in aura, lay quietly covering the seabed like a Mortal object... Meanwhile.

Somewhere in the Li Luan Sea Region.

In the air, two streaks of light suddenly paused, revealing two young figures within them.

"Yunxing, this is the place Elder Ruoxian mentioned, right?"

Zhou Yunqi, wearing a cyan-blue dress, held and unfolded the map in her hand, looking downwards.

"It should be."

"But there's nothing here... Where is the Dark Sea Mother-of-Pearl that Elder Ruoxian spoke of..."

Zhou Yunxing, clad in black tight-fitting attire, nodded, a look of confusion on his face.

Zhou Yunxing spread his Divine Sense, scanning the sea region once.

Besides a small Mortal island not far away, there was nothing else here.

"Perhaps it's on the seabed, in a place our Divine Sense cannot detect."

"Elder Ruoxian couldn't possibly be lying to us, could she?"

Zhou Yunqi checked the map in her hand again. After confirming it was correct, she pinched her chin and spoke to Zhou Yunxing.

"Let's go down and look."

Zhou Yunqi put away the map in her hand and pointed towards the sea region below.

Zhou Yunxing continued to scan for a moment, nodded, and agreed.

Just as the two were about to dive into the seabed.

They suddenly paused their movements and looked towards the distance.