137: Chapter 137 Secrets Uncovered in Tingtao Pavilion, Plans Determined to Venture Deep into the Stormy Sea

Having stayed in Tianya City for two days, Ye Qing's impression of this coastal city had shifted from initial astonishment to a calm sense of familiarity.

Every day, he would wander around the wharf area to watch the Yao Beast hunting teams returning from the sea and listen to them boast or complain about what they had seen and heard. He would also visit a few well-regarded restaurants, order a table of local seafood feasts, and taste the unique seafood that contained faint traces of Spiritual Qi.

Of course, his primary goal was still to gather information and understand the true situation of the Endless Sea.

He discovered that in Tianya City, the places with the most reliable information were not the luxuriously decorated chambers of commerce or auction houses, but the shabby, bustling taverns in the wharf area.

Therefore, on the evening of the third day, when the setting sun dyed the entire Endless Sea a golden red, Ye Qing changed into a plain grey short-sleeved martial outfit and suppressed his cultivation to around the Golden Core Early Stage before entering a tavern in the wharf area called "Tingtao Pavilion."

The tavern was boisterous and filled with smoke, the air thick with the strong scent of alcohol, the stench of sweat, and the charred fragrance of grilled fish.

Dim oil lamps hung on the mottled walls, casting flickering light upon the faces of the crowd.

Groups of burly men wearing short outfits, with dark skin and fierce expressions, were gathered in small clusters, shouting loudly, playing drinking games, and gesticulating wildly as they discussed their experiences at sea.

Ye Qing found a seat in a corner, ordered a pot of locally produced "Blazing Burn" and a plate of grilled dried squid, and began drinking by himself while pricking up his ears to catch the noisy conversations around him.

"...Damn it! This time we really lost big! We thought we could make a big score, but we ended up running into that 'Black Scaled Flood Dragon' in the 'Storm Sea Region' and nearly lost our lives!" a burly man with a full beard slammed the table and cursed.

"Oh? Old Zhang, you encountered the 'Black Scaled Flood Dragon'? That's a Fourth-Stage Early Stage Yao Beast King! The fact that you survived and returned is a miracle!" someone nearby replied.

"You said it! If I hadn't been quick-witted and detonated my trump card, a Medium Grade Magical Artifact, to stall that beast for a moment, everyone on our ship would have been done for!" The bearded man looked fearful and took another large gulp of wine.

"However, come to think of it, isn't there a small Spirit Stone vein on the seabed of the area where that 'Black Scaled Flood Dragon' resides? If someone could eliminate it and claim that vein, they would make a fortune!" someone whispered with greedy eyes.

"Eliminate the 'Black Scaled Flood Dragon'? Keep dreaming! That's a Fourth-Stage Yao Beast King! Unless a Nascent Soul Old Ancestor takes action personally, anyone who goes is just throwing their life away!" the bearded man sneered.

Ye Qing listened silently from the side, a slight stir in his heart.

"Black Scaled Flood Dragon... Fourth-Stage Early Stage... residing in the Storm Sea Region... and there's a Spirit Stone vein on the seabed?"

He picked up his wine cup, took a sip of the "Blazing Burn" that scorched his throat like flames, and a glimmer of contemplation flashed in his eyes.

"It seems the shopkeeper of the Four Seas Pavilion was right. The Storm Sea Region is indeed a piece of fat meat, but it's also a tough bone to chew. If even a Fourth-Stage Early Stage Yao Beast King exists there, there must be other, even more powerful entities within."

He continued to listen for a while longer and heard many more rumors about the Storm Sea Region.

Some said that deep in the Storm Sea Region, there was a death zone shrouded in thick fog, and anyone who entered never came out.

Some said that on the seabed of the Storm Sea Region, an Immortal Cave from the ancient era was submerged, containing countless Treasure Troves and Cultivation Techniques.

Others said that on a certain nameless deserted island in the Storm Sea Region, a ten-thousand-year-old stalactite grew, which could cleanse the marrow and meridians and extend one's life by a hundred years if consumed.

These rumors, true or false, real or fabricated, were difficult to distinguish.

But one thing was certain—the Storm Sea Region was indeed full of both opportunities and dangers.

Ye Qing drained the remaining "Blazing Burn" in his cup, left a few Low-Grade Spirit Stones as payment, and stood up to leave Tingtao Pavilion.

Walking out of the tavern, the sea breeze blew against his face, carrying a salty, fishy scent that made his slightly heated head clear up quite a bit.

"The Storm Sea Region... it seems I must make a trip there. Not only to hunt Yao Beasts and collect resources, but also to find an opportunity for a Breakthrough."

He looked up at the distant Endless Sea, which appeared even more profound and mysterious in the night, a glint of determination flashing in his eyes.

"However, before that, I still need to make more thorough preparations. After all, that is a place where even a Nascent Soul Late Stage Cultivator could fall."

He turned around and walked toward the inn he had rented.

He decided to spend a few more days adjusting his state to the best condition and thoroughly refining the pitch-black iron ruler he had obtained from the ancient Immortal Cave, just in case.