77: Sea creatures of the East China Sea

Meanwhile, on a smallTower ship (lou chuan) several dozen li away, a few Cultivators who were carefully navigating happened to witness this astonishing scene.

“Heavens… Heavens! That Thunder Eel King… just died like that?!”

A young Cultivator pointed at the sea area stained red with blood, his voice trembling.

The white-haired Old Ancestor leading them was even more terrified, his body turning cold!

“Quick! Turn around! Get away from that black iron flying boat! On that… on that boat, I fear there is a Great Power!”

He had no doubt that the terrifying Aura, whose mere aftershock had caused him such mental distress, if it were to fall directly on him, his fate would definitely not be any better than that of the Thunder Eel King!

Chen Xu naturally paid no attention to any of this.

He didn't even bother to collect the Thunder Eel King's demonic core.

The black iron flying boat continued to speed towards the depths of the East Sea without any pause.

Along the way, many short-sighted sea beasts tried to provoke it.

But without exception, all of them were crushed into dust by the omnipresent terrifying sword pressure the moment they approached within a thousand zhang of the flying boat.

Gradually, no sea beast dared to approach this black iron flying boat, which exuded an Aura of death… The black iron flying boat cut through the sky, leaving a dark trail above the sea of clouds.

After several days of rapid travel, the familiar landscape of mountains and rivers of the mainland had long disappeared.

“Father, look!”

Chen Daoxuan stood at the bow, pointing towards the horizon where the sea and sky met, his eyes filled with curiosity.

A huge island outline was slowly emerging from the sea mist.

On that island, a magnificent city was built against the mountains.

Countless uniquely shaped buildings stood in a dense array.

Some buildings seemed to be carved from giant coral reefs, while others resembled conch shells magnified a thousandfold, their surfaces shimmering with colorful light, full of exotic charm.

Countless Cultivators piloted various flying Magic Treasures.

Some even rode strange sea beasts, shuttling back and forth above the city, forming a prosperous and novel picture.

“This is Wanghai City, the largest city in the East Sea.”

Chen Xu stood with his hands behind his back, his voice calm.

Wanghai City was not only the largest gathering place for human Cultivators in the East Sea region, but also a hub for trade between countless Sea Clans and mainland Cultivators.

Its prosperity far surpassed inland cities like Ninghai City.

Boom!

The black iron flying boat did not slow down at all, descending directly towards Wanghai City's public parking area.

The Rank of this flying boat was simply too high, forged entirely from rare Mysterious Iron Elite.

Dense, ancient Formation patterns were inscribed on its hull.

Before it even landed, the invisible, terrifying Aura it emitted had already enveloped the entire parking area.

For a time, countless Cultivators in Wanghai City were alarmed.

“Hiss! What kind of Magic Treasure is that? What an astonishing Aura!”

“Look at the material, look at the runes… this… this must be at least a Top Grade flying Spirit Treasure!”

“Which great Sect’s Old Ancestor, or which Hidden Family’s powerful expert, has arrived in our Wanghai City?”

Countless Divine Senses swept in from all directions of the city.

When they touched the profound Aura of the black iron flying boat, they all retracted rapidly as if shocked by electricity.

The owners of the Divine Senses were all inwardly aghast, filled with awe and speculation.

In the parking area, a Foundation Establishment Stage manager, responsible for this place, was idly cracking spirit melon seeds.

He saw the overbearing black iron flying boat from afar and was startled at first.

Then, a glint flashed in his eyes.

According to Wanghai City's rules, the daily fee for parking a flying boat of this Rank was enough to cover several years of his salary!

He immediately dropped the melon seeds, tidied his robes, and put on a professional smile, ready to extort a hefty sum.

But as soon as he approached within a hundred zhang of the black iron flying boat, a terrifying pressure, almost suffocating, descended upon him!

The manager felt his Divine Soul trembling.

His legs went weak, and he almost knelt on the ground on the spot.

Golden Core! No!

This was definitely not the might a Golden Core Cultivator could possess!

This was a Nascent Soul Ancestor! And one of the top experts among Nascent Soul Ancestors!

Cold sweat instantly poured down the manager's face.

How could he still harbor any thoughts of extortion? He scrambled up, crawling and rolling, then respectfully prostrated himself on the ground.

“Junior… Junior Wang Wu, manager of Wanghai City’s parking area, did not know Senior was gracing us with your presence. I failed to welcome you, and I hope Senior will forgive my offense!”

His voice trembled, and his head was bowed very low.

The cabin door slowly opened, and Chen Xu, with Chen Daoxuan, stepped out with a calm expression.

“Get up.”

Chen Xu spoke faintly.

“Thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior!”

The manager felt as if he had received a great pardon, quickly scrambled up from the ground, but his waist was bent even lower.

“Senior, your Immortal Boat is parked here completely free! Junior will arrange the best VIP lounge for you right away, what do you think…”

“No need.”

Chen Xu waved his hand, “Just find a quiet place to stay.”

“Yes, yes, yes! Senior, please follow me!”

The manager bowed and scraped, personally leading the way, his attitude extremely respectful.

Chen Daoxuan followed behind his father, watching the manager's 180-degree change in attitude, and a strong sense of pride welled up in his heart.

This was strength! This was the confidence his father brought to the Family!

Under the manager's guidance, the father and son settled into the largest restaurant in the city, the Tide Listening Tower.

The Tide Listening Tower itself was a huge Magic Treasure, a hundred zhang tall.

It overlooked most of Wanghai City and the distant seascape, and its interior was even more extraordinary.

Each guest room was equipped with a Spirit Gathering Formation, and the Spiritual Qi was dense.

However, no sooner had the father and son settled in than spies from various forces began to stir.

“Senior, the City Lord’s Mansion’s Chief Clerk requests an audience, saying he wishes to host a welcoming banquet for you.”

“Senior, the Deacon Elder of the East Sea Sword Sect has come to visit, hoping to discuss the Dao with you.”

“Senior, the Azure Scale Sea Clan’s ambassador has sent an invitation, inviting you to attend the Sea God Festival in three days…”

The restaurant's attendants constantly came to report, their words carrying cautious probes.

Although Wanghai City was prosperous, its forces were complex. The City Lord’s Mansion, the East Sea Sword Sect, and the Azure Scale Sea Clan formed a three-way standoff, mutually restraining each other.

Now, a powerful expert of unfathomable strength had suddenly arrived.

They naturally wanted to ascertain the newcomer's origin and purpose as soon as possible.

Chen Daoxuan was a little nervous and quietly asked, “Father, should we meet them or not?”

Chen Xu merely picked up his immortal tea and took a light sip.

“See no one.”

He waved for the attendant to withdraw, then turned to look at his son, instructing, “Dao Xuan, you must remember, when you sit at a strange card table, your greatest trump card is your mystery.”

“They don’t know who we are, where we come from, or what we intend to do.”

“This unknown will make them wary and dare not act rashly.”

“Let them guess. The longer they guess, the more advantageous it is for us.”

Chen Daoxuan nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this, firmly imprinting his father’s words in his heart.

For the next two days, Chen Xu did exactly as he said.

He refused to see any of the visiting forces, only taking Chen Daoxuan to stroll around the city.

They tasted the unique spirit prawns and spirit crabs of the East Sea. The delicious food, imbued with pure water Spiritual Qi, made Chen Daoxuan exclaim with delight.

They also saw various rare treasures sold by Sea Clan merchants: deep-sea pearls, ten-thousand-year-old Mysterious Turtle shells, and electric eel skins shimmering with lightning… all sorts of things he had only read about in ancient texts, greatly broadening his horizons.

Chen Xu, on the other hand, acted like an ordinary father, patiently explaining the origin and use of each item, as if they were truly just wealthy gentlemen on a sightseeing trip.

However, the spies monitoring them secretly grew more and more alarmed.

No matter how they investigated, they could not find any information about the father and son's origins.

It was as if they had appeared out of thin air.

This mystery, on the contrary, made the various forces even more cautious.

On the third day, Chen Xu, judging that the time was ripe, took Chen Daoxuan into Wanghai City’s largest intelligence trading center.

Coincidentally, this place was also called “Tide Listening Tower.”

This building was not a restaurant, but a more magnificent pavilion.

It was the property of the East Sea’s top intelligence organization, “Omniscient,” which claimed that as long as you could afford the price, there was no information they didn't know.

As soon as they stepped into the building, a cacophony of human voices assailed them.

Countless Cultivators crowded before an information board, displaying various tasks and intelligence.

“Seeking to buy three-hundred-year-old Ice Crystal Coral, price negotiable!”

“Team up to hunt Black Water Mysterious Serpents, need two Golden Core Stage teammates!”

“Latest news! An Immortal Cave of an ancient Cultivator discovered in the Raging Waves Sea, map only three thousand Spirit Stones per copy!”

Chen Xu had no interest in these ordinary pieces of information.

He walked directly to the VIP counter.

A Late Foundation Establishment Stage manager lazily lifted his eyelids, glanced at the father and son, and asked in a flat tone, “What level of intelligence do the two of you require?”

Chen Xu didn't waste words, casually tossing a heavy Storage Pouch onto the counter.

“I want information about the ‘Dragon Fall Sea Trench’ and the ‘vast sea dragon heart.’”

The manager weighed the Storage Pouch, and his Divine Sense swept inside.

His previously lazy expression instantly froze!

The Storage Pouch contained not ordinary Medium Grade Spirit Stones, nor High-Grade Spirit Stones, but a full thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones, each containing astonishing Spiritual Qi!

A thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones!

Such a display of wealth, even a Nascent Soul Ancestor would have to consider carefully!

The manager’s breathing became rapid.

His gaze towards Chen Xu immediately became respectful.

“Se… Senior, please wait! This matter is beyond Junior’s authority. Junior will go and invite the Lord of the Tower to personally receive you!”

He dared not show the slightest neglect, and scurried up to the top floor of the pavilion.

Soon, a middle-aged man in brocade robes quickly descended from upstairs.

This person’s cultivation had reached the Mid-stage Golden Core, and he was precisely the Lord of this Tide Listening Tower.

“I am Qian Wanli, Lord of the Tide Listening Tower. I greet Fellow Daoist.”

Qian Wanli cupped his hands towards Chen Xu, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant, but his eyes held a hint of solemnity.

He waved his hand to set up a sound-insulating Restriction, then spoke, “The intelligence Fellow Daoist seeks is no small matter. The Dragon Fall Sea Trench is one of the three great forbidden lands of the East Sea, extremely perilous, and that vast sea dragon heart is a legendary wondrous item of heaven and earth.”

“To be frank, this wondrous item is guarded by a Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle, a Late Nascent Soul Stage great demon that has lived for an unknown number of years. That old turtle’s strength is heaven-defying, and its shell is indestructible!”

“Even an ordinary Spirit Transformation Great Power might not be able to do anything to it.”

“Besides that, the Azure Scale Sea Clan, one of the overlords of the East Sea, has also coveted this vast sea dragon heart for a long time and has sent experts several times, only to return in failure.”

Qian Wanli detailed the dangers of the situation, observing Chen Xu’s reaction as he spoke.

However, to his disappointment… Chen Xu’s reaction was flat!

Qian Wanli’s heart tightened, and his evaluation of Chen Xu rose another level.

“All this, I already know.”

Chen Xu spoke faintly, “I need more detailed information, such as the Xuan Shui Dragon Turtle’s daily routine, its weaknesses, and the recent movements of the Azure Scale Sea Clan.”

“Fellow Daoist possesses great courage!”

Qian Wanli praised, no longer wasting words, “These are all classified, and the price is not cheap.”

“Spirit Stones are not a problem.”

“Good!”

Qian Wanli took out a blank Jade Slip, imprinted everything he knew into it, and handed it to Chen Xu, “Fellow Daoist, all the intelligence you seek is right here.”

Just as Chen Xu took the Jade Slip and was about to examine it, a burst of arrogant shouting came from outside the Tide Listening Tower.

“Get out of the way! All of you, get out of my way!”

Immediately after, a group of guards clad in blue scale armor rudely pushed through the crowd, escorting a young man in luxurious blue robes into the building.

The young man had a handsome face, but his brows carried an indelible arrogance.

His ears were unusual; they were translucent and fin-like, clearly indicating he was a member of the Sea Clan.

As soon as he entered, his gaze fell on the VIP counter. When he saw Qian Wanli personally receiving Chen Xu, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

“Lord Qian, this Young Lord has arrived, yet you still have the leisure to entertain these disreputable fellows?”

At these words, the hall instantly fell silent, and everyone’s gaze converged.

Many people, upon seeing the young man, showed expressions of apprehension.

“It’s Cang Jie, the Young Lord of the Azure Scale Sea Clan!”

“My heavens, why has this little tyrant come?”

Qian Wanli’s brows furrowed slightly, but he still forced a smile and went to greet him, “So it is Young Lord Cang Jie gracing us with your presence. I apologize for not welcoming you earlier.”

The young man named Cang Jie scoffed.

Then he directly fixed his gaze on Chen Xu’s back, scrutinizing him with ill intent.

Chen Xu, however, seemed not to have heard him and did not turn around. He merely extended his Divine Sense into the Jade Slip, rapidly browsing the information within.

Chen Daoxuan, however, was so angry that his face flushed red, and his fists clenched.

Chen Xu reached out and gently pressed his shoulder, signaling him to calm down.

With the intelligence transaction complete, Qian Wanli seemed unwilling to cause further trouble here. He walked over to Chen Xu, lowering his voice, “Fellow Daoist, the East Sea has not been peaceful lately. Many remote small islands have been completely massacred, and all living beings on them have turned into mummified corpses. The methods are strange, not like the work of sea beasts!”

“When you go out to sea, you must be extra careful.”