134: New World

"Woo~"

A long, dull cry came from beneath the deep sea, penetrating the thick hull and vibrating directly into the depths of everyone's Divine Soul.

The noise in the common area at the bottom of the cabin instantly froze.

A wine cup in a burly man's hand fell to the ground with a "clack," shattering into pieces.

"What was that sound?"

"Outside... why can't I see any light at all outside!"

Panic began to ferment.

Gu Changsheng did not hesitate for a second, turning around and rushing toward his independent upper-deck cabin.

Every step he took was extremely steady; his figure didn't sway in the slightest on the hull, which had begun to vibrate slightly.

Just as he rushed out of the common area, the entire giant ship shuddered violently, letting out a tooth-grinding roar of twisting metal and bone.

Boom!

One side of the hull was hit hard by an irresistible force, and the several-zhang-thick shell instantly dented and cracked.

Seawater, mixed with shattered wooden planks and bone fragments, poured in. Dozens of Loose Cultivators who were close by didn't even have time to scream before being swept into the surging undercurrents.

"Enemy attack! Steady! Everyone, stay steady!"

That Middle Foundation Establishment Stage manager Elder from the Ting Hai Pavilion rushed onto the deck, his Spiritual Qi surging as his voice spread throughout the ship.

But before his voice had even faded, another even more violent impact came from the bottom of the ship.

The entire giant ship was forcibly lifted more than ten zhang out of the water and then slammed down heavily.

The Cultivators on the deck were thrown out like dumplings being dropped into a pot, falling into the bone-chillingly cold, ink-black deep sea.

Desperate screams, cries for help, and curses merged into a mess.

Gu Changsheng had already returned to his cabin. Instead of looking at the apocalyptic scene outside the window, he calmly stared at the intelligence constantly refreshing in his mind.

[Intelligence Refreshed: Sea-Swallowing Whale target locked.]

[Target: 'vast sea bright moon pearl'.]

[Location: Captain's room, hidden compartment number three.]

[Effect: This pearl can autonomously absorb moonlight and Water Spiritual Qi, and has a fatal attraction for water-element Yao Beasts.]

[System Suggestion: The host can take advantage of the chaos to seize this pearl and use it as bait; perhaps a slim chance of survival can be found.]

"So it was for this."

Gu Changsheng's mind was clear.

These Yao Beasts weren't here to eat people; the hundreds of Cultivators on the ship were merely appetizers in their meal-taking process.

He ripped off his scholar's robe, revealing the black tight-fitting suit he had already changed into underneath.

Activating the Floating Light Fleeting Shadow Step, his whole body turned into a faint shadow moving along the cabin walls, speeding toward the captain's room.

At this time, the giant ship was completely out of control, spinning wildly on the sea surface, with cracks appearing everywhere on the hull.

The Foundation Establishment Elder summoned a blue precious mirror, shooting out a ray of light that barely blocked a water arrow spat out by a Sea-Swallowing Whale, but he himself was shaken until his blood and Qi surged, and he retreated several steps.

"Vile beast!"

He roared, but he didn't dare to take the initiative to attack, only able to defend passively. He knew very well that fighting three Second-Order Perfection Yao Beasts in the deep sea was no different from seeking death.

He was only stalling for time, looking for a chance to escape.

Gu Changsheng passed through the chaotic corridor, with crying and fleeing Cultivators everywhere along the way.

No one noticed this strange man moving against the flow.

The door to the captain's room was made of Second-Order Ironwood and reinforced with runic Restrictions.

Gu Changsheng pressed his fingers together like a sword.

Sword Qi from the Proficient Realm of the Azure Origin Sword Art condensed at his fingertips, turning into a strand of green light as refined as silk.

Chii!

With a soft sound, the sturdy door lock was pierced by the Sword Qi. The Restriction's spiritual light flickered for a moment before completely dimming.

He pushed the door and entered.

At that moment, a massive shadow loomed over the entire ship.

A Sea-Swallowing Whale finally surfaced. On its mountain-like head, a single eye indifferently watched this "toy" that seemed fragile beyond measure to it.

It opened its giant mouth, which was large enough to swallow a small mountain.

A terrifying suction force came.

Everything on the deck—Cultivators, cargo, masts—was pulled by this suction, flying toward that abyss-like darkness.

Gu Changsheng steadied himself in the captain's room and, according to the System's prompt, punched a certain spot on the wall.

The wall cracked open, revealing a hidden compartment shimmering with spiritual light.

Inside the compartment, a pearl the size of a fist, translucent all over and emitting a soft moonlight, lay quietly on silk.

Gu Changsheng grabbed it and put it into his Storage Pouch.

Almost at the same time, the giant ship let out its final mournful cry.

Crack~

The hull broke in the middle, and countless Cultivators were thrown into the giant whale's mouth, instantly turning into bloody water.

Gu Changsheng did not go back the way he came.

He kicked open the porthole on the other side of the captain's room and leaped out just a moment before the ship completely disintegrated.

He didn't use his Flying Sword but landed precisely on a piece of ship wreckage dozens of zhang in size.

The wreckage spun with the giant whirlpool and was soon thrown out of the center of the battlefield.

Gu Changsheng lay flat on the wooden plank, concealing all his aura; the taiyin submerging spirit jade reduced his presence to the minimum.

Through the thick fog, he indifferently watched the slaughter in the distance.

Seeing that things were going poorly, the Foundation Establishment Elder turned into a streak of light, braving a Divine Soul shock from the Yao Beast, and fled into the distance without looking back.

After the three Sea-Swallowing Whales finished eating the living beings on the ship, they began searching for the pearl among the wreckage.

But they were destined to find nothing.

Gu Changsheng lay on the wooden plank, drifting further and further away from that deadly sea area with the ocean currents... Several days later.

Over the endless ink-colored sea surface, a sword light flew low across the water.

Gu Changsheng stood on the jinghong sword, and Coal Ball poked its head out from his chest, letting out a weak "meow." It hadn't eaten a single small dried fish in the past few days.

"Soon."

Gu Changsheng patted its head and looked toward the end of his vision.

There, a black coastline finally appeared where the sea met the sky.

Another hour passed.

Gu Changsheng put away his Flying Sword and landed on a deserted black rocky beach.

He didn't immediately go to the brightly lit island town in the distance but first found a hidden cave, set up a warning Formation, and began meditating to recover.

A day later, his Spiritual Qi was fully restored.

Only then did he change into an ordinary grey short-sleeved outfit, suppressing his cultivation to the Early Foundation Establishment Stage, and blended into the town called "Black Rock Island."

This place was different from anywhere he had seen before.

There were no strict rules, no uniform attire.

On both sides of the street, Cultivators could be seen everywhere sitting on the ground, with bloody Magical Artifacts, Medicinal Pills of unknown origin, or Materials just stripped from sea beasts placed in front of them.

A Gu master dressed in Southern Border style and an Eastern Desolation Sword Cultivator clashed because of a price disagreement, and began a duel in the street; the people around just watched with interest, and some even opened bets.

It wasn't until a patrol of fierce-looking Cultivators walked by that the two stopped, each leaving a harsh word before disappearing into the crowd.

Chaos, freedom, full of primitive vitality.

"A good place."

Gu Changsheng praised in his heart.

In a place like this, as long as your strength is great enough and your fists are hard enough, no one cares about your past.

He found the shabbiest-looking inn called "Guest-Is-Coming," threw out a few Spirit Stones, and asked for the most remote lower-class room.

Sitting cross-legged on the moldy wooden bed, Gu Changsheng closed his eyes, his thoughts sinking into his Sea of Consciousness.

[Ding~ New map data loading complete.]

[Chaotic Star Archipelago: Composed of seventy-two main islands and three thousand six hundred desolate islands. This place is not under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Desolation or the Southern Border; it is a lawless zone.]

[Power Distribution: No unified government; occupied by various major chambers of commerce, Gangs, and Loose Cultivator Alliances. The strongest are the 'Three Kings of the Chaotic Stars', with Purple Mansion cultivation.]

[Survival Law: Strength is paramount, lawlessness.]

A massive three-dimensional map slowly unfolded in Gu Changsheng's mind.

The location of every island, the distribution of Spiritual Veins, dangerous areas, and information on known powers were all clearly marked in the form of a data stream.

Gu Changsheng looked at this "full-map hack," and a faint satisfied curve finally appeared on that ordinary-looking face.