191: Business between Wulonghai and Tianjige

The Five Dragon Sea, a mysterious sea area located in the eastern part of the Great Jin and connected to the endless Outer Sea, was named after the legend that five true dragons ascended to the heavens from here in ancient times. Islands were scattered across it like stars on a chessboard. Although its cultivation resources were not as abundant as those in the Central Plains, its unique geographical location made it a distribution center for all kinds of overseas rarities, and even more so, a paradise for Loose Cultivators and fugitives.

At this moment, a giant merchant ship flying the flag of the 'Sea Sand Gang' was cleaving through the waves on the turbulent sea surface.

On the deck.

Zhou Wannian (Han Li) had changed into an inconspicuous brocade robe and was lying on a rattan chair, soaking up the sun. The sea breeze blew, bringing a faint salty scent, allowing him to feel a long-awaited sense of relaxation.

“Husband, although the Spiritual Qi in the Five Dragon Sea is thin, the water-attribute Spiritual Qi is exceptionally active.”

Purple Spirit approached carrying a plate of sliced spirit fruits. She was now at the peak of the Late Core Formation Stage, only one step away from shattering her core to form a Nascent Soul. After thirty years of closed-door cultivation in the Xu Ling Hall, her temperament had become more composed; the charm in her eyes and brows had lessened slightly, replaced by a more cold and aloof Immortal Qi.

“Mhm.”

Zhou Wannian picked up a spirit fruit. “There are quite a few good things hidden under the water here.”

Beside him, on another rattan chair, sat a beautiful woman wearing a veil and a blue dress. She simply sat there quietly, yet the surrounding air seemed as if it were about to freeze into ice.

She was none other than the Palace Master of the Xiao Ji Palace, Liu Shuier, who had now advanced to the Late Nascent Soul Stage.

“Li... Brother Han.” Liu Shuier was still accustomed to calling him Fellow Daoist Li, and her change of address was a bit stiff. “Did your iron Puppet (Iron Pillar) seem to detect an abnormal fluctuation on the seabed just now?”

“Just a few small fry who don't know any better.”

Zhou Wannian said lazily, “They probably saw that the cargo on this ship is quite fat and want to come and rob it.”

“Should we take action?” A cold light flashed in Liu Shuier's eyes. She had been cooped up in the Xu Ling Hall for thirty years, doing nothing but cultivating, and her hands were itching for a fight now.

“No rush.”

Zhou Wannian waved his hand. “Our current identities are 'destitute merchants hitching a ride.' As long as this ship doesn't sink, we won't move. After all...”

He pointed toward the ship's cabin tower.

“That ship owner doesn't seem to be an easy target either.”

...Half an hour later.

The originally clear sky was suddenly covered with dark clouds, and a wild wind rose on the sea, kicking up giant waves dozens of feet high.

“Boom!”

With a loud bang, the merchant ship shook violently.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

“It's the 'Black Shark Pirates'! Damn it! How could they appear here?!”

The deck was in a state of chaos. The Cultivators of the Sea Sand Gang summoned their Magical Artifacts one after another, their expressions filled with terror.

Dozens of massive Black Shark Yao Beasts surged out from the surrounding sea surface, with a ferocious-looking evil Cultivator standing on the back of each shark. The leader was a one-eyed burly man, treading upon a rank five (Early Core Formation Stage) mutated tiger shark, holding a ghost-headed great saber.

“People of the Sea Sand Gang! Leave that batch of 'deep sea cold iron' behind! Otherwise, I'll take care of the killing but not the burying!” the one-eyed man roared arrogantly.

From atop the ship's tower, a middle-aged beautiful woman in red clothes walked out. She was the owner of this ship, a Hall Master of the Sea Sand Gang, with a Foundation Establishment mid stage cultivation.

“Black Shark! You've broken the rules! This sea area is under the protection of the 'Tianji Pavilion'!” the woman in red shouted sharply.

“Tianji Pavilion?” The one-eyed man sneered. “The heavens are high and the emperor is far away. Once I finish the robbery and run, what can the Tianji Pavilion do to me? Attack!”

“Kill!”

Dozens of evil Cultivators rode their demon sharks, pouncing toward the merchant ship like a pack of wolves. Although the Sea Sand Gang's guards resisted desperately, they were outnumbered, and their defensive line collapsed instantly.

Seeing that an evil Cultivator's flying fork was about to pierce the chest of a young sailor.

“Sigh.”

A soft sigh rang out abruptly over the noisy battlefield.

Immediately following.

The temperature in the air plummeted.

“Crack... crack...”

The originally turbulent sea surface, centered on the merchant ship, within a radius of a thousand feet, actually... froze in the blink of an eye!

Whether it was the roaring Black Sharks, the charging evil Cultivators, or even the splashing waves, they all maintained their original postures, turning into lifelike ice sculptures.

Except for the merchant ship itself, everything around had turned into a static white world.

“...”

The one-eyed man maintained his saber-swinging posture, a cruel smile still lingering in his eyes, but he could no longer feel his own body. His life force had been completely snuffed out in that instant by a terrifyingly extreme cold Qi.

“This...”

The woman in red and the people of the Sea Sand Gang stared at the wondrous sight before them, dumbfounded.

Freezing a thousand miles with a single thought?

What kind of method is this?! A Nascent Soul Old Ancestor?!

They stiffly turned their heads and looked toward the corner of the deck.

They saw that among the trio they had always regarded as 'destitute merchants' and from whom they had even collected a high fare, the blue-dressed woman was slowly withdrawing her slender finger.

“So noisy,”

Liu Shuier said faintly, picking up her teacup again.

“Brother Han, the tea is cold.”

Zhou Wannian smiled and lightly tapped the wall of the cup with his finger.

“Sizzle.”

The tea water boiled instantly.

“It's hot now.”

The woman in red swallowed hard, her legs going weak, and she fell to her knees with a thud.

“Junior... Junior was blind and did not recognize Mt. Tai! I did not know two Seniors had graced us with your presence and have been negligent. Please forgive me, Seniors!”

Although she could not see through the cultivation of these two, this method of freezing a thousand miles at will was definitely the great Divine Ability of a master at the Nascent Soul Stage or above!

“Get up.”

Zhou Wannian put down his teacup, not minding the other's loss of composure.

“We are merely passersby.”

“However...”

Zhou Wannian glanced at the woman in red.

“I heard you say just now that this sea area is protected by the 'Tianji Pavilion'?”

“What kind of business does this Tianji Pavilion do?”

The woman in red did not dare to hide anything and hurriedly kowtowed, saying: “Replying to Senior! The Tianji Pavilion is the largest merchant alliance in the Five Dragon Sea and also the most mysterious intelligence organization. It is said that as long as one can afford the price, whether it be Magic Treasures, Medicinal Pills, top-secret intelligence, or even... hiring assassins, they take it all!”

“Oh? Intelligence?”

Zhou Wannian's eyes lit up.

What he lacked most right now was intelligence. Concerning how to ascend, concerning spatial nodes, and even concerning where to find Materials to repair the black wind flag.

“A bit interesting.”

Zhou Wannian stood up and looked toward a giant island faintly visible in the distance.

“Then let's go have a look at this Tianji Pavilion.”

“I hope their goods can live up to the name.”

...Three days later.

Heavenly Secret Island.

This island was extremely prosperous, with the entire island covered by a massive [Heavenly Constellation Grand Formation]. Various flying boats and sea vessels were moored at the harbor.

The three of Zhou Wannian's group had all restrained their auras at this time.

Zhou Wannian disguised himself as a Late Core Formation Stage Cultivator.

Liu Shuier disguised herself as a Middle Core Formation Stage Cultivator.

Purple Spirit was at the Early Core Formation Stage.

The three of them entered the city in the name of an 'overseas cultivation Family' after paying Spirit Stones.

In the center of Heavenly Secret City stood a hundred-story tower that reached the heavens—the [Tianji Pavilion].

“Quite the grand display.”

As Zhou Wannian stood beneath the tower, the [Heavenly Secret Dao Disk] inside his body vibrated slightly.

[High-level Formation fluctuations detected.]

[Large amount of high-level spiritual material reactions detected.]

[Detected... unknown energy source (suspected Spirit Realm fragment).]

“Spirit Realm fragment?”

Zhou Wannian was startled. This Tianji Pavilion actually hid something from the Spirit Realm?

The three of them walked into the first-floor lobby of the Tianji Pavilion.

The place was bustling with excitement, and the counters were crowded with Cultivators making trades.

“Fellow Daoist, I would like to buy something.” Zhou Wannian walked up to an unoccupied counter.

The shopkeeper behind the counter was an old man at the Foundation Establishment mid stage. Seeing Zhou Wannian's extraordinary bearing, he hurriedly smiled: “What does Fellow Daoist desire? Magical Artifacts? Medicinal Pills? Or Talismans?”

“I want to buy...”

Zhou Wannian lowered his voice.

“Buy a map that can lead to 'that place'.”

“That place?” The shopkeeper was stunned.

Zhou Wannian flicked his finger, and a Jade Slip landed on the table. Inside were the coordinates of several spatial nodes he had simulated based on information from Kunwu Mountain and the Xu Ling Hall.

The shopkeeper's Divine Sense swept over it, and his expression instantly changed.

“Spatial nodes?!”

He abruptly looked up and gave Zhou Wannian a deep look.

“Fellow Daoist, I cannot make the decision for business of this level.”

“Please follow me to the top floor.”

...Tianji Pavilion, ninety-ninth floor.

The decorations here were luxurious to the extreme; the floor was paved with ten-thousand-year warm jade, and the walls were hung with 'Soul-Settling Beads' that could calm the mind.

A refined middle-aged man wearing a starlit Daoist robe was looking with a smile at the three of Zhou Wannian's group as they walked in.

This person did not emit a very strong Spiritual Pressure, but Zhou Wannian's Divine Sense told him that this man was an expert.

Middle Stage Nascent Soul peak.

The Vice Pavilion Master of the Tianji Pavilion—[Xing Yunzi].

“A pleasure to meet you three Fellow Daoists,” Xing Yunzi said with cupped hands. “I am Xing Yunzi. I heard from my subordinates just now that you are looking for spatial nodes?”

“Indeed.”

Zhou Wannian did not stand on ceremony and sat directly in the main seat. Liu Shuier and Purple Spirit stood behind him on his left and right, like handmaidens (this display caused Xing Yunzi's eyelid to twitch).

“I am Han Li, an overseas Loose Cultivator. I heard that the Tianji Pavilion claims to know everything. I wonder if you have any clues regarding the 'Reverse Spirit Passage' leading to the Spirit Realm?”

“Reverse Spirit Passage?”

Xing Yunzi gave a bitter smile. “Fellow Daoist Han must be joking. If there were truly definitive clues to such a legendary thing, the Soul Transformation Seniors would have already fought over it until their heads bled.”

“However...”

Xing Yunzi's tone shifted as he took out a tattered golden beast-skin map from his sleeve.

“There is no definitive passage, but there is indeed one clue.”

“This is a remnant map our Tianji Pavilion discovered in an ancient ruin—[Guang Han Realm Gateway].”

“Guanghan Realm?” Zhou Wannian's heart stirred. Wasn't that a mysterious Small World said to be attached to the Spirit Realm?

“Correct,” Xing Yunzi nodded. “This remnant map marks a 'weak point'. It is said that every thousand years, the Guanghan Realm will intersect with the Human Realm. If one can seize the opportunity to enter the Guanghan Realm, one will have the chance to use it as a path to ascend to the Spirit Realm!”

“Name a price,” Zhou Wannian said concisely.

“This map is a priceless treasure.” Xing Yunzi shook his head. “We do not sell it for Spirit Stones.”

“Then what do you want?”

“We want...”

Xing Yunzi suddenly stared at Zhou Wannian, his eyes flashing with sharp light.

“We want Fellow Daoist to help us kill a person.”

“Who?”

“The hegemon of the western region of the Five Dragon Sea, who possesses a rank eight (Early Nascent Soul Stage) companion Yao Beast 'Sea-Swallowing Whale'—[Jing Mo Shangren].”

“This person robbed a batch of supreme treasures from my Tianji Pavilion and also killed an Elder of our pavilion. If Fellow Daoist can bring his head...”

“This map will be presented with both hands.”

After listening, Zhou Wannian lightly tapped his finger on the tabletop.

Kill an Early Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator? Plus a rank eight Yao Beast?

For the current him (Late Stage Nascent Soul Major Achievement, with Dual Cultivation divine abilities), what was the difference between that and killing a chicken?

“Just that?”

Zhou Wannian looked up, staring at Xing Yunzi with a half-smile.

“Deal.”

“However, I am in a hurry.”

Zhou Wannian stood up, no longer suppressing his aura. The terrifying Spiritual Pressure of the Late Nascent Soul Stage erupted for an instant, shaking the entire Tianji Pavilion.

Xing Yunzi's face changed drastically, and he crushed the teacup in his hand.

“Late... Late Nascent Soul Great Cultivator?!”

He had originally thought these three were just ordinary Nascent Souls and wanted to use them as a borrowed knife to kill someone, but he hadn't expected to borrow a dragon-slaying saber!

“Since it's business, efficiency is what matters.”

Zhou Wannian turned and walked out.

“Keep the tea warm.”

“I'll be right back.”

...Half an hour later.

Five Dragon Sea, Western Region, Whale Demon Island.

“BOOM!!!”

An earth-shattering explosion rang out.

That impregnable defense Formation of Whale Demon Island was slapped into powder by a giant golden hand (Vajra Arts · Golden Body Projection) descending from the sky.

Immediately following.

An azure sword rainbow (Great Geng Sword Formation) swept across.

“Who?! Who dares to invade my Whale Demon Island?!”

Jing Mo Shangren had just been startled awake from his closed-door cultivation and hadn't even had time to summon his Magic Treasure.

Puchi.

A fine head had already soared into the air.

Along with that rank eight Sea-Swallowing Whale that had just rushed out of the sea, it was also directly suppressed by a gray light pillar (Yuan Ci Divine Light) descending from the sky, crushed into meat paste.

An instant kill.

A true instant kill.

Zhou Wannian casually snatched up Jing Mo Shangren's Storage Pouch and head, and also collected the demon core and essence soul of that Sea-Swallowing Whale (as a snack for the Soul Crying).

“Too weak.”

Zhou Wannian shook his head.

“The waters of this Five Dragon Sea are shallower than I imagined.”

...When Zhou Wannian carried Jing Mo Shangren's head back to the Tianji Pavilion and threw that still-dripping head in front of Xing Yunzi.

That cup of tea was, as expected, still warm.

Xing Yunzi looked at that head, then at Zhou Wannian, who didn't even have a ruffled hem on his clothes, and his whole body was trembling.

“Han... Senior Han...”

“The map.”

Zhou Wannian reached out his hand.

“Yes! Yes!”

With trembling hands, Xing Yunzi presented the [Guang Han Realm Gateway] remnant map.

Zhou Wannian took the map and swept it with his Divine Sense, confirming it was correct.

“Very good.”

Zhou Wannian put away the map, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

“In addition...”

He looked at Xing Yunzi, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes.

“I heard your Tianji Pavilion is having a top-tier auction in a few days?”

“List all the grand finale items for me.”

“Consider this map as my entry ticket.”

“Next...”

“I'm going to have a good spending spree here with you all.”