23: Flying boat

Deep within the Immortal Cave, Gao De had just finished refining the Essence Blood of a recently hunted Second Order Demon Beast, a "Crystal Python."

The faint "Ice Chi" Bloodline contained within the python's body added a touch of fluidity to his control over the power of water, and his Bloodline concentration took another solid step toward the eighty percent threshold.

He was currently immersed in the subtle realization of his growing power, experiencing the pleasure of Demonic Power surging through his Meridians.

Suddenly—

"Buzz...!!!"

An indescribable, extremely low-pitched hum, which did not travel through air or water but acted directly on space itself, vibrated every wisp of Spiritual Qi and slammed hard into the depths of Gao De's mind!

The sound seemed to come from beyond the highest heavens, yet also felt as if it were right next to his ear, carrying a tyrannical Aura that crushed all obstacles!

Immediately following, a vast pressure as immense as a sea of stars and as heavy as a giant mountain descended without warning!

This pressure was not aimed at any specific target; it was more like an unconscious expansion of a Domain, as natural as the sun radiating light and heat.

However, it was precisely this "natural" radiation that instantly plunged the entire deep pool into a deathly silence!

The Spirit Fish playing in the pool water immediately turned belly-up and fainted, and the aquatic plants stopped swaying, as if held down by an invisible giant hand.

The well-trained Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals outside the Immortal Cave, who had already reached the Late Stage of the First Order, were even more like creatures whose bones had been removed; they instantly prostrated themselves in the silt at the bottom of the pool, their carapaces trembling slightly. The fear originating from their life instinct left them unable to summon the slightest thought of resistance!

Gao De himself felt a violent shock in his heart, and the Demonic Power flowing through his body suddenly stalled, as if frozen!

He felt as if his heart were being squeezed by an invisible giant hand, and even breathing became incredibly difficult.

The strength of this pressure far exceeded any existence he had felt before—compared to it, the Lin Family's Foundation Establishment Old Ancestor was like a firefly next to a bright moon;

those two Second Order Pig Dragons were more like mongrel dogs catching sight of a True Dragon!

He even had an intuition that even if that legendary Core Formation Ancestor of the Green Wave Sect were here, he would probably only be able to barely remain standing under this pressure!

"What happened?! What divine being has descended?!" Gao De's heart was in an uproar, and he was instantly jolled awake from his state of Cultivation.

He did not dare to hesitate in the slightest, immediately pushing his [Breath Concealment (Blue)] talent to an unprecedented extreme. His entire body, Demonic Power, Aura, and even mental fluctuations were completely withdrawn, as if he had turned into a piece of lifeless ten-thousand-year-old profound ice.

At the same time, [Size As Desired] was activated, shrinking his body to one foot to minimize his target profile as much as possible.

Like the most cautious ghost, he silently crept to the entrance of the Immortal Cave. Using the cover of dense aquatic plants, he carefully extended a sliver of Spiritual Sense out of the water to look toward the sky.

In the next moment, he saw a sight he would remember for the rest of his life:

The sky, which had been as clear as if it had been washed, was now covered by a huge, sky-obscuring shadow.

A giant flying boat, a hundred zhang long, was quietly floating above Dongting Lake, about several dozen li to the west of his stretch of water.

The flying boat's entire body exhibited a dark-gold metallic luster. It was not smooth like a mirror but was covered in countless fine, profound runic imprints. These runes were not static but were slowly flowing, absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to form an incredibly vast and complex energy system.

The flying boat's shape was not streamlined; instead, it carried an ancient, heavy, and sharp-edged majesty, as if it were not a flying Magical Artifact but a mobile war fortress!

Even more startling was that the hull of the flying boat was covered in various shocking battle scars—there were terrifying claw marks several feet deep, as if torn by the claws of some giant beast;

there were huge indentations with scorched edges that still emitted a faint burning heat, as if hit head-on by meteors; several parts of the hull even showed obvious structural damage. Although they were being repaired and covered by temporary energy films, one could still imagine what a violent attack it had once suffered.

This giant boat had come across endless obstacles, carrying both scars and glory!

On the side of the flying boat, a massive, elegantly written character for "Commerce" was deeply engraved into the hull like a brand.

This character was not a simple identifier; between its strokes, spiritual light faintly moved like dragons and snakes, emitting a unique Dao charm of "circulating through ten thousand worlds" and "trading all things." Looking at it for long could even make one's mind waver, as if seeing countless resources, Spirit Stones, and rare treasures flowing within it.

And on the highest mainmast of the flying boat, a huge flag fluttered in the wind, snapping loudly!

The flag was dark gold, and on it, nine five-clawed golden dragons of different forms were embroidered with some kind of mysterious gold thread, looking lifelike!

The nine dragons coiled—some lifting their heads to roar, some reaching out claws to play with clouds, some with eyes wide in anger. An imperial dragon pressure that ruled the four seas and awed the eight directions spread out like something tangible, enveloping the entire Dongting Lake region!

The source of that terrifying pressure that made all living beings tremble was precisely this Nine Dragons Flag!

"A Magic Treasure! And a Magic Treasure of an extremely high grade!" Gao De's heart shook violently as he instantly made a judgment.

The energy fluctuations emitted by this flag far exceeded any Magical Artifact or Talisman Treasure he had seen; it even felt much more powerful than the two trump-card Talisman Treasures he had obtained from the Hundred Beasts Sect Storage Pouch!

To be able to use such a powerful Magic Treasure as a flag, the background of this flying boat's owner was simply unfathomable!

This was precisely the cross-province trading flying boat of a powerful force from the far western land of Bashu—the Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce!

Aboard the flying boat, inside the core control room, two old men were standing by the window, looking down at the misty and vast Dongting Lake below.

The one on the left was dressed in a purple brocade robe embroidered with cloud-dragon patterns. His face was ruddy, and his eyes were gentle but carried the shrewdness characteristic of a merchant. He stroked his beard and smiled, "Brother Li, it seems this Dongting Lake region is even more peaceful than we expected. I heard the largest force here is merely a Core Formation Sect."

The old man on the right, addressed as Brother Li, was dressed in black martial attire. His face was cold and stern, his eyes as sharp as a falcon's, and his body emitted a faint, iron-blooded Evil Qi.

He gave a cold snort, "Wang Fugui, do not be careless. The calmer the surface of the water, the more likely there are undercurrents hidden beneath.

Don't forget how the scars on this flying boat came about!

When we crossed the 'Star Burial Mountain Range' at the border of ancient Yizhou Province and Jingzhou Province, if the 'Nine Dragons Heaven-Shaking Formation' bestowed by the Chairman hadn't been activated in time to block the sneak attacks from those Fourth-Tier Demon Kings, whether you and I would still be standing here is another matter."

This Nine Dragons Flying Boat was not inscribed with ordinary Formations, but a top-tier Fourth-Tier protective array—the Nine Dragons Heaven-Shaking Formation!

When fully activated, it was enough to withstand the fierce attacks of a Late Stage Nascent Soul great Cultivator!

And the ones presiding over the flying boat were precisely these two—Nascent Soul Early Stage guard Elder Li Pojun, and Nascent Soul Early Stage business steward Wang Fugui! One specialized in slaughter and protection, the other in trading and operations.

On this journey, they had set out from Bashu, crossed thousands of mountains and rivers, passed through the ancient land of Jingzhou Province, and their final destination was the wealthy and prosperous shore of the East Sea.

Their purpose was to open new trade routes and establish trade relations with the powerful forces along the way.

In previous years, the Chamber of Commerce had also traded with some large Sects in ancient Jingzhou Province, but this was the first time they had directly steered a flying boat through dangerous lands to go deep into this border region of the Chu, Wu, and Yue kingdoms, which was originally regarded as a "remote corner."

The interior of the flying boat could be called a mobile treasury.

It not only carried specialty spiritual materials, Medicinal Pills, and Magical Artifacts from the land of Bashu, but also "flagship products" carefully prepared by the Chamber of Commerce to open new markets.

Its luxurious configuration and rich resources were enough to make any Nascent Soul Sect green with envy.

Hearing this, the smile on Wang Fugui's face faded slightly, and he nodded, "Elder Li is right to remind me. Although this region seems barren, according to the Chamber of Commerce's intelligence, there may be hidden old monsters in the depths of that Yunmeng Great Marsh and at the bottom of this Dongting Lake. We are here to do business, not to conquer. Everything should prioritize 'harmony' and 'profit'."

He paused and continued, "Since we have already arrived here, let's proceed according to plan. First, send out the 'invitations' and see what kind of 'friends' there are within this ten-thousand-li radius."

Li Pojun nodded slightly and said no more.

Soon, dozens of streaks of light of various colors shot out from the flying boat like a meteor shower, speeding toward various directions of the Chu, Wu, and Yue kingdoms, as well as the vast and mysterious Yunmeng Great Marsh!

These streaks of light were precisely the invitation-delivery teams sent out by the Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce. Each team was led by a Golden Core Cultivator and carried invitations made of special spiritual jade.

The content of the invitation was concise and powerful:

"The Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce, with its cross-province giant vessel, has happened to pass through this precious land and is hosting a grand banquet."

"We sincerely invite Fellow Daoists of the Golden Core stage and above, or the leaders of equivalent forces within ten thousand li, to gather above Lake on the first day of the tenth month to participate in an auction and trade assembly."

"Rare treasures, Cultivation Technique secret records, Spirit Pills, and miraculous medicines—everything you could want will be available. The highest bidder wins, and opportunities are for you to take."

"Furthermore, the top-tier Bashu artifact, the 'tianji mirror,' which can connect over ten thousand li for instantaneous communication, will make an appearance. Its mysteries are endless; please look forward to it."

This news was like a heavy bomb dropped into a calm lake, instantly whipping up a massive wave within a ten-thousand-li radius!