Eternal Tale

“Moo!” Brother Ox suddenly picked up a fist-sized mineral stone and bellowed in front of Chen Xun, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Starshift Mysterious Stone Ore!”

“Brother Ox, what is that?” Xiao Chi asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

“It’s a crucial material for creating teleportation arrays.”

Chen Xun’s eyes brightened. The Starshift Mysterious Stone Ore was jet black, but inside, twinkling star-like lights floated around as if space itself was flowing within the stone—deeply mysterious.

Xiao Chi stared at the stone, slack-jawed. It was indeed captivating.

“Hurry up and sort through the loot. See if there’s any array diagrams or similar items,” Chen Xun suddenly shouted. “Let’s get to work, brothers!”

“Moo!”

“Got it!”

Brother Ox and Xiao Chi darted around the ship, organizing the spirit stones, spirit herbs, cultivation techniques, books, and array diagrams into neat categories.

Chen Xun was particularly interested in the cultivation techniques and books, while Brother Ox was absorbed in the array diagrams and spirit herbs. Xiao Chi, meanwhile, greedily devoured the spirit stones.

Despite their efforts, Brother Ox was a bit disappointed—most of the array diagrams were for offensive formations, and there was no sign of a teleportation array diagram.

Chen Xun sat under the large tree on the ship’s deck, engrossed in a book. The text contained all sorts of fascinating stories, and a clearer image of Da Li was forming in his mind.

The giant boat navigated through layers of mist and fog, slowly drifting through the Forbidden Sea.

Xiao Chi and Brother Ox were always bustling about, noisily steering the ship. They had learned to avoid ancient ships at all costs—they were no match for those.

However, they hadn’t let a single human fleet or large ship pass without looting. They’d perfected their routine: gathering storage rings and performing rites for the dead.

The Forbidden Sea was vast and boundless. They wandered aimlessly, and their wealth grew with every passing day.

Brother Ox fed Xiao Chi with thousand-year-old spirit herbs and spirit stones daily, causing Xiao Chi’s cultivation to steadily rise. But it felt like a bottomless pit, similar to the slow progress they had once faced when cultivating their five-element roots.

Every day, Chen Xun leaned back under the tree, flipping through books and smiling at the commotion caused by Brother Ox and Xiao Chi.

...

The winds of time howled, and years passed like fiery waves of memory. A hundred years had flown by as the giant boat drifted through the Forbidden Sea.

In the depths of the Forbidden Sea, dead cultivators often floated, only to be swallowed whole by terrifying sea beasts lurking beneath the dark waters, leaving no bones behind.

Then there were the unassuming whirlpools of dark currents, which could even swallow magical energy. A single misstep could lead to death and the consumption of entire ships.

However, the seven ancient secret realms hidden within the Forbidden Sea continued to attract countless cultivators. If someone could obtain an ancient inheritance, they could rise to unimaginable heights.

There was a clear divide between the ancient world and the present. Countless powerful ancient techniques had been lost, and the methods created by ancient cultivators were far more powerful than anything in the present era.

As frigid sea winds howled and waves murmured like ghosts, a cautious fleet sailed through the Forbidden Sea.

*Boom!*

Suddenly, the waters surged violently. In the distance, a Nascent Soul-stage sea beast erupted from the depths, stirring up the wind and clouds as it broke through the surface. ɽÂ₦ổΒЕS

It opened its enormous, gaping maw, its mind long since consumed by corruption, and its eyes, like two glowing lanterns, fixed on a distant target.

“Protect the young master!”

“Guard the young master!”

...

The fleet erupted in chaos. Magical power surged in all directions as the cultivators scrambled to shield a young man at the center.

The man remained calm, his hands behind his back, his obsidian-black eyes gleaming with sharp determination. Beneath his seemingly calm gaze, there was a hidden, fierce resolve.

His name was Yu Chen, a prodigy from one of Da Li’s three great ancient families, the Yu family. He had deliberately suppressed his cultivation at the late Golden Core stage, waiting for an opportunity to enter the Forbidden Sea’s secret realm.

The faces of the other cultivators were grim. They had only been tasked with escorting him, but now they faced a powerful sea beast. This would be a grueling battle.

“Stay calm. The sea beast isn’t targeting us,” Yu Chen said, his gaze cool and steady. “That beast… it’s an Abyss Carp!”

“Young master, that’s right. It is indeed an Abyss Carp,” an old man in green robes confirmed from behind Yu Chen. “In the Forbidden Sea, many sea beasts long thought extinct in the West Sea can still be found.”

“If the Nascent Soul of the Abyss Carp were refined into medicine, it would be even more precious than a Nascent Soul Pill,” the old man added.

Hearing this, a glimmer of desire flickered in Yu Chen’s eyes. If they could slay this beast, it would make his path to Nascent Soul far smoother.

“Young master, the Abyss Carp has been corrupted by the demonic energy of the Forbidden Sea. It’s fearless and difficult to kill,” the old man cautioned. “Attempting to slay it might not be worth the risk. It would be better to take a detour.”

Without a Nascent Soul-stage expert on their side, it would be nearly impossible to subdue such a beast. And in the Forbidden Sea, no Nascent Soul-stage cultivator would dare to lower their cultivation level.

“I understand,” Yu Chen sighed, though his heart was still unwilling.

*Boom!*

Suddenly, the Abyss Carp let out a roar, followed by a blood-curdling shriek. At the same time, a streak of black light cut through the Forbidden Sea, stirring up violent waves and deafening crashes!

In the blink of an eye, the enormous body of the Abyss Carp was split in two, its blood spraying across the sea, painting the waters red.

Then, a massive shadow emerged from the mist. A giant claw snatched up the carp’s remains, including its Nascent Soul, sealing it away.

“What was that?!” The old man in green robes was wide-eyed in shock. They were too far away, and their divine sense was blocked, making it impossible to see clearly.

The cultivators aboard the fleet stood agape, utterly stunned. What had they just witnessed?

“Young master, we need to leave,” the old man urged, snapping out of his daze. “There’s a fearsome beast behind us, and we can’t break through.”

“Wait, it’s too late…” Yu Chen muttered, looking up in disbelief.

“Fifth brother!” A woman appeared from another large ship, flying through the air. Her chest rose and fell as she struggled to contain her alarm. The Abyss Carp had been slain in a single blow—there was a terrifying beast lurking in the Forbidden Sea.

“Yiwei,” Yu Chen called to her softly.

Yu Yiwei’s long hair billowed in the wind as she landed beside Yu Chen, her expression anxious.

The old man in green robes’ magical power flared, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. Something massive was approaching through the mist.

The fleet fell silent. Every cultivator looked up, their pupils trembling. The unknown was the true source of fear.

At that moment, a colossal ship slowly emerged from the mist. At its stern was a massive tree that blocked out the sky, its leaves stark black and white.

Everyone held their breath. Was this an ancient ship?

“Fifth brother… what is that?” Yu Yiwei was frozen in place, clutching a spirit artifact. “An ancient warship shaped like a crane?”

Yu Chen’s eyes glowed with magical power, twin beams of light shooting out from his eyes, piercing through the mist and dispersing much of it.

Moments later, his expression changed drastically, and he took a step back. “It’s not an ancient warship!”

Yu Yiwei had never seen her brother so unnerved. She tightened her grip on the artifact in her hands. The Forbidden Sea was full of danger—she had long been mentally prepared for it.

The old man in green robes sent out urgent messages to all the ships, determined to protect the young master and young mistress at all costs.

The colossal ship slowly revealed itself. Standing upon it were two four-legged creatures, their gazes calm. Behind them was the corpse of the Abyss Carp, its Nascent Soul sealed by glowing chains as it struggled to break free.

However, the creatures showed no interest in the humans. They weren’t there for them but were merely passing by on their journey.

“Esteemed seniors, please wait!” Yu Chen suddenly shouted, his voice echoing across the sea. “I am from the Yu family of Da Li. Might we have a word?”

The entire fleet fell into a state of shock. What boldness! The beings had no interest in them, yet the young master insisted on stopping them.

The old man in green was at a loss for words. His white hair fluttered in the wind as he realized the gravity of the situation. It was too late to stop him.

Yu Yiwei felt her legs weaken. She couldn’t fathom her brother’s thinking. Could one reckless statement be the reason for their impending deaths today?

“What is it, human?” one of the four-legged creatures asked calmly as it took a step forward. “We only came for the Abyss Carp and have no quarrel with you.”

It stood majestically

atop the crane-shaped prow of the ship, exuding an air of grandeur. Then, it turned slightly and smiled ingratiatingly. “Hehe, Brother Ox, how do I look?”

“Moo moo~” Brother Ox chuckled. Xiao Chi was truly nailing his act.

They had just happened to pass by and spot the Abyss Carp. In the hundred years they’d been wandering the Forbidden Sea, they had only encountered a few Nascent Soul-stage sea beasts. Naturally, they couldn’t let this one slip by, so Chen Xun had easily dispatched it with a single strike, intending to use it to nourish Xiao Chi.

Meeting this human fleet was purely a coincidence, as they had been heading in the same direction to hunt sea beasts.

“Would you be willing to sell us the Abyss Carp?” Yu Chen asked, bowing deeply in respect. “The Yu family will offer you a generous price.”

“Human, there’s no need. We don’t lack—”

Xiao Chi began to dismiss the offer but suddenly paused, thinking of Brother Ox. He quickly changed his tone and shouted, “Do you have a teleportation array diagram?!”

“We do!” Yu Chen’s face lit up with excitement. “What else do you require, esteemed senior?”

Yu Yiwei was in shock. Her brother was truly a peculiar man. How could he negotiate such a deal with beings like these? Weren’t they afraid of being double-crossed?

The old man in green robes narrowed his eyes in disapproval. To him, this was akin to bargaining with a tiger, a dangerous and foolish endeavor.

“This was no easy kill. You’ll need to pay more!” A powerful voice suddenly boomed from the giant ship. A black-robed man slowly rose to his feet, a genial smile playing across his lips.

The cultivators aboard the fleet felt a collective shudder as if something had pierced their hearts. They stared in disbelief at the distant ship, realizing, with no small amount of shock, that there was someone else aboard… a man.

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