I Just Suddenly Thought of Something Happy

The Human Race had already shared the good news. The Sea Race, however, remained completely unaware. Fortunately, four days later, the escaped Six-fin Barracuda finally reached the outskirts of Pudu, bringing back news of the major defeat on the southern front. "You've had a long and arduous journey back. Go and rest for a couple of days," the Venerable One said calmly after listening to its report, his expression revealing no emotion. He even calmly instructed the Six-fin Barracuda to rest. But then, standing there lost in thought, it finally couldn't help but mutter to itself, "It's that Xiao Chen again... always opposing me." The nearby attendant, Red Crab, trembled at the sight. Knowing the Venerable One as it Venerable One, the calmer the outward appearance, the angrier it was inside. Not only had the southern front suffered a major defeat, but one of its only three great battle beasts had also been lost. This matter certainly couldn't end there; another bloody storm was likely to ensue. Not only the suddenly appearing Xiao Chen, but also those incompetent Great Demon on the southern front will certainly not fare well. Despite this, the Red Crab is filled with dread. It only hopes this arduous task won't fall on its own. To be fair, while Yun Qing, that detestable green worm, is usually obsequious, bullying, lazy, and extravagant... in short, it has done countless evil deeds. However, in terms of cultivation and combat power, it's almost on par with the Red Crab itself. Since it can't deal with Xiao Chen, then besides the Venerable One and the Giant Nautilus, there shouldn't be anyone else who can handle it. The problem is, the Nautilus has practically been the Venerable One's mount for years. Although it's a bit humiliating, it has consumed plenty of spiritual food and never needs to perform missions alone. It's doomed! The Red Crab grows increasingly panicked. Who else can be sent to reinforce the southern flank? After counting and considering, it seems there's no better choice than itself. What to do? For a moment, Red Crab felt like an ant on a hot pan, anxiously pacing back and forth. However, the expected command was nowhere to be seen. After muttering a few words to himself, the Venerable One stood still, gazing into the distance, seemingly lost in thought, pondering something. Could it be? There was still a chance? "Hai Hong, I remember you've always wanted the Dragon Saliva Spirit Bead," the Venerable One suddenly spoke, his tone still unreadable. "Originally, I planned to reward you with it after I crushed Universal Salvation Temple." "Now it seems I might have to do it sooner." As he spoke, a Compass appeared in his hand. "Take this Positioning Compass and go to the Shallow Sky Sea." "Gather your forces, establish a defensive formation, and block the Human Race reinforcements advancing north." "I'll also give you three of the most defensively skilled sea turtles to assist in the defense." "Your task is to hold out for at least six months, and after six months, I will personally deliver the Dragon Saliva Spirit Bead to you." Hai Hong was Red Crab's name, bestowed upon him by the Venerable One, just like Yun Qing. That Positioning Compass was no ordinary device; it contained a drop of the Essence Blood of all the Great Demon on the southern side, allowing it to pinpoint the exact location of any one of Great Demon. With it and the other Positioning Compass responsible for the northern side, none of the Great Demon under the Venerable One's command, even if alone, would dare to desert. Even the three Great Demon who escaped from the Cloud Wave Sea were only temporarily avoiding the Human Race army and dared not truly stray far from the Compassion Sea. They would have to obediently return to regroup as long as they could be contacted through the Compass. Hai Hong paused for a moment upon hearing this, but quickly recovered. "Your subordinate obeys!" It then hurriedly took the Positioning Compass. However, even after leaving the Universal Salvation Temple area, it still looked somewhat bewildered, unable to understand many things. The most crucial point was that the Venerable One didn't seem angry this time. He hadn't ordered punishment for the three deserters on the southern front, but instead ordered it to gather its forces. This was unlike the Venerable One's usual style. According to past practice, shouldn't those three ignorant fools have been slaughtered as a sacrifice to warn the other Great Demon? But this time, there wasn't even a single reprimand, which was truly strange. What Hai Hong didn't know was that the Venerable One was indeed very dissatisfied and had initially considered killing them. However, considering his grand plan, he ultimately restrained himself. The appropriate punishment for those three deserters would be made up for sooner or later, but not now. Although they had indeed performed utterly uselessly, they were currently in need of manpower. It was better to make use of them first, squeeze out their value, and settle the score after the war was over. Moreover, all of this wouldn't take long, only six months! If they launched a fierce attack for another six months, they could cause permanent and irreversible damage to the Fifth-Order Grand Array of Universal Salvation Temple, which was constantly operating at high intensity and had no time to be repaired. At that time, the Venerable One would personally take action, directly flatten Universal Salvation Temple, and then wipe out the entire Compassion Sea in one fell swoop, completely ending this war. The Human Race cultivators would never have imagined that it could destroy an incomplete Fifth-Order Grand Array. If the south side only needed to hold out for another six months, preventing the Daoist Sect from arriving at Universal Salvation Temple in time to help share the pressure, everything would be settled. If travel time is factored in, holding out for just over three months would suffice. Considering the Sea Race also possess powerful formations, holding out for three months with the support of these formations is not difficult at all. Theoretically, the existing Great Demon in the Shallow Sky Sea are capable of accomplishing this task. However, for the sake of caution, and primarily to prevent Xiao Chen from causing any further trouble, the Venerable One dispatched Hai Hong as reinforcement, and also exceptionally spared the three deserters to bolster the defenses of the Shallow Sky Sea. Not only that, two days later, it summoned the Six-fin Barracuda again, bestowing upon it Thirty-Six Revolving Cold Smoke Golden Talisman, and instructing it: "Remember, your primary objective in going to the Shallow Sky Sea is to avoid battle, hold your ground, and delay the enemy." "Tell Hai Hong not to be stingy with Spirit Stone, and not to engage the enemy in battle." This golden talisman is one of its trump cards, capable of blotting out the sky once unleashed. If it weren't for the strange talisman treasure that Xiao Chen had repeatedly used in intelligence reports, it wouldn't have been willing to use it here. "Your subordinate obeys!" The Six-fin Barracuda was overjoyed upon seeing this and immediately vowed, "As long as I have a breath left, I will not let a single Human Race cultivator cross the Shallow Sky Sea." Not only was it happy. A few days later Hai Hong, who had already retrieved the three Great Demon from the southern front, was also overjoyed upon learning the situation. They knew they were already at a disadvantage in human hands. The three sea turtles that had come with it were extremely skilled in defense; within the great formation, each one could do the work of two. Even if all the True Lord of the Human Race on the southern front were deployed, they wouldn't gain any advantage. Moreover, with the help of the Venerable One's treasure, holding out for not only half a year, but even three to five years wouldn't be a problem. The Sea Race adjusted their deployment, shifting to a defensive posture in the Shallow Sky Sea. For dozens of days, they gradually reduced the frequency of their attacks on the Azure Sea Immortal Sect. From once a day, it first became once every two days, then once every three to four days, and finally, they completely hid within the formation and stopped venturing out. They relied solely on a large number of temporarily added Surveillance Array to track the movements of the Human Race cultivators. They were on high alert, preparing for a possible attack from Human Race cultivators. However, at Cloud Wave Sword Abode, the weather was calm and sunny, showing no sign of tension. Xiao Chen had already finished reading the books in the Scripture Pavilion several days ago, learning many High Antiquity legends and anecdotes. Besides the section about the Heaven Star Sect, one story in particular left a deep impression on him. It was said that long ago, a special method called the ' Immortal Invocation Method ' appeared in the Compassion Sea. Cultivators could use this method to summon different 'immortals' to possess them, to relieve their worries or fight enemies. This sounded like a cheap trick circulating among mortals. However, a Water Spiritual Root Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator used the ' Immortal Invocation Method ' and suddenly his entire demeanor changed. He then, in front of everyone, directly unleashed Fire Element Spell he had never practiced before, and its power was quite impressive. At that time, it happened to be a tournament. His opponent was a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator, and he was almost victorious. Faced with his fierce Fire Method, he was defeated in less than three rounds. Even more intriguing was that this Golden Core cultivator committed suicide just one day later. This event caused quite a stir at the time, with many people coming to investigate the truth, but all to no avail. Ultimately, the Sword Hut True Lord of that generation recorded it for future generations within the sect to consult. In short, another strange piece of knowledge added. Because the Cloud Wave Sword Abode was still busy restoring the sect's operations, it couldn't spare the time to go to the Shallow Sky Sea. Therefore, after reading all the books in the collection, Xiao Chen became a free man. Of course, he didn't really become idle; he simply didn't need to run around. Instead, he used this time to continue cultivating his Law Technique. Although Xiao Chen had displayed great power in the battle that had just ended, when facing the Giant Octopus, he once again felt that the strength of the "Four Symbols Suppressing Mountain Shield," which only activated the Black Tortoise Spirit Mark, was somewhat insufficient. To better cope with the upcoming battles, this Defensive Spell needed to be replenished with the other three attribute Spiritual Pattern. To this end, Xiao Chen used one each of the Gold, Fire, and Wood Dao Comprehension Crystal to enhance his understanding of different Great Daos. Of course, the Purple-Gold Bodhi Fruit was always present, becoming a standard combination. After nearly a month of intensive training, having consumed four fourth-tier Gold, Fire, and Wood Element Fourth-Order Spiritual Item, he successfully condensed all four types of Spiritual Pattern. Before heading to the Shallow Sky Sea, he mastered the complete version of the "Four Symbols Suppressing Mountain Shield," significantly improving his defensive capabilities. He would be much more at ease facing attacks from Great Demon in the future. Because there were still some unresolved matters at the Sword Hut, he waited another three days. Finally, Cloud Vortex True Monarch came to him after everything was arranged: "Daoist Xiao, all the spirit ships are ready and can depart at any time." "When should we set off?" Xiao Chen answered without hesitation, "Of course, now." He was eager to test the practical effects of the complete "Four Symbols Suppressing Mountain Shield." As the order to depart spread, the seven large spirit ships anchored around Listening Wave Island also set sail one after another. Three of the ships belonged to the Heavenly Dipper Sect, two to the Cloud Wave Sword Abode, and two to the Esteem Truth Temple. A total of seven Nascent Soul True Lord, each aboard a spirit ship, lined up in a long queue and headed towards the Shallow Sky Sea. The reason why two True Lord from the Esteem Truth Temple also set off with them stemmed from a visit to Xiao Chen a month prior by Crane Cry True Monarch and True Monarch Purple Sun True Monarch. Initially Esteem Truth Temple wasn't particularly interested in reinforcing the Azure Sea Immortal Sect. Even if they were to come, they likely wouldn't send their entire force, but would leave one person to repair the sect and restore production. However, when Crane Cry True Monarch arrived that day, they happened to reminisce about the Eight Directions Arena. Of course, this wasn't to say that Xiao Chen had ruined their plans. Rather, it was to use this old story to praise Xiao Chen's youthful talent, saying they had seen he was destined for greatness, and now he had indeed risen to prominence. They also discussed the rewards. Although Xiao Chen had won the Glazed Pearl through his own ability, it was at least a matter of fate. The implication was that since they were destined to meet, they should stay close and visit each other more often. These polite words weren't the main point. The key was that since it was a reunion, they inevitably talked about another major event that happened on Red Flower Island — the Nascent Soul Ceremony of Purple Sun True Monarch. Speaking of which, Purple Sun True Monarch was also Newly Promoted Nascent Soul. Crane Cry True Monarch proudly stated, "Although my junior brother isn't as young as Die Lang Daoist, he's only just turned eighty this year." "Nascent Soul True Lord lives for a thousand years. For the next thousand years, the Compassion Sea will belong to you young people." His angle was excellent. From the perspective of Nascent Soul Cultivator, Xiao Chen and Wave Stacking True Monarch were indeed close in age to Purple Sun True Monarch, almost of the same generation. Logically, they would indeed spend the next thousand years together in the Compassion Sea. There would be competition and help between them, ultimately becoming both rivals and friends. This would be a very special relationship. You must understand, for True Lord of their generation who were less than a hundred years old... In the future, fellow disciples, due to their advanced age, will pass away first. Former sect Elder, old friends from their Golden Core days, future wives, children, disciples, and all other relatives and friends—if they cannot break through to the Nascent Soul, they will all depart first. Golden Core True Person can live for five hundred years. Taking Wave Stacking True Monarch as an example, this means he might take on a disciple with a Heavenly Spirit Root in three hundred years, and then watch that disciple pass away before him eight hundred years later. During this long period, only two types of people can remain in their lives. The first are fellow disciples who later break through to the Nascent Soul stage. The second are True Lord of the same generation from other sects, of similar age. The former explains why Mirror Reflection True Monarch cared so much about Illusion Breaker True Monarch, even taking him with him when fleeing. For fellow disciples, although there is no blood relation, they are closer than family. Ironically, after Mirror Reflection True Monarch fell into demonic possession, he personally killed his own junior brother. The latter is the key point Crane Cry True Monarch wants to convey this time. Many True Lord might not realize this when they are young, so he, as someone with experience, took the initiative to remind them. Since you young people are likely to become close friends in the future, why not get closer now? As long as Purple Sun True Monarch can establish a good relationship with Xiao Chen, wouldn't the status of Esteem Truth Temple be as solid as a rock? For Crane Cry True Monarch, his plan made perfect sense. At least after listening, Cloud Vortex True Monarch couldn't help but curse him as an old fox in his heart. Then he chimed in, saying that it was indeed the right thing to do, and that the Compassion Sea would be led by you in the future. After all, Esteem Truth Temple Purple Sun True Monarch, and their Cloud Wave Sword Abode had Wave Stacking True Monarch. If Wave Stacking True Monarch could establish a good relationship with Xiao Chen, then Cloud Wave Sword Abode might be able to advance even further in the future. But although the two of them were talking enthusiastically, Gang Yuan True Monarch and Han Chuan True Monarch beside them smiled without saying a word. The fact that no third person agreed for a long time inevitably made it seem like they were just echoing each other. Crane Cry True Monarch was very puzzled. Didn't the Heavenly Dipper Sect also have a young man named Rift Void True Monarch? Why aren't you two saying anything? Little did they know, Gang Yuan True Monarch and Han Chuan True Monarch were secretly laughing to themselves. It wasn't that they thought Crane Cry True Monarch's idea was flawed; on the contrary, they agreed with its logic. However, they both knew that Xiao Chen had already broken through to Nascent Soul stage at the age of twenty-nine. Such a peerless Peerless Prodigy, rarely seen throughout history, was destined to attempt to reach the Spirit Transformation Venerable realm in the future, barring any unforeseen circumstances. He might even achieve the Venerable position in just four hundred years, or even a mere three hundred years. At that time, he would likely reside permanently within the Three Mountains Grotto-Heaven and probably wouldn't return to the Compassion Sea. There would be no longer any enmity-friendship relationship between him and Purple Sun True Monarch, Wave Stacking True Monarch, or their own Junior Brother Rift Void. But Crane Cry True Monarch was unaware of this. Seeing that Gang Yuan True Monarch and Han Chuan True Monarch remained unmoved, he simply asked, "Speaking of which, Die Lang Daoist broke through to the Nascent Soul at the age of fifty-eight, which is now common knowledge." "I see that Fellow Rift Void Daoist also looks quite young. May I ask how old he is?" He deliberately steered the conversation towards age, firstly to reinforce the earlier point about their similar ages, and secondly to involve the Heavenly Dipper Sect in the discussion. It was a two-birds-with-one-stone approach. Cloud Vortex True Monarch also chimed in, "Rift Void Daoist does indeed look young, unlike me. When I broke through to the Nascent Soul, I was already over two hundred years old." "Let me guess first. Their generation should all be quite young." "Rift Void Daoist is probably around eighty years old? As for Daoist Xiao, he should be much younger, right?" "Judging from his vibrant blood and energy, he is probably not even fifty yet." However, strangely, after they finished speaking, the expressions of Gang Yuan True Monarch and Han Chuan True Monarch became odd. Their mouths were tightly closed, but their eyebrows twitched, their lower faces were tense, and their eyes were full of smiles. He seemed to have heard something funny, but was trying hard not to say it. Finally, Crane Cry True Monarch couldn't help but ask, "Daoist Gang Yuan, what's wrong?" Gang Yuan True Monarch immediately turned serious: "Nothing, I just suddenly remembered something happy." "Well, Junior Brother Rift Void is actually quite old now, he's eighty-two today." "Compared to Fellow Daoist Ziyang, he's still slightly inferior." The last sentence was purely polite; in his heart, his own junior brother was definitely better. Han Chuan True Monarch's eyes darted around: "Actually, breaking through to the Nascent Soul within a hundred years is already very good." "A few years more or less isn't that crucial." "How far one can go in the future depends on their individual understanding of the Great Dao." After all, they had promised to keep Xiao Chen's secret, so he proactively changed the subject. But having come this far, True Cloud Vortex True Monarch naturally didn't want to stop there. So he immediately turned back, saying, "It seems I guessed the first half of the sentence correctly." "But I wonder if the second half is correct." At this, everyone looked at Xiao Chen. At this point, it was practically a direct question about his age. Actually, Xiao Chen hadn't intended to hide anything from the beginning. If Gang Yuan True Monarch and Han Chuan True Monarch hadn't proactively offered to keep it a secret, he certainly wouldn't have brought it up. Since Cloud Vortex True Monarch had asked today, he answered truthfully, "Cloud Vortex Fellow Daoist guessed accurately." "I'm exactly thirty years old today, indeed not yet fifty." How old did you say? Cloud Vortex True Monarch was taken aback, then blinked, wondering if he had misheard. He waited a moment, but no one else spoke, and everyone suddenly fell silent. He slightly turned his head to look to his left. He saw Crane Cry True Monarch's lips slightly parted, his eyes wide with disbelief, staring at Xiao Chen in disbelief. Judging from this reaction, he must have heard the same answer as him. So, really thirty years old? "Wait a minute, thirty years old this year? Xiao Chen already appeared on the West Front front last year, so he's twenty-nine? You...I...ah?" Cloud Vortex True Monarch finally showed astonishment. Is this correct? Purple Sun True Monarch was also dumbfounded. He had been slightly pleased when he heard that Rift Void True Monarch was two years older than him. Don't be fooled by the seemingly small age difference. You see, any cultivator who can break through to the Nascent Soul within a hundred years of age has already exhausted all the necessary resources. Therefore, the difference lies purely in talent. These two years mean his talent is still two points stronger than Rift Void True Monarch's. But who can tell him, what the hell is twenty-nine years old? This isn't a matter of resources anymore. Even if he drinks Spirit Liquid like water every day, doesn't Condense True Essence essence take time? Doesn't he need to prepare before breaking through to the Golden Core? No matter how you calculate it, there's not enough time! And wait a minute, Xiao Chen has been running around ever since he appeared in the Compassion Sea." From Red Flower Island to the Cangran Secret Realm, and then to the opening of the New Ruin, he didn't spend any time on cultivation! Oh, right, I remember now, he was on the path of Comprehension Path. It's very likely that he was already at the Golden Core Great Perfection at that time, and his travels were for the purpose of gaining enlightenment through experience. Wait, Comprehension Path? Purple Sun True Monarch suddenly wanted to laugh. Who said that Comprehension Path would be slow? Is it slow? Anyway, he has learned something new today. It turns out that there are such peerless talents in the world. He has also truly understood what it means to have people beyond people and mountains beyond mountains. No, it should be that there are mountains beyond mountains. For a moment, all three of them were shocked. Gang Yuan True Monarch and Han Chuan True Monarch were relatively calm, turning their heads to look at each other and exchanging glances. "Look at Cloud Vortex's silly face, he's a complete blockhead." "Well, there's nothing I can do about it. I've already changed the subject, but he insists on asking."