Arrival at Shallow Sky Sea

"Daoist Xiao, I brought two small gifts with me this time to express my gratitude." Crane Cry True Monarch Heming, regaining his composure, took out two exquisite gift boxes from his sleeve. "They have no other meaning than to thank you for your timely assistance in relieving our crisis on the southern front." They were two sandalwood boxes carved with phoenix patterns. One box had flowing Spiritual Pattern on its surface, with a shimmering white light floating around its edges; the other was shrouded in a hazy mist, with fine dewdrops condensing on its lid. Just by looking at them, one could tell that what was inside was no ordinary item. Xiao Chen naturally declined, "Crane Daoist Friend is too kind. Exorcising demons and Exterminate Demons and Defend the Dao is simply our duty. Why such a generous gift?" Crane Cry True Monarch replied, "Daoist Xiao's noble character is truly admirable!" "It is but a small gift, nothing more than a token of my respect. I hope you will not refuse, otherwise it would seem that I am ignorant of etiquette." To be honest, this was by no means a small gift. Xiao Chen waved his hand and said, "Crane Daoist Friend, you flatter me. I was merely offering my meager assistance." "I appreciate your kindness, but please take the gift back," Crane Cry True Monarch said solemnly. "Fellow Daoist Xiao, Daoist Xiao are mistaken!" "If it weren't for your help, how could the situation on the southern front have progressed so smoothly? If it had continued, who knows how many more disciples would have perished." "Therefore, please accept this gift, Fellow Daoist." Seeing this, Xiao Chen didn't refuse further. "Since that's the case, then I will respectfully accept." The two treasure boxes contained the Floating Cloud Treasure Jade and the Water Suppressing Spirit Pearl. The former contained a wisp of Heavenly Dipper Cloud Qi, a first-rate material. It could be used to cultivate concealment Law Technique or integrated into formations to summon clouds and rain. With specific Inheritance Secret Method, it could also be used as a one-time reconnaissance Law Technique, directly penetrating the Five Elements Forbidden Techniques and traversing the earth's veins to obtain intelligence. The latter, as its name suggests, was a water-elemental pearl. Holding the Water Suppressing Spirit Pearl, a cultivator can calm the surface of rivers, lakes, and seas within a radius of ten thousand feet. If activated with true essence or further refined into a related Spirit Artifact, it can directly interfere with any Law Technique related to flowing water, weakening their power or even suppressing them entirely. Of course, the suppression effect is generally more pronounced against lower-level cultivators. To be effective against water-based cultivators of the same level, a significant difference in cultivation level is required. Furthermore, both of these spiritual items can serve as top-tier fourth-order Artifact Refining Material. They are truly first-rate treasures, undoubtedly belonging to the category of superior Fourth-Order Spiritual Item. Before Crane Cry True Monarch arrived, he hadn't decided which gift to give. After all, such treasures have no fixed acquisition method, and each use diminishes their value. Moreover, he didn't know much about Xiao Chen and was unsure of his preferences. After much deliberation, he simply prepared both items in a gift box beforehand, intending to act according to the situation upon arrival and choose one accordingly. As they chatted, he learned about Xiao Chen's Nascent Soul Formation at twenty-nine. Without further ado, he gave him both gifts. It was as if he and Purple Sun True Monarch each gave him a present. Later, upon learning that Xiao Chen would also be heading to the Shallow Sky Sea to aid the Azure Sea Immortal Sect and Thousand Machines Valley, Crane Cry True Monarch gave him a thumbs up: "At this turbulent time, Daoist Xiao has the world in his heart and cares for all living beings; he is truly admirable!" "Our Esteem Truth Temple should not lag behind; we should lend our full support and fight the Sea Race together!" In a few words, they decided to take Purple Sun True Monarch and set off with the main force. Although this didn't align with their original plan, times change. Now that a formidable enemy had invaded, the matters of building the sect and repairing the formations could be postponed. Fighting the enemy was everyone's responsibility! And incidentally, they could fight alongside Xiao Chen in the process. The more contact and interaction people have, the easier it is to deepen their relationships. Besides, even if none of these goals were achieved, it wouldn't matter. When Xiao Chen truly becomes Venerable in the future, this experience alone will be a source of pride. "Back then, I fought alongside a certain Venerable, wielding swords against the Sea Race, and back then..." This would definitely be something to boast about to the younger generation. In short, Crane Cry True Monarch and Purple Sun True Monarch joined the reinforcements. Since the start of the war, the area of the Shallow Sky Sea has expanded considerably. Theoretically, leaving the Listening Wave Sea means entering the New Shallow Sky Sea region. However, in reality, it takes about five and a half days to reach the true Shallow Sky Sea by traveling north on a spirit ship. "Although I've seen it twice already, I must say, it's truly a wonder of the world." Xiao Chen stood at the bow of the ship, leaning against the railing, gazing into the distance, and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. The seawater here was extremely clear, almost reflecting a person's image. Sunlight shone down, and the sea surface was like a giant mirror, reflecting the clear blue sky and snow-white clouds. Even more remarkably, looking down through the sea, one could directly see coral jade trees dozens of feet high underwater. The drifting clouds seemed to have fallen into the sea, or perhaps the corals seemed to have grown in the sky. A gentle breeze occasionally stirred, rippling the water and spreading out layers of shimmering gold, creating a dreamlike scene. If it were only this, while beautiful, it wouldn't be considered a wonder in the Cultivation World. What was truly remarkable was that the seawater wasn't uniformly deep blue; it was translucent up close, gradually deepening in color as it went deeper. Where the water met the sky in the distance, it became a deep, inky blue. Yet, it didn't appear gloomy; instead, it possessed a lustrous sheen, like a vast expanse of floating blue silk. Occasionally, a small, slender flying fish would leap from the water, tracing a bright silver arc before disappearing back into the azure waves. From afar, it resembled twinkling stars, or a nighttime spectacle. With each glance, the blue sky, white clouds, azure sea, coral reefs, and a dazzling starry night unfolded before one's eyes—truly a breathtaking sight! In fact, Xiao Chen had passed through this place once before. However, he was alone at the time and preoccupied with finding the Sha Qi, so he naturally had no time to appreciate the scenery. This time, coming out with everyone was different. Gang Yuan True Monarch and the others had already set up small stoves at the bow of the ship, preparing top-quality Spirit Wine. They even cast nets to catch a bunch of local small shrimp, a specialty of the Shallow Sky Sea, to soak in the wine. They enjoyed the scenery while Dao Discussion over wine. The atmosphere was quite different. Since boarding the ship, Xiao Chen had spent the first six days cultivating his Law Technique in the pavilion. But today, he was drawn to the bow to join the others in the lively atmosphere. Dao Discussion, the topics for discussion were limited. Firstly, their Spirit Root were different, and their understanding of the Great Dao was also different. They could only talk about some common points, and the discussion quickly came to an end. Secondly, the cultivation levels of everyone present were different. Xiao Chen, Purple Sun True Monarch, Rift Void True Monarch, and Wave Stacking True Monarch had all only recently broken through to the Nascent Soul. Their understanding of the Great Dao was not entirely nonexistent, but it was almost nonexistent. This meant that half of them could not participate in the discussion. Yes, Wave Stacking True Monarch came along too. Although his injuries weren't fully healed, they weren't severe and happened relatively early. He's almost 90% recovered now, and should be fully healed in a while. Of course, this is just a prerequisite. More importantly, a few days before departure, Cloud Vortex True Monarch suddenly realized something. The Heavenly Dipper Sect and Esteem Truth Temple each brought two young men Rift Void True Monarch and Purple Sun True Monarch. Only Cloud Wave Sword Abode had him, an old man. How could this be acceptable? So he specifically went to check on Wave Stacking True Monarch, and after confirming he was nearly recovered, brought him onto the ship. Cloud Vortex True Monarch's main thought was this: the Human Race's reinforcements were essentially a proactive attack. That meant Wave Stacking True Monarch could go to the Shallow Sky Sea without fighting and stay in the rear to continue recuperating. This in itself wasn't risky. Besides, frankly, where one recuperates doesn't matter, but if he missed the opportunity to fight alongside Daoist Xiao, who knows when the next chance would come. However, this thought made Wave Stacking True Monarch a little unhappy. More accurately, he was Qi Ingestion. Others might not know, but he had previously considered Xiao Chen his testing ground. Although he hadn't said it aloud, every time he received information about Xiao Chen, he eagerly anticipated their future encounter at the Nascent Soul stage. He had even planned to spar and hone his swordsmanship. However, when they met again, he was not only injured by the Sea Race, but Xiao Chen had also achieved remarkable feats, even killing the Giant Octopus that had injured him. This was quite awkward. The Demon Beast he couldn't defeat had been dealt with by the other. Although strictly speaking, Xiao Chen had utilized the Big Dipper Demonic Fire, Spirit Fire was also part of a cultivator's strength. Moreover, besides the Giant Octopus, the stone grouper, equivalent to Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator, was defeated by genuine Law Technique. The Wave Stacking True Monarch Dielang hadn't even begun; it seemed destined to end prematurely. How could he not feel frustrated? However, to have cultivated to the Nascent Soul at the age of fifty-eight... Wave Stacking True Monarch was undoubtedly a person of exceptional talent and unwavering Dao heart. He quickly rallied, changing Xiao Chen's challenge from a trial stone to the ultimate challenge. Things that are too easy are less interesting. Defeating strong opponents brings greater satisfaction. From the moment he successfully advanced to the Nascent Soul, the difference in Spiritual Root Aptitude became less important. The further one progresses, the more crucial the test becomes of a cultivator's comprehension of the Great Dao and the cultivation of their Divine Sense. Wave Stacking True Monarch was different from Purple Sun True Monarch and others; he was also Genius Cultivator, a rare find even in tens of thousands of years. Having broken through to the Nascent Soul at fifty-eight, he would have ample time and considerable opportunities to attempt the Spirit Transformation stage in the future. Therefore, he believed that as long as he worked hard enough, he might one day surpass them. Seven days later. The fleet traversed an archipelago to the south, approaching the front lines. Standing at the bow, one could already see several pillars of light piercing the heavens and earth. These were the Defensive Formation set up by the Azure Sea Immortal Sect, each pillar representing a Core Array Foundation. "Clang! Clang!" Two clear, resounding Bronze Bell rang out in succession, an alarm triggered by the activation of the Warning Formation. The bells meant that an unidentified Surveillance Array had just swept across the spirit ship. Two rings indicated a less serious situation, perhaps due to the distance or a low-level Surveillance Array. Since yesterday, these sounds had become increasingly frequent. Initially, the alarms only occurred once every three hours, but now they appeared every half hour. The numerous Golden Core Disciple on the spirit ship were hurriedly manipulating the arrays, attempting to trace and locate the target using the probe's power. Simultaneously, they checked and maintained the surrounding Formation Flag, ensuring their own arrays were functioning properly and their Spirit Stone reserves were sufficient. "Thump!" A short while later, another deep, heavy bell rang, signifying a high-intensity probe. At the same time, Xiao Chen, who was practicing Law Technique, clearly felt an invisible probe force rush into his pavilion. "Hmm?" He frowned, and the powerful Divine Sense of Nascent Soul True Lord immediately poured out from his sea of consciousness. In an instant, it shattered the incoming probing power, preventing the opponent from seeing the specific situation inside the ship. However, even so, the information that there was at least one Nascent Soul True Lord on this spirit ship was inevitably leaked out. "It's as annoying as flies!" Xiao Chen was a little speechless. This kind of probing didn't come from some Great Demon, but from a pre-set Surveillance Array. Although it affected his cultivation, he couldn't directly retaliate. Because most of the time, in order to save costs as much as possible, all the Reconnaissance Formation used were one-time use. Once triggered, they would collapse on their own due to structural instability, without requiring his side to bother searching and destroying them. Of course, the Golden Core Disciple on the ship would still actively locate the position. Then they would take small boats to verify the situation and try to recover some spiritual materials that could be reused. In handling these small matters, the well-trained Golden Core Disciple were still very useful. With these small interludes, the fleet sailed straight forward into the great array of the Azure Sea Immortal Sect ahead. Once inside, the external disturbances would be isolated by the great formation, allowing for much more peace and quiet. Iron Fan True Monarch and Silver Hair True Monarch had been waiting within the formation for some time. They immediately greeted them, saying, "Excellent! I've been eagerly anticipating this for days! We're so glad you've all arrived!" They were old friends with Gang Yuan True Monarch and the others, so a few polite words were inevitable. They also introduced each other to newcomers like Xiao Chen and Rift Void True Monarch. Iron Fan True Monarch naturally showered them with praise. Especially when it came to Xiao Chen, he showered him with compliments, talking non-stop for nearly a quarter of an hour before finally stopping. "Oh dear, I'm so happy I forgot to invite everyone to sit down first," Iron Fan True Monarch gestured, "Please come this way. My junior brother and I have prepared a small feast to welcome you all." "Let's eat and chat, drink and talk." The group took their seats one after another. Since they were inside the grand formation, nine low square tables were prepared, eliminating the need for polite exchanges about seating arrangements. Everyone chose a spot and sat down. Xiao Chen noticed that thirty-six plates were already laid out on the tables. They contained delicacies from land and sea, birds and beasts—virtually everything imaginable. Even so, Iron Fan True Monarch smiled and said, "The conditions here are a little less than within the sect; please bear with me." "After we defeat the Sea Race, I will host a banquet for everyone at Azure Sea Market." This meal was very different from the one at Cloud Wave Sword Abode. Not only because the latter was indoors, but this one was outdoors. Mainly, Iron Fan True Monarch, as the host, had a completely different style from Cloud Vortex True Monarch. Everyone had already drunk several rounds of wine and eaten several dishes, yet he was still chatting and talking, showing no intention of discussing serious matters. He had clearly said he was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Xiao Chen, but now he seemed completely unhurried. Unlike Cloud Vortex True Monarch, who quickly began discussing tactics for the next day and devising an ambush plan after Xiao Chen's arrival. The reason for this wasn't because Iron Fan True Monarch was lying. For the first half-month after receiving the news of victory, he had indeed been anxiously awaiting reinforcements to help alleviate the pressure. However, as Hai Hong began to gather manpower and reinforce the formation, the pressure on the Azure Sea Immortal Sect decreased rapidly. Especially after Hai Hong learned fifteen days ago that Xiao Chen and his group had set off for the Shallow Sky Sea, she ordered a complete abandonment of harassment, with everyone withdrawing to the Defensive Formation to conserve their strength for a protracted war. Therefore, Iron Fan True Monarch finally had time to relax. Initially, he was naturally somewhat nervous, but after half a month, confirming that the Sea Race wasn't plotting anything but had genuinely fled at the first sign of trouble, he naturally relaxed and wasn't in a hurry to discuss how to engage the enemy. Faced with this situation, Xiao Chen initially chose to indulge in a feast. After all, the Azure Sea Immortal Sect used many Sea Fish unique to the Shallow Sky Sea to make specialty dishes, so he definitely had to try them. But seeing that the food was almost finished and they hadn't even gotten down to business, he was getting a little bored. So he took the initiative to ask, "I've heard that there have always been quite a few powerful Sea Race Great Demon in the Shallow Sky Sea." "Could Daoist Iron Fan tell us about them?" Who asked? Iron Fan True Monarch was recounting his successful treasure-hunting adventure in the Secret Realm two hundred years ago. Sharing his unique experiences with Newly Promoted True Monarch was much more comfortable than telling his own sect disciples or clansmen. Especially since he was at the most exciting part of his story, and now the atmosphere had been disrupted. He turned around and immediately said, "Of course, no problem. I'll tell Daoist Xiao about them in detail." In fact, the number of Great Demon Sea Race monsters left here was not large. If you count from the beginning, a total of nine Great Demon had appeared in the Shallow Sky Sea. But they didn't appear all at once; they went through several waves of rotation. At most, there were six Great Demon present at the same time, which decreased to four before the Lunar New Year, and then continued until half a month ago. The remaining four Great Demon were a Silver Thread Shuttle Fish, a Thousand-Eye Ray, a Gilded Overlord Crab, and a Seven-Star Flowing Light Sea Bream. The first two were at the Nascent Soul Early Stage stage, while the latter two were equivalent to Nascent Soul Middle Stage stage cultivators. Following this, Iron Fan True Monarch gave a detailed introduction to each: "To be honest, the Silver Thread Shuttle Fish isn't particularly special." "Its most notable feature is its dorsal fin, which resembles a veil, allowing it to move quite quickly." "However, its effectiveness in offensive and defensive formations isn't very apparent, and I haven't noticed any other special characteristics." Within the great formation, restrictions on movement prevent it from utilizing its speed advantage. "That Thousand-Eye Ray is even more unremarkable," Iron Fan True Monarch continued. "Its abdomen is covered with eye-like patterns, making it appear as if it has a thousand eyes from a distance, which is somewhat eerie at first glance." "However, it's all show and no substance." "Although it can grant vision over vast distances, it's of no help in combat and cannot see through Illusion Art." "As long as you and I are prepared, either by concealing ourselves or hiding in an array, it's as good as useless." He paused after speaking. He continued, "This next Gilded Overlord Crab is different; its strength is quite remarkable." "Its claws are adorned with golden patterns, and its strength is so great that it can shatter gold and break stone, even clamping down on Flying Sword." The Silver Hair True Monarch added, "I apologize for the embarrassing revelation, but I suffered the consequences myself." "That beast was new here, and before I noticed anything unusual about it, I used my Sword Art to test it." "Unexpectedly, its massive claws clamped down on my Purple Ying Sword." "Before I could retrieve it using Secret Method, it snapped into three pieces on the spot." "If you encounter this Gilded Overlord Crab later, please be very careful." Xiao Chen was slightly surprised, as no Spirit Artifact is truly fragile. Even Flying Sword, not a spiritual shield, shouldn't be broken by brute force unless the opponent's strength is truly outrageous. But it's alright; he doesn't have Spirit Artifact yet. So he doesn't need to worry about this. Of course, in actual combat, one must also avoid being directly caught in the trap, since flesh and blood are much more fragile than Spirit Artifact. "As for this last Seven-Star Flowing Light Sea Bream... sigh." Iron Fan True Monarch's expression was complicated, with a hint of sorrow on his face, as if he was thinking of some unpleasant memories. After sighing, he said, "Its strength is arguably the strongest, and also the most troublesome." "Unlike ordinary red snapper, it possesses a special Mutated Bloodline, with seven star-shaped spots on its sides that twinkle like stars at night." "Each star-shaped spot emits a stream of light of different colors and with different effects." "Crimson like a knife, capable of cutting through gold and jade; Azure forming a shield, able to withstand immense force; Purple forming a prison, confining the enemy within a small space; Pink captivating, specializing in disrupting the mind; Cyan nourishing the body, able to heal wounds and regenerate bones; Gold adorning the body, allowing one to travel thousands of miles in an instant; But the most domineering has to be the seventh stream of dark blue light, specifically designed to break through all kinds of protective Gang Qi." Iron Fan True Monarch raised his voice deliberately, "I fought it within the formation before." "Unexpectedly, even with the formation's suppression, that dark blue light could still easily shatter the Sea Spirit Shield within five moves." "So much so that every time it attacked afterward, I had to burn Spirit Stone to directly drive it away." "Even so, it can still release pink and green spiritual light in the intertwined formations, interfering with and helping the other Great Demon attack the restriction at the same time." "Truly... I wish I could devour its flesh and blood!" The last sentence was said by Iron Fan True Monarch through gritted teeth, full of genuine emotion.