His Ambitions Were Lofty

Before boarding, Wu Wang had expected the three years on the ship to be incredibly arduous, but he hadn't anticipated…

…such unexpected comfort.

He'd imagined merchant ships like this would be extremely bumpy, with cramped cabins packed full of sailors. And since they often sailed for a month or two without docking, the entire ship would reek of stale sweat.

But after boarding and sitting for a while, he found the ship barely rocked in the waves. Upon inquiry, he learned it was a 'Water Pavilion,' equipped with Human Domain array craftsmanship.

After Wu Wang grew familiar with the ship's captain, he also learned about some details he had previously overlooked.

Most merchant ships on the Four Seas originated from the Human Domain. They were typically thirty zhang long and twenty zhang wide, these 'plump ships.' Their propulsion relied first on sails and second on Five Elements formations arranged in the bottom hold.

Even the sails were sewn with wind-guiding formations, allowing these merchant ships to maintain a high and stable speed.

With the aid of these formations, such merchant ships could circumnavigate half of the Great Wilderness in three and a half years, traveling from the Northern Plains to the Human Domain with numerous stops along the way.

Consequently, there weren't many sailors on board. Instead, there were two cultivators responsible for maintaining the formations. One of them, an elder, was in the Core Formation Realm, but his aura was mixed and impure, his foundation not particularly stable. His immortal path had long since stalled before reaching Golden Core.

What surprised Wu Wang even more was that most of the ship's space was allocated to various goods. Besides the twenty-odd sailors and a few cultivators, there were only a dozen or so passengers.

Overall, it was very quiet, providing an excellent environment for cultivation.

Wu Wang, with a grand gesture, booked the three largest cabins on the top floor. He would secretly meditate and cultivate daily, play chess with True Man Zuo Dong when he had nothing else to do, tease Lin Suqing, and chat with the cultivators and sailors on board to gather interesting tidbits about the Human Domain.

"What bliss."

In the luxuriously decorated top-floor cabins, Wu Wang stretched and then lay back in the hammock by the window, his body gently swaying with the ship's motion.

Lin Suqing hummed a tune as she tidied up the messy chessboard nearby. Familiar with the routine, she went out to wash some fruits, brought them back to the table beside the hammock, and began peeling and deseeding them.

"Suqing, how long has it been since we left the Northern Plains?"

"One hundred and two days have passed," Lin Suqing replied with a smile. "There are still over three years to go, so you'd better endure it slowly."

"Why do you seem to be in such a good mood lately?" Wu Wang asked, puzzled. "Was it that miserable in the Northern Plains?"

"No, it's just like when I was in the Northern Plains."

Lin Suqing's eyes darted around. "It's just… it's just that the sea is so quiet, and there aren't many people. Um, it's very peaceful."

Wu Wang pondered for a moment, his gaze drifting towards the vast blue sea. Just then, he saw a ten-foot-long fish leap out of the water in the distance, its scales shimmering with a rainbow of colors in the sunlight.

"Suqing, since we've left the Northern Plains and our six-year pact has also arrived, you don't need to do these things for me anymore."

"It's fine, the next three years are a bonus."

Lin Suqing smiled gleefully and said crisply, "Just consider it the care of a senior cultivator for a junior. Or, why don't you call me 'Senior' and see?"

"Hmm?"

"I meant, should I call Young Master 'Senior'? That would also help conceal my identity."

Wu Wang curled his lips. "Say it then."

"Senior…"

Lin Suqing tilted her head, dejected, her eyes gradually losing their joyful sparkle.

Wu Wang narrowed his eyes and chuckled, picking up an introductory book on formations that he had borrowed from one of the ship's cultivators, and began to read quietly.

Unseen by him, Lin Suqing shook her small fist at the back of his head, made a few faces, and then went to light the magic tool used for illumination.

Outside the cabin, True Man Zuo Dong watched the scene unfold. He couldn't help but stroke his beard and murmur, finally shaking his head with a smile as he returned to his own quarters.

Youth, it truly is wonderful.

While sailing at sea, they occasionally encountered large ships coming from the opposite direction. The timing was unpredictable, but the frequency wasn't too low.

It was clear that the Human Domain already possessed relatively mature maritime technology and established shipping routes.

Each time, Wu Wang would close his cabin door tightly. Being cautious was always the right approach.

Due to the lack of cultivation methods beyond the Thousand Inhalation Art, Wu Wang's current cultivation realm was still Gather Qi. He dared not attempt any random insights at this point, fearing he might accidentally create a new cultivation method.

Frankly, if he were to create a cultivation method, it should be at the very end of his cultivation journey.

If one were to create a cultivation method with shallow cultivation, the path would face two major limitations: personal bottlenecks and inspiration bottlenecks.

As he cultivated, he might find himself unable to figure out the next step, or discover he had taken the wrong path and was blocked ahead… In such a case, his cultivation path for this life would be officially ruined.

The greatest benefit of an existing cultivation system was reducing the trial-and-error costs for later cultivators.

And Wu Wang was happy to sit beneath a great tree, to stand on the shoulders of giants.

Thus, another half-year passed.

Brother Ji and Fairy Ling should have returned to the Human Domain by now.

Wu Wang thought of the two while meditating. The endless sea voyage was gradually becoming a bit monotonous. Although he hadn't planned to disembark before, he now followed along when the merchant ship docked at some ports along the way to explore.

Lin Suqing's state remained consistently good. She would wander around Wu Wang daily, even specifically learning some musical scores and melodies, thinking of ways to help Wu Wang relieve his boredom.

Wu Wang pondered carefully, Is this old aunt… hinting at a raise?

When they left the Northern Plains, the precious materials and beast cores he had given Lin Suqing were enough to sustain the entire Clear Wind Gazing Moon Sect for several hundred years!

On this day, the merchant ship was about to dock again. As the edge of the land came into view, Wu Wang got up and tidied himself.

He changed into a common robe typically worn in the Human Domain, with a soft cloth shirt and trousers underneath, a jade-inlaid belt, and a Daoist circlet on his head with a long ribbon tied to it…

He was a cultivator from the Human Domain.

Wu Wang was long accustomed to completely concealing the fluctuations of his Star Invocation Technique. Now, deliberately revealing a cultivation level similar to that of the boatmen, merely at the Gather Qi stage, he appeared as nothing more than a 'small fry' from the Human Domain just wandering around.

"Su..."

"Suqing, this won't do either."

In front of Lin Suqing's cabin door, Wu Wang's raised hand stopped just short of knocking when he heard the old Daoist's voice from inside.

If his guess was correct, Senior Zuo Dong had sensed his arrival beforehand. The words he was deliberately speaking now, seemingly to Lin Suqing, were actually meant for him.

He heard Daoist Zuo Dong sigh:

"Your master has seen this for a long time. Your heart is entirely set on young friend Wuwang.

If you truly intend to become his Dao companion, you should go and speak with him, seek a resolution. What is this, treating yourself like a maidservant every day?"

Lin Suqing let out a faint sigh...

Wu Wang mused inwardly for a moment, thinking that the next part should be Lin Suqing's confession. He turned, preparing to slip away quietly.

It made no difference whether he listened or not; it would only add to his worries.

But just as he was about to step away, he heard Lin Suqing chuckle again.

"Master, please stop causing trouble," Lin Suqing said with a smile. "Young Master cannot have a Dao companion."

"Why?"

True Man Zuo Dong asked, puzzled. "Young friend Wuwang's family doesn't require him to have more offspring? How can he not have a Dao companion? Could it be that his body..."

"Young Master's body is fine. Ah, it's not that it's fine, but it's not the kind of problem you're thinking of, Master."

Lin Suqing pondered for a moment, a spark flickering in her eyes as she thought of a brilliant explanation.

"Young Master is not drawn to women."

True Man Zuo Dong's eyes widened. His old face first showed shock, then a look of sudden realization, and he murmured:

"No wonder young friend Wuwang would abandon his rightful position as Crown Prince and come to cultivate with us in the Human Domain."

Wu Wang's eyes widened.

Things seemed to be taking a strange turn.

His strange illness was temporary, and there would definitely be a cure later! He did like women, and he liked them very much!

—Here, I still need to differentiate myself from Brother Ji. After all, Brother Ji's level is slightly higher, beyond the reach of ordinary men.

He then heard Lin Suqing say:

"Moreover, Young Master isn't like... like ordinary humans. He is very unique and very strange, but whether unique or strange, he is quite attractive.

Disciple doesn't actually have any improper thoughts about him. I'm just thinking about how to repay his life-saving grace. Sometimes, I even treat him like a younger brother."

Brother!

Wu Wang's mouth twitched violently. He quickly walked away with his hands behind his back, lest he get angrier the more he listened.

True Man Zuo Dong subconsciously glanced at the cabin door and slowly sighed, saying:

"If that is the case, your master will not ask further."

Lin Suqing patted her chest, secretly relieved, completely unaware of how bleak her future path would be.

"The ship is docking! We'll rest here for three hours, no deliveries! Esteemed guests can disembark and stretch their legs. The market is right next door!"

The boatman shouted, and more than a dozen figures emerged from various cabins, most of them looking energetic.

—Thanks to the convenience of formations, merchant ships don't need to wait for the tide to dock or depart. They only need to check if there are any reefs in the shallow waters. If there are, the boatmen will go down to use talismans to blast them away.

Wu Wang didn't look for anyone to accompany him. As soon as the ship docked, he leaped off the side and landed steadily.

Holding a folding fan, humming a little tune, with a smile learned from Ji Mo on his lips, and a leisurely gait; his long hair was slightly lifted by the salty sea breeze, as if embodying his youthful spirit.

There wasn't much to see in this market. Most of it was local produce from the Northwest Domain, not much different from the Northern Wilderness Market overall.

However, the quality of the ore was a notch lower, while the price was thirty percent higher.

Wu Wang analyzed it carefully for a while, seriously suspecting that the innate god ruling the Northwest Domain... didn't shed much hair.

He went to the corners to check out the slave trade, and to the local tea house to try some new flavors. Wu Wang idly passed the three hours of 'vacation', but the Jade Coins he had prepared remained unspent for a long time.

Incidentally, he heard that large transactions in the Human Domain were usually done directly with Spirit Stones. Before leaving, Wu Wang had also packed a storage bag with the highest quality pure Spirit Stone ore from the Northern Wilderness.

These were of no use in a market like this.

Calculating the time, Wu Wang boarded the ship for his return journey a moment ahead of schedule, his feet filled with a fondness for land.

Suddenly, he heard a voice from the street corner:

"Stop when it's time to stop, move when it's time to move. Action and stillness are timely, and the Way is illuminated."

Wu Wang followed the sound and saw an old man in a straw cape sitting behind a stone table at the street corner. A tattered banner painted with the Eight Trigrams hung behind him, and a faded cloth travel bag lay at his feet.

The black robe the old man wore was quite well-made, and the patches on it were deliberately chosen from fabric of a similar color.

Upon closer inspection, the man had a ruddy complexion and a peaceful aura. He would occasionally stroke his beard, shake his head, and recite a few profound sentences, savoring them afterward with great contentment.

At first glance, this seemed like an ordinary fortune teller, but upon closer consideration...

This was the Northwest Region, far from the Human Domain. The various tribes living here had their own gods, so who would come here for fortune-telling?

Faintly, he felt a spiritual energy coiling around him.

Wu Wang's heart immediately tensed with vigilance.

Had he been exposed?

Was it as Brother Ji and the middle-aged scholar had discussed? The scholar had reported the matter of the Young Master of the Bear Hug Tribe of the Northern Plains to 'higher-ups,' and now 'higher-ups' had come looking for him?

Wu Wang's expression remained unchanged. He withdrew his gaze and continued towards the large ship docked at the port.

The old fortune teller frowned slightly and immediately chanted loudly:

"The Dao exists between heaven and earth, sometimes visible, sometimes formless, manifesting in all natural things, or condensing the principles of heaven and earth."

Wu Wang glanced at the old man again, but it was only a fleeting look. Without looking back, he stepped out of the street.

The fortune teller's eyes widened, and he immediately shouted, "Hey! You there, young man!"

Wu Wang acted as if he hadn't heard.

The old man jumped up and quickly chased after Wu Wang. Panting slightly, he spread his arms and blocked Wu Wang's path. "Young man, did you not hear this old Daoist calling you?"

"Young man? Are you talking to me?"

Wu Wang blinked and smiled, "It's been many years since anyone called me that. I'm a bit unaccustomed... Sir, what can I do for you?"

"This old Daoist sees your complexion is dark, and there's a redness between your brows. This portends a bloody disaster..."

Thump!

A bag of Jade Coins landed in the old Daoist's hand. He instinctively cupped it, finding it surprisingly heavy.

Wu Wang cupped his fists and said seriously, "I'm busy and in a hurry. This is the consultation fee, and also the fee for averting disaster. Whether I can escape this calamity depends entirely on you, Master!"

With that, he lightly hopped half a step to the side, fanning himself with his fan as he drifted away.

The old Daoist was momentarily stunned. He looked at the Jade Coins in his hand, then at Wu Wang's retreating back, almost choking with frustration.

How could this kid be so difficult to deal with?

The old Daoist shouted, "Young friend, this is a matter of fate. Don't underestimate it!"

Wu Wang waved his hand without looking back, "No, no. My fate is mine to control, not heaven's."

My fate!

The old Daoist clearly froze. He mumbled the words a few times, his eyes suddenly filled with light.

Well said, not heaven's! His ambitions are lofty, and he has no gods in his eyes!

I didn't expect to find such a talent in this remote corner of the Great Wilderness's northwest. What a great harvest!

The old Daoist's face lit up with joy. He quickly returned to his stall, slung his fortune-telling banner over his shoulder, grabbed his bag, and rushed towards the port as if carried by the wind.

However, before the old Daoist could catch up to Wu Wang, a voice transmission reached his ears. The old Daoist stopped instantly, looking left and right with a tense expression.

Upon spotting a figure in a straw cloak, barefoot and leaning on a staff not far away, the old Daoist immediately lowered his head, took a few steps back, and turned to slowly retreat to his fortune-telling stall.

Unconsciously, the old Daoist's forehead was covered in cold sweat. His expression was uneasy, and his eyes were filled with dread.

What he had just heard was indeed the voice of that venerable elder, and what he had said was...

"Retire. I will handle this child myself."