His Lofty Ambitions

Before boarding the ship, Wu Wang had thought the three years aboard would be especially grueling, but unexpectedly...

It was comfortable beyond expectation.

He had imagined this sort of merchant ship to be terribly bumpy, its narrow cabins crammed with countless sailors; and since it often went one or two months without docking, the entire vessel should have reeked of sweat and stinking feet.

But after boarding and sitting for a while, he discovered that the ship barely rocked amid the waves. Only after asking did he learn that this was actually a "Water Pavilion" built with Human Domain array craftsmanship.

After becoming familiar with the captain, Wu Wang also learned several details he had previously overlooked.

The vast majority of merchant ships upon the Four Seas came from the Human Domain. They were generally these "fat ships," thirty zhang long and twenty zhang wide. They traveled first by sea sails, and second by Five Elements arrays arranged in the lower hold.

Even the sea sails had wind-drawing arrays sewn into them, allowing the merchant ship to steadily maintain a relatively high speed.

Only with the enhancement of arrays could such a merchant ship circle half the Great Wilderness in three and a half years, stopping and starting all the way from the Northern Wilderness to the Human Domain.

Thus, there were not many sailors aboard. Instead, there were two cultivators responsible for maintaining the arrays. One elderly man was even in the Core Formation Realm, though his aura was mottled and mixed, his foundation far from solid. His immortal path had stopped long before the Golden Core.

What delighted Wu Wang even more was that most of the ship's space had been given over to cargo. Apart from more than twenty sailors and several cultivators, there were only a dozen or so passengers traveling aboard.

Overall, it was exceptionally quiet, with an excellent environment for cultivation.

With a grand wave of his hand, Wu Wang rented the three largest cabins on the top deck. Every day, he secretly meditated and cultivated. When idle, he played chess with Daoist Zuo Dong, joked around with Lin Suqing, and chatted with the ship's cultivators and sailors to learn amusing tales of the Human Domain.

"Ah, this is the life."

Within the luxuriously decorated top-deck cabin, Wu Wang stretched lazily before lying back down in the hanging basket by the window. His body gently swayed with the rocking of the sea vessel.

Humming a tune, Lin Suqing tidied the messy chessboard beside him. Familiar with the routine, she went out to wash some fruits, then sat at the table beside the hanging basket and began peeling them and digging out their seeds.

"Suqing, how long have we been away from the Northern Wilderness?"

"It has been one hundred and two days already," Lin Suqing answered with a smile. "There are still more than three years ahead. You can slowly endure it."

"Why does it feel like you've been in a good mood lately?" Wu Wang asked in puzzlement. "Was life in the Northern Wilderness really that stifling?"

"No, I'm just the same as I was in the Northern Wilderness."

Lin Suqing's eyes darted about as she hurriedly said, "It's just, just that the sea is quiet, and there aren't many people around. Mm, very quiet."

Wu Wang thought for a moment, his gaze drifting to the azure sea. Just then, he saw a large fish over a zhang long leap from the distant waters, sunlight turning its scales into a dazzling rainbow.

"Suqing, now that we've left the Northern Wilderness, our six-year agreement has come to an end. You needn't keep doing these things for me."

"It's fine. The next three years are complimentary."

Lin Suqing beamed happily and said in a crisp voice, "Just consider it a senior cultivator looking after a junior. Or why don't you call me Senior and let me hear it?"

"Hmm?"

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

Wu Wang curled his lips. "Call me that, then."

"Senior..."

Lin Suqing tilted her head dejectedly, the joyful gleam slowly fading from her eyes.

Wu Wang narrowed his eyes with a soft smile and picked up an introductory book on arrays he had borrowed from one of the cultivators aboard, quietly reading it.

Where he could not see, Lin Suqing waved her delicate fist at the back of his head, pulled several faces, then went to activate the illumination artifact.

Outside the cabin, True Man Zuo Dong watched this scene. He could not help stroking his beard and murmuring to himself. In the end, he could only shake his head with a smile and return to his own quarters.

Youth truly was wonderful.

While sailing upon the sea, they occasionally encountered large ships coming from the opposite direction. The timing was uncertain, but the frequency was not low.

Clearly, the Human Domain already possessed rather mature maritime technology and established sea routes.

Every time, Wu Wang shut his cabin door tight. Being cautious never hurt.

Lacking a cultivation method beyond the Thousand Inhalation Art, Wu Wang's cultivation realm remained at the Gather Qi Realm. He also did not dare to gain insights recklessly, fearing that he might create an entirely new cultivation method.

Logically speaking, if he wanted to create a cultivation method, it ought to be after he had reached the end of the cultivation path.

If one created a cultivation method while one's cultivation was still shallow, cultivation would face two great limitations: one's own bottlenecks and the bottlenecks of inspiration.

Cultivating and cultivating, then failing to think of how to create the next step—or discovering that one had taken the wrong path and the road ahead was blocked... the account of this lifetime would officially be ruined.

The greatest advantage of existing cultivation systems was that they lowered the cost of trial and error for those who came after.

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

Thus, another half year passed.

Brother Ji and Fairy Ling should have returned to the Human Domain by now, right?

While meditating, Wu Wang suddenly thought of those two. Drifting at sea had gradually become dull, so although he had not initially intended to disembark, whenever the merchant ship docked at ports along the way, he would go ashore for a stroll.

Lin Suqing, on the other hand, had remained in good spirits. Every day, she wandered around Wu Wang, even deliberately learning sheet music and songs as she considered how to relieve his boredom.

Wu Wang pondered it carefully. Was this old auntie... hinting that she wanted a raise?

When they left the Northern Wilderness, the Treasure Materials and beast cores he had given Lin Suqing were enough to support the entire Clear Wind Gazing Moon Sect for centuries!

This day, the merchant ship was about to dock again. The moment the edge of land came into view, Wu Wang rose and tidied himself up.

He changed into an ordinary long robe commonly seen in the Human Domain, with a soft cloth inner jacket and long trousers beneath, then added a jade-inlaid belt around his waist. A Daoist headband bound a long ribbon atop his head...

A seasoned Human Domain cultivator.

Wu Wang had long been accustomed to completely concealing the fluctuations of the Star Invocation Technique. Now, deliberately revealing a Gather Qi Realm cultivation level not much different from the sailors', he looked exactly like some "little shrimp" from the Human Domain wandering around for fun.

"Su..."

"Suqing, this can't go on."

Before Lin Suqing's cabin, Wu Wang had just raised his hand to knock when he heard the old Daoist's voice within and halted just in time.

If he had guessed correctly, Senior Zuo Dong must have sensed his arrival in advance. These words were deliberately spoken now. They seemed to be for Lin Suqing's ears, but were actually meant for him.

He heard Daoist Zuo Dong sigh.

"Your master saw it long ago. Your entire heart hangs upon little friend Wu Wang.

"If you truly wish to become Dao companions with him, you may speak to him and seek an answer. But treating yourself as a maid every day—what kind of sense does that make?"

Lin Suqing let out a faint sigh...

Wu Wang silently mused to himself. He had thought the next part would be Lin Suqing's confession, and he turned to quietly slip away.

Whether he listened or not made no difference. It would only add to his worries.

But just as he was about to take a step, he heard Lin Suqing give another snort of laughter.

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

"Why not?"

True Man Zuo Dong asked in confusion, "Doesn't little friend Wu Wang's family need him to produce more descendants? How can he not have a Dao companion? Could it be that his body..."

"The Young Master's body is fine. Ah, no, it can't be said to be fine, but it isn't the sort of problem Master is thinking of."

Lin Suqing pondered for a moment, a faint gleam flashing in her eyes as she thought of a perfect excuse.

"The Young Master does not go near women."

True Man Zuo Dong's eyes widened. Shock first appeared on his aged face, followed by understanding as he muttered.

"No wonder. Little friend Wu Wang abandoned his proper position as heir apparent to cultivate in the Human Domain with us."

Wu Wang's eyes widened.

Things seemed to be taking a strange turn.

His bizarre illness was temporary. There would definitely be a cure later! He liked women! He especially liked women!

—Still, he had to distinguish himself from Brother Ji. After all, Brother Ji's level was slightly higher, beyond what ordinary men could attain.

Then he heard Lin Suqing say.

"Besides, the Young Master isn't the sort of... ordinary human he is. He's very extraordinary, and also very strange. But whether he's extraordinary or strange, both are strangely attractive.

"This disciple actually has no improper thoughts toward him. I only think about how to repay his life-saving grace. Sometimes, I even treat him like a younger brother."

Brother!

Wu Wang's mouth twitched wildly. With his hands behind his back, he strode away, lest he grow angrier the longer he listened.

True Man Zuo Dong subconsciously glanced at the cabin door, slowly sighed, and said.

"Since that is the case, your master shall ask no more."

Lin Suqing patted her chest and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, utterly unaware of how bleak the road before her would become.

"The ship's docking! We'll rest here for three hours and take no cargo! Esteemed passengers may disembark and stroll around. The market is right beside us!"

With the captain's shout, more than a dozen figures emerged from the various cabins, most looking full of energy.

—Thanks to the convenience of arrays, merchant ships did not need to deliberately wait for high or low tide to dock or depart. They only needed to watch for reefs in shallow waters. If there were reefs, they sent sailors down to blast them apart with talismans.

Wu Wang did not seek any companions. The moment the ship docked, he leaped from its side and landed firmly on the ground.

Holding a folding fan, humming a little tune, wearing the smile he had learned from Ji Mo, and strolling with leisurely steps; his long hair was lightly lifted by the salty sea breeze, as though it were the soaring spirit of his youth.

There was not much to browse in this market. Most of the goods were specialties from the Northwest Region, and overall it was not much different from Northern Wilderness Market.

But the quality of the treasure ores was a tier lower, while their prices were thirty percent higher.

After carefully analyzing it, Wu Wang seriously suspected that the Innate God ruling the Northwest Region... did not lose much hair.

He visited the slave trade at the edge of the market, sampled fresh flavors at a local teahouse, and freely whiled away his three-hour "vacation," yet the Jade Coins he had prepared simply would not leave his pocket.

By the way, he had heard that large transactions in the Human Domain were conducted directly with Spirit Stones. Before leaving, Wu Wang had also packed an entire storage pouch with premium, pure spirit stone ore from the Northern Wilderness.

Naturally, it was of no use in a market like this.

Calculating the time, Wu Wang began his return a little early, his feet full of reluctance to leave solid land.

Then, from a street corner, he suddenly heard.

"When the time calls for stillness, be still; when the time calls for movement, move. When movement and stillness do not miss their proper time, the path shines bright."

Wu Wang followed the voice and saw an old man in a straw raincoat sitting behind a stone table at the street corner. Behind him hung a worn banner painted with the Eight Trigrams, while a faded floral cloth bundle rested at his feet.

The black robe worn by this old man was rather refined, and even the patches sewn onto it had been specially selected in cloth of similar color.

Looking closely, the man's complexion was rosy and his aura peaceful. From time to time, he stroked his beard and swayed his head, reciting one or two profound sentences. Afterward, he would savor them carefully, utterly content with himself.

At first glance, he appeared to be an ordinary fortune-teller, but upon further thought...

This was the Northwest Region, far from the Human Domain. Every race living here had gods of their own to worship. Who would come here to have their fortune told for no reason?

Faintly, it seemed that a thread of vital energy was winding around him.

Wariness immediately arose in Wu Wang's heart.

Had he been exposed?

Was it because the middle-aged scholar, as Brother Ji had mentioned during their discussion, had reported the matter of the Northern Wilderness Bear Hug Tribe's young master to "those above," and now "those above" had come looking for him?

Wu Wang's expression remained unchanged. He withdrew his gaze and continued toward the great ship moored at the harbor.

The old fortune-teller frowned slightly and immediately recited aloud.

"The Dao moves between Heaven and Earth. Some call it form, some call it formlessness. Sometimes it manifests in all things of nature, sometimes it condenses into the principles of Heaven and Earth."

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

The fortune-telling old man's eyes widened as he immediately shouted, "Hey! That young man!"

Wu Wang acted as though he had not heard.

The old man sprang up and hurried after Wu Wang. Somewhat out of breath, he spread his arms to block Wu Wang's path. "Young man, did you not hear this old Daoist calling you?"

"Young man? Are you talking about me?"

Wu Wang blinked and smiled. "It's been many years since anyone called me that. I'm somewhat unaccustomed to it... Sir, what business do you have with me?"

"This old Daoist sees darkness upon your brow and red between your eyebrows. I fear this is a bloody calamity—"

Thud!

A bag of Jade Coins dropped into the old Daoist's hands. He instinctively caught it, only to find it surprisingly heavy.

Wu Wang cupped his hands and said solemnly, "I'm busy and in a hurry. This is the consultation fee, along with the cost of averting the disaster. Whether I can escape this calamity depends entirely on you, Daoist!"

With that, he lightly sidestepped half a pace, waved his folding fan, and drifted away.

For a moment, the old Daoist did not even react. He looked at the Jade Coins in his hands, then turned to stare at Wu Wang's retreating back, nearly fainting from anger.

Why was this brat so difficult to handle?

The old Daoist shouted, "Little friend, this concerns destiny! Do not take it lightly!"

Without looking back, Wu Wang waved his hand. "No, no. My fate is mine, not Heaven's."

My fate!

The old Daoist was visibly stunned. He murmured those words several times, his eyes suddenly shining brightly.

What a "not Heaven's." His ambitions were lofty indeed, with no gods in his eyes!

Who would have thought that in this remote corner of the Great Wilderness's Northwest Region, I would discover such fine talent? A great harvest indeed!

Delight appeared on the old Daoist's face. He hurried back to his stall, hoisted the divination banner, grabbed his bundle, and rushed toward the harbor as though wind grew beneath his feet.

Yet before the old Daoist could catch up to Wu Wang, a voice transmission entered his ear. He stopped instantly, anxiously looking left and right.

When he discovered a figure nearby wearing a straw raincoat, barefoot and leaning on a cane, the old Daoist immediately lowered his head and retreated several steps. He turned around and slowly backed toward his divination stall.

Without realizing it, cold sweat had covered the old Daoist's forehead. His expression was uneasy, his eyes filled with fear.

The voice he had just heard was indeed that elder's, and it had said...

"Withdraw. I shall handle this child personally."