Crouching Ox Island (Please Bookmark!)

Boom~~~

The warship continued flying over the East Sea.

But to Shangguan Yun, Nan Ming, and the others' disappointment, over the next hour or so, they didn't encounter a single pirate raid—not even more than a few merchant ships.

They occasionally passed over small islands, but most were deserted, with few signs of human life.

This was what the East Sea was really like. To survive here, surrounded by countless sea-dwelling monsters, a clan needed at least a Purple Mansion Cultivator to keep watch over it.

The largest islands lay even deeper in the East Sea. Some were home to Loose Immortals who had established their abodes there; others were occupied by powerful demon forces. A squad of Xiantian Lifeforms like theirs had no way of reaching such places.

"We're here! We're here!"

As the soldiers cheered, a thick bank of white mist appeared on the distant horizon.

The mist was rather unusual. Even high above, where fierce winds howled, it billowed and drifted without being affected in the slightest by the gale.

"We've finally arrived." Zhou Hao gazed at the white mist before them, a smile appearing on his face.

The warship was comfortable, but it was no substitute for solid ground. Because he disliked Elder Zhu, they had spent nearly six hours on deck, exposed to the sea breeze, without once going below to rest in the cabin.

Now that they had finally reached their destination, everyone was quite excited.

"So this is the Natural White Mist Maze, stretching over a thousand li?" Zhou Hao studied the mist ahead with interest.

The warship had now drawn close to the mist's edge. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but a vast expanse of fog; they couldn't see inside at all.

"They say Crouching Ox Island was once the abode of a powerful Loose Immortal. After that Loose Immortal died beneath the heavenly tribulation, the place became unclaimed land."

Hu Yong explained from beside him.

"Later, a senior from Jade Dragon City discovered it. Every seven days, the white mist covering a thousand li would leave a one-hour gap in the maze. That's when people can enter and leave."

He was a veteran of the Green Flood Dragon Army's Xiantian Battalion and had been sent to garrison Crouching Ox Island more than once, so he was used to it.

"Did they ever find the Loose Immortal's abode?" Zhou Hao asked curiously. The military records hadn't mentioned that Crouching Ox Island contained a Loose Immortal's abode.

"They probably did." Hu Yong sounded uncertain. "I only heard it from the old-timers. Crouching Ox Island has been in Jade Dragon City's hands for over ten thousand years. What kind of abode could they fail to find?"

"True." Zhou Hao nodded.

As the two spoke, the mist ahead began to flow. In just a few dozen breaths, the thick fog had visibly thinned; through it, they could at least make out the dark sea below.

They were already in the deep sea. The seafloor lay far beneath the surface, and countless whirlpools of all sizes churned across the pitch-black water. They looked like countless eyes staring up from the sea.

"Everyone, be careful. Don't fall overboard. The waters below are freezing cold, and the underwater currents and whirlpools are innumerable. Even a Myriad Phenomena True Person would be unlikely to survive going in."

Hu Yong saw many soldiers leaning over the railing to peer down in curiosity and hurriedly called out a warning.

With the White Mist Maze above the sea and treacherous currents and whirlpools below, this really is a fine place to live in seclusion and cultivate. Zhou Hao admired the place, and couldn't help respecting the Jade Dragon City senior who had first discovered it and claimed it for himself.

The warship flew into the mist. After another quarter of an hour, they finally reached their destination—Crouching Ox Island.

Crouching Ox Island was over fifty li long and nearly ten li wide at its broadest point. The mountains on the island resembled a blue ox lying down, which was why a senior from Jade Dragon City had given it that name.

Perhaps because the Loose Immortal had once set up a great formation here, drawing together the surrounding world-origin energy for cultivation year after year, a large Origin Stone vein lay beneath the seabed around Crouching Ox Island.

Although it had been mined for over ten thousand years, and tunnels had been dug beneath the entire island, the vein still yielded a considerable amount of Origin Stones every year. It was one of Jade Dragon City's three main sources of income.

"Haha, which old friend is that coming this time?"

While the warship was still some distance away, a figure standing atop a giant sword rose from the mountains of Crouching Ox Island and called out in a booming voice.

He was a Purple Mansion Cultivator from the Hall of Venerables, stationed on Crouching Ox Island, and had come out to welcome the warship from Jade Dragon City.

"Brother Ju Wei, long time no see." Elder Zhu, dressed in a Daoist robe, emerged from the cabin along with a middle-aged man in black robes. "This time, Brother Qiu Ming and I have come to take up the post."

"So it's Zhu Sheng... Brother." Seeing Elder Zhu's sharp, simian face, the burly man standing atop the giant sword—over two meters tall—immediately lost his smile.

Why does it have to be this guy?

Thinking of having to put up with him for a whole month, the burly Ju Wei grew even more irritated.

Unlike the Xiantian Lifeforms of the Jade Dragon Army, those in the Hall of Venerables rotated only once a year. He wouldn't be able to leave until he could travel back with Zhou Hao and the others.

"You're the commander of the newly formed Fifth Squad?" After greeting the two venerables, Zhu Sheng and Qiu Ming, Ju Wei turned to Zhou Hao, who wore Black Jade Dragon Armor.

"Venerable Ju Wei, I'm Zhou Hao." Zhou Hao smiled and cupped his hands.

It seemed that Elder Zhu wasn't just unpopular with them; he wasn't well liked among his fellow members of the Hall of Venerables, either.

"Commander Zhou Hao." Ju Wei was quite amiable toward the newly appointed commander. "Now that the Jade Dragon Army has arrived, the island's defenses are yours to arrange. The maze is in its once-every-seven-days gap right now, so we can't afford to be careless."

"Understood. You've worked hard these past few days, Venerable Ju Wei. We'll take it from here." Zhou Hao turned to Hu Yong and instructed, "Station everyone according to plan. Let the men rest after the gap in the formation closes."

"Yes, sir." Hu Yong went to arrange the soldiers, while Zhou Hao followed Ju Wei toward the peak of Ox-Head Mountain.

As for the two venerables, Zhu Sheng and Qiu Ming, they weren't children who needed someone to look after them.

"The world-origin energy here is so rich."

The moment Zhou Hao set foot on Ox-Head Mountain, he sensed the dense world-origin energy in the slightly damp air.

Although it couldn't compare to absorbing a High-Grade Origin Stone directly, cultivating here would still let him gather world-origin energy several times faster than in other places.

"Garrisoning Crouching Ox Island is a cushy post, whether you're one of us venerables or a Xiantian Lifeform in the Jade Dragon Army.

"The seabed beneath nearly the entire island, wherever the White Mist Maze reaches, is an Origin Stone vein. With so many Origin Stones gathered together, even if most of them are only Low-Grade Origin Stones, they add up to the equivalent of a Spirit-Gathering Formation."

Venerable Ju Wei smiled at that and walked to the cliff's edge to survey the island.

They were standing at the highest point on Crouching Ox Island, at what would have been the head of the blue ox lying in the sea.

From there, they could look down over the ridgeline, the ox's back. Small courtyards stood along the slope, while the four spurs at the bottom resembled its legs, densely covered with over a thousand two-story buildings.

Between the four spurs, a white beach stretched like the ox's belly. Figures moved about there; it looked as if the Green Flood Dragon Army was drilling.

Knowing that this was Zhou Hao's first visit to Crouching Ox Island, Venerable Ju Wei pointed out the landmarks. "The peak of Ox-Head Mountain is where Commander Zhou and the rest of us venerables live. You can choose whichever of those courtyards you like. The little houses along the ridge, on the ox's back, are for the Xiantian Lifeforms under your command in the Jade Dragon Army. The buildings at the foot of the mountain house the Green Flood Dragon Army stationed on the island."

Zhou Hao looked around. He saw troops from the Green Flood Dragon Army, but not the pirates who had been captured over the years. Curious, he asked, "Where do the miners live?"

"They're on the other side of the ox's back. The passages leading to the underground veins are over there, too. You can see them from this side." Venerable Ju Wei led Zhou Hao around to the other side of the ox's head.

If the side they had just seen had gentle slopes and even the air of an immortal sect, the first thing that met them on the other side was a sheer cliff thousands of feet high.

Zhou Hao looked down and saw another shallow beach below. But this one was strewn with jagged rocks and countless reefs. Along the cliff stood a row of small, blackened huts that seemed to have been built from the reefs in the sea.

"The miners have to work underground most of the time. They only get five days each month to come out in shifts, catch their breath, and hand over the Origin Stones they've mined. If they don't meet their quota, they're punished," Venerable Ju Wei explained.

"Is anyone watching over the mines?" Zhou Hao asked.

"The conditions underground are miserable. Who'd be willing to go down there?" Venerable Ju Wei laughed. "For a thousand li in every direction, this place is surrounded by the White Mist Maze. The seawater around Crouching Ox Island is bitterly cold, and there are countless treacherous currents and whirlpools. Even a Myriad Phenomena True Person might not make it back safely if they went underwater. Are we supposed to worry about a few pirates at the Post-Heaven level escaping?"

True.

Zhou Hao nodded.

The reason garrisoning Crouching Ox Island was considered a cushy post, besides the rich world-origin energy that helped with cultivation, was that there was hardly anything to do.

When stationed on other islands, they had to worry about miners escaping, sea monsters launching occasional attacks, and other unexpected problems. But on Crouching Ox Island, none of that happened.

They only had to guard the one-hour gap every seven days. The rest of the time, they could either focus on cultivating or sit around grilling meat and chatting. It was a life of carefree ease.

On top of that, when the Jade Dragon Army went out to sea to garrison a post, its monthly pay was tripled.

Crouching Ox Island offered the same treatment.

No wonder Cao Rong had been green-eyed with envy when he learned, just before setting off, that Zhou Hao and the others were headed to Crouching Ox Island.

After all, they were all going out to sea. One group had a leisurely holiday, while the other had to stay on high alert, ready for battle at any moment—and both received the same pay. Of course, people were bound to envy them.

Zhou Hao followed Venerable Ju Wei around the peak, then picked a courtyard near the cliff. The one-hour gap in the formation soon passed.

He summoned Hu Yong and told him to arrange for the Five Elements Army to stand guard. If anything happened, at least one of the five ranks of Xiantian Lifeforms had to be ready to respond as quickly as possible.

He and Hu Yong would also take turns keeping watch, switching off every seven days to ensure someone was in charge on the island in case of trouble.

"Commander, isn't this being a little too cautious?" Hu Yong asked, puzzled. "There are five thousand Green Flood Dragon Army soldiers on the island. Even if the miners riot, they're more than enough to put it down."

Now that they were at a carefree holiday spot, shouldn't they be hurrying to cultivate and have some fun? Was there really a need to act as if a great enemy were at the gates?

"Caution sails a ship through ten thousand years." Zhou Hao furrowed his brow. "As commander, I'm responsible for the defenses of this island. I have to answer for the soldiers under my command and for Jade Dragon City.

"All I'm asking is that you don't enter seclusion while you're on duty, and that you stay alert. Compared to the other two critical locations, this is already as easy as it gets. If you still aren't willing, then leave the Fifth Squad. I, Zhou Hao, have no use for people like that!"

"Yes, sir. I understand." Hu Yong's heart jolted. "Commander, I'll take charge here for now. When you have time, you need only inspect the place. I certainly won't slack off."

Zhou Hao studied Hu Yong until beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead. Only then did he calmly say, "No need. I have to follow my own orders first. You and I will each take charge for seven days. That's settled."

"Yes, sir. Since this is your first time out at sea, Commander, you must be tired. I'll take the first shift starting today, and you can take charge yourself after seven days." Hu Yong replied respectfully.

"Mm. Go make the arrangements." Zhou Hao hesitated briefly, deciding that he had made his point well enough, then nodded in agreement.

He watched Hu Yong hurry down the mountain to gather the soldiers and arrange the watches, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

His ambition lay on the road to immortality. His position as commander of the Jade Dragon Army was only the first step toward making his way in the Wilderness World, not a long-term plan.

But that didn't mean he would let everything slide and simply ignore what was going on.

Nor did it mean he would tolerate the soldiers under his command questioning his orders—not even his deputy commander.

The art of leading others lay in combining kindness with authority. The closer the relationship, the more important that was. Otherwise, generals would no longer act like generals, and soldiers would no longer act like soldiers. Given time, that would bring endless trouble and interfere with his cultivation.