Southwest of New Sea Commandery, nearly two hundred thousand li out at sea, in the waters of the Pearl Island Chain.
A thousand-zhang warship sailed across the sea. It stood five hundred zhang tall, with five tiers of pavilions upon it, shaped like a five-tiered lotus dais. The five tiers were of five colors, corresponding to the Five Elements. It was precisely the warship the Yang Family had spent over two years forging for the Liang Family. This was the Liang Family's first thousand-zhang warship, and following convention, Liang Zhaohuang had named it the Black Lotus Ship.
At this moment, atop the warship's five-tiered lotus-dais pavilions, Liang Zhaohuang sat cross-legged on a lotus-shaped cushion, holding a jade slip as he carefully studied its contents.
Suddenly sensing something, Liang Zhaohuang looked up. With a casual hand seal, he sent out an art, and the doors to the lotus-dais pavilion immediately opened.
"Patriarch!"
Outside stood a rather young and handsome family disciple. His aura was smooth and complete, with the faint majesty of a Golden Core emanating from him. He was Liang Xiangbin, foremost among the Liang Family's Xiang generation.
Half a year ago, while the Liang Family had been making all manner of preparations to head south and open up a new province, Liang Xiangbin had successfully advanced into the Golden Core Realm. He had formed a high-grade Golden Core, becoming the Liang Family's ninth Golden Core True Person. It could be considered a fine omen for the family's expedition.
Moreover, Liang Xiangbin was the first cultivator of the Liang Family's fifth-generation Xiang line to advance to the Golden Core Realm, and the first to have been raised step by step according to the family's inheritance. He had awakened Spirit Light, entered the Qi Refining Realm, built his foundation, cultivated the