East of the East Sea lie tens of thousands more miles; the tide's roar has no end through the ages

Although Wang Chong had two cycles of mana, the qi-refining art newly created by Patriarch Tuotuo produced mana a shade weaker than that of an ordinary two-cycle cultivator. After urging the cloud mass onward for two or three hours, his mana was running low, and night was drawing near, so he had no choice but to halt the cloud and spend the night there.

Cloud essence qi naturally floated and sank.

So long as it was not urged into flight, the cloud mass could remain suspended in the air without falling.

Wang Chong raised the edges of the cloud mass, turning them into a cloud dome to ward off the gale-force winds high in the sky.

Zhu Ying took out a square table, then brought out some food and arranged it upon it.

As the Dragon King's legitimate daughter, her magic treasure pouch actually held countless delicacies: exotic fruits from immortal mountains overseas, spiritual pills refined by immortals, and innumerable earthly delicacies. Preserved by the Dragon Clan's secret arts, they could remain unspoiled for hundreds or even thousands of years.

At Egret Academy, Zhu Ying ate at most a few bites of vegetarian dishes. It was not that she had a small appetite, but that she was unused to mortal food.

Wang Chong spotted a plate of fruit, bright and enticing enough to make one's mouth water, and asked, "What fruit is this? I have never seen it before."

Zhu Ying smiled. "These are Luojia Fruit from overseas. They are exceptionally sweet, and they have no pits. If you like them, I can take you to Mount Luojia someday. They are abundant there."

"It is just that a great Buddhist sage cultivates on Mount Luojia, and there are many taboos there. You must listen to me and not act recklessly."

Wang Chong replied, "Of course I will listen to Sister Zhu."

He was not particularly curious about the Luojia Fruit, but Zhu Ying's mention of a great Buddhist sage piqued his interest. I wonder which great Buddhist sage it is. How does he compare to Lion Sovereign Bodhisattva Patriarch?

Wang Chong ate several fruits and a few pastries, chatted idly with Zhu Ying for a while, then closed his eyes and meditated, cultivating the qi-refining art.

After staying at Southern Zen Temple for over a month, Wang Chong had also gained a rough understanding of the level of his own cultivation.

Among Patriarch Tuotuo's disciples, only six or seven could visualize a talisman within a few months, and only five or six could open a spiritual aperture within a year.

His granddisciples were even worse off. Only three could visualize a talisman within a few months, and only one could open a spiritual aperture within a year.

Moreover, for most people, each talisman was harder to visualize than the last. Those who successfully visualized one talisman within a few months often needed more than ten additional days for the second, another ten or so days more for the third, and by the fourth or fifth, they would be looking at one or two years.

Qi-refining was much the same; the further one progressed, the harder advancement became.

As the Dragon King's own daughter, Zhu Ying had cultivated since childhood. After becoming Xiao Nan's disciple, she had been able to fully visualize the sword-art talismans and cultivate orthodox Mystic Gate methods beyond one cycle because she already possessed a foundation in qi refinement.

At Southern Zen Temple, Zhu Ying could already faintly rank among the top fifteen or sixteen. She was a shade stronger than Patriarch Tuotuo's weakest few disciples and already stood at the forefront among her peers, the sixth-generation disciples.

Only after arriving at Southern Zen Temple had Wang Chong gradually realized that his own cultivation could also be considered "not bad."

Not only did this fail to make him proud, it made him even more low-key and vigilant. He never revealed his true abilities and cultivated with twice the diligence.

Wang Chong knew that "the tree that rises above the forest is sure to be broken by the wind." His talent was abundant, yet he lacked the ability to stand head and shoulders above his peers. Moreover, he was under another patriarch's roof. If he did not cultivate diligently, then should someone make trouble for him, he would have no choice but to suffer a great loss.

Seeing Wang Chong cultivate so diligently, Zhu Ying also sat in meditation and refined qi. Had I not met Brother Chong, I would never have cultivated so diligently.

The two spoke no more that night. By morning, Wang Chong felt his mana had recovered, so he once more activated the Soaring-Cloud Technique and carried Zhu Ying straight toward the East Sea.

That day, the two rested three times along the way before choosing another spot near a picturesque mountain peak and once again halting the cloud for the night.

After Wang Chong and Zhu Ying had eaten and cultivated for a while, they faintly heard cries and howls from the mountains. Unable to resist, they parted the cloud qi and looked down.

From afar, he saw a group of things in the mountains that were neither quite human nor quite inhuman, dressed in tattered rags and bounding along as they continuously let out shrill howls.

Wang Chong could not help but be slightly startled. "Sister Zhu, what are those things? Why do they look rather like flying yakshas?"

Zhu Ying glanced down as well and smiled. "How could they be flying yakshas? Flying yakshas are demonic creatures with at least three cycles of mana, several degrees stronger than even me. These are merely ordinary zombies, searching the mountains for flesh and blood."

Wang Chong hesitated. "Should we strike and eliminate such monsters?"

Zhu Ying shook her head. "Why would ordinary zombies wander about the mountains? They must belong to someone. We may not fear these zombies that have yet to come into their own, but we may not necessarily be able to defeat their master."

"Besides, though these zombies are fierce and savage, they do not seem to be wreathed in resentful qi. They do not look as though they have drunk human blood."

Wang Chong thought of Sun Yougui. That Heavenly Corpse Sect elder was rather fierce, but he was usually reasonable enough. He did not seem like a bad person.

"When he encountered Uncle Wang, Sixth Son, Crescent, and me, he did not bully us mortals either. Perhaps one should not judge by appearance and treat this monster as some wicked thing the moment one sees it."

Though he thought so, he was still uneasy. He watched for a while and saw the zombies hunt down a wild boar in the mountains, rush forward to suck its blood and eat its flesh, then turn back. They really do not seem to be monsters that eat people.

"Still, judging by their methods, they seem to belong to the Heavenly Corpse Sect lineage as well. I wonder whether they know Sun Yougui."

Wang Chong closed the cloud qi and stopped watching.

Deep within a dense forest below, a young Daoist in black robes slightly opened his eyes and glanced toward the sky, yet saw nothing.

Why do I keep feeling as though someone is spying on me?

"I heard that a Celestial Stele had appeared near Little Cold Mountain. I came down from the mountain to travel the world precisely to see the excitement. I heard Father had gone too. If I meet him, I can travel the jianghu with the old man."

Sun Si summoned his refined zombies back to his side, then closed his eyes in meditation and cultivated the Heavenly Corpse Sect's qi-refining art.

The next day, dawn broke bright.

Wang Chong and Zhu Ying headed straight for the East Sea, while Sun Si made directly for Little Cold Mountain. The two parties passed one another without meeting.

Led by Zhu Ying, Wang Chong finally reached the East Sea on the third day. The last time Xiao Nan had brought him to the East Sea, he had barely had time to look around before hurrying away. Now that he had returned, he gazed down from the clouds and saw sea and sky joined in one color, the waves vast and magnificent, his heart opening and his spirit clearing with a feeling unlike any other.

No wonder Father said: east of the East Sea lie tens of thousands more miles; the tide's roar has no end through the ages.

How could the Dragon King's family govern such a vast expanse of sea?

Zhu Ying did not know Wang Chong was thinking about such things. Delighted, she said, "We will sneak back to the Dragon Palace. Do not let anyone know."

Wang Chong asked foolishly, "Why can we not let anyone know?"

Zhu Ying rapped him on the head and said, "I am still away from home without permission. If anyone learns I have returned, how could I ever get out again?"

Yet what she thought was, I am bringing a young man back with me. How could Father possibly not be furious? No one must see Wang Chong.