The vast ocean stretched boundlessly, water and sky meeting and merging into one, its surging waves a magnificent sight.
Yet beautiful as the scenery was, sailing across this immense sea for days on end inevitably grew tiresome and dull.
At that moment, several people from the seven kingdoms stood silently on the immortal ship's deck, gazing toward the distant horizon, each with their own thoughts.
Qing Chen looked back in the direction they had come from, though no one knew what he was looking at.
The honest-looking boy beside him, only fifteen years old, asked Qing Chen curiously:
"Brother Qing, what are you looking at? You've been staring for a quarter of an hour without even blinking. Don't your eyes ache?"
Qing Chen smiled faintly and answered, "I'm looking at the Jing Kingdom. I don't know whether I'll ever have a chance to return in this life."
"Are you missing that woman in red who called out to you a few days ago?" the honest-looking boy asked again, a hint of childishness in his voice.
"Ting, don't be rude." The composed man beside him, around thirty years old, spoke up to stop the boy's questions.
He was Xie Yu, a cultivator with a low-grade water and wood spiritual root. Though not exceptionally gifted, he had a steady temperament.
"Brother Xie Yu, it's fine." Qing Chen waved his hand, indicating that he did not mind the boy's questions.
He had already left. Qing Chen had no habit of pretending to harbor deep feelings.
Qing Chen was not thinking of that woman in red, nor of Second Mother and the others.
He was wondering why the Condensed Jade Sect went to the trouble of traveling to Immortal-Severing Island once every thirty years.
Was it merely for these dozen or so newly recruited disciples? Absolutely impossible.
The immortal path was boundless; the human path was faint and fleeting.
Having lived two lives, Qing Chen's mind had long since ceased to resemble that of someone his current age of twenty.
The mortal world and its worldly affairs were clouds and smoke passing before his eyes.
The opportunity for immortality lay beneath his feet; he only had to keep walking forward. The past was experience, not a burden.
Qing Chen turned to Xie Yu and asked, "Brother Xie Yu, do you have any particular insights into the path of cultivation?"
Xie Yu smiled slightly, a trace of life's vicissitudes showing in his eyes:
"The path of cultivation isn't the work of a day, a year, or even ten years. It requires perseverance, and even more importantly, an unyielding heart.
"Though I'm not exceptionally gifted and only have a low-grade spiritual root, I still hope to go farther along this path.
"But Brother Qing and this disciple of mine have fairly good aptitudes. Both have middle-grade spiritual roots, so you should have promising futures on the immortal path, haha."
As he spoke, he stroked the head of his disciple Yue Ting beside him.
Qing Chen felt little interest in Xie Yu's words.
What was cultivation? It meant robbing the bastards-taking money, taking grain, taking cultivation cauldrons. Anything useful was fated to be mine!
Hearing his master praise him, Yue Ting smiled guilelessly and replied, "I listen to my master. If Master says cultivation is good, I'll cultivate diligently."
His eyes shone with boundless longing for the world of cultivation.
Hearing the three of them talking, the young man Ding Buxing beside them joined the conversation.
He gazed firmly into the distance, his voice carrying a measure of heroic spirit. "My father told me cultivation lets you move mountains and fill seas, fly through the heavens and burrow through the earth. Once I've succeeded in cultivation, I'll come back and let my father live for two hundred years too!"
The arrogant girl Xue Yubing beside them, however, gave a contemptuous snort.
A disdainful smile curled her lips as she mocked:
"Live for two hundred years? Aren't you afraid such big talk will wrench your back? The path of cultivation?
"For me, it's nothing more than reaching out and taking what I want.
"I have a high-grade wind spiritual root and outstanding aptitude. How could any of you compare to me?"
At her words, Xie Yu merely smiled faintly. He had no wish to argue with Xue Yubing.
Ding Buxing also nodded in agreement. "Brother Xie is absolutely right. The path of cultivation is long and arduous. What we need is enduring determination and an unyielding will. Though aptitude matters, temperament matters even more."
Those speaking were people from the seven kingdoms who had boarded the ship with Qing Chen.
Xie Yu was around thirty, with a composed face. He possessed a low-grade water and wood spiritual root, and though not exceptionally gifted, he was very steady.
After Xie Yu and Qing Chen became acquainted, they had chatted happily and developed a sense of affinity with one another.
His disciple Yue Ting was an honest-looking boy, only fifteen, with a middle-grade wood spiritual root. His face still bore its childishness, but his eyes shone with boundless longing for the world of cultivation.
The arrogant girl was named Xue Yubing. She was sixteen, with lovely features and a graceful figure.
She possessed a high-grade wind spiritual root, making her the most gifted among them.
Yet she was arrogant, always treating others with a measure of disdain, as though the entire world ought to revolve around her.
The ambitious young man beside them was called Ding Buxing. He was around eighteen and had a middle-grade fire spiritual root.
Since their home kingdoms could be considered allies, they had become somewhat familiar with one another after spending several days together.
Just as they were talking, the immortal ship was suddenly rocked by the waves.
A loud bang rang out, and Qing Chen thought the ship had struck a reef.
Then a shout thundered through the skies: "Senior Brother Gu, it's a late first-tier Red-Chain Sea Serpent!"
First-tier demonic beasts corresponded to the qi refining stage, second-tier beasts to the foundation establishment realm, and third-tier beasts to the core formation stage. Above those was the fourth tier, whose beasts were called great demons of the transformation stage.
The voice carried a measure of delight and eagerness for battle, as though what they had encountered was not danger, but a rare trial.
At those words, a sharp look flashed across Senior Brother Gu's brow.
"Good! We didn't find the sect grounds, but we happened upon this vile beast during this assignment. That too is fate! Take my sword!" Before his words had finished, he struck.
Qing Chen swore this was the first time he had ever seen such a thick snake. It was so thick!
The Red-Chain Sea Serpent was a full seven or eight zhang long and as thick as a large water vat. Its whole body was red, its scales like iron, and it exuded a ferocious aura.
Senior Brother Gu lightly guided his sword seal. Cold light flashed from the scabbard on his back, and a streak of sword light shot out like a meteor, heading straight for the Red-Chain Sea Serpent.
The sword gleamed in the sunlight, its keen edge fully revealed.
Sensing danger, the Red-Chain Sea Serpent's crimson eyes flashed viciously. It swung its dark iron-like tail, seeking to smash the flying sword to pieces.
But Senior Brother Gu's sword light flashed, nimbly evading the sea serpent's attack.
The sea serpent hissed furiously, sweeping its long tail fiercely in an attempt to crush the troublesome flying sword.
Yet Senior Brother Gu's swordsmanship was exquisite, his flying sword as agile as a swimming dragon. However the sea serpent struggled, it pursued relentlessly.
In an instant, sword light and the serpent's shadow crisscrossed above the sea in a fierce battle.
After an intense struggle, Senior Brother Gu found an opening and sought to deliver a fatal blow to the sea serpent.
At the critical moment, the sea serpent spat out a streak of dark light to block him.
Senior Brother Gu's flying sword was tremendously powerful. With a flash of sword light, the dark light was instantly shattered, dissolving into black glimmers.
The flying sword moved like lightning, piercing precisely into the sea serpent's vital point seven inches below its head.
The sea serpent let out an agonized cry. Its enormous body stiffened, then slowly sank to the seabed and moved no more.
The sea returned to calm, leaving everyone aboard the immortal ship with stunned expressions.
PS: Partial map