Little Wave Island

Days at sea were always dull. On the second day out, the weather cleared, with gentle winds, bright sunshine, and thin clouds drifting through the sky.

Zhao Yi leaned against the railing of the upper deck, holding a wine flask. The wine brimmed with a fruity fragrance; he had steeped it himself with wild fruit from the mountain.

He sipped his wine and rolled a handful of pebbles in his palm, flinging one whenever a seabird flew past. He had already knocked down seven or eight that morning.

Liu Yu, meanwhile, was reading in the cabin. There was no need to guess which book: the True Explanation of the Yuanhua Dao Text.

After all, he was the most learned person on Linghua Island, and he had to maintain his lead.

Once the wine was gone, Zhao Yi casually tossed the flask to a sailor on deck. The flask was silver!

Amid the sailor's cheers, Zhao Yi flipped off the railing like a diving hawk and slipped through the window into the cabin.

"Senior Brother, you really never take the usual route!" Liu Yu shook his head helplessly.

"All right, stop reading. This is your first trip to Little Wave Island, so I need to tell you all about it!"

Zhao Yi pulled over a chair and sat down, picking up dates from the table beside him to eat.

Liu Yu closed his book and listened quietly.

"The Zhao Family of Little Wave Island entered these waters along with Grandmaster and the others. That was a hundred years ago."

"The Zhao Family head back then was a Spirit Attraction Stage cultivator. A hundred years have passed, and the Zhao Family has now spanned three generations, with Spirit Attraction Stage cultivators in every generation."

"The Zhao Family currently has at least three Spirit Attraction Stage cultivators. In these waters, they stand in a class of their own."

"The current head of the Zhao Family is named Zhao Xinghe. They say he broke through to the Spirit Attraction Stage at thirty-five."

"He's in his prime now. Under his leadership these past years, the Zhao Family has been developing strongly, and there are gradually signs that they intend to dominate these waters alone."

At this point, a trace of mockery appeared on Zhao Yi's face.

"Senior Brother, do you think the Zhao Family can dominate these waters alone?"

"No, unless the Zhao Family produces a Dao Foundation cultivator," Zhao Yi said decisively.

Then he smiled slightly and continued, "These waters are too impoverished. The Zhao Family's current resources can't support a Dao Foundation cultivator. If they could rule the entire Yunsha Sea Region, perhaps they could."

"Isn't that exactly what the Zhao Family is doing now?"

Liu Yu countered with a question.

"Holding a trade fair on Little Wave Island, courting merchant ships, inviting cultivators from every island in the Yunsha Sea Region to attend, expanding their influence, and earning spirit stones along the way."

Liu Yu stood and gazed into the distance. After a brief pause, he continued, "So far, the Zhao Family has done well. Every step has been solid. They have a very good chance of becoming the rulers of the Yunsha Sea Region."

"Mm, perhaps."

Zhao Yi leaned back in his chair and gazed out the window as he answered absently.

"Senior Brother, what about the other islands?"

Liu Yu continued asking.

Zhao Yi came back to himself and continued, "Besides the Zhao Family of Little Wave Island, there are Black Wind Island, Haikong Island, Peach Blossom Island, Xuanli Island, Three Heroes Island, and Wind Howl Island. Those six islands are comparatively strong."

"Black Wind Island, Haikong Island, Peach Blossom Island, and Xuanli Island have all produced Spirit Attraction Stage cultivators. Peach Blossom Island and Black Wind Island even produced them for two consecutive generations."

"The masters of Three Heroes Island are triplets, and all three brothers have reached perfection of Meridian Opening. They reportedly also possess a combined attack formation that allows them to contend with a Spirit Attraction Stage cultivator."

"As for Wind Howl Island, that's mainly because of Wind-Thunder Rogue. He's a sword cultivator who once fought three cultivators at perfection of Meridian Opening alone, killing two and severely injuring the third. His strength is astonishing. Throughout the surrounding waters, people say he should be the strongest cultivator below the Spirit Attraction Stage."

"There's not much to say about the remaining islands. Who knows how many times they've changed masters since these waters were first opened up? Only ten or twenty have managed to maintain an unbroken succession."

"What about our Linghua Island?" Liu Yu asked.

"Linghua Island's reputation in these waters is fairly good, and our strength is respectable too. Grandmaster and Master were both cultivators at perfection of Meridian Opening. While Master was alive, he and Daoist Mu were inseparable, so cultivators from other islands generally considered Daoist Mu one of our Linghua Island cultivators too."

"As for now, Master has passed away, and Daoist Mu was slain. Our Linghua Island is at its weakest in these hundred years."

Zhao Yi spoke helplessly.

"Then why aren't you hurrying to break through to perfection of Meridian Opening, Senior Brother? I think we should spend all the spirit stones we earn this time on Essence Origin Pills, so you can break through sooner," Liu Yu countered.

"Do you think breaking through is that easy? The few spirit stones we earn won't be enough. We should support you and Wang Qing first and raise both your cultivation to great completion of Meridian Opening."

"As for me, I'll have to rely on some other opportunity to break through to perfection of Meridian Opening. As the saying goes, no man grows rich without a windfall. That applies just as well to us cultivators."

"All right, enough of that. We're having seabirds for lunch. I knocked down seven or eight."

Seeing Zhao Yi dodge the subject, Liu Yu could do nothing either.

On the twenty-fifth of the tenth month, a smile spread over Zhao Yi's weary face as he looked at the island in the distance.

The voyage had been calm throughout, but staying aboard was uncomfortable. Once they docked, he would have to get a good sleep. Liu Yu beside him, however, was brimming with energy.

Zhao Yi could only put it down to his earth-attribute spiritual root being unsuited to drifting about at sea.

As they drew closer to Little Wave Island's dock, a small boat slowly approached the Linghua. Seeing the flag it raised, Zhao Yi recognized it as carrying a Zhao Family guide cultivator.

He instructed a sailor to throw over a rope. The Zhao Family cultivator took hold of it, leaped aboard, and bowed to Zhao Yi.

"Fellow Daoists of Linghua Island, I am Zhao Changyu of the Zhao Family of Little Wave Island, serving here as a guide cultivator. You must be exhausted after your journey. Please follow me into port!"

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Changyu. I am Zhao Yi of Linghua Island, and this is my junior brother, Liu Yu!"

Zhao Yi spoke with a smile, and Liu Yu also bowed to the other man.

"Haha, greetings, Fellow Daoist Zhao, Fellow Daoist Liu. Has Senior Chen of Linghua Island not come this time?"

"Fellow Daoist Changyu, our master gained some insights while fighting a demonic beast a little while ago and is now in seclusion. Only the two of us have come this time."

"I see. Then please follow me into port, fellow Daoists."

With that, he stepped forward to direct the helmsman in steering into Little Wave Island's harbor.

"Fellow Daoist Changyu, may I ask which islands have already arrived? Our master also asked us to pay our respects to some seniors."

Liu Yu walked forward with a smile and came up behind Zhao Changyu.

"Besides Linghua Island, those already here are Haikong Island, Black Wind Island, Silver Frost Island, Bamboo Sea Island, and Moon Gazing Island."

Zhao Changyu thought briefly before answering.

"Thank you for telling us, Fellow Daoist Changyu!"

Upon reaching the harbor, Liu Yu took out two spirit stones and slipped them into Daoist Changyu's hand, saying, "Thank you for guiding us, Fellow Daoist Changyu."

Zhao Changyu did not stand on ceremony either. After a token refusal, he accepted them.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Zhao, you're too kind. It was no more than lifting a hand!"

"I won't disturb you two any longer. You must be tired from your journey, but now that you're on Little Wave Island, you can rest without worry. The cultivators' trade fair is on the eastern side of the harbor, and the mortals' market is on the western side."

With that, Zhao Changyu leaped off the ship.

Zhao Yi watched Zhao Changyu walk away, then came over and said, "This Zhao Changyu has hardly any reputation even within the Zhao Family, yet his cultivation has already reached great completion of Meridian Opening. His aura is full, too, so presumably he hasn't taken shortcuts in his cultivation. The Zhao Family certainly takes care in nurturing its lineage's disciples!"

Liu Yu nodded, a trace of gravity appearing on his face.

"Let's get some rest first and come out for a look around this afternoon!"

Then Zhao Yi and Liu Yu returned to their rooms to rest.

That afternoon, the well-rested pair disembarked and headed into the harbor, visiting the trading area first.

It was a large open space east of the harbor, which the Zhao Family had divided into square plots.

Zhao Yi chose a spot and planted four Linghua Island flags at its corners to claim it.

Then he looked around. Several plots had already been claimed. After examining the flags, Zhao Yi thought they belonged to Bamboo Sea Island, Haikong Island, Black Wind Island, and Moon Gazing Island.

Once he had claimed their spot, Zhao Yi went to look at the trading spot of the merchant ship from Azure Cloud Island. Judging by the stands and sign they had put up, this time it was Fubo Pavilion from Azure Cloud Island.

Fubo Pavilion was a business belonging to the Tide-Subduing Sect. The previous year, Immortal Destiny Tower from Azure Cloud Island had come, and the year before that, it had been the Chen Family's merchant ship from Azure Cloud Island.

Fubo Pavilion had an excellent reputation, but there was one drawback: its goods were expensive.

Of course, there was a reason for those prices. Whether pills, magical artifacts, or Spirit Talismans, their quality was better than that of other shops.

Yet this only troubled Zhao Yi further. Their spirit stones would very likely not be enough.

After browsing the trading area and taking another turn around the harbor, Zhao Yi and Liu Yu returned.

Outside the trading area, Zhao Family cultivators patrolled the other places and would not allow outsiders to remain there.