Sea God Island: Solo Voyage
--
It was just dawn when Nan Feng, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing parted ways at the crossroads of the official road. Xiao Wu walked towards the Shrek Academy, but after taking a dozen steps, she turned back and ran back, stuffing a package of dried meat wrapped in oil paper into Nan Feng's hand.
"Eat on the road. You always forget to eat when you're on the road." After she finished speaking, she turned and ran, her scorpion braid swinging in the morning breeze, her pink figure quickly disappearing into the woods at the end of the official road.
Zhu Zhuqing stood at the crossroads without leaving immediately. She looked at the dried meat in Nan Feng's hand, then at the faded red ribbon on Nan Feng's left wrist, and a golden glint flashed quietly in her dark green pupils.
"Sea God Island is located in the southeastern sea area of the continent. The nearest coastal town is Vast Sea City. From Vast Sea City, it takes about half a month to sail southeast with the wind." Zhu Zhuqing took out a dark jade token from her waist, exactly the same as the one given to her by the campfire earlier. "Vast Sea City has agents of the Star Luo Empire. This jade token can get them to prepare a ship for you. But you need to think carefully— Sea God Island is surrounded by Sea Soul Beast, including quite a few Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Going alone is very risky."
Nan Feng stored the jade tablet in the Tower Spirit Space. "I know."
Zhu Zhuqing didn't say anything more. Her figure gradually faded into the shade of the trees at the crossroads, and the fluctuations of Shadow Perception slowly withdrew from within a radius of three hundred paces, eventually disappearing into the depths of the woods beside the official road.
Nan Feng stood at the crossroads, the red ribbon on his left wrist fluttering gently in the morning breeze. He glanced down at the package of dried meat in his hand; the oil paper still held the warmth of Xiao Wu's palm. He stored the dried meat in his Tower Spirit Space, turned, and took a step southeast. He activated the Shrinking the Ground to an Inch, leaving a trail of afterimages on the official road.
Vast Sea City is located on the southeastern coast of the Douluo Continent. It is a port city famous for its Sea Soul Master and pirates. Nan Feng traveled for seven days, crossing plains and hills, and arrived at the outskirts of Vast Sea City on the evening of the eighth day. The Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light spread out a Spiritual Power map of a radius of 500 steps in his mind. Dozens of Soul Power points were scattered throughout the city, among which the three brightest ones were near the eastern dock of the city, with Soul Power concentration at the Soul Saint level.
Nan Feng didn't enter the city. He waited in the woods three miles outside the city until nightfall, then used his Shrinking the Ground to an Inch to avoid the sentries on the city wall, approaching the dock from the east. Zhu Zhuqing's jade pendant warmed slightly as he approached the dock, and a very fine, eerie green pattern appeared on its dark jade surface. At the easternmost end of the dock was an inconspicuous awning boat, with a dim fishing lamp hanging from its bow. A thin, middle-aged man was dozing against the mast. When Nan Feng reached the boat, the middle-aged man opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the red ribbon on Nanfeng's left wrist and the jade pendant protruding from his waist. He immediately straightened up.
"The Star Luo Empire Underground Force?" The middle-aged man's voice was very low.
Nan Feng nodded and handed over the jade token. The man took the token, examined it, then returned it to him, turning and calling out to the cabin. Two young sailors emerged from the cabin and began untying the mooring lines and raising the sails. The middle-aged man pointed to the cabin. "There's fresh water and dry rations inside. It's southeast of Sea God Island; with favorable winds, it'll take about half a month. Are you going alone?"
"One person."
The middle-aged man didn't ask any further questions. He took out a yellowed nautical chart from his pocket, spread it on the bow of the ship, and pointed to the shipping lane marked in vermilion on the chart. "From Vast Sea City, the first five days are nearshore. There aren't many Sea Soul Beast, but there are many reefs, and many pirates operate in that area. The middle five days are the deep sea, where Sea Soul Beast roam in groups, and many are over a thousand years old. The last five days are close to the outer edge of Sea God Island. The Soul Power in that area is chaotic, and even the compasses of ordinary Soul Master will malfunction. You will have to rely on your own senses to find your way."
Nan Feng memorized the nautical chart. The Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light transformed every reef mark and ocean current direction on the chart into a point of light on a Spiritual Power map, storing it deep within his perception.
How long until we can depart?
"The tide is just right, let's go now." The middle-aged man jumped onto the dock, untied the last rope, and gave the boat a strong push. The awning boat slowly left the shore, propelled by the tide, its sails gradually billowing in the night wind. Nan Feng stood at the stern, watching the lights of Vast Sea City recede further and further behind, finally merging into the darkness of the coastline.
The sea breeze grew fierce after nightfall. The awning boat rocked on the crest of the waves, its hull creaking and groaning. Nan Feng sat cross-legged at the Tower Realm, a thin layer of cyan-gold light forming on his body, shielding him from the chill of the sea breeze and waves. The emerald green light of the Life Origin Stone and the cyan-gold light of the Soul-Suppressing Azure Lotus quietly intertwined deep within his soul, while the Power of Creation from the third layer of the tower flowed slowly through his meridians.
For the first five days, they sailed near the coast. During the day, Nan Feng used his Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light to sense the location of underwater reefs and adjust the sails accordingly. At night, he used the gravity of the Tower Realm to stabilize the ship and maintain its course amidst the waves. On the evening of the fourth day, a thick fog suddenly rose from the sea, through which the lights of distant ships could be faintly seen. Nan Feng darkened the color of the Tower Realm's light membrane, and the awning boat glided quietly through the fog. A large pirate ship emerged from the fog, its bow flying a skull and crossbones flag. Dozens of Soul Master stood on the deck, the one with the strongest Soul Power fluctuations being at the Soul Saint level. The pirate ship passed by the awning boat on its left, coming within a hundred paces at its closest point, but the Tower Realm's light membrane completely isolated the awning boat's Soul Power fluctuations, and the pirate ship's sensing Soul Master detected nothing amiss.
On the morning of the fifth day, the thick fog dissipated. The Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light detected numerous points of Soul Power moving rapidly beneath the surface of the sea ahead. Sea Soul Beast. Dozens of icy blue points of light darted beneath the surface, their Soul Power concentrations ranging from a thousand to several thousand years. The Nan Feng turned the sails, attempting to circumvent the Soul Beast ' path, but the Soul Beast were far faster than the ship. In less than half an hour, three thousand-year-old sea serpents leaped from the surface, their triangular heads raised several meters high, their icy blue scales gleaming coldly in the morning light.
Nan Feng stood at the bow of the ship, the Tower Realm suddenly unfolding beneath his feet. A cyan-gold light membrane covered the sea surface within a hundred paces, and gravity suppressed the surface, creating a brief area of calm. Under the suppression of the Tower Realm, the three-headed sea serpent's speed decreased sharply, and its attacks became sluggish. Nan Feng used the Shrinking the Ground to an Inch to step on the waves, leaving a trail of afterimages on the sea surface. Bone Spike sprang from his palms, infused with dark golden Primordial World Power. The first sea serpent's neck was pierced by the Bone Spike, and icy blue blood gushed out. The second sea serpent's tail swept across, but Nan Feng blocked it with his dragon arm. The dragon scales on his right arm shone with an icy blue luster, and the tail struck his dragon arm as if striking an iron wall. The third sea serpent tried to dive into the water to escape, but Nan Feng solidified the Tower and slammed it into the sea surface. The gravity of the Tower's shadow pressed a brief dent into the sea surface, immobilizing the sea serpent. The Starfall Iron Staff pierced through the serpent's skull with a single blow.
After the three-headed thousand-year-old sea serpent died, the Soul Beast scattered and fled. Ice-blue snake blood and shattered scales floated on the sea. Nan Feng used his Shrinking the Ground to an Inch back to the ship, and the ice shell on the Tower Realm's light membrane slowly melted in the morning light. The sails continued to move southeast.
The five-day voyage through the deep sea was even more perilous. The Sea Soul Beast were denser than in the nearshore waters, with Sea Soul Beast over ten thousand years old occasionally gliding beneath the ship, their enormous shadows moving slowly underwater. Nan Feng used his Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light to avoid all the Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast ' routes in advance. When he encountered unavoidable Thousand-Year Soul Beast, he quickly dealt with them using the Tower Realm's suppression combined with the Shrinking the Ground to an Inch. On the evening of the seventh day, a ten-thousand-year-old sea turtle emerged from the water. Its shell was several meters wide, and a single horn grew from its head, condensing a rich concentration of ice-attribute Spiritual Power. Nan Feng did not engage it in combat, instead pressing the Tower Realm's light membrane to its thinnest point, and the awning boat glided silently past the sea turtle's perception edge. The sea turtle followed the boat for a distance before finally sinking into the deep sea.
On the tenth day, in the waters surrounding Sea God Island, the seawater changed from deep blue to a strange silver-blue, with a faint aura of Spiritual Power shimmering on the surface. The Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light detected a large number of Spiritual Power points converging deep in the seabed, their arrangement somewhat similar to the star patterns on the tower. Nan Feng furled the sails and used his Shrinking the Ground to an Inch technique to travel on the waves, the awning boat following behind him, slowly advancing on the silver-blue sea.
On the twelfth day at dusk, the outline of Sea God Island appeared on the horizon. It was an island shrouded in a silver-blue halo, with an extremely high peak in its center. From the top of the peak, a thin beam of light could be faintly seen shooting straight into the sky. Nan Feng stopped at the island's perimeter, Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light spread out a map of the island's Spiritual Power in his mind. There were a large number of Soul Beast auras around the island, ranging from a thousand to a hundred thousand years old. Deep within the island, several extremely powerful Soul Power fluctuations were hidden, stronger than the Frost Giant Dragon and approaching the level of the Ice Empress and Snow Empress.
He moored the awning boat behind a secluded reef, completely covering the hull with the light membrane of the Tower Realm. Then he stood on the reef, looking at the towering pillar of light in the center of Sea God Island. The Spiritual Power fluctuations of the pillar of light resonated with the Space-Time Power of the fifth level of the tower, as if two forces of the same origin were echoing each other across a great distance.
"The ancient training grounds left by the Pagoda God are located beneath that mountain peak." Old Huai's voice came from the Tower Spirit Space, and the semi-transparent remnant soul sat upright on the immortal wood. "Seventy-two Soul-Suppression Pillar, each sealing a wisp of an ancient remnant soul. You must light them one by one. The process will be very painful—those remnant souls will backfire on your soul, trying to possess your body. But your Primordial World Power is naturally effective against soul attacks, and the Mountain Suppression Art also has a natural suppression effect on remnant souls. As long as you endure, they will actually help you refine your supernatural powers."
Nan Feng gazed at the pillar of light in the center of Sea God Island, the red ribbon on her left wrist fluttering in the evening breeze. The Space-Time Power of the fifth floor of the tower trembled slightly under the resonance of the pillar of light, and the time flow rate in the Tower Spirit Space increased from five to one to six to one. The door on the sixth floor, which was nearly half cracked, cracked even more under the resonance, and the amount of Power of Return to the Void surging out from the crack was even greater than before.
He turned and walked towards the awning boat behind the reef, took out a freshwater bag from the cabin and drank a few mouthfuls. Then he stood at the bow, looking in the direction of Sea God Island, and prepared to launch himself by Shrinking the Ground to an Inch between his feet.
Ten days. It took twelve days to sail from Vast Sea City to Sea God Island, much faster than the expected half month. Seventy-two Soul-Suppression Pillar awaited him on the island. The third Tower Spirit Fragment was at the end of the Soul-Suppression Pillar. The Sea God Divine Power Crystal was at the top of the Soul-Suppression Pillar.
He took a step, his figure disappearing from the reef and appearing on the shallows outside Sea God Island. Behind him, the awning boat, enveloped by the light membrane of the Tower Realm, was moored behind the reef, its sails furled, its mast standing quietly in the twilight.
Sea God Island silently awaited him in the twilight. The pillar of light in the center of the island grew brighter and brighter in the darkening sky, its silvery-blue glow enveloping the entire island in a mysterious radiance. Nan Feng stepped onto the shallows of Sea God Island, the sand beneath his feet shimmering with tiny sparkles in the silvery-blue light. Ahead lay a dense jungle, within which a trodden ancient path could be faintly seen, leading to the mountain peak at the center of the island.
He walked towards the ancient path, his steps, Shrinking the Ground to an Inch, silently advancing through the jungle. In the Tower Spirit Space Tower Spirit Space, the Old Huai rose from the immortal wood, its remnant soul slowly floating within. Shifang peeked out from a corner, a golden halo of flames quietly rotating within the Tower Spirit Space.
"Brother Nan," Shifang's voice came from the Tower Spirit Space, "I sense an aura on the island similar to mine. It seems to be... a fire-attribute Soul Beast of the same origin."
Nan Feng did not stop. His Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light detected an extremely dense point of fiery Spiritual Power deep in the jungle. The point of light was dark red in color and was at least 50,000 years old. That point of fiery Spiritual Power was lingering in the outer jungle of Sea God Island, about 300 paces away from Nan Feng.
"Avoid it," Old Huai said. "Your goal is the seventy-two Soul-Suppression Pillar. Don't waste your energy on irrelevant Soul Beast."
Nan Feng shifted his direction from "Shrinking the Ground to an Inch," circling around the side of the fiery Spiritual Power. The dark red aura lay dormant silently, undetected. He continued deeper into the island, the ancient stone slabs creaking softly beneath his feet. The pillar of light in the center of Sea God Island drew ever closer through the gaps in the jungle, its silvery-blue light filtering through the branches and leaves and showering him upon him.
The red ribbon on her left wrist fluttered gently in the night breeze. The nine lotus seeds of the Soul-Suppressing Azure Lotus in the Tower Spirit Space pulsated steadily, perfectly synchronized with her heartbeat. The emerald green light of the Life Origin Stone in her dantian and the azure-gold light of the Soul-Suppressing Azure Lotus complemented each other. The Shrinking the Ground to an Inch circulated steadily beneath her feet, and the Tower Realm Light Membrane formed a faint protective layer on her body.
Seventy-two Soul-Suppression Pillar await him in the center of the island.