The Age of Great Voyages

Jiang Ping continued to survey the world. Every secret of the Primordial World lay naked before his eyes.

Among them, he discovered something very strange.

In corners all across the world, an unusual species of tree had begun to grow. This should have been perfectly ordinary, but the species was clearly unlike any native plant of the Primordial World, because it was the species of the Sacred Tree Lahil!

Back then, Lahil had been the only strange tree under heaven. Now, however, these great trees filled every corner of the world.

They were neither tall nor contained a trace of Extraordinary Energy, yet they had indisputably become the dominant presence in their regions. To investigate this anomaly, Jiang Ping decided to descend into the mortal world himself.

The fresh fragrance of wheat filled the air. A carriage slowly traveled down a broad dirt road.

"Tsk, I heard that the wheat seeds we plant today originated from the ancient Human King!" a young man inside the carriage said.

"What Human King? If you ask me, it's just a myth. The origins of the five grain seeds are mysterious. After countless mutations and selections, it's obvious they weren't the work of a single generation," another merchant, who looked to be around thirty, refuted.

"You can't say that. Recently, an archaeological team from the Tulip Kingdom excavated the ruins of a city from thousands of years ago deep underground.

There were even seeds inside that still retained their vitality. The alchemical blueprints found there shocked the kingdom's great figures, and I heard that the Tulip Kingdom intends to build great ships again," said a middle-aged man who clearly had connections.

"Hiss!"

Upon hearing the middle-aged man's words, everyone in the carriage gasped. The Tulip Kingdom was not far from this continent, separated only by the Black Order Strait. Having excavated ruins and begun building heavy ships, the Tulip Kingdom was clearly coming in force!

This was the Age of Great Voyages!

The various continents were separated by oceans, and conflicts between kingdoms never ceased.

Especially in recent years, following the kingdoms' calls, countless people had rushed into the depths of the sea.

Every day, new continents were discovered. Every day, underwater ruins were found and salvaged. Shipping routes were carved out one after another, while trade between different continents continued, exchanging resources and knowledge.

After the disaster, humanity rebuilt civilization. The various continents were still enjoying the benefits left behind by the civilization of ancient ruins.

Whenever new ruins were excavated, the Human Kingdoms reaped great rewards. Thus, every continent devoted itself to exploring the oceans. To this day, a complete world map had yet to be drawn, and no one could say whether lost continents existed in the depths of the sea.

"Actually," the middle-aged man continued,

"the God-bestowed Treasure of legend, the Spear of Destiny, may truly exist."

His words stunned everyone into silence.

"It's nothing more than a poet's fanciful tale," the merchant said, clearly unconvinced.

There were simply too many legends concerning this divine artifact. Some said it was a divine weapon left behind by the Creation God, some said it was a supreme treasure forged by heaven and earth, while others claimed that this mysterious spear was the crystallization of an ancient civilization.

Every legend praised its mystery and power.

Everyone in the carriage knew these myths by heart. They had grown up listening to them.

"From what I understand, ancient murals excavated one after another all depict a colossal god bestowing three treasures. The most important mission of every kingdom's archaeological teams is to find clues about the Spear of Destiny.

"This divine artifact is not only immensely powerful, but also represents the divine right of kings. It is an artifact passed down from ancient times. Whoever obtains it will be the one chosen by heaven!"

Everyone listened in rapt fascination, but the merchant still clearly did not believe it. The young man from before immediately asked insistently, "Have the archaeological teams of the great kingdoms found anything?"

"Sigh."

The middle-aged man let out a long sigh. "From what I understand, the great kingdoms have already despaired internally. Many say it has vanished into the river of history, yet quite a few people remain convinced that this divine artifact exists!"

Hearing the middle-aged man's words, everyone felt heartbroken. Did this divine artifact of endless legends truly still exist in this world? Did such an artifact really exist?

"It does."

A firm, decisive voice suddenly rang out from within the carriage. Everyone looked over in surprise and discovered that it came from an unremarkable young man.

The young man's appearance was utterly ordinary, like anyone else on the street, yet there was something slightly different about him. Though he had clearly been sitting there the entire time, no one had noticed him before he spoke.

The middle-aged man gave the young man a strange look, seemingly wondering why he was so certain.

He continued, "As stated by Tula, the chief royal scholar who spent his entire life searching for divine artifacts."

"It was Tula!" Everyone immediately pricked up their ears. He was the greatest scholar of the past thousand years, a man who had visited dozens of kingdoms and traveled across every known continent. His life had been one of unparalleled brilliance; he possessed countless titles and bore the prime ministerial seals of ten kingdoms.

"Before his death, Tula told all his disciples: 'Do you want the Spear of Destiny? It lies in the depths of the ocean! I spent my life searching for this divine artifact, and at last discovered that its final record was aboard a ship during the Great Disaster!'

"And Tula's sentence caused every nation to once again strengthen its naval construction and fight for maritime supremacy! Whoever obtains the Spear of Destiny can become the World King!"

So the Age of Great Voyages had actually begun because of Tula's final words. Everyone's eyes widened. No wonder the great kingdoms had explored the seas with increasing intensity these past few years. So the reason was to search for this legendary artifact.

"Tsk, tsk."

The young man was Naturally Jiang Ping, who had descended into the mortal world. He had not expected that the cause of this Age of Great Voyages would be the search for the Spear of Destiny.

The middle-aged man's secret tale stirred everyone in the carriage, and the journey no longer felt dull. The young people in particular could hardly sit still, wanting only to leap from the carriage, race to the coastline, and throw themselves into this great age of treasure hunting.

A little boy about five or six years old suddenly jumped out of his mother's arms.

"Just wait! I'll definitely travel to the ends of the earth, find the Spear of Destiny, and become the Sea King!"

As he spoke, he clenched his chubby little fist before his chest. His eyes were incomparably serious, and there was not the slightest hint of jest on his baby-fat Little Face.

"Haha!"

Hearing the child's boast, everyone in the carriage burst into laughter. Even the coachman in front laughed loudly, and Jiang Ping could not help shaking his head with a smile.

The carriage immediately filled with cheerful laughter. Everyone thought he was merely speaking innocently, unaware of the dangers of the world.

The boy looked strangely at the laughing crowd, then turned back to his mother in confusion. Had he said something wrong?

The young woman chuckled and pulled the boy into her arms. "Lu Fei, treasures aren't so easy to find. Otherwise, why would so many years have passed with so many people finding nothing?"

The boy remained serious. "That's because they aren't capable enough. I'll definitely find it."

Another wave of laughter rose through the carriage. Only the boy did not laugh, his baby-fat Little Face filled with solemn determination.

Jiang Ping smiled and stroked the boy's little head. "Where there's a will, there's a way. It's not impossible for you to find the treasure."

A smile rose at the corner of the mouth of the boy, and the collagen in his cheeks squeezed his big eyes into narrow slits.

Someone finally believes me. Why does everyone think I'm joking? So annoying!

The carriage gradually slowed. They had reached their destination, and everyone got out one after another, ending this story-filled journey.

The boy reluctantly waved to Jiang Ping. Only after the young woman tugged at him several times did he finally turn and leave.

No feast lasts forever. Before departing, Jiang Ping gave the boy a small gift.

The boy opened his little hand, revealing a lush green leaf in his palm. The young woman examined the leaf curiously.

The leaf resembled a strange species of tree commonly found across the continents. Fine intersecting veins gathered into a mysterious pattern. Even though it had been picked for many days, it showed no trace of yellowing and remained lush and vibrant, brimming with life.

"This little trinket is truly unique," his mother could not help praising.

The boy carefully closed his hand around it, as if afraid the leaf might fly away.

The wheels of history rolled onward. What he did not know was that a magnificent life was about to begin. This leaf would accompany him throughout his life, helping him escape countless storms and guiding him toward the light in the endless depths of the ocean, where he would find his way home.

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