The Ghost Ship's Evolution

Seven days later

It's yet another trade fair in black robes.

Hu Mang sat lazily on the sofa, toying with a medicine called "Dragon Saliva Paste" in his hand.

This thing isn't actually a treasure from the seabed. To be precise, it's a processed product made from a mixture of Turbid Dragon and sea monster bone powder. Applying it to joints can strengthen bones, but when you apply it, it feels like thousands of ants are gnawing at your bones.

But the effects are also very potent; if you apply it to human bones once, it feels like they'll be strengthened by 10%.

At the last trade fair, Hu Mang managed to snag one and used it to coat his right arm.

Now my left arm has been taken care of.

Aside from that, there wasn't much to see at this trade fair.

He's a seasoned veteran now, and he already has a pretty good idea of what newcomers can offer.

The black robes surrounding him had already been changed several times over.

In just seven days, Old Sha held five offline trading events.

For an average Golden Core, obtaining three valuable underwater treasures during this three-day Dragon Blood Tide would already be considered quite lucky.

So new faces came and went in waves.

During these five trade fairs, Hu Mang presented eighteen large items.

In return, they received eight bottles of Sea Eye Spirit Liquid, two Dragon Saliva Paste, four Core Formation Spiritual Items, a piece of Ghost Iron, and a tuft of turbid neck hair.

The last tuft of fur from the Turbid Dragon's neck took the Hu Mang three large underwater cargoes, plus 20 million Spirit Coin, to snatch.

Fortunately, Jiang Kuisha wasn't there for that match, otherwise he might not have been able to defeat her.

This wasn't something he wanted; rather, it was a fragment of the Ghost Dragon's consciousness remaining within him that revealed a strong yearning.

So he took a picture of it.

Even for a seasoned smuggler like Old Sha, the number of Golden Core cultivators he knows is limited.

Moreover, not all Golden Core he knows will come to him to trade.

Therefore, at today's trade fair, two black-robed individuals with Foundation Establishment auras have already appeared.

But it doesn't matter anyway.

Anyway, he'll be leaving soon.

Just after the free trade session ended, the other black-robed figures left one after another. Suddenly, one of the black-robed figures called out to Hu Mang.

"Oh, it's you."

Hu Mang suddenly realized.

Although the coats concealed their appearance, some familiar faces could still be recognized based on personal habits.

For example, the person in front of us has attended three or four of the five underground trade fairs.

Most importantly, the demonic Yao Qi that the other party inadvertently revealed was very familiar to Hu Mang.

Demon Cultivator, a sea monster at the Golden Core level.

He knows the other person, and the other person naturally knows him even better.

After all, not just any black-robed figure can participate in five trade fairs and produce eighteen large items.

In fact, he had secretly investigated the other party, but found nothing. This indicated that the other party either had a very powerful background or was simply an outsider.

Regardless of the reason, it indicates that the other party is special.

"You didn't find anything else good today besides Dragon Saliva Paste, did you?"

"That's normal, after all, it's a small trade fair."

"Then why don't you go to a big auction house?"

"Hehe, my financial resources are limited," Hu Mang said calmly.

He pulled out eighteen large items in a row; if he weren't here, he would most likely have attracted attention.

He didn't want to engage in another major battle before he reached the Core Formation stage.

His injuries haven't even fully healed yet.

"What I mean is, you can go to some higher-level, and of course, safer, trading venues, like this one—"

The other party handed over an invitation card, which featured a landscape painting with the words "Penglai" in large characters.

"The inner island transaction, guaranteed by the three island owners, might have something that interests you."

After speaking, the other person drifted away.

Soon, Old Sha finished seeing off his guests and saw Hu Mang sitting on the sofa, examining the postcard. He asked in surprise:

How did you get the inner island transaction letter?

"It was a gift," Hu Mang casually tossed the thing to the other person. "You should know this person, right?"

"Oh, it's him. He's come to my side to recruit people," Old Sha frowned, clearly thinking of someone.

"Heh, being able to pull out eighteen large items from the seabed, he probably thinks I represent some kind of power."

Aren't you one of them?

Old Sha looked at the other party with a complicated expression. These big goods couldn't have been picked up by you in the past three days, could they?

I was with you, do you think I don't know what you found?

"Are you going? The things at the Inner Island Trade Fair are definitely much better than what I have here."

"I'm not going," Hu Mang refused decisively.

"Why?"

My ship is almost here; I don't have the time or the energy.

He was still planning to absorb two more bottles of Sea Eye Spirit Liquid and heal his injuries to about 70-80% before heading to Java Island.

Having healing spirit medicine makes a world of difference in healing speed compared to not having spirit medicine.

In this way, once we get to Java Island, we can do some of the work that Heavenly Gate can't do.

Old Sha nodded. He didn't really want to give up this top-tier client either, but he couldn't say it outright, so he changed the subject.

"It's better not to go now; there have been quite a few people coming from outside these past few days."

Who is it?

Hu Mang raised an eyebrow. The outsider the other party was referring to was most likely not someone like him who had come to sell stolen goods.

"Primarily the demonic path, but we also have spies from other factions."

"The demonic path? What are they doing here?"

Old Sha hesitated for a moment, then decided to showcase his intelligence resources to his valued clients.

"During the Dragon Blood Tide, one of the Demonic Path's Holy Sons was captured by the Heavenly Gate!"

"Oh, I see!?"

Hu Mang's expression was very subtle, but fortunately, he was wearing a mask, so he didn't have to force himself to act.

"There are only five Holy Sons in the Demonic Path, each of whom possesses a wealth of demonic secrets. If these fall into the hands of the Heavenly Gate, and they manage to gain something, it could very well lead to another expedition to exterminate the demons."

"More importantly, every Holy Son has connections with that celestial power. If we can follow the trail, the situation could become even more serious."

Old Sha said in a deep voice:

"Therefore, those in the demonic path acted frantically, determined to rescue that holy son before he was sent inside the Heavenly Gate."

"I see."

Hu Mang stroked his chin.

He wasn't surprised at all that the Demonic Saint had been captured. After all, even his "Spirit Transformation" level fist couldn't break through the Sea-Pacifying Divine Warship. Once the ship's protective formation was activated, it was the same both inside and outside. No matter how many tricks the opponent had, they could only show limited abilities in this enclosed space.

In particular, the opponent's Illusory Demon Transformation seem to be less effective in offensive operations.

However, he was still somewhat surprised that the overseas demonic sects valued the Holy Son so much.

Is the identity of this Demonic Saint really that important?

Hehe, serves you right for not choosing me back then, now you regret it, don't you?

If you had chosen me as the Holy Son back then, my escape skills would have been top-notch!

After gloating for a while, Hu Mang didn't press the matter further and simply walked out.

"I haven't left the house for a week, I'm going to take a stroll on the beach."

The Hu Mang quickly flew to a deserted area of the sea and whistled a short, sharp whistle.

As soon as the whistle blew, a huge black shadow appeared on the surface of the sea.

The shadow rose rapidly, the seawater parted to the sides, and a muffled roar was heard. The ghost ship, like a giant whale emerging from the deep sea, rose silently to the surface.

With a light tap of its toes, the Hu Mang gracefully leaped onto the bow of the ship and landed in front of the rudder.

He reached out and grasped the ship's rudder. A cool sensation came from his palm. The rudder instantly connected with his Law Power. The black and white light in his pupils spun rapidly. He pushed his Yin-Yang Eyes to their limit, outlining a faint portal on the sea surface.

Hu Mang found its bearings, it suddenly turned the rudder to the left, and the ghost ship tilted to the side, its bow pointing directly at the not-yet-fully-revealed portal.

With a deafening roar, the enormous ghost ship crashed into the Yin-Yang Passage and vanished.

The sound was swallowed up, the light disappeared, and time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Then, as if a curtain had been drawn back, a completely new view of the sea and sky unfolded before his eyes.

The sun was shining brightly, the sea was azure, and in the distance lay an island covered with lush green vegetation. Wisps of smoke rose from the island, and the outlines of houses and farmland could be vaguely seen.

Several small fishing boats were at work on the sea, their nets gleaming silvery-white in the sunlight. The fishermen's shouts drifted on the wind, carrying a peaceful and undisturbed atmosphere.

"It's actually an inhabited island!" Hu Mang hadn't expected that randomly directing the Yin-Yang Passage in one direction would lead him to an island inhabited by people.

Fortunately, the Divine Sense swept across the area but did not detect any cultivators.

"It's still a bit troublesome, let's try another one."

The ghost ship sank again, crashing into the sea.

When the two small fishing boats heard the commotion and rushed over, they saw the sea surface densely packed with fish that had frozen to death, their bellies turned white.

The second time they traveled through the Yin-Yang Passage, this time the sea was finally devoid of any islands.

"Having traveled two thousand li eastward, I should be approaching the Far Eastern Sea Area, right?"

Hu Mang stood at the bow of the boat, squinting at the boundless sea, feeling the sea breeze in the air that was even crisper and more pristine than that of Canglang Island.

The Far Eastern Sea Area is said to be a vast and dangerous body of water beyond the Thirty-Six Islands of the Eastern Sea. Further east lies the legendary Endless Sea, where even the dragon Dragon Vein are said to be sparse and almost severed. It is a forbidden zone for cultivators and a paradise for sea beasts.

Even ocean-going cargo ships generally avoid this area.

Because Seaquake occur far too frequently in this sea area.

The legendary Saha Continent is said to be located somewhere in this Endless Sea.

However, the Hu Mang wasn't there for an adventure.

Almost as soon as the ghost ship came to a stop, a huge dragon shadow conjured by Ghost Qi emerged from the deck, its two red lantern-like eyes fixed on the Hu Mang.

"Don't rush, don't rush," Hu Mang said with a light laugh.

Then, he took out the tuft of Turbid Dragon neck hair from his Storage Bag, and without saying a word, the Ghost Dragon opened its mouth and sucked the tuft of dragon hair into its stomach.

Then, the Yin Qi of the Ghost Dragon Vein suddenly surged by 20-30%.

The surging Yin Qi burst forth from the Ghost Dragon Vein like a dam breaking, rapidly spreading along the dragon bone to the entire ghost ship.

The ship's hull began to change. Fine, vein-like raised lines appeared on the originally smooth, bony surface, with a ghostly green light flowing within them, as if the entire ship was being infused with new life.

On both sides of the ship's hull, rows of fine bony spikes began to grow, like the dorsal fins of a dragon, gleaming with a chilling light under the moonlight.

The keel at the bottom of the ship emitted a low, creaking sound, like bones growing, as if the entire ship was undergoing a transformative metamorphosis.

Even the water ghosts pulling the boats had changed from smooth skin to wrinkled skin, transforming from young water ghost boatmen into middle-aged ones.

The Ghost Qi intensified.