Seaquake

"That's strange. You reacted to this tuft of dragon hair, but why didn't you react to that dragon horn coral reef?"

"Is it because Dragon Vein of different attributes only absorb those evolved from Dragon Vein of the same attribute?"

"This tuft of dragon hair seems to have a rather strong Yin Qi, while those dragon horns are yang in nature, is that what you mean?"

While chatting with the Ghost Dragon Vein, Hu Mang explored the ship from top to bottom and left to right.

Compared to some of the unusual changes, what pleased the Hu Mang the most was that all the holes, big and small, on the ship had been patched up by this evolution.

It used to be so dilapidated.

Unfortunately, although this ghost Ghost Dragon Vein possesses some spiritual awareness, it's not much, so Hu Mang can navigate the boat, communication is still somewhat difficult.

The Hu Mang circled around and returned to the deck.

He originally intended to take advantage of the ghost ship's recent evolution to explore the several rooms on the ship that were filled with Yin Qi.

However, after some hesitation, I decided to wait until he recovered before doing such a thing.

A captain's status alone isn't enough to subdue something that's too fierce.

Hu Mang pondered for a moment, then took out another item, which was the same clump of ambergris from before.

As soon as it was taken out, a strange fragrance was released.

The fragrance is indescribable; if I had to describe it, it seems to be a higher level of musk, with a fishy, animalistic scent.

He pried a small piece off the basketball-sized, grayish-white stone, crushed it into powder with his fingers, and then lit it on a broken plate.

After the ambergris was lit, there was no flame; only a thin wisp of grayish-white smoke rose from the center of the plate.

Unlike ordinary incense smoke that rises in a straight line, the smoke twists and swirls in the air like a living thing, as if searching for some direction.

The fragrance emanating from the smoke was even stronger than before, carrying a penetrating power that could seep into the depths of the soul, slowly spreading across the deck of the ghost ship.

The Ghost Dragon Vein reacted almost instantly.

The gray-white Dragon Vein that had been quietly coiled at the bottom of the ship began to writhe the moment the fragrance touched it. The Yin Qi threads that had been tightly wrapped around the keel stretched out like awakened tentacles and quickly explored the direction from which the fragrance was coming.

It began to inhale frantically.

The ambergris fragrance that permeated the air seemed to be summoned, and began to actively converge towards the direction of the Ghost Dragon Vein, forming streams of grayish-white air that surged towards its body from all directions.

The fragrance was absorbed by its scales, seeping into its body through the gaps in its bones, merging with its Yin Qi, making its aura more solid and profound with each breath.

A hint of satisfaction even began to appear in its eyes, as if a person who had been starving for a long time had finally eaten a hot meal.

The entire ghost ship shook violently in response to the movements of the Ghost Dragon Vein.

"The effect is that strong?"

The Hu Mang muttered to itself.

He could even feel the joy emanating from the Dragon Vein.

It's even more exaggerated than when it evolved before.

However, once the ambergris burned out, the Dragon Vein quickly returned to its original state, as if the previous sensations were all an illusion.

"So, the two creatures evolved from the Dragon Vein, one is responsible for eating, and the other for absorbing; the one that eats is responsible for evolution, and the other is responsible for pleasure?"

"Um?"

The Hu Mang suddenly looked towards the sea, seemingly affected by the "cigarette" spill that had just occurred.

The once calm sea suddenly became turbulent.

Waves surged one after another, rapidly rising from small ripples to towering waves several meters high, as if the entire sea was being violently churned from the bottom by an invisible giant hand.

The ghost ship began to rock violently in the waves, its hull creaking and groaning, and its keel trembling under the impact of the waves.

The turbulent waves alone are not so bad.

During the Dragon Blood Tide, what wave hadn't he seen?

But what happened next made his expression change instantly.

Amidst the surging waves, the seawater suddenly trembled.

The entire sea level dropped by three zhang (approximately 10 meters) in that instant, as if the seawater had been suddenly sucked away from below by something.

The ghost ship sank rapidly as the sea level dropped, creating a brief gap between its hull and the surface, revealing the wet hull underneath. Then, the seawater surged back in with a muffled roar.

After the second shock, Hu Mang finally came to his senses, his face turning pale instantly.

There wasn't a single trace of Law Power left in his body!

The Spiritual Qi within a radius of dozens of miles was completely absorbed!

He felt weak all over and almost lost his balance, but he quickly grabbed the rudder to steady himself.

He looked down at his hands, feeling an unprecedented emptiness within his body, his face filled with extreme shock.

"Seaquake!?"

This is the kind of marine phenomenon that Old Zhu was talking about, beyond the sea line, that can even cause Nascent Soul Cultivator to perish!

Without saying a word, he immediately took out a high-grade Spirit Stone and began to restore his Law Power.

The only thing that reassured him was that the Spiritual Qi absorbed by the Seaquake did not seem to include the Ghost Dragon Vein.

The ghost ship still exudes Yin Qi.

To the Ghost Dragon Vein, this seemed to be just an ordinary tsunami.

It took a full hour for the Hu Mang's Law Power to fully recover.

After sensing his internal organs, his surprise only increased.

"That's outrageous! It even drained all the Demonic Qi stored in my Cauldron-Boiling Devil Meridian. No wonder even Nascent Soul Cultivator can't cross the sea."

In a situation like that, unless Nascent Soul Cultivator could separate their Nascent Soul from their body and fly outside the atmosphere the instant they sensed it, Hu Mang really couldn't imagine how he could have blocked that attack.

Moreover, the Seaquake that just occurred appears to have been only a small Seaquake.

"As expected, those who don't heed the advice of their elders are now suffering the consequences. This place is definitely not on any particular coastline."

Hu Mang looked around but saw nothing.

"More importantly, was that just now a coincidence, or was it influenced by ambergris?"

Hu Mang wanted to try again, but the previous attack had been brutal enough. His Spiritual Qi was instantly drained, his meridians were under immense pressure, and the injuries he had previously repaired burst open again, with traces of blood seeping from various parts of his body.

If this happened again, it could very well result in a massive hemorrhage.

"Damn, that was so exciting."

Hu Mang plopped down on the deck, leaned against the railing, pulled out a jar of Jade Spring Fine Brew, and gulped down several mouthfuls.

"Hello, sir, which way should I go in the Endless Sea?"

"Pfft~~~"

Hu Mang spat out a mouthful of wine, turned his head and saw a barefoot little nun standing on the water, looking him over.

"???" Hu Mang blinked, making sure he wasn't seeing things.

The young nun looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. She wore a faded gray monk's robe with frayed edges on the cuffs and hem. Her bare, white feet strode across the sea as if walking on flat ground.

Her head was shaved clean, gleaming softly in the sunlight. There were no ordination scars on her head, nor was she wearing a monk's hat. She stood there bareheaded on the undulating sea, her large, clear eyes scrutinizing the Hu Mang and the ghost ship beneath his feet.

Hu Mang looked down at himself, covered in blood, sitting on a Ghost Qi bone boat, holding a jar of dark wine, and had just spat it out in fright.

He looked up at the little nun again. She was barefoot, walking on the waves, her robes fluttering, and she had an innocent and pure expression on her face, as if she were not standing on the Far Eastern Sea Area, but in her own vegetable garden, meeting a stranger passing by and casually asking for directions.

"... You're asking me?" Hu Mang pointed to himself.

The young nun nodded earnestly, clasped her hands together, and bowed slightly. "Yes, benefactor, this humble nun is lost. May I ask which direction to take to the Endless Sea?"

"It should be that way."

Hu Mang pointed in the east direction.

"So that's where it is. Thank you, benefactor," the young nun said, looking the Hu Mang up and down. "Your Golden Body is quite well-cultivated, but you have a demonic heart."

You know that?!

Hu Mang was taken aback and was about to ask further questions, but the sea surface where the little nun was located was completely empty, without a single person in sight.

Was he just hallucinating from the shock of the seawater?

Thirty-Six Islands of the Eastern Sea, including the inner islands

It was originally a natural cave abode of the island's owner, but now it serves as a temporary office for the guards stationed at Heavenly Gate.

I must say, this completely natural cave abode has a wonderful environment.

The cave abode dwelling is built against the mountain, backed by a low sacred mountain and facing a calm inner lake. The lake water is drawn from an underground spiritual spring, and is crystal clear. A few green lotus leaves float on the surface of the water, and occasionally one or two koi carp leap out of the water, splashing up small ripples.

The main building of the cave abode is a three-story wooden pavilion, built in the traditional island architectural style. It is a round building with openwork doors and windows, exquisite carvings, and strings of wind chimes hanging under the eaves, which make a crisp and melodious tinkling sound in the sea breeze.

The pavilion was surrounded by all sorts of rare flowers, trees, and shrubs, as well as some exotic plants whose names I didn't know, all of which grew exceptionally lush under the nourishment of the spiritual mist.

The air was filled with a refreshing scent that blended the fragrance of flowers, herbs, and Spiritual Qi energy.

In the courtyard in front of the pavilion, there was a smooth bluestone slab, on which were placed several bamboo tables and chairs. On the tables were tea sets and fruit plates. Several cultivators dressed in Heavenly Gate uniforms were sitting there talking in hushed tones, with several sea charts and documents spread out in front of them.

It's not that the matter of opening the Sea Dragon Vein ends with defeating the Turbid Dragon.

In fact, the workload of those remaining on site has only increased, including environmental remediation, site selection for artificial islands, coordination with inner islands, adjustments to relevant sea lines, and various marine engineering projects...

This is only domestic policy.

External affairs are even more troublesome.

Putting everything else aside, they've arrested at least seven waves of spies from the New Demonic Path in the past few days.

They were all mercenaries of the demonic path, including sea monsters, human cultivators, and even mortals, so they weren't worth scrutinizing.

At this moment, Lin Zhiying was sitting on a stone bench, staring blankly at a photograph, which was of the ghost ship.