A glance swept toward the sea. A tempest of emotions churned within He Yiming’s heart.

Had fate itself intended for him to claim the treasures whispered of in the map, otherwise, how could a soul from Penglai Immortal Island be delivered right to his doorstep? He had initially planned to elicit the general whereabouts of Penglai Immortal Island, then promptly abandon this person to fend for himself.

But now, his entire perspective had undergone a seismic shift. “Brother Huo, your luck is indeed abysmal,” He Yiming nodded slightly, effortlessly slipping into a familiar camaraderie.

Even when facing numerous unfathomable Venerables, He Yiming defaulted to calling them brothers; thus, though this man before him was in his early forties, the address flowed naturally from his lips. Huo Hongsheng, startled by such familiarity from his rescuer, quickly responded, “Indeed, my misfortune this time has been absolute.

Had it not been for the benefactor’s timely aid, I would surely have perished without a grave.” He Yiming let out a wry smile. “My surname is He.

Just call me Mr. He; ‘benefactor’ sounds far too distant.” Huo Hongsheng opened his mouth, intending to voice an objection, yet for some inexplicable reason, he lacked the courage to speak it aloud.

Being a man seasoned by travel, a chill ran through him; he knew this Mr. He’s origins must be anything but simple.

With a deep bow, he respectfully said, “Since Mr. He commands it, I dare not defy.” He Yiming nodded with satisfaction.

“What are your intentions now?” Huo Hongsheng gazed toward the distance, where a wisp of the sea tornado still lingered. “Mr.

He, I possess a specialized signal cannon unique to my family’s retainers. Once this squall passes, I can ignite it.

If my estimation is correct, someone should arrive to offer rescue.” He Yiming regarded him with surprise, chuckling. “You sound quite confident.” A flicker of pride crossed Huo Hongsheng’s face.

Though his current appearance was quite haggard, a barely perceptible arrogance still shone in his eyes, an unconscious air of superiority seeming to escape him. He Yiming felt suspicious; this man’s background surely wasn’t humble.

But being new to the Eastern Sea, he genuinely knew nothing of the power structure on Penglai Immortal Island, though he surmised the Huo family couldn't be insignificant. “Mr.

He, the cannons crafted by my family possess an exceptionally long hang-time capability. Once ignited and launched, they will absolutely not dissipate within three days, unless subjected to weather as dreadful as yesterday’s.” He Yiming nodded subtly, inwardly astonished.

The Huo family possessed such formidable artisans; did that mean their standards for gunpowder production surpassed even those of the craftsmen in the heartland of Dashen? After a moment of deliberation, He Yiming asked, “Are you certain a vessel will pass nearby within three days?” Huo Hongsheng replied solemnly, “My fleet comprised five large ships; only mine was caught in the unexpected storm.

The other four had sailed far clear before the tempest fully formed.” He drew a deep breath and stated firmly, “I can guarantee those four vessels would never abandon me. Therefore, as soon as the storm subsides, they will certainly be searching the vicinity for me.” He Yiming nodded slowly.

“In that case, you are indeed someone of substance.” Huo Hongsheng’s face flushed slightly. He couldn't fathom why, being praised by this young man, he felt an almost natural sense of deserving it, accompanied by a strange surge of excitement.

Shaking his head, Huo Hongsheng banished these confusing emotions, offered a few slightly awkward courtesies. They waited for nearly half a day before the distant storm finally settled into true calm.

The sea surface was utterly tranquil, showing no evidence of the massive gale that had swept across dozens of li earlier. Huo Hongsheng retrieved a cylinder crafted from fine steel from his robes.

He Yiming’s gaze swept over it, harboring serious doubts about whether this object could be discharged as intended. From what he knew, the biggest taboo for these gunpowder devices was contact with water, and Huo Hongsheng had been thoroughly drenched yesterday—looking more like a drowned chicken than a mere wet fowl.

This steel tube must have been immersed in seawater for a long time; failure would be completely normal. However, Huo Hongsheng seemed supremely confident.

He activated some mechanism atop the steel tube, pulled out a length of fuse, and plunged the cylinder into the ground. He stepped back a few paces, placing his hand near the end of the fuse.

His fingertips slowly began to glow crimson—the ultimate manifestation of the eighth layer of Fire Elemental Internal Energy. While he couldn't ignite the fuse directly like a Xiantian master, increasing the temperature might eventually achieve the same result.

He Yiming slightly shook his head; the man’s clumsy movements gave him a feeling of utter helplessness. Huo Hongsheng caught the expression on He Yiming’s face, and his own cheeks genuinely reddened.

“Mr. He, my ignition tool was soaked by the sea, so I cannot light this immediately.

I apologize for the spectacle.” A faint smile touched the corner of He Yiming’s lips. “Brother Huo, spare yourself the trouble.

Allow me.” Huo Hongsheng was overjoyed. “Does Mr.

He carry an ignition implement?” He Yiming said nothing. He curled his right index finger and thumb, then flicked lightly.

A spark of red light shot out and landed precisely on the fuse, instantly setting it alight. Huo Hongsheng’s eyes widened dramatically.

He stared at He Yiming in disbelief, muttering, “A Xiantian expert?” He Yiming glanced at him calmly, then shifted his gaze to the steadily burning fuse. He was quite curious about this type of signal cannon.

A peculiar light flashed in Huo Hongsheng’s eyes. Given his own status, he wasn't insignificant in his clan, and he had met several Xiantian experts within his sect.

But those Xiantian masters were all elderly figures, perhaps seventy or eighty years of age. He Yiming’s appearance and bearing, however, gave off a fresh, sharp energy.

He was certain that He Yiming’s age did not exceed his own. This was the kind of judgment experience allowed Huo Hongsheng to make with reasonable accuracy.

And a Xiantian expert who couldn’t be older than forty—his future potential was unimaginable. Instantly, a myriad of thoughts began spinning in his mind.

The fuse finally burned down. After a momentary pause, the mouth of the steel tube suddenly brightened.

A plume of fire shot toward the sky under He Yiming’s watch, tearing through the void before bursting with a resounding explosion directly overhead. Amidst the loud report and sparks, another streak of light continued upward.

After this sequence repeated three times, it detonated completely at the zenith. Instantly, a brilliant expanse of fiery red color formed directly above them.

This hue jarringly reminded He Yiming of the blood-red sky that had burned over the sea for a full day. At this point, He Yiming finally understood why Huo Hongsheng had such fierce confidence in this cannon.

If there were indeed ships nearby, they absolutely could not miss this astonishing spectacle. And if Huo Hongsheng truly held a critical position within his own faction, his comrades would never abandon him.

He Yiming casually found a clean, large stone and sat down quietly to wait. Huo Hongsheng dared not approach to disturb him, mimicking the posture.

In truth, he was both exhausted and starving, yet in He Yiming's presence, he felt constrained, unable to mention the matter. “Brother Huo, I hail from the mainland.

I came to the sea for tempering and training. Could you tell me the direction of Penglai Immortal Island in the Eastern Sea, and what its general power distribution is?” He Yiming asked directly.

Huo Hongsheng hesitated, but meeting He Yiming’s gaze, his spirit tightened. He dared not conceal even a shred of information, spilling out everything he knew like beans from a broken jar.

Through his account, He Yiming gained some insight, and he was greatly surprised by the scale of the forces on Penglai Immortal Island. Penglai of the Eastern Sea was one of the three renowned Immortal Islands that dominated the region.

The density of Heaven and Earth Qi there was extremely rich, making it an excellent location for martial cultivation. Though nominally an island, its landmass was vast; even compared to a province in the mainland, it was in no way inferior.

The current population neared ten million, yet vast territories remained undeveloped. However, all this was peripheral to He Yiming.

His sole concern was the island's power structure. Huo Hongsheng’s answer proved surprising again.

On Penglai Immortal Island, the three most famous sects occupied nearly half the territory: the Haitian Gate, and the two nearly equal powers, the Qianshan Gate and the Lingjiu Valley. These three factions were considered colossal entities on the Immortal Island because each hosted at least one Venerable-level powerhouse among their ranks.

When He Yiming heard this, he was genuinely astonished. With a population of merely ten million, to have a minimum of three Venerables was almost unbelievable.

But when Huo Hongsheng offered an explanation, He Yiming finally accepted it. The turnover rate for sects on Penglai Immortal Island was far more frequent than in the interior of Dashen.

This was because the Eastern Sea was vast. Besides the three great Immortal Islands, there were countless smaller islands scattered like stars.

If the populations of these minor islands were combined, the total figure would be terrifyingly large. When a Venerable emerged among the powerhouses on those smaller islands, they would usually travel to the three great Immortal Islands to establish their own sects.

Sects that lost their Venerable overseers often voluntarily evacuated the island within a few months. This was the primary reason for the rapid succession.

It could be said that the apex forces of the entire Eastern Sea were concentrated upon the three great Immortal Islands, which accounted for the reality of having at least three Venerables among ten million inhabitants. After hearing the account, He Yiming felt a profound sense of realization.

Every place possessed its own unique characteristics; without traveling ten thousand li, one could never truly know such things. His gaze shifted, and He Yiming looked forward, suddenly laughing.

“Your fleet has arrived to fetch you.” Huo Hongsheng erupted in sheer delight. He stared intently in the direction He Yiming indicated, and after a long moment, finally spotted a black dot, which was steadily growing larger.

Ps: My child is home for these three days, so I can manage three updates daily. Please bear with me, sigh… But I still request monthly tickets; I truly don’t wish to lose second place after these three days.