Kachidoki, Orochi Kyū, Ryūko Ranbu... But the Ryūko Ranbu hadn't even concluded before Kateras was already sprawled on the deck like spilled slurry, nearing collapse!

Chen Feng shook his head with a sigh: "A fifth-level Magister is simply too weak. One blast from Kachidoki and he's lost all semblance of a human shape. If I hadn't pulled back 70% of the force on the second Orochi Kyū, this fellow would likely be dead already..."

However, Chen Feng’s sudden action served as a potent warning. Not only was the remaining third-level Magister frozen in place, but the Captain and every crew member aboard stood utterly stupefied.

Most of the sailors were ordinary men who had rarely witnessed the might of a Dou Zun level expert. Because the cargo this time was exceptionally precious, the Duchy had only dispatched two haughty 'Magister Lords.' In the eyes of the crew, these Magister Lords were invincible. Someone had once witnessed a massive, ten-meter-long flying fish instantly killed by a mere flick of a Magister Lord’s finger on the water’s surface! This great fish was notoriously fast and hard to hunt, yet it died from a simple gesture, filling everyone with reverence and awe for the two Lords. But now, this seemingly unapproachable, mighty figure had been struck down by the youth before them in mere seconds. The intense contrast sent a dizzying wave through the minds of the onlookers.

Ling Feng remained utterly unmoved, her expression still placid as Chen Feng dealt with the others. She stood there, an unblemished lotus rising above the mire.

Kateras’s eye was swollen like a lightbulb, and his nose was crooked to one side. If Chen Feng hadn't shown restraint, he would surely be dead.

"This time... do you have the map?" Chen Feng asked the "amiable" man, his gaze intense.

Hearing this, Kateras shuddered violently, and even the face of the third-level Magister paled dramatically. "We have..." he gasped, immediately roaring at the Captain, Holigav, "Hurry and fetch it for this Lord!"

Old Captain Holigav scurried into the cabin and soon returned with a navigation chart, specialized for sea travel. This map was embroidered with needle and thread onto animal hide, designed to resist wear and rot.

Chen Feng glanced at it, then tossed the waterskin aside.

Seeing that Chen Feng and the girl intended to leave, the third-level Magister suddenly stood up, bowed deeply, and offered, "Esteemed Excellency, a Dou Zun, I apologize on behalf of Kateras for his rudeness!" He then shot a sideways glance at Chen Feng, realizing the latter seemed impatient, and quickly introduced himself and their purpose: "I am a Magister serving the residence of the Duke of Kennis Duchy. We sincerely invite the two of you to travel with our Niah Fleet!"

The Niah Fleet was the name of this shipping company.

Chen Feng remained silent. With the map secured, he had no further interest in entanglement and turned to leave.

The third-level Magister quickly called out, "The fleet is now only half a month's journey from the Kennis Duchy. If Your Excellency agrees, I can arrange the highest level of service for you both!" Seeing Chen Feng seemed uninterested, he hurried on: "Kateras was not intentionally making trouble earlier. It is a regulation of this continent; those without identification are subject to questioning everywhere, and everything they do becomes difficult!"

This third-level Magister seemed to have discerned that Chen Feng and Ling Feng lacked proper credentials and decided to dangle a significant bait: "If you can accompany us with the Niah Fleet, I will manufacture identity cards for you the moment we reach land!"

"Identity cards?" Chen Feng paused. "What are those?"

The third-level Magister explained, "Identity cards are proof of who you are. Without one, lodging, travel, or even buying things becomes obstructed—it’s very troublesome..."

Chen Feng listened to the explanation for a while and finally understood. Wasn't this just an 'ID card'... So even in this other world, they had IDs? How utterly absurd. Chen Feng knew the importance of ID cards from his past life; one needed them for logging onto the net, checking into hotels, doing anything. If the Overseas Continent was managed this strictly, he needed to be careful. Neither he nor Ling Feng possessed identity cards and they were ignorant of all the intricacies of this continent. Rushing off rashly would greatly increase the chance of being discovered by spies from the Ziyuan Demon Territory. It seemed traveling with this fleet did hold some advantages.

However, this journey wouldn't be peaceful, otherwise this third-level Magister wouldn't be trying so hard to win him over.

"What do you think?" Chen Feng glanced at Ling Feng, soliciting her opinion.

"You decide; I follow you," Ling Feng responded, immediately handing off the responsibility.

Chen Feng turned back to the third-level Magister before him and nodded, saying, "Fine!"

The third-level Magister beamed with uncontrolled joy upon hearing his agreement. He quickly said, "Please, honored sirs, come inside..." He then completely ignored the bruised and battered Kateras lying on the ground and led the way.

This ship truly deserved its reputation as being magically augmented; sitting in the cabin felt no different than being on solid ground, with no sensation of rocking at all.

After Chen Feng and Ling Feng were seated, the third-level Magister quickly introduced himself: "My name is Tommy. May I ask what names the two esteemed Lords go by?"

Chen Feng replied, "I am Orochi, and this is Mai Shiranui..." He glanced at Ling Feng, who showed no reaction, seemingly tacitly approving his choice. Many figures on the Overseas Continent were beings transformed from magical beasts. If he and Ling Feng, so young, possessed the cultivation of a Dou Zun, others would never believe them if they didn't claim to be transformed beasts. Thus, he casually fabricated the identity of being the Great Serpent. Orochi, meaning Great Serpent, implied transformation from a fighting beast.

'A serpent beast transformation. It’s no wonder he looks so young with such power...' Tommy thought to himself, convinced of his own deduction. 'Mai Shiranui... I wonder what beast she transformed from...'

After chatting for a while, Chen Feng gradually learned more about the Overseas Continent. The Overseas Continent was indeed governed by three major powers, but their main strongholds were not on the mainland but on islands within the sea. The Overseas Continent was also known as the Ziyun Continent, divided into seven great Empires and trillions of square kilometers of chaotic zones. The seven Empires were all situated along the coast in an area of superficial peace and prosperity, while the chaotic zones were rife with countless small kingdoms and endless warfare. The three major powers—the Ziyuan Demon Territory and the Tianxue Demon Territory—each governed two Empires, while the Jinwu Demon Territory controlled the domain of three. As for the chaotic zones, no one bothered governing them; the races there were mixed, civilization was low, and many areas remained untamed.

The Ziyun Continent was immensely vast, and the language used was the same as the Four Great Empires Chen Feng had known previously, though civilization here was more advanced. On this continent, an identity card was required for any activity. Without one, one would be regarded as a spy from another country wherever they went and handed over to the local District Council for processing. Each District Council was presided over by a peak Ninth-level Venerable expert, and usually, several dozen districts were unified under a single Sub-branch Hall. These Sub-branch Halls, much like sects, rarely interfered with the politics of the individual kingdoms, thus maintaining political harmony.

Learning all this, Chen Feng felt a secret sense of relief. Otherwise, arriving on the Ziyun Continent without identification would inevitably lead to being sent to a District Council or Sub-branch Hall, increasing the chances of the Ziyuan Demon Territory discovering his trail again. However, the Rhine Empire fell under the jurisdiction of one of the two Empires managed by the Snow Demon Territory, so he didn't need to worry about being discovered there.

All the crew members had personally witnessed Chen Feng beat the fifth-level Magister into a pulp, so they treated him with utmost respect, daring not to show the slightest defiance. Their food and lodging were the best the entire ship could offer.

Three days passed in a blink. During these three days, Chen Feng remained in his room cultivating.

"Knock, knock..." A sound came from outside the door.

Opening it, he found Ling Feng. Ling Feng entered the room, sat down opposite Chen Feng, and asked calmly, "Don't you find something strange about this ship?"

Chen Feng replied, "You mean how they guard the cargo?"

Ling Feng nodded.

Chen Feng continued, "This fleet is loaded entirely with magic crystals. I find it strange too. This is a sea region; where are they transporting these crystals from?"

"Deep-sea mineral deposits!" Ling Feng stated. "I heard from my family elders that there are many places in the ocean with precious mineral veins. This fleet is likely transporting sea minerals."

Chen Feng nodded in understanding. Mineral deposits beneath the ocean were far richer than those on land; he knew this even in his previous life. Wasn't his past life's little RB desperately trying to acquire that island just to expand their maritime territory and covet the rich resources beneath the seabed?

"Transporting this much ore means there must be other powers trying to raid them en route, which is why they kept us," Ling Feng reasoned. It was rare for her to show active concern over an issue, and this made Chen Feng feel slightly unaccustomed.

"This ship carries the Violet Fire Crystal Stones that our Phoenix Clan has been searching for!" Ling Feng explained, seemingly noticing Chen Feng's confusion.

"Violet Fire Crystal Stones? What are those?" Chen Feng inquired.

"They are a rare type of crystal, on par with the Yellow Jade Magic Crystal. They form under the nurturing of the earth's core fire, containing immense fire element energy, which aids in the enhancement of fire-attribute Dou Qi!" Ling Feng elaborated. The preciousness of the Yellow Jade Magic Crystal needed no elaboration; its utility to a mage surpassed that of a high-grade magic core. The fact that Violet Fire Crystal Stones could benefit a fire-attribute warrior was certainly enough to move even the usually composed Ling Feng.

Chen Feng's heart stirred as well. Although his domain power could absorb all elements, the power of the flame attribute had always been dominant within his body. Obtaining this item would undoubtedly boost his cultivation! It had been over four months since he advanced to a Second-level Dou Zun, and he still hadn't broken through, primarily because the domain power within him was too thin. Absorbing elemental energy in the Light God's Palace for three months had been slow; without a massive accumulation of quantity, achieving a breakthrough was difficult! Cultivating Dou Qi was unlike cultivating magic, which could rely on magic crystals to rapidly restore mana for quick advancement. Even possessing high-grade magic cores, once their energy was depleted, they recovered slowly, making them not very effective for those at the Dou Zun level.

"Violet Fire Crystal Stones... that's truly a fine item..." Chen Feng started to say, but then glanced at Ling Feng, and both of them simultaneously rose to their feet.

Trouble had arrived!

Urgent phoenix cries echoed from outside the cabin, and more than a dozen Dou Zun level experts flew in from the distance!

"Hahaha... The ore transport fleet of the Kenit Duchy! It seems destined to fall into our hands this time!"

The weakest among these dozen individuals was a Second-level Dou Zun, and the strongest had reached the level of a Seventh-level Dou Zun.

"Sea bandits... No, they are from the Keijina Duchy!" Old Captain Holigav recognized their identity and roared out suddenly. The Keijina Duchy and the Kenit Duchy were peers, governing territories of roughly equal size, frequently leading to minor conflicts. They were, in short, hostile nations.

"Old man, you talk too much!" The leading burly man snarled viciously, pointing a finger at Captain Holigav. They had disguised themselves as sea bandits to conceal their identity, but the old captain had seen through them instantly, prompting this murderous intent.

"Bang!" The Captain was instantly blasted into a pile of bloody fragments by a surge of Dou Qi.

"Captain..." The crew members cried out loudly upon seeing their Captain killed. These sailors had fought side-by-side with the Captain for many years; seeing him perish filled them with grief and fury. They stared at the figures in the sky, their teeth grinding audibly. If their cultivation weren't so low, they would have charged forward to fight to the death.

"Captain..."

"My Lords, please avenge the Captain..." The crew members looked towards the emerging Fifth-level Magister Kateras and the Third-level Magister Tommy, crying out mournfully! In their eyes, the figures flying in the sky were supreme experts; their only hope for revenge lay with the two Magister Lords they held in such high esteem. These two were the only hope for all the crew!

Kateras, having recovered over three days, had healed most of the injuries inflicted by Chen Feng. He and Tommy rushed out of the cabin upon hearing the commotion, only to witness the Captain's murder as they stepped onto the deck. But as they looked up towards the sky, the veins in their foreheads throbbed violently. More than a dozen Dou Zun experts... they hadn't miscounted. The Kenit Duchy had only discovered the sea mineral deposits by sheer luck. To prevent other Duchies from discovering it, they had secretly mined the entire vein for five years before using the fleet for transport back. To safeguard this crucial cargo escort, the Duke had specifically dispatched thirteen mixed fleets to confuse potential watchers; the first eight fleets had passed safely. Why had these attackers tracked this fleet so accurately?

"My Lords, we implore you to avenge the Captain!" An elderly crewman rushed forward and knelt before the two, weeping uncontrollably. This old sailor had served the Captain the longest and shared the deepest bond with him. "The Captain was planning to retire after this voyage; he had already bought property at home, never expecting such a disaster... My Lords, I beg you... I beg you..." As the old sailor spoke, he repeatedly kowtowed, blood dripping onto his forehead from the force.

Kateras and Tommy exchanged a glance. Just as Tommy was about to agree to the old sailor’s plea, Kateras whispered in his ear, "These are more than a dozen masters at our level, let alone helping them, we'll be lucky to save ourselves..."

Tommy hesitated. "What should we do?"

"What can we do? If it were one or two Magisters, we could team up to handle them, but with this many... I say we flee! Their goal is the ore on the ship; they won't press us too hard!" Kateras urged.

"If we escape, what will we tell the Duke..." Tommy was still wavering.

"We are merely Magisters serving the Duke’s residence, not sacrificing our lives for him. In this situation, if we don't flee, we'll just be killed... Once free of the Duke’s mansion, with our Magister cultivation, we can command high respect in any Duchy," Kateras argued.

Tommy seemed persuaded. He looked briefly at the pleading crewman, then at the Dou Zuns hovering overhead, and finally steeled his resolve: "Flee!"

Two whirlwinds erupted beneath them, instantly transforming into streaks of sword light soaring into the distance.

"Haha, see that? Those are the Magisters of the Kenit Duchy... Just a pack of cowards!" the leading strong man mocked loudly. The figures in the air laughed, none bothering to pursue; since they had secured the goods, chasing after these two deserters was unnecessary.

"My Lords..."

None of the crew expected these two Magister-level experts to flee precisely when danger struck. Some were indignant, some furious, and others utterly despairing. In an instant, all the crew members looked ashen. If even the Magister Lords were scared away, what use were the likes of them? Far from avenging the Captain, they would all likely die here!

The old sailor who had been kneeling in despair suddenly let out a roar toward the sky: "I'll fight you to the death! I want to die with the Captain!" He snatched a fish spear lying nearby and hurled it toward the sky.

"Hmph, seeking death!" The leading strong man sneered, pointed a finger, and the fish spear instantly reversed direction, skewering the old sailor through and through.

"Pfft..." The old sailor spat a mouthful of blood, gazing at the Captain's corpse not far away. His eyes bulged, and his hand weakly stretched forward: "Captain... I'll... die with you..." Before he finished speaking, he expired.

"Uncle Lan..."

The remaining crew members were enraged by this sight. Those who sailed ships were true men of mettle, long accustomed to viewing life and death as inconsequential. Now, the surge of ferocity born from grief and indignation overwhelmed them.

"Everyone, fight them!" they roared in unison. The magical cannons mounted on the ship could only fire sideways and were useless against targets directly above. All the crew members roared mournfully and grabbed their heavy crossbows, shooting towards the sky. But using heavy crossbows to kill Dou Zun level experts was like fleas biting an elephant—utterly useless.

"A bunch of ants, truly unaware of their fate!" the leading strong man chuckled. He pointed a finger, and the head of the foremost young sailor instantly exploded into powder, blood mixing with brains flowing across the deck.

"Little Six..." The man killed was named Little Six, the youngest of all the crew.

"You sons of bitches, I'll fight you to the death..." Everyone screamed.

At this moment, Chen Feng and Ling Feng emerged from the lowest hold onto the deck.

ps: I had an errand today and got back late, rushing to finish 5,000 characters, so there are only 8,000 total today. My apologies... Also, since it's Sunday, after midnight is the time for the ranking push again. Brothers, are your recommendation votes ready? Throw them all to Old Ya! One more thing: why did my subscriptions drop last week despite my daily updates hitting 12,000 words? I sincerely ask everyone to read the genuine version and support Old Ya!! Otherwise, I truly lose motivation. Thank you all!!! (To be continued. For future events, please log into www.qidian.com for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!) First published.

For more novels, visit storyread.net.