This vessel, a veritable sea-faring magical artifact, was named—the Water-Piercing Submerged Light Wheel!

This ship could traverse the surface, navigate beneath the waves, and even soar through the skies, covering ten thousand li in a day at incredible speeds, all while possessing formidable defensive capabilities.

Lu Yuan had previously witnessed countless magical treasures, but never a ship-shaped artifact quite like the Water-Piercing Submerged Light Wheel; it certainly broadened his horizons. This ship boasted three sails, its deck was exceptionally broad, capable of holding many people, and currently, fifteen or sixteen cultivators stood upon it.

Lu Yuan offered a false name, Lu Bei, claiming to hail from the mainland and seeking experiences in the South Sea.

Of these fifteen or sixteen cultivators, apart from Lu Yuan, there was only one other from the Qingcheng Immortal Sect; the rest were all practitioners hailing from the South Sea's own immortal establishments.

That cultivator from the Qingcheng Immortal Sect was Zhou Tanran, the Divine Sword Immortal who cultivated the spirit. Lu Yuan had heard of this man before; rumor held him to be quite arrogant, and listening to him speak now, it proved true. He incessantly boasted about how magnificent and unparalleled the Qingcheng Immortal Sect was. By the tone of his voice, one would think the people of Qingcheng had become the foremost immortal sect in the Jin State. He even claimed that the repelling of the ten thousand demons attacking Mount Hua was entirely due to the assistance provided by the Qingcheng Immortal Sect, allowing Mount Hua to drive back the demonic onslaught. Such immense arrogance left Lu Yuan momentarily speechless, though he couldn't help but inwardly chuckle.

Lu Yuan knew Zhou Tanran's true standing. Furthermore, many cultivators present were natives of the South Sea; many had spent their entire lives there and had never ventured into the Great Jin State. Hearing Zhou Tanran’s effusive praise of the Qingcheng Immortal Sect, although they had all heard that Mount Hua was the premier sect in Jin, it was merely hearsay. Now, listening to Zhou Tanran's grand pronouncements, they remained skeptical, wondering privately if Qingcheng truly possessed such might.

Zhou Tanran then inquired of Lu Yuan which immortal sect he belonged to in the Jin State. Lu Yuan casually mentioned it was a minor sect. Since Zhou Tanran held even the premier Mount Hua Immortal Sect in disdain, he certainly wouldn't spare a thought for a negligible, small sect. After asking, he completely ignored Lu Yuan, as if conversing with someone from a lesser sect would sully his tongue.

He spoke eloquently and ceaselessly about the Qingcheng Immortal Sect, leaving the assembled listeners exclaiming how much they had learned.

Lu Yuan paid the boastful Zhou Tanran no mind and instead observed the others. He noted that many present possessed considerable strength—quite a few were at the sixth, seventh, or eighth levels of Longevity, with the occasional figure reaching the ninth level. These were clearly the elite among the South Sea cultivators.

Lu Yuan then noticed one cultivator standing at the bow of the ship, hands clasped behind his back. This cultivator was lean and exuded a distinctly cold aura, seemingly utterly uninterested in the affairs of the others, standing aloof with an unspoken air of supreme pride.

A cultivator standing nearby remarked, "That man is Yan Bei, the Sword Immortal of the South Sea Immortal Sect, known as the Three-Kill Sword Immortal. He is exceedingly haughty, paying us common rogue cultivators no mind whatsoever."

"Not just common rogue cultivators; I doubt he’d bother with even those from mid-tier immortal sects."

"What choice do we have? He is the Three-Kill Sword Immortal, an elder of the South Sea Immortal Sect; how can we—mere lost souls—compare?"

"Hmph, what’s all the arrogance about?"

Amidst the murmuring discussion, Lu Yuan examined this proud figure standing alone and immediately perceived his cultivation base: the tenth level of Longevity. What an individual, this Three-Kill Sword Immortal Yan Bei; in terms of sheer power, he might even slightly surpass the Divine Sword Immortal Zhou Tanran over there.

Lu Yuan surveyed them again and concluded that on the entire ship, only the Divine Sword Immortal Zhou Tanran and this Three-Kill Sword Immortal Yan Bei possessed truly respectable strength.

The ship steered its course toward that Small Divine Soul Mountain.

The Small Divine Soul Mountain could be clearly seen using scrying techniques—a benefit derived from its genuinely small stature, situated on the perfectly flat sea. However, the actual distance was vast. The journey would consume a considerable amount of time. During this voyage, naturally, various sea beasts emerged.

At first, there were only lesser creatures like the Eight-Clawed Black Octopus and Swift Sea Leopards, not overwhelmingly powerful. Everyone employed their swordsmanship and spells to fend them off.

It was then that Lu Yuan truly grasped the might of magical spells. Once cast, these spells covered vast areas, and since the sea monsters were densely packed, the resulting slaughter was immense. This method was far swifter than relying solely on swordplay. The path of the spell caster certainly had its merits.

Lu Yuan mused these thoughts internally while drawing forth his own Mountain-Suppressing Spiritual Sword, circling it to strike. He, too, felled a good number of sea beasts.

He did not encounter the Dragon Whale from before. That creature had carried him for so long, forging a destined connection; if it appeared now, he would certainly feel obligated to rescue it. The strength Lu Yuan currently displayed was middling—not too strong, not too weak—just average among the group, unremarkable in any way.

At this moment, a shrieking column of water erupted from the nearby distance, and a colossal swarm of Dragon Sharks rushed toward them.

Dragon Sharks were far more ferocious than ordinary sharks.

Dragon Sharks were also vastly more terrifying than Dragon Whales; indeed, many Dragon Sharks preyed upon Dragon Whales, illustrating just how fearsome they were.

These Dragon Sharks were massive and terrifyingly fast, their gaping maws revealing rows of huge, chilling teeth as they charged.

The previous encounters involved minor sea monsters, but these Dragon Sharks were immensely powerful; some were even beings at the tenth level of Longevity. Now, everyone had to utilize their full capabilities. Simultaneously, the fifteen or sixteen cultivators began coordinating, forming small groups to fight together. Among them, the Three-Kill Sword Immortal Yan Bei fought alone, and the Divine Sword Immortal Zhou Tanran also engaged solo. Both had established remarkable reputations, yet even they found the sustained assault of these Dragon Sharks quite challenging.

Lu Yuan was about to charge forward as well; given his cultivation, dealing with these Dragon Sharks would hardly be difficult.

However, midway through his approach, Lu Yuan paused. Since he intended to challenge Xuan Huazi of the Great Dao realm, he needed to amass some powerful fighting assets. These Dragon Sharks were frighteningly strong, some reaching the tenth level of Longevity. Why not use one of the two Puppet Tokens—specifically, the lower-tier one—to subdue some of them?

That’s right. Although the South Sea Sword Sovereign Duan Jingtao had left behind some tenth-level Longevity puppets, after such an extended period—perhaps ten thousand years—those bone puppets were likely aged and brittle, easily shattered. Despite being constructs, they were still subject to the erosion of time.

If he captured puppets now, securing the formidable Dragon Sharks, they would be in the prime of their power, perfect allies for the decisive battle against the Great Dao realm's Xuan Huazi.

With this thought taking hold, Lu Yuan let out a whoosh and plunged beneath the surface of the water.

He planned to use the Puppet Seal beneath the waves to capture several tenth-level Dragon Sharks before rejoining the fray on the surface. Immediately, several Dragon Sharks launched fierce attacks. While their power might be somewhat diminished above the surface, beneath the waves, the Dragon Sharks’ might was astonishingly great. Lu Yuan paid them no mind. He unleashed both of his spiritual swords,

Once these two spiritual swords were deployed, he specifically targeted the Dragon Sharks at the tenth level of Longevity. Lu Yuan’s current strength was immense; dealing with the Ten Great Elders of the Longevity realm was child's play, so handling these sharks was even simpler. He carved a path through them, leaving every Dragon Shark gravely wounded.

As Lu Yuan fought his way through, one Dragon Shark was severely injured—a perfect opportunity. Without hesitation, he activated that Puppet Token. Following the technique left by the South Sea Sword Sovereign, with a swoosh, that Dragon Shark vanished into the token. The sea was suddenly short one Dragon Shark.

This method worked brilliantly.

Lu Yuan became invigorated, focusing solely on hunting the tenth-level Dragon Sharks. Most of this swarm were only at the seventh, eighth, or ninth levels of Longevity, with only a few at the tenth. He captured the tenth-level beasts one after another. In a single dive, he managed to capture a full eleven of them! Excellent—that took care of all the peak-strength Dragon Sharks.

Heh heh, these will certainly prove useful when confronting Xuan Huazi.

Lu Yuan’s spirits soared with satisfaction as he burst back through the water's surface.

Upon rejoining the ship, the remaining Dragon Sharks—having lost their strongest vanguard to Lu Yuan—were mostly limited to the seventh, eighth, and ninth levels of Longevity. Their combined strength waned, and they proved no match for the cultivators aboard the ship, who dispatched them one by one until, finally, with a whoosh, the remaining sharks retreated.

"Odd, isn't it? That pack of Dragon Sharks wasn't very strong."

"Indeed. Normally, a swarm of Dragon Sharks at sea would be led by at least one tenth-level creature."

"And there would usually be quite a few tenth-level ones."

"Why were they so weak this time?"

"Weakness is for the best. If they had been stronger, I suspect several of us here might have died." The cultivators on the ship were genuinely perplexed by how much weaker this Dragon Shark attack had been compared to expectations. Naturally, they had no idea Lu Yuan had dealt with the strongest members beneath the surface.

Lu Yuan certainly wasn't about to tell them; he had already gained sufficient rewards.

Meanwhile, the ship continued its journey toward the Small Divine Soul Mountain. The thought of obtaining the massive stockpiles of Divine Soul Stones there filled everyone with eager anticipation.

……

"Boom!" A colossal wave shattered the sky, and the enormous, pitch-black serpentine body surfaced from the water. This black serpent's body was perhaps half a zhang thick, and the creature itself must have stretched over ten zhang long. Its entire form was covered in dark scales, and atop its head sat a black, coiling, dragon-shaped crest.

The Black Water King Serpent!

This Black Water King Serpent was vastly more formidable than the one in the Divine Soul River.

The dragon-shaped crest on this serpent’s head signified that it was beginning the process of 'Dragon Transformation' (Huajiao). While full transformation might take several centuries, the beginning of this process indicated immense power. The Black Water King Serpent from the Divine Soul River was merely a newly ascended King Serpent. Despite sharing the same name, this current serpent was nearly a hundred times stronger than that previous one.

Especially the dragon-shaped crest atop its head—that feature should not be underestimated. It was the catalyst for Dragon Transformation, destined to grow larger until the dragon itself emerged.

Moreover, for a cultivator, the greatest utility of this dragon-shaped crest was that it significantly increased the chance of breaking through from the Longevity realm to the Great Dao realm—by perhaps as much as ten percent—making it far more effective than even the Great Dao Law Elixir.

(The third update is delivered. The flow of this section is finally sorted out.) RO