After Thunder Moving pondered for a moment, and after a careful attempt, Qing Niangzi provided further instruction. Thunder Moving tried again and finally grasped a hint of the knack. Though he was still far from proficient, continued practice would naturally lead to greater mastery. Thunder Moving offered no excessive thanks, merely tucking the kindness into his heart, intending to repay Qing Niangzi when the opportunity arose.

Another few hurried days slipped by. The distance the flying ship had covered now stretched beyond a hundred thousand li. They had officially exited the periphery of the Chaotic Isles and formally entered the Boundless Sea. The deeper they sailed into the vast ocean, the more keenly they felt the savage power of the waves. At this point, the flying ship had to remain at least several dozen zhang above the sea surface, lest it be caught by a sudden surge.

It was only here that Thunder Moving truly felt the awe-inspiring might of the boundless sea. In his previous life, he had visited the coast and marveled at the ocean's grandeur, but the seas of his past life, compared to this Boundless Sea, were like mere small ponds.

Captain Qian began meticulously confirming their location. While the Boundless Sea was infested with demonic beasts—reportedly in considerable numbers—they were exceedingly rare within the immense expanse of water. Furthermore, save for a few exceptional circumstances and a small selection of beasts, it was highly unlikely that many powerful demonic beasts would coexist in the same area. Thus, sweeping across hundreds or even thousands of li of ocean only to find not a single demonic beast was a common occurrence. To encounter a Golden Core demonic beast was an event one had to rely on fate to witness.

Captain Qian possessed a significant advantage: this was his sixth voyage, and his experience was undoubtedly rich. Moreover, he had come prepared. Long before reaching the Chaotic Sea, he had spent a considerable fortune commissioning a specialized spirit artifact from a sect renowned for artifact refinement. This item was called 'Revealing the True Form' (Yuan Xing Bi Lu), and it resembled a crystal sphere.

It possessed the ability to keenly sense the mysterious aura emanating from powerful entities, accurately gauging their approximate strength, position, and distance. The principle was simple and something any normal cultivator could manage. For example, Thunder Moving could estimate the power level of cultivators whose cultivation did not far exceed his own simply by sensing their aura. Other people could naturally do this too; it was hardly a miraculous feat.

However, this method had significant limitations, primarily imposed by distance. Within the range of sight, one could generally discern things, and even within the reach of divine sense, one could perceive some presence. Beyond several li, or even tens or hundreds of li, it became impossible.

This specialized spirit artifact, however, could detect the presence of Golden Core demonic beasts within a thirty-li radius.

One should not underestimate a thirty-li range; this was a feat even late-stage Golden Core cultivators could not always achieve. Therefore, Captain Qian's special artifact was an extraordinarily valuable item. He had only managed to procure it through strong personal connections and a willingness to pay a hefty price.

The Captain then delegated the piloting duties to the cultivator surnamed Zhang, who was at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment. Qian himself began tinkering with the treasured artifact. The object seemed his most prized possession; no one else was permitted to even touch it. The other crew members watched the artifact with palpable envy. Possessing such an item would not only hasten the discovery of Golden Core beasts but also provide crucial defense. Since the artifact did not distinguish between human and other lifeforms, any entity reaching the Golden Core level would be displayed uniformly.

Thunder Moving was also intensely interested in 'Revealing the True Form.' Perhaps he was provincial, but in Kang Province, he had never seen such an artifact, nor even heard mention of it. He couldn't help but approach, watching with curiosity as Captain Qian began to operate it.

Perhaps sensing that Thunder Moving was somehow unique and exceptionally capable, Captain Qian treated him with considerable politeness. Seeing his curiosity, he offered an explanation: "Brother Lei, this item is a new creation from the Demonic Artifact Sect. Because it is difficult to refine, its numbers are extremely scarce. If I didn't have a dear brother who is a key figure in the Demonic Artifact Sect, I surely wouldn't have obtained this. If you're interested, I can lend it to you for a try." Though his words were forthcoming, a hint of possessiveness flickered in his eyes.

"No need, no need, I was just curious to look," Thunder Moving thought to himself. So this was a newly developed item. That explained it. To suggest that Kang Province and Zhao Province had such a divide that they shared absolutely no information seemed unbelievable to him, especially since the flying ship technology itself was a retrofitted design from Kang Province's Mechanism Sect. Nevertheless, he firmly committed the name 'Demonic Artifact Sect' to memory. He resolved that if the chance arose, he would certainly acquire a few to bring back to Kang Province. Such novel items would fetch an exorbitant price if sold to the Heavenly Secret Sect. Even for personal use, the artifact was highly advantageous.

Captain Qian was genuinely reluctant to part with it, so he did not insist. He returned to operating his 'Revealing the True Form.' The process was monotonous. Even with the artifact capable of scanning a sixty-li diameter range within thirty li, locating a Golden Core demonic beast was not simple. Time passed hour by hour. A full day went by without a Golden Core beast being detected, though they did manage to catch seven or eight beasts at the Foundation Establishment level.

Thunder Moving observed that the sea beasts here were indeed bizarrely shaped. Some resembled fish, while others were half-aquatic creatures covered in fur, such as a captured Foundation Establishment 'Sea Monkey,' or entities shaped like octopuses with multiple eyes and limbs. Indeed, the species in this world were numerous, and even esoteric records of strange creatures could not capture every type of demonic beast and organism.

Every cultivator aboard was no weakling. Hunting the Foundation Establishment beasts was exceedingly easy. However, no one could muster much enthusiasm, as these creatures were simply not valuable enough. A hundred of them wouldn't equal the worth of a single Golden Core beast. After catching a few, even Captain Qian grew disheartened and decided they should focus solely on Golden Core beasts to avoid wasting everyone's time.

Following this pattern, another two tedious days passed in monotonous searching across the endless ocean. Late that evening, Captain Qian suddenly shouted with excitement: "We have a reading! It’s Golden Core, twenty-seven li off the port side!"

A jolt of excitement ran through the group. This was an auspicious sign. A Golden Core beast meant a tangible hope of earning spirit stones. After all, what did many people seek from these voyages? Spirit stones, which were needed to purchase incredibly expensive elixirs and seek breakthroughs. Naturally, Thunder Moving was also curious to see how this group intended to capture a Golden Core beast.

The last time Thunder Moving had dealt with a sea creature—the Ocean Overlord Fish near East Sea Star Island—he had used a fishing method, relying on silk lines for tackle and the Netherworld Warship as a weapon. A Golden Core beast was not comparable to a Foundation Establishment beast; a direct confrontation would inevitably result in casualties among the team. Of course, while some demonic beasts experienced significant increases in power and wisdom upon reaching the Golden Core stage, a beast remained a beast. Even with intelligence, it differed greatly from human intellect. Humans accumulated vast and varied knowledge through continuous learning within the world.

Demonic beasts, even if possessing human-like intelligence, lacked the complex, established social structures that foster extensive cultural and knowledge transmission. It was akin to throwing a human infant into the wilderness from birth, deprived of human contact—their intellect would naturally be severely restricted. Of course, if a demonic beast could advance further to the Nascent Soul level, they could undergo transformation and become truly formidable. However, like humans, beasts at that level were exceptionally rare.

The flying ship began to slow its speed and ascend. It climbed straight up for several hundred zhang before heading toward the location where the Golden Core beast had been detected. The distance was only a few dozen li, and they reached the area overhead shortly. Captain Qian confirmed once more that the beast was still lurking quietly beneath them in the churning sea surface, unsure if it was its lair or something else.

"Brothers, perk up! Begin setting the formation!" Captain Qian flicked his wrist, tossing out a pile of various formation materials from his storage bracelet. Thunder Moving had no background in formations and naturally understood nothing of it. More curiously, another cultivator surnamed Zhao showed considerable skill in formations. The task of deploying the array was placed directly under his command.

Thunder Moving was assigned a dozen banners. Following Zhao's directions, he began placing them one by one, suspended about a dozen zhang above the sea surface. Injecting his true energy into the banners, they expanded rapidly until they reached the size of several zhang before stabilizing, hanging magically in mid-air, flapping in the sea wind. The others also busied themselves setting up the formation with practiced speed, as everyone understood that a Golden Core beast was hiding deep within the sea below. No one wanted the beast to breach the surface before the formation was fully deployed.

"This formation is called the Mist Shadow Array (Wu Ying Zhen). Its function is to trap the enemy. Against a low-level Golden Core beast, it typically holds it for the duration of one stick of incense," Captain Qian’s voice reached Thunder Moving’s ear as he explained. "Of course, we cannot rule out surprises, so be cautious later and dispatch the beast with full force as quickly as possible. Make good use of your premium flying sword."

If one only endured blows without retaliation, even an immortal could be worn down to death. This was especially true since the members of the team were not weak. However, against certain beasts known for thick hides and tough defenses, holding them for the time of one incense stick might indeed be uncertain.

Soon, the formation was completely set up. Captain Qian shouted again: "Who is willing to act as bait? According to the rules, you get an extra ten percent share. If none of you wish to go, I, Qian, am desperately short on spirit stones, so I'll go myself."

"Hee hee, Captain Qian, let this little sister have this opportunity. I am also desperately short on spirit stones," Qing Niangzi chirped with a seductive glance at him. She added, "Everyone, keep your eyes peeled for me, and Old Zhao, don't forget to activate the formation."

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