However, judging by the appearance of the opposing airship, its performance seemed quite excellent, suggesting it was valuable. Clearly, this must be a relatively powerful team. The Endless Sea was vast and boundless; unless one was hunting Deep Sea Demonic Beasts in a group, no one would idly wander into such a desolate place. It was too late to set up formations, and besides, if the other party possessed a Golden Core cultivator, what good would a formation even be? If they lacked a Golden Core, they were simply delivering themselves as easy prey.

The fact that their side had a Golden Core cultivator could not, and need not, be concealed. Following custom, they lined up with Qian Luo at the forefront, the rest of the group standing behind him. Qian Luo stood poised in the void at the bow of their vessel, hands clasped behind his back, his expression serene and detached. With an air of unruffled composure, he gazed at the approaching airship and boomed from the depth of his core, “Who goes there? Halt a hundred zhang away, or blame me for any discourtesy!”

Qian Luo’s words were carefully chosen. They served first to bolster their own morale, and if the opponent was strong, to instill a degree of caution, preventing them from rashly engaging and damaging their teeth. At the very least, it would force the others to ascertain their strength before making a final decision. Few small groups would initiate conflict upon encountering an airship without first assessing the other side’s power. Acting rashly in such a scenario was an act of suicidal folly.

As expected, Qian Luo’s challenge elicited a response. The large airship slowly came to a stop, hovering a hundred zhang away. Simultaneously, a loud and hearty laugh echoed from the vessel: “My apologies, Daoist friend. We have been at sea for nearly a year and this is the first time we’ve met fellow travelers. Several of our companions are injured, and our medicinal pills for recovery are completely exhausted. Thus, we were perhaps a bit too eager to approach and see if trade was possible.”

In such a chance encounter, if the strength difference between the two parties was not too great, trade could indeed materialize. But as for what the other person claimed—injuries, lack of medicine, and so forth—it was difficult to discern the truth from the falsehood immediately. Both sides were shielded by energy projected from their airships, making it hard for either party to gauge the other’s true strength. For the moment, only verbal probing could reveal anything.

Upon hearing that cheerful voice, the expressions of everyone on board grew exceptionally grave. Judging by the vitality in his speech, he was undoubtedly a cultivator at the Golden Core stage. Whether it was Lei Dong or Qian Luo, though their minds toyed with scenarios of annihilating a Golden Core cultivator, through their long cultivation journey, the might, majesty, and dominance of a Golden Core expert had long been etched into their very souls like a brand.

Suddenly encountering a genuine Golden Core cultivator caused their hearts to leap into their throats. The opponent’s reply was also rather skillful, leaving them uncertain of the situation. Claiming injured companions and a shortage of supplies—such maneuvering was less about feigning weakness and more about projecting strength. It displayed a profound confidence; even with allies wounded, they clearly held no fear of an enemy. This was also a strategy to counter Qian Luo’s probe, providing a pretext to initiate conversation and signal, “We are harmless,” thereby lowering the guard of the other side.

The most crucial objective, however, was likely still testing the waters. If one dared not even entertain such a trade, it was probable that the opposing side would soon reveal its true intentions.

A hundred zhang away, even Lei Dong could not clearly discern the figures along the railing of the enemy ship; everything was shrouded in a hazy mist. For now, they only knew one Golden Core cultivator was present; the rest of the situation remained opaque. Amidst the tension, Qian Luo and Lei Dong exchanged a glance, then Qian Luo calmly and loudly spoke once more: “We possess some medicinal pills, certainly. However, we intend to remain in these waters for some time longer, and the boundless sea is fraught with unknown dangers. To be safe, my counterpart, I regret that I cannot assist you.” As soon as the words left his lips, Qian Luo covertly sent a telepathic message to Lei Dong: “What do you think?”

“Let’s observe the situation further, probe their true strength a bit more,” Lei Dong transmitted softly. “If there is only one Golden Core, then we prepare to slaughter him.”

Under normal circumstances, the opposing group likely had only a single Golden Core cultivator leading them. Indeed, for the sake of equitable profit distribution, two Golden Cores would be redundant. In a single team, any increase in Golden Core cultivators would not increase the haul of prey, but only result in the division of resources among more parties.

Lei Dong’s suggestion made Qian Luo’s eyes gleam, a nascent fire igniting in his chest. To slay a Golden Core! It had been an unknown span of time since the Golden Core cultivators, in his estimation, were akin to gods.

The Golden Core on the other side continued his hearty laughter: “Since that is the case, I shall not insist. However, the winds and waves are currently raging, making airship travel difficult. I was hoping your esteemed self might permit us to linger here for a short while?”

“As you wish, Daoist friend,” Qian Luo replied dismissively.

“There should only be one Golden Core,” Qian Luo analyzed via mental link, having spent many years in the Endless Sea. “Teams with a Golden Core tend to operate in the deeper reaches of the Endless Sea, but seldom do two Golden Cores coexist. I suspect they approached us when they first spotted us to gauge our strength. If we lacked a Golden Core, they would have attacked already. Based on the current situation, the probability of peaceful coexistence is higher. In fact, unless there is some deep-seated enmity, teams led by Golden Core cultivators are generally unlikely to engage in casual slaughter in the Endless Sea. After all, even if they outnumbered us by a few Foundation Establishment cultivators, they wouldn’t necessarily hold a complete advantage.”

“Wishing for peace? That suggests their strength isn't overwhelmingly superior,” Lei Dong transmitted coolly, though his own heart was beginning to churn violently. “Then it is decided: you prepare to lure the enemy, and we will attempt to take down that Golden Core.” This was a world where the weak were prey to the strong, a characteristic amplified to its most exquisite degree in the Endless Sea. If Qian Luo were not taking the lead, the cultivators on that airship would have already descended like wolves and tigers. Anyone could be the hunter, or the prey.

“Agreed.” Qian Luo was driven to desperation. He knew that if he continued hunting in the usual manner, heaven knew how long it would take for him to achieve true wealth. Hearing Lei Dong’s proposal ignited a murderous fervor in him. That airship alone, with its fine design and performance, was extremely valuable.

A tacit balance seemed to have settled between the two parties. Although Lei Dong and his crew were unaware of what the others were scheming, their own side was already strategizing. The wind seemed to be escalating, causing the airship to pitch and roll unevenly. Following Qian Luo’s arrangement, Old Zhao emerged alone from the airship and proceeded to openly deploy a formation, which would slightly mitigate the effects of the wind.

The other side, seeing this, showed no objection. They also dispatched a Formation Master to begin setting up their own array. In truth, in the deeper parts of the Endless Sea, such typhoons and massive waves occurred frequently. The wisest course was often to wait quietly until the hurricane had passed.

For three or four days, the storm showed no sign of abating.

Only on the seventh day did the hurricane begin to weaken, gradually subsiding to a state of relative calm with wave crests only reaching a few zhang. During these days, Qian Luo had engaged in several casual conversations with the other party. While they hadn't become close friends, he had certainly managed to lower their guard considerably.

“Brother, do you still need medicinal pills? But as you know, supply runs in the Endless Sea make these pills highly valuable,” Qian Luo began to exhibit a greedy demeanor, naming his price. “Three times the market rate. If you need them, we can trade immediately.”

“Three times is too expensive.” The opponent had clearly abandoned any thought of consuming Qian Luo’s team, and probably wasn’t truly desperate for medicine, so he refused outright: “We appreciate your kindness, but we’ve been out for a year and should return for rest. If there's nothing else, we bid you farewell for now.”

“Hold on a moment, brother,” Qian Luo said with a chuckle: “…Brother, I have just advanced to the Golden Core stage, and all my savings were spent on the breakthrough. I am quite poor now. I was wondering if you happen to have any surplus high-grade magical treasures?”

Qian Luo’s words were like a honey pot, instantly transmitting a sweet fragrance. The other party seemed to have caught a whiff of something appealing. A newly ascended Golden Core cultivator—first, their control over the power of the Golden Core stage wouldn't be perfectly refined; second, they likely lacked powerful magical treasures. Still, the man responded with an air of measured caution: “So you are a new peer. We shall exchange insights properly later. As for treasures, I do indeed have a spare Mid-grade Treasure Shield. It’ll cost two million spirit stones. If you need it, I can let it go. But, having just reached the Golden Core stage, what will you use to pay?”

A Mid-grade Treasure Shield, wielded by a Golden Core cultivator, possessed power and performance roughly equivalent to an Extreme-grade Spirit Shield, much like Lei Dong’s Indestructible Spirit Shield. The core difference was that the former could only be used by a Golden Core cultivator, while the latter could be wielded by a Foundation Establishment cultivator. This was the vast gulf between them. Although magical equipment became rarer after reaching the Golden Core stage, the Mid-grade Treasure Shield was not worthless. But demanding two million spirit stones for it was somewhat inflated. If he had that much cash, he’d rather buy an Extreme-grade Spirit Shield, which could also be passed down to descendants.

“Payment isn’t an issue; I have some spoils from hunting Golden Core level demonic beasts. But Daoist friend, your asking price is far too high.” Qian Luo retorted: “One million spirit stones, and I’ll take it.”

“That can work. Seeing as you, having just advanced to the Golden Core, are so eager to run out hunting, I want to help you out. After all, I traveled that arduous path myself. It’s especially frustrating hunting with only Foundation Establishment cultivators,” the Golden Core expert said philanthropically.

“Exactly. To minimize the distribution of spoils, I only brought four Foundation Establishment cultivators,” Qian Luo mentioned casually, while secretly sneering—is your heart starting to race, you fool? Today, we’ll see who’s eating whom.