The commander of the warship fleet, Lord Zhu Junhou, and Gu Liekong exchanged looks of mild surprise. They knew of the Sea Spirit Plain, but it was a place the Qian Tianshan hunters had never ventured to before.
That region, though teeming with ferocious beasts, was far too remote. Not just Qian Tianshan, but even the other great cities and the reclusive sects rarely ventured there.
They were on the verge of offering counsel, yet the moment they recalled the eight hundred Yuan Extinction Crossbows that Zong Shou had purchased, a sliver of confidence unexpectedly surfaced.
And this secluded place had its advantages. At the very least, Taoyun City, which had stood for decades with countless cloud vessels, knew next to nothing about that area—it was virtually a blank slate.
Thus, they spoke no further, issuing an order for the entire fleet to change course southward.
It required at least four days to travel from the Cloud Sea Vortex Stair to the Sea Spirit Plain. This was precisely why the various sects and powers rarely journeyed there to hunt the beasts.
The reclusive sects were one matter, but if the forces of the Donglin Cities left their elite troops isolated for too long, causing weakness within the city walls, it would only invite disaster. Therefore, in the past, whenever Qian Tianshan hunted beneath the Cloud Sea, they chose locations nearby for quick incursions and rapid returns.
During these four days, Zong Shou sequestered himself once more in his private chambers. His tutelage under Xuanyuan Yiren regarding the 'Purity' Talisman proved immensely beneficial. In his brief moments of leisure, he would flirt and chat with the prim and stern Yiren, or summon Xuanyun Lan to play the zither; his days passed with utmost tranquility.
For about another quarter of his time, Zong Shou remained preoccupied, puzzling over something. He held dozens of animal hides, scribbling and sketching upon them. Though the marks resembled childish scrawls, a careful inspection revealed rough outlines of a map.
Furthermore, the Primordial Fetal Dao Seed left by Zhao Yanran remained, and he hesitated to refine it. Her temperament was wildly capricious—one moment innocently carefree, the next savagely ruthless—and her thoughts were as untamed as a soaring steed, making her utterly unpredictable.
Although the Reverse Cauldron Fetal Art posed no inherent harm to him, applying it to Zhao Yanran would likely not be so straightforward.
Zong Shou cared little for the risk and held no fear of Zhao Yanran. Even with the genuine Cauldron Fetal Art, he was confident he could ultimately prevail. What he disliked was the sensation of being manipulated by another’s scheme. If he were ever to fall into a trap, it should be one he stepped into knowingly, with his eyes wide open.
He did not particularly favor this woman’s disposition either.
Consequently, every day, Zong Shou dedicated only one hour, placing the item before him in silent contemplation.
It was only on the third day that Zong Shou experienced a sudden realization, a knowing smile touching his lips.
“She actually played a trick, attempting to seize control? Interesting—”
The so-called Primordial Fetal Dao Seed was an amber-like object, the size of a finger joint, blood-red and exquisitely transparent.
It seemed unremarkable, yet Zhao Yanran had cultivated it over a year using vital essence blood drawn from her heart, nurturing it daily through a secret art.
In a sense, it could even be considered a second nascent soul. Holding it in his palm caused his own spirit to tremble.
However, the talisman that was supposed to form the Reverse Cauldron Fetal Art within it had been tampered with. Zhao Yanran had left a sliver of opportunity for herself to reverse the roles.
If he failed to suppress it, this woman would likely strike back immediately, aggressively devouring his vital essence and seizing his cultivation.
Naturally, everything in the world possessed duality. While Zhao Yanran created a possibility for her own reversal, the price she paid for this maneuver far exceeded that of a standard Reverse Cauldron Fetal Art.
He held absolute dominion over her life and death, her joys and sorrows.
Yet, had the situation been typical, he would likely have disregarded it and possibly refused the arrangement altogether. This complication, however, sparked a measure of excitement in him.
With a faint smile, Zong Shou no longer hesitated. He drew the Primordial Fetal Dao Seed into his body.
A portion of it immediately transformed into a fine, threadlike crimson filament, merging into the True Qi within him, circulating and flowing through his meridians.
Another portion descended into his Nascent Soul, settling at the center of the soul sea vortex, rapidly dissolving into the purest soul power, staining the soul sea with a tint of crimson.
But the core essence remained suspended above, tightly bound to the true talismans and spiritual restrictions.
In that very instant, Zong Shou experienced a sudden enlightenment, vaguely sensing Zhao Yanran’s consciousness on the other side. He could even seemingly ‘see’ the true talisman seeds within Zhao Yanran’s soul sea, and grasp her Martial Dao intent.
“This Cauldron Fetal Secret Art of the Seven Spirits Demonic Sect is indeed quite intriguing.”
As far as the Martial Dao aspect was concerned, Zhao Yanran would only reap the benefits. However, regarding the spiritual arts, Zong Shou gained considerable insight.
With a moment of meditation, he felt as if fuel had been added to the fire within his soul sea. During cultivation, the accumulation of soul power became exponentially faster.
If he had previously cultivated with the power of two souls, he was now meditating with the combined force of three.
Coupled with the Tenth-Grade Saint Spirit level Great Change Sky Nether Art, the speed of his progress far outstripped the effects of a standard spirit master’s meditation by tenfold!
The accumulation of True Qi cultivation was similarly efficient.
It made Zong Shou himself uneasy and fearful, daring not to meditate continuously as he had before.
At this rate of progress, he might reach at least the peak of the Sun Roaming Realm in just a few years. This advance was simply too swift.
Until he fully understood the benefits and drawbacks for himself, Zong Shou truly dared not exert himself fully.
On the morning of the fourth day, Zong Shou returned to the deck. Hu Zhongyuan and his companions were all there, while Gu Liekong stood on a nearby high platform, directing the fleet with signal flags.
When Zong Shou arrived, the expressions of these individuals were universally indignant and brimming with resentment.
“It seems Taoyun City truly intends to oppose my Qian Tianshan to the bitter end.”
Chai Zhou, son of Chai Yuan, wore a grim expression, barely suppressing his fury: “They have followed us for three days and refuse to quit. If this continues, we might as well turn back and fight them outright! Even death would be a release!”
Hu Zhongyuan and the others, though silent, shared similar vexed sentiments.
Only Zong Yuan Tan Tao, along with Ling Xuan, remained consistently silent, their demeanor calm, showing neither pleasure nor anger.
As for True Master Jing Tao of the Lingyun Sect, he was casually gazing at the scenery, completely detached from the situation.
Zong Shou surveyed the distance and inquired a few times. Within moments, he understood the source of their profound irritation.
The cloud vessels of the three Taoyun cities were not merely following. Whenever a ferocious beast approached their fleet, they would either quickly dispatch fast ships to drive it off or outright steal the spoils.
As a result, over the entire three-day period, their nearly one thousand cloud vessels had managed to hunt only a little over ten thousand ferocious beasts, with only a few hundred beasts above the fourth rank. It was truly frustrating.
Zong Shou’s eyes flickered; he felt a surge of controlled anger himself. However, this development was within his expectations and hardly warranted genuine fury.
“Is that the Ghost Sail Grotto ahead?”
Gu Liekong looked slightly stunned upon hearing this, seemingly surprised by Zong Shou’s intimate knowledge of the local topography. After a brief pause, he replied, “It is indeed the Ghost Sail Grotto. This area is blocked by a mountain ten thousand feet high. Storms rage above, and any cloud vessel ascending would be instantly pulverized. Only this natural cavern offers passage and is the closest route to the Sea Spirit Plain.”
Zong Shou raised an eyebrow, pondering that this grotto entrance must have existed even in this era. A relaxed smile immediately spread across his features.
“Send word to all the Five-Toothed Ships: after passing through the Ghost Sail Grotto, unleash all of our Fire Thunder Arrows. You know exactly what needs to be done—”
Gu Liekong first stiffened at the order, then broke into a wide grin of delight.
Jing Tao, who had been observing from the side, also experienced a twitch of his eyelid, studying Zong Shou with a newfound intensity.
Using the Fire Thunder Arrows within the Ghost Sail Grotto—only a few thousand shots would be needed to collapse the cavern, completely destroying this shortcut that had existed for millennia!
This method employed by Zong Shou was indeed ruthlessly decisive. However, upon careful examination, the act carried no actual transgression that Jing Tao could object to, leaving him with nothing to say.
Gu Liekong hastily departed to make arrangements, and moments later, Zong Shou’s flagship entered the cavern.
The interior was quite spacious; even at its narrowest point, it stood two hundred zhang high and four hundred zhang wide. Fierce winds howled within, like ghostly moans, chilling the air.
Yet, precisely because the spectral winds blew so violently, there were surprisingly few malignant spirits within.
Once all the cloud vessels had passed through, all the Five-Toothed Giant Ships loaded with the Three-Armed Spirit Crossbows unleashed a unified volley.
In mere moments, a chorus of explosions echoed from above, shaking heaven and earth. The entire colossal mountain groaned as it collapsed. Vast chunks of bedrock completely sealed the expansive Ghost Sail Grotto.
A cheer erupted from the thousand cloud ships. Zong Shou could even faintly hear a furious roar emanating from beyond the barrier of the great mountain.
“The Young Master truly had a plan in mind!”
Tan Tao’s eyes glittered, a hint of elation coloring his face. He had always known Zong Shou would find a way to slip away, but witnessing it firsthand was undeniably different.
“However, this method will, at best, delay those ships from Yue Guanyun for two days at most—”
Zong Shou nodded. Two days was an optimistic estimate. If they could hold back the three cities’ fleet for eighteen hours, he would be more than satisfied.
Gu Liekong and Zhu Junhou also understood that delaying was critical. Without needing further direction, they immediately ordered the fleet to set sail again.
It was that very night that they finally reached the Sea Spirit Plain.
The terrain here was flat and vast, stretching boundlessly. The soil was fertile, covered entirely in a small blue grass that pulsed with abundant spiritual energy. At a glance, it resembled an ocean.
Nevertheless, it remained a blighted land where normal vegetation could not survive. Moreover, the plants below, called ‘Blue Liquid Grass,’ contained toxins. An ordinary person consuming them would surely die within four days.
The conventional practice when hunting beneath the Cloud Sea was to immediately deploy the fleet formation, drive the ferocious beasts and malevolent spirits into an enclosed area, and then slaughter them using crossbows.
However, everyone now understood that the fleets of the three Taoyun cities would soon catch up. Thus, they all turned to Zong Shou with inquiring gazes.