The iron ship cleaved the waves, slowly drawing closer. On the deck, a cluster of vibrant, young maidens stood on their toes, peering out, clearly very curious about their surroundings.

Banners fluttered in the wind, the embroidery on them startlingly lifelike. The men and women on the deck, however, paid them no mind, speaking in low voices and laughing about something, pointing at Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan, clearly finding some amusing topic of conversation.

After her change in appearance, Xia Xinyan’s expression turned cold again, and she stood motionless on the island’s sandy shore. Shi Yan ceased his mournful howling and frowned, his complexion looking rather unpleasant.

At first, he had been quite excited, very curious about the people on the iron ship, especially after Xia Xinyan mentioned that the disciples of the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven were extremely unrestrained in matters of the heart, which had made Shi Yan even happier, thinking this journey might not be lonely or dull after all. But when Xia Xinyan spoke of how the disciples of the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven also favored male companionship, his face immediately darkened, filled with deep gloom.

The other party had already discovered this place; there was no turning back now. If they missed this iron ship, who knew how long they’d have to wait to stumble upon another opportunity.

Helplessly, Shi Yan still felt they should find a chance to board, and then observe the situation once they were aboard. Soon, this massive iron ship, twenty to thirty meters wide and a hundred meters long, sailed into view.

The deck was a flurry of figures, men and women moving back and forth. Most of these individuals were strikingly attractive, the youngest looking only thirteen or fourteen, the oldest around thirty or forty; there wasn't an elderly person among them.

“Who are you people? What are you doing here?” a thin, sallow-faced man in his forties on deck shouted out.

This man possessed the cultivation of the Nirvana Realm, his voice booming, his demeanor guarded. “We come from the West, hoping to travel the Endless Sea.

Midway, our vessel encountered a typhoon and was destroyed. The two of us barely escaped and were washed ashore here.

We beg you to let us board and help us leave this barren little island,” Shi Yan said, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture. “From the West?” The sallow-faced man frowned, narrowing his slender eyes, studying Shi Yan for a moment before glancing at Xia Xinyan beside him, his tone indifferent.

“Do you have anything valuable on you? We won't take you for free.” Shi Yan’s expression stiffened, and he forced a dry laugh.

“Everything we possessed was washed away; only some dry rations remain. I beg you…” “Sail on,” the stout, sallow-faced man coldly snorted, turning back and giving a brief command, seemingly intent on refusing Shi Yan and the woman passage.

Shi Yan’s brow furrowed, but he didn't argue further. In the satchel on his back, he still possessed a Rank Six Demonic Beast’s essence crystal, in addition to a considerable amount of Crystal Coins—it wasn't as if he had nothing of value.

However, being inherently cautious, he knew that revealing wealth at a time like this would not only prevent them from boarding but might even lead to them being killed on the spot. Rather than that, it was better to feign poverty.

If they truly couldn't board, at least they could survive a little longer on the island. Hearing the man order the ship to sail, Shi Yan, despite his outward disappointment, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Wait a moment.” Just then, a languid female voice drifted from a private cabin on the third deck of the iron ship. The cabin window was cracked open slightly, and it seemed a woman was looking out through the gap.

Shi Yan, standing on the sand, couldn't help but look toward the window from which the sound had come, finding a beam of bright gaze seemingly fixed upon him. Thank heavens it’s a woman, he thought.

Shi Yan relaxed slightly, his composure returning as he waited to see what would happen next. “Protector Ju, what instructions do you have?” the sallow-faced man asked, frowning with displeasure.

“Instructions are hardly the word,” the woman inside the window chuckled, her voice brimming with allure. “I find these two rather pitiful.

Our flowers and plants on the lower deck need tending, and we could use more hands to clean up the spoils. Why not let them come aboard to work?

Consider it payment for the passage?” “If Protector Ju speaks, naturally I must show respect,” the sallow-faced man hesitated, seemingly understanding what the woman in the cabin desired, and nodded. “Bring them closer; let them board.

Li Wei, you arrange them later. Make sure they don’t clumsily damage the plants, understood?” The sallow-faced man gave the order, then frowned and strode up to the third floor, paying no further attention to Shi Yan and the woman.

A handsome youth, a faint smile playing on his lips, called out to the departing figure of the sallow-faced man, “Uncle, don’t worry, I will take good care of them.” This youth possessed the cultivation of the Second Heaven of the Hundred Calamities Realm. Although he appeared young, there were wrinkles around his eyes, suggesting his true age was likely older than his looks implied.

Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan exchanged a glance, then simultaneously walked toward the iron ship. When the rope ladder was lowered, they climbed aboard one after the other.

Once aboard, Shi Yan realized the iron ship was indeed vast, rising three decks high, constructed entirely of black steel, with the deck featuring an ironwood structure. Dozens of men and women stood on the deck; most were paired up, standing intimately close.

In plain view, they engaged in actions like embracing and kissing. Several men had their large hands slipped beneath their female companions’ clothes, rubbing contentedly, while some voluptuous, alluring women were equally unrestrained, their small hands disappearing into their male partners’ trousers, caressing the prominent swell beneath.

From the individual cabins on the central third deck, sounds of unrestrained male and female cries intermittently erupted, exceptionally loud and entirely heedless of others. Shi Yan’s expression was odd; he clicked his tongue in surprise.

The men and women here were far more open than in many pleasure quarters back in his world; they seemed to know nothing of modesty, behaving so licentiously that even someone like Shi Yan had to admit they surpassed him. Xia Xinyan maintained a detached expression, seemingly utterly disdainful of the atmosphere, yet careful to keep her head lowered so as not to reveal the disgust in her eyes.

“Follow me, the two of you,” the youth named Li Wei said coolly, glancing at them before walking straight ahead. Shi Yan and the woman followed without a word.

Li Wei led them all the way to the bottom of the iron ship, where countless potted plants were arranged, alongside large, sealed crates containing unknown cargo. The ship was divided into three levels; this lowest level seemed reserved for storing goods and flora, permeated by a damp fragrance, and the air circulation was poor.

Li Wei brought them to a shabby cabin, pushed the door open with a frown, and then quickly stepped back. His gaze lingered on Xia Xinyan for a moment, his eyes gradually taking on a different meaning.

“She’s a bit ugly, but her figure is incredibly enticing. Hmm, perhaps not unusable in the dark.” Xia Xinyan, who had been looking down, felt a chill in her eyes and clenched her jaw slightly.

Shi Yan smoothly moved to stand beside Xia Xinyan, deliberately taking her hand, and smiled faintly. “We are a couple, so one cabin is enough.

No need to trouble you, Brother, with extra arrangements.” Xia Xinyan stiffened momentarily when Shi Yan grasped her hand, but as soon as he spoke, she understood and immediately stopped struggling. “A couple?” Li Wei’s eyes gleamed with amusement.

He nodded slowly. “Fine.

This cabin is yours. You can rest tonight.

Starting tomorrow, the man will be moving these plants up to the deck for sunlight, and the woman will be responsible for cleaning this entire level. Understand?” “Understood,” Shi Yan replied.

Li Wei nodded, his gaze sweeping over Xia Xinyan once more before he departed with a slight smile. “I will kill him,” Xia Xinyan said, looking up with a frosty expression after Li Wei left.

“Wait until you recover your strength,” Shi Yan said, walking directly into the cabin, only to find it extremely narrow, barely five square meters. Aside from a dusty wooden bed, there was no other furniture in the cabin; the bed even lacked bedding.

The room was sealed with no windows, the air foul, and covered in cobwebs. When Shi Yan stepped forward to tear down a web, dust billowed, making the air even more noxious.

Xia Xinyan refused to enter, standing outside with a frown, watching Shi Yan clean the room. “The Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven is one of the fifteen major powers in the Endless Sea, closely allied with the Corpse God Sect, the Savage Sect, and the Cao Family.

They have always been at odds with the Yang Family and our Xia Family. Here, we must not expose our identities, or we might not leave this ship alive,” Xia Xinyan whispered while Shi Yan cleaned.

“The fifteen major powers of the Endless Sea? Which ones are they?” Shi Yan looked back at her, continuing to brush away the stubborn dust.

“In the Endless Sea, there is One Hall, Two Sacred Lands, Three Grotto-Heavens, Four Sects, and Five Families. The Hall is the Martial Soul Hall; the Two Sacred Lands are the Heavenly Pool Sacred Land and the Penglai Sacred Land; the Three Grotto-Heavens are the Spirit Treasure Grotto-Heaven, the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, and the Heavenly Evil Grotto-Heaven; the Four Sects are the Three God Sect, the Holy Spirit Sect, the Corpse God Sect, and the Savage Sect; the Five Families are the Yang Family, the Dongfang Family, the Cao Family, the Xia Family, and the Gu Family.

These fifteen powers are the strongest in the Endless Sea. Beyond them, there are countless other sects, clans, and various forces, but they are far inferior to these fifteen,” Xia Xinyan explained quietly.

“I remember you mentioning before that the Three God Sect and the Yang Family weren’t in the same camp, and now you say the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven isn’t either. How many factions are these fifteen powers divided into?” Shi Yan asked, puzzled.

“Currently, the Endless Sea is divided into five great sea regions, each containing thousands of islands; one sea region constitutes one faction. The Yang Family, the Xia Family, and the Heavenly Evil Grotto-Heaven are in the Galuo Sea Region, forming one camp.

The Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, the Corpse God Sect, the Savage Sect, and the Cao Family are in the Tuta Sea Region. The Martial Soul Hall and the Penglai Sacred Land are in the Azure Sky Sea Region.

The Heavenly Pool Sacred Land, the Spirit Treasure Grotto-Heaven, and the Holy Spirit Sect are in the Black Water Sea Region. The Three God Sect, the Dongfang Family, and the Gu Family are in the Yuanluo Sea Region.

The fifteen major powers are scattered across the five great sea regions, forming five major factions, constantly engaging in conflict. The Endless Sea is much more complicated than you imagine.” “I already find it complicated,” Shi Yan shook his head.

“I can’t worry about all that, but hearing you say so confirms the Endless Sea is vibrant. Hmm, since we’ve boarded the ship of the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, are we heading to that Tuta Sea Region?” “Yes.

The Tuta Sea Region is very far from our Galuo Sea Region; this time, we’ll have to take a major detour. In the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, warriors at the Houtian, Xiantian, and Ren position Realms are ordinary disciples; those at the Hundred Calamities and Earth position Realms are core disciples; Nirvana Realm warriors are Protectors; those at the Heaven position Realm are Elders; and at the very top are the two Mansion Lords, who are the Heavenly Empress and the Earth Emperor, both rumored to possess Divine Realm cultivation.

This iron ship only has two Nirvana Realm warriors, who are likely Protectors for the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, responsible for gathering various spiritual herbs, fine jade, and silks for the Grotto-Heaven. We must be cautious and hope to reach the Tuta Sea Region smoothly and disembark from the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven’s iron ship,” Xia Xinyan said with a frown.

“That should be enough. Come in and rest,” Shi Yan suddenly said.

After his efforts, the cabin was somewhat cleaner, but there was only one bed, and Xia Xinyan frowned after just a glance. “You take the bed; I’ll rest on the floor.

Don't worry, I won't do anything to you. Don't be so vigilant.” “I don’t trust you,” Xia Xinyan snorted, but she still entered the cabin, silently moving to the bed to sit cross-legged and begin her arduous cultivation with her eyes closed.

Shi Yan had intended to ask more about the Endless Sea, but seeing that she seemed unwilling to speak further, he dropped the matter. He also sat down on the floor, closed his eyes, and began to cultivate.

The night passed without incident. ……V