The friend that Er Xidong mentioned was Liu Zhigui. Xu Jiao was not ugly, and Liu Zhigui was still a decent person, but she carried a bit of a menacing aura.
This murderous aura was a remnant of the deadly battle. Zhang Guodong could completely understand; as a low-level cultivator from the outside world, and especially as a rogue cultivator, he faced countless bloody and brutal competitions. However, to survive was a stroke of luck.
Bai Yin, that effeminate guy, didn't come. I don't know if he died in the competition or if he didn't want to see Zhang Guodong.
But none of that matters. Zhang Guodong himself dislikes that effeminate Bai Yin; this aversion is undisguised, and he would never mention the person.
After receiving the message from Zhang Guodong, Liu Meigui rushed to the "Wanxian Restaurant" immediately.
Her transformation impressed Zhang Guodong greatly.
However, there was nothing he could do to help. That's how it is in the cultivation world; rogue cultivators, especially those with low cultivation levels, find it very difficult to survive.
Therefore, in the face of a fiercely competitive environment, you must grow quickly. This requires sufficient resources, luck, and opportunity. And for cultivators with even longer lifespans, spanning hundreds or even thousands of years, countless cultivators have perished in the river of time.
It's cruel!
After Liu Meigui arrived at the restaurant, Zhang Guodong arranged for her to stay temporarily in the back courtyard so that everyone could rest and recuperate, ideally reaching a state of near-peak performance before heading to the South China Sea.
Zhang Guodong and Xuan Qingji then used the teleportation array to return to Peach Blossom Spring to rest. Having this teleportation array was a huge advantage, allowing them to travel between different places at any time.
Two days later, Zhang Guodong and Xuan Qingban returned to Southwest Market and, together with Liu Meigui, made some preparations before setting off for the South China Sea.
"Senior Brother Zhang, according to the map provided by the Cultivator Guild, the ruins of the ancient cultivation sect are located two thousand miles off the seabed in the South China Sea. There is a deserted island next to it, and no one is around. If we want to go there, besides flying magic artifacts, we can only take a mortal ship!" After several days of rapid travel, the three arrived at a small coastal city in the South China Sea. The aura of the sea was already clearly audible. Liu Meigui seemed to be very familiar with this place and actually suggested taking a mortal ship to go overseas.
This surprised Zhang Guodong greatly.
Previously, cultivators looked down on mortals' technological products, but unexpectedly, Willow Rose adapted to them very quickly.
"Sister Rose, have you ever used a mortal's ship?" Zhang Guodong asked curiously.
The two addressed each other differently. Liu Meigui addressed Zhang Guodong as "Senior Brother" because of his wealth, power, and exceptional cultivation, which was quite normal in the cultivation world. Zhang Guodong, on the other hand, used the same address he had when they first met.
Xuan Qingban spoke very little along the way, and with the mask on, he maintained a distant relationship with Liu Meigui.
Zhang Guodong and Liu Meigui basically decided on all the food, drinks, and lodging along the way.
Liu Meigui giggled, rolled her eyes at Zhang Guodong, and exuded charm.
"What? Mortal technology is quite advanced, no less so than cultivators' methods. Does Senior Brother Zhang think I'm a stubborn old man? As long as it's useful, what difference does it make whether it's mortal or cultivator's stuff?"
Wow, Liu Meigui has turned the tables on Zhang Guodong.
“Ahem, Sister Rose is right, I was just curious. But this is a very useful method! If you really can’t let go of your pride or can’t integrate into ordinary society, you probably wouldn’t think of this way to enter the sea!” Zhang Guodong gave a little flattery, and Liu Rose was a little smug, while Xuan Qingwei next to her snorted.
This surprised Liu Meigui. She glanced at the two of them and seemed to realize something. Then her eyes became somewhat ambiguous.
Xuan Qingban unconsciously let out a hum, as if jealous, then his face flushed. What's wrong with me? I'm actually jealous of this woman flirting with Zhang Guodong? Good heavens!
Thankfully, she was wearing a mask, so her exact expression couldn't be seen. Otherwise, it would have been incredibly embarrassing.
Zhang Guodong wasn't much better off, but he was overjoyed. Xuan Qingwen was actually jealous of Liu Meigui—that was a good sign! Xuan Qingwen, seemingly shy, turned and headed towards the boat rental and windsurfing stalls. Behind him, Liu Meigui said mischievously, "Senior Brother Zhang, you'd better hurry! This junior sister seems quite interested in you!"
"We're just friends, alright, Sister Rose. Let's hurry up and buy a boat. It's still early today. If we're prepared, we can leave early. I'm sure there are already quite a few cultivators around the ruins. If we go too late, all the good stuff will be taken!" Zhang Guodong refused to admit any relationship with Xuan Qingban and changed the subject.
"Hehe!" Liu Meigui saw Zhang Guodong also walking towards Xuan Qingsuo, and chuckled, scolding, "Coward!"
I don't know what the phrase "cowardly little devil" means.
However, Liu Meigui had a nagging feeling. She should have met this "junior sister" before; she felt a sense of familiarity, but couldn't quite place her. Perhaps she was just overthinking it?
Following Liu Meigui's suggestion to borrow a boat to go out to sea, Zhang Guodong also felt it was a reasonable idea. Although Xuan Qingban possessed a flying artifact, its existence could not be revealed. Otherwise, her identity would be immediately exposed.
If you're going to visit the ruins of an ancient cultivator's sect, it's best to keep a low profile. Play dumb to fool others.
However, Zhang Guodong's thinking was a bit simplistic, and he underestimated the allure of the ancient cultivator sect ruins to everyone.
After purchasing three surfboards and a small wooden boat, Zhang Guodong and the two women set off for the sea from a certain spot.
As for hiring ships, that's too big a target—two thousand li. That's a land distance, but it's still very far. These hired ships are unlikely to be able to sail the open ocean, and it would be easy for secrets to be leaked.
A small boat raced across the sea, cutting through the waves. There were three people on board. Of these two extraordinary individuals, only Zhang Guodong possessed magical powers and could activate the small boat. Their speed was no slower than a motorboat, but the amount of magical power consumed was also considerable.
Xuan Qingban and Liu Meigui, both women, had low cultivation levels, not yet reaching level 50. Their life force and demonic energy had not yet begun to convert into mana, so they could only look at Zhang Guodong with envy and helplessness.
However, the two women also had an important task. Zhang Guodong was using his magic to propel the divination ship through the waves, which consumed a great deal of his magic power and made it difficult for him to be distracted. Therefore, the task of guarding against danger was entrusted to the two women.
Overseas, especially in the sea and its depths, is fraught with danger. Liu Meigui, who has participated in several missions for the Cultivator Guild, understands this all too well. There are ferocious beasts in the sea, though they haven't evolved into demonic beasts, they pose no threat whatsoever.
As for cultivators in the sea, apart from those skilled in water-based abilities, most have an innate fear of water. This feeling is even stronger for cultivators who cannot fly.
Xuan Qingban dared not be careless. Although she had never taken on any missions from the Southwest Imitation City's Cultivator Guild and had never been to sea, she knew the dangers of overseas.
Moreover, if they encounter robbing cultivators or enemies along the way, things could get really messy.
Those who can go to sea, aren't they all top experts? Or they might have flying artifacts, or water-attribute artifacts, etc., which gives them a much greater advantage than the three of them in terms of terrain.
A day later, Zhang Guodong's magical power began to wane and was about to be exhausted.
"No, we need to find a small island to recover. My magic power is almost exhausted!" Zhang Guodong said.
His magical power was never strong to begin with; in fact, it had been exhausted back in the Lesser Heaven. Manipulating objects with magical power is not so easy. He had relied entirely on elixirs to sustain him for most of the day.
However, the medicine to restore magical power cannot be refined yet. All of them restore life-giving demonic power, which is then converted into magical power. This process is very agonizing.
Relying solely on elixirs to absorb life force and then convert it into magical power over a prolonged period could easily cause lasting damage to Zhang Guodong's meridians and other systems, which would be detrimental to his cultivation.
Liu Meigui and Xuan Qinghuo were quite surprised by the quantity and variety of pills Zhang Guodong used. However, Zhang Guodong had managed to persist for a whole day, which was something even a great master would find difficult to do. They were also anxious and wanted to find an island to recover first.
Otherwise, if they encounter danger, Zhang Guodong, who has the highest cultivation level among the three, might fall first, making things even more dangerous for them.
"Senior Brother Zhang, this vast sea is so big, we can't see any islands at all!" Liu Meigui stood up and looked around, but let alone islands or land, even the waves several meters high blocked their view. This was a major disadvantage.
The map that everyone had bought from the Cultivator Guild only indicated the general direction of the ruins of the ancient cultivation sect, but it did not indicate any islands along the way.
But this map is selling for an extremely high price, three thousand low-grade crystals per map. It's safe to say that the Southwest Imitation Market is really ripping people off!
However, most cultivators, hoping for a stroke of luck, wouldn't hesitate to spend three thousand low-grade crystals. What if they were incredibly fortunate and found some elixirs, magic pills, or even magic treasures in the ruins? Then all their costs would be recouped.
After all, this is the first discovered site of an ancient cultivation sect. Its allure is immense for anyone.
Of course, this time the search for opportunity involved rounds of elimination. The competition was no easier than usual.
This is the first fundamental requirement: if you don't have a flying artifact or can't think of using mortal technology, you definitely won't be able to go to sea.
Secondly, even after setting sail, finding the "ruins" still requires a certain amount of luck. You might encounter a deadly corpse halfway there.
The third route leads to the "ruins." There, you'll find countless highly skilled cultivators and numerous top experts. At that time, any aspiring top experts or level 48 cultivators will be relegated to the sidelines. If you want to participate in the excavation and seek opportunities, it all depends on whether you're qualified to sneak in.
The above three points are considered basic hurdles, and most people can deduce some or even all of them. Everyone is mentally prepared. However, it's also easy to be blinded by temptation and overlook these points. Faced with immense financial rewards, certain risks that are not immediately apparent are most easily ignored.
The ruins of ancient cultivator sects—who can be indifferent to them? Who can simply walk away?
Zhang Guodong slowed the boat's movement, suppressing the large waves while simultaneously using his divine sense to search. Compared to the two women, he had a greater advantage.
However, this scan made him frown. His divine sense covered a vast area, yet there wasn't a single island. They were currently in the middle of the sea, in a situation where they were "far from any village or shop."
"Oh no, there's a ferocious beast!" Liu Meigui suddenly cried out, instantly making the situation tense.
Zhang Guodong immediately noticed that a huge black shadow emerged from the sea a hundred meters away and rushed towards them at an extremely fast speed. Its black back was covered with ridges and spikes, and the meter-long bone spikes looked extremely ferocious in the sunlight.
"What's that? Everyone sit tight, I'll subdue the small boat. Get ready to attack, eighty meters to the left!" Zhang Guodong was slightly nervous. He was even more surprised; he seemed to have never heard of such a vivid-looking sea creature before.
Is this a ferocious beast?
At this moment, Xuan Qingban also sensed it. Her experience at sea was not as great as Liu Meigui's. But as the distance closed, she also felt the danger approaching.
"Go!" Zhang Guodong took out a handful of pills, swallowed them, and used his remaining magic power to propel the small boat away.
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