Chapter 237 A Cai's Encounters
"Hey hey hey hey—cough cough cough cough cough!"
A clear, crisp cry rang out from the air, and something heavy suddenly fell from the sky, continuing its descent.
It was the figure of a young boy.
As the boy fell, he coughed incessantly, seemingly having difficulty breathing.
Below was a vast blue sea. Beneath the surface of the sea, where the boy had fallen, a dark figure rapidly emerged, its face upturned, its gaping maw wide open.
It seemed the boy was about to fall directly into that giant maw—
However, a tall and sturdy puppet was following the boy, and it reached out and grabbed him.
One person and one puppet, thus suspended in mid-air.
The boy was still coughing violently, his face turning red, and he even seemed to be having some difficulty breathing!
At that moment, the giant shadow beneath the sea suddenly shot upwards!
It turned out to be a strange fish, several meters long, with its dark scales reflecting a layer of dark light, revealing a terrifying malice.
The monstrous fish, with its massive, gaping maw of sharp teeth, lunged at the boy—
The young man clutched his chest, sighed in frustration, and ordered, "Kill them, I'm starving." Then, as if unable to contain himself, he muttered, "The energy of this top-tier continent is too concentrated; it's practically poisoning the very essence of heaven and earth!"
The puppet obeyed orders and moved with lightning speed!
In its palm, it seemed as if a long spear had suddenly appeared, which it hurled at the strange fish!
The strange fish suddenly let out a howl!
In the next instant, the spear pierced through the monster fish's head, as if nailing it to the surface of the sea, leaving it only able to frantically thrash its tail, unable to escape.
The strange fish was imprisoned there by the terrifying power emanating from the spear, and within this imprisonment, it quickly lost its life.
The gaping wound continued to widen, and copious amounts of fish blood flowed out, turning the surrounding sea crimson...
At that moment, the boy in mid-air raised his hand and pointed to the blood-red sea next to the strange fish.
In an instant, a stream of light burst forth and landed there.
It was a very large treasure ship.
The treasure ship was much larger than the strange fish itself, but it seemed to have obeyed some command and quickly shrank until it was only three or four zhang long.
However, the powerful force emanating from the treasure ship itself also indicates that its level must be very high.
At this moment, the boy suddenly landed and stood steadily on the treasure ship.
·
Zhong Cai squatted at the bow of the boat, watching the puppet deal with the strange fish.
The strange fish was a sixth-order creature, and its strength was actually quite formidable. However, compared to an eighth-order puppet, it was still far too weak and was slaughtered in a single blow.
Zhong Cai didn't recognize this strange fish either, so he had no choice but to have the puppet cut it up first and then put it away.
He also released another puppet to control the level eight treasure ship—he didn't actually have a level nine treasure ship, and even if he did, he wouldn't use it casually to avoid being too conspicuous.
·
At this moment, Zhong Cai's eyes were indeed fixed on the strange fish and the puppet, but he couldn't muster any interest in them.
He's very depressed right now.
I'm very depressed.
Because... the current situation is exactly as he had predicted, just like the worst-case scenario!
He and Lao Wu are now separated in two different places.
After arriving in this world, the ancient city did indeed convey a message to him—because the rules of the top continent are numerous and mysterious, many functions of the ancient city have changed, except for the altar, the command platform, and defense functions.
The teleportation function, in particular, is quite limited!
Logically, if he and Lao Wu were still on the Flying Star Continent, then even if one of them was millions or tens of millions of miles away, they could be quickly teleported to the ancient city as long as the mirror key was activated.
But now...
The two people must be within ten miles of each other to be teleported to the vicinity of the ancient city—or even directly into the ancient city.
Zhong Cai was very unhappy.
This is so useless! It's not even as good as many higher-grade teleportation scrolls!
However, according to the ancient city's telepathic message, this is because the ancient city has not been upgraded on the top continent. If it were upgraded directly, it would have adapted to the continent's environment during the upgrade process, and the teleportation function would have changed rapidly with the continent's rules. But since it cannot be upgraded yet, it can only adapt slowly. While adapting, the ancient city slowly adjusts its functions.
The ancient city also delivered very bad news.
The process of gradually adapting and adjusting to the old city will be very long...
·
Zhong Cai held her chin with both hands, her expression very unpleasant.
Old Wu didn't teleport over immediately, it must be because the distance is more than ten miles—just kidding, he had already looked around from mid-air and the width of the surrounding sea was far more than ten miles!
Zhong Cai took out the jade pendant and bell given to her by her two masters and tried them, but neither of them worked.
Old Wu must be somewhere beyond a hundred miles away.
I'm so angry right now!
There's water everywhere, so which direction is Old Wu? How is he supposed to find him?
--etc.
Zhong Cai suddenly remembered something and took out the key mirror from the ancient city.
This is connected to the mirror in the ancient city; both have the function of finding people...
Zhong Cai stared at herself in the mirror, a strong desire welling up inside her to talk to her husband, Wu.
However, the mirror did react, but only by reflecting a hazy light on its surface.
Nothing is displayed.
Zhong Cai: "..."
Does this feature mean it's completely disabled?
The ancient city didn't mention that the mirror was ruined!
Shouldn't the mirror be able to video chat directly with Lao Wu?!
There are no images at all!
·
The ancient city quickly provided an answer.
The function of mirrors is indeed limited; any function related to "distance" is greatly restricted.
For example, in addition to the teleportation range, there are also ranges for searching treasures, finding people, viewing the environment, and making video calls...
Anyway, now all of them can only be used within ten miles.
Zhong Cai took a deep breath, feeling like she couldn't breathe! Then came another violent coughing fit.
Although he had been prepared for the unexpected, he was still furious when the accident actually happened!
Just as Zhong Cai's fingers, which were gripping the mirror, were bulging with veins, the mirror began to feel slightly warm.
Suddenly, a new reaction occurred...
Zhong Cai quickly looked in the mirror.
The mirror still didn't show any image of anyone, but just as Zhong Cai was about to be disappointed again, a red arrow appeared on the mirror.
Zhong Cai was taken aback, and a premonition suddenly came to her mind.
This arrow is similar to Old Wu's...
The idea of the ancient city resurfaced, providing the answer.
Because the two ancient city masters had such powerful wills, and both missed each other terribly, and both took out their mirror keys in an attempt to find each other... the two mirror keys actually resonated with each other.
Other functions are still limited, and it is still impossible to determine the distance between two people, but you can use an arrow to point in the direction of the other person.
Zhong Cai let out a deep breath.
At least it wasn't completely useless!
Just follow the arrows, no matter how far, you'll always find Old Wu!
Otherwise, we can only wait until he reaches a certain shore before inquiring about the location of the Lingxian Sect and waiting for Old Wu to join him there.
It was only at this moment that Zhong Cai's mood improved slightly.
·
The puppet skillfully dealt with the strange fish and boarded the treasure ship.
Puppets that reach level seven or above have a very large internal space that can hold a large amount of resources.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan stored a large number of high-grade Xuan Stones in each puppet to power them, all of which were stored in the puppets' personal space.
Now, Zhong Cai hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to eat the strange fish because she couldn't determine its species, how to eat it, or whether it was poisonous... She just had the puppet put it away.
·
Zhong Cai remained squatting at the bow of the boat.
After a long while, he finally extended his finger.
A wisp of wood fire appeared at his fingertips.
Zhong Cai manipulated the wood fire with a very focused gaze.
In an instant, the wood and fire enveloped his entire body!
The sizzling sound of burning filled the air...
In a place unseen by ordinary cultivators, the wood fire continuously burned away the medicinal fragrance lingering around Zhong Cai's body.
Yes, he was a dignified fifth-level Pill King, having refined countless pills. The medicinal fragrance emanating from him was incredibly complex. Not only pill masters, but many martial arts cultivators could sense this complex fragrance upon seeing him—and some more perceptive individuals with considerable knowledge of pills might even be able to determine his level from it!
Zhong Cai has now arrived in an unfamiliar place and does not want to immediately reveal his identity as an alchemist.
Alchemists are mostly fragile on the Flying Star Continent; it's hard to imagine what they'd be like on a top-tier continent.
In any case, martial arts cultivators will definitely be the most numerous.
Therefore, Zhong Cai decided to appear as a martial arts cultivator for the time being.
·
The burning power of fifth-grade wood fire is very strong; it can completely clean the alchemy furnace and also completely burn away the medicinal fragrance.
After about a quarter of an hour, the firewood grew smaller and smaller, gradually withdrawing from Zhong Cai's body and returning to his fingertips.
Zhong Cai twirled his fingers, and the wooden fire was put away.
At this moment, Zhong Cai was completely clean and had no trace of her presence.
Zhong Cai: "..."
This is a bit odd.
Zhong Cai thought for a moment, then sat down cross-legged.
Then he began to practice the auxiliary cultivation technique and demonstrated the five star-based secret techniques he had learned on the treasure ship.
Gradually, as Zhong Cai continued to cultivate, the aura of the Five Elements and stars permeated his body from the inside out.
Zhong Cai's aura surged, as if it were carrying a faint starlight, clearly showing the appearance of an extraordinary martial arts cultivator!
At this moment, Zhong Cai did not stop.
Since he's not going to refine pills for the time being, he might as well continue practicing martial arts skills.
With Lao Wu not around, he always had to find something to do.
Thinking of this, Zhong Cai took out the mirror again and looked at it.
The arrow points in the same direction as the ship is traveling.
Very good, he's still getting closer to Lao Wu.
Zhong Cai raised his meteor hammer and began smashing it down with a loud clang!
Cultivation! Cultivation!
I get anxious when my mind is blank!
Cultivation!
·
On the vast sea, there is only water, and it is impossible to tell which way to go.
Often, even after many days of sailing, the cultivators' treasure ships would not see a single island.
Zhong Cai's treasure ship was very fast.
Even so, after sailing for two or three days, they still hadn't found any land.
Zhong Cai felt very unhappy again.
He can't just drift at sea forever, can he? Which cultivator who came from a mid-level continent to a top-level continent is as unlucky as him, starting out at sea!
So annoying.
Zhong Cai sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat, meditating and cultivating, but every now and then his mind would wander and his thoughts would wander.
The puppet stood guard beside him.
The calmer the sea was, the more unhappy Zhong Cai became.
When the sea was not calm and other strange fish and sea beasts attacked him, he would send his puppets to slaughter the sea beasts and strange fish, but at the same time he felt even more annoyed that he was being bullied by the creatures in the sea when he missed Lao Wu so much.
Anyway, I haven't been in a good mood all day.
It won't get better!
Zhong Cai took out his meteor hammer and pounded the deck a few more times to vent his anger.
ah--
Why haven't we found Old Wu yet?!
·
Zhong Cai glanced casually at the sea surface a few times, and inadvertently noticed something floating and sinking.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that many sea beasts were attacking something, and that thing seemed to be shrouded in some kind of defensive barrier. So even though the sea beasts were barking their teeth at it, they only caused the defensive aura to dissipate... without harming the thing in the slightest.
Zhong Cai snorted coldly, took out another level eight puppet, and sent it over to take a look.
The puppet swiftly disappeared and then returned.
The puppet's voice was muffled and devoid of any emotion as it stated directly, "It is a person who is unconscious."
Zhong Cai asked, "What realm?"
The puppet replied, "Four levels of consecration."
Zhong Cai curled her lip. Another one who's accumulated foundation at the fourth level of enlightenment? So even cultivators from top-tier continents get stuck at this level?
He then asked, "What about the defense layers?"
The puppet replied, "Level six."
Zhong Cai snorted.
He had many guesses in his mind. For example, the opponent's defense was so much higher than his own level, so he must not be an ordinary person. But the life-saving defense was only level six, so it wouldn't pose any danger to him.
So Zhong Cai ordered, "Bring the people back. Kill all the sea monsters."
The puppet naturally complied.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the puppet had slaughtered all the sea beasts and collected their corpses, and returned carrying the unconscious person.
Zhong Cai glanced to the side and said, "Just leave it there."
The puppet walked over and put the person down.
The man lay sprawled on the deck, about two zhang away from Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai didn't seem inclined to acknowledge the other party.
Old Wu isn't here... He seems uninterested in anything anymore.
·
Duan Xingchen gradually regained consciousness, but his mind was still foggy.
His heart was filled with boundless rage, and he wished he could kill the adulterous couple!
How dare they harm him like this!
Those two bastards!
Before Duan Xingchen fully lost consciousness, he knew he had been thrown into the sea using a random teleportation talisman, making it impossible for those trying to rescue him to determine his location. The sea was fraught with danger, and even with his protective gear, he couldn't withstand the attacks of too many sea beasts!
He will most likely be killed by sea monsters!
The adulterous couple, on the other hand, can escape punishment... They can have many excuses to escape their guilt.
Duan Xingchen was very unwilling.
Subconsciously, he kept trying to awaken himself.
As long as he wakes up, and as long as the protective shield hasn't completely broken, he might... he might be able to find a way to escape.
·
Through these efforts, Duan Xingchen's will was indeed gradually recovering.
Slowly, countless struggles appeared on his face, and finally at some point—he came to his senses!
Duan Xingchen suddenly opened his eyes!
At that moment, he was filled with vigilance, quickly looked around, and struggled to get up!
However, Duan Xingchen discovered that a terrifying aura was suppressing him, making it impossible for him to turn the tables, let alone make any moves.
Duan Xingchen was also wary and worried.
What's going on now? Where is he?
At that very moment, a lazy voice rang out from the side.
"How much are you going to reward me for saving your life?"
Duan Xingchen was taken aback, but he wasn't stupid. Many guesses flashed through his mind, and his instincts immediately led him to reply, "I am willing to give up all the Xuan Pearls and Xuan Stones I have."
After he finished speaking, he looked in the direction from which the sound came.
Not too far away, a boy was sitting cross-legged.
The boy lazily basked in the sunlight, the pale golden glow giving him a bright and radiant glow. As the breeze blew, his hair swayed gently, carrying a touch of liveliness.
This is a very handsome and lively young man!
Although he doesn't possess the kind of beauty that immediately takes your breath away, he still has an exceptionally handsome face. Coupled with his unique charisma, he gives off a very lively... and very approachable vibe.
When Duan Xingchen saw the other person clearly, he couldn't help but be a little stunned again.
Of course, he quickly regained his vigilance—after all, this was a strange young man, and no matter how handsome or approachable he was, he couldn't let his guard down easily.
Then, Duan Xingchen heard the other person speak again.
"Stop with the empty talk, bring out the Mystic Pearl and Mystic Stone first, then we can talk about other things."
Duan Xingchen: "..."
He wanted to be more cautious, but for some reason, because of the other person's casual attitude, he couldn't be more wary.
Duan Xingchen had no choice but to try his best to restrain himself and obediently rummage through all his mustard seed storage containers.
He truly didn't hide anything; in front of the boy, he took out all the Xuan Pearls and Xuan Stones and piled them up together.
Then, Duan Xingchen cautiously looked at the boy.
He noticed that the boy merely glanced at the mystic pearls and stones, showing no greed or any sense of importance whatsoever... as if these things were truly ordinary.
Fortunately, the boy didn't show any disgust, which prevented Duan Xingchen from feeling too embarrassed.
Duan Xingchen paused for a moment, then cautiously asked, "May I ask... was it you who saved me?"
The boy looked over with a hint of disdain.
"What do you think? Are you blind?"
Duan Xingchen: "..."
The person who saved my life seems to have a rather bad temper.
The feeling he gives off doesn't quite match his temperament.
It seems like... a lot of anxiety.
·
Zhong Cai was naturally anxious; he was anxious the whole time and never stopped!
He still hasn't found Lao Wu!
The guy he rescued remained unconscious for more than a day!
If this guy doesn't wake up soon, Zhong Cai is thinking of throwing him into the sea so that sea monsters can bite him a couple of times and see if he can wake up from the pain.
Even if he's missing an arm or a leg, as long as he has money, we can just feed him a few pills!
Fortunately, before Zhong Cai's patience ran out, the guy finally woke up.
·
Zhong Cai casually put away the mysterious pearls and stones, and quickly made an analysis in his mind.
There are nearly 100,000 Xuanzhu and more than 1,000 low-grade Xuan stones. For a cultivator who has awakened his enlightenment, this is quite a lot.
His wealth far exceeded his social standing, which matched his previous guesses about the other party's identity.
However, in Zhong Cai's eyes, these were really just small change.
Zhong Cai simply didn't want to save people for nothing, and was too lazy to argue, so she asked for a fee right away.
Even if there are fewer mysterious stones and pearls, every little bit helps!
·
The person had woken up and seemed to be behaving himself. Although Zhong Cai's attitude was rather indifferent, he no longer intended to throw the person back into the sea.
Zhong Cai asked, "I have a few questions for you now."
Duan Xingchen was feeling a bit awkward, but when the other party raised a question, he quickly said, "Please speak, sir."
Zhong Cai then asked, "Where is this?"
Duan Xingchen was taken aback and guessed, "Were you also accidentally thrown into the sea?"
Zhong Cai was too lazy to explain and didn't say much.
Duan Xingchen glanced at his expression and, seeing that he didn't want to answer, didn't press him further. Instead, he answered the question directly.
"This is the Azure Sea, a vast expanse with countless islands... As for its exact location, I need to use the Sea-Stabilizing Plate to investigate."
Zhong Cai then looked at Duan Xingchen and asked, "The Dinghai Plate?"
Duan Xingchen immediately said, "The Dinghai Plate is a specialty of many islands in the Azure Sea, but very few people can possess it."
Zhong Cai understood the meaning behind it and looked at Duan Xingchen.
Duan Xingchen felt a little embarrassed, but he tried to suppress it and continued to explain, "I am the young master of White Fish Island, my father is the island master, and both my father and I have the Sea-Stabilizing Plate..."
Then, he explained what the Dinghai Pan was.
In short, it is a combination of a nautical compass and a map, a small, brightly colored hill.
Once this sea-stabilizing disc is activated, one can see the location of many islands, one's own location, and so on.
Zhong Cai finally showed some interest.
With the Dinghai Pan (a type of ancient Chinese compass), he could finally know how far he was from the mainland!
Zhong Cai said, "Let's take it out and have a look."
Duan Xingchen dared not delay and immediately took out something that looked like a compass, and quickly poured his profound energy into it to activate it.
The next moment, a phantom image appeared in front of him.
It is indeed a map.
Zhong Cai looked over and saw it clearly at a glance.
This map was similar to the one he received from his master; both were very rudimentary.
The sea and islands are only outlines.
However, there are still quite a few routes between the islands and the sea.
A portion of this phantom image was glowing red—clearly indicating where the two were currently located.
·
Duan Xingchen looked at the illusory figure, and after his gaze settled on a certain spot, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Then, he pointed to that spot and said, "This is my White Fish Island."
Zhong Cai looked over.
The sign for Shirayu Island is located slightly below the area indicated by the red light.
Judging from the shadowy image on the map, the distance doesn't seem too far, but it's definitely over a hundred miles.
Zhong Cai pondered for a moment.
The route seemed to be consistent with the direction the arrow on the mirror pointed.
Old Wu... is it possible that he landed directly on White Fish Island, or on other islands along this route?
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