Chapter 242 Arrival at Chongfeng Domain
Duan Xingchen quickly put the matter out of his mind again.
He smiled and said to Commander Li, "Uncle Li, thank you for your hard work, other uncles. I'll definitely treat them to drinks when I get back!"
Commander Li laughed and said, "That'll have to wait until they're not on duty." He then asked with a smile, "I'm here to deliver this message, is there a share for me?"
Duan Xingchen readily replied, "Of course! Uncle Li can't be missing anyone!"
Commander Li smiled again: "Then I'll be waiting." He then asked, "Does the young island lord have any messages for the island lord?"
Duan Xingchen thought for a moment and then shook his head.
Commander Li then left.
Duan Xingchen continued to lean on the railing, glancing at Zhong Cai every now and then, just like before.
At that moment, he saw Zhong Cai glance back at the cabin, and the next instant, the bow of the ship suddenly turned around.
This wasn't the first time this had happened. Duan Xingchen still didn't understand how Zhong Cai had determined the ship's trajectory, but it was probably because the couple had some kind of secret method...
Anyway, all he needs to do now is cooperate.
·
The journey by boat was not always smooth.
The seas are extremely dangerous; every short distance the ship travels, it is attacked by sea monsters.
This treasure ship was no exception.
Countless sea monsters blocked the road ahead...
Logically speaking, Duan Xingchen shouldn't have dared to lean against it so casually—after all, if the sea monster leaped up and charged, it could very well bite off Duan Xingchen's head!
However, not only did Duan Xingchen do this, but none of the armored soldiers who accompanied him stopped him.
The reason... is just like now.
·
On the sea, huge waves suddenly rose up, and the seawater surged up to form a very high sea wall.
A giant sea monster rode the waves, revealing its enormous head, while its long tail remained hidden in the water, rapidly churning and creating even more terrifying whirlpools.
Within the whirlpools and sea walls, other sea creatures of different sizes were driven by this giant sea beast, emitting sharp howls.
Giant waves, along with sea monsters, crashed down like mountains!
It seemed that at this very moment, the waves would capsize the treasure ship, and the sea monsters would surge in and launch attacks on the treasure ship and its passengers!
However, although the giant wave did indeed crash down like a huge bowl, and the sea monster's attack was undeniably fierce, the giant wave didn't even have time to capsize the treasure ship before it was blocked by an invisible defensive shield.
The giant waves crashed against the defensive shield, dispersing in all directions, dissipating all their force, and then flowing back into the sea—during this time, let alone capsizing the treasure ship, it couldn't even cause the slightest tremor to the hull! The ship, constantly enduring the impact of the waves, remained as stable as a rock, completely still.
The sea monsters... crashed directly into it, and then, as if drawn in by an invisible force, they all hung on the defensive shield.
The defensive shield burst forth with thousands of golden rays.
All the golden light pierced through the sea monsters' bodies, slaughtering them all!
Crimson blood gushed down the corpses of the sea creatures, about to sink into the sea—but it did not.
In that instant, several huge grooves emerged from the hull, spreading out to catch all the blood of these sea beasts—even the corpses of the sea beasts that had fallen naturally landed in the grooves.
In an instant, the groove retracted.
The giant waves and sea monsters seemed to have never been there; everything was calm.
All the sea creatures had already turned into a resource before they even got close to the ship.
·
Although Duan Xingchen was a young island lord, he had never seen such a magnificent sight up close before.
All the sea creatures were slaughtered right before his eyes.
He could see the closest part of the head, even its entire shape and every detail, clearly with his naked eye!
And those sea creatures...
Many of them are sixth or seventh order.
When Duan Xingchen first saw this scene, he was actually quite frightened, because his father was only at the sixth level, yet he watched helplessly as four sixth-level Crimson Scale Sharks died together in the golden light!
He didn't know many sea creatures he had never seen before, but he remembered very clearly that his father had gone through great lengths to hunt down a red-scaled shark, and had stripped it of its scales to make a set of protective armor for his mother as a birthday gift, even injuring himself in the process.
Although his father's strength has now reached the peak of the sixth level, it is still difficult for him to deal with two Redscaled Sharks at the same time—at least, he would have to pay some price.
But this treasure ship was easily dealt with using only its own defensive measures.
That's a bit outrageous.
However, after seeing it many times, Duan Xingchen got used to it.
He would inevitably do some mental calculations... For example, among those sea beasts before, there were three sixth-tier ones, one seventh-tier one, at least a dozen fifth-tier ones, and several dozen below the fifth tier.
This is a group of people delivering vegetables!
Even a rough estimate would put it at tens of thousands of mid-grade Xuan stones.
Duan Xingchen sighed softly.
They have a fleet of ships on White Fish Island and often go hunting at sea, but even if they go for several months to fight to the death, it is not as good as the "passive hunting" of this treasure ship.
This treasure ship must be of grade eight, right?
Duan Xingchen sighed, then pondered how much he could earn each time, including all the previous sea monster attacks, and how much he could earn in total.
He wasn't greedy for his benefactor's earnings; he simply had nothing else to do.
So he not only calculated the accounts every time, but after he finished, he also pondered in his mind many times what those sea monsters were called, what their uses were, and which part of their meat was the most delicious.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the side.
How many more islands are there in this direction?
Duan Xingchen was taken aback, then realized that the question was directed at him, and quickly took out the Dinghai Plate to examine the route on it.
After a quick scan, he replied, "There are only three islands left."
Zhong Cai touched the mirror and asked again, "How far is it from the coast?"
Duan Xingchen quickly calculated and replied again, "At the current ship speed, it will take about seven days."
Zhong Cai turned her head and continued to look at the sea.
I hope Lao Wu is on some island.
If Lao Wu were on the mainland, he would be even harder to find.
Seeing that Zhong Cai didn't ask any more questions, Duan Xingchen remained silent.
His trip with his benefactor might last for who knows how long... but that doesn't matter, since he enjoys traveling anyway.
However, the benefactor didn't seem to know much about the sea area and was unfamiliar with the nearby land.
...It doesn't matter.
Duan Xingchen didn't intend to get to the bottom of it. He just thought that although he didn't go to the mainland often, he still knew the general situation of the nearby land and could act as a guide.
He didn't know anything beyond that... but there were many of them, making it easier for them to find out.
This applies to news about benefactors and companions, as well as to the situation in nearby places.
·
Wu Shaogan was still not on the remaining three islands.
After sensing the last island, Zhong Cai sighed silently. When she stroked the portrait, she accidentally used a little too much force, as if she had "disfigured" her old man.
He quickly withdrew his hand and then tenderly touched "Old Wu's" face.
Zhong Cai then took out the mirror.
The rough arrow on the mirror pointed steadfastly forward.
Alright, Old Wu really is on land.
Zhong Cai felt helpless, as if the entire top continent was targeting him!
It's been almost half a month, and he still hasn't seen Lao Wu. That's too much!
We're still several days' journey from the coast...
This is so annoying!
·
Zhong Cai remained silent for a while before finally speaking again.
Tell me about this coastline.
Duan Xingchen had rehearsed the speech in his mind many times, so he could deliver it smoothly now.
"The Azure Sea is one of the seas that connects multiple counties and regions. However, the higher the level of the islands, the closer they are to the center of the sea. The closer they are to the shore, the weaker they become."
“Our Baiyu Island, being a medium-sized island, is already relatively close to the coast.”
"Based on the current direction, once we reach the coast, we should be in the Chongfeng Domain."
Zhong Cai nodded slightly, signaling to continue.
Duan Xingchen said, "Chongfeng Domain is a small domain..."
While introducing the situation near the coast, he would also inadvertently bring up some common knowledge about the top continents.
·
The geographical layout of the top continent is somewhat different from that of the Flying Star Continent.
The entire continent is called: Central Continent.
The continent is further divided into many landmasses, each of which is called a "continent".
Every continent has a part that is adjacent to the sea.
Of course, the adjacent areas are not necessarily the same sea area—the Azure Sea itself is not even the largest sea area.
The size of the continent varies, and there are no strict requirements regarding the level of the strong.
Each continent may be divided into "counties" and "territories", or it may only have "territories".
Regardless of the prefecture, there are many cities, counties, towns, villages, etc. - which is similar to the Flying Star Continent - including the area, population, and range of the strongest people that different towns can accommodate, etc., the standards are basically the same.
"Domain" refers to a territory, which includes large, medium and small areas of varying sizes, and is not occupied by any "single, all-powerful being".
Sometimes a single powerful individual can develop a vast family within a territory, some even establishing an entire dynasty, and sometimes several powerful forces coexist within the same territory...
These powerful individuals and forces differ in strength and the size of their territories, thus creating different "domains."
Prefectures, on the other hand, are often areas occupied by "single cultivators who have attained supreme power."
At this moment, that powerful figure would most likely be referred to as "Prince".
If that powerful figure happens to be a member of the imperial court, then his public title could be "Emperor So-and-so" or "Emperor So-and-so".
·
There are many forces in the Chongfeng Domain, but the largest is only at the seventh level.
The continent it is located on is only the Central Continent, which at most contains Nirvana Realm experts, and no Tongtian Realm experts have appeared there.
Although there are over a hundred Tongtian beings on this continent, they are still very rare when distributed across such a vast land.
Not only is this the case in Haiyue Continent, where Chongfeng Domain is located, but also in several other continents that are only central continents.
In fact, the concentration of the Qi of heaven and earth varies across continents, which is also closely related to the sea area. Over time, various environmental and airflow changes in the sea area will have corresponding effects.
However, the difference in the concentration of the Qi of Heaven and Earth in different places within the continent is related to the terrain, underground black stone veins, the amount of forests, and so on.
·
In Duan Xingchen's view, Zhong Cai was most likely a genius from a major region or county. He didn't know why he ended up here and was unexpectedly separated from his Daoist partner... It was very likely caused by the random teleportation.
Duan Xingchen's efforts to befriend Zhong Cai were undoubtedly motivated by greed for the potential benefits that might come from their friendship, in addition to the life-saving grace. And this benefit was largely due to his mother.
In his opinion, his father really couldn't get his hands on the life-extending treasure, and this young master Zhong might not have it either, but the other party definitely had more channels and might be able to introduce him to some connections to exchange for such treasures?
Even if there is only a sliver of hope, Duan Xingchen will do everything in his power.
Therefore, Duan Xingchen spares no effort when given the opportunity to help.
Now his introductions are extremely detailed, and he tells us everything he knows in great detail.
·
Zhong Cai learned a lot from Duan Xingchen's introduction.
He could naturally tell that Duan Xingchen had something in mind... but he had no interest in getting involved until he found Lao Wu.
Duan Xingchen was also very astute, seemingly aware of this, so he didn't mention anything at all.
Judging from his demeanor, he seems prepared to stay by Zhong Cai's side and accompany him in his search for a Daoist partner.
·
Gradually, they got closer and closer to the Chongfeng Domain.
The sea was calmer, and even the number of sea monsters that attacked was decreasing.
The danger in the sea area seems to have decreased a lot.
Zhong Cai gradually encountered some boats of various sizes—very few boats went out to sea for leisure; most were teams of cultivators hunting together.
Often, Zhong Cai could see fishing boats dragging the carcasses of sea monsters, using the seawater for leverage, and constantly heading towards the shore.
During this period, many ships also discovered this huge treasure ship and so many valiant armored soldiers.
Almost none of the ships approached; once they spotted the treasure ship from a distance, they would immediately turn around to avoid colliding with it and causing any trouble.
Zhong Cai ignored all of this.
He just looked in the mirror again.
It can now be confirmed that the nearest land, as indicated by the arrow, is the Chongfeng Domain.
·
These days, whenever Duan Xingchen thinks of something he hasn't mentioned, he promptly adds it to Zhong Cai's mind.
Zhong Cai wasn't listening very attentively, but she didn't miss any of the news.
After a while...
In the distance, the coastline was already beginning to take shape.
The treasure ship increased its speed slightly.
Before long, they finally reached the shore.
Zhong Cai stood on the deck and quietly looked ahead.
The concentration of the Qi of Heaven and Earth was slightly higher than that of the sea area he had passed through before, but it was still not as high as the place where he first landed. If he went deeper into the sea from that area, there should be more large islands.
Zhong Cai looked in the mirror again.
The arrow on the mirror slowly turned in one direction.
Zhong Cai was taken aback, then overjoyed.
The arrow originally pointed in the direction of Chongfeng Domain, but it changed direction again when it reached Chongfeng Domain. Does this mean that Lao Wu is currently in Chongfeng Domain?
Otherwise, if Lao Wu is in another region, then the course will need to be changed at sea, eventually anchoring on the coast of that region. If Lao Wu is in a region further ahead of Chongfeng Region, then the arrow will not change—guidance will only be given after Zhong Cai has passed through Chongfeng Region.
·
Zhong Cai's aura became a little more cheerful, which Duan Xingchen noticed instantly.
Duan Xingchen's heart skipped a beat—could it be that there was news about Young Master Wu?
He still didn't ask any more questions, but simply gave a wink to the commanders around him, ready to follow orders at any time.
As expected, Zhong Cai took a deep breath, turned to Duan Xingchen and said, "You know the people on White Fish Island better, so go and make the arrangements. My Dao Companion is in Chongfeng Domain..." He paused, "It should go smoothly, but just in case, we need their contact information."
Duan Xingchen was prepared and said with a smile, "The commanders have a way to communicate with each other, so they won't get lost. If I go with Young Master Zhong, the commanders can also find me."
Zhong Cai nodded, seemingly satisfied, and politely said, "Thank you for your trouble."
He thought for a moment and pointed southeast.
"The young cadre should be over there, but I don't know how far away he is, or which town he is in."
Duan Xingchen looked in that direction and pondered, "Going this way, there seems to be a level three city, many level four and five cities, and countless counties, towns, and villages along the way. That's the route. The commanders' uncles are faster on foot, so they should go ahead and inquire about each one first."
He smiled and said to Zhong Cai, "Young Master Zhong needs manpower, isn't it because you're worried about making mistakes or missing people on the way? Why don't you and I slow down and let the commanders and uncles go look for them, and then we can bring them over directly?"
Zhong Cai pondered, "Let's keep one commander. It will be easier to communicate if the situation changes."
Duan Xingchen readily agreed, saying directly, "Then let Uncle Li come with us."
Commander Li, standing to the side, responded in a deep voice, "Yes."
And so it was settled.
The numerous commanders acted efficiently, quickly retrieving their flying artifacts, demonstrating that they were fully equipped.
They led a large number of armored soldiers, boarded their magical artifacts, and flew together towards the southeast... at top speed.
Even Commander Li's subordinates were all escorted away by the fusion team leaders using Commander Li's flying artifacts.
In the blink of an eye, they all disappeared.
·
Zhong Cai summoned Qinghui.
Commander Li also summoned a giant wolf, but it had brown fur. He carried Duan Xingchen and followed behind Qinghui, traveling together.
Qinghui wasn't moving fast; he was simply following the same route.
Gradually, they approached some cities.
·
The leaders of each department are very efficient in their work.
After driving for quite a while, we came across several larger towns.
The fusion team leaders under Commander Li came down one after another, carrying portraits, and split up to go to those towns to find people.
The other commanders continued forward.
Sure enough, several larger cities were discovered, along with mountains blocking the way and the territories of various sects...
Both involved careful investigation.
·
Slender Monkey City.
Commander Hu led a group of armored soldiers into the city gate, which attracted the attention of some cultivators.
Local forces took it very seriously, especially since Commander Hu was a very high-ranking official, so they sent people to inquire about it.
Commander Hu's intention was to find someone, not to cause trouble, so he didn't hide anything and directly told the other party that he was there to help the young island master's friend find someone, and even provided several identical portraits.
The elders from several sects happened to arrive, and they all looked at the portrait.
He is a very outstanding young man, but I don't know him.
Other disciples accompanied these elders. These elders, who rarely left their homes, simply showed the portrait to the disciples.
After these disciples saw it...
"I don't know him."
I've never seen it before.
"It seems... somewhat familiar?"
At that moment, many eyes turned to the disciple who said he looked "familiar".
The disciple was a little embarrassed. After looking at it several more times, he quickly said, "It does look familiar, and the more I look at it, the more similar it seems, but..." He said hesitantly, "the feeling it gives is very different."
As he spoke, in order to enhance his credibility, he also called over several of his disciples and asked them to come and see for themselves.
“Take a look, doesn’t this look just like him?” the disciple reminded him. “He’s the one who was waiting for someone on the beach a few days ago, and who even saved someone from our Crimson Wind Sect… the one that Senior Brother Zhou always mentions with gratitude?”
The others, all disciples of the Crimson Wind Sect, also looked at the portrait upon hearing this.
However, none of them had actually observed the person in the rumors. They had occasionally gone to the beach to look at him, but they had only seen him from afar and had not been able to see what he looked like at all—nor did they dare to look at him for long.
However, the elders of the Crimson Wind Sect remembered the young genius they had heard of. After greeting Commander Hu, they instructed their disciples to summon Zhou Yuxiao.
The elders from other sects simply waited as well.
A short while later, Zhou Yuxiao arrived.
He learned about this from his fellow students on the way, and upon arriving, he quickly began to examine the painting.
Then……
At first glance, it really looks unfamiliar.
However, unlike those who only heard rumors and dared not look closely, he had faced it head-on.
At this moment, Zhou Yuxiao observed even more carefully.
His facial features and body shape were exactly the same; what truly misled people was his smile... The senior who saved his life had never smiled.
Moreover, not only did he not smile, but his eyes also seemed to see nothing but the statue—those empty, emotionless eyes bore absolutely no resemblance to these gentle eyes.
Zhou Yuxiao hesitated and said, "Their appearances are similar, but... could it be that people can look alike?"
Commander Hu was puzzled when he heard this: "Young friend, what do you mean by that?"
Zhou Yuxiao did not hide anything and honestly told him all about her hesitation.
Everyone: "..."
That does seem a bit uncertain.
Commander Hu pondered and said, "To be honest, this portrait depicts the Daoist partner of the young island lord's benefactor."
Upon hearing this, a sudden inspiration flashed through Zhou Yuxiao's mind, and she immediately asked, "I wonder what the person searching for looks like?"
Commander Hu asked, "Why do you ask this, young friend?"
Zhou Yuxiao hesitated before saying, "When I was rescued by you, senior, I saw you carving a human figure in your hand. Perhaps... it might be your Daoist partner?"
Commander Hu immediately understood. Looking at the painting in his hand, he realized that the young master Zhong had painted many of them. Considering what this young friend Zhou had said about someone who loved sculpting portraits, there seemed to be a certain similarity.
He stated directly, "He is an extremely handsome young man."
Zhou Yuxiao murmured, "That statue also seems to be a young man..."
So, does the current situation mean that it matches up?
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