NOVPUBHai’an School charged a hefty fee, while the Rogue Cultivators were vying for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to defy the heavens and change their fates.
However, the time the Path of North Sea was open was limited. A month had already passed, and the delayed arrival of the ship had them growing increasingly anxious.
On this day.
Suddenly, a cloud of auspiciousness flew in from afar.
Above this cloud were the sounds of divine chanting, with radiant light filling the sky, as if it was an immortal palace on earth.
However, the figure on top was enveloped by rising Demonic Flame, his aura as profound as the Abyss, making no attempt to conceal it.
The mere sight was enough to make the Cultivators feel as if their Souls were on the verge of being swallowed up.
"It’s an Upper Realm cultivator from the Holy Sect!"
The local Rogue Cultivators of Guangling State were familiar with this aura and immediately tensed up.
Although the primitive Holy Sect didn’t go as far as to slaughter these Rogue Cultivators on sight, they naturally felt an extreme sense of insecurity in front of these mercurial Upper Realm cultivators.
And in the blink of an eye, the auspicious cloud had already stopped above the port.
Some Golden Core Craftsmen noticed that there were four palaces hidden within the auspicious cloud, each inscribed with the characters ’Yan,’ ’Bian,’ ’Gong,’ and ’Shen.’
The only odd thing was that the palace marked with ’Shen’ seemed to be intentionally distancing itself from the other three palaces.
As if it was being ostracized.
"Hmm?"
Within the four palaces, inside the one marked ’Yan,’ suddenly came a voice that sounded somewhat surprised:
"Oh, is Immortal Master Ying He going to set sail as well?"
By the exquisite immortal cave near the port, although Ying He didn’t show himself, a slightly aloof voice came from within the cave:
"It turns out to be the four holy children. Are you heading to Northsea Continent?"
Both sides knew each other’s identities and began to exchange pleasantries from across their respective palaces and immortal cave.
Just like old friends.
However, the Golden Core Craftsmen, such as the old man, could vaguely sense that the holy children of the Holy Sect seemed to harbor some fear of Immortal Master Ying He.
"Northsea Continent?"
The voice from the Yan palace was slightly puzzled and then chuckled with a hint of a wry smile,
"No, that’s not it. A despicable person stole a treasure from my junior brother, and we’re planning to recover the item together."
"Who could possess such boldness?"
Ying He expressed some surprise.
"I’m not sure, but Junior Brother Bian was muddle-headed and fell into their trap..."
The voice from the Yan palace grew grave as it recounted the event.
As they were talking,
down below, a young Cultivator suddenly looked out towards the distant sea and excitedly said:
"The ship has arrived!"
The voice of the young Cultivator immediately drew everyone’s attention.
From within the Yan palace, a handsome young cultivator wearing a crown quickly stepped out.
From his high position, he surveyed the dark iron ship cutting through the foggy sea.
The ship was quite large and could just about carry all the many Cultivators waiting at the port.
Holy child Yan glanced at the exquisite immortal cave near the port and slightly raised his hand:
"Is Ying impatient to get to Northsea Continent?"
His eyes focused intently.
There was a brief silence within the cave, and soon Ying He’s voice came through again:
"There’s no rush. The people I’m waiting for have not yet arrived, holy child, please do as you wish."
Holy child Yan smiled faintly:
"If that’s the case, I and my three brothers must beg your pardon as we depart."
From the other three palaces, figures also emerged and paid their respects to the temporary immortal cave.
The ship reached the shore.
Holy child Yan was the first to fly down onto the ship.
The other holy children, along with their entourages and Protectors, followed suit.
"Let’s go to the Eye of North Sea!" a Nascent Soul Demon Cultivator commanded in a low voice.
The Cultivator piloting the ship was startled at first, but upon sensing Holy child Yan’s powerful aura, he dared not say more and quickly turned the ship around. 𝔫𝔬𝖛𝖕𝔲𝖇.𝖈𝖔𝖒
Onshore, some Rogue Cultivators finally reacted and called out in desperation:
"Holy child! Upper Realm cultivator! Take me with you! Take me with you! I want to go to Northsea Continent!"
Holy child Yan seemed not to hear, surrounded by his followers and Protectors, and walked straight into the cabin.
The other holy children also entered, chatting and laughing.
Only the last to follow hesitated in his steps for a moment but ultimately said nothing.
"Enough noise!"
A Nascent Soul Demon Cultivator on the side of the ship narrowed his eyes.
The very next moment, the Rogue Cultivator who had just been shouting burst into flames with a sound of ’whoosh.’
As he screamed, the Foundation Establishment Rogue Cultivator struggled towards the open sea, trying to use the waters of the North Sea to extinguish the fire on his body. However, within three breaths, the fleeing Cultivator turned into a handful of white ashes, quickly swept up and buried by the driving snow.
The ship headed silently towards the deep, foggy sea.
Leaving behind the portside Rogue Cultivators who dared not speak, frozen in place.
The opportunity to defy the heavens and change one’s fate, which only came once every forty-three years, had already passed a month, and now the only ship was forcefully commandeered by the holy children of the primitive Demonic Sect. Even if they made it to other ports, it was already too late.
Without a ship capable of crossing the North Sea, they were helpless.
This casual trampling of the opportunity by the holy children left a fire of nameless anger burning inside the gathered Rogue Cultivators, yet they dared not let it blaze forth.
They were frustrated, angry, and powerless…
Only from within the temporary immortal cave came a faint sigh.
Several days passed.
In that time, some Cultivators, out of despair, reluctantly left.
Others stood on the frozen shoreline day after day, gazing into the fog, wondering when a ship might appear.
Yet the Golden Core Craftsmen stayed put.
They knew all too well that the mysterious, yet immensely powerful Immortal Master Ying He, before whom even the holy children of the Demonic Sect appeared somewhat lesser, had not yet left; this meant there was still a chance.
They were also curious who it was that could make the likes of Immortal Master Ying He wait so patiently.
The skies were dull.
In this ordinary, overcast sky,
a Flying Boat appeared on the horizon.
As the Flying Boat made its appearance,
the doors of the exquisite temporary immortal cave were suddenly pushed open, and a figure in a pale purple robe strode out.
He then rose into midair and gave a solemn salute to the figure on the Flying Boat:
"Ying He greets the Chief Division Master!"
