Eternal Tale

“Greetings, senior.” Yu Chen bowed deeply from a distance, his expression filled with an unprecedented sense of seriousness.

The old man in green robes tightly gripped a message talisman in his hand. The situation was developing in unpredictable ways, and he needed to prepare a backup plan.

“Fifth brother…” Yu Yiwei hesitated, her face showing indecision as if she had realized why Yu Chen was willing to take such a huge risk.

“If you come with sincerity, you may board the ship.”

Xiao Chi stepped forward, looking down at the fleet on the sea below, his tone cold. “But you must come alone.”

After roaming the Forbidden Sea with his two elder brothers for over a hundred years, Xiao Chi was no longer the timid Flameglow Ancient Lion he once was. This person was merely a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, and as a Flameglow Ancient Lion, he had nothing to fear!

Brother Ox let out a low “moo,” and the ship’s formation emitted a faint light, signaling that they were ready to leave at any moment.

As soon as Xiao Chi finished speaking, everyone on the fleet grew tense, and all eyes turned to Yu Chen. The mysterious beings aboard the ship did not seem hostile, but stepping onto their vessel meant being at their mercy.

The old man in green robes whispered urgently, “Young master, this is unwise. We should—”

“Very well! Since the seniors are willing, I, Yu Chen, will board alone!” Yu Chen’s eyes burned with determination as he looked at the dark sea and began walking towards the giant ship, step by steady step.

The old man in green robes’ pupils contracted, and he was about to follow when a slender, white hand stopped him. He turned to see it was the seventh lady, Yu Yiwei, silently shaking her head.

*Pop! Pop!*

Suddenly, a cloud of purple mist rose from the sea, floating between the giant ship and the fleet, blocking Yu Chen’s path.

Without a trace of fear in his eyes, Yu Chen summoned a long blade from his storage ring, its surface lined with dark veins. It was none other than an Extinguishing Spirit weapon.

His magical energy surged, and his divine sense flowed into the blade. The sea rippled, and in an instant, the blade flashed like lightning, cutting through the rising purple mist.

With a sharp crack, the purple mist dissipated as the blade spun effortlessly in Yu Chen’s hand, slicing through the remnant war spirit hovering in the Forbidden Sea.

The wind howled, whipping up waves several meters high as the icy aura of death filled the air. Yu Chen’s Extinguishing Spirit energy shattered the mist, and though his body trembled and blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, he immediately vaporized it and continued towards the giant ship.

Everyone on the fleet watched in silent concern.

“As expected of a descendant of an ancient family—strength and courage in equal measure,” Chen Xun commented as he closed the book in his hand, storing it back in his storage ring. He stepped onto the deck, gazing out at the sea. “If Senior Brother Ji had been born in Da Li, he would’ve been no worse than these cultivators.” ṝáΝŏ𝐛È𝙨

His gaze grew sharp, and with a flash, he appeared at the prow of the ship.

“Moo~”

“Big Brother.”

Brother Ox and Xiao Chi called out in unison, their spirits lifting as if they had found their anchor.

“Greetings, esteemed seniors,” Yu Chen called from the air, bowing his head as he neared the ship. Just a moment ago, he had caught a glimpse of the trio, realizing they were dressed like common bandits. He suddenly felt uncertain, racking his brain to recall which faction used such attire.

“Come aboard for a talk, young friend,” Chen Xun said with a smile, turning and walking back into the ship. The lookout tower at the bow was a perfect spot for discussions.

Brother Ox followed behind Chen Xun, while Xiao Chi remained at the prow, keeping a wary eye on the cultivators below. If anything went wrong, he would immediately flee to report back to Chen Xun and Brother Ox.

Inside the lookout tower.

Yu Chen sat across from Chen Xun, Brother Ox lying outside the door with his divine sense focused on the five-element formation flags.

Yu Chen’s breathing was a bit uneven. The pressure from this senior’s headgear was immense, and there was something unsettling about that mystical tree. It felt as though something was constantly watching him.

The ship’s materials were unlike anything he had seen before, not even in the Yu family’s vast collection. It bore some resemblance to the ancient warships found in the Forbidden Sea, but was clearly different in many ways.

These three individuals were far too mysterious, not resembling any known beings from Da Li or the Forbidden Sea.

“Senior, I am Yu Chen,” Yu Chen said, sitting upright and with a calm demeanor. He had none of the arrogance typical of those from ancient families and instead showed great respect. “I wish to discuss a transaction with you.”

His expression remained neutral, calm but composed, revealing no eagerness.

Chen Xun couldn’t read much from his expression, but his curiosity was piqued. “It’s not just about the Abyss Carp, is it?”

“Seniors, anyone capable of traversing the Forbidden Sea freely must possess many rare materials and ores from outside the world.”

“Hmm, you’ve got a good eye.”

“What else do you need, besides the teleportation array diagram, Senior?” Yu Chen asked.

“Body refining techniques and the cultivation method for the later levels of the Water Spirit Technique,” Chen Xun said casually, sipping his tea. “The more body refining techniques, the better. Don’t bother with demonic techniques—they’re too boring, too much killing.”

Yu Chen’s eyelid twitched. He couldn’t sense any magical energy or divine sense fluctuations from this man in front of him, yet he had no idea how that black light had sliced through the air earlier.

“Senior, the Water Spirit Technique only has five layers in Da Li, but no one has been able to cultivate it fully.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“The Water Spirit Technique requires an extremely high level of mind and divine sense, beyond even the limits of a Nascent Soul cultivator. This technique… isn’t from this world.”

“Hmm, but that doesn’t seem to affect our deal,” Chen Xun replied, his tone still as calm as ever. “Or is the Abyss Carp not valuable enough for the exchange?”

“To be honest, Senior, the fifth layer of the Water Spirit Technique is considered forbidden in Da Li and no longer circulates among cultivators,” Yu Chen said, his brow furrowing as he recalled ancient legends. “It is said to harm the natural order, forcibly maturing spiritual herbs. Those who cultivate it to the fourth layer live no more than a thousand years.”

“Is that so?”

“Senior, are you aware that in ancient times, Da Li was not ruled by just the three major cultivator families?”

“I’ve heard a bit.”

Chen Xun nodded. He had come across some information from the belongings of fallen Forbidden Sea cultivators. Da Li once had four ancient cultivator families, and the fallen one was none other than the Ji family.

Now only three families remained—Jiang, Yu, and Yao. The origins of these families, and their ancient sects, were shrouded in mystery. Even the families themselves no longer knew how they came to bear the title “ancient.”

“Senior, the Ji family was once incredibly powerful, Da Li’s true number one cultivator family. But they attempted to master the Water Spirit Technique, hoping to defy the heavens and change their fate…”

“Defy what heavens? Change what fate?”

“I don’t know,” Yu Chen replied, his face clouded with regret. “But Senior, the Water Spirit Technique is best left untouched.”

In just a few words, Yu Chen had achieved his goal. This man likely wasn’t from Da Li, which meant Yu Chen’s plans had just become a bit more feasible.

“No matter,” Chen Xun said, his tone filled with intrigue. “I’ll just take a look. I won’t practice it.”

Chen Xun’s thoughts drifted. A cultivation technique capable of maturing spiritual herbs—it was indeed a bit rebellious against the natural order. If someone could fully control it, they could nurture countless powerful cultivators. But it also went against the laws of the universe, bound to invite backlash.

Whoever created this technique… could they have been struck down by the heavens themselves? Chen Xun chuckled at the thought, finding some dark amusement in it. After all, he wasn’t exactly a saint himself.

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