Chapter 244

Chapter 244: New Jade Symbol Sect

“What on earth?”

“A giant head? No, it’s demonic flames, run!”

Demon cultivators are the hardest to deal with, whether on land or at sea. Their methods are not only devious but can also be disgustingly complex.

Run? Where to run?

The Yin-Yang Nine Heads opened their large mouths and howled out, spewing Blood Light—no, it’s more accurate to call it light pillars.

The deafening roars echoed back and forth, knocking these practitioners off balance and into the sea, causing them to wail in pain. Having used several Blood Mouth Spitting Talismans, the Nine-Yin Nine-Yang Flying Heads Ground Burial Great Array now possessed the remarkable ability to spew out attacks. The nine heads were not merely a separate entity but a killing formation.

Previously, the Hongmo Sect primarily hunted Condensed Essence and ordinary practitioners at the Bosa stage, which is why to this day, practitioners at various islands remained cautiously hidden.

Now, out at sea, one could hardly spot any Condensed Essence stage practitioners. This situation typically persisted for ten years, a tradition left behind by the Hongmo Sect’s efforts to establish their power over the years.

After waiting for quite some time, the Yin-Yang Nine Heads set up their formation. Li Hui secretly held onto the Primitive Shell Symbol, and upon seeing the absence of Condensed Essence stage practitioners, his eyes lit up, thinking, “Hey, this is good.”

He quickly activated the Ideal Body and shot forward at nine times the speed, the sea smooth as a road. He then launched an attack, commanding the Yin-Yang Nine Heads to follow behind and maintain formation. They charged through without encountering any resistance. With Ao Chongguang and Ao Chonglin assisting, by the time Chef Zhao and Huo Qiniang arrived, there was only a battlefield left to clean up.

“Behave yourselves and accept reorganization.”

“We are from Minghai Gate,” some resisted, only to be met with a thump to the back of their heads from the crew who sneered: “Do you think we don’t know what Minghai Gate is? Just a bunch of pirates! This ship beneath our feet came from Minghai Gate; quit your bluster!”

Out of fifty-eight ships, thirteen were scrapped, all thanks to Ao Chonglin’s impulsive collisions. The ironclad ship was severely damaged, and after prying open the hatch, the crew turned green with nausea.

This ironclad ship was powered by beasts pulling grinding mechanisms from inside, and now it was reduced to a pulp, with only a few survivors dug out.

Just as the battlefield was cleared, the ironclad ship “gurgled” and sank to the bottom of the sea. That’s another one gone.

This naval battle made Li Hui deeply aware of the rules of the sea: “survival of the fittest.” Although he gathered enough spiritual shells to reach Blue Moon Island, taking these ships would slow him down.

What to do? Li Hui slapped his thigh and decided that any crew members willing to go out on their own would receive a ship to trade at nearby islands; being their own boss was better than working for someone else.

For a man making a living on the sea, a ship was crucial.

Once this idea spread, most crew members were eager to “jump ship,” willing to become a first mate if not a captain. They could even form a fleet together; just imagine the pride of sailing home! Even though conditions on the Wave Breaking Cone were good, they still wished to take a ship out for their own ventures.

“Let’s give them some funds to start their journeys!” Li Hui waved his hand nonchalantly, giving Huo Qiniang a headache. She initially wanted to sell the ships at the nearby islands, but it seemed like the young master wasn’t willing to delay for even a moment.

“Alright, line up according to my rules. As long as you perform actively on the ship, it won’t be hard for you to take a ship out in the future,” Huo Qiniang addressed the captives, indicating that capable individuals would pass her test. Those mischievous troublemakers would be kicked out under the pretense of this opportunity.

When the Wave Breaking Cone set sail again, the crew had increased to over three hundred twenty. The veteran crew were no fools, being cautious while selecting their subordinates, opting for the younger and easier-to-manage types while staying away from the more unruly ones.

Unbeknownst to him, Li Hui had gained ten “experts” in the Concentrating Spirit stage under his command. He didn’t know how Huo Qiniang had done it, but she had managed to get them to comply, and the way they looked at Qiniang carried a hint of fear.

After the Concentrating Spirit stage practitioners settled in, Ao Chonglin began to whine for food even more fiercely, often crawling around the cabin. Only when Qiniang gently patted its big head and hummed a lullaby would it quiet down.

Li Hui remained steadfast, but with one difference: he was even more absorbed in his studies than before.

He didn’t know that Chef Zhao and Huo Qiniang were also diligently practicing. In recent days, they successfully activated the eighth Spirit Motion mark. Even though they couldn’t access the three lower tier marks, their low consumption and fast improvements made up for it. With this many crewmates on board, all contributing to selection and training, forty-five had already begun to perceive spiritual energy.

When Chef Zhao served food, he asked if some items in the miscellaneous supplies Li Hui had given him came from the Jade Symbol Sect disciples, as they contained complete talisman methods, wondering if the others could learn from them.

Li Hui was busy and casually waved his hand.

Now everyone on the ship had something to do, gathering daily to study the talisman methods and share their ideas.

It was only a few days before reaching Blue Moon Island when Li Hui felt a “buzz” resonate throughout his body; the Four Fortune Ascending Talismans reacted in unison.

“What’s going on?”

He then realized something remarkable was happening; in the depths of fate, the residual energy of the Jade Symbol Sect was suddenly surging.

Li Hui was astonished and left the cabin to approach the deck.

He saw Huo Qiniang walking back and forth with a whip, while the crew sat neatly at low tables, furiously scribbling away, producing nonsensical symbols with no merit. However, three individuals stood out among them, hinting at some remarkable phenomena.

One was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, dripping with sweat under the scorching sun, yet still focused intently on his grass paper. Despite showing no signs of cultivation, he pulled spiritual energy from the sea, channeling it toward the tip of his brush. Though he repeatedly fell short of success, his effort was commendable.

What a rare talent! This was a natural fit for crafting talismans—the Jade Symbol Seed.

The other two were equally unique, with Chef Zhao among them, struggling with his chubby hand gripping the brush as if wielding a kitchen knife, chopping the grass paper as if it were ingredients, creating a chaotic array of strokes that oddly formed meaningful shapes.

If the stout man could reach the Late Condensed Essence stage and gain spiritual sense, he could make great strides in talisman-making, even having the potential to create gorgeous medicinal dishes talismans, which could be directed toward future endeavors.

Li Hui turned to the third individual, a muscular man with thick arms.

His hands were steady, so steady that not a single muscle twitched under the intense sunlight. He crafted talismans firmly while exuding a wild energy.

According to the records, this man’s hands were known as “Beast Roar,” most suited for drawing attacking talismans, easily raising the success rate for creating them over eighty percent, even ninety percent.

Li Hui stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the sky, sighing, “Heaven won’t abandon the Jade Symbol Sect! Wherever I go, that’s the Jade Symbol Sect. I may not be the sect leader, but I shall surpass him. I must cultivate a batch of talented individuals for the Jade Symbol Sect.”

“Crack!” The scorching sun suddenly rumbled with thunder, startling the crew to look up at the sky.

“What does this mean?” Li Hui grew uneasy, “Is the Heavenly Thunder responding to an oath? I merely made a remark, and it’s all too prophetic. What’s going on with the Jade Symbol Sect? Could it be that the Dao Rhythm Residual Talisman has been restored to completeness and could still produce changes?”