Chapter 253

Chapter 253: The Largest Country in the Sea

The Wave Breaking Cone only stayed in the harbor for one night before swiftly setting sail the next day, cutting through the waves.

With more than half the crew gone, only three Concentrating Spirit stage cultivators remained. After counting heads, Huo Qiniang couldn’t help but feel upset: “Hmph! They are all ungrateful wolves. They felt the spiritual energy on the ship and didn’t show any gratitude, and took benefits without hesitation. Young Master is too soft-hearted.”

“Hahaha!” Chef Zhao laughed heartily beside her, “I knew it! Every time Hongmo Zhengfang took something from the boss, he ended up in trouble.”

Huo Qiniang’s eyes lit up as she whispered, “That’s right! Now that you mention it, anyone who took something from Young Master ends up unlucky.”

Thinking of this, Qiniang felt much better.

“You two!” Li Hui suddenly entered the dining hall, bemused, “Do you really think I’m that petty? I said I would distribute severance pay, yet you’re calculating and grabbing for luck. Wouldn’t that make me a backstabber?”

“Young Master!” The two quickly stood up.

“Each person has their own fate. It’s better to discard the dregs and keep the essence. Those who stay through thick and thin are trustworthy! Even if it costs more in severance pay to let the disloyal leave, I think it’s worth it.” Li Hui sat down, and Chef Zhao hurriedly brought food and fine wine.

Before Li Hui could pick up his chopsticks, Su Qing’er had already swept the table clear of food as if she hadn’t eaten in years.

“This girl sure is quick and silent when she arrives!”

“Haha! So this food on the ship is so delicious! Fatty, bring another table!” Su Qing’er tipped her head back and guzzled the wine, drinking it all down. Her face quickly flushed with rosy color as she drunkenly said, “Hehe, so many little stars!”

Oh no, the girl is drunk.

Li Hui waved and sent her into the Mysterious Water Pearl, feeling that Su Qing’er was quite special. She must possess some strong Dao body that allowed her to enter and exit the pearl freely.

Huo Qiniang brought out the account book: “Young Master, from Blue Moon Island to Aofeng Island, we made quite a profit. However, we didn’t stay long enough on Aofeng Island to sell many goods. We still need to acquire supplies and distribute severance pay. You also borrowed Five-Color Fortune Coins and high-grade Miao Jade from Longde Bank as consumables. Even with Aofeng Sect opening Tianyuan Street, we can only balance the income and expenses!”

“That’s still great! Let’s keep striving in the Grand Xuan Dynasty,” Li Hui nodded in agreement. “In just twenty days, we earned twenty-eight Five-Color Fortune Coins and three hundred pieces of high-grade Miao Jade. What more can we ask for? If it weren’t for the warning of bad luck, I wouldn’t want to return to the land; I’d prefer to cultivate for a few more years!”

After filling his stomach, Li Hui returned to his cabin.

He focused on consuming artifact fragments to raise the success rate for creating talismans while also studying overlapping hand seals, feeling a huge barrier above him. He sensed that breaking through this barrier would lead to a transformation.

“Five elements, wind and thunder, Yin-Yang, heaven and earth, spirit lure, vitality, poisons and disasters, seven emotions, six desires, and assistance!”

“Overlay, subtract, merge, and conflict!”

“Hm?” Li Hui felt a tremor in his hands and a sharp pain in his fingertips.

When he had stockpiled blood talismans on Wan Nest Island, he had obtained the empathic imprint of vitality attributes, and now it seemed many spirit-related empathic imprints were forming again. However, they crumbled in an instant and couldn’t consolidate.

Closing his eyes and quietly feeling, Li Hui felt excited, “Great! As long as I can consolidate the empathic imprints, the success rate for all talismans can increase by at least ten percent. Hahaha, there’s always a way out; I never expected the hand seal research would bring such benefits!”

With this conclusion, he dedicated himself even more, willing to expend extra spiritual energy to maintain the Reverse Scale pattern. He gained an eighteen-fold time flow rate, frantically studying hand seals and creating talismans, leaving all ship affairs to Huo Qiniang.

Since Su Qing’er had that drink, she became addicted to the tipsy feeling, trying to sneak more drinks every couple of days, only to get discovered and send Chef Zhao fleeing with his hands on his head from anger.

With her excitement, the crew had no peace; they regretted not taking their severance pay and leaving. They felt like they brought suffering upon themselves and wished they could jump into the sea.

Su Qing’er could mess with anyone on the ship, but she intentionally avoided Long Yun. Chef Zhao, feeling aggrieved, thought that being rich was nice.

The speed of the Wave Breaking Cone improved again, stopping only once at an interim island, and in just over a month, they completed the long maritime journey. At this point, Aofeng Sect hadn’t sent any names or images of those attending the Xuantian Road festivities.

As they reached the Grand Xuan Dynasty, the long coastline made it seem they were nearing land.

In reality, many scattered cultivators viewed the Grand Xuan Dynasty as the mainland because numerous high-level demon cultivators established their sects here. They came with a pilgrim’s heart, hoping to join a sect and learn profound skills.

The long coastline had built fifty-three port cities, with tens of thousands of ships coming and going daily.

Various bizarre-shaped vessels entered and exited the ports, presenting a bustling scene. Large seabirds soared overhead, with shadows of people sitting on their backs.

Which port to dock at had to be decided by Long Yun. The Grand Xuan Dynasty had more than just Longde Bank; there were other banks like Fengling, Fulun, and Shenyuan, each having their own methods and foundations. The influence of each bank varied at the port, making it necessary to go to the one with the most influence to make money.

“Splash, splash, splash…”

The Wave Breaking Cone approached the dock with the sound of waves. Everything was fine until a massive black ship swaggered towards them, creating huge waves that threatened to cut in line.

Encountering other ships was one thing, but as the huge waves struck, they threw the ship off course. When the Wave Breaking Cone activated its talisman formation, there was a series of cracking noises; electric light shot out and gently shook, wiping out the huge waves in an instant. The black ship’s imposing presence deflated like a punctured balloon.

After a while, when the Wave Breaking Cone was almost out of sight, the black ship finally reacted, yelling commands.

“Which impudent little boat dares to block the Heavenly Ghost Sect Young Master’s path?” It sounded quite imposing, but the other ship showed no reaction; the crew was busy checking goods, preparing for a big haul after docking. When the time came, Qiniang would hand out rewards, and whoever wanted to have fun could do so freely. Everyone wanted to earn more, so who had the time to watch the spectacle?

Seeing the Young Master making a fortune, who didn’t have a little scheme? Many crew members were not loyally staying for the sake of the sect but were chasing after greater benefits.

The scene appeared as full of contempt in the eyes of the black ship’s crew! Just as they were about to confront them, they suddenly noticed the war nest drum and the Longde Bank markings.

“Young Master, that’s Aofeng Sect’s war nest drum, and it’s doing business under Longde Bank!”

A youth with green hair stood at the base of the mast, with small tusks protruding from his lips, snorting coldly: “Why are they here so early? I heard Aofeng Sect hasn’t recruited male disciples for fifty years. They wouldn’t send an old man, would they?”

“That’s definitely suspicious! Ever since Aofeng Sect’s philosophy on poisons split, they haven’t recruited male disciples,” a cultivator replied.

“Whoever they send, have the Five Ghosts steal everything from them,” the green-haired youth said with a sly smile, and a chilling atmosphere filled the black ship.