Chapter 337: Chapter 335: The Great Sea
With her alluring eyes, Snake Woman shot Qin Li a glare and gritted her teeth. "I refuse! I won’t believe that I can’t overcome my own fear. I... I must get past this... AHHH!"
Just as she spoke, a large fish suddenly leaped from the sea, sending up a huge wave that drenched the unprepared Snake Woman. She shrieked, let go of the railing, and scrambled far back.
Qin Li roared with shameless laughter. Seeing no one else was around, he said with a grin, "I always thought snakes weren’t afraid of water. How did an exception like you come about?"
"Nonsense! Of course I’m not afraid of water! Rivers, lakes—I’m not afraid of any of them. But this vast, endless ocean... it’s just psychologically overwhelming! And another thing, Qin Li, I’ve just realized you’re a terrible person! You must have sensed that fish was about to jump out, right?"
Snake Woman was no fool. Once she snapped out of it and saw that Qin Li didn’t have a single drop of water on him, she knew exactly what had happened. For all she knew, he was the one who had startled the fish in the first place!
At this thought, Snake Woman seethed with an anger that made her want to grind her teeth. ’This guy is the worst!’ she thought. ’Is he really only twenty years old? Is he even human? Or is he some Ancient Demon who’s lived for a thousand years?’
Qin Li pursed his lips and said, "It’s just my good habit of always staying alert. Unlike you, getting scared stiff by a little splash. HAHAHA!"
Seeing that shameless smile on Qin Li’s face, Snake Woman was fuming, wishing she could charge forward and kick him straight into the sea.
But then she realized that in that instant, her fear had actually lessened significantly. Snake Woman wiped the seawater from her face, then stuck out her tongue in a surprisingly sensual gesture, licking the corner of her mouth. The taste was salty and astringent.
"I’m not afraid anymore! I’m really not afraid anymore!" Snake Woman jumped up in excitement, cheering loudly. "I’m not scared!"
A faint smile touched Qin Li’s lips. He turned to face the endless sea, and his mood suddenly lifted, feeling open and clear.
The disappearance of Bu Yunyan, Zhao Qianqian, and the Little Fox had been a heavy blow to Qin Li. It wasn’t just because they were his friends; it also gave him the feeling that a storm was brewing.
He had an intuition that the distant Land of the Far West had, for millennia, never ceased its observation of the eastern lands. It was just that one couldn’t sense this silent watch without reaching a certain level of power.
Only when one stood at a sufficient height could they feel the constant pressure from that mysterious place, separated by hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of miles.
’I really need to get stronger, and fast!’ Qin Li sighed internally. He had now confirmed that his own strength was at the Basic Realm of an Earth Venerable.
The Blast Pill was truly miraculous. Its incredible effects filled Qin Li with anticipation for the other Elixirs recorded in the Ancient Pill Formula he held.
In particular, several of the Elixirs weren’t meant for consumption. One of them, called the Spirit Explosion Pill, had an effect like the bombs from Qin Li’s past life, but its destructive power was even greater!
When a single Spirit Explosion Pill detonated, it could trigger a chain reaction with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within a two-to-three-hundred-meter radius. Its destructive force was equivalent to a peak Celestial Venerable Martial Artist self-destructing by detonating their Pill Core!
Such power was simply unheard of!
One had to understand that not even a Martial Artist at the Shattering the Core and Forming an Infant stage—a full level above a Shattered Void Martial Artist—would be willing to face the self-destruction of a peak Celestial Venerable.
Taking a direct hit would still result in injury!
However, Qin Li had never even heard of the Heavenly and Earthly Treasures required for this Elixir. He feared they could only be found in the distant Land of the Far West.
They were perfect for ambushes. Moreover, they were clearly the legendary weapons of mass destruction! If he had dozens of these Elixirs in his pocket, even if he were only at the Venerable Realm, he’d have the confidence to face an old monster at the Shattering the Core and Forming an Infant stage. He’d just have to toss a volley of Spirit Explosion Pills, and his opponent would have no choice but to run.
However, if the power gap was too vast, the opponent could likely breach the three-hundred-meter safe distance before he even had a chance to strike. But all in all, this thing that could hardly be called an Elixir anymore was an absolutely priceless treasure!
There was also the incredibly toxic Black Demon Pill, which would grievously injure even an Earth Immortal who was poisoned by it! And the Fire Dragon Pill, which allowed one to stay in all-melting lava for hours; the Water Dragon Pill, which allowed one to breathe and walk freely in the Deep Sea... and many other incredibly miraculous and powerful Elixirs.
But it was simply impossible to refine them!
Forget Qin Li—even Leng Yao, who grew up in an Alchemy Clan, had never heard of the vast majority of the required ingredients.
In the entire Ancient Pill Formula Secret Manual, there were very few Elixirs like the Blast Pill, Strengthening Pill, and Essence Pill, whose ingredients were known and could actually be gathered. In fact, they were extremely rare!
While Qin Li felt helpless about this, he was also somewhat thankful. If the ingredients for these few craftable Elixirs were as unheard of as the others, he could have just forgotten about his fantasy of building a powerful force.
He might as well have given up, found a quiet corner in the mortal world, and lived out his life as a rich man.
To express his immense gratitude for what Qin Li had done for Hai City and the Jin Family, Jinbo had people work overnight to transform the ship’s somewhat crude interior into a luxurious floating palace.
Furthermore, he assigned many renowned chefs and servants to exclusively attend to Qin Li and his companions.
Qin Li didn’t refuse. The main purpose of this sea voyage was to find those two types of Spirit Flowers, and there was no telling how long they would be drifting on the vast ocean. Leng Yao’s cooking was mediocre at best, and as for Snake Woman—she was used to eating raw meat, so what could she possibly know about culinary arts?
Therefore, bringing along a few highly skilled chefs was quite necessary.
Old Zhang’s wife, son, and daughter were all brought aboard the ship. Jinbo had promised that after their return, the ship would be given to Old Zhang, so his wife and children were ecstatic. This was something they had never even dared to dream of. A ship like this was something they couldn’t have afforded in one lifetime, let alone two or three!
Moreover, during this voyage with no fixed destination, Old Zhang could also catch expensive seafood along the way. They could keep the live catches alive, and the rest could be dried or salted. When they returned, this would amount to a windfall they couldn’t have imagined before!
Thus, the family of four felt a sense of gratitude toward Qin Li and the others that was engraved in their very hearts.
Old Zhang’s daughter was a bright young woman and volunteered to serve as a handmaiden for Leng Yao and Snake Woman. She served them tea and water and attended to their needs with great care. In return, Leng Yao gave her a few Elixirs to transform her body and taught her some martial arts techniques.
In a few years, it was believed that this strong-willed girl could become a Martial Artist of at least the Earth Level—an incredible achievement for an ordinary person from the mortal world!
By this day, the great ship had been sailing for nearly a month. During that time, they had landed on several small islands, but these were either completely barren or lush with towering ancient trees—neither of which matched the environment where the two Spirit Flowers grew.
But Qin Li wasn’t anxious. Finding such things depended on luck. If their luck was good, they might find an island with them tomorrow. If their luck was bad, they might not find anything for another ten years.
This was because Qin Li could cultivate anytime and anywhere. Moreover, the Innate Purple Qi above the Great Sea was much denser than on land. Although it wasn’t as pure as the Qi atop Black Tortoise Peak, it still allowed Qin Li’s cultivation speed to be much faster than usual.
An old saying goes: Read ten thousand books and travel a thousand miles.
For ordinary people, reading and traveling were equally important. For a Martial Artist, the same principle applied.
This was also a major reason why disciples from the great Noble Families had to enter the mortal world to gain experience.
While broadening their horizons, they tempered their character. And for a Martial Artist seeking to advance, character was of utmost importance! From the heights of the Shattered Void, Shattering the Core and Forming an Infant, Thunder Tribulation, and Earth Immortal realms... down to the Earth Level, Celestial Level, and Celestial Shattering Realm, all Martial Artists were constantly influenced by their state of mind!
A person with a firm will could make the impossible possible, possessing the ability to turn decay into magic!
If their will was weak, they could suffer defeat even when facing an opponent weaker than themselves!
This, too, was why Snake Woman was so desperate to overcome her psychological fear of the Great Sea.
Old Zhang cautiously approached from a distance. His weathered face, once etched with hardship, had far fewer wrinkles these days. In truth, Old Zhang wasn’t that old, only forty-seven or forty-eight. But years of being battered by the sea wind, scorched by the sun, and soaked by the rain—and more importantly, a difficult life where his hard work went unrewarded—had made him appear ancient.
Now, he was riding a wave of good fortune. It was no exaggeration to say he’d become rich overnight. His life was comfortable, and his whole being was filled with Essence, Qi, and Spirit, which naturally made him look younger.
This, too, was a reflection of one’s state of mind.
As the saying goes... good fortune lifts the spirits!
Old Zhang was holding a nautical chart. He stopped five or six meters away from Qin Li, his face showing a deep, sincere respect. "Young Master Qin, less than half a day’s journey ahead is the Sea Tide Gang’s main stronghold. I heard that there..."
Old Zhang hesitated, glanced at Qin Li’s face, but continued, "I heard there are many experts there who can fly. A lot of my colleagues have delivered goods there, and they saw it with their own eyes..."
"Heh," Qin Li smiled faintly. "Right. How large is the island where the Sea Tide Gang has its stronghold?" He understood Old Zhang’s worry. Although he had annihilated the gang’s members in Hai City, in the eyes of ordinary people like Old Zhang, the true leaders of the Sea Tide Gang were like gods... no, like devils.
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Author’s Note: Just two Chapters today. Please be understanding, everyone. It’s the New Year holiday, and there’s just too much to do—receiving guests, visiting others... plus, I (Xiaodao) have a child, so I really don’t have the energy to write much more. Please bear with me. I’m sure all you brothers and sisters can understand. After all, everyone has to celebrate the New Year. Even though the holiday spirit isn’t as strong as it used to be, it’s still the most important traditional festival for Chinese people.
Yes, I will continue to work hard and I promise that I will never stop updating unless I absolutely have to!
I hope everyone will continue to support Xiaodao!! (To be continued...)
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