Qinghe Immortal Clan.

"Oh! We just got back and don't know what happened on the island yet. We don't know why going to Thundercloud Sea is so troublesome."

Please tell me first, young friend!

There has always been a fixed route for cultivators from the Black Wind Sea to travel between the Thunder Origin Sea and the cultivation world.

When Song Qingming and his companions came from "Lei Yuanhai" back then, they arrived here on a treasure ship.

Although there may be occasional attacks on the treasure ship by bandits or monsters, this route is usually open and there are very few abnormalities.

However, it had been more than twenty years since Song Qingming and his group last came here.

The group had just returned to Longyun Island and were unaware of the changes that had taken place there over the years. Upon hearing this news, Song Qingming couldn't help but feel puzzled.

In response to Song Qingming's question, the Foundation Establishment cultivator standing opposite him immediately explained:

"Seniors, you may not know this, but a group of extremely powerful bandits appeared in the southern seas a couple of years ago. In just six months, they robbed several treasure ships."

It is said that these bandit cultivators came from Lei Yuanhai's side.

Half a year ago, the Shuiyun Sect had already issued an order that, apart from the treasure ships from various islands that were going to suppress the bandits, other treasure ships were temporarily prohibited from going to Leiyuan Sea alone.

"If you wish to board the treasure ship, senior, you'll probably have to wait until all those bandit cultivators are wiped out."

"It's really unfortunate that Lei Yuanhai is here as a bandit cultivator."

Upon hearing that traveling to the "Thunder Origin Sea" on the treasure ship would be troublesome, Song Qingming was initially worried that the sea monsters might suddenly launch a beast tide, causing the route to be interrupted.

He was quite surprised to find that it was the work of bandits who caused such a commotion.

In the cultivation world of "Black Wind Sea," besides the sea monsters, the greatest threat to this place comes from the bandit cultivators hiding near the deep-sea shipping routes.

When Song Qingming and his companions first arrived here aboard the treasure ship, they were attacked by bandits halfway through the journey.

Fortunately, the great cultivator Song Qingming was on board at the time, and he easily repelled the invading bandits, allowing the treasure ship to safely arrive at "Longyun Island".

Unexpectedly, on the way back, we encountered the same problem again.

Upon hearing the news, Song Qingming couldn't help but shake his head.

The cultivation world of the "Black Wind Sea" is truly fraught with constant turmoil and extreme danger.

Seeing that the matter of the treasure ship was temporarily unresolved, Song Qingming took Song Qingyu and the others to find an inn in the market to stay.

They planned to look for other methods first, to see if they could find a suitable treasure ship to cross the sea.

Although Song Qingming and the others were all Nascent Soul cultivators, even without a treasure ship, they could forcibly cross the "Black Wind Sea" if they spent more time.

However, without the protection of a treasure ship, encountering bandits or powerful high-level demonic beasts in the open sea would also be extremely dangerous.

Having learned of the formidable power of the pirate cultivators in the outer seas, Song Qingming was unwilling to take the risk.

We should first try to find a treasure ship to cross the sea; that would be safer and prevent us from being too passive.

After making up his mind, Song Qingming began to inquire around the island.

After more than ten days and several hundred spirit stones, just as Song Qingming had expected, he found out about a treasure ship that was preparing to cross the sea.

This treasure ship is not on "Longyun Island", but is a treasure ship belonging to a sect called "Huangyang Sect" that is adjacent to Shuiyun Sect.

The Huangyang Sect has five Nascent Soul cultivators, making it a formidable Nascent Soul sect in the Black Wind Sea cultivation world.

But their lives are far inferior to those of the "Water Cloud Sect," which controls the intercontinental teleportation array, an inexhaustible gold mine.

This sect is primarily engaged in alchemy and weapon crafting, and often needs to trade with cultivators from other regions to earn spirit stones.

Therefore, every few years, the Huangyang Sect would organize a treasure ship to go to the Leiyuan Sea.

Upon learning that Song Qingming and his companions wanted to travel with the treasure ship, the "Huangyang Sect" did not inquire further about the reasons, but simply accepted the offer after collecting several thousand spirit stones.

Both parties agreed that the treasure ship would depart one month later.

During his time on Longyun Island, Song Qingming mostly secluded himself indoors, studying the "Divine Illumination Golden Seal" he had just begun to cultivate.

Knowing that they would be spending most of their time on the treasure ship, Li Xuanyi and Song Qingyu seized this rare opportunity and went to the market to have a good stroll.

As usual, Monk Jinyun did not go out when he saw that Song Qingming was in seclusion in the inn.

He stayed in his room, meditating and contemplating the Dharma.

".."

A month passed quickly. After receiving a message from the "Huangyang Sect", Song Qingming pondered for a while and then came to the door of the "Golden Cloud Monk" next door.

Before Song Qingming could knock on the door, the "Golden Cloud Monk," who had sensed his presence, opened the door and invited him inside.

"Fellow Daoist Song, have you come to visit today because you are preparing to leave?"

Seeing that "Monk Jinyun" seemed to have already figured out his purpose, Song Qingming immediately nodded in response:

"To be honest, Master, I have indeed received a message from the Huangyang Sect that the treasure ship will be ready to depart in three days."

I've heard that bandits have been rampant in Black Wind Sea recently, and it might be dangerous for the Zen Master to travel with us to Thunder Origin Sea.

I just wanted to ask if the Zen Master intended to stay here or return to Zhongyuan Immortal Continent.

Since making an agreement with Song Qingming to protect him through the ordeal, "Monk Jinyun" has been by his side for the past six months.

Even in seemingly safe markets, "Monk Jinyun" almost never acts alone.

Occasionally, when she has a craving for spirit wine, she will only ask Song Qingyu and Li Xuanyi for help.

It is evident that he still firmly believed in the impending calamity that was about to befall him.

When Song Qingming first came to the "Black Wind Sea," he had already witnessed the arrogance of the pirates in the outer sea. They even dared to attack treasure ships guarded by Nascent Soul cultivators.

On his return journey, he also felt somewhat uneasy.

If the "Golden Cloud Monk" were to cause trouble here, taking him along might unnecessarily bring disaster upon him, which was something Song Qingming did not want to see.

Therefore, he wanted to ask "Monk Jinyun" whether he should choose to stay or return to "Zhongyuan Immortal Continent".

Despite the concern in Song Qingming's words, "Monk Jinyun" remained calm and shook his head.

“Fellow Daoist Song, our Buddhist school emphasizes cause and effect, and there is always an effect for every cause.”

Since this humble monk is burdened with the calamity of killing, this calamity will inevitably come to pass.

The calamity is already hanging over my head. Even if I choose to stay and avoid it for now, this calamity will not disappear and will eventually descend upon me again.

No matter where I go, I will face this calamity sooner or later; it is not something I can avoid.

There is no other way now but to rely on the help of a benefactor to get through this calamity!

"I dare not presume to call you a noble person, but I will do my best to protect the Zen Master."

Since the master has already made up his mind, then I, Song, will not say any more.

Three days later, we boarded the ship together.

Seeing that "Monk Jinyun" had already made up his mind to leave with him, Song Qingming nodded slightly in response and then turned and left the room.

".."

A few days later, Song Qingming and his companions successfully boarded the treasure ship of the "Huangyang Sect" and sailed south across the waves.

Besides Song Qingming and his group of four, there were three other Nascent Soul cultivators on the ship, two of whom were Nascent Soul Grand Elders of the Huangyang Sect: Ge Longjiang and Yang Jinsheng.

The other person was Qin Kun, a rogue Nascent Soul cultivator who shared the same goal as Song Qingming and the others and was taking a ride on the treasure ship to the "Thunder Origin Sea".

Compared to when they came, the Huangyang Sect was clearly more prepared this time.

Worried about encountering bandits and cultivators on the way, they not only sent two Nascent Soul elders to oversee the treasure ship, but also had more than twenty Golden Core cultivators on board, who set up a powerful magic array.

Even if Song Qingming and the others didn't make a move, this power was enough to intimidate ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.

Not long after the treasure ship left the "Huangyang Sect", it plunged into the boundless open sea.

In just over ten days, no more ships or islands could be seen on the surrounding sea, leaving only countless waves surging in.

Sensing the cultivators coming and going above the treasure ship, they began to constantly patrol the surrounding sea, increasing vigilance. Song Qingming, standing in the cabin of the treasure ship, also dared not relax.

At this moment, he did not choose to take this opportunity to go into seclusion and cultivate as he had done before. Instead, he remained highly vigilant to guard against any potential dangers.

While Song Qingming remained somewhat nervous, Song Qingyu, Li Xuanyi, and "Golden Cloud Monk" were not overly worried.

After boarding the ship, Song Qingyu and "Golden Cloud Monk" soon began their secluded cultivation.

After advancing to the fourth level of the Nascent Soul realm, Li Xuanyi has been working hard for many years, and her internal magical power has reached a bottleneck. She is not far from breaking through to the fifth level of the Nascent Soul realm.

In order to break through her cultivation level as soon as possible, Li Xuanyi often came over to chat and drink tea with Song Qingming, in addition to her daily cultivation.

I also took the opportunity to ask him about some unclear points regarding the cultivation techniques, in order to prepare for my upcoming seclusion and breakthrough.

Li Xuanyi cultivates the Taixu Sword Technique passed down by her master, "Lingxu Daoren," and Song Qingming mainly cultivates the self-created technique, "Qingyu Refining Treasure Technique."

Although their cultivation methods are different, they both come from the "Jade Profound Scripture" lineage of the Taixu Sect and have many things in common.

Over the years, Li Xuanyi's cultivation has not been as advanced as Song Qingyu's, who had reached the fifth level of the Nascent Soul stage earlier.

However, with Song Qingming's help and guidance, the gap between the two was not widened too much.

It's estimated that it won't be long before Li Xuanyi successfully breaks through her cultivation level and catches up with Song Qingyu again.

The treasure ship sped south, encountering virtually no significant obstacles along the way, except for a few low-level demonic beasts that didn't know their place.

After sailing smoothly for more than a month, the treasure ship entered the waters where bandits and cultivators frequently appeared, and the number of monsters in the surrounding area gradually increased.

High-level demonic beasts, at the Golden Core stage or above, began attacking the treasure ship.

However, with the high-level magic array above the treasure ship and the numerous stationed cultivators, these Golden Core level demonic beasts were quickly and easily repelled.

Aside from causing some delays, it did not pose a significant threat to the treasure ships.

Just as the treasure ship continued its journey, a fierce battle suddenly erupted from the sea ahead, startling everyone on board.

A streak of light flashed above the treasure ship, and a middle-aged man in a yellow robe arrived at the bow.

The newcomer was none other than Ge Longjiang, the Nascent Soul Grand Elder of the Huangyang Sect, with a cultivation level of the sixth level of the Nascent Soul stage.

Gazing at the battlefield where magic was being fought in the distance, which stretched right in front of the treasure ship, Ge Longjiang frowned slightly. Just as he was about to speak, two more figures arrived beside him.

"Fellow Daoist Ge, what happened up ahead?"

Upon hearing the commotion and rushing over, Song Qingming asked what was going on. Ge Longjiang shook his head and said, "It seems that there are high-level cultivators fighting several dozen miles ahead. We don't know what happened yet."

Fellow Daoists, this place is deep in the outer sea, and very few Nascent Soul cultivators come here to hunt demons. It's probably not a good thing.

"Everyone, quickly activate the magic array and go around to the side. Be careful of those bandit cultivators launching a sudden attack!"

The bandits and cultivators entrenched in the depths of the open sea are all wicked and cunning individuals.

They might even resort to despicable means, pretending to be rogue cultivators being chased by monsters, gaining the trust of passing ships in the vicinity, and then launching a surprise attack on them.

To prevent the treasure ship from being targeted by the enemy, Ge Longjiang did not choose to approach the battlefield to check, but instead chose to go around it from the side.

But he had only just given the order when a violent explosion suddenly came from ahead, followed by four or five streaks of light that quickly flew toward the location of the treasure ship.

These streaks of light were all at the Golden Core stage, and they were using magic to escape quickly, soon arriving near the treasure ship.

Just as the few streaks of light were about to approach the treasure ship that was now almost within reach, a crimson light shot out from behind and instantly pierced through their bodies.

Upon seeing this, the remaining three Golden Core cultivators immediately changed direction and scattered in all directions to flee.

But before they could get very far, two of them were pierced by the crimson light and died on the spot.

The last remaining figure did not run far before being struck by a golden light that suddenly flew out from above the treasure ship, falling from mid-air onto the sea.

As the crimson light dissipated, a man in a crimson robe stood in mid-air, looking at the treasure ship with a somewhat strange gaze.

"May I ask which fellow Daoist has arrived? Please come out for a moment!"

As the man in red robes flashed closer to the treasure ship, a deep voice swiftly entered the magic array.

The next moment, a golden light flashed, and Ge Longjiang, with his hands clasped in a fist, arrived in front of the other party, bowing with a smile.

"I am Ge Longjiang of Huangyang Sect. I never expected to meet Fellow Daoist Yun here. Please forgive my rudeness."

"Fellow Daoist Ge, so it's you here. I thought you had encountered reinforcements from those bandit cultivators."

Upon seeing that the newcomer was Ge Longjiang, the red-robed cultivator immediately recognized him and relaxed, letting down his guard.

Just as the red-robed cultivator was talking to Ge Longjiang, two more streaks of light flew rapidly from afar, also belonging to Nascent Soul cultivators.

An elderly man in the lead, dressed in green robes, had reached the third level of the Nascent Soul realm. Beside him, another man dressed in white robes had reached the fifth level of the Nascent Soul realm.

The old man in green robes saw Ge Longjiang from afar and immediately recognized him. He asked with some confusion:
"Eh! It's Fellow Daoist Ge. What brings you here all of a sudden? Are you here to help us wipe out the bandit cultivators as well?"

"Greetings, fellow Daoists. I was ordered to escort the treasure ship to the Thunder Origin Sea and was just passing by when I unexpectedly encountered you."

"Fellow Daoist Ge, our sect has already made an agreement with other sects that we should try not to cross the Thunder Origin Sea for the next six months."

It's one thing if you don't come to help deal with the bandits, but you even brought your treasure ship here at this time. Aren't you just causing trouble for us?

What if those bandits manage to sneak onto the treasure ship and escape?

The green-robed cultivator who spoke was Lu Yaoxian, a Nascent Soul elder of the "Water Cloud Sect".

Upon hearing that Ge Longjiang had not come to help suppress bandits, he immediately became displeased and questioned him.

Upon hearing this, Ge Longjiang immediately put on a smiling face and explained:

“We are aware of what Fellow Daoist Lu has said. Our sect has recently been organizing its cultivators to come and provide support at any time. How could we possibly delay the great plan to suppress the bandits?”

It was only because we had made an agreement with Lei Yuanhai a few years ago to send some goods over that we couldn't break the agreement, so we escorted the treasure ship here.

I hope my fellow Daoists will not misunderstand. I, Ge, apologize to you all here.

"Speak," Ge Longjiang said, waving his hand and sending a storage bag flying to Lu Yaoxian's front.

Lu Yaoxian glanced at the "storage bag" in front of him, then looked at the people beside him. He did not take the item and waved it back to them.

"What are you doing, Fellow Daoist Ge? We are here to eliminate bandits for the peace of the entire Black Wind Sea. Aren't you just letting people say behind our backs that we are taking this opportunity to seek personal gain?"

"Take this back quickly. We'll go up and check it. If there are no bandits among them, we'll let you pass."

"Hehe! In that case, on behalf of my sect, I thank you all, fellow Daoists."

Seeing that the other party did not deliberately make things difficult, Ge Longjiang smiled and nodded, then reached out and invited them to come to the top of the treasure ship.

Under Ge Longjiang's command, the cultivators on the ship quickly gathered on the deck and began to have their identities checked one by one.

On Song Qingming's side, seeing a Nascent Soul cultivator board the treasure ship, he and Qin Kun, who was standing next to him, took the initiative to step forward and greet the other party.

"These two are Fellow Daoist Song and Fellow Daoist Qin, who also came with us to Lei Yuan Hai. They have registered their identities on Longyun Island."

All cultivators who have visited "Longyun Island" will be issued a unique jade token to prove their identity by the Shuiyun Sect.

After verifying that their identities were correct, Lu Yaoxian quickly returned the greeting to Song Qingming and handed back the jade tokens.

"Please wait a moment, fellow Daoists. I heard that you two are also from Zhongyuan Immortal Continent. I wonder if you have seen this person recently?"

If you have any news about him, please let me know; I will certainly reward you with a generous gift.

Just as Song Qingming and Qin Kun were about to turn and leave, a man in white standing next to Lu Yaoxian suddenly took out a wanted poster and placed it in front of them.

"How could it be him? Could it be that he's gone back to Black Wind Sea!"

Looking at the familiar figure depicted on the poster, Song Qingming, who was seeing this wanted poster for the second time, couldn't help but feel a slight tremor in his heart.

He was quite surprised to hear news of Li Xianyun here again after so long since they parted ways.

The guy in front of me is carrying Li Xianyun's wanted poster. Could he also be from "Zhongyuan Immortal Continent"?

Despite his doubts, Song Qingming did not show any unusual expression in front of the man in white.

He gently shook his head at the other person. (End of Chapter)