Sea Cultivation: Giant Ships and Heavy Artillery Knock on the Door to All Races

Chapter 274 Golden Lotus Descends from the Sky! The High Priest Reaches the Third Level
Now it's the complete version, the adult version of Xinglan!

The once innocent, youthful face has receded like the tide, transforming into a breathtakingly alluring beauty.

Those eyes, shimmering like the deep sea, created waves of alluring charm with every glance.
Her deep blue curls, like waves bathed in moonlight, undulated and swayed at her waist, each strand shimmering with a jewel-like luster.
Her once incredibly youthful figure now boasts breathtaking curves, like a coral sculpture meticulously sculpted by the waves.
The original shark tail has now transformed into long, slender legs, with skin that glows like pearls. A few colorful, crystalline scales still remain on her ankles, reflecting iridescent light as she walks, like a perfect piece of jewelry bestowed by Mother Ocean!
In terms of height, Xinglan after her transformation was even taller than Lin Qianxue; even barefoot, she was still considered extremely tall among female cultivators.

"Have you seen enough?"

Xinglan wove a thin veil with flowing water before putting on her clothes to avoid Lin Qianfan's gaze.

"It's alright. Anyway, you live in my sea of ​​consciousness, so we don't really have any secrets between us!"

Do you think I'm beautiful?

"Not bad, barely reaching the average level!"

"Get out! Can't you speak properly?"

Is this what you were originally like?

"Of course not, this is what it looks like after transforming into human form."

"So what did you originally look like?"

What do you think merfolk should look like?

Not only has her figure changed, but even her voice has changed, becoming much more mature and losing its girlishness. This kind of completely leapfrog growth and change is far more shocking than the saying "a girl changes drastically at eighteen."

If one hadn't witnessed her transforming by absorbing the power of the lightning tribulation, one might have even thought that Xiao Xinglan had an older sister who had been hiding all along.

Of course, not all species must wait until the fourth stage to complete their transformation. The specific circumstances vary from species to species, and even among different individuals within the same species, the circumstances can differ.
Transformation and shapeshifting are two different concepts. Shapeshifting is equivalent to advanced disguise/illusion/realism; no matter how realistic the transformation, it is still essentially a disguise, merely superficial.

Transformation is a profound and perfect transformation!
Different species, in the end, all lead to the same goal through cultivation. Once an individual/species reaches a certain level of life, they can access the miraculous life ability of "transformation."

Reaching this level allows one to deeply experience the life secrets of the transformed species through transformation. For example, many demon kings can transform into human form, and they can still exert their strength normally after transformation.

Of course, the demon race does not necessarily have to take human form; they have other options. They choose human form because the human race is powerful, their cultivation civilization is more advanced, and their attainments in areas such as the soul are higher—all of which are worth learning from.

Humans can also transform into demonic beasts, possessing some of their corresponding strength. However, this temporary transformation, borrowed power, is ultimately not as durable as the original form, and was only prevalent in ancient times.
In this era where Qi cultivation is the mainstream, humanity is the darling of the world, and there is no need to go to great lengths for something so close at hand.

What level of combat strength do they currently possess?

How beautiful a person is is not the point; fighting ability is the point.

"Within the four regions of the Inner Sea, he's invincible at the early stage of the third tier!"

"So strong? Invincible from the start? What do you mean?"

"By human standards of strength, I have now awakened both supernatural powers and a domain. I can easily deal with ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivators without any difficulty. In terms of realm, I am not simply an early-stage High Priest!"

"Ok?"

Tick-tock~
A golden sea lotus, about the size of a thumb, dripped onto Lin Qianfan's nose, and then seeped into his body...

Looking up, the hundred-mile-long tribulation clouds converged into a celestial river of lotus flowers, hanging upside down and converging towards Xinglan's body.

"A phenomenal advancement! Golden lotuses descend from the sky!"

An extraordinary phenomenon of advancement that only appears in the records of inheritance signifies that the person who is advancing has extremely high potential in the future, and this potential has been recognized by the Heavenly Dao, so auspicious omens are sent down to help them!
Susu~

A unique kind of golden lotus rain fell continuously, most of which was absorbed by Xinglan, causing her cultivation level to rise steadily, even though she was not seriously injured to begin with.

The small amount that overflowed was given to Lin Qianfan and Yin Lin.

This time, with no outsiders present, the Heavenly Grace and Dew that had entered Lin Qianfan's body were opened up for the Vast Ocean Spirit Guide to absorb. This time, we'll see where its limits lie.

"This feeling... my soul has become much lighter, eliminating the deep fatigue that has accumulated over the years, and I feel an extraordinary sense of ease!"

The Great Sun Visualization Method is a rather intense way to strengthen the soul, and it inevitably brings Lin Qianfan some pain. Although he can endure it, it is something he has endured for many years, resulting in a unique kind of numbness.

Xinglan specializes in the Dao of the Divine Soul, and her Heavenly Grace and Dew naturally focus on supplementing this aspect, directly helping Lin Qianfan eliminate the accumulated and hidden pressure on his divine soul over the years, returning him to his most relaxed state.

"The pressure was released, the taut string was relaxed, and there was even a rebound from rock bottom. The path of cultivation is a balance of tension and relaxation, but unfortunately, such opportunities are too few, and this is probably the only one..."

Previously, during his study tour and ascension to the Heavenly Stairs at the Martial Might Hall, he thoroughly solidified his foundation, resulting in the absorption of a significant portion of the three clusters of Heavenly Grace Dew accumulated within Lin Qianfan's body, freeing up some space. Now, with Xinglan, Lin Qianfan's contracted spirit beast, advancing to a higher rank ahead of him, Lin Qianfan has received substantial contractual support in terms of his divine soul, greatly enhancing his potential.
Therefore, the amount of Heavenly Grace and Dew absorbed this time far exceeded that of the past, occupying an additional super-large cluster next to the original three small clusters, and even transferring the Vast Ocean Spirit Guidance passive skill to the large cluster to slumber.

"A tremendous gain! An unprecedented gain in terms of spiritual power! I should be able to advance to the sixth level of the Great Sun Visualization Technique when I return this time!"

Back in the Starfall Secret Realm, the Vast Ocean Spirit Guide, which had absorbed a large amount of Profound Sky Jade Dew and undergone some repairs, quickly returned to its shattered state when purifying the female ghost cultivator.
This time, it was no longer restricted. The exceptionally high quality of Heavenly Grace and Rain allowed it to absorb the essence to its fullest extent, repairing some minor cracks and brightening the dull image.

Unfortunately, no new abilities were developed this time. Significant changes will likely occur only after Lin Qianfan advances to a higher level.

"This feels so comfortable~"

The contract with the silver scales conveyed emotions.
It also benefited greatly this time, enjoying almost all the opportunities Lin Qianfan had received. Its foundation is also quite good; it's just unknown whether it will have the chance to achieve something big in the future.
However, achieving Xinglan's level seems unlikely, because the difference in their starting points is too great. Xinglan was originally a goddess who accidentally fell to the mortal realm; this is merely her returning.

Silver Scales, being born of dust, possess some qualities that cannot be easily compensated for through later efforts. Perhaps only by extending the timeline sufficiently can one continuously approach them.
Because Silverscale's cultivation progress was consistently close to Lin Qianfan's, its role wasn't particularly prominent. Most of the time, it could only assist the spirit ship with miscellaneous tasks, rarely becoming a true main force.
There's no way around it; it's mainly a matter of comparison. When everyone else is outstanding, it seems too mediocre. That's one of the reasons it works so hard—it's unwilling to be mediocre!

Or perhaps it will only be able to stand out enough after it transforms into a dragon, at which point Lin Qianfan can completely retreat behind the scenes.

Blah blah blah~

The heavenly grace and rain brought by the hundred-mile tribulation cloud far exceeded the scale of previous ones, and Xinglan's cultivation, which was originally only at the initial stage of the chief priest realm, continued to rise.

If we directly convert the strength of her aura into her human rank, it's equivalent to her advancing directly from the first level of the Golden Core stage to the second level in just a short while, and she's still rising!
However, the number of tribulation clouds in the sky is limited. As the heavenly grace and rain continue to pour down, the size of the tribulation clouds is constantly shrinking and getting smaller, until they slowly dissipate. They even allow the sky, which should be dark during the storm season, to reveal a long-lost patch of clear light!

"Can it be done?"

Lin Qianfan didn't make a sound, but he cheered for her in his heart. This divine grace had no side effects, and the more one absorbed, the better for someone who was advancing in their career.

hum~
As the final moment approached, Xinglan's momentum surged once again, clearly indicating that he had made a significant breakthrough.

"The high priest is on the third level?"

"You could say that. Although it was a bit of a struggle, I finally made it to the top! But I'll need to work on it later!"

"Is it because I gave you some?"

"That's right, how are you going to compensate me?"

However, Lin Qianfan didn't believe it. When the Heavenly Grace Rain poured down, it came with overwhelming force, exceeding Xinglan's absorption limit, and some even spilled onto the small island beneath his feet.
Originally, due to ocean currents, this place was just a barren little reef. But after absorbing the blessings of nature, many unknown wild lotuses grew on the island and even in the surrounding sea.

I wonder what the Snake Demon King will do when he comes back next time. He probably won't even dare to take back this stronghold.

Three days later,
Having initially consolidated their cultivation and further refined their mastery of high-grade magic weapons, Xinglan and Lin Qianfan decided to return to the Tianji Wheel as soon as possible.
It's been many days since I came out, and I don't know what the situation is like in Cangxia Immortal City now, or if anyone has jumped out to make things difficult for Tianji Lun, even if the probability is very low.

However, given Xinglan's current strength, Lin Qianfan felt completely secure and wasn't afraid of the other party resorting to underhanded tactics.

Although Xinglan cannot easily appear in public to support others, with her unique abilities, she is not afraid of anyone if she tries to cause trouble in secret!
"When I reach the Core Formation stage, will I also have to come to the Whirlpool Sea?"

Lin Qianfan pondered on the way. The commotion surrounding the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir must have been just as significant. If he were to advance at the Fish-Dragon Islands headquarters, there would be no secrecy whatsoever. Announcing such a thing to the public would only bring him some fame.
But it attracts jealousy, and the disadvantages outweigh the advantages!
"I'm afraid we'll have to do it again then!"

The return journey was smoother.

Lin Qianfan no longer needed to avoid dangerous sea areas; the dangers in the sea became exceptionally safe after sensing the terrifying aura emanating from Xinglan.

Outside Cangxia Immortal City, on the Tianji Wheel,

A Foundation Establishment cultivator who had just checked into a room on the third floor did not stay on the ship for long before hurriedly leaving the Tianji Wheel. When he reached a secluded spot, a blood-feathered dove flew out from his body.

"Now it's confirmed that the kid wasn't on the ship. Considering his previous behavior and the small teleportation array on the fifth floor, it seems his purpose in coming to Cangxia Mountain wasn't the so-called trade route, but something else entirely..."

Lin Qianfan rarely appeared in public. The first time was when the Tianji ship docked to visit Cangxia Mountain. After that, there was no further news for several days. Even when he arranged to meet Jiang Nanyan, it was only three days after Jiang Nanyan returned to Cangxia Mountain.
It is clear that neither the business of Tianji Wheel nor the relationship with Jiang Nanyan was of great importance and was ranked lower.

Once again, he hadn't shown his face outside for several days. Even though several groups of local celebrities went on board to visit him, there was still no news. That's why Bloodfeather Dove decided to go on board to get information.

"I was originally worried about how to get rid of you without anyone noticing, but you gave me the opportunity!"

The Demon King's attack on a Tier 3 merchant ship is a serious matter of principle, not just a matter of offending the Lin family. It also severely violates several rules and will certainly result in a wanted notice, something he is unwilling to risk.

But Lin Qianfan's solo travel situation is different!

(End of this chapter)