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

Chapter 306 The Wind and Clouds Move, the True Lord's Tomb?
As one of the top large immortal cities in the Western Regions, news of what happened in Yunyan Immortal City quickly spread through various channels.

It's alright for small Golden Core factions; they can only watch the show and can't participate. At most, they can only look forward to seeing a joke.

However, some medium to large-sized Golden Core cultivators with considerable strength and a desire for further expansion saw development opportunities within this situation.
With the Lin family's successful intervention in Golden Sheep Immortal City as a precedent, everyone knows that by supporting a small force to settle in, one can achieve alternative expansion and transcend the limitations of local territory.

On Spirit Trace Island, Golden Core cultivators from various lineages gathered together.
"According to information from inside sources and Tingfeng Tower, two demon kings have appeared simultaneously deep within the Yunyan Great Swamp. They not only held off Old Ghost Ma, but also seriously injured the Ma family boy. This is a good opportunity to interfere in Yunyan Immortal City. What are your thoughts?"

Lingji Island has been incredibly influential in recent years, not only overseeing cross-strait trade and maintaining good relations with most local forces, but also gaining several allies in the surrounding areas, thus adopting the demeanor of a big brother in the Western Regions.

It's only right that he's active. As the only large Golden Core power in the Western Regions, he's living a prosperous life, and he deserves it.

"It's too far. Yunshang Secret Island is in the heart of the Western Regions, while we are in the westernmost part of the Western Regions. If we extend our reach this far, it will definitely attract jealousy, especially since we have been enjoying great success in recent years. I don't think it's necessary to get involved. Besides, even if we succeed, we won't gain much benefit."

Some people are not optimistic about the remaining benefits of Yunyan Immortal City, since there are too many people vying for a share, and the amount left to be divided is not much.

Given the current size of Lingji Island, small-scale disturbances are beneath its notice. On the contrary, excessive ostentation could make it easy for others to take advantage of it, especially when it comes to interests from afar, where communication would be less efficient.

"That's not right. I think it's necessary to join Cloud Smoke Immortal City, even if it's just to bring the influence of my Spirit Trace Island to the heart of the Western Regions, instead of just being powerful locally. The development of power is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind."

"Where are the candidates? Going to Yunshang Secret Island means struggle, even endless multi-party struggle. Who would be willing to go? Who has the ability to handle it? Don't think that just because you have the title of a henchman of Lingji Island, it will be effective. It won't scare people when something big happens."

"Don't get agitated, let's solve the problem..."

"..."

It's not just Lingji Island; ambitious and powerful mid-sized Golden Core forces in the Western Regions are all pondering similar questions.

……

at the same time,

A mysterious visitor arrived discreetly at the Fish and Dragon Islands and found Lin Haichao, the head of the Lin family.

"Island Master Mei, how have you been?"

"Thanks to Senior Torlin, all is well lately."

The visitor was none other than the newly appointed owner of Lingjiao Island.

After the Lingjiao Village was wiped out, the territory was quickly occupied by the Mei family from the outer sea through merit points. The original Lingjiao Village was simply renamed Lingjiao Island, and it became a small force.

Lingjiao Island is not far from the Yulong Islands and can be considered a neighbor. The Mei family was newly established and did not associate with anyone at first. In recent years, they have gradually become more aware and started to interact with the surrounding areas, especially the Lin family, since the Lin family is now the strongest in this area.

After exchanging pleasantries, Island Master Mei explained his purpose: his Mei family also intended to settle in Yunyan Immortal City and wanted the Lin family's strong support, given the precedent set by the Lin family.

"Oh? Is there anything wrong with Lingjiao Island?"

Lin Haichao was puzzled. The Mei family did not have many members, and they even had to add a lot of disciples and grand-disciples to barely manage Lingjiao Island.

Although Lingjiao Island is not a particularly high-quality Tier 3 territory, it still has a number of Ling Islands under its control, enough for a newly established force like theirs to digest for many years. It seems that the Mei family is not suitable to settle in a place like Yunyan Immortal City, where there is frequent friction with other forces.

However, the island master was unwilling to elaborate on the reasons, but only made a promise, hoping that the Lin family would help him, and that he would give up a great deal of benefits afterward.

Lin Haichao naturally refused. He had just sent Misty Rain Island in, and if he were to make frequent moves again, it would seem greedy, which would make other medium and large forces very unhappy. Everyone still needed to maintain some tacit understanding.

Moreover, the relationship between Lingjiao Island and the Lin family was not close enough, and the other party did not frankly state the real reason, so they could only refuse.

Island Master Mei was somewhat unwilling, but she could only retreat for the time being.

What is the Mei family's true purpose?

...

Now that two unclaimed demon kings have suddenly appeared on Yunshang Secret Island, Yunyan Immortal City should join forces with the other four immortal cities to eliminate them as soon as possible to prevent further trouble.

Whether it's due to the safe business environment of Yunshang Secret Island or the fact that a third-tier demon king is a treasure trove that everyone is vying for, it's incredibly valuable to ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivators.

But this time the situation was different. The four immortal cities not only did not take the initiative to join forces to eliminate the demon scourge, but also unanimously rejected the Ma family's request for help, all saying that they were too busy to care about that.

"Damn it, they're all bastards!"

The Ma family's envoys were furious after being turned away.

Although the Ma family had not previously contributed to the defense of the long coastline of Yunshang Secret Island by the other four immortal cities, could it be the same?

The demonic trouble on the coastline is only a second-tier problem. As long as the Golden Core cultivators of each family are willing to swallow their pride, they can resolve it in no time. However, the trouble in Yunyan Immortal City is a third-tier problem, which has exceeded the Ma family's ability to cope. How can these people kick someone when they're down?

However, the attitude of the four immortal cities was very clear and firm. No matter whether the envoys were polite or offered money, none of the Golden Core cultivators from the four cities stepped forward. They all refused in unison, as if they all wanted to see the Ma family make a fool of themselves. After all, the Ma family had done something wrong before.
Outside the Cloud and Mist Immortal City,
Numerous spirit ships carried small groups of people, each with their own family, migrating into the Immortal City. Their faces were filled with worry for the future and resentment towards the Ma family's inaction.

"The beast tide is coming, and yet another Foundation Establishment faction has fallen!"

The two-headed serpent lizard did not reach an agreement with the Ma family patriarch that day, but he was demonstrating his rule over the Yunyan Marsh with his actions. The monsters deep in the marsh were brought out by the purple lightning serpent eel and constantly harassed the local forces based in the Yunyan Marsh, driving them away.

This beast tide is different from the chaotic beast tides at sea. They act with restraint, often only driving people away rather than exterminating them, as if to say that they only want territory and not lives.

Therefore, the attacked forces rarely refused to give up an inch of land. They usually withdrew on their own initiative when they felt that things were not going well, and all moved closer to Yunyan Immortal City.

"Why hasn't the Ma family made a move yet? What are they waiting for?"

"That's right. They eat our spirit stones as offerings, but they don't protect us when it matters. What kind of lord is Yunyan Immortal City?"

"Could the Ma family be scared? Don't they have two Golden Core cultivators? They can't even handle two newly promoted demon kings?"

"Useless! You've betrayed our trust! Give us our money back!"

The beast tide stirred up by the purple electric snake eels compressed the human territory in the Cloud and Smoke Swamp from all directions. Even several ancient and large Foundation Establishment forces could not withstand the impact of the beast tide and had to retreat.

The more disheveled their retreat, the deeper their resentment towards the Ma family became. After all, as citizens of Yunyan Immortal City, they had paid the Ma family every single spirit stone they were supposed to, but at the crucial moment, the Ma family remained closed off and did nothing, which was extremely disappointing.

All these people were gathered in Yunyan Immortal City by the beast tide, putting pressure on the Ma family and hoping that the Ma family would step forward to deal with the problem instead of avoiding battle or even making a statement.

"What are the old folks up to? I haven't dared to go out for days, it's so embarrassing."

The lower-level Ma family members were unaware of Ma Jiaxin's injury, and their feelings were similar to those of ordinary residents—utterly perplexed. "We don't know. The family has its own considerations. Don't meddle with outsiders; you need to know where your own interests lie."

"Hey, I was just kidding, don't take it too seriously..."

In the secret room of the Ma family
puff~
Ma Jiaxin coughed up a mouthful of poisonous blood, and his complexion improved slightly, but his bluish skin indicated that he was still not completely detoxified.

"This snake venom is like a maggot clinging to my bone; even without control, it's difficult to eradicate, constantly devouring my magical power and multiplying..."

The mutated venom of the two-headed lizard was more troublesome than the Ma family had anticipated. Several third-tier detoxification methods were used, but they only relieved the symptoms and could not achieve a true and complete cure. Ma Jiaxin's recovery of his combat power was still a long way off.

"...Ancestor, I feel that if the poison cannot be cured as soon as possible, it may leave an indelible Dao injury."

Ma Jiaxin looked pale and said helplessly.

"Looks like we'll have to ask for help from outside Yunshang Secret Island. Sigh... the timing and the people aren't on our side. Oh well..."

The patriarch of the Ma family sighed, feeling that the situation was extremely difficult to handle.

For the Ma family, they are now facing both internal and external troubles, which have even forced them to abandon their core interests.

With the four immortal cities choosing to remain neutral, the pressure on the two demon kings rests entirely on Cloud Smoke Immortal City. However, the Ma family currently lacks the ability to eliminate external enemies on its own.
The pressure within the Cloud and Mist Immortal City is constantly accumulating and being transmitted to the Ma family at each level. If not handled properly, the Ma family will completely lose its credibility, damaging the very foundation of its business.

What's even more infuriating is that the four immortal cities actually issued corresponding pro-people policies at this time, attempting to divert the huge cultivator population base under the jurisdiction of Yunyan Immortal City and take the opportunity to weaken the Ma family.

However, the Ma family could not condemn them, because when the sea monsters came ashore to harass them in the past, Yunyan Immortal City had also made similar policies to attract cultivators from the surrounding areas. Now it was just a matter of reciprocity.

After analyzing the situation, the Ma family patriarch no longer hesitated and decided to pay a huge price to bring in external forces to help Yunyan Immortal City out of its predicament, even if it meant giving up a part of Yunyan Immortal City.

"Hmph! Stand by and watch? I'll make sure none of you suffer!"

"Those who secretly plotted against my Ma family, I will find you!"

Upon realizing that he could no longer control Yunyan Immortal City alone, the Ma family patriarch suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. This relief made him feel incredibly relaxed, because he had gained a huge bargaining chip.

"Spread the word. I want to see who's interested in my Cloud Mist Immortal City and what they can offer!"

...

The Ma family immediately announced that they were unable to manage Yunyan Immortal City properly and planned to divide the power of Yunyan Immortal City into three parts. They were willing to cooperate by introducing two more companies to jointly govern Yunyan Immortal City.

Upon hearing this news, ambitious figures in the Western Regions saw the delicious pastry and began to make bilateral contacts and exert their efforts in secret. Among them, the most enthusiastic were True Person Bibo, supported by Guanlan Immortal City, and True Person Ziyu, supported by Lingji Island.

Besides these two most competitive companies, the other competitors have not given up either. After all, the Ma family has its own demands and does not just look at who has the strongest backers.

"Lingji Island? Or Guanlan Immortal City?"

The patriarch of the Ma family attempted to uncover the forces secretly investing in the Two-Headed Lizard. Through his observation and judgment, he became certain that there were human forces behind the Two-Headed Lizard, and that someone was plotting against the Ma family. However, he did not know the true purpose of such a scheme.

"Guanlan Immortal City?"

The Qi family of Guanlan Immortal City is the most likely to produce those dragon scales. Although the Purple Dragon Pavilion bought back a lot of Black Dragon Emperor's relics at a high price back then, it is normal for each family to have some leftovers, especially since Guanlan Immortal City is closest to the Dark Sea.

"Fine, fine, so it was your Guanlan Immortal City that plotted against me, huh? Well then, I'll make sure you don't get away with it!"

...

Ichthyosaur Islands

With a heavy heart, the island lord of Lingjiao Island visited Lin Haichao again. Without the support of the Lin family, they also tried to negotiate with the Ma family, but to no avail. They were not even given a second glance by the Ma family.

He's still not giving up, so he has to try again.

However, this time he brought new news:
"Senior Lin, have you ever heard that Old Man Ma has a special treasure?"

"I have heard that Fellow Daoist Ma has used a very special treasure to kill several powerful enemies."

"Senior Lin, have you heard that a powerful creature with overwhelming blood-red light appeared in Cloud Mist Immortal City a few days ago?"

"Oh? I've never heard of that before. Please enlighten me, Island Master Mei."

The Lin family also had intelligence agents operating in Yunyan Immortal City, so they naturally knew some of the surface phenomena, but they did not recognize the blood-red thing.

"When Ma Laogui clashed with the two-headed lizard, a blood-path creature with the aura of a third-tier being carried the heavily injured Ma Jiaxin back to Yunyan Immortal City. Others might not recognize the creature's identity and might be deceived by it, but I know that it was a third-tier blood puppet, which was Ma Laogui's trump card in killing powerful enemies many times!"

In order to gain the support of the Lin family, Island Master Mei no longer concealed anything.

"Blood puppet? Flesh puppet? A demonic technique!"

"Exactly!"

"When the Ma family settled in Yunyan, they must have handed over their merits, right? With the background check conducted by Thousand Star City, how could they be..."

"It's not necessarily the case that one must be a member of the demonic path to obtain demonic methods. Have you ever heard of the name Blood Puppet Ancestor, Fellow Daoist Lin?"

"The Blood Puppet Ancestor? You mean the Blood Puppet True Monarch who dominated the outer seas hundreds of years ago, killing countless people just to extract souls and refine them for materials, and finally provoked the Nascent Soul cultivators of Thousand Star City, and was hunted down and disappeared?"

"It is indeed this person! I have reasonable grounds to suspect that Old Ghost Ma's third-tier blood puppet came from the tomb of Blood Puppet True Monarch, because..."

Island Master Mei had spent many years mingling in the outer seas and secretly investigated the Ma family for many years, so he already had a complete plan for this information.

"...Therefore, I believe we can find the location of the Blood Puppet True Monarch's tomb through the things in the Ma family's possession, and thus obtain his inheritance! That's the inheritance of a Nascent Soul cultivator! Its value is immeasurable!"

"I see!"

Lin Haichao found it unbelievable after listening to Island Master Mei's explanation; he hadn't expected that it would involve the inheritance of Nascent Soul cultivators.

"I need to think about this matter. Whatever the outcome, I will give you a definite answer. As for the Blood Puppet, I swear I will not reveal it to anyone!"

This matter is far-reaching, and Lin Haichao feels that the Lin family might not be able to handle it. If they rashly get involved, it will likely bring more trouble than good.

(End of this chapter)