Starting with warding off evil and disaster, one can ascend to immortality after countless tribulati

"Damn it, they've really messed things up for us. Brothers, leave a few to guard the boat, and the rest of you go help out."

Otherwise, if their ship sinks, we probably won't be in good shape either.

He made the decision with a furrowed brow.

boom!

The noise from the bow of the ship made Han Cheng frown, and he immediately sent someone to investigate.

"Oh no! It's Ironbone Demon Fish! There's a huge group of them. Their cultivation level isn't high, but their numbers are numerous."

The metal sheeting at the bow of our ship is about to give way.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ming, who was in mid-air, immediately went over. He had been watching from above but hadn't noticed the demon fish gathering.

After a careful examination, I finally understood the reason.

The Iron-Bone Demon Fish were extremely small, only the size of an arm. Most importantly, they kept gathering from the bottom of the ship, which happened to be in Jiang Ming's blind spot.

Moreover, the sea is the natural habitat of demonic fish.

Ordinary methods of perception also become ineffective.

Seeing that the bow of the boat was almost damaged, he took out the Thunderbolt that Xu Youwei had given him from his pocket.

After a long silence, Jiang Ming calmly threw it out, instantly killing a large number of demonic fish.

"Wow, it's actually a Heavenly Thunder Stone! Brother Jiang's family is quite wealthy. Made by the Xu family's master weapon refiner, its power is truly terrifying!"

"Isn't this item prohibited from sale? How did it get leaked out?"

"...Stop worrying about all that useless stuff, get to the salvage operation and then hold our ship!"

Overjoyed, Han Cheng came over to inspect the results of the battle. He looked astonished and nodded emphatically, saying, "This Heavenly Thunder Spear has made a great contribution. Otherwise, with so many Iron-Bone Demon Fish attacking together, the bow of the ship wouldn't have been able to hold out for long."

"Leave this to me, you go help them."

Seeing that the pressure on this side had eased, Han Cheng gave an order, and some of the Cheng family members followed Jiang Ming and jumped onto the fishing boat of the rogue cultivators.

"Fellow Daoist, over here, over here." The voluptuous female cultivator waved repeatedly as if grasping at a straw when she saw Jiang Ming coming over.

This arrogant attitude followed by obsequious behavior is rather laughable.

Frowning, Jiang Ming went over and saw a completely different kind of demon fish under the ship's armor, a look of confusion on his face.

As the female cultivator attacked the demonic fish, she explained its weaknesses to Jiang Ming: "This fish is called the Man-Eating Pomfret, and it is a kind of demonic creature that is very likely to attack people on its own initiative."

They all possess early-stage sixth-tier strength. Even with their low intelligence, their sheer number is overwhelming. We implore you for help, fellow Daoist.

Fire magic is severely limited here, and the Myriad Soul Banner cannot be used easily. After much thought, Jiang Ming had no choice but to manipulate the Soul Devouring spell.

Weakening the demonic fish like a frog being slowly boiled in water, he then continuously wielded the white bone sword, attacking the man-eating pomfret.

With a single sweep of the sword, corpses littered the field in an instant.

This demonic fish has strong attack power, but its defense is terrible.

In just one encounter, Jiang Ming almost wiped them all out.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist." Staring blankly at Jiang Ming, the voluptuous female cultivator recalled her bold words before setting sail, and her face immediately turned as red as a monkey's bottom. She was too embarrassed to look up.

Following the same method, they helped resolve the crisis at the stern. The burly man leading the group bowed deeply to Jiang Ming, his eyes filled with regret.

"I am a rogue cultivator, and I was blind to your greatness. I underestimated your abilities."

"If you are willing to stay on the ship, I, Zhao Yi, am willing to treat you with a guaranteed minimum reward of five hundred spirit stones per trip."

"I don't care." Jiang Ming waved his hand and turned to leave.

The voluptuous female cultivator gently caught up with him, grabbed his sleeve, and said with undisguised shame, "I'm sorry, we're just too afraid of being poor, that's why we don't dare to easily recruit experts."

Firstly, they worry that the other party will make exorbitant demands, and secondly, they fear they won't be able to offer a suitable reward.

Furthermore, we were indeed in the wrong today; we shouldn't have forced you to lend a hand.

"My name is Zhao Ling. If you ever need anything at sea in the future, please don't hesitate to ask. My daughter and I will do our best to repay your kindness."

"You're overthinking it. At first, I just wanted to board the ship and gain some experience."

As for repaying me, please stay away from me, it's bad luck...

After cleaning up the demonic fish he had killed, Jiang Ming turned away indifferently.

He didn't hate either of them, but he definitely didn't like them either.

"We are so sorry, these spirit stones are just a small token of our appreciation. Please accept them."

Seeing that Jiang Ming was indeed a highly skilled expert, Zhao Yi completely abandoned his pride and took the initiative to curry favor with him.

Looking at the spirit stones offered by the other party, Jiang Ming did not refuse this time.

No one would turn down their own interests, and he is currently short of resources.

Although these three hundred spirit stones are not much, they are of great importance, as they are related to whether he can enter the inner sect as soon as possible and see a brand new world.

Seeing Jiang Ming accept the spirit stones, Zhao Yi's eyes lit up with joy. He patted his daughter behind him and said righteously.

"Fellow Daoist, we all make a living at sea. If there's an opportunity in the future, please help us out."

"After we disembark, please come over for a chat. I'll have Ling'er drink with you then as an apology..."

Zhao Ling leaned closer, her full breasts swaying, and intentionally or unintentionally rubbed against Jiang Ming's arm.

Jiang Ming frowned but didn't say anything, though a question arose in his mind.

This family is truly bizarre—a self-righteous father and a naive daughter; they're really going too far.

She hurriedly flew away on her sword. Looking at Jiang Ming's back, Zhao Ling looked infatuated and sighed regretfully, "Father, if only we had listened to Second Uncle."

I shouldn't have rejected him. I tried to seduce him, but he didn't react at all. He obviously wasn't interested in me.

Let's not bother with him; I'm afraid we'll just humiliate ourselves.

Shaking his head, Zhao Yi seemed quite confident in his daughter's looks and whispered a reminder.

"No, you don't understand. All men are the same, especially at this age. When a woman comes to them, no one will refuse."

After you disembark, dress up attractively and try to win him over, just like you did with the previous sailors. Give in a few times, and you'll eventually get him back.

Blushing, Zhao Ling reluctantly agreed. Although she felt ashamed, a strong sense of anticipation rose in her heart.

……

As the Zhao family sailed away in their fishing boat, Han Cheng raised his eyebrows and cursed angrily, "This time we almost got into serious trouble because of them."

If there hadn't been no casualties, I would have taught them a lesson.

"They gave me three hundred spirit stones. Let's keep them and divide them after we disembark."

Jiang Ming handed over the spirit stones with a sincere expression.

Seeing this, Han Cheng quickly shook his head and refused, "No, how could I possibly accept it?"

Without your help, this trouble would not have been resolved so easily. You can keep the spirit stones for yourself.

"We'll split the catch evenly once it's brought up."

After a few moments of pushing and shoving, Han Cheng stubbornly refused to accept it.

Jiang Ming went along with it, putting the spirit stones into his storage bag and then quietly waiting to close the deal.

As evening approached, it was almost time to leave.

Han Cheng stood up, waved his hand, and called out loudly, "Brothers who are closing down internet cafes, I hope we can make a good profit this time."

Pulling on the rope, the Cheng family disciples gathered together, pulling the lever in unison, and the fishing net in the deep sea gradually rose to the surface.

It revealed many fat fish as thick as thighs.

It looks brightly colored and very beautiful, quite like a treasure fish.

"Great, this harvest is pretty good, about 20,000 spirit stones. If we split it among ourselves, we'll each get at least 200."

Looking back at Jiang Ming, Han Cheng's eyes were full of joy.

At first, he thought fishing was a boring and tedious job, but he gradually came to like it because of the strong sense of accomplishment it brought.

The abundant catch of fish was almost equivalent to a heavy load of spirit stones, which made people feel happy and wish they could have more.

"How often do you go out to sea on average?" Jiang Ming asked curiously, kicking away a plump fish that was thrashing about at his feet.

With a wry smile and a shake of his head, Han Cheng patiently explained, "That's hard to say. Even if we are cultivators, we still have to consider the weather when we go out to sea."

In some extreme weather conditions, the demon fish have to come out to sea to breathe, and many demon fish with seventh or eighth-level strength will surface.

In addition, the Great Zhou Dynasty imposed restrictions on fishing, so on average, it was considered good if a boat could go out three times a month.

This month, the Cheng family has also used up all their permits for going to sea.

If we want to go out to sea again, we'll have to wait until next month.

Hearing Han Cheng's lament, Jiang Ming felt helpless.

He initially thought that fishing was a good way to earn spirit stones, but now it seems that it is not.

A monthly limit of one thousand spirit stones is hardly a good option for his current cultivation level.

Back in Tongzhou, we could try our luck and find a hunting team to try and hunt down the monster.

He has found quite a few resources, and by calculation, he is still about three thousand spirit stones short before he can be confident in making a breakthrough.

In other words, besides the profits from this trip, he still needs to acquire at least two thousand more spirit stones, a long and arduous task ahead.

Only by doing everything possible to make money can one enter the inner circle as soon as possible.

The sea breeze was damp and chilly, making one's clothes feel cold.

After sailing for an hour, the ship slowly approached the shore, where many cultivators from various families gathered, discussing among themselves.

Jiang Ming was somewhat surprised to see Cheng Ya, who was dressed in a red dress and had an outstanding temperament, in the crowd.

Similarly, Cheng Ya's mouth dropped open, her face showing surprise.

I never expected to see Jiang Ming on this occasion.

"Thank goodness, you guys were lucky and didn't encounter that ninth-tier demon fish."

The He family's fishing boat was wrecked, and many people died. I was worried about you, so I came to check on you.

After explaining to Han Cheng, Cheng Ya sniffed at the fishy smell on Jiang Ming, showing a slight dislike.

But she still leaned closer in a friendly manner and greeted me softly, "Your cultivation progress has been quite good lately, you're almost catching up with me."

With a gentle smile, Jiang Ming inhaled the delicate fragrance emanating from Cheng Ya, his mood instantly brightening. He humbly replied, "Still a long way off. How have you been lately?"

"Everything is fine. The Cheng family has settled down now, so this is a good opportunity to entertain you."

Let's talk about it when we get back. I'm just very happy that nothing happened to you.

Leading the way, Cheng Ya's seventh-level cultivation attracted the envy of many young masters from aristocratic families, who stared at her and discussed her with great interest.

In the corner, Zhao Ling and her father had been waiting for a long time. In order to seduce Jiang Ming, she specially changed into a very tight-fitting long dress, showing off her voluptuous figure to the fullest.

However, compared to Cheng Ya's stunning figure and extraordinary family background, everything else pales in comparison.

The father and daughter exchanged a glance, shook their heads with bitter smiles, and slunk away, not even daring to go over and greet Jiang Ming.

half an hour.

Back at the Cheng family home, Cheng Ya went into the guest room, lit the oil lamp, warmed a pot of tea, and carefully poured it for Jiang Ming.

"Why did you suddenly decide to go to sea? You're running out of spirit stones, do you need me to help you out?"

Although Cheng Ya acted with composure and grace, Jiang Ming still didn't have the nerve to agree.

He was only a little over two thousand spirit stones short, and he was confident he could raise the money even without anyone's help. He quickly waved his hand, declining Cheng Ya's offer.

"Thanks, but I can't accept it. In the end, one has to rely on oneself. You're the one who taught me this."

With a slight pursed lip, Cheng Ya didn't seem to care. She raised an eyebrow and said with a touch of melancholy, "Thoughts change over time."

No matter how hard I tried in the past, I never gained as much as the younger generation who almost all failed.

Actually, after thinking it over, I realize it's all thanks to you. Otherwise, if I had gone to Ryuchi Cave that time, I probably wouldn't have escaped death either.

Cheng Ya downed the tea in one gulp, reminiscing as she sighed.

She stared intently at Jiang Ming, seeing that he still showed no sign of wavering.

He could only shake his head in exasperation, his face full of helplessness. "Fine, do as you please, but as a friend..."

I can help you choose a suitable place for your breakthrough. The Cheng family has an island specifically for fire-element cultivators to use for breakthroughs.

When you reach the perfect state and have collected all the necessary treasures, you can tell me.

I'll inform the clan elders and take you to the island for your breakthrough. It will be safer there, and it will also increase your chances of success.

"Can a breakthrough fail?" Jiang Ming stared in astonishment, his surprise undisguised.

Cheng Ya rolled her eyes at him, nodded, and said softly, "Of course, the seventh level is a watershed moment."

Without the necessary treasures, suitable rituals, and a reliable place to break through bottlenecks, all of these factors can lead to failure in the breakthrough process.

Furthermore, after one failure, the probability of a breakthrough the next time immediately decreases by 30%, so there is no absolute certainty.

You must not be impatient for quick results and jeopardize important matters.

Fearing that Jiang Ming might act irrationally, Cheng Ya considerately reminded him, then pondered for a moment, raised her finger, and looked thoughtful.

"By the way, the best treasure in the furnace is called the Bright Furnace Earth Core Fire. It is very precious, and it takes two thousand spirit stones to collect even a trace of it."

I'll use my connections in the Chamber of Commerce to keep an eye out for you.

Frowning, Jiang Ming recalled Zhou Yi's estimate and gradually felt relieved.

Zhou Yi's calculations were probably based on his experience at the time of his breakthrough, while Cheng Ya's considerations were a bit more extravagant.

Choose the best of everything.

If calculated based on this price, then Jiang Ming is indeed still far from breaking through, and he has enough resources to accumulate for a long time.

"What's wrong, having a problem?" Jiang Ming remained silent.

Cheng Ya immediately guessed what he was thinking.

After a moment's thought, he smiled gently, wrote down an IOU, and said clearly, "Never mind, I know you don't want to accept benefits for nothing."

In that case, I'll consider the spirit stones a loan from you. You can pay me back once you enter the inner sect, okay?

"No interest, just consider it an investment. We're both in Tongzhou anyway, and we'll likely have a lot of interaction in the future."

After careful consideration, Jiang Ming decided that Cheng Ya's words made sense.

Now that he'd been fed a free meal, he could only feast on it. "Thank you. I will repay you as soon as I have enough resources."

……