Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Three light boats lined up in a row, cutting through the vast sea fog, speeding southeastward. As far as the eye could see, there was only the boundless, deep blue ocean, with waves rolling and surging endlessly.

The spiritual energy in the air grew increasingly intense, surging like a tide, carrying the unique grandeur and wildness of the ancient ocean, rushing towards us.

The disciples of the three sects stood at the bow of the boat, all of them deeply shaken. For the first time, they truly realized how narrow-minded they had been, confined to the territory of their three sects.

Yi Azhu leaned against the ship's railing, her bright eyes gazing into the distance: "So, at the end of the sea, there's still more sea..."

Chen Dagang rubbed his hands together, his face full of eager anticipation: "This vast sea area must hold countless rare and precious treasures!"

Yunxi and Su Lingyue stood quietly to the side, their delicate brows slightly furrowed. They seemed to sense an indescribable chilling aura, yet they could not find any trace of it.

Lin Yan stood alone at the bow of the wave-breaking flying boat, his eyes closed and silent.

As soon as he sailed out of the outer sea of ​​Laoshan, the "Azure Sea Emperor Technique" circulating in his dantian began to throb faintly. A true essence of the sea tide, inherited from the Sea Emperor, pulsated more and more clearly as he ventured deeper into the open ocean. There was also a faint and obscure aura mixed in with the surging spiritual energy, extremely faint and hidden, yet it could not escape his perception.

Lin Yan felt a chill run down his spine. This aura was definitely not the residual earth fire turbidity of the Crimson Fire Reef. It was sinister, bloody, and carried a withered and ferocious aura. It was clearly the aura of the awakened Guixu Bone Demon, intertwined with the evil power of the Blood Fiend Sect.

He instantly understood—the Bone Demon's strange movements that the Blood Fiend Sect had been waiting for so long had come once again.

On one hand, they used this to disturb the heavens and earth, shake open the secret realm, and attract the scattered forces of the three sects; on the other hand, they must have already sent forces to secretly detour and plot to hide the crystal spiritual vein. All of this is simply a plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain.

In half a day, the sea ahead gradually became lively.

One after another, strangely shaped and spiritually imposing flying boats broke through the air from all directions, some resembling giant tortoises, others like flying cranes... their grandeur far surpassing that of the three sects' ships.

The people on the boat were unlike anything the disciples of the three sects had ever seen before; their appearances and demeanors were distinctly different.

Some were dressed in brocade robes embroidered with spiritual herb patterns, their accessories exquisite and luxurious; others wore deep blue and black fur robes with icy patterns, exuding a chilling aura; some wore short jackets and straw hats, their figures agile and their actions swift and decisive; some wore earthy yellow, brown, and red robes, adorned with bone ornaments and masks, their aura obscure and cold, their fingertips gleaming with blood, always lurking in the shadows, silent, their sinister gaze sweeping across the scene, silently observing; some wore plain, wide robes, their bodies exuding an elegant, scholarly air; some wore long robes with water-patterned patterns, the fabric resembling the flowing light of the deep sea, their steps accompanied by the faint sound of the tide; some wore fiery red cloaks, flames flickering in their hair, their aura fierce and flamboyant; still others wore jade crowns, their robes fluttering, their spiritual energy condensed to the point of being almost misty, their depths unfathomable at a glance.

The male cultivators were tall and handsome, while the female cultivators possessed unparalleled beauty and ethereal grace. They chatted and laughed in small groups, their accents completely different from those of the Laoshan cultivators, and their vocabulary unfamiliar and difficult to understand. They were completely unaware of the group of low-key and mysterious masked cultivators beside them.

The disciples of the three sects could only vaguely judge from the other party's clothing, magical artifacts, and demeanor that these people were all extraterrestrial cultivators from beyond the southern ocean, with extremely powerful backgrounds and were by no means ordinary people.

The entire sea was teeming with unfamiliar figures, their overwhelming presence directly overshadowing the three sects of Laoshan, Qingyun, and Shuiyue. Deep within the crowd, however, a few wisps of sinister energy grew increasingly dense, yet remained perfectly concealed.

The disciples of the three sects subconsciously suppressed their auras, their hearts filled with indescribable shock. They suddenly realized that there were so many cultivators in this world besides the cultivators of the three sects; that their talents and cultivation, which they were so proud of, were perhaps insignificant in the face of this vast world.

Ye Qing said in a low voice, "These people...we've never seen them before..."

Shen Qinghan gripped the sword hilt tightly, his expression grave: "Judging from their demeanor, they are all exceptional talents. However, it seems there are other forces operating in this sea area."

Su Lingyue, Yun Xi, and the other girls exchanged glances, all seeing shock and unease in each other's eyes.

At that very moment—

The heavens and earth suddenly trembled!

At the very center of the Crimson Fire Reef Islands, the void suddenly cracked open!

A pillar of light shot into the sky, its upper half crimson like a raging inferno, and its lower half azure like an ancient, deep sea. The two forces intertwined and condensed in mid-air into an ancient and majestic phantom of a giant gate.

The door patterns resemble ocean waves and flames, vast and ancient, exuding power and dominance.

"The secret realm has opened!"

"It's an ancient ruin!"

The sea surface instantly boiled, and countless figures soared into the air, rushing towards the two-colored giant gate.

A barely perceptible glint of bloodlust flashed in the eyes of the group of masked monks adorned with bone ornaments as they blended seamlessly into the edge of the crowd.

They were just a small part of the elite forces that the Blood Fiend Sect had split off from, led by Li Guichou, and their mission was only to contain and monitor them.

In order to seize the Hidden Crystal Spirit Vein, the Blood Fiend Sect has handed over more than half of its main force to its sect leader, Mo Tu, to launch a surprise attack on Laoshan via a detour. Its own power has been split in two, and it is no longer at its peak.

Lin Yan stood at the bow of the boat, his heart suddenly clenching.

That aura of the gate... he was all too familiar with it; it was indeed the same aura as the Sea God Temple at the Guixu Sea Mouth back then!

What made his expression turn slightly colder was that the awakening of the Bone Demon and the opening of the secret realm occurred almost simultaneously, with an eerily precise timing.

The so-called appearance of the secret realm is nothing more than a facade created by the Blood Fiend Sect using the power of the Bone Demon. Their true purpose has always been the hidden crystal spiritual vein beneath Laoshan Mountain.

The so-called origin of the Heavenly Fire is an illusion from beginning to end.

What is truly about to emerge from this place is a secret mansion belonging to the Canglan Sea Emperor, connected to the Sea God Temple!

Countless geniuses in the audience were blinded by the crimson appearance and were completely unaware of this shocking conspiracy targeting the three sects.

Only he could see through the imperial aura of the sea hidden beneath the crimson glow, and also understand the Blood Fiend Sect's vicious intention to lure the tiger away from the mountain and secretly seize the spiritual vein.

Lin Yan remained calm and composed, his fingertips slightly twirling, and a barely perceptible wisp of sea spiritual energy quietly shot out, transforming into an almost invisible communication talisman light that shot straight towards Laoshan.

He concealed his presence using the Sea Emperor's secret technique, and no one in the entire venue noticed him, not even the Blood Fiend spies hiding in the shadows.

The message contained only one sentence:

"The Blood Fiend Sect is using the secret realm to lure us away from the mountain while their main force attacks. We must quickly guard the Hidden Crystal Spirit Vein and defend it with utmost vigilance."

After doing all this, he took a deep breath, suppressed the churning power of the Sea Emperor in his dantian, turned around and looked at the crowd behind him, his voice steady and solemn.

"The secret realm has opened, but it is fraught with danger and unpredictable. Undercurrents are surging all around, and hidden dangers lurk. Everyone must stay close to me, do not act on your own, and do not engage in conflict with unfamiliar cultivators. Be on high alert at all times. I have already sent a message to the rear of the sect informing us of the situation."

The three boats accelerated simultaneously, cutting through the waves and slowly approaching the mysterious sea where crimson and azure intertwined.

Upon reaching the base of the giant gate, Lin Yan took the lead in activating the "Azure Sea Emperor Technique." The sound of the tide in his dantian merged with the Sea Emperor's inheritance, and azure deep-sea spiritual energy condensed at his fingertips. The moment he touched the barrier, a narrow gate appeared. The spiritual energy around him resonated with the patterns on the giant gate, and he stepped in safely. Shen Qinghan followed closely behind, her cyan-white sword spiritual energy resonating with the two spirits, and she stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

Yunxi enhanced her spiritual energy with spiritual mist, Su Lingyue used the Water Mirror Technique to stabilize her mind, Chen Dagang withstood the pressure with his physical body, and Yi Azhu easily passed through using her spirit essence. The group stepped into the narrow gate one after another. The cultivators from beyond the realm activated their elemental spiritual energy, and dozens of passages appeared around the giant gate. They rushed in, and the remaining disciples of the three sects followed one after another. The cultivators from the Three Spiritual Lotus Boats passed through the barrier one after another, and the energy fluctuations at the entrance of the secret realm gradually stabilized.