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Chapter 374 - Chapter 374: A Lonely Island in the Sea, Treasure That Moves the Heart

At the bow of the ship, Ning Tianchen and his group experienced their first sunrise at sea from the perspective of standing on a ship.

Under Ning Tianchen's protection, Ning Rongrong stood at the bow, arms outstretched to embrace the ocean breeze.

By now, the crew of the Manta Ray was no longer the original crew. To ensure the safety of the voyage, Chen Haobai was busy training the sailors to adapt to the environment aboard the Manta Ray.

When the sun rose higher, Chen Haobai reminded everyone, "The wind is strong at sea, and with the direct sunlight, it's easy to get sunburned."

This reminder was clearly aimed at Ning Rongrong, the noblewoman.

Sailing across the ocean was a monotonous process.

At first, Ning Tianchen and his group were filled with curiosity, fascinated by everything in the sea. 

But as their curiosity waned, they began to feel like prisoners, developing a sense of resistance in their hearts.

They had considered meditating or cultivating to pass the time.

However, the ship rocked violently when encountering waves, making it impossible for them to focus.

Several days later, the ship passed by an island.

While sending people ashore to replenish fresh water, Chen Haobai also prepared several fishing rods for the group to pass the time on the ship.

"The types of fish and shrimp vary depending on the region of the sea. Perhaps this new experience will help ease your mood," he suggested.

At first, Ning Tianchen and the others were not used to fishing, but as time went on, they gradually calmed down. They began fishing at sunrise every day, sometimes even continuing late into the night.

---

More than a month after setting sail, an island appeared along the path of the Manta Ray.

Chen Haobai carefully compared the nautical charts and was thoroughly perplexed.

Islands were essential for replenishing fresh water and food, and it was every captain's duty to know the locations of islands in frequently visited waters.

Ning Tianchen happened to be on the bridge at the time and, upon hearing Chen Haobai's explanation, smiled. "Perhaps you rarely came to this area before and never noticed this island."

The sea stretched endlessly, and the ship felt like a tiny leaf floating on its vast expanse.

The island appeared large, but the curvature of the horizon made it difficult to spot low-lying islands without tall mountains from a distance.

The first mate explained, "Our ship often fishes in these waters, and we've never seen this island before."

After a pause, his face lit up with excitement. "In the past, many people have struck it rich at sea. I believe there might be treasure buried on this island!"

The number of ruins in the sea was no less than those on land.

Tens of thousands of years ago, many powerful individuals who were nearing the end of their lives would venture into the ocean to seek opportunities and breakthroughs to extend their lifespans.

Unfortunately, very few had succeeded in finding such opportunities before their time ran out. Most perished along the way.

Humans weren't aquatic creatures, and even soul masters specializing in the sea preferred to die on land in their final moments.

This was why the first mate was so excited.

On the other hand, Chen Haobai appeared deeply troubled, seemingly reluctant to dock the ship near the shore.

"We've never been to this island before, and we don't know the surrounding waters. If we hit a reef, our small crew won't be able to pull the Manta Ray free."

The first mate dismissed his concerns. "Captain, we're all soul masters. One of us has the strength of dozens of ordinary people. Besides, how likely is it for the ship to run aground?"

"Give me a small boat, and I'll take some men to scout ahead and check the waters."

Ning Tianchen couldn't quite figure out what the two were thinking.

The captain and the first mate had opposing opinions. Logically, everyone should follow the captain's advice, but the second and third mates were eager to jump in, already preparing to lower a lifeboat.

"What do you think, honored guests?"

Chen Haobai didn't want to forcefully reject the first mate's suggestion, so he turned to Ning Tianchen.

"I don't care."

After a pause, Ning Tianchen continued, "Let's dock. It's been too long since we've stood on solid ground—I feel uneasy."

Of course, if there really was treasure on the island, it could bring some excitement to their tedious voyage.

"Alright," Chen Haobai relented.

The first mate selected a few sailors to accompany him as they boarded a lifeboat and sailed ahead of the Manta Ray to scout the waters.

Ning Tianchen returned to the deck and informed everyone of the news.

"Finally, we can set foot on solid ground!" Oscar reeled in his fishing rod and stretched lazily.

The others quickly followed.

Only Chen Huayu was still fishing. His fishing rod was bent into a crescent shape, his muscles bulging as he strained with all his might to reel in the catch.

By now, the fishing rods they used had been improved multiple times and were unlikely to snap under pressure.

Otherwise, any fish with a bit of strength could easily break the rod—how could they fish?

"Everyone, come help! It's a huge fish!" Chen Huayu gritted his teeth.

He was a power-type soul master, and even without activating his martial spirit, his strength surpassed that of Feng Xiaotian.

What kind of fish could possibly require so much effort?

Without wasting time, Ning Tianchen leaned over the railing and peered into the water below.

Feng Xiaotian and Oscar joined in, helping Chen Huayu steady the fishing rod.

Ning Tianchen's spiritual power penetrated the surface of the water, searching for the prey beneath.

Suddenly, his eyebrows twitched.

Below the surface, a massive creature was clamped onto the hook. As the line tightened, the behemoth gradually surfaced.

Without hesitation, Ning Tianchen shot a streak of sword qi from his fingertips, severing the fishing line.

Before Chen Huayu and the others could react, they tumbled onto the deck.

"You've hooked a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast—it looks like some kind of whale."

As he spoke, Ning Tianchen quickly warned Chen Haobai to steer the Manta Ray away from the area.

Whale-type soul beasts were usually gentle and rarely attacked ships on the surface.

But if this giant decided to leap out of the water and attempt to clear the ship's bow, it would spell disaster for the Manta Ray.

Even if the whale didn't land on the ship, the massive waves created by its body crashing back into the water could shatter the hull.

Chen Haobai didn't hesitate. He took the helm himself and accelerated away from the area.

Ning Tianchen summoned his sword wings and hovered above the ship.

If the creature tried to leap out of the water, he would act immediately to stop it.

Feng Xiaotian and the others also prepared for battle.

Chen Huayu let out a bitter laugh, realizing the trouble he had caused.

Moments later, the deep blue water beneath the ship turned pitch black—the massive creature was about to surface.

Ning Tianchen summoned the Coiling Dragon Seven Kill Sword, ready to strike at any moment.

The giant whale beneath the water seemed to sense the threat. It stopped rising and instead dove deeper into the ocean.

Seeing the crisis averted, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn, whale-type soul beasts are enormous—they nearly scared me to death!"

Oscar collapsed on the deck, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Thank goodness Tianchen kept an eye on things. If we had pulled that thing aboard, we wouldn't have known what to do," Feng Xiaotian sighed in relief.

---

The first mate steered the small boat and quickly found a safe channel for the Manta Ray.

The Manta Ray dropped anchor 200 meters away from the island, and Chen Haobai arranged for everyone to disembark one by one.

However, someone had to stay behind to guard the ship. As captain, Chen Haobai, along with the navigator, remained on board.

Ning Tianchen and the others consumed Oscar's flying mushroom sausages and were the first to land.

Stepping onto the island, everyone felt an immense sense of stability.

"This island is huge. Could it really have treasure?" 

Chen Huayu jumped onto a tall coconut tree by the shore and gazed toward the interior of the island.

While approaching the island, Ning Tianchen had observed its size.

There were no tall mountains on the island, and from a great distance, it was hard to spot.

The island was quite large, much bigger than the ones they had landed on before.

If there were any stranded ships nearby, their crew might have survived on this island.

It was also possible that someone had moved here to escape persecution from enemies.

Over time, these people would take root on the island and develop a unique culture.

"What's there to be afraid of? If there are savages, wouldn't that indirectly prove there's treasure here?" Chen Huayu joked. "Besides, there aren't many soul beasts gathered here. Even if there are people living on the island, their cultivation would be limited by the lack of soul rings, so they wouldn't pose much of a threat."

Ning Tianchen cautioned, "It's better to be careful. We can't rule out the possibility of pirates being on the island."

With their strength, they could definitely protect themselves if they encountered pirates, but the other crew members on the Manta Ray might not be so lucky.

Without the crew, the ship wouldn't be able to sail far.

Under Ning Tianchen's arrangement, the eight of them split into two small teams to explore the island from two different directions.

The island was rich in resources, with tropical fruits hanging abundantly in the trees.

There were also several freshwater streams, their flow heading not toward the sea but deeper into the island.

Ning Tianchen speculated that there was likely a large lake at the center of the island, capable of providing the Manta Ray with a substantial supply of fresh water.

---

Throughout the day, Ning Tianchen and his group explored the island.

Aside from some unusual plants, there were no signs of human habitation or activity—no living creatures at all.

This wasn't surprising. The island was far from the mainland, and seabirds couldn't fly this far.

By evening, everyone regrouped at the landing site.

Chen Haobai had the crew catch seafood like fish, crabs, and shrimp, and they held a bonfire party.

Before setting out, the Manta Ray had prepared plenty of seasonings for cooking seafood, so eating fish and shrimp didn't feel bland.

When Ning Tianchen and the others arrived, the crew brought out a large barrel of alcohol from the ship's hold.

After all, what's a bonfire party without drinks?

"Esteemed guests, come and try this," Chen Haobai called out.

At this time, the second and third mates were guarding the Manta Ray. Once the party reached its halfway point, Chen Haobai and the navigator would switch shifts with them.

In short, someone always had to be on the ship.

There were countless examples of ships being seized by pirates while crews rested carelessly on islands.

Additionally, the tides constantly changed, and rising water levels could carry the ship away. Having someone on board ensured the anchor chain could be adjusted as needed.

As the captain, Chen Haobai naturally couldn't afford to make such a basic mistake.

"Did you find anything?" Ning Tianchen asked.

Feng Xiaotian shook his head. "This seems to be just a secluded island. We might be the first people to set foot here in decades."

---

Ning Tianchen's guess was correct: there was indeed a lake at the center of the island, gathering water sources from all over.

However, this freshwater lake was only about a meter deep, with more water likely flowing out to the sea through underground currents.

After confirming the lake was freshwater, Chen Haobai arranged for the crew to come and collect water to replenish the Manta Ray's supplies.

The lake was quite far from the shore, and it took the sailors over an hour to make a single trip. Thus, the process of refilling water was slow, and the ship would have to remain anchored here for several more days.

The first mate hadn't given up on finding treasure on the island and continued searching privately.

But if Ning Tianchen and the others couldn't find anything, how could he possibly succeed alone?

Over the next few days, there was no rain on the island, and with the crew continuously drawing water, the lake's water level dropped significantly.

One day, a sailor fetching water noticed something unusual in the lake and shouted, "Look! There's a cave beneath the surface!"

The surrounding water was crystal clear, making the underwater cave particularly conspicuous.

Two other sailors gathered around, and after a brief discussion, decided to dive down and investigate.

To avoid complications from complex underwater conditions, they decided that one person would go down while the other two stayed onshore, holding the rope.

An hour passed unnoticed.

When the sailors didn't return to the Manta Ray, Chen Haobai grew worried that they might have encountered trouble and immediately sent the first mate and a few sailors to check it out.

Ning Tianchen and the others followed out of curiosity.

"Could there be soul beasts on the island, and these sailors were attacked?" Oscar couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

Ning Tianchen kicked him lightly, reminding him, "If soul beasts attacked, we'd definitely have noticed. Don't spout nonsense and shake morale."

Oscar shrank back, not daring to speak further.

For convenience in fetching water, the sailors had manually cleared a path.

The first mate and the sailors hurried ahead, while Ning Tianchen and the others followed leisurely.

Suddenly, sounds of fighting came from ahead.

Ning Tianchen, with his keen perception, immediately rushed over.

---

The cave discovered by the sailors was an underwater passage, leading to a hidden chamber at the end.

The chamber was above water level, allowing them to breathe freely inside.

While exploring, the sailors quickly discovered a large stash of gold and silver treasures hidden under the rocks.

One of the sailors took some of the treasure and surfaced, intending to divide it with the other two sailors when the first mate and his group arrived just in time.

Instantly, the two sides faced off.

"First Mate, this treasure has nothing to do with you. Get lost," one of the sailors said.

The first mate, being a greedy man, sneered. "If you don't make it back, what use is this treasure to you?"

"Heh, whoever sees it gets a share. Let's split it. When we return, I can even help cover for you."

One of the sailors angrily retorted, "Who the hell would believe your lies? Once the treasure's on the ship, there won't be any left for us!"

With no common ground, the two sides began to fight.

To ensure safety during the voyage, Ning Tianchen had deliberately recruited a group of sailors with soul master-level cultivation.

These sailors weren't ordinary people either, with an average strength of over Level 20.

Though the first mate was a Soul Elder, he couldn't subdue them quickly.

Moreover, the sailors he brought weren't united, and the battle gradually turned into a chaotic free-for-all.

In the chaos, the sailors instinctively teamed up to take down the strongest opponent—the first mate—to balance the odds.

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