The Starry Sea was the collective name for the vast expanse of ocean bordering the southern edge of the East Loong Continent. It earned this name because countless islands, large and small, were scattered across its waters like stars adorning the night sky.
Since ancient times, the Starry Sea had been a gathering place for rogue cultivators. Naturally, numerous large and small powers also existed here, but most weren't structured like traditional sects. They were primarily alliances formed by rogue cultivators banding together for mutual benefit. Over long stretches of time, however, the nature of some organizations had shifted; for instance, some had gradually evolved into family-based clans, though we won't delve into those details now.
Of course, there were exceptions. For example, Yinghe Island, dominating a certain stretch of sea east of the Starry Sea, was a sect power – and a sixth-tier one at that. Then there was the legendary Yinlai Immortal Island, said to be hidden somewhere within the Starry Sea but never seen by anyone. Some claimed it was a seventh-tier sect, while others even asserted it was eighth-tier.
Along the fringes of the Starry Sea stood several cultivation cities, serving as vital hubs connecting the inland regions to the vast ocean. Each was controlled by a major local power. Zhenhai City was one such city.
'Zhenhai' meant 'Guarding the Sea'. Zhenhai City commanded considerable respect among the cultivators of the Starry Sea because it lived up to its name, playing a crucial role in defense and protection. Whenever a beast tide surged forth, Zhenhai City would open its gates to all nearby cultivators, rallying to fend off the invasion and safeguard the city. Compared to the other coastal cultivation cities, Zhenhai City might not be the absolute strongest in raw power, but it possessed something unique: an exceptionally potent fifth-tier defensive formation array. This was unmatched by the others, ensuring that Zhenhai City consistently suffered the least losses during large-scale beast tides.
Noon, Zhenhai City Teleportation Facility.
One of the teleportation arrays flashed with white light, and a large group of people materialized out of thin air. This array was clearly far more advanced than the one Lin Feng had used back in Xuan Array City; it could teleport a staggering fifty people at once. The array itself was enormous, and the surrounding space was spacious, so the sudden appearance of so many people didn't cause crowding. After emerging, the cultivators completed entry formalities within the hall before beginning to disperse outwards.
Among the crowd, two young men walked together. One was looking around with keen interest, while the other chattered animatedly beside him.
"Brother Lin, this is Zhenhai City! You definitely made the right choice coming here. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is probably the safest place in the entire Starry Sea. Even during a major beast tide, there's nothing to fear!"
"Remember the tide three years ago? They even had a fifth-tier Demon Octopus leading it! But it still couldn't breach Zhenhai City's defensive formation! Our City Lord himself stepped out and eliminated it in the end. Not a single person inside the city walls was harmed!"
"And then there was the one before that, seven years ago now... I'd just barely formed my Golden Core back then..."
The handsome young man, whose open and cheerful nature was evident just from his appearance, enthusiastically recounted the several beast tides he'd lived through. In just the short time it took them to walk from the teleportation hall onto the bustling street outside, he had already progressed to describing his first childhood encounter with a beast tide. It looked like he was fully prepared to transition from his own 'personal experiences' to recounting the famous historical ones he'd heard about. The young man in white robes beside him glanced around at the throngs of people filling the street and said, sounding a touch helpless:
"Brother Wang, I'm feeling rather hungry. How about we find a spirit cuisine restaurant and get something to eat? My treat."
The Wang youth immediately stopped his beast tide history lesson, but his enthusiasm soared even higher, tinged with excitement.
"Great! In that case, we absolutely must go to our Sea Treasure Pavilion! Brother Lin, since it's your first time here, you have to try the spirit cuisine at the Sea Treasure Pavilion! I'm not exaggerating – the Sea Treasure Pavilion is hands down the best spirit cuisine restaurant in Zhenhai City!"
"And it just so happens I procured some excellent ingredients on my latest trip. I'll cook for you personally!"
"This... this is too much trouble. I should really pay with spirit stones as per normal..."
"Brother Lin, what kind of talk is that?! Have you forgotten I told you I'm one of the head chefs at the Sea Treasure Pavilion? Treating a guest is no trouble at all! If you refuse any further, you'll be insulting me!"
"Well... alright then. Thank you sincerely, Brother Wang."
"Also, since I'm new here, I'd appreciate it if you could tell me more about Zhenhai City and the Starry Sea in general – things to be aware of, precautions to take... though perhaps we can skip the beast tide stories for now..."
"Naturally, no problem! I'm not exaggerating when I say my knowledge of the Starry Sea surpasses even many old-timers."
"Since you've just arrived, Brother Lin, I wouldn't advise you to venture out to sea casually. If your spirit stones are sufficient, you could rent a cave dwelling up in the north of the city to stay in temporarily. Get familiar with the city surroundings first."
"If you do decide you want to go out to sea, never go alone. The Mission Hall in the south of the city always has groups of cultivators gathering. That's the place to find a team to go out with – it's much safer that way."
"But you need to be careful when choosing a team. There are plenty of cultivators here who specialize in swindling newcomers. It's best not to let anyone know you're new."
"Alternatively, I could introduce you to some reliable people. They go out regularly and are trustworthy..."
"..."
Chatting as they walked, the two merged into the bustling crowd on the street, heading north towards the city center.
The one addressed as 'Brother Lin' by the chatterbox youth was, of course, Lin Feng. After leaving the Xia Kingdom, it had taken him a full month to finally reach the Starry Sea.
The journey took so long partly because the distance was vast and required passing through numerous teleportation points, but a major factor was Lin Feng's relatively low cultivation level. After each teleportation, he needed significant time to rest and recover, sometimes even staying in a city for half a day or longer.
Since he wasn't in a desperate hurry, Lin Feng eventually started spending some time exploring each place he arrived at. He did this to rest briefly, to purchase useful natural treasures or materials, and also to discreetly sell off some of his accumulated items.
He possessed quite a collection of various magic treasures, including over a dozen flying swords alone – all spoils from defeated enemies. Having no use for them himself, he sold them off. Over the past month, the spirit stones spent just on teleportation fees amounted to over ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones. Add in the costs of staying in various cultivation cities along the way and buying supplies, and his expenditure was substantial. Yet, surprisingly, his spirit stone reserves had increased rather than decreased. The proceeds from selling the unused magic treasures, pills, and other items resulted in an incredibly large sum.
As for the seemingly very friendly and enthusiastic young man accompanying Lin Feng at the moment... they had actually known each other for less than half a day...
His name was Wang Chen. Lin Feng had met him only at the previous teleportation point. While waiting for the teleportation, Wang Chen, with remarkable ease and familiarity, had struck up a conversation with Lin Feng. They had talked, and Wang Chen, finding Lin Feng increasingly 'like-minded', had essentially attached himself, resulting in their current companionship.
During their exchanges, Lin Feng had spoken perhaps less than a tenth of the words Wang Chen had. Wang Chen's gregariousness bordered on the extreme; compared to him, even the similarly outgoing swordsman Lin Feng knew seemed reserved.
Initially, Lin Feng had been highly vigilant, suspecting Wang Chen might be putting on an act with some ulterior motive. However, he soon realized he was overthinking it; Wang Chen truly was just excessively enthusiastic. Lin Feng had initially planned to part ways upon reaching Zhenhai City, but he changed his mind. Being completely new and unfamiliar, having a free 'tour guide' seemed beneficial.
Lin Feng barely needed to ask any questions; Wang Chen had readily volunteered a wealth of information about himself. For instance: he had grown up in Zhenhai City; he was a skilled (self-proclaimed) spirit cuisine chef; he was one of the head chefs at the Sea Treasure Pavilion, Zhenhai City's finest spirit cuisine restaurant; he was the personal disciple of the Sea Treasure Pavilion's head manager; and he even hinted, in his words, at having romantic feelings for the manager's daughter...
Lin Feng wasn't particularly interested in Wang Chen's personal details, but he had gleaned a lot of useful information from his companion's constant stream of words. He now had a preliminary understanding of Zhenhai City.
...
Under Wang Chen's guidance, it didn't take long for the pair to arrive before a large, imposing three-story building. Above its grand and ornate entrance hung a golden plaque bearing the name 'Sea Treasure Pavilion'.
"We're here, Brother Lin! Let's go in." Wang Chen's eyes shone with the joy of returning home. He beckoned to Lin Feng and started towards the entrance.
"Swish!!"
However, before he could even step through the doorway, a flash of sword light suddenly appeared! A cyan flying sword shot out from inside the building, streaking directly towards Lin Feng's face!