Several days flashed by in the blink of an eye. Lin Feng hadn't left his cabin during this time. Honestly, he barely registered the passage of time, remaining completely immersed in his cultivation state.
A faint, rumbling vibration eventually stirred Lin Feng from his cultivation trance. Instinctively, he extended his spiritual sense and detected a commotion on the deck above. Uncertain of the cause, he decided to investigate and rose to his feet.
Emerging onto the deck, he found it crowded with onlookers. In a cleared space at the center, two male cultivators stood glaring at each other, hostility thick in the air. One had even summoned his flying sword, the tension palpable.
Lin Feng paused near the stairwell leading up from the lower-class cabins. From the chatter around him, he pieced together the situation: the two men were apparently fighting over a female cultivator. It seemed the clichés of love triangles and jealous rivalry weren't exclusive to Earth. The cultivator on the left, dressed in luxurious robes, clearly possessed far greater wealth and status than his opponent—in Earth terms, a veritable 'tall, rich, and handsome'. The smug, contemptuous expression on his face suggested he held the upper hand in their dispute.
Having grasped the gist, Lin Feng inwardly curled his lip in disinterest. He was about to turn and head towards the ship's restaurant for a meal when a sudden surge of immense pressure washed over the deck. Startled, he whipped his head around. An elderly man was slowly emerging from the upper-class cabin entrance.
The old man's arrival didn't just capture Lin Feng's attention; everyone on deck simultaneously felt the deliberate pressure he exuded. The buzz of conversation died instantly. Even the two combatants paled slightly, turning fearful gazes towards him.
The opulently dressed cultivator seemed acquainted with the elder and immediately bowed respectfully. "Esteemed Elder Wu..."
Many others quickly followed suit with their own salutations. Lin Feng realized this must be one of the two Nascent Soul experts overseeing the voyage, named Wu Luosen. With a cultivation level of Nascent Soul 6th layer, he was a high-ranking elder of the Zhenhai Alliance.
Elder Wu frowned at the 'tall, rich, and handsome' cultivator. "Gu Yulu, are you unaware of the ship's rules? Anyone causing trouble aboard will be summarily thrown overboard!"
As he spoke, he swept his gaze across the surrounding crowd, making it clear the warning was for everyone. The many Golden Core cultivators present felt the crushing weight of his aura and fell deathly silent. Gu Yulu flinched, hastily replying, "Forgive me, Elder! This junior understands his error! I shall return to my cabin immediately!"
He bowed again to Wu Luosen before practically fleeing into the ship's interior via the upper-class passage. Before disappearing, he shot one last venomous glare at his opponent. The other cultivator, thoroughly intimidated by Wu Luosen, mumbled a few flustered apologies before melting into the surrounding crowd.
Wu Luosen clearly had no further interest in the pair; he hadn't appeared solely to mediate such petty squabbles. He scanned the assembled cultivators and announced, "All prepare yourselves! We set sail in half a day!"
After delivering this news, he flew directly off the ship, presumably to attend to other matters. The crowd immediately surged with renewed energy, chattering excitedly. Many hurried off to notify companions who might be ashore on errands.
Lin Feng watched Wu Luosen's departing figure, a flicker of puzzlement crossing his eyes. For some inexplicable reason, he felt a vague sense of familiarity emanating from the elder, though he couldn't pinpoint its source. Shaking his head, he dismissed it as likely his imagination and turned back into the ship's corridors...
...
Half a day later, while Lin Feng was studying the "Hundred Solutions to Formations" in his cabin, a distinct vibration ran through the ship. Moments later, he felt the unmistakable motion as the massive vessel began to glide forward.
This being his first voyage, curiosity ultimately got the better of Lin Feng. He ventured back onto the deck, only to catch the faintest silhouette of Zhenhai City shrinking on the horizon. The ship's speed was impressive, almost comparable to a typical flying sword.
Watching the scenery for a while, however, Lin Feng's interest soon waned. The vast expanse of open sea offered little to see. They hadn't been gone long enough to encounter sea beasts, though he knew such encounters were inevitable in the coming days. The sea route to Demon Loong Island was notoriously perilous; few Golden Core cultivators dared attempt the journey alone by flying sword. Safer routes existed but required significant detours. Thus, cultivators from the Starry Sea who wished to reach Demon Loong Island invariably travelled aboard large vessels like this one. Zhenhai City was the closest cultivation city to the island, and expeditions from elsewhere were rare; most outsiders travelled here first to embark.
This voyage carried approximately three hundred cultivators, a substantial group. Unusually, nearly all were specifically drawn by the rumors of Primordial Essence Crystal. The rumored location was the Quicksand Pits on Demon Loong Island. While the area wasn't small, competition among three hundred treasure seekers promised to be fierce.
Most cultivators aboard traveled in teams, ranging from a dozen members down to three or five. Solitary figures like Lin Feng were a distinct rarity. He had already sensed several appraising glances directed his way, perhaps sizing him up as an easy target because he was alone.
The following five days passed uneventfully. Lin Feng spent most of the time in his cabin. Unable to break through his bottleneck, he focused entirely on studying formations. After two months of dedicated learning, he had achieved a degree of proficiency. Setting up Grade 1 and Grade 2 formations was now routine. He could even construct Grade 3 formations, though still somewhat clumsily. He had expended considerable materials refining a set of formation flags for a Grade 3 defense formation, though he hadn't yet tested its effectiveness. He had originally wanted to craft flags for a Grade 3 killing formation, but attack formations proved far more complex than defensive ones, and he hadn't fully mastered them yet. On the sixth day, the ship was attacked by a school of Grade 3 sea beasts. Protected by the ship's Grade 4 defense formation, it sustained negligible damage. On the eighth day, they encountered a ferocious storm. The sheer terror of the natural fury made Lin Feng's heart pound. Waves reared up like mountains, cresting over a hundred zhang high. Howling gales slashed at the ship's protective Grade 4 spiritual barrier, making it shudder violently. Lin Feng couldn't help but feel grateful that his journey to find the Seven-Colored Immortal Lotus hadn't faced such a tempest; the outcome would likely have been grim. He now understood why the voyage to Demon Loong Island was considered exceptionally dangerous. No wonder people only dared attempt it under the protection of a large vessel.
Fortunately, they avoided encountering troublesome Grade 4 sea beasts. On the tenth day, a vast, dark island broke the horizon directly ahead. Standing on deck, Lin Feng observed that even in broad daylight, the entire island seemed cast in shadow. From afar, it was merely a dark mass. As they drew closer, the silhouette of a towering peak piercing the clouds at the island's center became visible. The summit had an unnerving shape, distinctly resembling the head of a gargantuan loong, inspiring dread.
The ship reached the shores of Demon Loong Island by evening. Everyone disembarked. Then, amidst the amazement and envy of the Golden Core cultivators, the colossal vessel was shrunk and vanished into a storage ring wielded by a cultivator in purple robes. This elder was the expedition's other Nascent Soul expert, named Yu Ping. His cultivation surpassed Wu Luosen's, reaching the 7th layer of the Nascent Soul stage – a single-layer difference, but representing the gap between mid and late stage.
Strictly speaking, the obligations of the two Nascent Soul experts ended upon reaching the island. What happened to the cultivators on the island afterward was none of their concern. However, since this treasure hunt was essentially organized by Wu Luosen, who had promised to "escort" those willing to venture to the Quicksand Pits to their destination, the group began marching inland under the leadership of both Nascent Soul experts. As nearly everyone was targeting the Primordial Essence Crystal in the Quicksand Pits, only about a dozen cultivators broke away from the main group to explore other areas independently.
Lin Feng remained with the large contingent. His plan was to first accompany the group to the Quicksand Pits. Whether he found Primordial Essence Crystal or not, he would search there for a few days before branching out to other parts of the island. They had a full month to explore; they just needed to return to the landing point by the designated time to board the ship for the return voyage.
...
The massive group of nearly three hundred cultivators moved like a tide through the dense island jungle. Any Grade 3 beast unfortunate enough to cross their path was swiftly overwhelmed and slaughtered by sheer numbers. Cultivators at the rear often didn't even get a chance to strike. Those on the flanks occasionally darted off to hunt beasts or gather herbs, but never strayed far, quickly rejoining the safety of the group.
After half a day's march, disaster struck. A Grade 4 Tier 5 Ironrock Giant Scorpion erupted violently from a cliff face beside the path. Before the dozen Golden Core cultivators on the left flank could react, they were crushed into pulp. Thankfully, Wu Luosen and Yu Ping reacted swiftly, intercepting the beast and preventing further casualties. After a brief but intense battle, they dispatched the formidable scorpion without excessive difficulty.
While the main group led by the two Nascent Soul experts continued toward the Quicksand Pits, encountering whatever challenges lay ahead, the handful of smaller teams that had struck out on their own were simultaneously experiencing unforeseen and startling events elsewhere on the island...