Later, an amusing tale spread across the West Sea: a man with two spirit beasts often fished aboard a tiny boat, drifting across the vast sea, frequently submerged by waves.
Sometimes, large merchant ships would pass by, and their cultivators would gape in astonishment as the small, unremarkable boat gradually disappeared into the waves.
Speculations about their survival arose—after all, the West Sea wasn't a place for ordinary fishermen, let alone such a frail vessel.
A year later, in a remote sea region, three figures aboard that same small boat cried out in surprise.
“Eh?!”
“Moo?!”
“Brother Xun, it’s that big turtle!” Laughing, Little Red pointed at their haul of sea goods. “It’s reached the early Foundation Establishment stage!”
This turtle’s aura was unmistakable. It was exactly the same as before—a rare encounter in the boundless West Sea.
The giant turtle, shrinking its neck, shed tears of despair. This peculiar black net had evaded its senses, and now, after a hundred years, it met these three calamities again.
The sea breeze roared as the turtle’s shell and face felt sharp gusts like blades. Despite its newfound cultivation, it could only lament—there was no escape.
Chen Xun grinned at the turtle, whose crescent-shaped mouth resembled a hooked fish, its drowsy eyes trembling with fear.
“Little fellow, fate brought us together again!” Chen Xun laughed, glancing at the big black ox and Little Red. “What a coincidence!”
“Moo~~” The big black ox nudged the turtle, causing it to retreat further into its shell.
“Brother Xun, this turtle truly has a connection with us,” Little Red chuckled, leaning closer to examine it.
To the turtle, those giant eyes were terrifying! It let out a strange cry, nearly fainting from fright.
While they conversed, a large merchant ship approached, cutting through the waves.
Onboard, cultivators chatted excitedly, clearly pleased with their harvest, discussing the hottest rumors in The Great Li Realm.
“Those bald monks are really caught in turmoil now, hahaha…” A white-robed cultivator laughed, hands behind his back. “Imagine a Golden Core monk daring to debate with a Nascent Soul Buddha?!”
“Brother Feng, such hearsay is hardly credible. I think the Buddhist sects are just trying to create hype,” another scoffed. “How could a Golden Core compare with a Nascent Soul? Clearly, they want to lure cultivators to the Ten Provinces.”
“You know nothing,” the first cultivator dismissed, his tone smug. “That Golden Core monk is a Twin Core cultivator, and one of those cores is the legendary... Buddha Core!”
“What? A Buddha Core?!”
The group gasped, mouths agape. A Twin Core was already incredible, but a Buddha Core—the mark of a born Buddha cultivator—was beyond belief!
“Clearly uninformed,” the white-robed cultivator sneered. “My master was personally invited by Juecang Arhat to the Ten Provinces to witness this once-in-a-millennium event.”
“Impressive,” the others exchanged glances, their respect evident.
“That Golden Core abbot declared: ‘There is no Buddha in the Ten Provinces, no Buddha in Heaven and Earth. The Buddhist path has declined, and its future is dead.’ He then expelled his Buddha Core to confront the Golden Body Buddha of Jingfo Great Sect, shocking all of The Great Li Realm!”
The white-robed cultivator’s eyes gleamed with awe as if he had witnessed the event himself. “That statement shattered countless Buddhist cultivators’ hearts, with rumors of Nascent Soul monks dying on the spot!”
“This really happened?!” The group was stunned; they had assumed it was mere hearsay. “The actual event must’ve been even more terrifying.”
“Indeed,” the white-robed cultivator nodded solemnly. “The Ten Provinces of Buddhism are now in chaos. Even the Lingxu Merchant Guild and The Great Li Realm’s Two Holy Palaces are involved. Hidden ancient clans may also be pulling the strings.”
He took a deep breath and added in a low voice, “There’s even talk of the Jiang Clan’s involvement. The situation is far beyond what we ordinary cultivators can comprehend.”
The others listened, their eyes widening with respect. Such insight could only come from someone with a powerful background.
With a flick of his sleeve, the white-robed cultivator turned, exuding the air of an unshakable leader.
Buzz!
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from the large ship as it was forcibly halted on the sea’s surface, waves crashing around it.
“Who?!”
“Sea beast?!”Chaos broke out onboard. Some cultivators soared into the air, weapons gleaming and magical energy surging, sensing something amiss.
The merchant ship, protected by formations, should never be blocked like this. Even the formation's glow had dimmed unnaturally.
“Heh, fellow Daoists, don’t be alarmed. Just here to ask some questions.”
A voice resonated from all directions, shaking everyone’s spirit. A Nascent Soul cultivator!
“Greetings, senior!”
“Greetings, senior!”Hundreds of cultivators on the ship bowed in unison. In the vast ocean, hoping for outside help was futile. Compliance was the safest choice.
Those standing at the ship’s bow looked down to see a small, shabby boat with a man and two spirit beasts aboard. They smiled warmly, dressed in tattered clothing.
Most striking was the young man holding a crude mountain-opening axe—made of iron essence if their eyes didn’t deceive them.
Even stranger, the little boat was packed with fish, shrimp, crabs, and even a Foundation Establishment stage sea turtle. The air reeked of fish—were they… fishing?
“Senior, please speak.” The terrified cultivators bowed. This had to be an ancient monster of the West Sea with eccentric hobbies. Their appearances revealed nothing about their true power.
Despite the small, broken boat, no one dared underestimate them. To roam the West Sea so freely was undoubtedly a Nascent Soul expert.
“That Golden Core abbot, is he from Chanyin Temple in Dinghui Prefecture?”
Chen Xun asked calmly, sitting on the edge of the boat. “No need to worry; we’re just asking around. We mean no harm.”
The cultivators on the ship dared not move, keeping their heads low despite their higher vantage point.
The white-robed cultivator stepped forward respectfully, amplifying his voice with magic. “Senior, he is indeed from an ordinary temple, but whether it’s Chanyin Temple… this junior does not know.”
“Is the information you mentioned earlier true?” Chen Xun raised an eyebrow. He worried this white-robed cultivator might be exaggerating for show—something he’d seen the big black ox do plenty of times before.
“Senior, the information is absolutely true. My master witnessed it firsthand,” the white-robed cultivator replied, cold sweat forming on his forehead, his voice trembling. “I wouldn’t dare deceive you.”
Here in the vast sea, calling for help was futile, and even escape techniques were severely hindered.
“I see. We’ve already heard what you said earlier.” Chen Xun placed his axe aside and smiled. “Thank you, everyone. Since fate brought us together, please accept these spirit herbs as a token of gratitude.”
“Moo~” The big black ox waved its hand, pulling out two 500-year-old sea spirit herbs from a storage ring and handing them over.
One was also given to a veiled woman sitting inside the ship’s cabin. Her noble demeanor was unmistakable, and a flicker of intrigue passed through her eyes as a spirit herb appeared beside her.
“Thank you, senior.” The woman stood and bowed, her eyes smiling gracefully.
In an instant, the small boat shot forward, creating twin waves as it sped off. Faintly in the distance, a cheerful “Woohoo!” echoed back.
The cultivators on the ship were left stunned, especially the white-robed man who received a spirit herb. He had already silently blessed Chen Xun’s ancestors for eighteen generations.
“Let’s move on.”
A clear, gentle voice came from within the ship’s tower, snapping everyone back to reality. “Do not discuss this senior any further, lest you invite unnecessary disaster.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Everyone bowed and resumed their duties. The suppressive force on the ship’s formation had lifted, and it surged forward once more, cutting through the waves toward The Great Li Realm.
The sea turtle, released again, swam off with a 500-year-old spirit herb in its mouth.
It followed Chen Xun’s boat for a long time, expressing its gratitude until it could no longer keep up.
Floating on the water, the turtle gazed deeply at the three figures before flipping its body and disappearing into the vast ocean.