A gentle breeze swept across the grassy slope, carrying with it the tang of salt and the distant roar of the Azure Sea’s waves.
Tian Shen paused, inhaling deeply—his ribs still ached from recent battle scars, but his spirit was resolute. Feng Yin and Little i flanked him, eyes on the horizon where a lone mast bobbed like a solitary sentinel.
"There," Feng Yin murmured, shading her eyes.
"A rchant vessel."
Tian Shen nodded.
"Perfect timing. If we can secure an escort position, we cross the sea safely—and perhaps earn a few spirit stones along the way."
Little i’s tail flicked.
"Kyuu?" she asked, tilting her head in question.
Tian Shen smiled.
"Yes, Little i. We’ll request to beco their guards. No harm in politely asking."
They descended the gentle slope, boots sinking into soft earth. As they neared the rocky shoreline, the rchant ship grew clearer: a stout hull decorated with faded azure sails, a single deck bristling with crates and barrels. A handful of rough-looking sailors stood watch, their eyes wary.
Tian Shen strode forward, Feng Yin at his side and Little i bouncing ahead to scout. The sailors tensed, one hefting a halberd.
"Hold there!"
Barked a burly man with a scar across his left cheek.
"State your business."
Tian Shen bowed respectfully. "I am Tian Shen, disciple of the Beast Taming Sect. These are my companions—Feng Yin, my Dao Companion and Little i, my Beast Companion. We seek passage—and are willing to serve as escort guards."
The sailor snorted.
"Guards? You?"
He spat into the sand.
"We’re a small rchant crew. We pay our own protection fees. Why would we need three cultivators—especially novices?"
Feng Yin stepped forward, showing off glinting talismans.
"We offer our services free of charge. In return, we only ask for passage and modest provisions. Our presence alone should deter the more common spirit beasts and pirates."
The sailor eyed her warily.
"Free of charge, you say? What proof have we that you’re not more dangerous than the monsters at sea?"
Tian Shen’s aura flickered golden, faint but palpable. He raised an open palm in peace.
"Check my arm."
He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a freshly healed scar pulsing with residual Qi.
"I’ve fought a four-star Stormfla Panther King—and lived to tell the tale. My companions are equally capable. Let us prove ourselves."
The scar shivered with faint runic energy, catching the sailor’s eye. He hesitated, gripping his halberd more loosely.
Little i circled the sailor’s legs, fox-eyes twinkling.
"Kyuu~"
She chirped, nuzzling his ankle. The sailor sighed and scratched the fox behind the ears—despite himself.
"Fine," he growled.
"I’m Captain Luo. But mark this: if you bring trouble aboard, we’ll toss you overboard."
Tian Shen inclined his head.
"Understood, Captain Luo."
The three boarded the deck as the sailors busied themselves with last-minute preparations—raising the anchor, unfurling the sails, and stacking crates of spirit-fertilized tea and dicinal herbs.
The sea glead in the afternoon sun, but beneath its surface lay hidden currents and beasts.
Captain Luo eyed his new "guards" skeptically, but said nothing. He climbed the quarterdeck to address the crew, his voice carrying over the rhythmic slap of waves against the hull.
"Set sail for Dragonstone Port!"
He ordered.
"Keep a sharp lookout—pirates have been sighted near the Thunderhead Isles."
The crew cheered, and the ship began to move, its azure sails billowing as wind filled them. Tian Shen felt the deck’s gentle sway beneath his feet, a sense of freedom mingled with the weight of responsibility.
Feng Yin surveyed the horizon.
"We should establish a Periter Spirit Talisman formation. Let calibrate the talisman and set it at the mast."
Tian Shen nodded and followed her to the base of the mast. Little i leapt up, curling on a barrel, ears twitching.
Feng Yin traced runes in the air, with a formation disc emitting a soft golden hum. Threads of Qi wove between the mast and the railings, forming an invisible barrier to alert them of any approaching danger. Tian Shen placed his hands on the rail, feeling the formation’s pulse.
"Good," he said.
"We’ll rotate watches. i, you and I will take first watch. Feng Yin can rest—for now."
"Kyuuu~!"
Little i stretched, then leapt onto the rail, tail swaying.
Captain Luo returned, leaning on the rail beside Tian Shen. The burly rchant captain studied him in silence, as if weighing his worth.
"You’re more confident than most ard folk," Luo comnted.
"Why risk an escort job for free?"
Tian Shen t his gaze.
"The Central Region’s higher realms demand preparation. My goal is to reach Dragonstone Port and find a sect capable of refining my abilities further. Escorting ships gives practice against real threats—and the chance to observe high-realm cultivators in action. Also i can’t cross the Great Sea by myself, now can i?"
Luo grunted.
"True. But rember, Many cultivators see rchants and sailors as beneath them. They’d ignore cries for help until the ship cracked like a rotten egg."
Tian Shen’s smile was wry.
"Perhaps that’s why we’re here—to change that."
Captain Luo’s lips twitched.
"Let’s hope your ideology holds up against pirates."
Night fell as the ship cut through ink-black waters. Feng Yin slept below deck, propped against cargo, her formation disc still faintly glowing. Tian Shen and Little i maintained lookout at the prow.
"Kyuu?"
i whispered, nose twitching as she sniffed the night breeze.
Tian Shen frowned.
"I sense... Qi fluctuations."
He closed his eyes, focusing his senses. Dozens of distinct auras drifted in the darkness—muffled, regulated, emanating from within the hold.
"Little i," He murmured.
"We’re not alone."
The fox spirit’s eyes glead. "Kyuu?" she echoed, crouching.
Tian Shen waved her to follow him to the deck’s centre, where the crew enjoyed a ager supper. The sailors spotted his movent and paused, spoons mid-air.
"What is it?" whispered a young deckhand.
"Those crates below," Tian Shen said, nodding toward the hold.
"There’s sothing else down there—Qi fluctuating like cultivation relics."
Captain Luo appeared beside him, hand on the hilt of his short sword.
"You sense cultivators? There should be no passengers—only goods."
Feng Yin erged from below deck, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"Let see."
She circled the hatch and traced her disc’s edge. The formation’s Qi flickered erratically.
"There," she pointed.
"Multiple high-realm Qi sources—likely concealed behind spiritual dampening formations. They’re masked."
Tian Shen’s brow furrowed.
"Why would cultivators hide on a rchant ship?"
Captain Luo’s eyes narrowed.
"Maybe they’re assassins. Or pirates undercover. Or... well, who knows."
He drew his short sword and pressed the flat of the blade to the hatch.
"Open it."
Two sailors exchanged uneasy glances but obeyed. The hatch creaked as they lifted it, revealing a dimly lit corridor descending into the ship’s hold.
With lanterns lit, the crew descended. Tian Shen, Feng Yin, Little i, and Captain Luo led the way. The hold was packed with crates, but at the far end stood a heavy wooden door stamped with gold filigree—an uncommon adornnt for a rchant vessel.
Captain Luo gestured.
"This isn’t ours. Who put it here?"
Tian Shen stepped forward, palm raised in greeting.
"We an no harm. We just seek your identification and purpose."
The gold-stamped door swung open at his touch—unlocked from within. Inside sat a small chamber lit by a crystalline lamp.
Three figures reclined on cushions around a low table: a silver-haired woman sipping tea, a pale-faced woman weaving talismans, and a stern youth brandishing a jade dagger.
All three exhaled when the door opened.
The silver-haired woman set down her cup.
"Well, well. It seems our secret is out."
Tian Shen studied her: the woman’s aura radiated boundless serenity and power—Core Reinforcent Realm, at least. The woman’s Qi was crystalline, likely Foundation Establishnt Realm. The youth’s dagger pulses with murderous intent—Core Formation, he guessed.
Captain Luo’s jaw dropped.
"You’re cultivators... aboard my ship?!"
The silver-haired cultivator stood, bowing gracefully.
"Apologies for the intrusion, Captain. We are envoys of the Celestial Immortal Sect, en route to deliver priceless artifacts to the Central Region’s Council of High Realms. Our presence must remain covert to avoid interception."
Feng Yin stepped forward.
"Artifacts?"
The woman inclined her head.
"Spiritual relics of great power. If pirates or rival sects discover them, calamity would befall these seas."
Tian Shen’s eyes glead.
"Envoys from Celestial Immortal Sect—highest orders of the Central Region. No wonder the formation disc was dampened."
The cultivator nodded.
"You are perceptive, young man. We chose this rchant vessel for its unremarkable profile. But with the disturbances in the Great Wilderness... security is compromised. We require escort."
She folded her hands.
"Will you honor your offer, Tian Shen– i guess? Protect this ship and the artifacts—at any cost?"
Silence hung for a heartbeat before Tian Shen bowed slightly.
"I accept, Seniors."
Captain Luo inhaled, eyes twitching.
"So... these are the High Realm cultivators you promised to protect—for free?"
Tian Shen t the captain’s astonished gaze and shalessly claid.
"A promise is a promise, Captain Luo. I will protect them."
Feng Yin smiled mischievously.
"It seems we got a smooth sailing ahead."
Little i leapt onto the silver-haired cultivator’s lap, purring.
"Kyuu~"
Even the stern youth cracked a smile.
"Alert to danger, blood fox."
As the storm-tossed waves glimred beneath lantern light, Tian Shen realized their humble escort quest had transford into sothing far greater or... simply safer.
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