Chapter 2107: Thunder Sea

"It seems promising. That must indeed be the Demon Ape Reef," Saintess Qianqiu said with a soft sigh after gazing at the mountain peak for a long while.

"According to Fellow Daoist Qianqiu, the island is in the direction the demon ape is looking, in the waters about a month's journey away. So, we should head southwest," the Feathered Maiden calmly stated after glancing up and down the mountain peak and then looking towards the southwest.

"According to the message left by an elder of my clan, that island is indeed located in this general area, but..." Saintess Qianqiu showed a hint of hesitation.

"At this point, is there still something you cannot disclose, Fellow Daoist?" Patriarch Long frowned slightly, looking displeased as he observed the scene.

"Fellow Daoist Long, you misunderstand. It's not that I'm hiding anything. It's just that besides the clues already mentioned, that elder also implicitly warned our descendants to be extremely careful when approaching the island, as there seems to be some unknown danger nearby. However, this elder's last words only touched upon it vaguely, and we don't know the details, which is why I hadn't mentioned it to you all before," Saintess Qianqiu explained.

"Such a thing! That elder of your clan is also a Mahayana cultivator. If even he felt the need to be cautious, then it's likely extremely dangerous for us. We must make thorough preparations before we proceed," Han Li said, his expression grim, upon hearing this.

"Indeed. At this point, all fellow daoists should prepare any backup methods you have. When we return, I will set up several formations on the great ship, which should at least enhance the spirit vessel's power by more than half," the elderly scholar from the Spirit Clan said with a light cough.

After his expression shifted, Patriarch Long also spoke solemnly: "I possess two stone puppets left from ancient times. While their offensive capabilities are limited, their defensive power is comparable to that of an Integration stage cultivator. However, to activate them, I need to begin performing incantations and refining them at least ten days in advance."

"I have a set of demonic banners; their power is considerable. Let's arrange them on the ship as well," Han Li said after a moment of contemplation. This set of demonic banners was, naturally, obtained from a demon venerable he had slain, and their power was indeed not to be underestimated by ordinary Integration stage cultivators.

"I cultivate several Coldwater Rhinos. They are known for their thick hides and powerful cold breath. We can use them to replace our current sea beasts," Saintess Qianqiu stated after a moment of thought.

Seeing Han Li and the other late-Integration stage cultivators take the lead, the others conferred briefly and then also took out various treasures...

Everyone clearly understood that these items were by no means their true life-saving treasures, but deploying them in this manner would greatly enhance the great ship's defensive capabilities. This also brought much unexpected reassurance to everyone.

In the time that followed, the great ship changed course and sped directly towards the southwest. Many people began to busy themselves on the great ship. Han Li also placed his set of demonic banners in several critical positions on the great ship. The elderly scholar, moreover, began inscribing runes and patterns on the great ship's hull and embedding formation disks into its surface.

Soon after, the entire great ship took on a completely new appearance. The sea beasts pulling the ship were replaced by eight rhinoceros-like creatures, five to six zhang long, their bodies glowing with a layer of blue light!

A month passed in the blink of an eye!

On this day, the great ship continued to speed across the Demon Source Sea, but the previously calm black waters had become completely turbulent. Monstrous waves surged towards the great ship from all directions. The low-hanging black clouds had actually descended to a height of fifty to sixty zhang. From the mist, the rumbling sound of fierce winds emanated, and silver arcs flashed wildly. Huge bolts of lightning also occasionally plummeted from the clouds, striking directly onto the great ship.

However, the great ship was enveloped by a shimmering green light barrier. The lightning bolts merely flickered slightly upon impact before seeming to dissipate harmlessly.

In front of the great ship, Han Li, Patriarch Long, and others stood steadily, quietly discussing something, their expressions quite solemn.

"We've been in these waters for seven days now and still haven't found the island. Could the danger your elder mentioned simply refer to these current waves?" Patriarch Long asked, his face somewhat grim as he gazed at the colossal waves outside the great ship.

"Fellow Daoist Long, you jest. It certainly couldn't refer to just this minor trouble! The crucial point now is that our divine sense is greatly interfered with in these waters; we can only perceive movements within ten li. In that case, finding the island will be much more troublesome," Saintess Qianqiu said with a frown.

"Fortunately, Fellow Daoist Han and Fellow Daoist Bai both possess spirit eyes, allowing them to see things further away. Otherwise, we'd truly be searching for a needle in a haystack," Patriarch Long said with a sigh, glancing at Han Li and the Saint Spirit shrouded in white light.

At this moment, Han Li was gazing out from one side of the great ship, blue light flickering in his eyes. On the other side, Bai Qi, whose body was enveloped in white light, his features still indistinct, was vaguely seen emitting a beam of white light from his forehead, which then faintly vanished into the turbulent waves surging from the other direction. "Patriarch Long, it's best not to rely too much on my Bright Clarity Spirit Eyes. Unlike Fellow Daoist Bai's innate spirit eyes, mine are cultivated post-natally and consume a vast amount of magic power with each use, making frequent activation impossible," Han Li said with a wry smile, retracting the blue light from his eyes and turning his head.

"Fellow Daoist Han, you are too modest. Although your spirit eyes cannot be used continuously, assisting Fellow Daoist Bai even a little will greatly increase our chances of finding our target," Saintess Qianqiu said with a light, polite chuckle.

Upon hearing this, Han Li's mouth twitched into a wry smile. Without further argument, he once again mobilized the magic power within his body and activated his spirit eye ability.

Although Patriarch Long and Saintess Qianqiu did not possess spirit eye abilities, they showed no intention of returning to the cabin immediately. They quietly remained by the side, each pondering something. However, both wore calm expressions, making it impossible to discern their thoughts.

Time passed bit by bit.

Once again, the blue light in Han Li's eyes receded. After meditating in place for a while, he casually reactivated his spirit eyes and gazed at the distant sea surface. But this time, the blue light in his pupils only flickered a few times before his expression instantly turned to one of surprise and uncertainty. He then abruptly mobilized most of the magic power within his body. The blue light in his eyes became even more dazzling, so much so that anyone who merely glanced at it from afar would feel a sharp stinging sensation in their own eyes.

Han Li's unusual actions naturally alerted Patriarch Long and Saintess Qianqiu. However, neither of them spoke to disturb him. Instead, their gazes shifted with a mix of surprise and delight, simultaneously focusing on his every move.

"Fellow Daoist Bai, take a look about five thousand li from here, in my direction, and see if I've misjudged something," Han Li said abruptly to Bai Qi, taking a deep breath.

"Five thousand li? Fellow Daoist Han, you can see that far! At such a distance, I can only make a strenuous attempt," Bai Qi replied, nodding reluctantly after glancing at Han Li in surprise. Then, he tilted his head, and the beam of white light he emitted changed direction, sweeping towards the area Han Li was looking at. Simultaneously, the white light around his body circulated, becoming increasingly bright.

"There does seem to be something over there, but it's too far away. I can't see it clearly and can't confirm if it's an island," Bai Qi said in a deep voice after a long while, as the white light he emitted dimmed.

"Fellow Daoists, what exactly did you see?" Patriarch Long could no longer restrain himself and blurted out.

Saintess Qianqiu naturally listened attentively as well.

"There's an area enveloped by lightning over there, and within it, there appears to be a dark shadow. However, due to the obscuring power of the lightning, it's impossible to see it too clearly," Han Li stated directly, without holding back.

"Lightning? Don't we also have lightning power here? What's the difference?" Saintess Qianqiu asked, frowning slightly in confusion.

"There's no need for me to explain the specifics too much. Fellow Daoists, you'll understand once we get closer," Han Li replied, shaking his head with a somewhat strange expression.

"Good. Turn the ship around immediately!" Patriarch Long said without hesitation upon hearing this, then pointed his single hand at the eight Coldwater Rhinos in front. Instantly, the great ship trembled, then veered sharply in direction and sped towards the sea area Han Li had indicated.

At this moment, prompted by Patriarch Long's voice transmission, the other Spirit Clan members, the Feathered Maiden, and others also emerged from the cabin, their faces filled with excitement.

After less than half a day, the great ship arrived at a location several thousand li away, finally seeing the expanse of sea Han Li had indicated. In front of them, on the dark sea, a vast expanse of silver electrical light surged down from the sky like a waterfall, violently striking the sea surface and transforming into countless spheres of lightning that floated and swayed on the water, then one by one burst open, forming a massive sea of thunder. A roaring sound echoed through the entire realm!

And through the waterfall-like lightning and rain from the sky, a large, blurry dark shadow could vaguely be seen within the sea of thunder. However, beneath this blinding electrical light, ordinary people could not make out anything clearly. But at such close range, for Han Li and Bai Qi, who possessed spirit eye abilities, this was naturally no obstacle.

From a thousand li away, both of them simultaneously confirmed that the dark shadow in the sea of thunder was indeed a gigantic island. However, the entire island was obscured on all sides by the same sea of thunder. No matter which direction they approached from, they would inevitably have to force their way through.

"Could the so-called danger refer to this lightning? If so, while it might be troublesome, forcing our way through shouldn't be an issue," Patriarch Long said, contemplating slightly as he gazed at the sea of thunder ahead.

Saintess Qianqiu's delicate brows were tightly furrowed, and for a moment, she offered no rebuttal.

"If Fellow Daoist Long thinks that, then you might be mistaken," Han Li suddenly said, a blue light flashing in his eyes, after raising his head and carefully observing the area above the distant sea of thunder.

"Fellow Daoist Han, are you implying you've discovered something else?" Patriarch Long asked slowly, a hint of surprise in his heart, as he stared at Han Li.