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Chapter 1303: Ghost Ship

"Exactly," Lu Ye nodded. It was only because he sensed that strange connection during this reincarnation that he remembered the woman's previous warning and specifically sought her out.

Haitang said, "This connection will become increasingly close as your number of deaths increases, until eventually you will completely merge with the Ghost Ship and can no longer be separated."

"The Ghost Ship?" Lu Ye looked at her, confused.

"Yes, this Long Dragon Warship is the notorious Ghost Ship of the starry sky! No one knows how it appeared, but its recorded history dates back tens of thousands of years."

From Haitang's words, it seemed the Ghost Ship was very famous in the starry sky. However, as a newcomer to the starry sky, Lu Ye had never heard of it. Not only had he not heard of it, but no one in the entire Kyushu knew about it either.

"The Ghost Ship drifts and roams throughout the starry sky; its trace can appear anywhere. Before entering, from the outside, it looks like a dilapidated warship. However, any living being who steps inside will trigger a transformation of the Ghost Ship."

This transformation was likely the dense mist Lu Ye had seen earlier. Once the mist dispersed, the dilapidated spiritual vessel transformed into the Long Dragon Warship, and the intruder would naturally become its captain.

Lu Ye asked, "Is this transformation real, or an illusion?"

Haitang replied, "For you, it's an illusion, but for me, it's real."

"What's the difference?"

"You haven't fully merged with the Ghost Ship yet, so you still have a chance to escape. But me..." Haitang's expression grew a bit despondent.

Lu Ye suddenly understood. "Sister, could it be that you were also drawn to this ship and became trapped within it?"

Haitang nodded. "I fell into this place not long ago, and I've experienced everything you're experiencing now."

Lu Ye gave a wry smile. "Sister, since you knew this was the notorious Ghost Ship, why did you venture so deep into it?"

Haitang smiled bitterly. "I only realized it after I came in." She shook her head and continued, "Now I'm trapped here. I can maintain my sanity for a short time, but if too much time passes, I'll perish, and everything I am will become nourishment for this Ghost Ship. You arrived just in time; if you'd been a few months later, you wouldn't have seen me. The other crew members wouldn't tell you these things; they are the original entities of the Long Dragon Warship."

Lu Ye suddenly understood. No wonder Haitang had sent him a telepathic warning during his first reincarnation; she truly was different from the other crew members.

All the other crew members, regardless of who they were, were considered part of the Ghost Ship. But Haitang was an outsider like him, and although she was trapped, she still maintained her sanity, which was why she kindly warned Lu Ye.

It was as if she had been caught in the rain herself and was willing to hold an umbrella for others.

However, this state was destined not to last; in a while, she would completely vanish.

Lu Ye felt a pang of sadness and asked, "Then what should I do to escape?"

"Control the Long Dragon Warship, lead the crew, and defeat the invading enemies. Only then can you escape this vessel and regain your freedom!"

This was precisely what Lu Ye had wanted to do, but wanting it and achieving it were two different things. Not to mention, this was already his fourth reincarnation, and he hadn't even fully familiarized himself with controlling the warship, let alone engaging in aerial combat with the three invading vessels.

"The Ghost Ship possesses a profound mystery," Haitang said, quickening her pace, knowing Lu Ye had little time. "No matter what their cultivation level, anyone who enters this place can only exert the strength of the early-stage Constellation Realm. Even Sun-Illuminated Realm cultivators are no exception; this is a rule of the Ghost Ship itself."

Lu Ye had not known this, as he was already at the early-stage Constellation Realm, so this rule held no significance for him.

"This rule is extremely strict and greatly limits the display of a cultivator's strength. Therefore, even knowing there are opportunities on the Ghost Ship, cultivators in the starry sky who recognize it won't rashly trespass. They generally steer clear when they see it."

"Opportunities?" Lu Ye raised an eyebrow. "There are opportunities here?"

Haitang smiled. "A place this perilous naturally holds opportunities, especially for a peculiar existence like the Ghost Ship. However, if you can't defeat the invaders, you won't be able to obtain those opportunities."

Lu Ye was now certain that the opportunity Feng Rumao had pointed him towards was indeed this Long Dragon Warship.

He couldn't help but inwardly grumble. That scruffy old man had indeed told him there were dangers involved and to proceed cautiously, but before entering the Ghost Ship, he hadn't seen any danger at all. By the time he discovered it after entering, it was already too late! Feng Rumao's warning was as good as no warning at all.

Yet, he couldn't blame the old man. They were merely chance acquaintances. After taking some of Lu Ye's food and wine, he had not only pointed out an opportunity but also sealed a secret technique into his Panshan Saber. From Feng Rumao's perspective, their accounts were settled. As for whether Lu Ye would die because of the Ghost Ship... what did it have to do with him?

Danger lurked everywhere in the starry sky; if not this Ghost Ship, it would be some other vessel. Moreover, cultivators died almost every moment in the starry sky for various reasons.

"What kind of opportunities?" Lu Ye asked.

Haitang replied, "It's said that this Ghost Ship contains various priceless treasures, the kind that even Sun-Illuminated Realm cultivators would covet. If you can escape this ship and regain your freedom, you can choose any item on board to take with you!"

Priceless treasures that would tempt Sun-Illuminated Realm cultivators! What quality must they be?

If that were true, then it was understandable how the Ghost Ship had earned such immense notoriety in the starry sky.

Such an opportunity would undoubtedly attract powerful individuals from all corners to hone themselves. The cultivator community has never lacked an adventurous spirit.

"Sister Haitang, I think we can cooperate!" Lu Ye suggested.

"How so?" Haitang looked at him, puzzled.

"Since you've experienced everything I'm going through, you must be more familiar with controlling the warship than I am. How about this: I transfer control of the warship to you, and you can—"

"No!"

Lu Ye was cut off by Haitang before he could finish.

She looked at Lu Ye with a serious expression. "You absolutely must not transfer your control over the Ghost Ship!"

"Why not?"

"The control over this ship is fundamental to your identity as captain. With this control, you remain the captain and can continue the Ghost Ship's trial. But once you lose this control, you will immediately find yourself in the same situation as me, trapped on this ship until one day you become nourishment for the Ghost Ship!"

Lu Ye finally understood the unease he had felt when he was about to transfer control of the warship to Qin Zong. So there was such a crucial detail! Fortunately, he had realized something was amiss and aborted the transfer, otherwise he really would have followed in Haitang's footsteps. At that point, the two of them would likely just be staring at each other, both on the verge of tears.

Those wretches, Qin Zong and his companions, must have known the consequences of transferring control, yet not a single one of them warned him. Instead, they all wore sinister smiles during the transfer.

"Enemy attack!" The lookout's urgent warning echoed across the deck once more. The next moment, the crew members on the Long Dragon Warship sprang into action.

Time was running out for Lu Ye. He quickly spoke, "Sister, do you have any other instructions?"

Haitang said, "All the crew members on the Ghost Ship, though part of the ship itself, will strictly follow your every command as long as you remain captain. This is another one of the Ghost Ship's rules; make good use of it! Throughout history, many cultivators have fallen into the Ghost Ship — not just Constellation Realm cultivators, but even Sun-Illuminated Realm ones. However, there are also precedents of those who successfully escaped and left with priceless treasures. The outcome is not yet determined; never give up until the very end!"

"Understood."

He turned and ran out. While still halfway there, he heard Qin Zong's frantic shout, "Captain, hurry back and take control of the warship!"

"Quiet!" Lu Ye swept past him and headed directly for the control room. He quickly reached the spherical control center, stood firm, and channeled spiritual power into it.

A dozen breaths later, the Long Dragon Warship was obliterated. Under the absolute might of the invaders' attacks, not a single crew member on board survived.

In his fifth reincarnation, when Lu Ye opened his eyes, he immediately checked the peculiar connection between himself and the Long Dragon Warship. He found that it had indeed become even closer.

This connection would continuously deepen with each subsequent death, until at a certain limit, Lu Ye would become like Haitang, completely trapped and unable to escape.

Thus, everything he was experiencing now, Haitang had already gone through.

To be alone in such a bizarre environment, gradually approaching one's demise, would quickly lead to a breakdown if one's willpower wasn't strong enough.

Lu Ye wasn't sure how many times he could die; the current sensation wasn't deep enough for an accurate judgment. However, his desire to escape the Ghost Ship was a long and arduous journey.

This death was not true death, as everything he experienced was merely an illusion. However, this illusion unfolded under the rules of the Ghost Ship and was so sophisticated that Lu Ye could not discern a single flaw.

Calming his mind, Lu Ye immediately placed his hand on the spherical control center, linking his consciousness with the Long Dragon Warship, and began familiarizing himself with its operation.

Before that, however, he first accelerated the Long Dragon Warship, sending it fleeing into the distance.

His thinking was simple: since strong enemies were pursuing from behind, accelerating now could create some distance and buy a little more time.

But soon, Lu Ye realized he had overthought it.

Because when the familiar cry of "Enemy attack!" rang out, Lu Ye discovered he hadn't gained any extra time at all. The crew member on the lookout post still issued the warning at the exact same moment! What was happening? Without time to ponder, Lu Ye continued to fully concentrate on maneuvering the Long Dragon Warship forward.

Moments later, the enemy ships caught up, their distance rapidly closing. Massive, pillar-like beams of light continuously swept in from behind.

Under Lu Ye's control, the warship flipped and maneuvered, evading most of the attacks. However, some still struck the protective light barrier, causing it to flicker precariously.

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