Chapter 214: Entering the Sea

"Sorry, it's too late."

On the deck, Xu Yang heard the words and frantically pulled the ropes, disregarding the continuous urging and shouting from the people on shore, making the top-tier cruise ship quickly depart from this place full of conspiracy.

"There must be a problem with that ship! Release the arrows!"

In an instant, countless ice arrows, imbued with a dense icy aura, shot out from the guards' hands, flying directly towards the orange passenger ship.

Xu Yang immediately appeared before the Empress. A dazzling Tai Chi totem erupted from his pupils, rapidly expanding in a short time to completely cover most of the surrounding ship's hull.

"Heh heh, watch this!"

Just then, the little snake suddenly darted underwater, its body rapidly expanding to over ten meters. It unleashed several earth-shattering tail whips in succession, causing terrifying waves to surge. Propelled by the strong recoil force, the top-tier cruise ship rapidly moved away from the water's edge at several times its usual speed.

"Damn it! Launch more ships, chase them!"

Clearly, the Lord's Mansion had no intention of letting Xu Yang and his companions go easily. However, once the ship had set off, chasing it was a slim hope. Furthermore, there was only one top-tier cruise ship along the entire shore, and the other vessels' power simply couldn't compare.

The fierce fight on the deck quickly drew the attention of the eight guests inside the ship who possessed orange sea permits. They soon came out onto the spacious deck, and three of them recognized Xu Yang and the Empress.

"Oh, look who it is! It's Lord Xu Yang, renowned across the Thousand Cloud Sect, and the Empress of the Cold Moon Empire! I never thought the two of you would be traveling together; how interesting."

The person who spoke was wearing the attire of the Xuanyuan Empire, but the Empress didn't recognize him by face.

"Who are you?" Xu Yang calmly asked.

"I am Xuanyuan Hong, the Carefree King of the Xuanyuan Empire."

The Empress's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively became more cautious.

This Xuanyuan Hong, the Carefree King, was actually the Xuanyuan Emperor's youngest brother, a legitimate prince. However, he held no desire for the throne; instead, he was devoted to self-cultivation and seeking the Dao, a well-traveled individual with profound knowledge.

The Empress was wary of him because rumors claimed he was highly skilled in using poison, making him a formidable opponent.

"The Xuanyuan Empire allied with the Northern Jin Alliance to act against the Thousand Cloud Sect and its various factions. You must be aware of this, correct?"

Facing the Empress's question, Xuanyuan Hong didn't conceal anything; instead, he nodded readily.

"Of course, I'm aware. I can only say that my foolish brother overestimated himself, daring to offend figures like the Empress and Lord Xu Yang. I apologize on his behalf. Since we've met, I presume we are all heading towards the Taotie. Allow me to introduce you; these seven people are my companions."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yang instinctively became wary.

"May I ask, sir, the Taotie is an ancient spiritual seed of exceptionally formidable power. For what purpose are you seeking it?"

"Hahaha, of course, it's to obtain its inner core! Ancient spiritual seeds are even more precious than ancient mythical beasts. If one could truly subdue it and obtain its inner core, it could lead to immense heavenly fortune!"

Xuanyuan Hong didn't hide anything. However, the auras of the people around him were very solid, suggesting they were not benevolent individuals. If this person had no ill intentions, it would be fine. But if he truly decided to plot against Xu Yang and the Empress, they would be quite difficult to deal with, especially in a place like the East Sea.

Soon, two hours later, the passenger ship had completely left the port and entered the vast open sea. As a result, the roaring sea winds gradually grew colder. From time to time, powerful deep-sea beasts would leap out of the water, releasing incredibly powerful auras.

It must be said that the spiritual energy in the air of the East Sea was quite abundant. After some time away from the port, Xu Yang and the others found that the spiritual seals within their bodies seemed to be almost melted, and their strength had also recovered by more than half. However, if they were to leave this passenger ship and fly through the vast sea, they would likely be targeted as invaders by these powerful sea beasts in no time.

There were a total of ten independent rooms inside the ship's cabin, but the internal space was very confined. Moreover, they were surrounded by Xuanyuan Hong's people, so Xu Yang and the Empress instinctively decided to cultivate on the deck.

By late night, the sea wind grew even colder. The Empress's face appeared somewhat pale, and her condition during cultivation was not very good. Xu Yang knew this was a side effect of her Cold Moon Art; in such a freezing environment, the impact and damage to her meridians would be more severe.

Gently shaking his head, Xu Yang formed a hand seal. An incredibly warm golden domain invisibly enveloped the Empress, and soon the icy sensation within her body gradually disappeared by more than half.

The Empress didn't look directly at Xu Yang. However, her spiritual power was incredibly strong; she had already sensed everything the moment Xu Yang reacted, and she simply silently remembered this favor.

Traveling together, the Empress had no idea that an unbreakable bond between her and Xu Yang was just beginning...

"You two, it's too cold out here on the sea. Would you like to come in for a drink?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Carefree King, but there's no need."

The Empress directly refused. This time, however, Xu Yang not only didn't refuse but instead opened his eyes and looked at Xue Qinghan with concern.

"The Carefree King's intentions are kind. I think we should always show respect. Besides, this sea wind is indeed biting, and it's not good for your cultivation. Perhaps we should take shelter for now?"

The Empress met Xu Yang's gaze, and seemed to read some other meaning in his eyes, so she decided to humor him this one time.

The inner chambers on the second floor had previously been occupied by Xuanyuan Hong's people. It was unclear whether he had intentionally given instructions or not, but now the entire second-floor dining area was much quieter, as everyone else had returned to their rooms to rest.

"Come, come, try my wine. This is a hundred-year-old 'Daughter's Red,' something I wouldn't usually bring out for just anyone!"

Xu Yang, preferring to obey respectfully, smiled and looked at the other person: "From what you're saying, you've been in Sangshui City for quite some time now?"

"The Lord's Mansion has shares belonging to our Xuanyuan Empire, and I have my own properties within the city, so of course, I can come and go as I please! However, this is my first time venturing out to sea to search for the Taotie. It's also because the Thousand Cloud Sect caused such a huge stir this time that I received news about the Taotie. To be frank with you, I've coveted ancient spiritual seeds for a long time. This time, I am determined to obtain the Taotie's inner core."

The Empress couldn't help but scoff, "Given the Taotie's strength, how could it be as easy as you say?"

Xuanyuan Hong laughed heartily: "To my knowledge, over eight hundred cultivators at the Cave Heaven Realm and above have departed from the port and ventured into the sea within the last half-month. Dozens of ships have set out, but not a single one has returned yet. With those people paving the way for us, our chances will certainly be much greater!"