Chapter 2649: Going Home

A secluded small courtyard held a two-story blue pavilion and a hexagonal stone gazebo. A blue-robed young woman with delicate features sat in the stone gazebo.

The young woman's skin was as fair as snow, and her eyes were bright and lively.

This was Wang Yibing, a descendant of Wang Yingjie, who possessed a rare ice-attributed spiritual root.

Her parents had conceived Wang Yimiao after consuming the Nine Dragon Pill.

On the green stone table in front of Wang Yibing were various talisman-crafting tools.

She was in the process of crafting talismans.

A ruddy-faced, tall, and slender old man in a golden robe stood silently beside her.

This was Wang Youli, a fifth-tier talisman master with considerable skill.

Wang Yibing had previously studied array formations but showed little talent, losing interest after a period. However, she was very enthusiastic about talisman crafting. Consequently, the family assigned Wang Youli to personally instruct her.

Wang Yibing held her breath and concentrated, as profound blue runes began to appear on the talisman paper.

After about the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, the final rune settled, and the talisman paper glowed with a faint blue light, emitting a weak ripple of water spiritual energy.

"I succeeded! Uncle Youli, I succeeded!" Wang Yibing put down her talisman brush and exclaimed excitedly.

"It's just a Water Escape Talisman," Wang Youli admonished. "You must remain humble and continue to learn." He explained that while Wang Yibing indeed possessed great talent in talisman crafting, pride leads to stagnation, whereas humility fosters progress.

"I understand. Someday, I will surpass our Ancestor," Wang Yibing declared with determination. Her gaze was firm.

Currently, the most skilled talisman master in the family was Wang Ruyan. The family boasted several fifth-tier talisman masters, but only Wang Ruyan had reached the sixth tier.

"It's good to have such an ambition," Wang Youli instructed. "However, to surpass our Ancestor, you need to work even harder. Diligence is rewarded by the heavens, and while talent is crucial, if you don't put in the effort, even the best talent will be wasted." Wang Youli patiently advised.

"I understand, Uncle Youli," Wang Yibing replied. She put the Water Escape Talisman aside and continued to craft more.

***

Over an endless expanse of azure sea, a massive blue vessel, shaped remarkably like a gourd, rapidly soared through the sky, leaving a lingering afterimage in its wake.

Hundreds of passengers stood on the deck, their expressions varied.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan stood on the deck, gazing into the distant sky.

With a thunderous roar, the sea surface suddenly erupted, sending countless waves splashing. A massive water tornado shot skyward, heading directly towards the Spirit-Crossing Treasure Ship.

Wang Changsheng and the other passengers were startled, their faces filled with apprehension.

The Spirit-Crossing Treasure Ship's hull glowed with dazzling blue light, and a faint blue sonic wave swept out, shattering the water tornado. The powerful air current directly ripped through the void, creating long, wide cracks. Soon after, the cracks healed.

A colossal, silver-bodied octopus emerged from the sea. Its head bore a grotesque human face, and its entire body crackled with countless silver electrical arcs.

"A seventh-tier beast!" Wang Changsheng's brows furrowed; this was not good news.

Simultaneously, a loud whistling sound came from high above, as a towering green tornado, tens of thousands of feet high, swiftly swept towards them.

The blue colossal ship's spiritual light intensified, and it soared higher into the sky.

"You escaped last time, but it won't be so easy this time," the silver octopus spoke in a cold, human voice.

A deafening thunder roared from the sky, as a thousand-mile-wide black thundercloud appeared, plunging the area into darkness with flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder. The booming thunder continued, and tens of thousands of thick silver lightning bolts tore through the sky, striking towards the blue colossal ship.

"Amitābha, may the Buddha be merciful!" A resonant male voice rang out.

A golden light flew out from within the blue colossal ship; it was Master Miaode. He clasped his hands together, and his body radiated golden light as a gigantic golden Buddha projection appeared above his head. The golden Buddha projection emitted a golden misty glow, which absorbed all the descending silver lightning bolts. The golden Buddha projection's right hand slapped towards the void, causing ripples to appear in front of the silver octopus. A golden misty giant hand materialized out of thin air and struck the silver octopus.

The silver octopus dared not directly resist. Just then, a loud lion's roar echoed, and the silver octopus's head twisted in pain, its reaction slowing. It was struck by the golden giant hand, and its massive body was sent flying back a hundred zhang before stopping.

"It's you again, you cursed monk! Consider yourselves lucky," the silver octopus cursed. With a final curse, the silver octopus's body glowed intensely with lightning, transforming into a streak of silver lightning that vanished from sight.

Monk Miaode looked towards the green hurricane, which was moving back the way it came at an even faster speed, disappearing into the horizon. The thunderclouds dispersed, and the sky returned to its clear state.

All the cultivators simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, while Wang Changsheng was utterly surprised. It seemed Master Miaode had previously exchanged blows with these two seventh-tier beasts. Their obvious fear indicated they had suffered significant losses at his hands.

"Master Miaode's divine abilities are truly vast; this concubine has witnessed them firsthand," a beautiful woman in a red dress stepped onto the deck and said with a smile.

"Madam Han jests," Master Miaode replied. "This humble monk merely exchanged blows with them. Since they retreated, that is all." After speaking, Master Miaode flew back into the Spirit-Crossing Treasure Ship.

The Spirit-Crossing Treasure Ship continued its journey. Along the remaining route, they encountered disturbances from multiple seventh-tier beasts, but the ship's incredible speed allowed them to easily evade them. While both the Han family and the Ye family piloted Spirit-Crossing Treasure Ships for travel, the Han family could only evade seventh-tier beasts, whereas the Ye family directly engaged and eliminated them. This clearly illustrated the disparity between the two powers.

***

Over ten years later, the Spirit-Crossing Treasure Ship appeared in a vast azure sea. Ahead lay an expansive island, where numerous figures could be seen moving about.

"We have arrived at the Xuanling Continent. Prepare to disembark and gather your belongings. We are not responsible for any lost items," a Han family disciple announced loudly.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan's expressions were filled with excitement; they were finally home.

The Spirit-Crossing Treasure Ship slowed down, eventually stopping near Tianhai Fangshi. Wang Changsheng and the other passengers disembarked one after another.

Tianhai Fangshi was as bustling as ever. Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan were surprised to discover that the family had significantly increased its number of shops, indicating that the family had opened several more establishments during their absence.

Wang Xiangrong followed behind them, needing a period of recuperation.

Fifteen minutes later, Wang Changsheng, Wang Ruyan, and Wang Xiangrong arrived at a secluded small courtyard with blue tiled roofs. A tall, slender old man in a golden robe was currently reporting the situation to them.

"Uncle-Master Zhao has been transferred to this sea region? Zhenhai Palace is vigorously supporting our Wang family?" Wang Changsheng exclaimed in surprise, but upon reflection, it made sense. If the Ascension faction were too weak, it would intensify internal conflicts within Zhenhai Palace. For Zhenhai Palace to maintain sufficient vitality, the two factions needed to be relatively balanced in strength.

"After so many years away, it's time to go home and see everything properly," Wang Ruyan said with a smile.

Wang Changsheng nodded. The three of them left the market and flew towards Qinglian Island.

Over a thousand years had passed, and the number of Void Refinement cultivators in the family had significantly increased. Besides the support from Zhenhai Palace, Wang Moshan also contributed greatly to this growth.