Chapter 666: South China Sea

Although Bai Rong's cart was unremarkable in appearance, its speed was by no means slow. In just over a month, they had already traveled deep into the Southern Reaches, galloping continuously on the azure winds without stopping for a moment.

As they flew deeper, a few demonic creatures appeared to block their path. The leader was a wolf demon with a blue face, fangs, and fiery red hair, looking quite different from the creatures in Jiangnan. Bai Rong let out two shouts and declared, "Your grandpa is a white fox from Mount Li. Who's the blind fool daring to block my path!"

The wolf demon's expression changed instantly upon hearing this. Its wolf-like face, furrowed in a frown, became even uglier. It opened its four eyes wide and stammered, "Oh, it's Grandpa Fox! My apologies... my apologies... Grandpas, after you cross the ridge, why don't you come and sit with our Great King? This humble demon will bring hot tea and invite you to try some blood buns."

Bai Rong glanced at him, sounding doubtful. "Who is your Great King from, some forgotten mountain corner? How dare he invite me to sit?"

The four-eyed wolf demon respectfully replied, "It's General Heisun, under the command of Mountain Lord Bifu. He lives on Black Lacquer Ridge..."

"Begone! How annoying!" Bai Rong's expression changed when he heard the name Mountain Lord Bifu. He waved his hand, sending the demon flying a zhang away, and replied, "Just a monkey, what a nuisance!"

The two demonic creatures were swept off their feet by the demonic wind he raised. They groaned in pain, then scrambled to their feet and cried out, "Grandpa, be careful! Near this ridge are cunning shapeshifting shamans..."

Bai Rong had already sped several li away, but the two demons behind them were still calling "Grandpa, Grandpa," seeing them off all the way out of the mountains. Li Zhouwei appeared thoughtful. Bai Rong secretly glanced at him and, with some awkwardness, began to explain: "This Mountain Lord Bifu... is called Can Lufu. He is a descendant of one of the True Dragon's nine sons, specifically tracing back to the eighth prince, whose corpse is still lodged at the bottom of the Vermillion Current Sea. My own ancestors were refined by him..." He added, "Can Lufu is a great demon of the same level as my master, and also a demon king that Chi Wei was close with at the time. After all, as a descendant of the eighth prince, he is extremely powerful."

Hearing this name, Li Zhouwei felt a shock and finally understood the source of Bai Rong's awkwardness. As he watched the mountain grow smaller in the distance, he firmly imprinted Mountain Lord Bifu in his mind, but his tone remained largely unreactive, merely asking, "This lord's true form is an Azure Water Flood Dragon?"

"Precisely," Bai Rong replied, sighing in relief that Li Zhouwei didn't react more strongly. "If the dragon clan hadn't disowned him, he might even be considered some kind of Dragon King by now. And he's skilled at alchemy, giving him some influence in the Southern Reaches. Therefore, although Can Lufu is a flood dragon, he never dares to venture into the Eastern Sea. He just nests here in the Southern Reaches, lording it over others and colluding with a few other great demons. He's quite an old-timer."

Li Zhouwei heard the details and then asked, "Mountain Lord Bifu must be a Purple Mansion great demon, right? What is his background?"

"Well..." Bai Rong hesitated. He knew that Li Tongya's own brother had been refined by Can Lufu, which was why he had previously avoided the topic. Now that they had flown out of that particular mountain range, he dared to speak in more detail, lowering his voice: "Four hundred years ago, he was already at the mid-Purple Mansion stage... At that time, he even led demons to attack the newly established Azure Pool Sect. Chi Wei must have befriended him then."

Li Zhouwei remembered this information. Bai Rong then advised, "This is ancient history, hundreds of years ago... let it go... Can Lufu is an ancient demon, an elite among Purple Mansion cultivators. Even my master couldn't defeat him."

Li Zhouwei smiled and assented. Bai Rong finally relaxed, pointing to the surrounding mountains and forests and patting his chest. "Ordinary cultivators usually have to go around the Eastern Sea to reach the Southern Sea, but you don't need to. If you go to the Southern Sea in the future, you can just fly there on the wind. If any mountain or valley searchers dare to block you, just strike them with a palm!"

Li Zhouwei gently asked, "Wouldn't that offend these mountain lords and generals?"

"Of course not!" Bai Rong chuckled. "You just saw it. As we traveled, which little demon didn't call me 'Grandpa'? These awakened minor demons have no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment; they are purely errand-runners. Only because I am a fox demon, but if it were a tiger or leopard, it would be no problem to just seize them and command them at will."

The sea gradually emerged in the distance. The oppressive atmosphere lifted, and Bai Rong's mood brightened. The Southern Sea was deeper in color, the climate hot, and the continent of Lüfang was already visible, with trees of dark green reaching high into the clouds.

Bai Rong, however, turned east. The seawater gradually turned azure, indicating they were nearing the Vermillion Current Sea.

The Vermillion Current Sea is located at the southernmost tip of the Eastern Sea, east of the Southern Sea, and bordering it. Bai Rong, being lazy, stopped at the edge of the Vermillion Current Sea. He casually grabbed a small demon, sent it to notify the patrolling sea creatures, and turned his cart back. "That Dingjiao will chase us on its own. We'll go ahead first."

As he drove back on the wind, Li Zhouwei looked out. The eastern islands of Lüfang Continent were scattered like stars, sparsely populated. Although dense with jungles, few cultivators were seen flying about.

"It's quite different from the Eastern Sea," Li Zhouwei remarked.

There were no unoccupied islands in the Eastern Sea; why were so many left barren in the Southern Sea? Bai Rong glanced at him and quietly explained, "Southern Sea cultivators' cave dwellings and palaces are all underwater. These islands are just backyards for major powers, guarded by strict formations, used for growing spiritual herbs and gathering Qi, and converging spiritual veins... As for mortals, they live on large continents like Lüfang and Songzhou, scattered about, probably comparable in size to the State of Yue."

Li Zhouwei nodded then. The seabed of the Southern Sea was not occupied by dragon kin and was tens of thousands of times vaster than the surface, a realm unto itself. Naturally, there was no need to live on the surface.

Moreover, the relationship between the Southern Sea and the mainland was not as close as that of the Eastern Sea. The Southern Reaches blocked the way, making it almost necessary to cross the entire Vermillion Current Sea to gather Qi from the mainland, the dangers of which were immense. Thus, retaining local islands for Qi gathering became even more crucial.

"Further south is Tanjong Puro, where more Buddhist and Demonic cultivators reside..."

The name Tanjong Puro reminded Li Zhouwei. Li Qinghong had once mentioned that he had an elder relative cultivating there... seemingly a bastard child from the Yuanqing generation.

"Once the matter with the dragon kin is settled, it would be good to visit Tanjong Puro and see that elder... I wonder if he knows about the passing of the family's master."

Li Zhouwei and Bai Rong traveled for most of the day, continuing into the sea. Straight ahead was a vast white seabed, dotted with corals, as bright as day. Houses and streets were densely packed, surprisingly similar to the former Tail Kingdom.

A thin light barrier enveloped the seabed, likely a market. Bai Rong seemed enthusiastic. He immediately put away his cart, donned a cloak, and descended into the market.

Li Zhouwei descended with him. The market's grand formation merely separated them from the seawater. Upon entering, no one came to greet them; people bustled through the market.

"Let's browse for a bit. The dragon kin will surely arrive here within three hours at most!" Bai Rong eagerly looked around, buying shells and corals. His cloak concealed his cultivation level and his demonic nature, allowing him to move about freely.

Li Zhouwei casually wandered, first buying a map. The seller, seeing his Foundation Establishment cultivation, offered the item and scurried away, not daring to accept even spirit shells as payment.

Li Zhouwei examined the map. "What a coincidence, it's the Miao family's territory in the Southern Sea!"

From the map, the Miao family's territory was quite large, ranking among the top few major powers in the Southern Sea. Even the current Zhulei Market and the Zhulei Cavern beneath their feet belonged to the Miao family.

"Thunder Arts are truly excellent... Most Southern Sea cultivators practice demonic cultivation, which is more or less countered by Thunder Arts. Although the Miao family has few direct descendants, their territory is vast, yet the suppression of demonic cultivation by Thunder Arts is too strong!"

He casually scanned the area; demonic cultivators were everywhere, and blood-related items were ubiquitous. Upon closer inspection, nine out of ten of these blood-related items were refined from demonic beasts. Human elixirs, however, were prohibitively expensive.

"The Southern Sea has few humans but many cultivators, with Buddhist, Demonic, Immortal, and Shamanic practitioners mixed together. Humans are a rare commodity... Most major demonic cultivation methods have been modified to focus on consuming demonic beasts."

He walked around. There were also many mortals bustling through the market, smiling and calling out to "sirs." Two children in a corner were chattering, surprisingly discussing Purple Mansion divine abilities.

Li Zhouwei quickly understood: "Mortals in the Southern Sea live in underwater formations, and most are related to cultivators by blood... On one hand, their numbers are small, so their lives are safe. On the other hand, being connected to cultivators makes them less likely to be harvested."

The land in the Southern Sea was incomparable to that on the mainland. An acre of land in Jiangnan was enough to feed several people, and even the laziest families could sow seeds and soon have enough to eat and drink... This was why the three sects and seven gates could sustain their annual losses.

The Eastern Sea also had few humans but many cultivators, but it benefited from a massive influx of spiritual rice and vital essence from cultivators in the north and south of the mainland, so humans were not scarce. The Southern Sea was much more troublesome; apart from a few large continents, the remaining mortals could only live in underwater formations, living side-by-side with cultivators.

"So, to speak... the Southern Sea, famous throughout the world for its demonic cultivation... actually has quite stable rules and order... Mortals rarely face mortal danger, their lives are closely tied to cultivators, they understand cultivation clearly, and simply need to serve cultivators..."

He couldn't help but show a sarcastic smile: "The common people of the Buddhist lands are sallow and thin, born to await death. The common folk of the Immortal Gates are ignorant and foolish, silently waiting to be harvested. In contrast, in this demonic sea to the south, people know why they are born and why they die, and the great path of cultivation is right beside them."

Li Zhouwei himself was the lord of a lake, accustomed to observing all kinds of human nature. He had always heard that the Southern Sea was dominated by demonic cultivators, but seeing it with his own eyes, the differences made him sigh with emotion. He suddenly had an epiphany: "However, these people don't act violently because there are too few humans to be worth it... They are forced to catch demons and refine elixirs, which has become a habit. If they had the chance to go to the mainland and the Eastern Sea, where resources are abundant, they would probably kill more fiercely than anyone."

As he secretly observed the Southern Sea's system of extreme integration between immortals and mortals, looking for aspects he could learn from for his own domain, Bai Rong returned with a pile of shells and corals. He took out a gleaming blue conch from it and tucked it into Li Zhouwei's embrace, laughing, "I have many little foxes in my cave. It's rare for me to go out, so I bring back some treasures for them, and I can't forget you either!"

Li Zhouwei accepted it with a slight smile. This conch was merely a Spirit Nurturing-level artifact, capable of stirring seawater. He thanked the fox, not wanting to slight his kindness, and put it into his embrace.

Bai Rong immediately beamed with delight, muttering to himself in a low voice, "My great-grandmother told me that when she came to the Southern Sea, there weren't so many demonic cultivation techniques and vital essence here. This area was quite desolate. After the Miao family rose, the demonic cultivation techniques in this entire sea region suddenly increased, and they were all very good, high-quality techniques."

"Oh?" Li Zhouwei immediately sensed something unusual and frowned. "I heard that the Southern Sea has long been known for its widespread demonic cultivation..."

Bai Rong scoffed, "While they were all demonic techniques back then, they were mostly common, low-quality ones. There were also quite a few cultivation methods of Wood, Earth, and Water virtues... There were even several Immortal Sects, none of which are seen today. It's all thanks to the Miao family's 'good deeds'!"

Putting this together, Li Zhouwei understood how the Miao family's enormous power in the Southern Sea came about: "What a ruthless method, spreading high-grade demonic cultivation techniques. In places like the Eastern and Southern Seas, where everyone struggles... once spread, it's not so simple anymore... Nearly half of demonic cultivation doesn't require gathering Qi... only consuming enough vital essence. The Miao family controls Thunder Arts cultivation methods and Qi-gathering techniques, making them perfectly secure. They then spread various convenient, fast, low-threshold, and rapid demonic cultivation methods throughout this vast territory, immediately squeezing out all other cultivation methods until no one practices them... Their direct descendants then cultivate Thunder Arts with abundant resources. Which one of them doesn't go out and dominate others?"

He shook his head, pondering, "No wonder they say the Miao family is a Thunder Arts family, and also demonic cultivators. Whether they consume vital essence or not is still unknown... but such a move clearly shows their cunning methods."

As Li Zhouwei pondered, Bai Rong began to ramble, "Kid, most of the demonic disasters in Jiangnan originated from the Blood Demon Scripture. This cultivation method also belongs to the Miao family... The Golden Feather Sect borrowed the Miao family's cultivation method... That Golden Feather Sect... they're all quite manipulative. Just look at how they've risen; now they're the sole powerhouse among the three sects, and the seven gates fear them like tigers. That shows how powerful they are!"

Li Zhouwei heard his words and immediately understood, thinking to himself, *He's subtly warning me...*

The Golden Feather Sect actually had no major conflict with his family; their relationship was even quite good. The Li family had gathered Qi in the desert for so many years, and no one dared to disturb them. Li Zhouwei didn't believe this was without the Golden Feather Sect's tacit approval. Moreover, it was rumored that Li Tongya and Zhang Yun were friends, and Golden Feather Sect disciples were also quite courteous to the Li family...

But since Bai Rong had warned him, Li Zhouwei could only make a mental note, humbly saying, "This junior will remember that!"

Bai Rong glanced at him, seemingly afraid that his meaning was too direct and might cause offense, so he asked two smiling questions. Just then, a whistling sound rose from the sea, green waves surged, and the clinking of iron chains rang out.

"Rumble!"

A giant Azure Water Scaled Beast gradually emerged above the seabed. A dazzling and luxurious palace floated in the ocean, and its enormous black shadow quickly covered the entire market. The luminous pearls that had been glowing brightly also dimmed.

The cultivators passing by looked up, staring dumbfounded at the sea. The sound of a conch horn boomed, and familiar shouts came from the sea: "The Imperial Chariot of the Azure Dragon Prince has arrived at Cheng Haiqing Pond—"