Chapter 40: The Bronze Ship Owner's Decree

Li Weiyi looked back anxiously, only relaxing slightly after confirming Li Ling hadn't followed. The bronze warship, the Golden Crow's remains, and the Black Flood Dragon's remains were all treasures. If she knew about them, there was no telling if she would bring over all the experts from the entire Cangli Tribe and the Nine Li Tribe.

Yet, he was secretly puzzled and wary: why didn't Li Ling dare to follow him? She dared to traverse a terrifying place like the Misty Realm of Departing Spirits, so she certainly couldn't be judged by the standards of a normal teenage girl.

"I can only go forward, not back. Why think so much? I haven't encountered any danger in this sea of coffins."

Li Weiyi jumped off the walkway and rushed into the endless "land" of floating coffins. The smell of blood and decay quickly intensified.

The place where he had originally landed was different from the Coffin Dock Ferry. He could only find the approximate direction of the bronze warship now. At the same time, he didn't have Li Ling's fear, believing the Bloody Sea Coffin Dock only *looked* eerie and terrifying but was actually quite calm and peaceful. Therefore, after rushing out several dozen *li*, he began shouting "Zhao Meng" or "Old Liu (Liu Bing)" into the mist. He constantly changed direction and position, continuing to call out.

Half a day later.

Li Weiyi no longer knew how far he had drifted from the shore. Each shout went unanswered, and his confidence waned. He was very worried that the bronze warship had already set sail again, heading for a much more distant place. If that were true, what would happen to the expedition members on board who were short on food and water? What about his elder brother (senior disciple)?

Another half day passed, and Li Weiyi was probably almost 200 *li* from the shore. The floating coffins stretched endlessly, and the dark mist was thick. He felt the entire world was dead and lifeless, with no living beings but himself. He was overwhelmed by an unprecedented panic, his mind filled with chaotic thoughts, leaving him at a loss. It was possible the bronze warship had... truly sailed far away.

From the dark mist in the distance came a familiar voice: "Weiyi, is that you?"

"Brother Weiyi, it's Qin Ke."

Li Weiyi, who had been resting temporarily on a four-meter-long jade coffin, was greatly revitalized. He rushed towards the source of the sound at top speed. Soon after, the floating coffins on the water surface vibrated and swayed violently, and a massive figure emerged from the mist. That figure was as tall as a two-story building, its head as large as a water vat, its mouth as wide as a platter, and its legs thicker than Li Weiyi's entire body, brimming with explosive power. He had a full beard and wore only a patched pair of oversized shorts. He walked with an imposing aura. In his left hand, he held a white soul banner, which swayed, causing scriptures to float and glow, emanating light for dozens of *zhang*. In the palm of his right hand, he held an old blue-and-white jar, resembling an urn for ashes.

"Haha!"

The meeting between the senior and junior disciples was naturally joyful. They stopped about a *zhang* apart. Zhao Meng's laughter was like thunder, his voice incredibly loud.

Li Weiyi was dumbfounded; he had to crane his neck to see Zhao Meng's face. Both happy and incredulous, he asked, "Senior Brother... what happened? How did you get so tall?"

"This is just the beginning. I might even grow taller in the future. I'm on a path where I continuously consume the blood of ancient immortal beasts. My physique is quite extraordinary, you know."

Zhao Meng's height had reached six meters, his skin was nearly golden, and parts of his arms were covered in black Jiaolong scales. He carried many bottles and jars on his back. The soul banner in his hand was over three meters long. At its top were nine skull heads with ruby eyes, and from each skull's mouth emerged a white strip of cloth covered in incomprehensible scriptures. Li Weiyi had seen this soul banner before, stuck atop a grave in the stele forest of the bronze warship's tomb sea. How did Senior Brother activate it?

"Senior Brother, have you cultivated spiritual power... meaning you've opened a spring?" Li Weiyi had told Zhao Meng about his method of opening springs on the bronze warship. Zhao Meng had also practiced the Jade Void Breathing Technique for years, so it wasn't strange for him to open a spring in a short time.

"Opening a spring isn't that easy. Do you think everyone has talent like yours? Master said my talent only reaches your knees." Zhao Meng glanced at the soul banner in his hand, understanding Li Weiyi's confusion. He explained, "Its glow has nothing to do with me. Have you found land? Where's Gao Huan?"

"Of course I found it, but it's a long story..."

Hearing the commotion, Li Weiyi's gaze shifted behind Zhao Meng. Qin Ke, holding a foot-tall ancestral tablet in both hands, and Old Liu and Old Guan, carrying a stone coffin, emerged one after another from the mist. Old Liu and Old Guan were both members of the engineering and technical team, but Li Weiyi could no longer recognize them at all. One had drunk Golden Crow blood and grown a massive bird's head. The other had drunk Black Flood Dragon blood and grown a flood dragon's head covered in black scales. Two deformed humans!

Li Weiyi didn't see anyone else approaching and asked doubtfully, "Where are the others?"

"They're all on the ship; they've already departed."

Zhao Meng seemed very relaxed, as if he wasn't worried about their safety at all. He sat down and recounted in detail what had happened on the bronze ship over the past two days. Li Weiyi listened intently, filled with curiosity, and interjected, "Did the owner of the bronze warship appear?"

"Not exactly. I didn't see Their true form, anyway. After the Golden Crow blood and Black Flood Dragon blood were purified by the immortal aura's energy, everyone could drink them. A single drop would prevent hunger for days, and their physical strength would increase. The expedition members won't starve to death. They're following the owner of the bronze warship and might become extraordinary beings in the future."

"They" referred to something mysterious, awe-inspiring, and unknown.

Zhao Meng's expression suddenly turned serious: "But it's not all good news! They issued a decree, telling the owner of the Dao Ancestor Taiji Fish... well, that's you, to reach the Longevity Realm as soon as possible. There's something you must do, and Their time is already very urgent."

Li Weiyi froze, then was torn between laughter and tears. "What does that mean?"

Zhao Meng replied, "It seems our sect promised Them something, creating a karmic bond that requires the owner of the Dao Ancestor Taiji Fish to accept and fulfill. I'm not sure of the specifics, but when your cultivation reaches the Longevity Realm, They will come for you, and then you'll know, won't you? If it comes down to it, we senior and junior brothers will face it together."

"I don't even know what the Longevity Realm is," Li Weiyi said with a chuckle.

A hoarse, aged voice rang out: "Spring Realm, Five Seas Realm, Dao Seed Realm. The next major realm, the fourth one, is the Longevity Realm. Young man, count yourself lucky. To have a karmic connection with the owner of the bronze warship, to be able to work for Them, and to have us three dispatched as your guides—this opportunity and treatment will make countless people green with envy."

Zhao Meng had learned the language and writing of this world from his senior sister, being more familiar with it than Li Weiyi, so he understood the meaning expressed by the old voice. He nodded vigorously; even he felt that the owner of the bronze warship was a being of great power. Working for Them was like gaining a powerful backer in this foreign land. Even if this patron had only just awakened, seemed to have very important matters to attend to, and apparently still looked down on their insignificant selves, there was still the feeling of having a great tree sheltering them overhead.

Li Weiyi searched for a moment and then discovered that the aged voice was actually coming from the urn Zhao Meng held. Looking at Zhao Meng, he whispered, "Another malevolent entity?"

"By the command of the bronze warship's owner, I shall henceforth be your guide on the path of martial arts and magic." The lid of the urn vibrated, and the voice continued.

From the ancestral tablet in Qin Ke's hands, a middle-aged woman's voice chimed in: "I am your guide on the path of spiritual cultivation."

From inside the stone coffin carried by Old Liu and Old Guan came a low, restrained voice: "I'm more versatile; I know a bit of everything and will be responsible for planning your cultivation path. Two years to Spring Realm, three years to Five Seas, five years to Dao Seed, and you must reach Longevity Realm within ten years. Ten years, you only have ten years!"

"You can consider this the will of the bronze warship's owner, or a transaction, but do not disregard it. Because in ten years... or perhaps a little longer, the events that will unfold will also affect you and those around you."

Li Weiyi's fingers touched the Dao Ancestor Taiji Fish. Many thoughts instantly rushed through his mind, and his expression gradually turned serious. He realized that his Senior Brother, the owner of the bronze warship, and these three malevolent entities were not joking. Moreover, there seemed to be no possibility of shirking or refusing. He was indeed still ignorant and confused about cultivation, with too many unknowns. If he had guidance from renowned masters, he would naturally be more than willing. But... he had too many questions in his mind.

Li Weiyi cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask for your names, Seniors?"

The old man in the jar replied, "The three of us were once renowned figures on this land, but now I am merely a jar of ashes. As for the couple, one is just a remnant soul residing in an ancestral tablet, and the other is a remnant corpse. If not for the owner of the bronze warship, we wouldn't even have retained this last bit of residual soul consciousness. So, in our current impoverished state, let us not speak of the past."

The middle-aged woman in the ancestral tablet said, "Agreed."

"Agreed," said the voice from inside the stone coffin.

The old man in the jar then added, "Just call me Senior Jar."

"Senior Tablet."

"Senior Coffin."

All three introduced themselves by these titles. Were they really so easygoing and down-to-earth? Completely unlike Chan Hai Guan Wu and Yu Tuo Nan. Perhaps it was the will of the bronze warship's owner.

Li Weiyi's gaze swept over the urn, the ancestral tablet, and the stone coffin one by one, then he directly asked, "Seniors, do you know what the karmic connection between the Chan Sect and the owner of the bronze warship is? Why must I reach the Longevity Realm as soon as possible? And why do I only have ten years? I heard that ten years is only enough for a cultivator of superior talent to open four springs."

"Then how many springs have you opened now?" Senior Jar asked.

"Three springs."

"How long did that take?"

Li Weiyi replied, "Less than half a month!"

"There you have it then, don't you? What superior talent, what inferior talent – you're different; you're the person chosen by the owner of the bronze warship," Senior Jar said.

Senior Coffin, from within the stone coffin, spoke in a steady, unhurried voice: "No, his view and mine differ. Li Weiyi, you are not the person chosen by the bronze warship's owner; you can only be yourself. Only when a cultivator understands what they truly desire and what they seek can they gradually forge an unshakeable Dao heart throughout their long journey of cultivation. Therefore, what the karmic connection is, is actually not important to you right now."

Li Weiyi pondered deeply. Senior Coffin continued, "I will ask you two questions: What are you currently pursuing? What do you want? There's no need to rush your answer; let's return to the Spirit Cloud Living Realm first."

Li Weiyi's lips moved, but he ultimately didn't answer immediately, wanting to think clearly first. The group walked towards the direction of the land. Zhao Meng was also pondering these two questions, but his mood was very relaxed: "Anyway, at this stage, I just want to find Senior Sister. She must be from this world."

Half an hour later, Li Weiyi snapped out of his thoughts, remembering that Li Ling might still be at the Coffin Dock Ferry and that Shi Jiuzhai and his disciples might be blocking the Dragon-Slaying Pass.

"Since you three seniors know about the Spirit Cloud Living Realm, I presume you were all from here in your former lives, right? Do you know if there's any other way back besides the Misty Realm of Departing Spirits near the Coffin Dock Ferry?" Li Weiyi asked.

Senior Jar was very active, laughing, "You've asked the right person! When it comes to the Bloody Sea Coffin Dock and the Misty Realm of Departing Spirits, no one knows more than Senior Coffin. He's a Nine Li..."

"Silence."

The voice from the stone coffin rang out: "Is there some danger at the Coffin Dock Ferry?"

"It's hard to say what the danger is, but I'd like to avoid it if possible," Li Weiyi said.

The voice from inside the stone coffin said: "There is indeed another path, but it will be a bit of a detour. Next, I will use the Nine Emperors Banner to discern direction and guide the way. The one holding the banner, go upfront!"

The Nine Emperors Banner was the white soul banner in Zhao Meng's hand. The rubies in the eyes of the nine skull heads provided it with mystical energy similar to spiritual power. The scriptures and light emanating from the banner indicated the direction of travel for everyone.

They were too far from the shore. Though they walked quickly, they still hadn't reached land when night fully fell. Finding a floating coffin area where giant coffins blocked the cold wind and the ground was stable, they prepared to rest for the night. Zhao Meng, following Senior Coffin's instructions, inserted the white soul banner into a gap between two coffins. This banner could suppress souls, and departed spirits dared not approach the area it illuminated with its light. It was a treasure belonging to Senior Coffin in his former life.

Li Weiyi took out food from the Malevolent Camel Bell and distributed it to everyone. They had just finished eating.

"Thump! Thump..."

The blue-and-white urn hopped out from the corner. "It's time to cultivate, time to cultivate! All of you, together! Li Weiyi, stop thinking about Senior Coffin's useless questions, always coming up with profound, ethereal nonsense. Practical matters are the most important! You must open your fourth spring as quickly as possible. All of us here are relying on your protection. Don't let some random person who's opened five or six springs just show up and wipe us all out, then what good is your Longevity Realm?"

Li Weiyi said, "Senior, opening a spring shouldn't be something that can be done just like that, right? It requires gradual progress."

"Nonsense!" the urn scoffed. "With the vigorous vital energy from the Golden Crow blood, your Chan Sect's supreme breathing technique, and my guidance, there's no danger in the first four springs. With your bloodline and talent, you can easily break through them. However, the fifth spring carries some risk; you'll need to get a 'spring-opening needle' from a major provincial city to open it quickly."

Senior Jar was impatient. He acted immediately, directly instructing Li Weiyi to forcefully break through the fourth spring in his left palm.