The harbor district of Vast Sea City was always a place of clamor and bustling noise.
The salty sea breeze, mixed with the smell of fish, sweat, and various goods, blew toward him. Massive wooden or iron-clad ships were docked densely along the pier, their thick cables Binding to the bollards like giant pythons, resembling behemoths waiting to set sail.
Dark-skinned, muscular sailors shouted rhythmic chants as they busily loaded and unloaded cargo; small vendors set up stalls in the open spaces of the pier, peddling various seafood snacks, low-quality liquor, and crude nautical supplies.
Yu Qing strolled through the noisy crowd, seemingly at leisure, but in reality, his powerful mental force was like an invisible spiderweb, meticulously capturing fragments of information from all directions. Most sailors and vendors enjoyed boasting about their seafaring experiences, mixing truth with fiction and often exaggerating.
"Hey! Old Jack! Have you heard? The 'Sea Dog' ran the eastern route last week and almost perished in the Demon Whale Sea! I heard that hellish place hasn't been peaceful lately!" a bearded burly man shouted to his companion after gulping down some ale.
"Demon Whale Sea? Bullshit! I've been sailing for twenty years and haven't seen any damn demon whales in that area! It's all just legends to scare rookies!" another old sailor with a missing front tooth snorted, clearly unconvinced.
Yu Qing didn't care much for such vague rumors; his goal was clear—the Evil Orca pack. It was difficult for ordinary merchant ship crews to know the core information regarding the movements of such top-tier predator groups.
However, just then, a few young sailors sitting together not far away, their faces still showing a hint of lingering fear, caught his attention. Their clothes were tidier than those of ordinary sailors, making them look like high-ranking crew members of some large merchant ship.
One of them, a young sailor who looked to be in his early twenties, spoke to his companions with a trembling voice and lingering fear: "...Really! This time when we went to Devil Island to trade supplies, on the return voyage about a hundred miles away from that hellish place, we almost didn't make it back!"
"Devil Island?!" His companions' expressions changed upon hearing this, clearly filled with awe and dread for the name.
The young sailor continued, "We encountered a group of... a group of whale-type Spirit Beasts I've never seen before! Their numbers were terrifyingly high! Every single one was as big as a small mountain! Their skin was shiny black, like it was made of iron! Their heads were especially large, and their mouths were full of teeth like knives! They just circled our ship, and their gaze... was frighteningly cold!" He subconsciously rubbed his arms, as if he could still feel the chill from that moment.
"My Sea God! You weren't attacked?!" another sailor asked in horror.
"No... oddly enough, they just circled a few times as if they were observing, then suddenly dived into the deep sea and vanished..." The young sailor's face was full of relief and lingering fear. "I was scared to death! Even a Titled Douluo on Devil Island was alerted..."
Hearing this, a sharp light flashed in Yu Qing's eyes! A hundred miles outside Devil Island (Sea God Island), a massive whale pack, black metallic skin, huge heads, sharp teeth... these characteristics matched perfectly with the group of Evil Orcas he knew of!
He calmly walked over to the group of sailors, his gaze falling on the young sailor who had shared his experience, and asked in a calm tone, "Brother, excuse me. The whale-type Spirit Beast you just mentioned—could you describe their appearance in more detail? I'm quite interested in them."
Interrupted, the young sailor looked up at Yu Qing with some confusion. Yu Qing's attire and temperament were out of place among the surrounding sailors, making him appear extraordinary. The young sailor hesitated and asked back, "Why are you asking this?"
A harmless, gentle smile appeared on Yu Qing's face as he casually made up an excuse: "It's nothing. I'm a traveling Scholar, and I'm very interested in strange creatures from various places, especially sea Spirit Beasts. I heard they are quite different from the Spirit Beasts on land, so I was curious to ask."
Seeing that he didn't seem like a bad person and was just a "curious Scholar," the young sailor let down his guard. He thought back and described, "I didn't see the details very clearly because I was terrified... they were huge, at least twenty meters long! Their entire bodies were a grayish-black color that reflected a bit in the sunlight, like... like polished metal! Their heads were especially massive, the proportions were a bit scary, and their mouths could definitely swallow a small boat when opened! That's all I saw."
Yu Qing was now basically certain in his heart and followed up, "They didn't attack your vessel?"
"No, it was truly lucky!" The young sailor shook his head repeatedly. "They just circled our ship, as if... as if they were patrolling their territory? Or observing us? Then they left."
"Thank you for the information; it's very valuable." Yu Qing politely cupped his hands to express his gratitude.
The young sailor became even more curious: "You're a Scholar, why are you asking about such dangerous Spirit Beasts?"
Yu Qing continued to smile and explained, "The more powerful and rare a Spirit Beast is, the higher its research value. The whale-type Spirit Beast you encountered sounds like a very powerful sea Spirit Beast that might have a high degree of social structure; it's worth documenting."
After chatting with the sailor for a few more minutes and subtly inquiring about their ship's route and information regarding Devil Island (about which the sailor was very secretive, only saying they conducted fixed supply trades with the island's special residents), Yu Qing took his leave.
Afterward, he seemingly casually asked other experienced old captains and sailors at the harbor for information about powerful whale-type Spirit Beast groups. Synthesizing the fragmented information from various sources, he could basically confirm that the massive Evil Orca pack's core territory was in a specific sea area on the outskirts of Sea God Island (Devil Island)!
"Sea God Island..." Yu Qing frowned slightly; this was going to be a bit troublesome. Sea God Island was notoriously xenophobic, especially toward mainland Spirit Masters, and was extremely guarded. The crushing defeat suffered by the Spirit Hall ten years ago had caused deep-seated hatred between the two sides.
"It seems that if I want to approach the Evil Orca pack, I will inevitably have to get close to the Sea God Island sea area... How should I get there?" While pondering, Yu Qing walked toward the hotel where he was staying. By the time he returned to the hotel, the setting sun had dyed the sky and the sea surface a brilliant golden-red.
As soon as he pushed open the suite door, two wafts of fragrant scent rushed toward him.
Duan Xin and A Rou, one on each side, giggled as they took his arms and pulled him toward the spacious, luxurious bathroom without giving him a chance to speak.
"Husband~ You must be tired after running around all day, right? Come take a hot bath to relax~" Duan Xin blinked her large eyes, her tone charmingly naive.
"That's right, A Qing. We've already prepared the bath for you and even added incense to soothe your muscles and bones~" In A Rou's pink eyes, there was a glimmer of playfulness, carrying a hint of cunning and temptation.
Seeing the two women's "ill-intentioned" enthusiasm, how could Yu Qing not know what they were thinking? With the sea voyage imminent and a separation of several months ahead, they wanted to seize the time to "recharge." He smiled inwardly and naturally went along with them, allowing himself to be pulled into the misty bathroom.
Soon, sounds of blushing laughter, playfulness, and splashing water came from the bathroom... After a long time, a refreshed Yu Qing walked out of the bathroom carrying the limp and blushing A Rou and Duan Xin. He gently placed them on the soft large bed, and Zi Ruyi and Fox Consort, who had been waiting outside, also leaned in shyly.
It was another hearty session of special Cultivation.
A Rou caught her breath, turned to her side, and looked at A Qing with her pink eyes, her voice still carrying a hint of post-coital huskiness and sexiness: "A Qing, the information on the Evil Orca pack... any progress?"
Enjoying the wonderful sensation from his palms, Yu Qing said softly, "Mhm, it's basically confirmed. Those guys' territory is in the waters surrounding Sea God Island."
"Sea God Island?" Hearing this, A Rou's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Is it that god's territory?"
"Yes," Yu Qing nodded, then said with some frustration, "They've been very xenophobic these years, so I can't just go up there directly."
A Rou asked in confusion, "Are they unfriendly toward mainland Spirit Masters?"
"More than just unfriendly." Yu Qing smiled and explained, "Ten years ago, the Pope of the Spirit Hall, Qian Xunji, led a large group of experts to attack Sea God Island, wanting to bring it under their rule. The result was a crushing defeat with heavy losses; it's said they lost two Titled Douluos, and the casualties among Spirit Saint and Spirit Douluo-level experts were countless. Since that battle, Sea God Island has harbored a deep hatred for mainland Spirit Masters, especially those related to the Spirit Hall, and they've become guarded to the extreme."
Zi Ruyi nodded at the side and added, "I've heard of this as well. It shook most of the Spirit Master's world at the time. It's said that the Spirit Hall has always been bitter about it."
Duan Xin seemed to remember something and added, "It seems our teacher also participated in the early planning of that war. He appeared to have some criticisms regarding some of the current Supreme Pontiff's methods."
Zi Ruyi looked at Yu Qing with a hint of worry in her eyes: "Husband, since Sea God Island is so xenophobic, how are we going to get there? Barge in by force?"
Yu Qing shook his head. "Barging in is the worst option; it's easy to cause unnecessary complications. My initial thought is to first sneak onto a merchant ship heading to Sea God Island for trade. Once the ship sails near the waters where the Evil Orca pack appears, I'll find an opportunity to quietly leave the ship and go hunt spirits alone."
This was the most secure method he could think of for now. The vast ocean was different from land; without precise nautical charts for guidance, relying solely on mental force to search aimlessly was like looking for a needle in a haystack and made it very easy to get lost. Following a merchant ship familiar with the route was the most efficient way to find the target sea area.
Hearing this, A Rou's warm and soft body pressed against him. She took Yu Qing's hand, which was on Fox Consort's bosom, and placed it on her even more impressive bosom (causing Fox Consort to pout in dissatisfaction). Her beautiful eyes showed reluctance as she asked softly, "This voyage to sea... how long will it take for you to return?"
Yu Qing made a mental estimate of the time needed for sailing, searching, hunting, and any potential accidents, then pondered, "If all goes well, it will take at least two months. If we run into trouble or need more time to find and hunt them, it might take around half a year."
Hearing this timeframe, all four women showed clear signs of reluctance and attachment in their eyes.
A Rou pressed Yu Qing's hand against her heart, feeling the warmth and heartbeat. Her voice became increasingly seductive: "A Qing... before you set sail, stay in Vast Sea City for a few more days, okay? Let us... 'Cultivate' a few more times to stock up enough'supplies' before you leave~" Her voice carried a hint of acting spoiled, and her pink eyes were brimming with desire; her intention couldn't be clearer.
Even Fox Consort, who was beside her, cast a hopeful gaze, clearly moved by the proposal.
Seeing their "thirsty" appearance, Yu Qing was truly caught between laughter and tears. He reached out and gently scratched the bridge of A Rou's perky nose, teasing, "You, your head is really full of Yin-Yang Harmonization. No wonder you're called the Soft Bones Demon Rabbit; this Charm skill is engraved in your bones."
Instead of being ashamed, A Rou gave a proud giggle and twisted her snake-like waist, rubbing against Yu Qing's body. "I only use my Charm on A Qing~ is that not okay? A Qing~" Her voice was so soft and seductive that it made one's bones feel light.
Yu Qing was worn down by them and could only nod in agreement. "Alright, alright, alright! Tomorrow I'll go to the harbor and ask that young sailor when they're next departing for Devil Island. Before the ship's departure date, I'll stay in Vast Sea City and 'focus wholeheartedly' on accompanying you in your Cultivation. Is that good enough?"
"Yay!"
Duan Xin and A Rou immediately cheered and jumped for joy. Zi Ruyi also pursed her lips and smiled gently, and even Fox Consort's usually cold and pretty face couldn't help but show a hint of joy and anticipation.
The next morning, Yu Qing returned to the noisy harbor and easily found the young sailor from yesterday.
After some pleasantries, Yu Qing asked seemingly casually, "Brother, when is your ship's next trip to Devil Island?"
The young sailor thought for a moment and replied, "Our trade with Devil Island is fixed; it's basically one round trip every three months. We just got back, so the next departure will be at least three months from now."
"Three months..." Yu Qing understood; the time was indeed ample.
He continued to ask, "Then... if I wanted to hitch a ride on your ship to the waters near Devil Island, do you think that's possible?"
Hearing this, the young sailor's eyes widened in surprise as he looked Yu Qing up and down. "You want to go near that hellish place? Why? That's no place for a vacation! It's extremely dangerous!"
Yu Qing had already prepared his story, and a Scholar-like fanaticism and persistence appeared on his face. "To be honest, I'm very interested in the peculiar whale-type Spirit Beast you encountered last time. I really want to observe and document it with my own eyes. This is crucial for my research."
The young sailor frowned and said with difficulty, "This... it's not up to me. Our captain has to agree. If the captain doesn't agree, no one can get you on board."
Yu Qing smiled slightly and took out a shiny gold coin from his spirit tool, subtly slipping it into the young sailor's hand as he whispered, "As long as you can help introduce me so I can have a talk with the captain. This gold coin is just a little something for your trouble to buy some drinks."
Feeling the heavy weight and cold touch of the gold coin in his hand, the young sailor's eyes instantly lit up. A surprised smile appeared on his face, and his attitude immediately became much warmer: "That's easy! You look like a decent, learned man, sir! Our captain is actually very easy to talk to, especially... hehe, you understand. As long as you... well... show enough sincerity, getting on board shouldn't be a problem!" He rubbed his fingers suggestively.
Yu Qing understood and patted his shoulder, smiling confidently. "Money is not an issue. As long as the captain is willing to do me this favor, the compensation will definitely satisfy him."
"Got it! Leave it to me! I'll go talk to the captain right away. How should I notify you when there's news?" the young sailor promised, thumping his chest.
Yu Qing told the young sailor the name of his hotel and gave him a few more instructions before turning to leave the noisy harbor.
Walking back to the hotel, the corner of Yu Qing's mouth curled into a pleasant arc. Three months... that was enough time for him to properly "soothe" his four expectant Dao Companions.
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