Han Xuanji pushed his perception to the limit, his gaze tightly locked onto the body of the Hongmeng Giant Kun.
He saw its massive body swimming slowly, appearing somewhat sluggish. Its originally smooth and lustrous thick skin had several ruptured areas that were continuously seeping blue liquid into the Hongmeng Sea, emitting a faint yet pure eternal qi.
More importantly, the head of this Hongmeng Giant Kun hung slightly low. Every few breaths, it would let out an extremely deep, mournful cry. However, this sound seemed to be emitted in a very peculiar way; if he hadn't condensed the Law of Time and Space and felt the spatial fluctuations, he wouldn't have been able to capture the sound at all.
This mournful cry carried obvious pain and terror.
"Fellow Daoist Hun Qianling, wait a moment,"
Han Xuanji suddenly spoke, his tone grave.
"Something is wrong with this Hongmeng Giant Kun. It's not swimming normally; it's being hunted."
Hearing this, Hun Qianling paused her control of the warship and immediately frowned, saying,
"Hunted? The Hongmeng Giant Kun is a powerful alien species of the eternal true god realm. It shouldn't have many opponents in the safe zone."
Han Xuanji slowly explained what he had seen, while simultaneously activating the Law of Fate. Vaguely deducing some things, he said slowly,
"There should be Powerful Experts from the Eternal Continent hunting this Hongmeng Giant Kun."
Hearing this, Hun Qianling nodded and said,
"If it's Powerful Experts from the Eternal Continent, then it's highly likely a team led by an Eternal True God. However, successfully hunting such a giant creature is no easy task."
"The other party is likely concealing their presence, conducting a 'blood-letting' style hunt. They'll wait until the Hongmeng Giant Kun's injuries are severe before delivering a fatal blow."
Just as they finished speaking, the warship's alarm rang again, sharper than before. On the console screen, besides the image of the Hongmeng Giant Kun, a massive black shadow was rapidly approaching from the nearby sea behind it. The shadow was entirely dark black, and although not as massive as the Hongmeng Giant Kun, its Aura was superior.
It was a large-scale Eternal Warship.
"It's an Eternal True God-level warship!"
Hun Qianling's pupils constricted, her tone carrying a hint of envy.
"Even my Hun Family only possesses two warships of this level."
For a Saint Family to only have two such warships, one could imagine their preciousness.
Before her voice could fade, a probe light wave from the giant warship swept over the thousand spirits vessel. They had clearly discovered their inconspicuous small warship.
A communication request quickly popped up on the thousand spirits vessel's console, and a thick, majestic voice came through, carrying an unquestionable Aura:
"Small warship ahead, cease navigation immediately and state your identity!"
Han Xuanji and Hun Qianling exchanged a glance. Hun Qianling took a deep breath and connected the communication.
On the screen, a figure wearing black armor appeared. Intricate golden patterns were engraved on the armor, and the Aura surrounding him was condensed and terrifying—he was clearly a Powerful Expert of the eternal true god realm.
He was the captain of this giant warship, True God Heiyan. True God Heiyan sat upon the captain's chair, his gaze sharp as an eagle's as it swept over Han Xuanji and Hun Qianling on the screen. Standing behind him were four Cultivators in silver armor, each radiating the pressure of the Eternal True Lord Realm with respectful expressions; they were his subordinates.
"Oh? A regular warship belonging to a subordinate force of the Holy Court?"
True God Heiyan's gaze fell upon the vessel's crest on the thousand spirits vessel. That was the emblem of the Hun Family, and the Hun Family was indeed a subordinate force of the Holy Court. His tone softened slightly, but it remained majestic.
"This seat is True God Heiyan, from the Eternal Chamber of Commerce."
The Eternal Chamber of Commerce, like the Holy Court that backed the Hun Family, was one of the Nine Supreme Powers. Its foundation was incredibly profound. It was the Eternal Chamber of Commerce that had initiated and, together with the other nine powers, forged the currency circulating on the Eternal Continent: the Eternal Coin.
One could imagine the strength of the Eternal Chamber of Commerce.
Hun Qianling hurriedly cupped her hands in greeting, her tone respectful but not subservient:
"Replying to True God Heiyan, we are Cultivators of the Hun Family under the Holy Court. We are preparing to return to the Eternal Continent and happened to pass through this area. We accidentally encountered this Hongmeng Giant Kun and were about to detour. We had no intention of offending you."
True God Heiyan nodded slightly, having already confirmed Hun Qianling's identity and the legitimacy of the thousand spirits vessel through the system.
A moment later, True God Heiyan spoke again, his tone much calmer:
"Since you are a subordinate force of the Holy Court, there is no need for such formalities."
"This seat is hunting this Hongmeng Giant Kun today to retrieve the Kun Pearl from its body. Furthermore, I have a matter to ask you—recently, a group of wandering bandits has been active in this Hongmeng Sea safe zone. This group of bandits acts mysteriously, specifically targeting small and medium-sized warships to plunder cultivation resources. Many Cultivators have already fallen at their hands.
The two of you have navigated all the way here; do you have any intelligence regarding this group of bandits?"
Hearing this, Hun Qianling frowned slightly and thought back carefully before reporting:
"Replying to True God Heiyan, since we set out, we have been navigating the Hongmeng Sea safe zone for over thirty years. During this period, besides hunting Primordial Chaos Alien Species, we have never encountered any other Cultivators, let alone wandering bandits. We also haven't detected any abnormal bandit Auras. We truly have no relevant intelligence to provide."
True God Heiyan nodded slowly upon hearing this. No look of surprise appeared on his face; he merely sighed softly:
"Very well. It seems these bandits move unpredictably; it is your good fortune that you did not encounter them."
His tone grew heavier as he cautioned,
"The two of you must be careful. Among these wandering bandits, there are two core members at the Eternal True Lord Realm. They are ruthless and skilled at concealing their Auras. Although your warship is small, it belongs to a regular force, making it an easy target for them.
During your voyage, remember not to dock at uninhabited islands easily, and do not expose your own Aura lightly."
"Thank you for the warning, True God Heiyan. We have taken it to heart."
Hun Qianling hurriedly cupped her hands in thanks, inwardly becoming vigilant.
Bandits at the Eternal True Lord Realm—if they really encountered them, with her and Han Xuanji's strength, they would likely be finished.
True God Heiyan looked at the two of them, his tone softening a bit more:
"Seeing that your warship is small, your navigation speed likely cannot compare to mine. If you are not in a hurry to return to the Eternal Continent, you might as well wait here a short while. This seat will finish hunting this Hongmeng Giant Kun shortly.
At that time, you can return with my warship. With this seat overseeing the journey, I can ensure your safety and help you avoid the harassment of those wandering bandits."
Han Xuanji and Hun Qianling exchanged a look, both seeing a flicker of interest in each other's eyes.
They were well aware that navigating alone was indeed dangerous. Now, with the protection of True God Heiyan, an Eternal True God, it was undoubtedly an extra layer of security. Furthermore, returning with the giant warship would save them a lot of time.
Hun Qianling immediately cupped her hands and bowed, her tone respectful:
"If we can truly receive the assistance of True God Heiyan, we would be eternally grateful. We have no urgent matters and are willing to wait for the True God to finish the hunt and return together."