Chapter 319 - 288: I Think I’d Better Just Run

Chapter 319: Chapter 288: I Think I’d Better Just Run

The crew members on the ship bustled about. Some were checking the stability of the cabins, others were calibrating the Defensive Array on the hull, and still others were organizing their luggage and Magical Artifacts.

As the hours passed, a loud, clear bell toll rang out from the top of the Dharma Ship, echoing around the island. This was the signal for departure.

The Array at the bottom of the Dharma Ship activated, and a dazzling light erupted from the vessel’s base, instantly illuminating the entire harbor.

The massive Dharma Ship, like a luminous pearl, slowly rose, steadily sailed away from the coast, and ventured into the vast, open sea.

Jiang Xu, who was in a state of Cultivation, was startled awake by the great commotion.

He walked out of his cabin onto the deck. The sea breeze blew head-on, scattering the hair at his temples.

Jiang Xu looked back in the direction of Greed Wolf Island.

He couldn’t quite believe he had managed to leave Greed Wolf Island so easily.

Nothing strange had happened to force him back to Peach Blossom Valley.

His departure had been completely smooth.

’Was this all just his imagination?’

’Was he just being too suspicious, suffering from some kind of persecution complex?’

But this thought only lingered in Jiang Xu’s mind for a few breaths before dissipating.

’What’s done is done; no use regretting it now.’

’At worst, he could just wait until his Realm improved before going back to Peach Blossom Valley for another look.’

Once the distracting thoughts faded, Jiang Xu focused his attention back on the Magical Scripture in his hands.

...

For a time, the weather was fair, and the Dharma Ship’s voyage was smooth.

「Five months later.」

The Dharma Ship had sailed smoothly, stopping at Jumen Island and Lu Cun Island in sequence.

Now, the Dharma Ship was departing from Lu Cun Island, beginning its journey toward Wenqu Island.

Jiang Xu hadn’t left his cabin at all when the Dharma Ship docked at Jumen Island and Lu Cun Island.

This was despite both islands having their own treasured lands, just like Greed Wolf Island.

The truth was, he had become deeply engrossed in his research of Magic.

During these five months, Jiang Xu had continued to delve into Escape Techniques.

However, he was no longer studying techniques from the Qi Cultivation Realm, but had begun researching Escape Techniques of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

In these five months, he had already reached the Beginner level in all the Escape Techniques, including the Foundation Establishment Techniques.

At this moment, Jiang Xu was lost, confused about how to construct an Escape Technique Star Map.

Among his Qi Cultivation Realm Escape Techniques, only a few Upper Grade and Top Grade Techniques were merely at the Skilled Stage.

All his other Qi Cultivation Techniques had already reached the Master Level.

But to unleash the full power of all these techniques, he couldn’t just cast them all in succession.

After all, only techniques at the Perfect Level could be considered instantaneous.

Trying to cast so many techniques one after another was just a fool’s dream.

Just casting them all would take a quarter of an hour.

That’s not even considering whether his Magical Power could handle the strain.

The conflicting pathways of the various techniques circulating inside Jiang Xu’s body would be enough to injure him on their own.

’First, I choose a core technique. Then, based on its characteristics, I add supporting techniques one by one.’

Since the Star Inference Spell couldn’t currently mobilize Foundation Establishment Techniques, he couldn’t use Shadow Escape as the core of the Tunneling Skill Stars.

He could only use a Qi Cultivation Top Grade Escape Technique as the core.

But there were four such Qi Cultivation Top Grade Escape Techniques.

They were the Wind Control Technique, the Cloud-Stepping Spell, the Wind Wing Technique, and the Wave-Breaking Spell.

But the Magic Stars for these four techniques were all the same size; there was no difference in their strength.

No matter which one Jiang Xu chose as the core, the other three stars couldn’t serve as support.

But if he tried to use all four techniques as cores at once, he couldn’t combine them.

This had Jiang Xu completely stumped.

After thinking for two whole days, Jiang Xu suddenly slapped his forehead.

’How could I be so stupid?’

’Why do I have to cram all four cores into a single Star Map?’

’Can’t I just pick one of these four techniques to be the core?’

’But these four techniques each have their own strengths. How should I choose?’

The Wind Control Technique’s main feature was using wind power for high-speed movement. The caster could control the surrounding winds to achieve rapid flight and evade attacks.

The Cloud-Stepping Spell focused on using the power of clouds and mist for rapid movement. Especially among cloud layers or high mountains, one could walk on clouds and even use them for concealment.

The Wind Wing Technique involved condensing Wind Power to form wings, allowing the caster to hover and fly for long periods without Flying with a Magical Artifact. Not only was it fast, but it also allowed for agile turns and hovering in mid-air.

The Wave-Breaking Spell enabled a Cultivator to move through water like a sharp sword parting the waves, crossing bodies of water in an instant. It was not only fast but also allowed for free movement under the water’s pressure.

These four had different focuses.

Jiang Xu currently had the Light Body Spell at the Perfect Level and Shadow Escape at the Skilled Level.

He mainly lacked a flying technique and a technique for High Speed movement in the sea.

In the Youxian Sea, there were many flying Demon Beasts. If he used a flying technique, he would be easily attacked by them.

In the sea, however, especially in the shallows, there weren’t as many Demon Beasts. Most of the powerful ones lurked deep beneath the waves, in the abyssal depths.

Actually, the main thing was that Jiang Xu wasn’t sure if the depths of the ocean counted as being "in shadow."

Jiang Xu pondered for a long time before finally choosing the Wave-Breaking Spell as the core for his first Star Map.

The main reason was that he was currently in the middle of a vast ocean, yet could only rely on this large ship.

Jiang Xu couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease.

What if—and he meant, what if...

What if something happened to this ship? In such a vast sea, how would he ever swim to an island?

Although he had the small boat Xiong Liangsheng had given him, a small boat could hardly cross a great sea.

Besides, out on the ocean, it was doubtful a small boat could get very far.

If he encountered any dangers on the sea’s surface, he would still have to dive beneath the waves to hide.

With a thought, the Magic Star representing the Wave-Breaking Spell separated from the Star Domain in Jiang Xu’s mind, standing alone to one side.

Since he was going to build a Star Map with the Wave-Breaking Spell as its core, he naturally needed to select other corresponding techniques to serve as its foundation.

’This Star Map is mainly for swift underwater travel, so what techniques should I combine with it?’

As he pondered, Jiang Xu began to move the other Magic Stars around one by one.

’To move at High Speed underwater, the first thing is to overcome water resistance and pressure. It would be best to turn them into a propulsive force.’

’At the same time, I need to minimize my presence, not make a big scene and attract the attention of nearby Demon Beasts.’

’As for my aura, I have the Concealing Breath Spell, so I shouldn’t need to do anything extra... Or maybe I should add a few more just in case.’

’What else do I need...’

’Right! Underwater, my perception of my surroundings is worse than on the surface. I need to be able to sense nearby dangers in time to avoid them!’

Once Jiang Xu broke through his mental block, his mind instantly became agile, and countless ideas surged forth.

He dragged the Magic Stars in his mind one by one, beginning to assemble the Star Map.

But this step stumped Jiang Xu once again.

Combining these stars into a complete Star Map was no easy task.

Jiang Xu constructed a three-dimensional image in his mind, placing the stars one by one into their respective positions.

He tried to find the optimal way to connect them.

Jiang Xu had to fully consider the interactions and balance between the stars.

He had to ensure that while leveraging the strengths of each technique, he wouldn’t trigger any negative effects or conflicts.

The process was like building an intricate piece of machinery.

Each star was an indispensable component, needing to function independently while also coordinating with the others.

Jiang Xu racked his brains, adjusting the distances and angles between the stars, trying to unearth the deeper connections hidden among the Magic Stars.

The difficulty of this was easy to imagine.

It not only required a profound understanding of every technique, but also exceptional spatial imagination and precise control over the power of the stars.

The slightest carelessness could cause the Star Map combination to fail, or even result in a backlash from the conflicting powers, injuring the Cultivator.

Jiang Xu recalled the time he saw Sun Long use his Star Divination Art.

At the time, he had only found it profound and dazzling, but now, after all his own trials and Cultivation, he was finally beginning to understand the deep meaning and complex structure behind Sun Long’s Star Map technique, and just how much effort had gone into its construction.

At the same time, a spark of inspiration ignited within him.

The Star Map in his mind also began to truly take shape.