Chapter 320 - 289: A Little "Roaring" Trouble

Chapter 320: Chapter 289: A Little "Roaring" Trouble

On the deck.

The Crew Leader, responsible for calculating their heading, observing celestial phenomena, and plotting the course, stood there with a solemn expression.

His eyes were bright and sharp, his gaze so piercing it seemed capable of penetrating the clouds to reach the distant horizon.

He wasn’t holding a traditional Compass or ship’s wheel.

Instead, a Magical Artifact floated before him.

It was an unfurled Scroll.

The Scroll hovered in mid-air, emitting a faint yet constant glow.

Above the Scroll, a lifelike, miniature scene was projected into the air.

It was an exquisite, miniature vessel.

The proportions were exact and the details sharp. Every line of its hull, every single embellishment, was depicted with such clarity it was as if a real ship had been shrunk down millions of times.

And around the miniature vessel...

...was an equally miniaturized vista of the Youxian Sea.

The water shimmered, and the undulating waves remained vivid even in this tiny world.

The islands and reefs, the direction of the currents, even the positions of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky—all of it corresponded perfectly with the actual Youxian Sea, without the slightest discrepancy.

This was an exceptionally advanced Magical Artifact known as the "Sea View Map."

It could not only display their current position and route but also predict changes in the weather and potential dangers.

The Crew Leader stared intently at the image.

Drawing upon his years of seafaring experience and his skilled handling of the Magical Artifact, he meticulously watched for every minor change in the Youxian Sea.

He used this information to guide the ship’s direction and speed, ensuring a safe and smooth voyage.

On the miniature sea map, several multi-colored lines of light crisscrossed, outlining the shipping lanes and potential risk zones.

From time to time, the Crew Leader would wave his hand gently to adjust the route markers on the Scroll. Other times, he would use a special Spell to activate an Array node on the Dharma Ship, making minute adjustments to ensure the vessel sailed safely and steadily across the vast Youxian Sea.

「From the moment they set sail until now.」

Aside from an early encounter with a few Low-Level Demon Beasts, they hadn’t faced any other dangers.

It had been nothing but calm seas and clear skies—completely smooth sailing.

The crew privately speculated that this unusual spell of good fortune was simply a rare stroke of luck.

They were optimistic about it, their conversations revealing a relaxed mood, as if they were on a pleasure cruise.

It was fine for the crew to think that way; they weren’t wrong to.

But as the Crew Leader, the man responsible for the life and safety of everyone on board, he couldn’t afford to be so quick to judge.

On past voyages, they would have, on average, encountered at least two moderate dangers by this point in their journey.

Perhaps a sudden, violent change in the weather, or an attack from a deep-sea Demon Beast. The present tranquility, however, was deeply unsettling.

Years of seafaring experience and the teachings of countless predecessors had taught him that the sea’s blessings and its punishments often went hand in hand. Beneath a seemingly placid surface, an unforeseen crisis could be lurking.

If he made one wrong call, it wouldn’t just be his own life on the line—few, if any, of the crew would survive.

That was why, ever since the Dharma Ship had departed from Lu Cun Island, he had kept his eyes fixed on the Sea View Map, never resting for a moment.

「As the sun sank below the horizon.」

A deep, blue-black hue rapidly stained Heaven and Earth as the curtain of night fell like a rushing tide, swallowing the last vestiges of daylight.

Just then, a sudden breeze carrying an autumn chill swept over, shattering the sea’s tranquility.

The wind was like an invisible hand, stirring the Crew Leader from his concentration before the Sea View Map.

His previously motionless figure suddenly stirred.

His eyes sharpened. His hands began to dance swiftly as he silently chanted a Spell, his fingertips crackling with white light.

In an instant, streams of Runes flowed from his hands like a river of stars, immediately blanketing the Sea View Map.

The Runes then flowed like tributaries into a great river, seeping one by one into the Sea View Map and merging with the scene.

At that moment, the Sea View Map in his hands changed. Time upon its surface was no longer constant.

In a flash, the scene on the map accelerated abruptly, as if time itself had been folded and compressed.

The Dharma Ship on the Sea View Map and its surroundings began to change. It was as if a fast-forward button had been pressed; time and space were both accelerating.

The once-tranquil image began to move at a frantic pace, as if the real world’s timeline was being stretched and compressed.

A bright, clear moon hung over the Sea View Map, only to be suddenly obscured by a silently spreading patch of inky black clouds.

Next, a fine rain began to fall upon the Sea View Map.

It tapped gently against the miniature vessel, the sound faint but distinct.

Within moments, the light drizzle transformed into a dense, unending sheet of rain.

It finally coalesced into thick columns of water, crashing down upon the tiny vessel like a vertical waterfall.

At the same time, monstrous waves suddenly erupted from the sea on the map.

Fierce winds roared like savage beasts, whipping up hundred-foot-high waves at will.

The waves crashed down with thunderous force upon the small boat, which was being tossed about in the storm.

Faced with such a terrifying assault, the miniature vessel struggled with all its might to resist.

But after several violent blows, it could ultimately hold out no longer.

The hull listed, and finally, it sank beneath the roaring waves, vanishing into the deep ocean of the Sea View Map.

"..."

The Crew Leader’s expression was grave as he watched the Dharma Ship sink into the sea.

His hands gripped the edges of the Scroll, his fingertips digging so deep into the fabric that his knuckles turned white. A sharp pain shot from his palms through his entire body.