Chapter 329 - 293: The Location of Xiong Liangsheng’s Family

Chapter 329: Chapter 293: The Location of Xiong Liangsheng’s Family

On main islands like Seven Star Island, the arrays usually enclosed a section of the surrounding sea.

Within these arrays, the dangers of natural disasters could be mitigated as much as possible.

This ensured that the ordinary mortals along the coast wouldn’t be wiped out by sudden calamities.

’Wenqu Pavilion...’

’After I get ashore, the first thing I’ll do is find Wenqu Pavilion. I need to see if it’s really as amazing as Master Fatty claimed—that they even have Divine Powers.’

’Ugh, the Cultivation Techniques... I hope they aren’t too expensive. If they are, I’ll cough up blood.’

Hm?

As Jiang Xu started to relax, he suddenly sensed that something wasn’t right.

He felt as if he had forgotten something.

’But what could it be?’

Jiang Xu racked his brain.

’It felt like something important, but I’ve been so focused on cultivating my Magic lately that I never got around to it.’

’Now the memory is a bit hazy.’

Jiang Xu had been practicing too many types of Magic recently. They had taken up all the prime real estate in his brain, pushing everything else out.

Jiang Xu thought long and hard. After a while, he began to rummage through his Storage Bag, trying to find a clue.

’The Blood-Colored Small Knife?’

’No, that’s not it.’

’It’s an outdated Tier One Spiritual Artifact, completely useless.’

’The Array compendium?’

’Tier One Arrays are outdated, and my knowledge of them is insufficient. I should start studying Tier Two Arrays.’

’But that’s not it either.’

’This huge pile of Spirit Medicines?’

’Since I haven’t been able to change my Cultivation Technique, I can’t even use these Spirit Medicines.’

’But the Cultivation Technique issue has been on my mind constantly, so I haven’t forgotten that. This isn’t it.’

’Then what in the world is it?’

As Jiang Xu mused aimlessly, his eyes suddenly fell upon a pearl.

"’This is the Water Spirit Pearl... Holy crap!’"

It was the Magical Artifact that Xiong Liangsheng had given him.

Jiang Xu slapped his thigh!

’How could I have forgotten about this?!’

He was filled with guilt.

Previously, right after entering the Youxian Sea, Jiang Xu had used the Seeking Technique to find the whereabouts of Xiong Liangsheng’s family.

But because the distance was too great at the time, he only got a general direction and couldn’t pinpoint their exact location.

Afterward, due to various matters, he forgot to use the Seeking Technique to locate them again.

It was only now that Jiang Xu finally remembered.

He had taken the payment but forgotten to do the job. It was truly dishonorable of him.

Of course, it was also because the distance was too great, and the Seeking Technique hadn’t been able to find them in the first place.

But that couldn’t be an excuse.

Just as Jiang Xu was about to take out Xiong Liangsheng’s blood again, he suddenly thought of something.

’Xiong Liangsheng... I think he was born on Lu Cun Island.’

’Which means his family is most likely on Lu Cun Island as well.’

But the Dharma Ship Jiang Xu was on was about to dock not at Lu Cun Island, but at the next stop after it—Wenqu Island.

Jiang Xu was dumbfounded.

’This is a huge problem!’

After all, Jiang Xu had sworn a Heart Demon Oath.

If Xiong Liangsheng’s family was still alive, he was obligated to deliver the item to them.

But Jiang Xu had already arrived at Wenqu Island. If Xiong Liangsheng’s family was on Lu Cun Island...

How was he supposed to get there?

Even this Tier Three Dharma Ship had sailed for nearly three months to get here.

For Jiang Xu to return on his own was absolutely impossible.

Even if all the Magic within his Wave-Breaking Spell Star Map reached the Perfect Level...

...Jiang Xu didn’t believe he could accomplish such a feat.

The journey wasn’t just long; there was also the threat of natural disasters.

And although the Dharma Ship hadn’t encountered any powerful Sea Beasts along the way...

...that was because the Dharma Ship’s very presence was an extremely powerful deterrent, and there was also the aura of a Golden Core Cultivator on board.

Ordinary Sea Beasts didn’t dare to come close.

But if it were just Jiang Xu alone, the situation would be completely different.

Early on, when he was working to master the Wave-Breaking Spell Star Map, Jiang Xu had spent half a month in the Youxian Sea.

In the first few days, Jiang Xu dove into the depths of the Youxian Sea. Besides the silent water and the occasional school of fish flitting by, he encountered no threats.

But as time went on, starting around the fifth day, that tranquility was shattered.

The Deep Sea Lords of the Youxian Sea seemed to have smelled something unusual and began to test Jiang Xu with tentative challenges.

The first to attack Jiang Xu was a massive Saw Shark.

The Saw Shark approached Jiang Xu silently, its sharp eyes glinting with a vicious light in the darkness.

It lunged at Jiang Xu like a bolt of lightning, but he detected it just in time, using the Wave-Breaking Spell to evade the surprise attack and escape successfully.

The very next day, a group of cunning Sea Serpents appeared, twisting their long, slender bodies and spitting venom, attempting to surround Jiang Xu from all sides.

But Jiang Xu, relying on his masterful control of the Wave-Breaking Spell, neutralized the Sea Serpents’ attack, even using the currents to counterattack and send them fleeing in panic.

In the following days, there were also massive, thick-skinned sea turtles, lightning-fast Marlins, and even a legendary Deep Sea Giant Demon that spied on him from the shadows.

That period truly left Jiang Xu exhausted from constantly dealing with threats, but it also allowed the Skill Level of his various Magic techniques to improve by leaps and bounds.

At first, Jiang Xu didn’t know why he was suddenly being attacked by Sea Beasts.

He later realized it was because the Dharma Ship hadn’t been fully repaired at the beginning. He had been right next to it, within the range of its deterrent effect.

But once the ship was repaired, its speed was restored, and it quickly left Jiang Xu’s vicinity.

Without the deterrent of the Dharma Ship and the Golden Core Cultivator on board...

...the Sea Beasts that had been lying dormant all sensed the presence of this "outsider," Jiang Xu.

Driven by instinct or a desire to protect their territory, they began to actively attack him.

Jiang Xu had also tried using the Concealing Breath Spell, but its effects didn’t seem to be as good in the water as they were on land.

It could indeed deceive some Sea Beasts, but many others were unaffected by the Concealing Breath Spell and continued to attack him.

Fortunately, before the Sea Beasts began appearing frequently, Jiang Xu had already successfully constructed and gained initial mastery of the Wave-Breaking Spell Star Map.

The power demonstrated by this Star Map was extraordinary.

First, in terms of speed, Jiang Xu could use the Wave-Breaking Spell to shoot through the water like an arrow loosed from a bow, evading the pursuit and attacks of Sea Beasts.

Second, the Wave-Breaking Spell Star Map granted Jiang Xu exceptional underwater Concealment. He could easily merge with the seawater, reducing his own movements and presence.

Even more critically, the Wave-Breaking Spell Star Map enhanced Jiang Xu’s sensitivity and Perception of the Water Element.

This allowed Jiang Xu to detect Sea Beasts hidden by various strange methods, enabling him to react in advance and greatly reduce the likelihood of encountering danger.

For example, he could sense a Sea Beast lurking in the dark through faint fluctuations in the water current, or know if a large Sea Beast was nearby through subtle changes in water pressure.

However, the Wave-Breaking Spell Star Map was not omnipotent; it had its limitations.

Marine creatures are born with outstanding abilities for hiding and hunting.

This is especially true after they evolve into Demon Beasts, at which point their abilities improve by leaps and bounds.

Sometimes, even when Jiang Xu used the Wave-Breaking Spell Star Map to his fullest, he couldn’t completely guard against those sea-dwelling Demon Beasts that possessed extraordinary perception and surprise attack methods.

For example, some Demon Beasts could use special Talent Skills to mask their own aura.

Others could camouflage themselves using terrain features like currents and reefs, meaning Jiang Xu could still face an attack when he least expected it.

Jiang Xu couldn’t guarantee he would be completely safe if he tried to swim back.

"’This is a huge mess!’"

Jiang Xu complained silently in his heart, but there was nothing else to be done.

Fortunately, he had only just missed one "stop." If he had waited until the next few islands, he’d be so desperate he wouldn’t even have tears left to cry.

With a grim, do-or-die resolve, Jiang Xu used Xiong Liangsheng’s blood to activate the Seeking Technique once more.

The spiritual traces suddenly flared out, but in an instant, Jiang Xu brought them under control, dispersing the vast majority and leaving only two faint threads.

Jiang Xu anxiously grasped the two threads of energy, carefully sensing their presence.

First was the location. Surprisingly, it was very close—less than a thousand kilometers away.

This immediately calmed Jiang Xu’s heart.

The distance between Lu Cun Island and Wenqu Island was far greater than a thousand kilometers.

Xiong Liangsheng’s family was definitely not on Lu Cun Island. Jiang Xu was relieved.

But in the next instant, the heart he had just set at ease sank once more.

He discovered that the location of the two spiritual traces wasn’t on Wenqu Island either.

’Not on Wenqu Island, but within a thousand kilometers...’

’Could it be that Xiong Liangsheng’s family is on some small, uncharted island in this vast sea?’