The plum rain fell gently, its steady drizzle forming countless ripples on the surface of the Weishui River. The massive ship, nearly a hundred zhang in length, sailed smoothly along the river. Its magical mechanisms emitted a faint, cicada-like hum as they propelled the ship forward.
Deep beneath the waters of Weishui, specters lay hidden, but before the might of this great ship, none dared to act.
Young Master Tu stood on the deck, gazing at the surging waters. “Life... is so unpredictable,” he mused.
To him, the recent twists and turns in his life had been nothing short of extraordinary.
On one hand, he had stumbled upon extraordinary fortune, acquiring a divine light sword.
On the other, his luck seemed to have run out, as Bloodthorn had extorted him twice.
The first time, he had narrowly avoided disaster. The second time, he had no choice but to hand over his silver.
“Young Master Tu, do you think we’ll meet the Floating Cloud Fairy at this year’s Artifact Conference?” asked Zhan Wenyu, his face brimming with infatuation.
The Floating Cloud Fairy was a celebrated beauty, ranking among the best on the Hundred Fragrance List, and an extraordinarily talented artifact master.
Zhan Wenyu was naturally captivated by such a woman.
“This Artifact Conference will attract nearly all the promising artifact masters from Jining Prefecture.
The Floating Cloud Fairy is a native of Jiangzhou, so she should be attending as well,” Young Master Tu replied calmly.
As for Young Master Tu himself, he had originally thought of testing his light sword at the conference—perhaps using it to slay the Lake Yeshan Water Lord.
If he could accomplish such a feat, it would bring immense favor from the Heavenly Sect.
Such an achievement would undoubtedly raise his family’s standing.
Alas, this remained a mere fantasy. His light sword was still in its cooldown phase.
At this point, forget summoning divine powers—it couldn’t even radiate light.
“I wonder if I’ll get the chance to meet the Floating Cloud Fairy and see who’s more beautiful—her or Shen Lingxuan!” Zhan Wenyu’s mind wandered.
“Perhaps Shen Lingxuan,” Young Master Tu speculated. “Few have ever seen her face, yet she ranks among the top of the Hundred Fragrance List. Her beauty must indeed be unparalleled.” �
“Humph! For such a remarkable woman to marry a useless fool—it’s a disgrace!” Zhan Wenyu sneered, his eyes shifting toward a young man lounging on a chair thirty meters away. A glimmer of disdain flashed in his gaze. “This warship makes such a racket that no fish would dare approach, and yet he’s fishing? Absolutely laughable!”
Young Master Tu also looked toward the figure.
The young man was reclining lazily in a grand chair, fishing with a serene air of leisure.
“I’m bored. I think I’ll go stir up some trouble for him. Young Master Tu, care to join me for a bit of fun?” Zhan Wenyu asked.
“No, I won’t stoop to such frivolous antics.
Zhan, it’s best not to provoke random people. His wife is a true disciple of the Heavenly Sect.”
“Being a scoundrel is my calling! If I don’t cause trouble, I’d be failing my reputation as a playboy,” Zhan Wenyu declared boldly. “Besides, in the Zhan family, I can neither train as an artifact master nor become a Weapon Master. If I can’t be a playboy, then what can I be?”
His voice carried a tinge of bitterness.
The Zhan family was one of the top ten noble clans in Jining Prefecture.
However, Zhan Wenyu’s elder brother, thirty years his senior, was both domineering and influential.
This left Zhan Wenyu with little choice but to lead a life of indulgence.
“Causing some trouble might just annoy my brother—that’s worth it,” Zhan Wenyu said with a hint of mockery in his smile.
“So, he’s Shen Lingxuan’s husband?” a white-robed man nearby asked curiously.
The white-robed man was a disciple of the Ancient Thunder Sect.
“I didn’t expect Shen Lingxuan’s husband to be so... disappointing,” he remarked, his tone tinged with disappointment.
The man admired Shen Lingxuan, especially since she would be competing against his Third Senior Sister in two years during the Heavenly Sect and Ancient Thunder Sect’s disciple showdown.
For Shen Lingxuan to be a true disciple of the Heavenly Sect, her talents had to be extraordinary. Yet here she was, married to someone so lackluster.
“Then again, it might have to do with Shen Lingxuan’s unique physique. It’s said she has the Mysterious Yin Physique.
If someone could share a single night of intimacy with her, they could achieve enlightenment and ascend to the Heaven-Tier,” the white-robed man commented casually.
Ascending from the Earth-Tier to the Heaven-Tier was an incredibly challenging process, requiring profound enlightenment and a connection to the heavens.
“Unity with the heavens—what an impossible feat. Ning Kingdom hasn’t seen a Heaven-Tier Weapon Master in a hundred years.
They say those who reach the Heaven-Tier have the chance to ascend beyond the skies,” the white-robed man mused, his tone filled with yearning.
Heaven-Tier Weapon Masters were the pinnacle of aspiration for practitioners in Ning Kingdom.
Shen Lingxuan’s existence had kindled hope among many elderly masters.
However, the Shen family’s immense influence, combined with their ties to the Heavenly Sect, had deterred anyone from targeting Shen Lingxuan.
Moreover, Shen Lingxuan had not yet reached the pinnacle of her Mysterious Yin Physique, making it wasteful to act prematurely.
Hearing this, Zhan Wenyu grew even more frustrated. “That fool is too lucky. If only he weren’t so useless, how could such an opportunity fall to him?”
Young Master Tu chuckled. “Why make life harder for someone already down on their luck?”
“Humph! If not him, who should I trouble—my brother?” Zhan Wenyu retorted.
With that, he began walking toward Qi Yuan with swaggering steps, ready to live up to his reputation as a scoundrel.
The white-robed man turned to Young Master Tu. “Care to join me for a closer look? Things are rather dull on this ship.”
“I’m not interested,” Young Master Tu replied, shaking his head.
The two approached, curiosity piqued.
Meanwhile, Zhan Wenyu produced his savings—eighty thousand taels of silver—and presented it to Qi Yuan.
“Sir, please accept this as my tuition!”
Qi Yuan coughed lightly.
Chen Kangbao immediately stepped forward to collect the silver.
“In exchange for your silver, I will grant you the Transformation into a Turtle Technique.
If mastered, it will bestow the strength of ten thousand turtles and a lifespan of three thousand years.”
“Three thousand years?” Zhan Wenyu gasped.
Even legends of gods rarely mentioned such longevity.
This wasn’t Transformation into a Turtle—this was Transformation into Divinity!
The strength of ten thousand turtles might be irrelevant, but the extended lifespan was priceless.
“Pay attention. I will only recite the technique once. If you forget, you’ll have to ask Chen Kangbao for a repeat—for a fee of...”
“Five hundred buns!” Chen Kangbao interjected.
Hearing this, Zhan Wenyu became even more convinced that Qi Yuan was an extraordinary figure.
In legends, eccentric masters always acted in strange, unpredictable ways.
Perhaps Qi Yuan simply preferred buns over silver.
“Indeed,” Qi Yuan remarked nonchalantly. “Now, listen carefully. Though the divine turtle lives long, it too will perish...”
Qi Yuan began reciting a technique he had completely fabricated on the spot.
While his demeanor appeared casual, Qi Yuan’s cultivation had already reached the peak of the Purple Mansion level, with combat abilities rivaling those who grasped profound universal truths.
For him, ascending further required defining his ultimate path—his divine road.
Currently, Qi Yuan’s strength encompassed multiple disciplines: the Golden Core Dao, the Way of Ten Thousand Paths, and the Immortal Dao, among others.
To become a true god and ascend to the Yin God realm, Qi Yuan believed he needed to consolidate and define his singular Dao.
Leaving behind transcendent methods in this game-like world was part of his experimentation.
Zhan Wenyu listened intently, committing every word to memory.
Even so, he resolved to spend five hundred buns later to hear Chen Kangbao repeat it—both as a gesture of goodwill and to double-check his understanding.
“This Transformation into a Turtle Technique emphasizes the accumulation of virtue and karmic blessings. Perform good deeds wherever possible—remember this well,” Qi Yuan added.
At that moment, Young Master Tu and the white-robed man arrived.
The white-robed man smirked. “Zhan, weren’t you going to trouble the son-in-law? Why are you acting like a student paying respects to a master?”
His tone was mocking, though tinged with confusion.
Young Master Tu also felt perplexed, but as he drew nearer to Qi Yuan, his heart pounded.
His artifact began glowing red again, and this time, the intensity was tenfold—no, a hundredfold—stronger than before.
Could it be...
The thought struck him like a thunderclap.
Was Qi Yuan the mysterious master he had encountered at the ghost market?
Young Master Tu’s heart raced.
The timing aligned perfectly—Qi Yuan’s visit to Ning County coincided with the ghost market’s specter incident.
It all made sense!
This wasn’t some ordinary son-in-law—this was a hidden powerhouse masquerading as one!
His gaze toward Qi Yuan shifted, becoming reverent and cautious.
“Zhan, what nonsense are you spouting? I see this gentleman as a master. How could I ever bully him?” Zhan Wenyu snapped, sneaking a glance at Qi Yuan to ensure he hadn’t offended him.
The white-robed man’s confusion deepened.
Why had Zhan Wenyu’s attitude changed so drastically?
As for Young Master Tu, he remained silent.
At that moment, Qi Yuan finally spoke:
“I’m just a son-in-law. Isn’t bullying me normal? Go ahead, feel free to bully me.
Just be gentle—I’m afraid of pain.”
Zhan Wenyu: “...”
Young Master Tu: “...??”
White-robed man: “???”
The three men stood there, each filled with questions—though the nature of their confusion varied greatly.