Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Deep Fortune

Having passed through the previous waters, the ship had now returned to its predetermined route.

Emerging from the dark skies and witnessing the blue skies and clear seas once more, everyone's suppressed emotions were alleviated.

The voyage that followed was smooth sailing, with calm winds and gentle waves.

Following the recent events, Yang Ji had decidedly become the most popular man on board.

Jin Dafu was now quite generous, setting out chairs, bringing out Spiritual Wine and Spirit Fruit, and hosting Yang Ji and the rest.

A group of cultivators also started chatting, gathering around on the deck and engaging in conversation.

Everyone's discussion, whether implicit or explicit, revolved around Yang Ji's previous awe-inspiring experiences, asking how he had sensed the impending natural disaster and if there were any signs.

But that was all just made up by Yang Ji, and of course, he would not say much, subtly indicating in his few words that it was purely accidental, not an ability he had cultivated.

Instead, he talked about the many hardships he faced when he was younger, attempting to make them feel sorry for him, that he simply couldn't foresee too many dangers.

However, the crowd didn't share this perception, feeling instead that his experiences were legendary and extremely admirable.

While he might not have sensed minor disasters and suffered some hardships, he had managed to survive the major calamities, and that was fate.

The more the listeners embellished the stories, the more they became convinced of their truth.

Yang Ji gently steered the topic of conversation, instead bringing up their sea adventures.

The others were more than happy to share with Yang Ji the interesting encounters and experiences they had on their adventures.

For instance, where one could generally find Sinkstones on the seafloor, how to search for them, what they looked like, and how to discern their grade.

How Spiritual Medicines are typically distributed across various seas, and what distinctions there are in the surrounding areas.

Things to be aware of when hunting Demonic Beasts, as well as the habits and weaknesses of those beasts.

How to stay alive when encountering Demonic Beasts stronger than oneself, how to avoid provoking higher-level Demonic Beasts, and self-rescue methods when falling into perilous situations, among other things.

As Yang Ji listened to their conversation, he also came to understand the hardships of cultivators embarking on sea adventures, realizing that cultivation was indeed exchanged with one's life.

Half of these experiences were their own personal encounters, some acquired at the risk of their lives. Yang Ji kept a mental note of everything they said.

After this exchange, Yang Ji had learned a great deal.

Indeed, there was truth to the saying that theoretical knowledge alone is shallow; one must truly experience it to fully understand.

He believed that once it was his turn to set out to sea, he would gain an even deeper understanding.

The books only provided a rough outline; there was indeed so much more to be aware of when embarking on a true maritime adventure.

As everyone continued their conversations, the sky had also darkened.

Night had fallen.

Chen De and the other cultivators returned to their cabins to rest.

After the incident with the Extreme Purple Heavenly Thunder, Yang Ji did not dare to enter the cabin, choosing instead to stay on the deck.

He practiced his cultivation technique to absorb Spiritual Energy while remaining vigilant, watching the sea to prevent any unexpected natural disasters.

Jin Dafu also did not enter the cabin; still frightened by the recent events, he chose to stay on the deck, keeping company with Yang Ji.

...

The full moon hung high like a disc, with the stars twinkling unrestrainedly.

The gentle glow poured down, illuminating the extended surface of the sea, with the occasional waves reflecting the light.

Although it was night, the sky firmament and the sea surface remained relatively bright.

One was cultivating, and the other was drinking.

Yang Ji and Jin Dafu sat in silence.

Suddenly, Yang Ji exclaimed with a "ya" from his mouth.

"Brother Yang, what's the matter? Did you sense another great terror?" Jin Dafu had been anxious about this, his expression tensing up immediately as he spoke.

In the cabin, Chen De, who was meditating, had also heard the conversation outside thanks to his profound cultivation and opened his eyes abruptly, glancing outside as well.

"No, no!" Yang Ji shook his head; he hadn't seen any great terror, but he had stumbled upon a great surprise.

Ahead on the sea surface, information appeared.

[Ahead on the sea, a Third Grade Horned Dragon Lobster that was absorbing moonlight suddenly caught sight of the approaching ship and got startled, diving headlong into the deep sea.]

Third Grade Horned Dragon Lobster!

Seeing the prompt, Yang Ji's heart stirred, his hand already on his sword, ready to dive in and finish it off.

The meat of the Third Grade Horned Dragon Lobster was tender and delicious, a delicacy reserved for the powerful, worth the price of a Level Six Demon Beast—in other words, several thousand Spirit Stones.

Yang Ji almost drooled at the thought and wanted to plunge into the sea to catch it.

But in front of everyone's eyes, how could he dare to go down?

Wouldn't that expose his "Golden Finger"?

It's not as if he could say his eyelid twitched again, right?

Although the horned dragon lobster was tempting him, and it was quite valuable, Yang Ji still maintained the necessary restraint.

At that moment, as he watched the seascape gradually drift away, he could only sigh with regret in his heart.

It truly was a pity.

He had missed out on such a valuable Demonic Beast.

One has to know, some Cultivators search the vast ocean for months on end and might not encounter even one Demonic Beast.

Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Chen De couldn't guarantee finding a Demonic Beast within five days, and could only rely on Tempting Demon Pills to slowly track one down.

In the path of Cultivation, two things are essential: talent and fortune.

If one lacks talent, they must rely on fortune, but if one has neither, they might as well go to sleep and call it quits.

Yang Ji could be said to have deep fortune.

...

As night fell, those Demonic Beasts that hid by day and roamed by night began to emerge, one by one leaving their lairs in search of food.

As the large ship sailed on, Cultivators who typically struggled to find Demonic Beasts saw Yang Ji encounter another two.

There was a Level Ten Black Striped Shark.

This creature's ferocity shone brightly as it fixed its menacing gaze on the massive ship's body, nearly ready to strike.

Yang Ji, just by looking at those few digits displayed, could feel an immense pressure.

A Level Ten Demon Beast was on par with a Tenth Layer Qi Refining master, and at sea, it was generally difficult for a human Cultivator to defeat a Demonic Beast of equal level.

If Yang Ji were to face such a behemoth in the ocean, his fate would be sealed.

Although the sea was full of opportunities, it was also fraught with danger.

Apart from the Level Ten Demon Beast he had seen earlier.

Even more infuriating and itch-inducing for Yang Ji was a Level Four Suction Cup Squid that had actually attached itself to the bottom of the ship, scraping a path along its journey.

He truly wanted to dive down and strike it with his sword; a Level Four Demon Beast was worth around six hundred Spirit Stones.

Those gleaming Spirit Stones just below the ship were unbearably tempting.

But Yang Ji still held back.

He withstood the temptation.

Because he had gradually become numb to it...

As the ship continued on its way, he encountered even more Demonic Beasts.

There was a Level Four Explosion Fish, a Grade Two Water Drop Fish, a Level Nine Longevity Turtle, a Level Ten Ten-Whisker Catfish, a Level Seven Eight-Eyed Eel, and a Grade Two Ghost Face Fish.

By the time daylight arrived and the ship reached Heavenly Water Island, they had discovered a total of thirteen Demonic Beasts.

These incidents seemed like opportunities, but in reality, they were just as perilous; if one failed to kill the beast and instead got slammed, they'd have nothing but regret in the next life.

Demonic Beasts might be valuable, but Yang Ji was very clear-headed.

This trip he saw quite a number of Demonic Beasts, but what saddened him was the lack of discoveries like ore, Spirit Veins, or Spiritual Medicine.

Once in a while, there would be news of a Sinkstone, but it was just Low-grade Sinkstone, not worth more than a few Spirit Stones.

...

The following day was spent recuperating on Heavenly Water Island.

Yang Ji, as usual, strolled around the island, with a thousand Spirit Stones in his possession, moving between various stalls in the hope of finding some treasures.

Unfortunately, each Cultivator there was shrewd, their treasures having been appraised by the big stores already; they were simply dissatisfied with the price. Because their items were unique, they brought them to the stalls in hopes of encountering a big spender. Sёarch* The NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

After touring around, Yang Ji could only return disappointed.

The next day, he went back to Nanfeng Island with the ship, and the journey was quite smooth.

Upon his return, Jin Dafu seemed so afraid of him leaving that he immediately arranged for a property in the city.

Yang Ji was pleased, and since he had agreed to be the Ship Guardian, he happily accepted.

At that moment, as he looked at the three-room wooden hut before him, with its serene courtyard complete with grass, stone ground, green plants, and flowers, it had everything one could wish for.

The place was spacious enough for a single person to live comfortably, and being located on the edge of Nanfeng City with mountains at its back, it was a quiet and pleasant place, convenient for practicing Cultivation Techniques.

Yang Ji was very satisfied; at that moment, he had settled down here.