Wet viviparity

Chapter 769 Impact, East Sandbar
After leaving the Cold Sea Spirit Mansion, Zhao Chi immediately crossed the ocean and headed back to land.

When he came, he took his teacher's invitation and asked the soldiers under the Dragon Palace to clear the way in the sea, which made it easy for him to cross the sea and arrive at Diqiu.

Now that he's back on land, with his speed, it would take him at least four or five months to cross the sea. Now that he's accepted the mission, and Black Owl isn't someone to be easily fooled, he can only try to complete it as quickly as possible.

"If it weren't for that old green dragon stealing the Qigong Divine Chariot from the Guyin Forbidden Area back in Guangyuan Water Palace, disregarding the secret agreement with my Zhao family, I would have obtained the Divine Chariot long ago and could go anywhere. I wouldn't have ended up failing my mission and being disliked by my family."

Zhao Chi recalled the past and felt secretly saddened.

One step wrong, step by step wrong.

As a disciple of the Zhao clan, Zhao Chi knew that if he didn't have that ambition and indulged in pleasure, his life would be extraordinary. But once he had ambition and started to do things seriously, he would suffer greatly because he was unable to compete with the powerful cultivators outside the mountain gate.

Back then, the Water Mansion in Guangyuan was his lifelong nightmare. That Lingxuzi and Gu Cunfeng completely disregarded him and arbitrarily imposed their will on him.

Ling Xuzi is one thing, he's renowned and a leading figure of the Tiannan Orthodox Sect, but what about Gu Cunfeng? He just got lucky and obtained the Big Dipper Kaiyang Divine Sword.

Whenever he thought of this incident, Zhao Chi felt a desire for revenge, but he was also afraid of making a formidable enemy and needlessly adding to his troubles. So he could only swallow his anger and secretly vent his frustration in secluded places. He felt incredibly stifled no matter how much he thought about it.

Whenever this happened, Zhao Chi felt that he might as well just have fun with those spoiled brats instead of being so persistent in striving for advancement.

After a moment of reflection, Zhao Chi resumed his long journey across the sea, while pondering which figures on land he could invite to join him in refining the "Secret Record of Transformation and Mysterious Evil."

If we were to discuss the method that best suits Jiang Heixiao's tastes, it would be to work on the disciples of the True Spirit Sect. This would allow Jiang Heixiao to cultivate his personal power within the sect. However, due to the nature of the "Secret Record of Transformation and Mystery," this matter carries many risks. If he is not careful, he could be accused of privately transmitting evil techniques and bewitching people.

It seems that the only place to focus efforts is outside the mountain gate, among the scattered cultivators on overseas islands and those from other sects.

With this in mind, Zhao Chi was no longer in such a hurry to return to land and instead went to a place in the sea.

There are many rogue cultivators and old monsters who have settled on the islands in the East China Sea, and there are naturally many people among them who can be invited.

However, the place Zhao Chi went to was a vast and turbulent area in the East China Sea, where a giant island, stretching for over a thousand miles, was called Dongshazhou.

This continent was not created by heaven and earth, but was created by several generations of powerful cultivators who moved mountains and filled valleys, cleaved waves and cut through the currents, working together to open it up.

Outside, there are misty waves, and inside, there are hidden mysteries. There are also interconnected arrays and restrictions of various sizes, creating layers of dangers and barriers. Countless great cultivators from the East Sea closely united here to resist the oppression of major sects and build the Dragon Bay of East Sand Island into a holy land for independent cultivators.

It can be said that whenever the disciples of the True Spirit Sect arrive in the East Sea, they always stay and enjoy themselves at Dongshazhou. Zhao Chi is no exception. There, he makes many friends from overseas, and their friendship is even more genuine than that with his fellow disciples.

As we flew onward, we came into view a cluster of reefs jutting out from the sea, standing tall and imposing.

The raging waves surged here, crashing against the reefs with a deafening roar, splashing up thousands of piles of frost and snow, the sound like thunder, never ceasing day and night.

Beyond these reefs lies the labyrinthine array laid out by the Longwan Sanxiu Temple, like a wall of mist that rolls and swirls, standing firmly on the distant shore of the island, isolating the island from the outside world. Only those familiar with the waterways can find its way in.

Zhao Chi did not stop his escape light, rushing into the reefs that resembled steep peaks at sea, disappearing into the wall of mist.

For a regular customer like him, unless Dongshazhou Longwan is attacked by foreign enemies, they will not actively refuse him entry.

Where Zhao Chi flew through, the thick fog, with visibility less than ten feet, parted to reveal a long, misty tunnel, where sunlight could be seen filtering through at the end.

After passing through the treacherous reefs and fog-shrouded walls, a breathtaking view suddenly appeared.

The waters near the shore are crystal clear, like a piece of deep blue glass, reflecting the spectacular scenery of the island.

The buildings on the island do not emphasize ornate carvings and painted beams, but rather follow the natural contours of the land and take inspiration from nature: a giant conch shell hangs halfway up as an eave, coral branches are stacked to form steps, and components cast in fine bronze are inlaid among them, the bronze glowing as if the moonlight is hidden within.

Countless star-shaped shells are scattered across the window frames and doors.

Crystal wind chimes hang from the eaves. When the sea breeze passes by, the chimes vibrate with a clear, cold sound, like shattered jade falling onto a plate, harmonizing with the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, washing away the noise and clamor in one's ears.

Upon arriving at Dongshazhou, Zhao Chi suddenly felt an urge to go to Bizhao Lake on the island.

That was a suspicious place he had tracked down when he was investigating the old green dragon who had stolen treasure from the Guangyuan Water Palace. Back then, the green dragon obtained the Qigong Divine Chariot in the Guangyuan Water Palace, and even more audaciously stole a two-pole gold magnetite mother stone that had been placed there by the Longevity Ancestor of Huangting Palace, and then disappeared from the world.

Zhao Chi painstakingly searched and, starting with Qingjiao's network of connections, deduced two locations: one was the East Sea Dragon Palace, and the other was this East Sandbar.

The Azure Dragon is a relative of "Zhen Yuan Gong," the Water Lord of the West Cangjiang River, and has always been on friendly terms with the Dragon Palace of the East Sea.

Since it has already offended Huangting Palace, the best option is to seek refuge with the East Sea Dragon Palace. However, this option is quite risky. If Huangting Palace asks its patriarchs to exert pressure, the Dragon Palace may not be able to withstand the pressure.

Therefore, the compromise was to infiltrate the chaotic Longwan area of ​​Dongshazhou and use the power of independent cultivators to buy himself some time.

After his trip to the Water Palace, Zhao Chi spent a considerable amount of good karma in Longwan, Dongshazhou, to purchase a cave dwelling and the right to reside there. After several explorations, he wanted to atone for his sins, but unfortunately, he gained nothing in the end.

For some reason, I suddenly had the urge to go back to Lake Biyao to see what it was all about.

Bizhao Lake is not large, and because the scenery here is not particularly outstanding, few hermits or reclusive practitioners are willing to open caves and establish residences here.

Unorthodox cultivators are accustomed to choosing to reside in magnificent and luxurious places, just like the Cold Netherworld Spiritual Abode on the Little Thorn Gorge. It seems that without such an extremely beautiful residence, their status would not be worthy of it.

When Zhao Chi revisited the place, he saw tiny algae growing in the crevices of the rocks in the small lake, shimmering gently with the ripples on the water, and green moss clinging to the outside of a pavilion in the lake, instantly giving him a sense of tranquility and elegance.

Upon entering the pavilion, Zhao Chi probed outwards with his primordial spirit and saw that the lake was still the same as before. He was somewhat disappointed and thought to himself, "When I came here years ago, I borrowed the local gazetteer from Longwan. It recorded that a disciple of a wandering immortal from the previous dynasty built a hut and cave here."

Later, the wandering immortal disciple went on a long journey, and the place gradually fell into disuse. It was then sold to the public by Longwan, attracting many people to buy and live by the lake, hoping to find the treasures of the ancient cave dwellings. Unfortunately, the place changed hands several times, and none of them found anything.

That's why he identified this Green Algae Lake as a possible hiding place for the Azure Dragon.

As a cultivator who was not skilled in divination, Zhao Chi could only rely on some deadly methods or clues to search for traces.

Whenever this happened, Zhao Chi would recall the words of the elders in his sect—that the truly first-rate figures in the world were all well-versed in the arts of divination. Just like that Master Lingxu, even though he had rarely been involved in worldly affairs for the past forty or fifty years, his reputation far surpassed that of his peers, and was even comparable to that of the elders of Taiping Mountain.

The reason for this is that they are skilled in divination and numerology, which gives them the qualifications to transcend the calamities.

Zhao Chi couldn't imagine what it would feel like to face Master Lingxu again, to have no secrets left in front of him, like being stripped naked.

For some reason, thinking of this, he felt a chill all over his body in the pavilion by the green algae lake, as if he were not wearing any clothes.

"unlucky!"

With a silent thought, Zhao Chi had no intention of lingering any longer. He stamped his foot heavily and fled. Instantly, the pavilion was filled with mist, and he soared into the air, drifting away from the small lake.

Before long, the plume of water smoke returned to the pavilion.

Zhao Chi stomped his feet hard in the pavilion a few times, making a dull thud as if the ground had been hollowed out.

This invigorated him, and his mind began to wander. He quickly gathered all his strength outside the pavilion, mobilized the Jia Chen Dragon Power within his body, and used both hands to lift the base of the pavilion, raising it halfway up. He saw a deep cave below, from which precious light shone, and he was overjoyed.

"I knew it, heaven will not forget those who are determined."

Zhao Chi's eyes reddened, and his heart was filled with turbulent emotions. He felt that his hard work over the years had not been in vain. He did not notice at all that the book of magic, "The Secret Record of Transformation and Mystery", which he kept close to his body, was emanating a trace of coldness that was seeping into his primordial spirit.

Far away in Yanxu Mountain, inside the Shushi Cave, in front of a small temple, stands an altar.

Before this altar was a golden casket. At this moment, the casket door was open, and yellow smoke billowed out, rolling and never going out. In the smoke, a pair of thin, chopstick-like golden arms could be vaguely seen making hand seals and dancing. On the unburnt talisman in their palms, the name "Zhao Chi" could be vaguely seen.

Before the altar, Ji Ming sat cross-legged on a white lotus.

Within his eyes, the two pupils moved incessantly. Relying on the pupils, Ji Ming deduced that Zhao Chi had secretly been affected by his spell and had found the treasure cave in the Green Algae Lake. He then withdrew his true qi and stopped the function of the Golden Chest on the altar.

(End of this chapter)