Immortal Cultivation and Life-Saving Guide

Chapter 398 The Ship! My Ship!
With the help of these fishermen who grew up in the sea, Wei Xi and Qin Feng quickly covered nearly a third of the journey.

The seabirds that were flying low have vanished without a trace, and the overcast sky hangs almost low to the sea, as if a storm is brewing.

“Boatman,” Wei Xi, who remained on the deck, turned to the fisherman at the helm and asked, “Approximately how long will it take to reach the designated location?”

"Guest, according to the map you provided, it will take another half an hour to get to Hongdao!"

Wei Xi, who didn't want to exercise in the storm, heard truly devastating news.

After a moment's thought, Wei Xi asked, "If the Dragon King of the Sea were to rise again, would the Red Island you mentioned be able to stop the ships?"

The fisherman, fiddling with the nautical chart, immediately replied, "You can dock at Hongdao Island, but there's no water source there, so you can't stay there!"

Wei Xi tried to extract useful information from the distinctive local dialect. Looking at the oppressive sky, she decisively said, "It would be best to find an island to take refuge for now! We don't know what the Dragon King of the Sea is thinking, and time is a bit of a problem."

Wei Xi was clearly an amateur when it came to matters at sea, but the fishermen sensed her concerns and immediately assured her that they would take the two guests to the designated location once they were paid.

The part of the map traced by the fishing line was slapped twice by the impatient fisherman.

Leaning against the railing, Qin Feng was in a good mood, not taking the impending storm seriously at all, and casually asked, "Red Island? Is anyone active there?"

"Where would people come from? Although Hongdao Island is large, it's all big rocks that can't hold fresh water, so it's impossible for people to live there. Occasionally, a ship with bad luck might dock to repair its hull, but no one lives there permanently."

"Why is it called Red Island?" Wei Xi suddenly asked. "Does it mean the rocks are red?"

The fisherman at the helm seemed genuinely unprepared for this question and was momentarily speechless.

Despite his suspicious nature, Wei Xi's expression remained unchanged, but a few other thoughts began to form in his mind—the deserted island he had initially thought of actually had a name! Could it be some kind of trick by the merfolk?

"The broken stones there are grayish-white from the sun! Their surfaces are shattered by the wind! And with the seawater eroding them, where would the red stones come from?"

A simple-minded fisherman working nearby said, "These names were passed down from the old fishermen, how would we know? Even if you ask Brother Wu, he doesn't know either..."

The boat's owner, Wu Da, was clearly more astute and interrupted, "These are all remote areas; nobody goes there except for us fishermen!"

Wei Xi nodded slightly, not dwelling on the matter.

Wu Da, with his bull-like eyes, glared at his talkative fellow villager, who realized he must have said something wrong and quickly shut his mouth to get back to work.

The medium-sized fishing boat, carrying about a dozen people, headed towards the Bone Reef Sea.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Dragon King of the Sea turned over.

The long-brewing storm finally burst forth, like water poured into a hot oil pan, instantly exploding the pent-up sea.

Amidst the raging winds, torrential rain, and the ship being tossed about, Wei Xi felt like a piece of fatty meat in an iron pot, being tossed around by Chef Hai.

If Wei Xi hadn't used his spiritual power to stabilize himself in time, he probably would have been thrown off the ship by the unexpectedly big surprise.

"Oh no!" The already young Wu Da panicked, gripping the ship's rudder and exclaiming in a daze, "The Sea Dragon King has awakened! What are we going to do?"

Wei Xi was already suspicious, and when he heard the fishermen change their words, he knew that there was probably something strange behind this storm.

The most urgent thing was to stabilize the situation. Wei Xi rushed to Wu Da's side, grabbed the man's arm and shook him hard. "What are you panicking about? Where is the nearest island?" Wu Da's mind was shaken up, and he stammered, "There's a Clam Island. We'll be there in a moment."

"Can we stop the boat?"

"Yes!" Wu Da perked up and shouted at the top of his lungs, "What are you all standing around for! Run to Clam Island!"

With a leader in mind, the somewhat panicked young fishermen became quick and efficient, each taking on their assigned tasks and setting the boat in motion.

"If this is your first time at sea, you can tie yourselves to the mast with ropes!"

Wei and Qin deliberately concealed their identities, so they were not wearing Taoist robes, and Wu naturally could not recognize that the two were cultivators.

At this moment, Wei and Qin had no intention of saying anything more, and simply pretended not to hear, so naturally they wouldn't actually tie themselves up with ropes.

"What's going on?" Qin Feng whispered. "Didn't you say you'd be there in a moment?"

Wei Xi whispered, "Be careful, who knows what's stirring up trouble!"

It wasn't that Wei Xi was being overly pessimistic; it's just that there were too many strange things happening in Dongyi, and she didn't want to become a wronged soul in the sea for no reason.

As Wei Xi had predicted, things spiraled out of control: towering waves swept up the bewildered fishing boat and hurled it into the dark sea; large raindrops pounded on the deck, while the howling wind raged, tearing everything apart, and the eerie wind howled like a pack of ghosts.

Wei Xi had lost count of how many times he had been soaked by the waves; if it weren't for his spiritual energy protecting him, he would probably have lost his body temperature.

In contrast, the fishermen had given up on sailing their boats to the previously chosen clam island and instead tied themselves to the masts.

"Guests, quickly tie yourselves up!" Wu Da, whose arms were still free to move, threw a thick rattan rope to Wei Qin and the other man. "The waves are too big! This boat can't sail! Let's leave it to fate!"

Wei Xi remained unmoved, squinting to keep the salty and bitter seawater from getting into his eyes.

Qin Feng's spiritual power was no less than abundant, and he stood firmly by Wei Xi's side.

Wu Da realized that the two female guests probably possessed some skill, and he regretted his greed for the extra half-cent of silver—getting involved in the sordid affairs of these important figures. Even if he survived today, he would probably be in grave danger when he arrived at his destination.

Completely unaware that he had become a "big shot," Wei Xi turned his gaze to the sea.

After much effort, Wei Xi finally realized something was wrong—how could this ship be so sturdy? How could it still sail on the sea in such huge waves?

Recalling the Twilight and Dawn Treasure Ship he had seen in Chongxiao City, Wei Xi's expression tightened—could it be such a coincidence?
While trying to convince himself, Wei Xi tried to find clues.

As the saying goes, perseverance pays off, and Wei Xi soon discovered that something was clinging to the bottom of the boat!

Those were small, bluish hands, clinging tightly to the bottom of the boat. Many of them were disabled, missing a thumb or with a hole in their palm.

Knowing that he had encountered something strange, Wei Xi felt a great weight lifted from his heart—cultivators were the professionals when it came to slaying demons and monsters, and it would be strange if there weren't any "locals" in the vast ocean.

Wei Xi took three steps at a time, skipping over a fisherman who was already terrified, his face ashen and foaming at the mouth, and rushed to Wu Da's side, describing what he had just seen.

Upon hearing this, Wu Da screamed in agony, frantically untying the ropes binding him and lunging towards the side of the boat, wailing, "The boat! My boat! This is my boat! You bunch of oarsmen! I'll fight you to the death!"