Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 108 The Elixir of Immortality! Jiang Hai'ao! (Please subscribe and vote!)
"squeak--!"

A sharp, ear-piercing scream that churned his brain shattered the answer in his head.

Wang Cheng then realized that it wasn't just the resurrected ghost ship that had invaded Citong Port, but also a second uninvited guest.

Even when bombarded, the USS Consepson did not retaliate against the harbor, but instead continued to fire into the sea. Shells wreathed in azure flames and with angry faces exploded in the water.

It illuminated another enormous creature underwater.

If the fact that this sailboat, which quietly came to life and even mimicked humans in sending messages, was merely eerie, then the existence that confronted it was truly terrifying.

Its size was no smaller than that of the large sailing ship, and its overall shape resembled a pale, large snake, but with a huge human head that looked like a small hill.

His face, covered with wrinkles and scales, was dignified and solemn. He wore a bone crown with colorful necklaces hanging down from it.

Behind him was a long snake-like body, covered not with scales, but with human faces, complete with eyes and mouths.

A red rattlesnake-like ring trailed behind its tail, with at least two hundred densely packed rings that emitted a piercing rattle when filled with seawater.

As if performing a ritual, accompanied by the eerie rattle at the tip of its tail, its countless mouths opened and closed, chanting chaotic scriptures:
"The Great Dao is formless, yet it gives birth to Heaven and Earth. The human body is a microcosm, containing the secrets of the mysterious female and the pivot of immortality."

To glimpse the mysteries of immortality and attain true longevity, one must rely on the power of flesh and blood to unlock the secrets of the universe and find the path to immortality. Therefore it is said: "Flesh and blood are the elixir cauldron, life and nature are one with the smoke of the furnace."

Then, braving the gunfire, they rammed the hull of the Consecutive one after another.

It's like opening a clam shell, trying to open the ship's deck and eat what's hidden inside.

"Hiss—! What the hell is this thing?"

Whether it was Wang Cheng, Yun Xiao, the Lu family uncle and nephew, or ordinary White Scale Guards and civilian officials, who on the beach had ever seen such a strange thing? They all gasped in shock.

Even the most terrifying evil spirits, since they originate from folk legends, are within the realm of human imagination and are a million times more pleasing to the eye.

This being, which we might call an evil spirit, is an abstract entity that exists in every way beyond human imagination.

The common 100,000 kinds of seafood are a combination of land animals and marine life. In addition to being able to greatly replenish one's energy and spirit, they all have various magical effects.

Just like in the ancient times described in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, someone once launched a large-scale biochemical experiment.

This evil spirit from outside the wall was even more sinister, transforming into a combination of humans and marine life.

It's like a hodgepodge, making it impossible for onlookers to tell whether it's a human, a demon, or an evil spirit anchored to a specific folk legend or historical anecdote.

"That Franco-style sailing ship is at a disadvantage. Order the gun emplacements to attack the 'great evil spirit' in the water first!"

Although Lu Yi had never seen this thing before, he had learned a few bits and pieces about what was outside the wall from the White Scale Guard's secret archives and royal secrets, and knew their real name - "Immortal Scum".

But it must never be spoken aloud; it should only be referred to as a great evil spirit.

They were the first to react and decisively ordered the port forts to focus fire on the object outside the wall.

His face was ashen, and he didn't know how to report to the ruler.

For two hundred years since its founding, the nation has been on guard day and night, even suffering the great loss of its treasure ships and fleets being completely wiped out. Yet, with just a slight oversight, those evil things have slipped back in.

He glanced at Madam Shuiban, who was standing with Wang Cheng behind him, and couldn't help but start to reflect.

"Is the current dynasty really squeezing water-servancy officials and sea god believers too ruthlessly?"

Every year, when sending off the royal ship, they would trick the lineage of the "Prince"; when encountering typhoons, rainstorms, or tsunamis along the coast, they would seek help from the lineage of the Heavenly Princess, greatly depleting their incense offerings and vows.

They trampled the water brigade officials into the mud.

Just like Wang Fugui, who seems to be a very good person, no matter how well he does, he can only stay in the coastal prefectures and will never become a high-ranking official in the capital. He can only burn his life for the Great Zhao in the fight against pirates and evil spirits.

These incidents have resulted in the Shuiban group being unable to accumulate any resources to withstand risks, and the Shan Hai Zhou Jin's ability to withstand risks has been declining again and again.

However, a major flaw occurred when they encountered a "Nine Dragons Spitting Pearls Formation" designed to harvest the energy of a dragon.

"Although these are all national policies established by the rulers of the Great Zhao dynasty, advocating sacrificing the interests of a small number of people in order to prioritize the overall situation."

But I must find a way to persuade His Majesty that once the chives are cut to the root, they will never grow back.

In these turbulent times, coupled with pirate raids, the Great Zhao Dynasty urgently needs the strength of the Mountain and Sea Society and the Water Rank Officials. It's time to loosen the shackles a little and give them a taste of the benefits.

I've heard that the king of the Western Kingdom issues his captains a document called a "letter of privateering," supporting their plundering of other countries. It's highly unlikely that the Great Zhao would be so absurd.

We could try delegating power to forces loyal to the central government, organizing local militias, and mobilizing civilian forces to form strongholds for self-defense.

The court even released a number of official positions that did not require officials to go ashore to report for duty, such as seven or eight "Sea-Diving Generals" and three or four "Sea-Suppressing Generals," to divide the most powerful Five Peaks Banner and the Maritime Merchant Alliance, and make them serve the court.
"If we hurry to select capable generals, train troops, and defeat the bandits, this great chaos will surely be quelled in less than ten years."

Wang Cheng was unaware that Lu Yi had, in a single moment of inspiration, provided him with a divine assist, and was quickly sharing the newly acquired information about the round-the-world fleet with Yun Xiao:
"It seems that this 'ghost' ship that came back to life had long ago escaped from the South China Sea to seek refuge on the coast of Dazhao, which is strictly protected by the Mountain and Sea Curse."

Today, the Mountain and Sea Curse has fluctuated, causing an unknown number of powerful evil spirits to break through the blockade and return to their heads to steal the lost treasures.

The other four circumnavigating sailing ships, and even ordinary ports, are likely facing similar troubles; it's highly probable that Quanzhou Port isn't the only one encountering danger.

Yun Xiao frowned slightly, pointing to the enormous creature in the sea, and said:

"The true form of this evil spirit seems to be a naturally occurring, unusual species: the Ringing Sea Serpent, which theoretically can live for two cycles of sixty years."

After reaching adulthood, this type of snake sheds its skin once a year. After shedding, it leaves a horny rattle ring on its tail. The number of rattle rings can be used to roughly determine its age.

Although the rings may be lost due to fighting or other reasons, their actual age is only greater than the number of rings they have.

Judging from the rattles on its body, this snake has lived for at least several hundred years, far exceeding the maximum lifespan of its species. Therefore…”

It is a consensus that, regardless of whether one is human or demon, those who cultivate the divine path cannot break through the upper limit of their physical lifespan.

Even if a divine official cultivates to the first rank, they only cultivate their spiritual cultivation, not their life cultivation, so they don't significantly improve their physical functions or lifespan.

But this guy clearly focused on the path of life cultivation. Although he eventually became an evil spirit, it is an indisputable fact that he broke through the upper limit of lifespan during his lifetime.

Suddenly someone in the crowd shouted:
"An elixir of immortality! This great evil spirit from beyond the forbidden realms of the mountains and seas must have consumed an elixir of immortality in its previous life!"

Yan Yunxiao wasn't the only one with such a keen interest.

The ringed sea snake is not a rare species, so estimating its age is not difficult.

Just as Wang Cheng initially thought, the most famous treasure in the depths of the vast ocean that can prolong life and turn inanimate objects into living ones is the elixir of immortality!

It is also a treasure that attracted dynasties throughout history to send their fleets out to sea to find.

"That's right, it must be the elixir of immortality! It just came from outside the wall, and it might still have some on it."

Everyone went crazy over this.

What emperors of all dynasties could only dream of but could never attain was now closer to them than ever before.

Perhaps they were unaware of the intelligence about the five sailing ships traversing the vast ocean, and unaware that legend had it they were the ones who brought out the treasure.

However, by simply reasoning from the characteristics of evil spirits, a fact that was very close to the truth was guessed.

"Yun Chen!"

Lu Yi then realized what he should be doing and quickly called out to his nephew.

If they could offer the elixir of immortality to their own ancestral deity, why would the Lu family need to worry about losing the emperor's favor after their father's death? And why would the Han family clan need to worry about failing to break the Zhu family's destiny?
With Emperor Shaozhi's political acumen, as long as he can live on, the Great Zhao Dynasty will surely be secure forever!
"Understood, Third Uncle."

Lu Yunchen touched the ground with his toes, the air exploded, and his whole body disappeared on the spot with a flash of lightning. When he reappeared, he had landed on a warship moored on the shore.

This ship, like the USS Consecutive, was enveloped in a dazzling aura.

During the Battle of Poyang Lake, Chen Jiusi built four prototype giant ships: "Blocking the River", "Crushing the Mountain", "Mixing the River Dragon" and "River and Sea Turtle". These ships were the ancestors of all the warships of the Great Zhao Dynasty, including the treasure ships.

And this ship is none other than the prototype of the giant ship "Jiang Hai Ao"!
It bears witness to a national battle that determined the ownership of the divine artifact, and is itself an extremely powerful talisman.

No wonder that even though Rongcheng is 300 li away from Citong Port, the ruler of the state still issues orders at dusk so that they don't have to wait until dawn.

Only this ship could save the entire family from being wiped out that very night.

Lu Yunchen immediately ordered the Shenxiao Sect soldiers [Five Thunder Warriors] left on the ship to restart the five [Divine Machine Eight Ox Crossbows] and aim them at the great evil spirit in the sea.

"Thunderbolt from the sky! Release!"

collapse--!
With a thunderous roar, five more purple streaks of light streaked across the sky.

(End of this chapter)