Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 247 It's her, it's him! [Seeking monthly votes]

Above the dark, cloud-covered sky, lightning flashed and thunder roared.

Under the dim sky, a storm swept across, causing towering waves to rise on the endless sea.

There were no petrels battling the storm as Ji Yuan had imagined; instead, there was only inky black seawater and constantly churning clouds.

As streaks of lightning ripped across the sky, they also crashed onto the sea, creating a massive pillar of light where the sea and sky met.

Within the reflected sky, it seemed as if countless otherworldly demons were struggling and roaring.

Looking at the apocalyptic scene before him, even Ji Yuan, a seasoned late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, felt a sense of panic.

But the whale patrol boat beneath their feet was heading straight into the heart of the storm, as if... courting death.

Some Qi Refining stage cultivators who were here for the first time were so frightened by the scene that they turned pale and took several steps back.

Seeing this, the old man Huang, who was smoking a pipe, sneered.

"If you're scared, go back to your cabin and hide. You bunch of cowards are still watching here. Aren't you afraid of losing your composure?"

Upon hearing this, the Qi Refining cultivators all hid inside the cabin.

Ji Yuan didn't move, but stayed on the deck to watch this rare and spectacular sight... For a moment, Ji Yuan was a little curious. If the thunderstorms in this storm zone were so terrifying, what would it be like after they actually went to Jing Lei Ze?

There is the Thunder Strike Elixir there, which can be used to forge the Thunder Strike Sword. The thunderstorms there must be spectacular.

Surely it won't be any worse than this storm zone, right?

Ji Yuan was so engrossed in watching that Old Man Huang came over and chuckled, "Fellow Daoist, it's your first time here, yet you're so composed. You must be destined for the Core Formation stage."

Ji Yuan glanced at him, took out the jar of wine that hadn't been finished last time from his storage bag, and placed it in his hand.

Old Huang was overjoyed at the sight and quickly said a few more celebratory words.

"However, fellow Daoist, you can only look around for now. Captain Luo will have to let us return to our cabins around noon."

"It's alright, it's good enough to even have a look."

So Ji Yuan waited there until noon, watching as the entire whale-hunting boat rose and fell wildly in the wind and waves.

Luo Sifu's voice finally rang out on the deck.

"Alright, the whale patrol will be going out to sea soon, so everyone should go back to the cabin and wait in case anything happens."

There were only a few people left on the deck, so Ji Yuan followed Old Man Huang into the cabin.

But as soon as he entered, he discovered that a woman was standing at the door of Room 2 on the fourth floor, which was always tightly closed.

The woman had an ordinary face and a good figure. At this moment, she was resting her hands on the railing, staring blankly at the bottom of the cabin.

Perhaps because she was there, the entire cabin was quiet, and even those standing in the corridor dared not speak loudly.

As for the reason... it's because of this woman's cultivation level.

Peak of Foundation Building.

Ji Yuan was naturally very surprised to see her, but not because of her cultivation level, but because of her... appearance.

Because Ji Yuan had met her before, and even worked with her once.

Ye Zhi Qiu.

Ye Zhi Qiu, the quiet woman who followed the Mourning Hermit of the Great Love Sect.

When Ji Yuan and the Mourning Hermit were searching for the Rotten Firefly Shaded Locust Tree, Ye Zhi Qiu spoke up for them.

'But what's she doing here? If she's here, then where's the Mourning Hermit?'

Just as Ji Yuan was hesitating, he saw an old man holding a snake-head cane walk out of room number one. With disheveled hair, he only glanced at Ye Zhi Qiu, and the latter followed him back to the room.

Ji Yuan withdrew his gaze, silently lowered his head, and returned to his cabin, closing the door as if nothing had happened.

Only after he sat down on the futon did a slight change appear in his expression.

"How the hell are they on this ship?"

This was Ji Yuan's first question after seeing the Mourning Hermit and Ye Zhi Qiu, and also his biggest question.

He had indeed suspected that the Mourning Hermit and his companions, who had disappeared from Ghost Seeking Pool, might have come to South Sea City.

When he learned about the Ephemeral Flower Boat from Xie Wan, he suspected that the Mourning Hermit was the Ephemeral Flower Guest.

This is actually one of the reasons why Ji Yuan avoided the Epiphyllum Boat.

It wasn't until he met the group of "ephemeral flower travelers" before going to the island that he realized it wasn't them.

But no matter how much he planned, he never expected that the Mourning Hermit would be on this Whale Patrol Boat!

What the hell are they doing here?

Are they on this ship planning to go to Icefire Island together, or do they have some other ulterior motive?

Ji Yuan naturally hoped for the former: that everyone would go to Icefire Island together, and that they would just happen to be on the same ship, so that they could all live in peace.

This is a fantasy that leans towards the ideal.

But reason tells Ji Yuan that this possibility... is not very high.

Given the Crying Mourner's opportunistic nature, his presence on this whale-patrolling boat at this moment most likely indicates he has such a scheme in mind.

If that's the case, what should I do?

This was the second problem that Ji Yuan was worried about.

Why don't we run now, find the Epiphyllum Boat, and then take it to Ice and Fire Island?

Not to mention that this place is a vast and endless sea, and whether we can find the Ephemeral Flower Boat is another matter entirely. It would be better to return to South Sea City and continue to wait.

Moreover, if I try to escape, the mourners will most likely take action.

Besides, this is just my own guess, so I might as well ask first and see what this mourning hermit is up to.

With this thought in mind, Ji Yuan silently released his divine sense.

As expected, the person with the highest cultivation level on the Whale Patrol Ship at this moment is the Mourning Hermit, who is at the Pseudo-Core Realm.

Besides them, there was Ye Zhi Qiu, who had already broken through to the peak of Foundation Establishment, and the captain of this large ship, a Foundation Establishment peak cultivator named Luo Si Fu.

Without a Golden Core cultivator, one cannot perceive one's own divine sense.

So Ji Yuan, who was sitting cross-legged on the futon in the cabin, silently released his divine sense.

What he saw at first was naturally the corridor outside the house, but when his consciousness tried to invade other cabins, he felt a faint resistance.

It can be broken, but there's no need to waste spiritual energy on it.

Moreover, he also realized that the restrictions inside the Whale Patrol Boat's cabin could only protect against divine sense below the Golden Core stage, and could not withstand divine sense above the Golden Core stage.

To set up a method that can resist Golden Core cultivators, it is naturally necessary for Golden Core cultivators to take action.

But clearly, the Luo family patriarch wouldn't get involved in such a trivial matter.

When Ji Yuan's divine sense reached the top deck cabin, he happened to see Ye Zhi Qiu walk out of the room of the Mourning Hermit. She turned around and went back to her room with a blank expression.

Ji Yuan's consciousness followed and entered.

Just as Ye Zhi Qiu closed the door, Ji Yuan's spiritual connection was even severed, but fortunately, it was quickly restored.

After returning to his room, Ye Zhi Qiu pasted several talismans on the doors and windows, and then began... to change his clothes!

Seeing that something was wrong, Ji Yuan quickly transmitted his voice into Ye Zhi Qiu's mind.

"It's been a long time, Fellow Daoist Ye."

Just as Ye Zhi Qiu was about to take off her clothes, she quickly put them back on. In the next instant, a flying sword hovered in front of her, and a string of beads on her wrist shimmered with a soft green light, protecting her from all sides.

"who!"

Ye Zhi Qiu found the voice somewhat familiar, but she couldn't believe it.

That's why she adopted this stance of facing the enemy, but there wasn't any obvious fluctuation of spiritual energy around her. Otherwise, the Mourning Hermit next door would have noticed something was wrong.

"It is I, Qiu Qianhai of the Great Love Sect. Fellow Daoist Ye, have you forgotten me?"

Ji Yuan's voice carried a hint of sadness, as if he were somewhat heartbroken.

"Wait, Fellow Daoist Qiu, what are you doing here? And you can even send me a telepathic message?"

After confirming that he hadn't misheard, Ye Zhi Qiu put away the Green Bamboo Flying Sword in front of him, and asked in surprise.

"I didn't expect to meet you here either. As for the telepathic communication... it's just that I happened to be able to break through the restrictions in this cabin. Fellow Daoist Ye, there's no need to panic."

Ji Yuan made up a reason on the spot, and whether Ye Zhi Qiu believed it or not was up to him.

"I see... By the way, Fellow Daoist Qiu, where have you been all these years? When I was in Ghost Searching Pool, I saw that the Blood Demon seemed to be looking for you. I've been looking for you for a long time since then but I haven't been able to find you."

Ye Zhi Qiu hurriedly asked.

"Ugh."

Ji Yuan sighed, "Don't even mention it. I used up my only escape treasure back then, and that's how I barely managed to escape with my life. And now, after a brief period of peace, the world is in chaos again."

"I had planned to leave the mainland and cultivate on Icefire Island for a while, but I never expected to meet Fellow Daoist Ye and Sect Master here again..."

"It seems it really is fate."

"I wonder how Fellow Daoist Ye and the Sect Master have been lately? If there are no problems, I will go and pay my respects to the Sect Master, and then return to the sect."

"Don't……"

Ye Zhi Qiu, who had just sat down, quickly declined.

"Hmm? Why is that?"

Ji Yuan was somewhat puzzled.

Ye Zhi Qiu fell silent, not immediately answering Ji Yuan's question, but deep in thought. After a while, she finally asked in return:

"Fellow Daoist Qiu, can I trust you?"

Ji Yuan recalled Qiu Qianhai's personality; he was quite rough, unrestrained, and unconventional. Therefore, without the slightest hesitation, he sneered:

"Anyway, I, Old Chou, believe in Fellow Daoist Ye. Whether Fellow Daoist Ye believes in me or not is up to him."

"...Okay, listen to a few things I tell you, and you'll understand."

Ye Zhi Qiu spoke from the heart: "After leaving Gui Xun Tang, I left Da Ai City and fled far to the west, eventually hiding in a small town."

I thought I'd be safe after escaping, but three months after escaping Ghost Hunting Grounds... the Mourning Master suddenly appeared at my doorstep.

"Without saying a word, he severely injured me, and then asked me if I was willing to continue following him. I didn't know what he meant, so I could only nod in agreement. He then asked me to hand over a wisp of my soul. I hesitated for only a moment before he continued to attack."

"They even said they'd given me a chance, and told me not to push my luck."

"He said that when he found Deng Pinghai, he didn't even give him a chance and just killed him."

"I had no choice but to surrender a wisp of my soul, which is how I managed to survive."

After listening, Ji Yuan remained silent for a long time before continuing, "So..."

"So if you expose yourself now, he will most likely ask you to hand over your soul, otherwise he won't trust anyone." Before Ji Yuan could finish speaking, Ye Zhi Qiu had already taken the initiative to say what he was saying.

"Most likely so."

Ji Yuan feigned a sigh, as if expressing disappointment and sadness at not being able to return to his own sect.

"What happened to the Blood Demon that was chasing us? How did it fare? Was it killed by the Mourning Hermit?"

If this old man can kill that Thousand Heart Blood Demon, Ji Yuan estimates that he probably has the strength of the Golden Core Realm. In that case, we need to be even more careful when facing him.

"No, he found that Golden Core cultivator deep within Ghost Seeking Pool, and the two of them joined forces to seal the Blood Demon inside Ghost Seeking Pool... The Blood Demon was so powerful, and the Mourning Hermit had put a lot of effort into cultivating it, so he definitely couldn't bear to kill it."

Perhaps it was because Ji Yuan had saved her life in Ghost Seeking Pool, or perhaps it was because of what Ji Yuan had just said.

As a result, Ye Zhi Qiu was very open with Ji Yuan, answering all his questions in detail.

"I see... Then what are you doing on this Whale Patrol Ship, Fellow Daoist Ye? Could it be that this Mourning Hermit is also planning to take refuge on Icefire Island?"

After Ji Yuan asked the question, she noticed that Ye Zhi Qiu turned her head and glanced at the room on her left.

The person living in that room is the Mourning Hermit.

"Fellow Daoist Qiu, I really don't know if we are destined to meet or what," Ye Zhi Qiu sighed.

"How so?"

Ji Yuan had already sensed something was off about those words, and he had also anticipated that nothing good would come of having a jinx like the Mourning Hermit on this ship.

"We're not going to Icefire Island; our purpose here is to find this whale-hunting boat."

"Whale patrol boat...you're trying to hijack the ship?!"

"It's both yes and no. The Mourning Hermit just wants to make a fortune. As for hijacking the ship... Luo Sifu on the ship betrayed the Luo family and wants to run away with the ship. He won't give it to us."

...So even the captain defected to the enemy?

This is a boatload of pigs?

Pigs awaiting slaughter?

Ji Yuan fell silent.

He was thinking about whether he should run away quickly, but at that moment, the entire ship suddenly trembled violently.

Ji Yuan quickly sent his divine sense to probe outside the deck, and then discovered that the whale patrol boat... had entered the sea.

Well, now it's not even easy to run away.

Seeing that Ji Yuan remained silent, Ye Zhi Qiu spoke quickly:

"However, Fellow Daoist Qiu, you don't need to worry. The three mourners only rob people of their money and don't kill anyone. Moreover, Luo Sifu wouldn't dare to kill the entire ship's crew; they don't have that kind of power."

"Here's what we'll do: remember to disguise your identity. When I come to collect the storage bag later, just give me an empty one, and I'll cover it up for you."

"That's how that old thief called me."

After Ye Zhi Qiu finished speaking, he got up and went out.

Ji Yuan quickly transmitted his voice and said, "I'm in room number one."

He then noticed that the Mourning Hermit had come out of the No. 1 cabin, and Luo Sifu had also come out of the wheelhouse. The three of them entered the cabin.

I stood still on the fourth floor, in front of the cabin of the Tianzi ship.

Ji Yuan had no idea what Luo Sifu, this great expert of the Luo family, had gone through that made him want to betray the Luo family and do such a thing.

It's clear that the mourner and Luo Sifu had already made a deal.

The two exchanged a glance and nodded to each other. Then, Luo Sifu's voice resounded throughout the entire whale patrol boat.

"Gentlemen, I am Luo Sifu. I'm sorry... I've sold you out."

There were no empty formalities, only the simplest and most honest truths.

"Without further ado, I, Luo, value money more than my life. So, when a senior arrives, all you need to do is hand over your storage bags, that is, all the treasures you have on you."

"Once this matter is settled, I will personally send you to Icefire Island."

"Of course, if anyone is unwilling, they can open the door and step forward now. I, Luo, will reason with them."

After he finished speaking, the entire ship fell silent.

Only the surging currents beneath the endless seabed create the vibrations that reverberate against the hull.

Four or five breaths passed before a man's voice finally rang out from Ji Yuan's cabin.

"Fellow Daoist Luo, aren't you afraid of being blamed by the Luo family when you return home after doing such a thing? Or is this actually the Luo family's intention?!"

"Indeed, Fellow Daoist Luo, why go to such lengths?"

Someone echoed this.

Upon hearing this, Luo Sifu laughed loudly and said, "Let's be frank. I'm laying my cards on the table. I, Luo Sifu, have betrayed the Luo family. Besides, do you really think the Luo family is anything good?"

"Alright, enough of this small talk. If you have any questions, just come outside and we'll talk."

They said that, but no one dared to go out.

Everyone knows that Luo Sifu needs someone to establish his authority.

No one would be foolish enough to go and die.

But similarly, no one resisted... no one wanted to be the one to stick their neck out.

"Okay, since everyone is willing to cooperate, that's for the best."

Luo Sifu said one last thing, then he and Ye Zhiqi slipped down from the fourth floor and arrived at Ji Yuan's room.

As for the pseudo-core realm cultivator, the Mourning Hermit, he stood on the fourth-floor deck without making a sound.

Looking at the number above the door, Ye Zhi Qiu couldn't help but hold his breath.

But at that moment, Ji Yuan had already opened the door himself.

His face was ashen as he handed over a storage bag, then glared fiercely at Luo Sifu, gritting his teeth as he said:

"Fellow Daoist Luo, I will remember your kindness today!"

Ye Zhi Qiu took the storage bag from Ji Yuan's hand without expression, then turned and went to the next room.

Luo Sifu chuckled self-deprecatingly, shook his head, but said nothing, and then followed Ye Zhiqi away.

Ji Yuan slammed the door shut, and then his expression instantly returned to normal.

...Ye Zhi Qiu seemed trustworthy; she actually didn't sell herself.

Ji Yuan went up to the prayer mat and sat down again.

If that's the case, then we'll just have to wait for Ye Zhi Qiu and his group to finish plundering all the cultivators before they divide the spoils.

After the spoils were divided, Luo Sifu escorted everyone across the storm zone.

That concludes the matter.

Of course, this is the most successful outcome.

As for whether things went wrong, Ji Yuan didn't know.

In short, his divine sense closely followed Luo Sifu and Ye Zhiqi as the two of them plundered each room.

Those Foundation Establishment cultivators were truly helpless when faced with the robbery by two peak Foundation Establishment cultivators... and had no choice but to obediently hand over their storage bags.

But Ye Zhi Qiu wasn't so easy to talk to when facing them.

"Is this all you have in your storage bag?"

When facing the Foundation Establishment cultivator who had spoken earlier, Ye Zhi Qiu frowned and asked.

Luo Sifu swept his divine sense across the man's forehead, and a water-splitting dagger instantly pierced through the man's brow.

He wasn't even given a chance to speak.

Then, Luo Sifu leisurely took out the second storage bag from his chest and tossed it into Ye Zhiqi's hand.

At the same time, he continued loudly, "Gentlemen, Tian Youdao is dishonest and keeps secrets. He doesn't listen to my advice. Since that's the case, I have no choice but to send him to the storm zone to feed the fish. I hope you won't make a mistake."

The person who was meant to establish authority finally arrived.

So the Foundation Establishment cultivators all behaved themselves and handed over all their treasures.

Even if they tried to hide them, they would only dare to hide one or two magical artifacts.

Luo Sifu didn't seem to be completely ruthless; sometimes, even when he knew the other party was hiding a magical artifact, he didn't expose them.

No one dared to rebel during the Foundation Establishment stage.

The remaining Qi Refining cultivators living on the lower decks of the ship dared not resist even more.

Even so, Luo Sifu and Ye Zhiqi, both peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, personally went down to plunder.

Every grain has been safely stored away.

Just when Ji Yuan thought everything was going to be alright, a young man suddenly stood up from the bottom of the cabin, his face ashen, and pointed at Luo Sifu, shouting:

"When I was descending the mountain, my master said that the world was filthy and it would be better not to come. I didn't believe him then, but seeing you all today, I do!"

"A bunch of scum of the cultivation world!"

After saying that, the young man in the black robe threw out a miniature short sword.

He himself, however, used some kind of treasure and vanished from the ship in an instant.

But the miniature short sword he had left in the cabin suddenly expanded and then unleashed a dazzling sword light on its own.

With a single sword strike, Luo Sifu was cut in two.

The sword light continued its relentless advance, ultimately cleaving the whale patrol boat in two.

Ji Yuan, who had been sitting comfortably, suddenly stood up.

He blurted out a sentence.

"No, I'll fuck your mother!!!"

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)