Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

After a two-week voyage, we finally arrived at our destination.

The twelve airships slowly landed in the harbor on the east side of the giant island.

The dock, built of black iron and stone, stretches for more than ten miles and is moored with various warships and patrol boats. Several giant airships are loading and unloading supplies, creating a busy and solemn scene.

Dozens of people were already waiting at the dock.

The leader was a young cultivator dressed in the silver-white battle robes of an elder from the Heavenly Immortal City. He appeared to be only around thirty years old, with a handsome face and a calm demeanor born of years of battle experience. His cultivation level was also at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Seeing the flying boat land, he stepped forward a few paces, cupped his hands, and said loudly:

"I am Gu Canglan, the elder on duty at Zhenhai Pass. I respectfully welcome fellow Daoists Qingyou and Wentao, and all my comrades."

His voice was clear and resonant, neither arrogant nor humble.

Qingyouzi and Wentao landed at the dock and returned the greeting:

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Gu."

Gu Canglan smiled slightly, his gaze lingering briefly on Qing Youzi, seemingly with a deeper meaning:

"My uncle, Gu Changfeng, sent a message the day before yesterday, mentioning that you two fellow Daoists were ambushed by the Cangming of the Jiaolong Clan on your journey, yet you still managed to escape unscathed. Your combat prowess and courage are truly admirable. It is a great honor to meet you today."

It turns out that the purple-robed elder from that day was named Gu Changfeng.

Wen Tao repeatedly said "lucky," while Qing Youzi remained calm and simply nodded slightly.

Gu Canglan didn't stand on ceremony and stepped aside to lead the way:

"Since you two are newcomers, please follow me to first survey the overall situation of the pass before settling your subordinates."

The group followed him up to a black stone observation deck high on the dock.

Looking out, the entire Zhenhaiguan area can be seen.

The island is shaped like a crescent moon, stretching over a hundred miles from east to west, and about fifty miles wide at its widest point from north to south.

The central main peak is majestic, with palaces and pavilions built against the mountain, and spiritual light appears and disappears, which should be the core of the formation and the command center.

Dozens of towering arrow towers and watchtowers were built along the shore, and streaks of light could be seen flashing by from time to time.

What's even more striking are the numerous islets scattered around the island, some as large as several miles in circumference, others as small as reefs, roughly numbering no less than a hundred.

Each island bears traces of fortifications and formations, which are faintly connected by chains of spiritual light, forming a massive defensive network covering hundreds of miles of sea.

Gu Canglan points to the northeastern sea area.

"I am responsible for the defense of the Northeast region, which spans three hundred li and includes forty-seven guard islands. For the next three years, I will share this responsibility with you two fellow Daoists."

He took out a jade scroll with a nautical chart, activated it with his divine sense, and a detailed three-dimensional nautical chart appeared in the void, showing the location of each island, the type of formation, the number of troops stationed, and the supply routes.

"The demon race has been active in recent years. Their small forces often use sea fog and undercurrents as cover to harass the island and destroy the array nodes. Our duty is to patrol the sea, kill the demons and eliminate the threat, and ensure the safety of the great array."

Gu Canglan's explanation was detailed and his tone was calm, without any arrogance.

Wen Tao listened attentively, occasionally asking for details.

Qingyouzi listened silently, his gaze sweeping over the dangerous places marked on the sea chart, and he made a mental note of them.

After the introductions, Gu Canglan led the two to the East District headquarters.

The camp was located on a gentle slope on the east side of the main peak, with dozens of stone buildings and courtyards scattered around, and many of the cultivators who had arrived earlier had already moved in.

Qingyouzi and Wentao were each assigned an independent courtyard, equipped with basic protective formations. Although not luxurious, it was quiet and stable.

"The more than 1,100 men under your command have been assigned to various guard islands and camps on the main island according to their organizational structure. The roster and supply list will be sent to the compound later."

After Gu Canglan finished explaining, he paused for a moment, then said:

"My uncle asked me to tell you two that although Zhenhai Pass is on the front line, it is not particularly dangerous. It is still a place to hone your skills and accumulate combat merits. I hope you two will seize the opportunity and also protect yourselves."

After saying this, he cupped his hands in farewell and took his leave.

After he left, Wen Tao sighed:

"This fellow Daoist Gu is indeed a straightforward person."

Qingyouzi nodded:

"Unlike ordinary disciples of sects, they are not arrogant."

Wen Tao smiled and said:

"I heard that his grandfather was also a rogue cultivator before entering the Heavenly Immortal City. Perhaps that's why he has no prejudice against us."

The two chatted for a while longer before returning to their respective courtyards.

Qingyouzi stepped into the courtyard, scanned the area with his divine sense to confirm that the formation was correct, and then activated all the restrictions.

He sat cross-legged in the quiet room, took out a blank jade slip, and recorded the layout of the passes, the distribution of the guard islands, and the array nodes he had seen that day. He also highlighted several areas on the sea chart marked as "frequently frequented by demons".

After doing all that, he got up and walked to the window.

Night had fallen, and the sea and sky were as dark as ink. In the distance, the array lights on the island were like stars, and occasionally, the escape lights of patrolling cultivators would streak across the night sky, swift as lightning.

Zhenhai Pass is impregnable.

But in Qingyouzi's heart, there was always a faint ripple from the depths of the sea.

"Please refrain from disturbing me during my quiet contemplation..."

He muttered to himself, flicking his fingers from his sleeve, and sent a message through the gate's barrier. This was a message left for Mo Xuanjun, stating that he would be in seclusion for several days and should not be disturbed unless there was an urgent battle.

Immediately, his figure flickered, transforming into a wisp of faint green smoke, silently penetrating the courtyard's protective array and disappearing into the night.

The night sky was like a curtain, and the sea breeze howled.

Qingyouzi pushed his escape speed to the limit, his figure almost blending into the night. The Wind-Riding Pearl glowed faintly, and countless threads gently disturbed the airflow behind him, eliminating any traces of his escape light.

He had come by flying boat, but its speed was limited, covering no more than ten thousand miles a day. Now, he was flying alone at full speed, his speed more than ten times faster.

The vast sea receded rapidly beneath our feet.

In just a few hours, the sea ahead became familiar, the very place where they had fought a fierce battle with Cangming a few days ago!

Qingyouzi's figure suddenly stopped, suspended a hundred feet in the air.

The sea below was calm and still, bathed in moonlight that shimmered like silver. No one would have guessed that a deadly battle between Nascent Soul level cultivators had erupted here just half a month ago.

His consciousness seeped downwards like a tidal wave.

Ten zhang, one hundred zhang, three hundred zhang...

Beneath the deep sea, darkness reigned, and pressure intensified. Even a Golden Core cultivator would find it difficult to sustain their spiritual sense at this point, but the Nascent Soul cultivator's spiritual sense remained resilient and enduring, continuing its relentless exploration downwards.

Five hundred zhang... seven hundred zhang...

Just as his divine sense was about to touch the seabed mud and sand, that familiar, subtle fluctuation came again!

This time, with no combat interference, the senses were much clearer.

The fluctuations were not continuous, but rather rose and fell like breathing, flashing for a fleeting moment every few dozen breaths. The source of the fluctuations was located at the edge of a huge trench on the seabed, covered by layers of reefs and sediment.

Qingyouzi's body plummeted and disappeared into the sea.

His protective aura pushed aside the seawater, and he swam straight into the deep sea like a fish. The deeper he went, the dimmer the light became, until it was completely dark. Only his divine sense, like his eyes, could clearly "see" the surrounding scenery.

Finally, my feet touched the soft sea mud.

Following the direction of the ripples, he silently glided over the seabed hills and winding trenches, finally stopping in front of a steep seabed cliff.

The cliff face was over a hundred feet high, its surface covered with a thick layer of algae and sediment. But the ripples were coming from the base of the cliff.

Ten thousand threads emerged from Qingyouzi's sleeve, like nimble tentacles, gently brushing away the surface debris.

As the sediment peeled away, a semi-circular outline gradually emerged at the base of the cliff.

It was a stone gate.

The stone gate is about three zhang high and two zhang wide. It is completely black and made of neither stone nor jade. Its surface is as smooth as a mirror and there is not a trace of sea erosion.

The door was tightly closed, with a shallow palm print in the center. The edges of the print shimmered with spiritual light, clearly indicating an ancient restriction.

What made Qingyouzi's gaze even more fixed was that a patch of dark blue scales was scattered below the stone gate.

The scales were about the size of a palm, with sharp edges and a cold, deep-sea gleam. The demonic aura remaining on them... was all that Cangming possessed!

"really……"

Qingyouzi understood.

Cangming's risky dive into the nearshore waters was indeed related to this place. Judging from these marks, he had previously attempted to open the stone gate, but it seems he failed, or it wasn't fully opened.

He stepped forward and placed his hand lightly on the palm print on the stone gate.

The magic power was slowly poured in.

"Buzz..."

The stone door trembled slightly, and the surface patterns lit up one after another, with a faint blue light flowing like water. However, as magical power continued to be input, the light grew stronger, but the stone door remained completely still.

This restriction... requires immense magical power to break.

Qing Youzi's eyes narrowed slightly, and the azure nascent soul within his dantian suddenly opened its eyes!

The immense power of the Nascent Soul surged forth like a torrent, flowing down his arm and into the stone gate!

The stone gate trembled violently, and the surface patterns shone brightly!

The heavy stone door finally slid open a crack inwards.

A deep, chilling aura, accompanied by an ancient and venerable spiritual energy, wafted in from the crack in the door.

Qingyouzi stopped and stood in front of the door.

Inside the crevice, it was pitch black.

Only that faint, lingering fluctuation became clear and persistent, emanating from the abyss.