Journey to the West Creation Technique

Three months later...

Cai Yiheng parted a fern leaf, and his view suddenly opened up.

A towering black stone wall stands amidst the hills.

The wall is five zhang high and is built of locally mined black basalt, making it majestic and imposing.

Banners fluttered atop the wall, and the Vermilion Bird Flag and the banner bearing the words "Nanming Guard" could be faintly seen fluttering in the salty sea breeze.

Within the city walls lies a precious medicinal garden, planted entirely with rare and potent herbs.

Beyond the city walls, on a vast plain, lie expanses of rice paddies and vegetable plots.

Farmers work among the trees, and village houses dot the landscape.

This is the settlement of immigrants from the Eastern Continent who settled in the Southern Wilderness State.

A city, and the numerous villages and farmlands surrounding it.

There were only about 10,000 people in total.

"Senior Brother Cai! We've finally arrived." Qiao Zhi's voice sounded somewhat excited.

Cai Yiheng nodded and put away the "Star Compass" in his hand.

The two walked into the fields and headed towards the city.

Soon, patrolling cultivators spotted the two of them. Upon seeing that they were humans, they lowered their guard and even greeted them in a friendly manner.

As the two approached the village houses, wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, and the sounds of people and cows could be faintly heard.

The two quickly arrived at the city gate, which was now open.

Beneath the archway, several soldiers dressed in mandarin duck battle robes and leather armor stood holding spears.

A junior officer curiously sized up the two men, noticing their slightly tattered clothes and mud-covered bodies, and asked, "Are you two out on a reconnaissance mission?"

Upon hearing this, Cai Yiheng looked distressed. He took out a bronze plaque from his inner pocket and handed it over with both hands.

"Qingyun Sect disciple Cai Yiheng, this is my junior sister Qiao Zhi. We came here with the Nanyang Pacification Commissioner's fleet, but encountered a shipwreck en route. Of the twelve treasure ships, only the two of us survived. There is urgent military information that requires an immediate meeting with the garrison commander."

The front of the bronze plaque bears the seal of the Qingyun Sect, while the back is engraved with the name and the official wax seal.

The junior officer took it, examined it carefully, and then, not daring to be negligent, said, "You've worked hard. The Commander is in the yamen. Please come with me."

The headquarters of the Guard Commander was located in the center of the city, a relatively tall stone and wood structure. A junior officer went inside to announce their arrival, and soon led the two men inside.

A large map of the coastal region of the Southern Wilderness hangs on the wall inside the hall.

Behind a large wooden table sat a middle-aged man dressed in a light blue casual robe.

This man was none other than Shen Li, the commander of the Southern Ming Guard.

"No need for formalities, please have a seat." Shen Li quickly invited the two to sit down.

The guards immediately brought out teacups.

Cai Yiheng clasped his hands in a fist salute and began to recount the shipwreck that had occurred three months prior...

After listening, Shen Li sighed deeply: "It was no easy feat for you to reach this place. What a pity... twelve large ships, thousands of civilians... to have encountered such an undeserved natural disaster."

"Commander Shen, that was no ordinary natural disaster," Cai Yiheng said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Shen Li frowned slightly: "Oh."

"The fleet's original route was to sail south along the 'Blackwater Current' to 'Daikou Bay' for resupply, and then turn east to Nanmingwei. However, about five days' voyage from Daikou Bay, the weather suddenly changed. It was not an ordinary storm, but... the sea suddenly became calm and the waves rose, and the direction of the waves was completely chaotic and irregular. Immediately afterwards, the dark clouds gathered at an alarming speed, and in the blink of an eye, it became pitch black. The lightning was even bluish-purple in color, striking into the sea, and the seawater boiled like soup."

Shen Liten stood up abruptly: "A sea monster undergoing tribulation?!"

"My junior sister and I are of low cultivation levels, so we really cannot tell the difference."

Shen Li remained silent for a moment, then got up and walked to the huge map.

His finger moved along the winding coastline on the map, finally stopping at a certain spot and pressing down heavily.

"Was the coastline you landed on in this area?" He pointed to an area marked with danger symbols and circled in vermilion, with small notes next to it.

Cai Yiheng and Qiao Zhi got up and went closer to examine it. The shape of that area was quite similar to the coastline they remembered.

The map is labeled: [Territory of the Sea-Overturning Crocodile]

"This is it!" Qiao Zhi blurted out, "However, we didn't encounter any powerful monsters on this coast, only some lone feathered dragons at most."

"That makes sense... Where the Overturning Sea Crocodile dwells, there naturally can't be any overly powerful demonic beasts. Those lesser demons are just food." Shen Li explained.

"We didn't see anything wrong after we landed. Could it be that the Sea-Overturning Crocodile has already left?" Cai Yiheng guessed.

"It's also possible that he will be seriously injured... or fail to transcend the tribulation." Shen Li's gaze was deep.

A brief silence fell over the hall as everyone processed this possibility.

Shen Li stood with his hands behind his back before the map, remaining silent for a long time before suddenly speaking: "A great demon in human form is a treasure trove. Its skin and bones can be used to forge magical artifacts; its blood and core can be used to refine precious pills, enough to advance the cultivation of a Nascent Soul ancestor."

Cai Yiheng frowned slightly and said softly, "With my cultivation level, is it... a bit presumptuous of me to try and take on such a demonic beast?"

"If we inform the Nascent Soul Ancestor of this information, those old immortals will surely be interested," Qiao Zhi said with some excitement.

Shen Li nodded.

"But... these are all just our guesses. What if they're wrong...?"

Shen Li's expression was serious: "Fellow Daoist Cai is absolutely right! This matter is of great importance and must be confirmed before it can be reported."

Cai Yiheng frowned and stopped talking.

Confirming the life or death of a demon in the Transformation stage is not something a mere Qi Refining stage cultivator like him can do.

"The Southern Desolate State has been established for more than 20 years, so why is there only our isolated city? The city is almost entirely inhabited by ordinary villagers, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators are unwilling to stay for long?" Shen Li changed the subject as if he were talking about something unrelated.

"Spiritual veins?" Cai Yiheng answered cautiously.

Shen Li nodded: "That's right!"

"The spiritual energy in the Southern Desolate Continent is far inferior to that of the Central Plains, and suitable places for cultivation are extremely rare. Even in the Southern Desolate Guard, the spiritual energy is extremely thin. Qi Refining stage cultivators can barely survive here. Foundation Establishment stage cultivators who come here will see no further progress in their cultivation. Golden Core cultivators? They wouldn't even bother coming here. Nascent Soul patriarchs? Even more impossible."

He paused, his gaze returning to the map, and said with certainty, "A place where a transformed demon has entrenched itself for thousands of years must have a spiritual vein. The place where such a demon builds its nest must be the place with the most abundant spiritual energy within a radius of ten thousand miles."

"Searching for spiritual veins, the immortal sect has landed?" Cai Yiheng's eyes lit up.

"That's right. If we can find a spiritual vein and have a Nascent Soul ancestor from the Central Plains come here to oversee things or even establish a sect... then our hundreds of thousands of villagers will truly have someone to rely on." Shen Li said excitedly.

Cai Yiheng and Qiao Zhi exchanged a glance, their faces showing reluctance.

"Lord Shen, I dare to speak frankly," Cai Yiheng said, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "With our meager cultivation at the Qi Refining stage, we probably can't even find the lair of that transformed great demon. We are truly powerless to investigate its true nature..."

"Young friend Cai, you may not know this, but the Overturning Sea Crocodile has been entrenched for thousands of years. Local indigenous people live in its territory and worship it as a god. Such demon gods often bestow some demonic power upon the local priests to protect their tribes and perform sacrifices."

Qiao Zhi's eyes lit up: "Does Your Excellency mean... that we should go and observe those native people?"

"Exactly." Shen Li nodded slightly. "If the dragon crocodile fails its tribulation or is critically injured and on the verge of death, it will no longer be able to grant us power. We only need to investigate from afar to deduce the great demon's life or death."

Upon hearing this, Cai Yiheng felt a little relieved.

"You two should rest first. Further investigation into the natives' affairs requires careful consideration..."