Traveling through countless heavens, an immortal being

On the vast, boundless sea where the waves crash against the horizon and the sky meets the horizon, a brightly lit fishing boat struggles and drifts amidst the turbulent waves and fierce winds that appear even more dangerous in the darkness of night.

……

"Crash!" "Boom!" "Snap!"

The towering waves tossed the fishing boat about, and to make matters worse, it was raining and there were occasional flashes of lightning and thunder.

In the cockpit of the fishing boat, Uncle Ming, dressed in beachwear, clutched a Taizhou Buddhist amulet and said anxiously, "Young man, look at this situation! I've seen everything, but this scene still terrifies me."

Fatty Wang was sitting next to Gu Cai, who was steering the boat, when he saw Uncle Ming come into the wheelhouse to persuade him to go back to the cabin. "Hey Uncle Ming, wouldn't it be better if you stayed in the cabin? What are you doing up here in this storm?!"

Uncle Ming held the Buddhist amulet in his hand, answering Fatty Wang while chanting "May Mazu bless you..."

"Handsome boy, Uncle Ming is really worried~ May Mazu bless you, may Mazu bless you, I'll definitely have a golden statue made for you when I get back safely!"

Uncle Ming was an expert in appraising treasures, with a very sharp eye. He spotted something floating on the sea and immediately called out to Hu and Wang, "Hey! Handsome Wang! Handsome Hu! What's that in the sea over there? It looks deathly white!"

Fatty Wang raised his binoculars and looked. "Wow! There's a coffin floating on the sea! Old Hu, you decide, should we salvage it or not?"

"Finding a coffin means making a fortune! Fatty, go and hoist it onto the boat!"

"Alright, Commander Hu! Okay, that's all!"

……

On a wave that always rises steadily above the surface in the vast ocean, Lear sits sideways on his blue ox, leaning on his dragon-headed staff, watching the fishing boat that keeps moving forward in the sea.

A hazy purple light swirled around him, keeping out the towering waves and torrential rain, making him appear even more divine and ethereal.

Lear watched as the people on the ship pulled the coffin adrift at sea onto the ship, only to discover that the stone coffin was tied to the back of a dead sea turtle.

Lear watched as they were startled by the ancient corpse, and watched as they dismantled the outer coffin and inner coffin, throwing them into the sea along with the giant turtle shell.

Watching them load the inner coffin into the cabin.

………………

"It's not my turn to appear yet, let's wait a bit longer..."

Lear sat on the back of the blue ox, letting it ride the waves, and followed the fishing boat further out to sea.

…………

After an unknown amount of time, Lear, who was resting with his eyes closed, was awakened by the blue ox. "Master, I think this ship is about to be dragged into the whirlpool by that sea serpent."

Hearing the call of the blue ox, Lear opened his eyes and saw that the scene had progressed to the point where Hu Bayi had injured the sea serpent with his whale spear, and Liu's fishing boat was about to capsize and fall into a whirlpool.

Li Er recalled reading a novel in his previous life where Ruan Hei seemed to be about to die around this time.

Lear watched helplessly as they and their boat fell into the ever-swirling whirlpool before using his magic to wrap the blue ox in it and fly into the mysterious Eye of the Ruins...

………………

Lear and the blue ox, along with the main characters, are all in this sea within a sea, but they are in the water while Lear is in mid-air.

As Lear watched them gather together amidst shouts and noise, and as he approached Ruan Hei, he saw the whale-like creature leaping out of the water and about to bite Ruan Hei, who was lying on the rocky slope, and throw his golden bracelet at the head of the giant fish.

The big fish was hit by the Vajra Bracelet and floated belly up on the surface of the water. Lear put away the Vajra Bracelet and continued to watch the main characters.

Everyone was speechless with astonishment at this scene. Gu Cai and Duo Ling, his two apprentices, rushed over to help their master up and move him to a higher place.

The three main characters huddled together with Uncle Ming, whispering amongst themselves.

"Hey handsome guys and beautiful ladies, did you see how that whale flipped over?"

Shirley Yang frowned. "I think I just saw a round bracelet? Was it a bracelet?" she said, nudging Hu Bayi with her elbow.

Hu Bayi frowned as well. "Hmm, it's a round bracelet, but there are only a few of us on the boat. The origin of that bracelet is too suspicious." He looked around the cave as he spoke. "This sea within a sea is too mysterious. We need to be wary of each other and act carefully."

"What are you all worried about? Isn't this just fate telling us to keep moving forward?" Fatty Wang said with the same proud expression, as if they were undertaking a great undertaking.

While they were whispering amongst themselves, Ruan Hei had already woken up.

Uncle Ming and the others quickly went to his side, squatted down, and asked him about his well-being.

……

Seeing that they were gathered together and temporarily neglecting the sinking of the Mary Senno, Lear used his magic to remotely retrieve the Qin King's Ancient Mirror and the Jadeite Robe from the cabin and put them into the sleeve of his Purple Robe. He then cast a spell to completely destroy the gold watch that had been cursed and caused Doling's misfortune.

Lear watched as the main characters helped the injured Ruan Hei board the airship, and watched them enter the Mary Senu, only to find nothing and dejected, following the original route into the Bronze Palace, and then following the surging waters into the real ruins of the ancient city of Guixu.

……

Lear watched them climb the tree step by step, fighting the sharks to retrieve the pearl, exploring the cauldron, and climbing the tree, until they appeared atop the petrified tree, holding up the bronze fish symbol for study.

…………

At first, Shirley, Yang Hu, Bayi and the other six did not notice anything unusual. They were just studying the bronze fish talisman they had obtained from the ruins of the Hateful Heaven Kingdom.

It was only after Gu Cai's Tanka bloodline was activated that he alerted everyone to the unexpected turn of events.

"Master, Brother Hu, Uncle Ming! Look at the sea under this tree!"

Hearing Gu Cai's exclamation, everyone looked towards the sea beneath the Jianmu tree. They saw the slowly rising sea surface now shimmering with iridescent colors, as if lit by neon lights. Amidst the shimmering ripples, countless lotus leaves the size of millstones were rapidly growing in the sea. Between the leaves, lotus blossoms slowly unfolded, filling the water as far as the eye could see. As the lotus flowers bloomed, a refreshing fragrance filled the enormous cave, assaulting everyone's sense of smell.

Suddenly, Duoling saw a red figure swimming among the lotus leaves in the water. As it leaped out of the water and then disappeared back into the water, everyone remembered that figure in that instant.

"Those are carp! Such big red carp! Dragon King, please forgive me! Please forgive me! I beg you, Dragon King, spare my two disciples! I am willing to sacrifice myself to the sea to atone for my sins!"

Ruan Hei had lived by the sea and dealt with the ocean his whole life. He had seen countless strange and unusual fish in his lifetime. For a fisherman who had spent his life fishing and digging for ancient jade, such a large red-scaled carp was no less than seeing the Dragon King appear. Therefore, he was the first to kneel down and kowtow.

Shirley Yang and her two companions were also quite shocked by the scene before them. Since they formed a team, they had experienced many dangerous situations. They thought that the ruins of the Hentian Ancient Kingdom would be their final destination. Unexpectedly, they saw such a miracle at their most desperate moment. This caused Hu and Wang's worldview, which had been shattered and rebuilt over the years, to be challenged.

Uncle Ming was even more outrageous. Having done many immoral things in his early years, Uncle Ming prostrated himself on the ground, crying and laughing and kowtowing repeatedly. He said he was begging the Water Goddess Mazu to let him go and was willing to give away all his wealth to make a pure gold statue. He couldn't help it, he was too scared.

……

The crowd reacted in different ways, some sitting and some kneeling atop the ancient Jianmu tree. The seawater around the sacred tree continued to rise, and amidst the roaring sound of the water, clusters of lotus leaves and flowers also rose.

The red-scaled carp was slowly swimming around the Jianmu tree. As the seawater about to reach the top of the tree grew, the group gradually got a clear look at the red-scaled carp.

Its head was almost dragon-shaped, with a pair of small red-necked, white-headed horns on its head, resembling newly grown ox horns. Six long, red whiskers around its mouth moved with the water like dragon whiskers, making it clear at a glance that this fish was no ordinary creature.

Uncle Ming kowtowed until he fainted, Ruan Hei was limp, and only Shirley Yang and the two siblings Gu Caiduo and Ling were left to watch the water rise.

As the lotus leaves rose with the water and approached them, two or three leaves suddenly parted and slowly drew near their feet.

Looking at the huge lotus leaf in front of them, which was five or six times larger than the other lotus leaves, the group looked at each other in bewilderment. Hu Bayi took the lead and stood on the lotus leaf with a gamble. Seeing how sturdy the lotus leaf was, he and Fatty Wang quickly took the unconscious Uncle Ming onto the lotus leaf and settled him down.

Meanwhile, Gu Cai and Duo Ling also decided to bring their master, Ruan Hei, onto the lotus leaf.

The extraordinary red-scaled carp that had been seen earlier, propelled by the remaining dragon fire of the Hentian Ancient Kingdom, soared upwards with a roar, breaking through the towering water curtain above and rising above the sea eye to the surface. Hu Bayi, Gu Cai, and the others, supported by lotus leaves, gritted their teeth, closed their eyes, and waited for the pain of the water curtain hitting their bodies.

Unexpectedly, after a sound like a balloon being popped, I opened my eyes to find myself on the actual sea.

The group of people, their eyes brimming with tears as they faced the rising sun, stared in disbelief at Lear, a white-bearded man riding a blue ox with a dragon-headed cane, his back to the sun and surrounded by purple aura, and the small red-scaled dragon with scorched tails swirling around him.

"Hey Staff Officer Yang, Commander Hu, are we dreaming?"

"Ouch! That hurts! Why did you pinch me?"

"It should hurt! It should really hurt!"

"Why didn't you pinch Lao Hu! Ouch! That really hurts!"

When Uncle Ming woke up, he saw Lear sitting sideways on the back of the blue ox on the cloud, and the little dragon with red scales next to him.

Lear pointed at the soaring red-scaled dragon and smiled at Uncle Ming, saying, "Didn't you pray to the Water Dragon God for protection? Now this newly born South Sea Dragon King is right in front of you. Why don't you ask Him if He can protect you?"

Upon hearing this, Ruan Hei, who had been kneeling, kowtowed even more devoutly. He not only kowtowed himself, but also pulled his apprentices Gu Cai and Duo Ling down onto the large lotus leaves to kowtow and pray together.

Uncle Ming knelt down tremblingly and asked his question with trepidation, but the newly born Dragon King completely ignored him.

His face flushed red and then turned pale, and for a moment he just knelt down, not knowing what to say.

Li Er knew what kind of shady business Lei Xianming had been involved in before. Selling Loulan mummies was one of his many businesses. He was involved in smuggling Chinese treasures abroad. Once national treasures were out of the country, it would be extremely difficult for them to come back.

Lear looked up and beckoned the Crimson Scaled Dragon to his side. "Go. That bald man kneeling there swore countless oaths but never kept his promises. Now that he has leaped over the Dragon Gate and taken human form, it is time to fulfill his duty and punish those who have misbehaved!"

The little dragon, who was frolicking and soaring through the sky, heard Lear's call and flew to Uncle Ming, who was kneeling on a lotus leaf, his face constantly changing and covered in cold sweat.

When Uncle Ming saw the real dragon in person, he remembered all the oaths he had made casually in order to make dirty money in the past. His heart started racing, and he felt as if a string in his head had suddenly snapped. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed onto the lotus leaf with a thud, unconscious.

Seeing this, Hu Bayi and the others quickly surrounded him, pinching his philtrum and slapping him. After struggling for a while without waking him up, Shirley Yang stepped forward, checked his wrist and neck pulse, and shook her head at Hu Bayi, who was still trying to save him.

Hu and Wang had been partners with Shirley Yang for a long time, so how could they not know the meaning behind that head shake?

The two immediately abandoned their futile efforts and joined forces to properly prepare Uncle Ming's body, intending to take it back to Hong Kong Island and hand it over to his family.

Gu Cai and Duo Ling were unaware of the situation, but Ruan Hei, the old fisherman, understood it perfectly.

This is clearly a prophecy fulfilled!

Uncle Ming's fate was sealed. If he hadn't spoken recklessly and made grand vows, he wouldn't have ended up dying in a foreign land today.

Hu Bayi, Gu Cai, and the others were exhausted after such a thrilling adventure. Just as they returned to their original lotus leaves, they saw the dragon breathe fire and burn Uncle Ming's body to ashes. The large lotus leaf that had only carried Uncle Ming slowly sank into the sea, and the ashes scattered with the waves, seemingly never to be found again.

The three members of Ruan Hei's group, who were kneeling and watching the scene, broke out in a cold sweat. Ruan Hei's veins bulged and his eyes twitched.

Seeing that Shenlong had finished dealing with Uncle Ming and was flying over to their side, they were so frightened that they didn't dare to breathe.

……

Lear couldn't help but chuckle at the little dragon's mischievous appearance. In fact, when Lear used his magic to transform lotus leaves and lotus flowers to rescue the main characters, he discovered that the little guy was hiding in a deep crevice of the sea eye beneath the Jianmu tree in the Ancient Kingdom of Hentian.

Looking at this elf that had never appeared in the original story, Lear felt a pang of pity. Lear guessed that the reason this red-scaled turtle was not written in the plot was probably because it was buried in the same place as the ruins of the Hentian Ancient Kingdom.

Lear couldn't bear it, so he secretly helped it with his magic. He used the fire of the sea dragon to burn its tail and leap out of the sea cave, which was considered as it leaping over the Dragon Gate. He also issued a decree on behalf of Heaven, appointing it as the Dragon King of the vast South Sea. This is how the main characters saw the scene on the sea surface after escaping.

……

Lear smiled and beckoned to the playful Crimson Scaled Dragon, "Come back, come back."

As Ruan Hei watched the dragon fly away, he breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the lotus leaf. Gu Cai and Duo Ling, the siblings, supported him on either side, also panting heavily, clearly still shaken.

The Crimson Scaled Dragon hovered and slowly tumbled beside the Green Ox. Lear let it play, then turned to Ruan Hei and his disciples and said, "I know you sea people live off the sea and call it home. If that's the case, you shouldn't exhaust the resources. Wang Kaixuan already has dozens of top-quality South Sea pearls and jade-winged merfolk in his pocket. Selling and dividing these things would be enough for you to enjoy. You'd better behave yourselves."

Lear turned to look at the main group, "I know all your experiences. The road ahead is fraught with difficulties, but fortune and misfortune are intertwined. It is not impossible for things to turn around. As for the woman, go back to the shore, worship the moon on the fifteenth of the eighth month, and take a pearl from the South Sea. Write the Supreme Demon-Subduing Mantra with cinnabar. After bowing nine times, take the pearl to the North Sea of ​​the Western Han Dynasty and throw it in. Then, take the Five Brightness Breaking Mantra Scripture and perform the Yu Step back. Your curse will then be broken."

Shirley Yang was overjoyed to hear Lear's words. The black hole curse that had plagued her family had found a way to be broken here. Overjoyed, she cried tears of happiness and knelt down to express her gratitude.

Although she grew up in America, her grandfather's teachings instilled in her both a traditional and scientific understanding. Her experiences with Hu and Wang, in particular, greatly enriched her knowledge of traditional culture. At this moment, she knelt down to express her sincere gratitude.

"Ms. Yang Shirley thanks you so much, Master. I will never forget your kindness. Thank you so much, Master..."

Hu Bayi was rather embarrassed. With his indomitable and revolutionary optimism, even though he possessed half of the sixteen-character Yin-Yang Feng Shui secret technique passed down from his ancestors, he had always scoffed at matters of gods and ghosts. Unexpectedly, he, who adhered to materialism, actually encountered the newly born Dragon King of the South China Sea and a real immortal who seemed to have boundless magical power. This left him in a daze, feeling as if he were in an illusion.

When he heard that the Zagrama curse on Shirley Yang could be removed, his eyes widened. Looking at the vanished Uncle Ming, Shirley Yang kneeling on the lotus leaf, the dumbfounded Wang Kaixuan, and the Ruan Hei master and apprentice huddled together trembling, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of powerlessness.

This trip to the South China Sea was truly worthwhile and unforgettable for him...

………………

Shirley Yang knelt down to thank Li Er, then stood up and walked to Hu Bayi's side. Fatty Wang kept swallowing, trying to ease his tension.

Seeing this, Lear reached out, and the bronze fish talisman that was in Hu Bayi's bag flew out of the bag and landed in Lear's hand.

Hu Bayi reached out to stop it but then put his hand down. This thing was wanted by a god. No matter how valuable or precious it was, he dared not chase after it. He couldn't let someone save his life and not give him any reward, could he?

……

With a wave of his sleeve, Lear channeled his magic, sending the large lotus leaf carrying the main characters and Ruan Hei and his apprentice into the air, where it flew swiftly towards the fishing village.

Wang Kaixuan was so frightened that he fell onto the lotus leaf and screamed. Shirley Yang and Hu Bayi also squatted on the lotus leaf to block the strong wind. Ruan Hei and his apprentice huddled together and closed their eyes tightly, not daring to open them.

Lear's voice came from afar behind them, "These two large lotus leaves will take you back to the fishing village. As long as you don't do anything stupid and jump under the lotus leaves, you'll be fine. Hu Bayi, I didn't get this bronze fish talisman for nothing, haha, I'm off..."

……

Hearing Lear's voice, Hu Bayi and the others turned around and saw a scene that left a deep impression on them and would never be forgotten...

A vast expanse of purple mist stretched across the horizon, and a figure riding an ox, bathed in golden light, slowly rose into the sky from the east, disappearing into the purple mist.

No one spoke; they simply kept the scene firmly in their hearts.

…………

In reality, Lear was simply talking to the Crimson Scaled Dragon above the purple aura.

"Little Dragon, would you like to live in the South China Sea, or travel with me?"

Born into this world with a simple mind, it owed Lear the grace of transforming into a dragon. Like a fledgling bird that is extremely dependent on the first parent it sees after hatching, the little red-scaled dragon wandered around for a while after hearing this, then flew to Lear and nodded repeatedly.

"You're giving up all this vast territory in the South China Sea?"

The little red-scaled dragon nodded again.

Looking at its incredibly intelligent appearance, Lear stroked his beard and nodded. "What a spirited little dragon! How about you attach yourself to my dragon-headed walking stick as an ornament?"

The little red-scaled dragon looked at the dragon-headed cane held by Lear, raised its head and let out a dragon roar, coiling around it and disappearing into the wooden dragon shape. Now the real dragon was back in its place, and the dragon-headed cane became a little heavier.

Lear was overjoyed. He stroked his beard and sent the blue ox soaring into the sky. Purple mist swirled around them, enveloping Lear's figure as he rode the ox and disappeared into the clear blue sky...