Just as Luo Chen had said, once He Yuan joined the ship, the rest of the journey became much safer. Of course, it wasn't because the demonic beasts had disappeared.

After the Holy Land collapsed, the Righteous Blue Sea Alliance rose and attempted to take the role of the new Holy Land, but the new order had yet to take shape. The island-linking formation protected only limited areas and could not cover vast regions. Furthermore, the major forces were fighting among themselves over the resources left behind after the devil sect's fall. This led many demonic beasts from the Demon Sea to invade the waters around countless Immortal Islands.

Sea routes that Qi Refinement cultivators once traveled freely now required at least one or two Initiates to hold the line before they could pass safely. The merchant ship no longer faced demonic beasts simply because He Yuan made no effort to conceal his Golden Core aura. From time to time, waves of aura spread outward; any demonic beast with a bit of intelligence would not dare provoke such a figure.

With no attacks and no need to dock for trade, life aboard the ship grew quiet. No one paid attention to how the Qi Refinement cultivators passed their days. As for the seven Initiates, they occasionally gathered under Bai Xiang's lead to exchange cultivation insights.

One day, in a side hall of the ship, curtains swayed as cups clinked together. Several Initiates sat together and talked without restraint. Anyone listening closely would discover they were not discussing cultivation at all. In truth, cultivators were no different from anyone else. There were never that many cultivation experiences worth sharing. Truly important cultivation knowledge was always the cultivator's best-kept secret, or even the core secret of a sect. Who would share it for free? After a few exchanges, such discussions usually faded away.

Moreover, at the Foundation Establishment Realm, there simply was not much experience to accumulate. So the group talked instead about customs and cultures from distant lands. They spoke of which great cities had the finest furnaces and cauldrons. Now and then, they mentioned higher-realm cultivators with admiration and longing. Then, someone suddenly turned the topic to Luo Chen.

"Don't you think Fellow Daoist Luo Hai is a bit socially awkward? We've gathered four or five times over the past half year, and he hasn't shown up once. Could it be that he looks down on us?"

"Look down on us? He's only at the early stage. What right does he have?"

"That's not quite fair. When Adept He Yuan boarded the ship that day, I paid close attention to Fellow Daoist Luo Hai's methods. That flying sword of his moved like an extension of his arm. It seemed to be a supreme-grade enchanted artifact, and he controlled it perfectly. If you ask me, he does have some skill. But is that really a reason to skip all our gatherings?"

"Fellow Daoist Chen, that's not necessarily true. Maybe he's just a bit of a loner." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"A loner?"

Bai Xiang shook his head. The Luo Hai he remembered was not reclusive at all. Though they had not spoken many times, he clearly understood the ways of the world, and that was why he was bold enough to travel widely at an early stage. What puzzled him was his behavior after boarding the ship. The man never left his cabin and declined every invitation. Even his attendant rarely stepped outside. Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Realm could fast for long periods, but unless they were in seclusion, they still moved about from time to time. A merchant ship was clearly no place for seclusion. So what exactly was Luo Hai doing in his room all day? No one could answer that question.

Afterward, Bai Xiang left, and the conversation soon drifted away to the rest of the journey. After half a year of travel without engaging in trade, they were already close to Coldlight Island. Jadecold City would soon host a grand trade fair on top of the auction. Countless rare resources would appear there. Among them might even be items these cultivators needed, and there was even a good chance that resources for Core Formation would appear. Since they had come this far, they would certainly go take a look.

Of course, such thoughts belonged to those with some wealth. The two rogue Initiates in the gathering were discussing something else entirely.

"You're thinking of pledging yourselves to Adept He Yuan?"

"Yeah. He travels alone and has no one under his command. If we go over and propose to become his subordinates, he probably won't turn us away."

"But I heard he's a cultivator from the Primordial Devil Sect. Aren't you worried..."

"Hah. Even at his lowest, he's still far stronger than most. He's a direct inheritor of the Holy Land! And I heard that he is heading out to find the Blood Nightmare Demon Luo and restore the glory of the devil sect. If we join him now, it would be like bringing him coal in the middle of winter. And if it really works out in the future, we'll share in the credit of backing the right man. I don't really care about lording it over others, but at the very least we'd have a shot at Core Formation."

"Yeah, it is better than drifting around everywhere and worrying about cultivation resources. At least we'd have someone to rely on. After all, the two of us aren't like you. We don't have families backing us."

"Fellow Daoist Chen, Fellow Daoist Wang, the way you put it almost has me tempted too. I wonder if Adept He Yuan would accept cultivators like us who come from families?"

"That's easy. The two of us plan to pay our respects before we get off the ship. If he takes us in, we'll ask for you as well."

"In that case, I'll thank you in advance!"

Because of this, the topic soon drifted to the past of the devil sect, as well as the many scattered forces and notable figures that had emerged after its fall.

Inside the cabin, Luo Chen slowly opened his eyes. Han Zhan had told him that He Yuan probably belonged to the Primordial Devil Lineage, and given the discussions of these people, who were much more familiar with the Primordial Devil Sect, it seemed his deduction had been correct.

Rumor had it that this lineage held extremely high status, even above the Soul Refinement and Divine Blood lineages. And as expected, He Yuan's attitude was more brazen than the other two lineages. The moment he spoke, he talked of joining forces with Blood Nightmare Demon Luo to restore the glory of the devil sect. He gave no thought to the vast gap between their realms.

The matters these Initiates discussed were not things easily learned. It was obvious that He Yuan had deliberately leaked this information so these cultivators would bow their heads and pledge allegiance. If they truly came over to his side, he would likely accept them without hesitation.

"But none of that concerns me right now."

Luo Chen shook his head and gathered his thoughts. His gaze fell on the sheets of rice paper spread before him, each covered in dense writing—half a year of constant effort. With Han Zhan's guidance, he had come to understand a key principle about power: No matter how many variations existed, they ultimately shared the same foundation. Because of this realization, the progress of his deductions had increased greatly. He sifted through the first- and second-tier techniques, discarding the dross and preserving only the principles.

Now, he had reached the final stage.

Luo Chen steadied his mind and began writing on a fresh sheet of paper. The words he wrote were simple and direct, yet they contained profound principles of the Great Dao. If Nether Spring were present, she would feel a strange sense of familiarity. The reason was simple: In this section, Luo Chen had begun incorporating certain principles from the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture. This made perfect sense; after all, this scripture was originally meant not for humans but for demons.

Although it was mainly concerned with fire-attribute energy, it also had some characteristics that made it suitable for demons. If he could weave those traits into the new technique, then even if it did not reach the fourth tier, it would still be a respectable third-tier demonic cultivation technique. It might even suit the Heavenjade far better than, for instance, the Silktree Sect's cultivation technique suited Pure Crane.

***

Since Luo Chen left the Flying Swallow Archipelago, seven months had passed. The season had shifted from spring into the height of summer. At last, the Bai family's merchant ship docked at a vast harbor set within a great bay.

The docks were lively and prosperous. On the great ship, the cultivators who had endured half a year of confinement could no longer hold back. Excited shouts broke out one after another. They had finally arrived!

Inside the quiet cabin, Luo Chen stood up. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hair disheveled. Clutching three thin sheets of paper, he could not help but let out a tired exclamation. "It's done... finally done!"

Han Zhan emerged from the Myriad Soul Banner with a look of astonishment on his face. Heavenjade pushed the door open, intending to report their arrival. But when she saw Luo Chen's excited expression, she instantly understood what had happened.

Han Zhan said in surprise, "You actually created it?"

Luo Chen burst into laughter and casually tossed the three sheets into the air. A wisp of green flame appeared, and the paper instantly burned to ash. "If I say it's done, then it's done! Heavenjade, the Great Dao is within reach!"