Chapter 400 - 368: Red Tail Island (Part 2)
Chapter 400: Chapter 368: Red Tail Island (Part 2)
In preparation for his mission, besides essentials like Spirit Rice, Fasting Pills, and talismans, Zhao Lin also bought a bag of Sponge Sand, a Water-Resistance Robe, and a Silverlight Dagger.
Sponge Sand wasn’t actually sand, but rather a type of soft-bodied creature called a Sponge Insect. The smaller ones were the size of a fist, while the larger ones resembled watermelons.
A Sponge Insect’s body was covered in pores and long hairs. After death, its body would shrink to one-thousandth of its original size, and once sun-dried, it became a tiny stone.
If it encountered water again, it would swell back to its original size, possessing incredibly strong absorbency.
This was how it earned the name Sponge Sand.
Clam-type Demon Beasts possessed extremely strong defensive capabilities. Pouring Sponge Sand into an open clamshell was enough to instantly dehydrate a Clam Demon and render it immobile.
Moreover, the Sponge Insect itself was toxic. With this two-pronged attack, a cultivator could calmly retrieve the pearl from within the shell.
The function of the Water-Resistance Robe was to defend against Water Element Skills.
When fighting underwater, wearing inner armor was inconvenient. Besides, ordinary inner armor couldn’t block attacks from Water Element Skills.
The Water-Resistance Robe was woven from the silk of the Water-Departing Silkworm. It was lightweight and breathable, and possessed a strong resistance to Water Element Skills.
Its only drawback was the exorbitant price. Concerned for his own safety, Zhao Lin grit his teeth and spent five thousand Spirit Coins to purchase one.
The Silverlight Dagger was a blade forged from refined gold and hidden silver. It was incomparably sharp and specifically designed for prying open closed clamshells.
With all preparations complete, Zhao Lin left Han Chi County one day in late November.
Nanhe Province faced the sea to its east. Its easternmost region, Dongfu County, was just over 1,500 li from Red Tail Island.
Zhao Lin traveled by Flying Vessel, and after several transfers, he arrived in Dongfu County before nightfall.
He stayed for one night, and the next day boarded a "fishing boat" bound for Red Tail Island.
Travel at sea was primarily done by ocean-going vessels; Flying Vessels were rarely used.
Firstly, the winds and waves at sea were immense, and the turbulent currents of Evil Qi in the Cloud Layer were exceptionally fierce. Travel by Flying Vessel was incredibly bumpy, and there was even a risk of being overturned.
Secondly, the sea vessels themselves were equipped with Water Manipulation Arrays. Their speed wasn’t much slower than that of a Flying Vessel, plus they conserved more Spirit Stones and had a greater cargo capacity.
In fact, many Spiritual Vessels were equipped with both Wind Manipulation and Water Manipulation Arrays, allowing them to fly through the air as well as sail on water when they encountered wide rivers, lakes, or seas.
The fishing boat rode the wind and broke through the waves, and from time to time, Spirit Fish could be seen leaping from the water.
The sea and sky merged into one, a boundless expanse of emerald waves.
Zhao Lin sat by the ship’s rail while seven or eight "fishermen" bustled about on deck.
"Fisherman" was a term borrowed from the mortal world. These people were actually cultivators who regularly went out to sea for missions.
The sea was rich in cultivation resources. In addition to various Demon Beasts, there were also minerals such as Yellow Essence, Celestial Star Sand, Dark Star Sand, Everlasting Stones, and Black Crystal Stones.
There were also precious Spirit Grasses like Blue Heart Algae, Red Whisker Ribbons, and Moonfall Skirts.
The fishermen didn’t rely solely on their own Magic to capture Demon Beasts. They often attacked using the ship’s Arrays, employing powerful Magic to stun or kill their targets.
Zhao Lin noticed four Arrays arranged on each side of the hull. Judging from the Array Patterns, he could tell they were of a high grade.
Although it was nominally a fishing boat, its combat strength was quite formidable.
Besides hunting Demon Beasts, another purpose of this trip was to deliver supplies to the cultivators on Red Tail Island.
"Young friend, is this your first time on a Spiritual Vessel?"
The lead cultivator emerged from the cabin. Spotting Zhao Lin sitting at the bow, watching the view, he walked over with a smile.
"I’ve been on a few Spiritual Vessels that fly in the sky, but this is my first time on one that sails the sea."
Zhao Lin replied with a smile.
The lead cultivator was a man in his thirties with the surname Yu. His given name was unknown, and everyone on the ship called him Yu the Third.
He had a dark, tanned complexion and a large beard. His attire was rugged, and he lacked the sanctimonious air of other cultivators, seeming to truly see himself as the captain of a fishing boat.
"Are you that short on merit points? What made you decide to take a mission on Red Tail Island?"
Yu the Third sat down beside Zhao Lin and asked in a seemingly casual manner.
"Very short."
Zhao Lin grinned. "Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken the risk to come here."
"You’ve got guts!"
Yu the Third gave him a thumbs-up, then added with a sigh, "This is the path of cultivation. A struggle against the heavens, a struggle against the earth, a struggle against man..."
A thought flashed through Zhao Lin’s mind, and he completed the phrase, "...the joy of which is endless!"
"Haha..."
Yu the Third paused, stunned for a moment. He looked at Zhao Lin, then clapped his hands and roared with laughter. "Well said! Brilliantly said!"
In that short exchange, the two had grown much closer.
Yu the Third pointed ahead. "The weather’s good today, no rough waves. In another hour, we’ll reach Red Tail Island."
Zhao Lin squinted into the distance. Through the mists where the sea met the sky, he could vaguely make out an island. A question suddenly occurred to him.
"Senior, since you’re out fishing on these seas all year round, have you ever encountered anyone from the Earth Dark Sect?"
"Those Sea Ghosts?"
Yu the Third curled his lip. "How could we not? We’ve had more than a few run-ins with them!"
Sea Ghost was a derogatory term for cultivators of the Earth Dark Sect.
In the early years, the Earth Dark Sect’s environment was harsh and their members’ cultivation was low. Most of their cultivators were barely clothed, so the cultivators who often went to sea gave them this unflattering nickname.
Although the Earth Dark Sect had since grown powerful and prosperous, its wealth even surpassing that of the Chenghua Sect, the nickname had stuck due to the hostile relations between the two sects.
"Sometimes we sail out too far and enter their so-called territorial waters. It’s common for them to catch and detain us for a few days. Some have even been imprisoned for tens of days."
Yu the Third said sullenly.
"And then what happened?"
Zhao Lin continued to ask.
"Naturally, our sect sends people to negotiate, and they eventually let us go."
"That’s it?"
"What else can we do?"
Yu the Third spat into the sea in frustration. "It’s actually much better now than it was before. A few years ago, they even tortured some of our people to death."
He sighed. "If only the sect were stronger, then we could hunt and fish freely in our own waters!"
Zhao Lin fell silent. ’There were things on his mind he couldn’t put into words.’ After a long pause, he finally said, "That day will come!"
...
Just as Yu the Third had said, the fishing boat reached Red Tail Island in less than an hour.
Red Tail Island was not large, only a dozen-some li in length and less than five li in width. The terrain was high in the south and low in the north; the eastern part was steep and rugged, while the western part was flat and gentle.
The Spiritual Qi around Red Tail Island was abundant, and a Tier Two Spirit Vein lay underground.
The island was rich in precious Spirit Grasses like high-mountain Spirit Tea, Hemostatic Palm, and Sea Hibiscus, and it was also home to a large number of seabirds.
The resources were one thing, but more important was its strategic location.
There were no other islands within a thousand-li radius of Red Tail Island, making it a crucial supply point for both outgoing and incoming journeys—a veritable bridgehead.
Now that this place was occupied by the Earth Dark Sect, it was like a nail firmly blocking the Chenghua Sect’s path of outward expansion, a truly frustrating situation.
In fact, Chenghua Sect cultivators had frequented Red Tail Island as far back as ten thousand years ago. However, the sect at the time had an insufficient understanding of the sea regions and never formally occupied it, leaving only a few mortals to reside there.