Chapter 340: The Thousand Sails Event (1)
The mention of a “Fated Chance” sent a ripple of excitement through the crowd.
Jiang Chen’s eyebrow, however, twitched upwards. A flicker of suspicion ignited within him.
Just then, Zhao Qianyun’s voice rang out, clear and confident. “In truth, this Fated Chance is no great secret. It is a place known as Dream Island.”
“I’ve heard it only appears once every hundred years!”
“The Mo Clan’s dominance over the five great families stems from their one expedition to Dream Island!”
As expected, the surrounding cultivators erupted into fervent discussion, the air buzzing with talk of this legendary opportunity.
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. *’From their reactions, plenty of people have heard of Dream Island. But it seems very few have ever actually set foot on it. And a century ago, only the City Lord’s people made it ashore.’*
Yet here was Zhao Qianyun, not hoarding such a prize for himself, but announcing it publicly, even inviting everyone to join. There was something deeply wrong with this picture.
A cultivator could always trust that Fire Peak would rain down broken Spirit Weapons, but never that the heavens would rain down free opportunities.
Instantly, Jiang Chen’s attention returned to the spiritual feast before him. He tuned out whatever else Zhao Qianyun had to say and simply continued eating.“Dream Island appears once a century,” Zhao Qianyun announced. “Our City Lord’s Mansion and the five great families invite all of you to join us in exploring it!”
“Of course, participation is not mandatory. The choice is entirely your own!”
“Anyone willing to join may remain after the banquet concludes!”
Zhao Qianyun offered no further details about the island, nor did he pressure anyone to attend. It was merely an open invitation. Those who were interested could stay; those who weren’t could leave after their meal.
Beside him, Jin Fugui leaned in. “Old Jiang, are we in?”
“The moment this event is over, we’re heading back to the sect for business,” Jiang Chen stated flatly. “Where would we find the time for a side quest?”
The reality of their situation dawned on Jin Fugui, and he nodded. “Right.”
They had risked everything for the Return to Ruins Secret Realm. Not only had they sold off their most valuable possessions, but they had also taken on debt. If they didn’t capitalize on this business opportunity and make a massive profit, they’d be eating dirt for the foreseeable future. The matter of Dream Island was a conflict they couldn’t afford.
Seeing Jiang Chen’s complete lack of interest, the others naturally dismissed the idea as well.
An hour passed swiftly, and the night deepened. As the banquet drew to a close, the well-fed guests who had declined the invitation began to depart one by one. Jiang Chen and his group were among them.
They were, however, different from the others.
While other guests had to depart from both the Subdue Flood Dragon Tower and the greater Flood Dragon Nest District, Jiang Chen’s group was privileged. They didn’t just get to stay in the district; their lodgings were within the tower itself. Normally, only members of the City Lord’s Mansion and the five great families were qualified to reside there.
With limited rooms, Li Xianglin was given her own, while the rest had to double up. Jiang Chen was paired with Long Ao, Jin Fugui with Mo Yu, and Chen Bo with Tie Zhu.
Inside their room, Long Ao sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, facing the window to absorb the faint Water Spirit Qi in the air. “Junior Brother,” he began, “Jin Fugui mentioned you paid a visit to the Sea Demon Pavilion?”
Jiang Chen was lounging on the couch, idly tossing the Spirit Nurturing Envoy’s token in his hand. “We were just going to take a look,” he replied, “but we ran into some fool who insisted on footing the bill. We had no choice but to take a dip and… entertain ourselves.”
A knowing smile played on Long Ao’s lips. “And by ‘entertain yourselves,’ you mean you experienced their famous Dual Cultivation, I presume?”
Jiang Chen just grinned.
“I’ve never tried it myself,” Long Ao admitted, shaking his head. “But Zhao Qianyun once introduced me to a mermaid princess. He claimed that with a proper marriage, I could enjoy the profound harmony of yin and yang their techniques offer. Not to mention gaining the resource backing of the entire mermaid clan.”
“Don’t tell me her name was Xuan Zhu?” Jiang Chen asked, surprised.
Long Ao shook his head again. “No, this was her older sister, Liyuan.”
“Why are all these mermaids’ names so damn awkward?” Jiang Chen wondered aloud.
“Their true names are far longer and more complex,” Long Ao explained, having some knowledge on the matter. “The awkwardness comes from the translation.”
Understanding dawned on Jiang Chen’s face before he changed the subject. “So, Senior Brother, are you participating in the Thousand Sails Event tomorrow?”
Long Ao shot him a look. “I wasn’t interested, originally. But then I considered your need for a Water Spirit Root to nourish your Wood Spirit Root, and I decided I would.”
Jiang Chen quickly waved his hand. “There’s no need for that.”
Long Ao took a deep breath, his voice turning solemn. “You know perfectly well how precious Liquid Water Essence is. A single Calyx Boat is hardly enough to repay a debt of that magnitude.”
The moment he’d confirmed the grand prize for this centennial event was a Water Spirit Source Crystal, he had resolved to participate and secure victory for Jiang Chen. He was determined to win, even if it meant facing the likes of Zhao Wuji from the Dragon Tiger Immortal Sect, the renowned Fairy Beiyun of the Invite Moon Sect, or even the rumored demonic cultivators lurking in the shadows.
***
The next morning, at the Si hour—around nine o’clock—Jiang Chen and the others left the Subdue Flood Dragon Tower and made their way to the bustling port where the event was being held.
Since each vessel was limited to a crew of two, Chen Bo and the others opted to rent. The people of Mystic Heart City were certainly shrewd; several rental merchants had set up shop right near the starting line. While the vessels couldn’t compare to a cultivator’s personal transport, they were more than adequate for the race.
The selection was surprisingly varied, falling into four categories:
The **Boat**: A Spirit Wood Boat. Advantage: stable. Disadvantage: slow.
The **Skiff**: A Wave-Cutting Skiff. Advantage: fast. Disadvantage: unstable.
The **Shuttle**: A Flying Fish Shuttle. Advantage: even faster. Disadvantage: poor agility.
The **Raft**: A Willow Wood Raft. Advantage: becomes more stable the longer it soaks. Disadvantage: extremely slow.
No one even glanced at the cheapest option, the Willow Wood Raft. Every participant in the Thousand Sails Event was aiming for the top ten rewards. If you didn’t have your own vessel, you would almost certainly choose a boat, skiff, or shuttle.
Which was why it was so shocking when someone actually chose the raft.
It was Mo Yu.
“Old Mo, what in the hells are you doing?” Jin Fugui asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
Mo Yu just shrugged. “I’m not after the Reward. I just want to go fishing in the Storm Domain.”
Jin Fugui’s face fell. “You’re not teaming up with me?”
“When, exactly, did I say I was?” Mo Yu retorted, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Jin Fugui’s eyes went wide. He stood there, speechless for a long moment before finally stammering, “You… you… Son of a—!”
He had never actually asked. Given their close relationship, he had just assumed they would team up. He never imagined his friend would be so single-mindedly focused on fishing that he’d completely ignore the competition.
Seeing the unfolding drama, Jiang Chen let out a weary sigh. “The event is about to start!” he reminded them, a hint of amusement in his voice.