Chapter 1721: The Mysterious Eastern Sea

What was the Moon Treasure Ship?

It was a mysterious big ship that was shaped like the moon.

The rumors claimed that the Moon Treasure Ship was overflowing with treasures. Martial art manuals, secret art manuals, Magia, Strange Artifacts, spirit pills, miraculous medicine, natural resources, earthly treasures and more. It had everything, and the treasures were all rare and precious.

Anyone who managed to board the Moon Treasure Ship only needed to pay a small price to obtain the object of their desires.

For example, someone paid an arm to exchange for a mountain of gold and jewelry they could never finish spending in a lifetime.

Someone paid a decade’s lifespan to exchange for a Sage-stage martial art.

Someone paid their family to exchange for power and authority over countless others.

And more. Much, much more.

Compared to the Heavenly Feather City, the Moon Treasure Ship had no restrictions. They did not care if you were beautiful or ugly, male or female, strong or weak. If you could find the Moon Treasure Ship, then you could enter the ship and conduct the trade of your desires.

Of course, finding the Moon Treasure Ship was no easy task.

The Moon Treasure Ship only appeared during stormy nights. The worse the storm, the higher the chance the Moon Treasure Ship would appear.

When the Moon Treasure Ship appeared, it would illuminate everything within fifty kilometers of it as if the moon itself had fallen into the sea. Its brilliant light was one of its most defining characteristics and how it got its name.

Therefore, one must weather the storm to find the Moon Treasure Ship, and weathering the storm at the sea carried the risk of death.

In other words, finding the Moon Treasure Ship carried the risk of death.

However, not even death could stop the

jianghu

warriors from coveting the Moon Treasure Ship.

Given a big enough reward, not even death was a big enough deterrent.

On the way, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou encountered many

jianghu

warriors who were setting out to the sea in search of the Moon Treasure Ship.

The duo made a beeline toward the Eastern Sea as soon as they left Xi Huang. It was so they could begin their search for the third evil suppressing spiritual treasure in Dong Ji.

So far, things were progressing relatively smoothly, and they had found two of the four evil suppressing spiritual treasures. Unfortunately, the White Robe Demon Master had nothing for them yet.

The Sage was alive and well. Although White Robe Demon Master was Ye Qing’s Heavenly Demon Dependent, he was so far away that Ye Qing was unable to confirm his status exactly. Still, he knew that White Robe Demon Master had located Nan Xu.

In fact, Ye Qing did not worry about White Robe Demon Master in the slightest. The Sage was close to entering the third level of the Sage-stage. There might be some dangers out there that even he could not defeat, but he could certainly protect himself.

That was why Ye Qing chose to go to Dong Ji first. If White Robe Demon Master still made no progress after they obtained the evil suppressing spiritual treasure in Dong Ji, then they would travel to Nan Xu and assist him.

Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were currently sailing across the Eastern Sea on the Cloud Boat. They were going through the information Cang Xu, Divine Master of the Platform of Gods, had gathered for them.

Many hands make light work. When they traveled to Bei Yuan, Princess Furi had lent them her aid. When they traveled to Xi Huang, Xiahou Zun and Ancestor Black Robe had assisted them. Now that they were traveling to Dong Ji, they naturally relied on the local snake, Cang Xu, to help them.

The Eastern Sea bordered the east of Qi, so Qi was naturally familiar with it. On top of that, Cang Xu was the Divine Master of the Platform of Gods and wielded immense power and influence in Qi. Therefore, it was as easy as flapping his lips for him to collect information regarding Dong Ji for them.

Unfortunately, the information he collected and compiled for them wasn’t very useful, and it wasn’t because there were little intel regarding Dong Ji. On the contrary, Dong Ji boasted countless rumors, legends, myths, and tales. Even a random kid of Qi could tell you a tale or two of Dong Ji.

However, legends were ultimately just legends, and stories were ultimately just stories. They weren’t facts.

What Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou needed was true, unadulterated information regarding Dong Ji.

Unfortunately, no one had traveled to Dong Ji for the past couple centuries. If someone had, they either did not publicize their adventure or died in the middle of their journey.

It was because Dong Ji was too mysterious. Few people had ever made it to Dong Ji and seen it with their own eyes.

Everyone knew that one simply needed to cross the vast Eastern Sea to make it to Dong Ji.

However, how many people in the world actually managed to cross Dong Ji?

How many managed to make it back alive?

The Eastern Sea was vast, mysterious, and dangerous. It was no easy task to cross the Eastern Sea.

That was why the large majority of rumors and stories regarding Dong Ji were just that: rumors and stories. They could not provide any useful or substantial information whatsoever.

“I don’t think these are useful. It looks like our only option is to search for Old Man Turtle[1].”

Ye Qing set down the information he was going through and let down a sigh.

Cang Xu had told them about a man named Old Man Turtle. Legend had it that he was the one and only person who traveled to Dong Ji and actually made it back alive. In fact, many of the existing legends and myths of Dong Ji had originated from his mouth.

If there was one person in the world who could provide them with genuine, substantial information of Dong Ji, it would be Old Man Turtle.

Feng Qingyou also set down the item in her hand and looked out of the window. “I’ve heard of Old Man Turtle too. It is said that there is nothing in the heavens or underground that he doesn’t know. I hope we can find him.”

“As usual, we can only do our best!” Ye Qing smiled.

Although Old Man Turtle had most likely traveled to Dong Ji before, finding him was not an easy task.

Although Old Man Turtle was a man, the blood of the ancient Hetu Spirit Turtle ran in his veins. The River Diagram Spirit Turtle was an ancient divine beast bearing the Hetu Luoshu[2] on its back and the Hetu Luoshu was said to contain the truths of the universe and the cosmos. It was the root of the yin and yang, the Five Phases, and astrology.

Once upon a time, the Hetu Spirit Turtle bore the Hetu Luoshu and passed the Dao to the human race. This was the beginning of yin and yang, the Five Phases, and astrology. Thanks to it, the human race began to prosper, the Great Dao began to flourish, and all laws began to gain clarity.

As the creature bearing two ultimate treasures, the Hetu and the Luoshu, on its back, the Hetu Spirit Turtle was naturally versed in yin and yang, the Five Phases, astrology and geography as well. It was respected by everyone.

Old Man Turtle bore the bloodline of the Hetu Spirit Turtle, so he inherited some of the Hetu Spirit Turtle’s talent and abilities as well. He knew all things from birth and was extremely powerful. He was shrouded in a layer of mystery.

Although Old Man Turtle was strong, he wasn’t fond of influence or slaughter, beauty or gold. The only thing he enjoyed was transforming into a Hetu Spirit Turtle to explore the four seas, enjoy the red dust, and bask in the beautiful sights of the world.

In other words, Old Man Turtle was constantly on the move. Moreover, he was powerful and adept in the art of spells, divination, and yin and yang. It was very difficult to divine his location. Most of the time, it was pure luck that someone ran into him.

Thankfully, Cang Xu was an acquaintance of Old Man Turtle. They had met each other when they were participating in the Pacification Emperor’s coronation ceremony in Chu as well. So, he learned that Old Man Turtle was staying in the Eastern Sea as of late.

Of course, Cang Xu had tried searching for Old Man Turtle before Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou arrived. Alas, Old Man Turtle was constantly on the move, so Cang Xu failed to find him even though he was somewhere in the Eastern Sea.

In fact, it was Old Man Turtle who sought him out usually, not the other way around.

1. MASTER ROSHI!!! ☜

2. The Hetu 河圖 "Yellow River Chart" and the Luoshu 洛書 (also written 雒書) "Inscription of the River Luo" were two cosmological diagrams used in ancient China. They were employed by both Daoists and Confucians and served to explain the correlation of the hexagrams of the Yijing 易經 "Book of Changes" with the universe and human life. They are also used in geomancy (fengshui 風水). ☜