Chu Tian, at this moment, could not hear the discussions around him.
He had just decided to begin absorbing the Nether Mist, directly opening up his defenses. Not only that, but as if his mind had gone awry, he began to inhale the mist madly, as if it were spiritual energy.
However…
"What the hell…"
This was Chu Tian's most direct feeling, and he almost swore aloud.
With his divine cultivation, he was absorbing the Nether Mist with fierce intensity.
In that instant, the Nether Mist around him was completely cleared.
An unknown number of trillions of蛊 (gǔ - poisonous insects) entered his body.
*Crunch, crunch, crunch…*
This swarm of insects began to gnaw at his meridians.
His originally pale green meridians instantly turned purplish-black.
Much of the Nether Mist that had entered his body, due to saturation, did not make it into his meridians.
This resulted in Chu Tian's bones, muscles, and internal organs…
Being instantly gnawed at by billions of insects.
The sensation was as excruciating as it could get. Even with Chu Tian's immense willpower, he couldn't bear it. The pain made his eyes roll back into his head.
"Refine for me…"
Intense pain, itching…
This time, Chu Tian truly experienced what it meant to have flesh cut by a small knife, nostrils sealed with cement, a craniotomy without anesthesia, an eyeball drilled, and kidneys gouged with a cleaver!
With every breath, countless wisps of Nether Mist entered his lungs, making it impossible for him to breathe.
He could only endlessly urge the spiritual energy within his body to cleanse, attempting to increase the speed of refining this Nether Mist.
Wave after wave, Chu Tian fell into a peculiar state, his entire being akin to an assembly line.
After an unknown period, he suddenly felt a lightness in his body. Chu Tian abruptly realized that there was no Nether Mist around him.
He instantly recovered from that state.
Upon recovering, he felt that something was wrong with his surroundings.
He discovered that he was enveloped in a verdant glow.
There were also these three old men, their fingers forming hand seals.
The light that enveloped Chu Tian was something they had jointly created.
"What are you doing?"
Chu Tian noticed that on the ship's deck, there were not many people still collecting Nether Mist.
Clearly, some had already left and returned to their cabins.
But the entire ship was still sailing through the Nether Mist. These old nuisances interrupting his absorption of the Nether Mist immediately ignited Chu Tian's anger.
"My friend, your excessive absorption of the Nether Mist might attract some powerful beings from the Nether Prison Sea.
You just interrupted us and also injured our people.
What do you think we are doing?"
Chu Tian then noticed that there were four or five more people standing in the distance.
Among them, two had bloodstains on their collars.
Chu Tian was taken aback. When had he injured them?
Could it be that when he entered that inexplicable state, they came to interrupt him, and he had injured them in return?
As the two injured individuals saw Chu Tian looking at them, they became very wary, their gazes evasive.
Chu Tian immediately understood the reason. It was definitely not as simple as that old man claimed.
Furthermore, interrupting someone's cultivation is a major taboo.
"Hmph, I was cultivating, and you interrupted me. That makes you in the wrong. As for attracting terrifying beings, stop spouting nonsense here."
The Nether Prison Sea was vast. If merely absorbing some mist would attract some terrifying existence, then those who sailed on it for years, and in considerable numbers, would have surely been annihilated by those terrifying beings long ago.
This old man, when speaking, clearly didn't think things through, merely providing a simple excuse.
Chu Tian was not buying his act. Da Feng Novel Network.
The old man saw that Chu Tian was not listening to his explanation and became somewhat awkward. His expression changed, feeling that he hadn't provoked Chu Tian.
Chu Tian had been in a state of cultivation.
His two subordinates, both Venerable realm powerhouses at the peak, had simultaneously moved to capture him, but they were severely injured by a seven-colored light that flashed from his body.
He was reluctant to provoke such a powerful individual.
However, there was no other way.
Chu Tian was unaware that the top-tier cabins on the ferry were equipped with formations that could confine the Nether Mist within a certain range. Entering these cabins allowed one to enjoy body refinement through the Nether Mist.
These top-tier cabins were very expensive.
However, many sects had booked rooms year-round, regularly sending their core disciples up. The purpose was twofold: saving the cost of purchasing Nether Mist.
Simultaneously, they had some cooperation with the ship's operators. For example, sect elders, who were powerful, would accompany the disciples when they boarded the ship.
They needed to provide assistance when the ship was under attack.
Chu Tian's commotion in full view of everyone just now naturally displeased the sect elders in the top-tier cabins.
Upon investigation, it was found that he had only purchased a bottom-tier ticket but was absorbing the Nether Mist with such ferocity. Some became envious.
More importantly, Chu Tian was so young. Although his cultivation couldn't be discerned, his ability to undergo a ten-hour baptism directly in the Nether Mist was extraordinary.
These core disciples were all prodigies.
Being able to withstand half an hour of Nether Mist diluted by the formation was already an incredible feat.
After each absorption, they needed to rest for a day or even longer before they could absorb again, which was why they were astonished.
It was precisely because of this notion that they demanded the ship operators interrupt Chu Tian.
For no other reason than to destroy this genius named Chu Tian through such means.
This was the so-called nature of people from great sects!
Those who are not of their own kind must be destroyed.
"Hey, kid, here's a mid-tier access token. Go back to your cabin. I checked, and you only have a bottom-tier ticket. This is our compensation. Stop absorbing Nether Mist here!"
The speaker was the steward Chu Tian had encountered when boarding the ship. This guy had tried to swindle Chu Tian before and reappeared here. He took out a white token and tossed it to Chu Tian.
*Clang…*
However, Chu Tian did not catch the token when it was thrown towards him.
Instead, he let the token fall directly onto the deck, making a metallic sound.
"You… what do you mean?" Seeing that Chu Tian didn't take the token, the guy's already arrogant face darkened.
This brat deserved to die for such blatant disregard, slapping his face.
Coupled with their previous conflict, he now harbored a deep hatred for Chu Tian.
"Nothing!"
Chu Tian looked at the formation that enveloped him, separating him from the Nether Mist, without even glancing at the guy.
"Nothing? Are you disrespecting our Cloud Water Chamber of Commerce?"
This guy was practically itching for a conflict with Chu Tian and immediately escalated the issue to the reputation of their chamber of commerce.
With his words, Chu Tian didn't seem to care.
Instead, the elder beside him frowned slightly.
They were here to resolve the issue. It was best to resolve it peacefully. If not, it was best to distance their chamber of commerce and let this brat clash with those sect members.
They had already shown their intentions and done their part in front of those sects.
If the young man before them refused to listen, they could then explain the situation to those people. If they disliked Chu Tian, they could come forward.
However, when this steward uttered those words, it was equivalent to pushing the Cloud Water Chamber of Commerce directly into opposition with Chu Tian.