Chapter 135 Storm Sea

In the following two months, Ye Chuxiao would set aside half a day almost every day to spar with the 'followers' on the ship.

Although these weren't life-or-death battles and lacked the taste of blood, some followers subconsciously held back when fighting Ye Chuxiao.

But even so, it was enough for Ye Chuxiao to grow.

The war-nurtured growth style was quick and fierce, but it was also prone to backfiring and ending prematurely.

Through fighting cultivators with different specializations, and even facing multiple opponents in coordinated formations, Ye Chuxiao accumulated a considerable amount of experience.

This included experience in direct combat, as well as strategic retreats when at a disadvantage.

At the same time, he gradually integrated and utilized his various methods of surviving the Bitter Sea, or even those still struggling within it.

As it stood, Ye Chuxiao's current setup was already quite outstanding.

Martial arts were for close combat, sword techniques provided medium-to-long-range deterrence, and Qi refining granted him excellent endurance. Among those of the same level, Ye Chuxiao's true qi reserves and recovery speed were exceptional. He could also unleash a few cunning talisman techniques to catch opponents off guard, though they didn't cause significant damage, they could restrain opponents and create opportunities for other attacks.

"After passing Thunder Cape ahead, we'll enter Storm Sea. This is the most dangerous route, but also a place where the energy of heaven and earth is at its most violent and abundant. There are few cities in the Storm Sea region, but each one is a major resource hub."

"The original plan didn't include a trip to Storm Sea."

"However, the impact of the Kongxiang Linggen (Conceptual Spirit Root) has become increasingly sensational recently. The earliest batch of shared spirit roots has already begun to provide feedback to many cultivators. Some, with the help of the shared spirit roots, have condensed private middle-grade spirit roots, which has attracted widespread attention."

"The cities of Storm Sea have repeatedly sent invitations through alliances, so we must make this trip." Beside Ye Chuxiao, Wei Zhou, holding a magic mirror, wearing a black secretary's suit, stockings, and high heels, bowed expressionlessly.

In the second month of Ye Chuxiao's tour of the cities, Wei Zhou had been sent to the ship by the Wei family, to be 'dealt with' by Ye Chuxiao.

Although Wei Zhou herself was plagued by chuunibyou (middle school syndrome), the Wei family's leader clearly had a brain and understood the principle of 'if you can't beat them, join them.'

Seeing Wei Zhou's unruly appearance, Ye Chuxiao happily took her as his personal secretary, responsible for handling some trivial matters.

She was also responsible for connecting with the interest groups that were truly profiting from this grand 'Kongxiang Linggen' activity.

"So, there's danger?" Ye Chuxiao asked.

Wei Zhou nodded. "Yes! The danger comes not only from Storm Sea, but also from those hiding within Storm Sea, using the guise of natural disasters to carry out assassinations."

"If it were me, I would never miss this opportunity."

Saying this, Wei Zhou stared directly at Ye Chuxiao, as if hoping these words would provoke him and get her fired.

"Well said!"

"The one who understands the enemy best is always the enemy himself. In that case, I'll leave the security arrangements to you."

"In short, I hope we can finish smoothly," Ye Chuxiao said.

Although Storm Sea wasn't the last stop on Ye Chuxiao's route, it was close.

The places yet to be visited were too remote, and whether or not they had 'shared spirit roots' made little difference.

In this world dominated by the ocean and dotted with islands, some remote islands had nearly uninhabited cities.

These cities were in a state of slumber for most of the time.

Only when certain special resources ripened in the area would they attract a harvest season. Only then would the originally deserted residences welcome their temporary inhabitants.

These types of cities didn't need Ye Chuxiao to light up and contribute spirit roots.

"Ah~ so sleepy!"

"I'm going back to catch up on sleep!"

"I hope I can have a good night's sleep tonight." Ye Chuxiao stretched and returned alone to his huge bedroom.

Activating the defensive formation in the bedroom, Ye Chuxiao didn't really go to sleep.

"Wei Zhou is trustworthy. She's subtly reminding me to be careful of being discarded after serving my purpose."

"Like she said, she sees me as a rival, so she won't allow me to be defeated by someone else for some reason."

"Shared spirit roots have spread to almost all the important cities. Those groups that once lost their interests are also regaining new profits on the new track. People who want to kill me for the spirit roots are not nonexistent, but they certainly won't form a large-scale threat."

"What I should be most worried about are those so-called followers."

"Especially in the recent 'sparring' sessions, some new faces have joined in. Although they haven't gone all out, they are obviously forcing me to show my trump cards, to reveal my bottom line to them."

Ye Chuxiao wasn't surprised by this change.

Now, he was almost being touted as a 'saint' online. Some people were already calling him 'Saint Wang'. The title of Young Master Wang had long been outdated.

This status, this reputation, was too disproportionate to his cultivation level.

This was a typical case of 'virtue not matching position.'

Therefore, for many people, only a dead 'Saint Wang' was a good 'Saint Wang.'

Ye Chuxiao could even imagine that if he was really 'killed', many spirit root squares would even erect statues of him.

Those who profited from it would take advantage of his 'death' to earn one last spirit pearl.

So what if the world was full of chuunibyou?

Didn't hot-blooded anime have villains?

"It's time to gather the information of the forty-nine spirit roots and combine them into my unique Kongxiang Linggen."

Ye Chuxiao sat cross-legged on the warm jade mat and began to visualize and connect with the forty-nine shared spirit roots that he had been in contact with.

At this time, thirty-two of these forty-nine shared spirit roots had reached the highest upper-grade level, with no further room for improvement.

The remaining seventeen had sixteen upper-grade roots, and one middle-upper grade root.

It hadn't reached the point where all forty-nine spirit roots were at the highest upper-grade, but that was all it could be. There was no need to force it.

The fleet passed through Thunder Cape and sailed into a sea as black as ink.

The waves on the sea suddenly became turbulent and violent.

Giant waves dozens of meters high were common here.

And above the sky, thick dark clouds were always entrenched.

Ferocious lightning, like the giant net of the gods, firmly locked down this sea area.

Jiaolong (Flood Dragons) slumbered in the thunderclouds. If they were accidentally awakened, it would be a huge disaster.

The fleet of as many as thirty warships was now divided into three groups, advancing in a cone formation.

The huge, luxurious warship that Ye Chuxiao was riding on was protected in the center. The fluttering formation flags were unfurled from bow to stern.

The complex formation locked the ship, resisting the wind and rain at sea.

Focusing his mind, Ye Chuxiao called upon the forty-nine spirit roots, summoning all the information they had gathered and condensed.

In an instant, cultivators who had activated their heavenly eyes in the plazas where those spirit roots were located could see pillars of light rising from the shared spirit roots, converging towards the distant horizon.