Chapter 400: Chapter 346: Three Immortals Grant the First Audience, Finally Arrive at Fengdu
Golden Eye Kingdom.
This kingdom is located atop the vast ocean of the Western Continent, a superpower spanning thousands of miles with a population of tens of millions.
The Imperial Jade Seal might very well be here, so naturally, the group couldn’t bypass this place.
The fleet pressed forward toward a peninsula ahead.
They were not keen on provoking trouble. If the Golden Eye Kingdom willingly submitted and offered treasures, then Zheng Hee wouldn’t attack them maliciously.
After all, it wasn’t as if they were seizing the throne from their king.
As the fleet advanced, suddenly the waters ahead roared with towering waves, sprays reaching thousands of feet high.
A massive Jiao-Dragon, its head as large as a treasure ship, raised itself high.
Scales of emerald green and eyes like millstones.
Inside the cabin, three men discussed the Tao.
Song Lin mostly listened, while Jin Bifeng and Heavenly Master Zhang did the speaking.
As leaders of the Buddhist and Taoist sects respectively, the two men had different yet strikingly similar understandings of the Great Dao.
Come to think of it, this was expected—after all, the Great Dao is singular in essence; Buddhism and Taoism merely approach the same truth from different perspectives.
More than teachings themselves, Song Lin appreciated the familial essence in these philosophies. The thoughts of both the Buddhists and Taoists were genuinely intriguing to him.
Their discussions were not about positions or factions but personal insights into the Great Dao.
At this very moment, the cabin trembled slightly, spilling the tea.
"Little demons—how dare they disturb our conversation,"
said Heavenly Master Zhang with some resignation before reaching for his treasure sword.
The sword let out a resonant hum as it rose into the air, ready to strike enemies across the distance.
"Hold on, let me try a Divine Skill,"
Song Lin intervened.
At his words, Heavenly Master Zhang withdrew his powers.
Song Lin plucked a single strand of hair, then blew it into the air.
Swoosh!
A swirl of white smoke appeared.
When the smoke cleared, there stood an exact replica of Song Lin.
The replica carried the same gourd at its waist, the Emperor Sword, and the Ziwei Dao Pattern glowing at its brow—all genuine items capable of unleashing their might.
The Avatar left the cabin briefly.
Moments later, three roars of dragons and the slicing sound of Sword Qi breaking through the void echoed outside.
This was followed by the wailing shriek of the Jiao-Dragon.
"What remarkable Divine Skills! Taoist, your cultivation speed is truly awe-inspiring,"
Heavenly Master Zhang marveled.
Song Lin merely smiled faintly, offering no response.
Wang Shen’s 72 Transformations, handed down from Lishan Mother, was indeed powerful, but the technique required specific medium items—intimate belongings, to be exact.
Song Lin had no personal belongings to spare, and using one would destroy it. Hair, on the other hand, was far simpler to use.
With the regenerative strength of the Nine-Transformation Indestructible Body, his hair could regenerate almost instantaneously.
Unlike Wang Shen, who exhausted her garments in casting spells—wouldn’t it be absurd if she ran out of clothes the more she fought?
"However, this approach is a little too scattered,"
Jin Bifeng cut to the heart of the matter.
Falling into contemplation, Song Lin nodded. "Indeed, it’s somewhat fragmented. I should unify my practice under a single path."
Mastery of many techniques wasn’t a flaw in itself, but being overly diversified could muddle priorities and create internal conflicts.
One needed a dominant path to establish balance—a core Magic Vein strong enough to prevent minor branches from overshadowing it.
He had once relied on the Taoist Soldier Technique, later embraced the way of the Swordman.
Alchemy, however, was unsuitable for this role. Thus, Song Lin had decided to focus on the Tao of Talismans from Mao Mountain.
The journey to Fengdu Ghost Country was, therefore, a necessity.
Soon, a report came from Zheng Hee’s men. The slain Jiao-Dragon was identified as the West Sea Jiao, the General of the Golden Eye Kingdom.
Now, the Golden Eye King was deploying his grand army in response.
Leading the charge was the Panlong Third Prince, son of the Golden-eyed King and naval commander of the Golden Eye Kingdom.
Upon hearing the news, the group said little.
What else was there to say? It was just another fight to face. No point in waiting.
This so-called naval commander was hardly a concern.
Their mission this time included curbing the arrogance of the Western Barbarian Soldiers.
Otherwise, if they ascended to immortality, who would be able to bring them to heel in the future?
Soon, the sound of battle cries erupted from the ships.
The three men stepped onto the deck for a look.
A fleet had suddenly surfaced from beneath the waves.
The soldiers of this navy sported gills, resembling humans but with fish-like features. They were clearly a kind of Abnormal Soldier.
At the prow of one ship stood a confident and flamboyant figure—a Crown Prince dressed in resplendent garb, with red hair and golden eyes.
"Generals of the Ming Army, I am the Third Prince! The Emperor Star has appeared in the Western Regions. Surrender now, and you’ll be richly rewarded with high ranks and positions!"
This Golden Eye Kingdom was the dominant power of the Western Continent.
Although its lands weren’t vast, its formidable navy allowed it to conquer numerous smaller nations.
Their treasure ships were on par with those of the Great Ming, numbering over a thousand in total.
Despite being called a "small" nation, the territory they controlled rivaled that of the Ming, with a population of four to five million, albeit slightly less than Ming’s.
The navy included various barbarian soldiers—coal-skinned men from Safa Country, white-turbaned men from Zufaguo, and Gelan Country nationals.
The cannons on their ships were massive in caliber.
"Ha! Surrender? Do you know what this is?"
Outnumbered but undaunted, Zheng Hee leapt onto a mast and pointed to the Ming’s Dragon Flag inscribed with the words "Upper Country Heavenly Soldiers, Subdue and Retrieve Treasures."
"People of the Upper Country—how could we ever surrender to Red Yi?"
Zheng Hee had long heard tales of this kingdom.
It was said their military strength was immense, making them an unrivaled hegemon of the Western Regions.
Now, meeting them in person, it was a perfect opportunity to test their mettle.
"You won’t drink the toast but will drink the punishment! Attack!"
Both sides’ commanders gave the order simultaneously.
The fated battle between the Western Invincible Fleet and the Eastern Invincible Fleet was underway.
Cannons on both sides numbered in the tens of thousands, with thick black smoke engulfing the entire sky.
Divine Generals and Abnormal Soldiers clashed midair, their brilliance dazzling and chaotic.
Beneath the sea, waves upon waves of Sea Demons, merfolk, and Eight-clawed Beasts attacked relentlessly.
Add to that the ghost ships loaded with walking corpses surging forth.
Though the sheer home-field advantage of the Golden Eye Kingdom was evident, the Ming Army held its ground—but at great cost.
In mere moments, they had suffered over a thousand casualties.
Combining this with earlier losses, the toll was staggering.
Witnessing the scene, Jin Bifeng shook his head and sighed deeply.
"Heaven’s law cannot abide this. Heaven’s law cannot abide this..."
Even those who perished weren’t allowed peaceful rest. Such a kingdom was nothing short of demonic.