The fishing boat passed through the mist, and a dazzling band of seven-colored light appeared ahead.
This band of light vertically cleaved the vast sea, encompassing the neon-lit city of Poyang in Goryeo, which existed in the same world as Great Xia.
If one were to view the Earth from high above, it would be clear how these bands of light divided the world into blocks of varying sizes.
Within the cultural radiation range of Great Xia, all of East Asia formed its own cohesive unit within the light band.
Then came the Western bloc, where Europe and America resided...
This was a world map re-drawn after the spiritual energy revival, categorized by the scope of civilization's faith and mythology.
The collision of East and West!
The continent of Goryeo was within Great Xia's domain, which was quite normal, as this continent had always been a subordinate power to Great Xia since its ancient times.
"Why do people like to seek opportunities in Goryeo?" Fo Lian asked softly. "Aren't there more opportunities in our Great Xia?"
"Firstly, there are fewer people in Goryeo. Secondly, most of the spiritual energy revival is concentrated within ancient cultural artifacts. Ironically, all ancient Goryeo writings were in Chinese, and modern people cannot understand them..."
Fo Lian suddenly understood. "According to current data, the older the artifact, the more spiritual energy it carries. It is said that ancient bronze artifacts can carry up to a million spiritual energy points. For Goryeo people, they cannot understand texts from even a hundred years ago."
Qin Yexuan smiled. "While for our Great Xia, even those with a high school education can be more formidable than their PhDs when excavating ancient sites in Goryeo."
For instance, not long ago, Goryeo excavated a porcelain vase from the Ming Dynasty, adorned with poems left by a Goryeo literary scholar, intended as tribute to the Great Ming Dynasty. However, the Goryeo people couldn't recognize the Chinese characters and completely disregarded it.
In the end, a Great Xia student bought the vase for 0.1 spirit coins and subsequently extracted 100,000 spirit energy points from it!
"Currently, the hottest professions in Goryeo are not spiritual energy explorers, but Chinese and Great Xia culture teachers. When we get there, you can find a job as a Chinese teacher."
Fo Lian scoffed. "We'll have to get a Goryeo ID card first."
The ship had entered Goryeo waters, and several speedboats appeared ahead.
In the cargo hold filled with frozen fish, four people were lying motionless, while the rest were listless, and some were even vomiting all over the floor.
The ship captain appeared with his men, moved aside the frozen fish, and a high-pressure water gun sprayed fiercely.
Everyone was drenched, feeling cold to the bone, their faces turning pale.
The four who had collapsed never got up again and were all thrown into the sea.
The first group left by speedboat, then the second group.
Fo Lian deliberately stayed behind.
She intended to seize this boat.
Qin Yexuan frowned. "Listen to me, we should get ashore quickly."
Fo Lian glanced at him. "Remember, I'm taking care of you now, not the other way around!"
The last group was preparing to board the speedboat.
Fo Lian suddenly picked up Qin Yexuan, her figure darting through the cargo hold like a phantom, directly towards the main cabin.
She oriented herself, remotely opened the captain's cabin lock, and slipped inside.
Unfortunately, the lantern case was not here.
Not even a single spirit coin could be found in the captain's cabin.
Fo Lian cursed her bad luck and simply sat there waiting.
She was confident that her advanced demonic cultivator realm could easily overwhelm all cultivators on the ship.
Qin Yexuan lay on the small bed behind her, idly rolling over, and from under the bed, he found a gun case.
Opening it, he couldn't help but whistle.
It was an FNN44 handgun, fully equipped with tactical accessories: a mini holographic sight, a tactical infrared laser pointer, a muzzle brake... and a fully loaded 15-round magazine.
Qin Yexuan picked up the F44, feeling its smooth texture, elegant configuration, and the trendy red and black paint.
It was evident that this was once the ship captain's personal weapon, but it had been gathering dust for over half a year.
After the spiritual energy revival, even beginner cultivators had countless ways to overpower old firearms like guns.
This was the law of power.
Of course... this law was useless against Qin Yexuan.
Qin Yexuan put on the gun holster, handled the elegant and beautiful F44 tactical pistol, and then put it away.
Fo Lian glanced at it, and suddenly something came to mind, her expression changing.
"This guy's special ability is..."
At that moment, the door exploded open, and a short figure appeared, their left palm flashing, while their right hand held a rapier aimed at Fo Lian's chest and abdomen.
Spiritual energy surged repeatedly within the confined ship's cabin, layering upon itself, finally forming a strange trajectory that locked onto Fo Lian from behind.
Fo Lian was greatly alarmed. Such a high-level spiritual energy manipulation technique, with her attacked from both front and back, made her hesitate even to raise her hand.
Fo Lian let out a scream, forced to grit her teeth and take the spiritual energy attack on her back, while focusing all her attention on the incoming sword.
The slender sword suddenly transformed.
Splendid light and shadow flickered, enveloping all space.
Fo Lian's body went cold, and a sense of despair washed over her, as if she were closing her eyes to await death.
It was an expert-level cultivator, a full realm above her!
How could such an expert-level master appear on a mere smuggling ship?
And it was the magnificently elegant "Eight Thousand Great Forces Silla Sword"!
A Silla swordsman!
With a flick of the sword light, it didn't strike a vital spot but merely pierced Fo Lian's shoulder, pinning her to the cabin wall.
Wuu, the thin sword recoiled, and a young man dressed in a refined suit, looking quite fashionable, appeared.
Wearing an earring and with his hair dyed red, he tilted his head and looked at Fo Lian, cursing her in Goryeo with a cold sneer.
Outside, the ship captain rushed in with several low-level cultivators and bowed to the red-haired man. "Mr. Liu Yuan Tai, I told you, this woman is a cultivator. I discovered her on the island. Tell me, is she from the Special Investigation Department?"
Liu Yuan Tai snorted and said in broken Chinese, "Impossible. Your ship and route are newly established. The investigation department and the Directorate of Celestial Observation of Great Xia could not have discovered it so quickly. This woman is just a pirate, targeting your ship."
The ship captain breathed a sigh of relief. "Then let's get rid of her quickly. I still have a shipment to handle."
Liu Yuan Tai stared at him like a venomous snake. "Do I need your permission to do my work? You trash Great Xia dog!"
The ship captain's face turned a mottled green and red, and he awkwardly rubbed his hands.
Suddenly, from behind the injured Fo Lian, Qin Yexuan slowly emerged. "Hmm, a smuggling ship doing business with a Goryeo Silla swordsman, and even having an expert-level master as a bodyguard. Interesting, very interesting indeed. Do you have some kind of conspiracy going on?"
Liu Yuan Tai frowned. Why hadn't he sensed this living person when the sword energy enveloped the area earlier?
But upon a brief scan, he couldn't help but laugh. "Trash with no cultivation!"
The ship captain chuckled and, with his subordinates, moved to advance.
Qin Yexuan whistled and raised the gun in his hand.
Everyone was stunned, then burst into laughter.
"What the f**k, you idiot, in an era of spiritual energy revival, you're threatening us with a gun?"
Qin Yexuan smiled faintly. "Unless a celestial descends and stands before me, with this gun in my hand, in a one-on-one fight, I am invincible!"