The westernmost part of the Wuzhou Continent.
The land stretched to this point and abruptly ended, forming a cliff thousands of feet high.
Beneath the cliff lay the boundless Stormy Sea.
Suddenly.
A blinding light descended upon the cliff. As the light dispersed, a person was revealed.
It was a young man in a gray cloth robe, his black eyes as deep as a bottomless abyss, his expression indifferent, carrying an inexplicable aura of majesty.
Behind him were a divine steed with hooves like snow, scales like a fierce beast, a broken horn on its head, and an imposing, magnificent presence, and a golden fire-striped toad that stood on its hind legs, looking rather comical.
To save time, the demonic horse had traveled day and night at extreme speed, carrying Ling Fan and the toad. It was utterly exhausted. Had Ling Fan not continuously supplied it with powerful magic, even its potent demonic energy would have been depleted long ago.
Fortunately, they had finally traversed half of the Wuzhou Continent and reached the edge of the Stormy Sea.
"Let's continue our journey," Ling Fan said.
The demonic horse let out a mournful cry but dared not delay Ling Fan's important business. It stirred up a gust of wind, carrying Ling Fan and the toad, and vanished from their spot in an instant.
Another day passed.
According to the demonic horse's speed, they should have been close to the island rumored to have produced the Nine Springs Holy Water.
However, below them was still a vast expanse of sea, not even a speck of land in sight.
"Old horse, do you know the way?" the toad called out.
"Shut up! How could I not know the way? The map that Shen Ji prepared must have a problem!" the demonic horse retorted.
"Stop arguing. The map should be fine, and the demonic horse hasn't gone the wrong way. It's just that the Stormy Sea is filled with a chaotic force, and the currents are incredibly turbulent. The seabed terrain can even change. Look below!"
Ling Fan pointed, and indeed, the Stormy Sea below was in turmoil. A surging current, carrying the force of a thousand thunders, swept everything away, and islands and reefs were moved from their positions.
"It seems we need to find a local from the Stormy Sea to guide us," Ling Fan mused.
His Heavenly Demon Eyes suddenly opened, scanning all directions. Then, his gaze sharpened. With a sweep of his hand, the power of myriad laws enveloped the demonic horse and the toad, and they sped off in a particular direction.
Soon.
A magnificent dragon boat, radiating brilliant light, appeared on the sea. Even amidst the violent waves, it moved as if on solid ground, cutting through the surf.
On the dragon boat, warriors with powerful auras moved back and forth, controlling the treasure ship.
Ling Fan, along with the demonic horse and the toad, quickly landed on the treasure ship.
"Who are you people, daring to trespass on our Sky-Rending Island's treasure ship!" A group of powerful individuals from the treasure ship immediately surrounded them aggressively. Among them were over ten Golden Core realm experts, with the rest being skilled cultivators of the Condensing Core realm.
"We are going to Myriad Artifact Island and need directions."
Ling Fan stated.
"Hmph! Haven't you cleaned your eyes? Our Sky-Rending Island is one of the thirty-six immortal islands in the Stormy Sea. What directions do you need? Scram quickly, don't bring trouble upon yourselves!"
The leader, a peak Golden Core expert, spoke with extreme arrogance. Seeing that Ling Fan's aura had only recently entered the Golden Core realm, he impatiently drove Ling Fan away.
"Damn! You're quite arrogant, you little punk!" The toad's eyes widened fiercely, and a vast aura of a quasi-demon saint erupted, causing the peak Golden Core expert from Sky-Rending Island to tremble and his legs to weaken, nearly making him kneel.
"Ah! A quasi-demon saint!"
The experts from Sky-Rending Island retreated in fear.
At this moment.
Several people emerged from the ship's cabin. The leading middle-aged man possessed a powerful aura, exhaling potent saintly energy, clearly a quasi-saint realm expert.
Following him were several incredibly powerful individuals, along with two distinguished young men and women, all dressed in the attire of Sky-Rending Island.
"Esteemed guests, please calm your anger! It is my fault for not disciplining my subordinates properly, thus offending the three of you."
The middle-aged quasi-saint looked at the toad and the demonic horse with a hint of apprehension.
"I am Chen Yushan, the Island Master of Sky-Rending Island. These are our elders, and this is my son Chen Zhendong, and my daughter Chen Xia. We are on our way to Myriad Artifact Island to purchase some spiritual artifacts. If the three of you are also heading to Myriad Artifact Island, perhaps we could travel together?" the Island Master of Sky-Rending Island said courteously.
Ling Fan nodded.
The toad then snorted coldly, retracting its imposing aura. The Golden Core and Condensing Core experts from Sky-Rending Island breathed a sigh of relief, their gazes still filled with lingering fear as they looked at the toad!
They never imagined that the two demonic beasts accompanying the unassuming gray-haired young man were both terrifying quasi-demon saints!
What was this young man's identity?
The experts of Sky-Rending Island were filled with deep questions but dared not ask. The atmosphere on the ship became somewhat heavy.
They arranged a separate room for Ling Fan, the demonic horse, and the toad, and then left them to their own devices.
"Knock, knock."
A knock sounded outside the room.
Upon opening the door, Chen Xia appeared, holding a large platter of delicious seafood, and smiled kindly, "Young Master Ling, are you hungry? Please have something to eat."
Ling Fan did not refuse Chen Xia's kindness and nodded, but he did not partake in the seafood. Although these were rare delicacies containing abundant spiritual energy, beneficial even to Golden Core realm martial artists.
The toad and the demonic horse, however, were not polite at all. They attacked the food like famished ghosts, devouring it in a flash.
"Miss, is there any more! If so, bring a few more plates. This isn't enough to tickle my teeth," the toad called out carelessly.
Chen Xia was stunned, not expecting the toad and the demonic horse to eat so much.
"Miss Chen, please don't mind them. They won't starve," Ling Fan said with a faint smile, easing the situation for Chen Xia.
"Young Master Ling, what are you going to Myriad Artifact Island for?" Chen Xia asked Ling Fan, sticking out her tongue.
"To purchase some materials for refining artifacts."
"Oh? Young Master Ling also knows artifact refining?" Chen Xia asked Ling Fan curiously.
"I know a little," Ling Fan replied faintly.
Chen Xia said kindly, "We have several honored guests on Sky-Rending Island who are very skilled in artifact refining. If Young Master Ling needs any help, please don't hesitate to ask."
"No need! Our boss is just being modest. Do you think when he says he knows a little, he really only knows a little? Actually, it's just a tiny bit," the toad sneered.
Chen Xia did not believe him, as Ling Fan looked to be around her age and did not seem like an artifact refining master.
However, being gentle in nature, she did not want to embarrass Ling Fan, so she merely nodded in agreement.
The toad chuckled coldly and offered no further explanation.
"By the way, Miss Chen, do you know how to get to Undying City?" Ling Fan suddenly asked.
With the chaotic directions and turbulent currents of the Stormy Sea, even finding Myriad Artifact Island was difficult. He feared that reaching Undying City later would also be a challenge.
It would be best if these people from Sky-Rending Island knew the way to Undying City.