942: 256_6 942: 256_6 Cao Zhen listened to the elder’s words and almost instinctively laid down, tightly gripping one side of the deck with both hands.
This was the first time he had encountered such a terrifying giant wave despite fishing for so long.
Within just the span of a breath, the giant wave smashed down with overwhelming force.
In an instant, Cao Zhen felt countless water engulf him, his eyes involuntarily clamped shut, not knowing how much water had poured into his mouth.
His body flew out of control, and even the boat below him lifted uncontrollably into the air.
The giant wave was simply too massive!
Moreover, it was not just one wave.
As he flew through the air, no sooner had he landed than another giant wave struck, its horrifying force directly flinging him from the boat into the depths of the ocean.
Around him, cries of shock filled the air as one fisherman after another was tossed by the waves into the sea.
Cao Zhen fell into the vast ocean, his mind racing with innumerable thoughts.
Beneath such a giant wave, in the middle of the ocean, there was virtually no chance of survival.
If he died alone, so be it, but what about the villagers in his hometown?
They had elder parents and young children to care for.
Who would look after their children, who would take care of their parents if they died?
In that moment, Cao Zhen thought of many things.
The next moment, a golden light suddenly burst forth from his body.
The glow was like an indestructible wall, a firm dike against the raging waves, blocking them all.
There in the Void, the image of a golden colossal hand appeared, capturing from midair the overturned boats and fishermen who had fallen into the sea.
The next moment, a huge Flying Boat materialized in the Void.
In the next breath, all the boats and fishermen were safely aboard the Flying Boat.
The fishermen, swept into the ocean by the great waves and filled with despair, somehow found themselves soaring upwards and then discovered their feet touching solid ground.
“Cough cough…”
“Cough…”
Even though all of them made their living by fishing and were excellent swimmers, they still choked on the water when faced with the mighty waves.
After landing on the Flying Boat, they began to vomit.
Once they recovered, they were astonished to find they were not on land, but inside a massive Flying Boat.
“A Flying Boat, this is a Flying Boat!
I’ve seen an Immortal’s Flying Boat; we’re actually inside one.”
“Immortal, this is…”
“Cao Zhen, is it you who saved us?
Are you an Immortal?”
Their gazes quickly fell upon Cao Zhen, who was radiating golden light and commanding the Flying Boat.
Cao Zhen nodded slightly and with an apologetic look, he said, “I’m sorry everyone, it’s been too long since I’ve used my Divine Skills and Mana.
I even forgot that I am a Cultivator, and truly believed I was a fisherman like everyone else, so I did not rescue everyone immediately.”
“What are you talking about?
You saved us; we should be thanking you, not hearing apologies,” the oldest of the fishermen promptly interjected, and everyone else began to speak as well.
“Yes, without you, we all would’ve surely died to such a huge wave.”
“Indeed…”
Everyone started talking.
Although it has always been said within the Guardian Immortal Imperial Dynasty that commoners and Immortals were equals, commoners couldn’t help but admire and feel nervous when they saw an Immortal.
Finding out Cao Zhen was an Immortal made everyone a bit nervous, but they quickly realized he was still the same affable person as before.
Due to the familiarity from their long-standing relationship, everyone began to relax.
Some couldn’t help but ask curiously.
“Cao, Cao Zhen, how did you become a fisherman when you are an Immortal?”
“Yes, and you said you had forgotten that you were an Immortal; how many years has it been since you’ve used your immortal power?”
“How many years?” Cao Zhen’s face took on a reflective tone, “Perhaps it’s been over thirty years, or maybe over twenty years, I can’t quite remember.
But I left the Immortal Sect to live as a mortal, and it has been fifty years.”
“Fifty years?
Didn’t those fifty years coincide exactly with when peace began across the land?”
“Old Cao, which Immortal Sect are you from?
Why would you choose not to be an Immortal?
It’s so great to be an Immortal; we wish we could be one, but we cannot.”
“Me?” When Cao Zhen heard everyone asking about his Immortal Sect, a sincere smile spread across his face, and he said softly, “I am from the Hundred Peaks Sect.
Have you heard of it?”
“The Hundred Peaks Sect?
That’s the foremost among the top ten Immortal Sects, and it’s also where the State Preceptor belongs.
How could we not have heard of it?
There’s no one in the Guardian Immortal Imperial Dynasty who doesn’t know about the Hundred Peaks Sect.
Old Cao, you’re from the Hundred Peaks Sect, have you met the State Precep…?”
A young man, who was in the middle of speaking, suddenly froze, not just him, all the fishermen around him as well.
They had come to a realization.
Cao Zhen’s name was Cao Zhen, and so was the name of the current State Preceptor.
When Cao Zhen first arrived in their village, they even joked with him about sharing the name with the State Preceptor.
If Cao Zhen were in another Dynasty, that surely would’ve been a crime of great disrespect.
But now, Cao Zhen turned out to be an Immortal, and moreover, an Immortal from the Hundred Peaks Sect.
It couldn’t be such a coincidence, could it, that Cao Zhen was…
Looking at everyone, Cao Zhen said with a smile, “Yes, I am the Cao Zhen you are talking about.”
“The State Preceptor, you really are the State Preceptor!”
“I can’t believe I’ve been in the presence of the State Preceptor!”
“The State Preceptor has been living in our village, even going out to fish with us!”
“State Preceptor…”
One by one, the fishermen began to kneel on the ground, especially the older fishermen who started to kowtow.
“I am a foolish old man, I actually spoke ill of the State Preceptor.
It’s all my fault, please do not blame our children.”
“State Preceptor…”
“What are you doing?” Cao Zhen waved his hand, and immediately everyone felt a gentle force, lifting them to their feet involuntarily.
“You are right, I am indeed not on par with the Grand Preceptor, far from it.
The Grand Preceptor wholeheartedly served the country, but as for me, I have been absent for fifty years, not fulfilling the duties of a State Preceptor as I should have,” Cao Zhen said, his gaze drifting into the distance.
Now was the time for him to fulfill his duty.
Fifty years have flown by in the blink of an eye.
The Eastern Wasteland was about to connect with the Central Five Provinces!