Chapter 242: The fifth layer of the Water Spirit Technique; the destroyed Ji family

"Greetings, Senior." Yu Chen cupped his hands from a distance, his eyes filled with an unprecedented solemnity.

The elderly man in green held a message jade slip in his hand. Things were starting to head in an unpredictable direction, and he had to leave a backup plan.

"Fifth Brother..." Yu Yiwei hesitated, her expression uncertain, as if she understood why Yu Chen was taking such a dangerous risk.

"If you come with sincerity, you may board the boat."

Little Red took a step forward, gazing down coldly at the fleet on the sea. "However, you must come alone."

Having followed his two elder brothers for over a century, he was no longer the timid lion of the past. This man might be at the late stage of the Golden Core realm, but as the Beigong Red Lion, he feared nothing!

The big black ox let out a soft moo, and the formation on the boat emitted a faint glow. The giant boat began to flicker, ready to depart at any moment.

As Little Red's words fell, those around them turned pale. Their eyes all focused on Yu Chen, who showed no hostility.

But if he boarded the boat, he would be at the mercy of others.

The elderly man in green stood by, sending a message: "Young Master, this is unwise; we should still..."

"Fine! Since Senior extends the honor, I, Yu Chen, will board the boat alone!"

Yu Chen's gaze was fierce as he stepped into the air, heading firmly toward the giant boat over the dark sea.

The elderly man's pupils shrank, and he was about to follow, but a jade-white hand blocked his path. He turned to see that it was the Seventh Miss.

Yu Yiwei fixed her eyes on the two dark figures, shaking her head gently.

Pop! Pop!

Suddenly, a mass of violet mist began to rise from the sea, stretching between the giant boat and the fleet, blocking Yu Chen's way.

Yu Chen showed no fear. A long blade flew out from his storage ring, its surface marked with black veins—the God-killing Artifact.

His spiritual energy surged violently as his consciousness extended into the blade. Ripples spread across the sea, and the blade in his hand flashed like lightning, flying swiftly toward the violet mist.

With a sharp, shattering gleam, Yu Chen twisted his arm, and the long blade spun between his fingers, tearing through the violet mist that hung over the Forbidden Sea.

The sea breeze whipped up towering waves, and a chilling, murderous aura filled the air. The power of the God-killing had pierced through the mist.

Yu Chen trembled all over, two streams of crimson blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, but he evaporated them instantly and continued moving toward the giant boat.

Everyone saw this, and their eyes filled with deep concern.

"As expected of a noble clan scion. His strength and courage are unmatched." Chen Xun put the book he was holding into his storage ring and walked slowly across the deck. "If Senior Brother Ji were born in the Great Li Realm Dynasty, he would be no less capable."

His gaze grew sharp as he flashed and appeared atop the crane figurehead.

"Moo~"

"Brother Xun."

The big black ox and Little Red called out simultaneously as if they'd instantly found their anchor.

"Greetings, Seniors."

Yu Chen bowed his head in midair, greeting them. That brief glance revealed that these three were disguised as mere bandits from the mortal world. Who were they really?

A sudden doubt gnawed at his heart as he pondered which faction's attire this could be.

"Come up for a chat, young friend."

Chen Xun chuckled softly and turned to head into the boat, toward the lookout pavilion at the front—a fine place for a conversation.

The big black ox followed closely behind him. Little Red remained on the figurehead, keeping a wary eye on the cultivators from the fleet. If anything suspicious happened, he would flee to report it immediately.

In the lookout pavilion.

Yu Chen and Chen Xun sat opposite each other, while the big black ox lay outside, its consciousness constantly monitoring the Five Element Array Flags.

Yu Chen's breathing grew somewhat heavy. The pressure from the elder's headdress felt overwhelming, and that strange tree made him feel as if something was watching him.

The material of this giant boat was also extraordinary; he had never seen or heard of anything like it in his family. It bore some resemblance to the ancient warships in the Forbidden Sea.

These three were so mysterious that they hardly seemed like beings from the Great Li Realm, let alone creatures from the Forbidden Sea.

"Elder, I am Yu Chen." Yu Chen sat upright, devoid of the haughty demeanor typical of a noble family, instead appearing quite cultured. "I would like to discuss a business deal with you."

His eyelids drooped slightly, showing no eagerness yet radiating calm and composure.

Chen Xun could discern nothing from his expression, but interest flickered in his eyes. "Not just the Calm-Sea Carp?"

"The three elders can come and go freely in the Forbidden Sea, so you must have many rare materials and mineral veins from the outside world."

"Indeed, young friend has a keen eye."

"I wonder what else the elders need besides the transmission array diagrams?"

"Body refinement techniques, particularly the methods after the third layer of the Water Spirit Technique." Chen Xun took a sip from his teacup, his demeanor relaxed. "The more body refinement techniques, the better, but we don't need any from evil cultivators. Killing is just too boring."

Yu Chen's eyelids twitched. This elder showed no fluctuations of spiritual energy, not even a trace of mental energy. How that black light was severed was something he still couldn't comprehend.

"Elder, the Water Spirit Technique has only five layers in the Great Li Realm, yet no one can cultivate it."

"Why is that?"

"The Water Spirit Technique has extremely high requirements for one's temperament and mental energy, surpassing even the limits of a Transformation stage expert. This technique... does not belong to this realm of cultivation."

"Mm, but that seems unrelated to our transaction." Chen Xun's tone remained remarkably calm. "Or perhaps the value of this Calm-Sea Beast is insufficient for the exchange?"

"To be honest, elder, the five layers of the Water Spirit Technique are forbidden techniques in the Great Li Realm, and they are no longer circulated among cultivators." Yu Chen's brows furrowed deeply as he recalled some legends. "This technique harms the balance of heaven and earth. Forcing the maturation of spiritual herbs means that those who reach the fourth layer have a lifespan of no more than a thousand years."

"Is that so?"

"Elder, are you aware that in ancient times, the Great Li Realm was not dominated by the three great ancient cultivation families?"

"I know a little."

Chen Xun nodded, acknowledging that he had indeed seen some information in the relics of these Forbidden Sea cultivators. Great Li Realm was once home to four ancient cultivation families.

The family that had been destroyed was the Ji family!

Now, only the Jiang, Yu, and Yao families remained among the ancient cultivation families of the Great Li Realm.

As for how they came to be, like the five ancient immortal sects, accounts varied, and even they did not know how they had arrived or why they had the word "ancient" in their names.

"Elder, the Ji family was once so powerful, the true first cultivation family in the Great Li Realm. Yet, they attempted to cultivate the Water Spirit Technique, seeking to defy fate..."

"Defy what fate, change what destiny?"

"I do not know." Yu Chen's expression grew somber, feeling somewhat nostalgic. "Elder, it's better not to touch the Water Spirit Technique."

In just a few words, he had achieved his goal. This elder likely wasn't from the Great Li Realm, which meant his plans had become even more feasible.

"That's fine; I will just take a look. I won't cultivate it."

Chen Xun's expression was inscrutable. A technique that could force the maturation of spiritual herbs was indeed somewhat contrary to the principles of the cultivation world.

Whoever could master this technique could cultivate endlessly strong practitioners, but it also contradicted the laws of heaven and earth, which would eventually lead to backlash.

Would the person who created this technique not be annihilated by the Heavenly Path? Chen Xun suddenly found himself intrigued, aware that he too had his own selfish motives; he was no sage.