Chapter 246: Sky-Covering Giant Palm; Old man Long Guanzi

"Greetings, Senior." Yu Chen lowered his head and cupped his hands respectfully.

"Board the ship." A grand voice echoed from within the giant vessel, resonating over the fleet.

All the cultivators frowned slightly; the aura was intense, far beyond that of an early Nascent Soul stage cultivator. But were there really mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivators daring to roam the Forbidden Sea for extended periods?

Yu Chen's eyes narrowed as he leapt into the air, swiftly approaching the massive boat.

Behind him trailed an elder, appearing drowsy. Yu Chen's figure shook slightly, his gaze hesitant; it seemed against protocol to bring this elder along.

"How dare you!" Little Red roared from afar, "Who allowed him to follow?!"

"Senior..."

"There's no need to worry, Daoist," the elder interrupted. "I am Long Guanzi, merely wishing to have a word with the one behind you." Long Guanzi lifted his eyelids, his smile not reaching his eyes. "I mean no harm."

His gaze sharpened, noting the formidable black robe. Its power is capable of shielding even from the senses of a Nascent Soul cultivator, impervious to spirit-devouring forces.

However, the fabric seemed to resemble the rare Thousand Silk Spirit Vine—not something the Yu family possessed.

Little Red was startled, retreating a few steps as the elder scrutinized it, fury in his eyes.

Amid the tense standoff, a sudden change erupted!

Above them, elemental energies surged wildly, casting a divine glow that roiled like a turbulent sea. A sense of overwhelming dread brewed, ready to explode.

Boom!

A colossal hand formed from the elemental energies of heaven and earth, descending with unstoppable force. The immense spiritual pressure swept over the entire fleet, leaving everyone stunned and breathless as if seized by the throat.

Such a shocking phenomenon struck fear into their souls. The mighty figure had made a move!

"Senior!!!"

"What is the meaning of this, Daoist?!" Long Guanzi's eyes widened in shock, his inner energy almost forced to a halt under the suppressive force. His body surged with spirit-devouring power as he raised his palm, unleashing a dark glow in a bid to resist.

Buzz!

As the two hands collided, the ocean erupted with massive waves, their power terrifying beyond belief. The sound reverberated, and the force of the elemental energy and spirit-devouring power swept across the area, pushing the fleet back.

Yu Chen, standing aside, felt his vision blur, battered by the impact—things had taken a disastrous turn!

Splat!

Long Guanzi spat out a mouthful of old blood, his hair disheveled, and his robe torn and stained with blood.

He looked horrified, no longer drowsy but fully alert. What was that spell just now?!

An ancient forbidden technique—and with such spiritual pressure...

"Do you not understand the rules of the cultivation world? Dare to pry at will and disrespect my authority?!" Chen Xun's eyes glinted with a cold light as he stepped into the air, gazing down at the others with a chilling detachment. "Daoist Long Guanzi, is this incarnation of yours so disposable?"

"Forgive me, Daoist." Long Guanzi quickly straightened his robe, cupping his hands in apology without any hint of anger. "A mere oversight."

An ancient cultivator over a thousand years old, he knew well enough to swallow his pride and let minor slights pass.

Yu Chen, watching from afar, felt a surge of frustration. What was supposed to be a straightforward transaction had been muddied by his family's intervention; it had changed entirely. Meeting by chance, naturally, they couldn't avoid prying eyes.

Inside the giant vessel.

The big black ox's gaze was icy, the Five Elements Array Flag already activated. Dealing with such a powerful family required caution, and it was prepared to flee at its elder brother's command.

Little Red hid behind the big black ox, looking at Brother Xun with excitement. His heart filled with admiration that nearly drove him to kneel in reverence, finally understanding the ox's loyalty.

He even wanted to shout out: "Brother Xun, mighty indeed!"

Chen Xun's aura surged as he walked through the air, each step booming loudly, his imposing presence dominating the scene. No cultivator dared to make a single move.

"Yu Chen, you still owe me something. Pay up first."

Chen Xun's gaze grew colder as he quickly calculated gains and losses in his mind. They had already exposed themselves, drawing the attention of some powerful figures lurking in the background.

He turned to Long Guanzi and said, "Daoist, please wait here; we'll speak later."

"No problem, I can wait," Long Guanzi replied with a sincere smile. "With your strength, I trust you wouldn't do anything to a mere Golden Core stage junior."

Chen Xun chuckled lightly, casting a glance over the fleet; quite a few cultivators had gathered.

If he hadn't made a move earlier, he might have suspected Long Guanzi of treachery. Furthermore, he couldn't tell whether Long Guanzi's body was a puppet or an avatar, though it was a valid guess.

However, there were no human features in Long Guanzi's body; it lacked meridians, with only dark, vein-like structures running through it, resembling a humanoid spirit-devouring artifact.

Had he not cultivated the Five Elements Immortal Path, he might not have noticed this. Long Guanzi also seemed unaware that he'd been thoroughly inspected.

The big black ox glanced at Chen Xun, then swiftly moved with Little Red. The five-element power silently enveloped the entire vessel, and even the Little Crane began channeling its strength into the boat.

"Moo?!" The big black ox looked at the little crane in surprise. What was happening?!

"Brother Ox?"

"Moo~"

The big black ox shook its head, signaling Little Red to stay calm, as the latter couldn't detect the crane's transformation.

"Brother Ox, should we prepare to escape?" Little Red licked his lips, his four claws flickering with fiery light. "If Brother Xun takes action, I'll handle those Golden Core stage cultivators!"

"Moo!" The big black ox pinned Little Red down with one hoof, urging him to stay put.

Little Red's gaze turned sly; apart from Brother Xun, it seemed no human could truly be trusted. Dark currents swirled around them, the tension in the atmosphere intensifying.

Suspended in mid-air, Yu Chen turned to Long Guanzi with a troubled expression and cupped his hands. "Second Uncle, I'll head over now."

"Go on." Long Guanzi waved a hand, regaining his calm demeanor, lingering in the air while still staring at the giant vessel in the mist.

It seemed Chen Xun's earlier strike hadn't genuinely intimidated him. Since there was no open hostility, talks could still proceed—for now, that was his belief.

Yu Chen quickly stepped through the air, feeling annoyed at his uncle's recklessness. Sometimes, a surge in power makes one forget the respect that should remain in their heart.

On the giant vessel.

Yu Chen bent forward, cupping his hands in a humble gesture. "Senior, this junior wishes to apologize for my earlier actions."

With that, he took out several body cultivation techniques from his storage ring, collected from various sources and even including copies made from ancient realms.

However, these copied techniques from ancient realms were often much harder to comprehend than the originals, and sometimes even untrainable—something the forces of the Great Li Realm couldn't fix.

"I won't take advantage of you. The fair price will do." Chen Xun replied calmly and indifferently, disinterested in further discussion. He took some items from his storage ring as well. "Take these two Lotus Demon Corals. We'll trade them at the market price based on what you've brought."

"Understood." Yu Chen was taken aback, feeling regret. This senior's attitude was quite different from last year.

But this time, he had come prepared. His family had also offered significant support in the background, bringing along teleportation array diagrams of various sizes.