Shen Xian’s divine sense submerged into the jade slip. A three-dimensional projection of thirty-three spirit islands slowly unfurled within his sea of consciousness.

Floating golden characters shimmered beside each island, clearly outlining the distribution of power in this maritime region.

First and foremost was Spirit Sea City.

This city belonged to an independent faction, free from the control of the ten great immortal cultivation families. Its City Lord was a True Lord of the Nascent Soul realm, commanding ten spirit islands under his banner. In these chaotic seas, it was one of the few safe havens.

Aside from Spirit Sea City, there were other forces like the Loose Cultivator Alliance and the Wanxiang Chamber of Commerce. However, these mostly attached themselves to the city and possessed little territory of their own.

The remaining spirit islands, excluding a few dangerous forbidden zones, were essentially carved up between the deep-sea demon clans and various pirate bands.

The former were the overlords of the ocean. Friction with the human race was common, though some sea clans remained friendly and maintained good relations with both sides.

The latter were essentially bandit cultivators. They lived by plundering Spirit Sea City’s outlying islands or passing merchant fleets.

After all, the deep sea held many treasures attractive to human cultivators. Every day, countless cultivators set sail, driven either by the need for survival or the pursuit of the Dao.

These pirates knew the waters intimately and specialized in water-attribute divine abilities. Coupled with their scattered distribution, they were extremely difficult to eradicate.

Shen Xian’s gaze lingered on the words “Black Tide Pirate Group” for a moment.

The jade slip noted that this group specialized in robbing overseas merchant ships. Their leader, “Guijiao,” was suspected to be at the peak of the Golden Core stage. The skull artifact hanging at his waist could summon bone-corrosive black mist, and he had once severely injured three Golden Core cultivators who had joined forces against him.

This faction was the strongest among the many pirate groups, boasting nearly a thousand cultivators.

Since Shen Xian was heading out to sea, encountering such blind fools was inevitable.

However, Shen Xian wasn’t particularly concerned.

If it was just the Golden Core realm, they posed no threat to him.

Having obtained the information he needed, Shen Xian summoned the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise.

The massive creature sprawled on the floor, looking up at its master with eager, beady eyes. It looked hungry.

Shen Xian took out a Jade Marrow Crystal and tossed it over.

Since becoming the family’s future heir, he had acquired plenty of such materials.

“Eat up, then start searching for treasure!” he commanded.

The moment the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise swallowed the Jade Marrow Crystal, the Bagua patterns on its shell erupted with brilliant red-gold light.

Ancient runes seemed to come alive, flowing across the surface of the shell to sketch a profound star chart.

It slowly raised its head, a glazed halo appearing in its small eyes.

Countless tiny golden specks suddenly emerged in the air, rotating around it like stars.

These specks gradually condensed into a faint golden beam of light, pointing directly toward the southeastern waters.

Shen Xian keenly sensed that the heaven and earth spiritual energy within a hundred-zhang radius was trembling slightly, as if responding to a mysterious summons.

He also noticed that the “Li” trigram pattern on the turtle’s back carapace was flickering—sometimes clear, sometimes nearly vanishing, like a star obscured by clouds.

“This is…” Shen Xian’s pupils constricted slightly.

The perception of a fourth-rank spirit beast was indeed extraordinary; it could actually trigger celestial phenomena.

Fortunately, this room was equipped with special isolation arrays. No one outside would notice the anomaly; they would simply assume a cultivator had just made a breakthrough.

Finally, the star chart on the old tortoise’s shell shifted constantly before settling on a specific bearing.

Shen Xian took out his sea chart to compare. The direction pointed near Burning Heaven Island.

However, the glazed halo in the old tortoise’s eyes flickered erratically, indicating uncertainty.

It could determine there was treasure there, but it couldn’t judge exactly what it was, or lock onto a precise location.

The golden specks flowing in the air suddenly vibrated violently before shattering like foam.

The old tortoise lowered its head in exhaustion, the light on its carapace dimming.

This sensing attempt had clearly consumed a lot of its energy, but at least it had given Shen Xian a general direction.

“Burning Heaven Island.” Shen Xian muttered the name.

This place was far from Spirit Sea City, located in the outer sea region. It was an unclaimed island.

In the Endless Sea, the further one went from the mainland, the greater the danger.

Although it was technically “unclaimed,” who knew if sea beasts or other entities had taken up residence there?

“However… it might not necessarily be on the island,” Shen Xian whispered to himself.

Since the treasure was more than three hundred li away, the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise could only sense a vague area. He would need to get closer to pinpoint the exact location.

With a direction set, he planned to depart the next day.

But he did not intend to go alone.

The sea region was complex, filled with pirates and deep-sea demon clans. Traveling solo was inconvenient.

It would be better to tag along with a ship passing near Burning Heaven Island. Not only would it be less tiring, but it would also prevent “flies” from bothering him.

After a brief thought, Shen Xian used the Wanxiang Token to message the inn attendant, ordering a detailed list of merchant ships setting sail soon.

The overseas cultivation world was rich in resources, especially in the outer waters far from the continent.

Many resource-rich island factions maintained year-round trade with inland cultivators, and the profits were substantial.

However, the rampant piracy had given rise to a class of armed merchant ships specialized in long-distance trade.

These ships not only had complete defensive arrays but also paid regular “protection money” to the major pirate groups. Their voyages were relatively safe, making them the preferred choice for many cultivators heading out to sea.

Among the dozens of shipping schedules the attendant presented, Shen Xian’s gaze finally settled on the brochure for “The Dawn.”

Its scheduled route happened to pass by Burning Heaven Island.

…

The next morning, Shen Xian changed his outfit.

He wore azure robes, a dragon-shaped jade pendant at his waist, and cloud-patterned boots. He looked no different from an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Except for his face… which was admittedly a bit too outstanding.

He didn’t plan to use a disguise.

He lived a secluded life; few people knew his face, and fewer still would recognize him here in the far south.

Walking out of the inn, the city was still bustling. Ordinary mortals and cultivators mingled together in a lively scene.

Shen Xian walked with an easy grace, the jade pendant swaying gently with his steps. The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise followed slowly behind him.

This combination was common in a cultivation city. Cultivators keeping spirit beasts were everywhere, and this turtle looked like nothing more than a common first-rank spirit pet.

“Have you heard? The bounty on the Black Tide Pirate Group has gone up again.”

“Guijiao’s head is now worth a thousand top-grade spirit stones plus a mid-rank spirit treasure!”

“Even the bounties on the small captains are enough for us to live on for ten years…”

On the way, Shen Xian overheard cultivators whispering.

Piracy was rampant in this region. To stabilize their rule, Spirit Sea City had spared no expense in establishing a bounty list.

But very few people ever claimed the top rewards.

“Mid-rank spirit treasure.” Shen Xian repeated the words.

Above magic treasures were spirit treasures. A mid-rank spirit treasure required a peak Golden Core cultivation to manipulate. In a place like this, it was extremely rare.

Even Shen Xian didn’t have a spirit treasure suitable for giving away as a gift.

However, hunting down Guijiao at the peak of the Golden Core stage was too risky.

The priority right now was to find the treasure sensed by the tortoise.

Half an hour later, the man and the turtle arrived at the docks. The sea breeze blew against their faces, carrying the salty scent of the ocean.

Dozens of spirit boats were docked at the pier, but one giant, silver-white ship stood out—The Dawn.

The hull was engraved with complex defensive array patterns. A flag embroidered with a rising sun breaking through waves fluttered from the mast, snapping in the wind.

Several cultivators in uniform blue robes were inspecting cargo by the ship’s side. The leader was a middle-aged man with a resolute face. His right pinky finger was missing, replaced by a mechanical digit that gleamed with a metallic luster.

These merchant ships traveled between Spirit Sea City and the islands. They transported overseas natural treasures back to the mainland and carried inland supplies to the human settlements at sea.

After all, there were many cultivation factions overseas, and they relied on these ships for their daily cultivation needs.

Many cultivators had already gathered on the deck, all at the Foundation Establishment stage or higher.

Most were here to seek treasure overseas. The natural treasures inland were almost entirely monopolized by the aristocratic families and sects. Loose cultivators who refused to be subservient had to take risks and seek opportunities in the resource-rich seas.

Shen Xian led the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise to the registration desk.

He registered simply as “Wang Yu,” paid thirty mid-grade spirit stones, and received an identity token.

Then, he boarded the deck.