Chapter 141 - Beginning Of A New Adventure (1/2)

Hei and Lian had been boarded on one of the imperial ships bound for the Sun Empire. After that, they left shortly after, leaving the Forgotten Ocean Islands behind, heading for their new destination.

The trip would last several weeks, but for Hei, it wasn't a problem - they would spend time cultivating waiting for their destination. Despite being calm, he couldn't hide a hint of trepidation and uneasiness for the unknown that awaited him and his family.

Fortunately, the magnificent ocean panorama distracted him from his thoughts. Protected by that corridor of stone blocks called the 'Imperial Corridor,' the ship they were embarked on could travel at full speed regardless of the dangers inside those waters. From the deck of the ship, therefore, Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing could see the fantastic water creatures that lived there.

Fish of all colors and shapes dominated the ocean section near the surface. They traveled in groups of hundreds or thousands of specimens, forming multicolored clouds under the water. Obviously, there weren't only them, but an indeterminate number of other species.

However, Hei knew that true wonders were hidden in the darkness of the ocean floor. His mother had explained to him that in the aquatic areas, whether they were lakes, seas, or oceans, as they descended, they would see bizarre-looking spirit beasts, nowhere to be found on the surface or in the higher underwater areas. Hei was curious if he would be able to find out which life forms were hidden in the bottom, but he wasn't strong enough to dive into such low depths.

'What a beautiful fish... why don't we catch one? I bet they taste great.'

'Ye! Be careful. You're drooling on my blanket. I won't share it with you next time.'

The two little divine beasts were above the parapet, while they were covered by one of the many silk blankets created by Xing. Since the ship was going at high speed, the wind blowing on the deck was intense, causing chills of cold to those who were standing there. Hei and Lian, too, were standing next to the two small divine beasts, and they were admiring the surrounding landscape. Several days had gone by now, and the ship had never stopped so far, not even during the night.

”Do not argue. Unfortunately, Ye, the ship goes too fast to catch some fish, you will have to be content with watching them from afar.”

'Oh, no! Sob... and I wanted a little fish. Can we get one as soon as we stop?'

'Ah, I want one too. Take two then.'

”Ahah, of course. All you want. For now, be satisfied with the supplies I bought. And don't overeat it, or else you'll have to eat the food served here.”

Lian then laughed in a low voice for that comic sibling's scene. Usually, Hei would have had a serious attitude, but it was nice to see him so carefree while interacting with Ye and Xing. Seeing Lian laughing, the three siblings also began to laugh, placing their concern for the unknown of the empire in the corner of their mind. And it was while they were laughing that they noticed a detail.

Hei suddenly stopped laughing, followed by the others. The young martial artist and beast tamer repeatedly began to inhale as he tried to understand what had changed. Ye and Xing also had a similar response - Xing's body hair was swaying furiously left and right like a pendulum; Ye instead had pulled out her tongue and was waving it in the air. Lian, on the other hand, who had no particular detection moves, still tried to concentrate and observe her surroundings.

Soon, the four of them realized what had caused their reaction - the air they were breathing. It was difficult to describe it accurately since air had no color or shape, yet it was as if the more Hei and the others went on, the richer the air would get. As if until then, what they had breathed wasn't air but only something vaguely similar.

The two humans and the two small divine beasts began to breathe by ingesting large mouthfuls of air to regularize their heart rhythm. When they recovered, they understood why the air had become richer - spirit power. The air itself contained spirit power, and martial artists would absorb the spirit power of the environment for cultivation. However, the spirit power in the air was becoming more concentrated, thus causing that strange reaction.

”It's incredible. The amount of spirit power I feel around my body is almost a fifth larger than that in the islands, and we are still far from the Continent. As we get closer, that amount should go up.” Hei said in amazement as he looked at his hands and examined the internal flow of spirit power.

”Yes, you are right. For now, however, it isn't convenient for us to cultivate. During cultivation, we need the internal and external exchange flow to be constant and homogeneous. With the speed of the ship, there is a risk that the amount of spirit power in the air will change rapidly. It would only lead to internal injuries.” Lian was also amazed but maintained her rationality and quickly examined the unexpected inconvenience of such a discovery.

”Okay, then. Until we reach our destination, we will refrain from cultivating. But we can't even stay without doing anything. We will train without using our spirit power to keep us active.” Hei announced, deciding for everyone.

Hei and his family, therefore, spent days training their bodies with normal exercises as they once did before awakening their spirit power. In a way, it was like going back to their origins. An avalanche of memories of their period in the Multicolored Forest awoke in their hearts. Lian, who wasn't yet with them at the time, wasn't excluded; Hei, Xing, and Ye told her about the days spent among the vegetation of that beautiful and unforgettable forest that had once been their home.

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