Chapter 125: Birth of the Dragon Whale

It had been two months since Lin Feng fled the Northern Sea territory of the Li Sea, narrowly escaping the pursuit of the "Shell-Sprinkled Gold" to reach the Yinque Palace. Time truly has a way of diluting hatred and memory. When he finally made full preparations and submerged into the seabed once more, he found the area entirely deserted. Lin Feng adjusted his strategy, choosing to avoid conflict with the various demons of the Li Sea. He steered clear of patrol guards and moved with stealth, successfully crossing out of the Li Sea’s jurisdiction after half a month to slip into the Tan Sea.

From a Tan Sea guard, Lin Feng gathered much useful information.

The Tan Sea was not unlike the Li Sea. Under the command of the Divine Whale King, Yu Baili, the territory was divided into three bays and four domains, each overseen by a formidable expert. Unlike the Li Sea, however, the islands of the Tan Sea were home to a large population of fishermen. The fishing and navigation industries were highly developed, yielding abundant resources such as barracuda, shrimp, crab, and pearls. Under the rule of the Divine Whale King, humans and demon cultivators lived in harmony, which was quite a wonder.

Currently, the war between the Li Sea and the Tan Sea was at a standstill, both sides maintaining a tacit truce. With the Tan Sea calm, Lin Feng and Chen Yuxi were finally able to fly their swords through the sky, enjoying the long-missed sunlight, clouds, and fresh air. The bright, clear sky of the Tan Sea stood in stark contrast to the gloomy Li Sea, and they no longer had to worry about sudden ambushes while flying.

"Senior Sister, look, there are people living on that island!"

Dozens of miles below, a large island appeared. From the high altitude, it looked like a gourd, covered in houses and buildings. The docks were filled with merchant ships and wooden boats; it was clearly a trading hub.

Selecting a secluded beach, the two descended from the clouds and headed toward the island. Tall tropical plants stood sparsely across the land, and under the blazing sun, the weather was exceptionally hot. The smell of dried fish, shrimp, and squid wafted from the beach, where groups of merchants haggled and sailors unloaded baskets of fresh seafood from large ships onto smaller boats.

"What are you doing here? Buying seafood?" Chen Yuxi asked with a smile.

"No, I want to see if there is any Deep Sea Whale Ambergris for sale. I happen to need a piece," Lin Feng replied.

"Whale Ambergris? As far as I know, only a very few Dragon-Beard Whales can produce it. It is a rare treasure, and because it comes from the Dragon-Beard Whale, it is also known as Dragon Ambergris. These whales like to swallow giant deep-sea squids and octopuses, but the bones and keratin are difficult to digest. Their stomachs secrete a mucus to coat these sharp objects, and over hundreds of years of excretion, exposure to sunlight, catalysis by air, and soaking in seawater, it finally matures into high-quality Dragon Ambergris. A single piece is far more precious than an equal weight of top-grade spirit stones. Why do you need this, Lin Feng?" Chen Yuxi chatted as they walked, explaining the nature of the substance.

"A friend needs it as a medicinal ingredient. Since I happen to be in the Tan Sea, I wanted to see if I could purchase a piece," Lin Feng said.

"What kind of illness does your friend have? Using Dragon Ambergris as a medicinal base is quite strange. I have only heard of it being used to make expensive incense; a single drop can keep a room fragrant for a month, which is common in royal courts. But those are usually low-grade gray ambergris. The best, top-grade ambergris is white," Chen Yuxi continued.

"I see. Then I shall find a piece of top-grade ambergris. No matter the price," Lin Feng nodded. As they spoke, they entered the dense cluster of shops on the island. After checking three or four pharmacies and general stores, they came up empty-handed. These ordinary folk had never even heard of Dragon Ambergris and looked at them with blank expressions.

Lin Feng’s expression darkened with disappointment. He glanced at the rest of the island and sighed, "Let's go, Senior Sister. This does not look like a place where one could find Dragon Ambergris."

"Wait, wait!" Just as they turned to leave, two voices called out from behind them. A short, plump old man in silk robes came running over, panting and wiping sweat from his brow.

"Hm? You called us? What is it?" Lin Feng looked at the man. He was dressed decently, like a merchant, clutching a roll of cowhide paper with a professional smile plastered on his face.

"Two guests, are you looking to purchase Dragon Ambergris? I have some, I have some," the old man said, bowing and scraping while lowering his voice.

"Oh? Do you have the goods on you?" Lin Feng exchanged a calm glance with Chen Yuxi and asked.

"Haha, you joke, sir. Such a precious treasure cannot be carried around. If you are truly interested, the price is fixed: thirty thousand gold per ounce." The fat man squinted, watching Lin Feng's reaction closely.

"Thirty thousand gold per ounce? What is the quality?" Lin Feng asked, his expression unruffled.

"Gold, pure gold!" The merchant checked his surroundings, covered his mouth with his hand, and lowered his voice further.

"What do you think, Senior Sister?" Lin Feng transmitted his voice.

"Let's go and see. As cultivators, are we really going to be stingy with gold? You can sell off those jewels of yours," Chen Yuxi replied casually.

"Boss, the price is fine, but where is your stock?" Lin Feng asked with a smile.

"Easy, easy. It's at Pear Melon Island in the Huangshui Bay, five hundred miles away. Would you like to board my ship? The cargo boat sets sail immediately. With the wind and current, we shall arrive in three or four days," the fat man beamed, his waist bending even lower now that the deal was half-settled.

"Three or four days? We don't have time to wait that long. You point the way, and we go now!" Lin Feng grabbed the man, took to the air on his sword, and soared upward.

Chen Yuxi smiled slightly and followed gracefully. The fat man's shrill, pig-like screams echoed in the sky.

Pear Melon Island was not heavily populated, but it was clear that its inhabitants were wealthy or noble. The high walls of the estates were a far cry from the huts of the fishermen, with green tiles and red bricks gleaming magnificently in the sun. The three landed in front of a grand residence, and they followed the trembling fat man into the courtyard.

"Qiao'er! Butler! Where are you all hiding? The guards..." The short, fat man’s arrogant shouting was cut short as a group of people poured out from the side rooms and the backyard.

These people were clearly agile and imposing cultivators, all of them young women around fifteen or sixteen years old. They were beautiful and striking, each with a sword at her waist, looking heroic and vigorous.

"You are Wang Dechang? Boss Wang?" A cold, haughty voice came from behind. Lin Feng looked over to see a young girl walking along the courtyard path. She wore a pink gauze dress, her hair braided into over a dozen plaits, her face frosty and her features exquisite.

"I, I am..." The fat man, terrified by the scene, turned pale and couldn't even speak.

"The Second Young Mistress is asking you a question. Speak!" A woman in yellow robes barked, drawing her sword with a sharp metallic ring.

The Second Young Mistress waved her hand, fixed her gaze on Lin Feng and Chen Yuxi, and said icily, "Which sect are you from? And what is your relationship with Wang Dechang?"

"Heh, and which sect are you from? We are just doing business with Boss Wang; that shouldn't concern you, should it?" Lin Feng retorted.

"Hmph! I am Mu Sihan of the Huangshui Bay, under the Divine Whale King. Wang Dechang is guilty of trading in illicit goods. Why haven't you captured him yet?" Mu Sihan tapped her embroidered shoe and waved her hand, "And take these two back to the stronghold for questioning as well!"

"Yes!" the eighteen maidens replied in unison, their voices sharp enough to sting the ears.

"So, they are the Divine Whale King's people. Indeed, they are clam-maidens, though their cultivation is a bit low," Lin Feng observed, quickly gauging their strength and true forms. He sneered, "It seems crows are black the world over. The subordinates of the Divine Whale King and the Shark King are all the same—arrogant and ignorant of how to spell the word 'death'."

"Impudence! How dare you speak such nonsense! Let's see your true skills! Take this!" Mu Sihan suddenly screamed. A brilliant flash of sword light surged toward Lin Feng’s throat like a striking viper.

Boss Wang Dechang, trembling like a leaf, saw the flash of cold light and collapsed to the ground, fainting on the spot.

"You want to kill someone with such slow sword speed?"

Lin Feng snorted. Instead of dodging, his Moyan Sword suddenly struck out. With a "Sword Draw" technique, he slashed straight at the silver blade. *Clang!* Sparks flew, and Mu Sihan’s flying sword was sent spiraling into the air, shattering into pieces with a series of crisp cracks.

With that single, simple move, Lin Feng had destroyed her sword while still finding time to mock her—his speed was unimaginably fast.

"Well? Do you still want to fight?" Lin Feng looked around at the menacing women and shouted coldly, "If you don't want to die, back off! You are throwing eggs against a rock!"