Under the assault of such massive waves, the spirit ship, despite its activated defense array, was like a tiny, helpless piece of duckweed, tossed about and tilting in the surging waters.
Although the seawater couldn't penetrate the hull, the spirit ship could no longer maintain its stability.
Gu Ningyun left her cabin. Cultivators were rushing back and forth in the corridors, all heading toward the deck.
The other four cabins adjacent to Cabin 16 remained tightly shut, their arrays active, showing no signs of opening.
Gu Ningyun grabbed a youth who looked to be around her age. "Fellow Daoist, what’s happening?"
"It’s just waves on the ocean at night, a minor issue."
"Then why is everyone running to the deck?"
"This is my first time at sea, and I’ve never seen waves this big. Naturally, I’m going to the deck to see the excitement. The others are probably doing the same."
As the youth spoke, an adult cultivator approached.
He grabbed the adult's hand. "My second uncle is here. I can't talk anymore; I have to go down and see the waves."
Only then did Gu Ningyun notice that the cultivators passing by were all bringing their children along.
She pressed a hand to her forehead.
Usually, she was excellent at catching details, so why was she so slow today?
She pursed her lips, tasting a hint of something delicious.
During that moment of jolting, it seemed a bit of the broth from the shell had touched her lips.
No way. Could that tiny bit of juice really affect her this much?
Gu Ningyun quickly tried to focus her mind, shaking her light and airy head.
What was with these rolling white clouds before her? Had she somehow returned to Xiaoyao's floating peak?
She reached out tentatively to grab at them.
Her wrist tightened.
Something within the clouds had pinned her wrist down.
Gu Ningyun struggled, but she couldn't break free.
"What's wrong with you, kid? Why are you standing in the middle of the corridor? What if someone steps on you?"
"Heh, you're not very old or highly cultivated, but you've got quite a bit of strength."
The thing holding her wrist exerted force, and Gu Ningyun felt herself being pulled aside, moving further and further away from the clouds.
Her back hit something cold, sending a jolt through her body.
The clouds vanished, and the corridors of the spirit ship and the passing cultivators reappeared before her.
"Kid? Kid?"
"Is she sleepwalking? She was wandering the corridor all dazed."
Gu Ningyun looked up toward the voice.
A female cultivator wearing the uniform of Four Symbols Shipping was gripping her wrist, pinning her against the wall at the edge of the corridor.
Gu Ningyun blinked softly, looking at the woman and then at her wrist, finally realizing what had just happened.
Seeing the clarity return to her eyes, the female sailor released her wrist.
"Where are your guardians? How could they let you run around with such glazed eyes?"
"What if you accidentally wandered to the edge and fell over the railing? The spirit ship's array only ensures that external attacks can't get in; it doesn't guarantee that the cultivators on board won't fall out."
Subjected to a sudden barrage of scolding, Gu Ningyun's mind went a bit blank again.
There was no uncomfortable malice coming from the woman, so Gu Ningyun muddledly grabbed her sleeve and gave it a tug.
"I was wrong. Please don't be angry, Senior."
Even her voice was dazed and soft.
Being pulled like that and hearing those words, the female sailor's heart immediately softened.
"Which cabin do you live in? I'll take you back."
Gu Ningyun just held onto her sleeve, burying her small face in the fabric and nuzzling against it without saying a word.
The sailor sighed deeply.
"Fine, I'll take you to the sailor's rest area first. We can't have something happening to you on this ship; it would ruin the reputation of Four Symbols Shipping."
Her tone was one of utter helplessness, but the arm she used to lead Gu Ningyun by the wrist was exceptionally steady.
Shu Ziming leaned against a corner, his divine sense taking in the entire scene.
He nudged the cultivator beside him, who was disguised with an ordinary face. "What's the situation? That little girl looks like she's eaten poison mushrooms and is tripping."
"It's not poison mushrooms."
The ordinary-faced Shen Banxi looked on with full understanding.
"Do you remember how the five of them spent a whole day studying travelogues and two days cooking Blue Lake Scallops on the flying boat before returning to the spirit ship?"
The two of them had been following the five of them closely, so they were naturally aware of this.
This was also the first time they had learned that Blue Lake Scallops could have such an effect.
Unfortunately, they were already in the Golden Core stage; the toxins of such low-grade sea beasts had little effect on them.
After so many years of cultivation, low-grade illusions no longer posed a threat to them; even if they encountered one, they could solve it with brute force.
However, it was excellent for these Qi Refining stage kids to build a foundation. After eating them for a year, they would be miles ahead of their peers and those at the same level when it came to resisting illusions.
"So that's how it is."
As Shu Ziming spoke, he suddenly clapped his hands.
"I get it! From the moment they used the sea spider legs to lure the Blue Lake Scallops and were surrounded by tens of thousands of them, the five of them were already poisoned by the scallops."
He couldn't help but pace a few steps.
"The winds and clouds at sea are ever-changing. Whether on a flying boat or a spirit ship of Four Symbols Shipping, absolute safety can never be guaranteed. On the contrary, one could fall into danger at any time due to a large demon beast suddenly surfacing or a sudden sea storm."
"Having escorted them all this way, I’ve observed the five of them, especially that little girl Gu Ningyun. She’s usually so cautious. Why would she suddenly start cooking Blue Lake Scallops on the open sea, clearly intending to eat them back in her cabin? It turns out she was already under the influence of the scallop toxins."
"Indeed. The Blue Lake Scallops' toxin is both their weapon against enemies and their lure for prey. Naturally, it has the effect of enticing cultivators and sea beasts to eat them."
Shen Banxi smiled. "There are many types of toxins in the cultivation world, and many are impossible to guard against. This is a good chance for them to learn a lesson so they won't be caught off guard again in the future."
Shu Ziming looked at the tightly closed doors of Cabins 17 through 20 and shook his head.
The ship was rocking this much and those four hadn't moved; they were definitely poisoned even deeper than Gu Ningyun.
Shen Banxi pulled out his identity jade token and saw that the life signs of the five were stable. "You stay here and keep watch. I'll go to Ningyun's side."
"Alright, I'll send you a message if anything happens."
Gu Ningyun had already been muddledly led into the sailor's rest area and sat down on a chair.
When did the meditation mats in the Cloud Residence become so hard? How uncomfortable.
She wasn't going to meditate; she wanted to draw a talisman.
Gu Ningyun's right hand fumbled about. Why was her talisman pen so hard to use?
What was wrong with this talisman pen? Was it broken?
She tentatively gave the talisman pen a shake. With a rip, the pen snapped in two.
Hmm?
Was this a talisman pen made by Xiaoyao? Was it a masterpiece of shoddy craftsmanship?
After getting Gu Ningyun to sit down, the female sailor tried to pull her sleeve away.
She tugged, but it didn't come free; instead, it was gripped even tighter.
Then, she heard a rip. Her forearm felt a chill as a small piece of her sailor uniform's sleeve was torn right off.
The female sailor: "..."
She was wrong; this little thing wasn't soft or cute at all.
Another sailor in the rest area saw this and was about to mock her.
Suddenly, a sailor entered through the door. "That wasn't a normal wave."
"The first mate has ordered Team One to assist in the array control room and Team Two to maintain order on the deck and in the corridors."
Rate on N.U.
