Volume 1, Chapter 141: The Tempest Sea
"As expected, only those who give their hearts truly suffer."
Lin Yu shook his head gently. How heartbroken Qu Lingxian must have been to realize her sincere love was misplaced before her death. But the departed were gone; now he cared more about what other treasures she might have left in this Sumeru Ring.
Master Tripod seemed to guess his thoughts and chuckled, "What a pity! This Sumeru Ring only has a space about a zhang (3 meters) squared. Besides the Enlightenment Lamp, there's nothing left. I suspect that wretch, with平庸资质 (mediocre talent), managed to reach Ninth Rank Myriad Phenomena so quickly by relying on the ring's treasures—he must have exhausted them over the years."
"Master Tripod, what about the other storage ring?"
Disappointment flickered in Lin Yu's eyes. Though he had expected the ring might be empty, Master Tripod's confirmation still left him disheartened.
"Ah, the remaining ring does hold a treasure."
Master Tripod grinned, and starlight ripples emanated from the God-Eating Tripod. A palm-sized, two-story pavilion ship appeared before Lin Yu. Exquisitely carved with painted beams and lifelike motifs, it looked ready to float on water at any moment.
Knowing Master Tripod wouldn't call it a treasure without reason, Lin Yu looked to him for an explanation.
"Do you know of the Tempest Sea that separates the Divine State Continent from the other continents in the Canglan Domain?"
Master Tripod changed the subject abruptly.
"Of course. Legend has it that within a thousand li of the Divine State's coastline, the sea is calm, but beyond that, storms rage and lightning strikes. Even Myriad Phenomena Realm warriors can't survive entering the Tempest Sea. It's like a fog shrouding the Divine State."
Lin Yu nodded. The legend of the Tempest Sea was familiar, but he wondered how this palm-sized ship related to it.
"Correct. Not just the Divine State—other continents are also isolated by the Tempest Sea. And it's not just Myriad Phenomena warriors; even Void Transformation Realm experts die there. The storms and lightning in the Tempest Sea are beyond human power. Even Condensed Spirit Realm warriors have a nine-death-one-life chance of surviving. That's why the continents of the Canglan Domain rarely interact—when they do, it's thanks to something like this."
Master Tripod chuckled, finally getting to the point.
"This pavilion ship?" Lin Yu asked in surprise. Could this tiny ship cross the Tempest Sea?
"Precisely. Don't underestimate it. It can grow with the wind and contains the secret art of Star-Guiding Positioning, allowing safe passage through the Tempest Sea."
Master Tripod revealed the ship's secret.
"What?!" Lin Yu gasped in shock. "The Tempest Sea is so defensive that even Void Transformation Realm warriors can't cross it?"
"It doesn't cross by defense. The Tempest Sea actually has many safe paths. Legend says ancient powerhouses from various continents joined forces to find these paths and used secret arts to inscribe them into ships via Star-Guiding Positioning. That's why such ships can travel the Tempest Sea. Sadly, few remain, making this one a remarkable treasure."
Master Tripod paused, sighing, "It not only finds safe paths but also has decent defense, withstanding the residual might of the sea's storms and lightning. With it, crossing the Tempest Sea will be as easy as walking on flat ground."
"No wonder those Qu Family warriors, all Myriad Phenomena Realm, could cross the Tempest Sea to reach the Great Han."
Lin Yu exhaled, now understanding the ship's value. With it, he had the means to explore the entire Canglan Domain.
Besides the ship, Wu Jing's Sumeru Ring held only cultivation manuals and spirit stones, which Lin Yu left to Master Tripod. He wore his mother's Sumeru Ring, storing the Enlightenment Lamp and Windrider Sword. Henceforth, he wouldn't need to summon Master Tripod to release the sword—sending a wisp of spiritual power into the ring would make the sword appear in his hand.
After tidying Moonlight Palace, Lin Yu settled in. To him, it was no different from the imperial mausoleum—perhaps more intimate, as Qu Lingxian's tomb lay in the courtyard. Staying here was like guarding her tomb.
Lin Shuo sent people to repair Moonlight Palace and forbade disturbances. Except for daily imperial meals, Lin Yu enjoyed peace, using the spiritual power from Master Tripod's devouring of the Han Emperor to cultivate and冲击 (assault) the Void Transformation Realm.
In the blink of an eye, autumn gave way to winter, and snow covered the imperial city. Lin Yu had fully refined the Han Emperor's spiritual power but still had a long way to Void Transformation. Unless he attacked hidden sect lairs and slew Void Transformation elders, advancement would be impossible短期内 (in the short term).
The news of the Han Emperor's death and Lin Shuo's ascension, along with Lin Yu's identity as the mysterious Prince Su of the Great Han and his killing of a Ninth Rank Myriad Phenomena warrior from Penglai Continent, spread far and wide. Strangely, no one dared to cause trouble during the power transition, for Lin Yu's reputation as a Ninth Rank slayer震慑 (intimidated) all major sects and powerful families in the Great Han, serving as the foundation of Lin Shuo's rule.
On the eaves of Moonlight Palace, Lin Yu reclined on a lounge chair, watching the snow fall all night. Though wind and snow raged, not a single flake reached him—an invisible force separated the world inside and outside the eaves.
Eh!
Just then, Lin Yu's eyes flickered.细微的动静 (Subtle movement) came from outside Moonlight Palace's gate. Approaching, he found a dying white fox. Snow-white and beautiful, it almost merged with the snow; only his sharp eyes spotted it. A deep wound on its abdomen stained the fur red. The wound was horrific—only the freezing cold had stopped it from bleeding out, but the fox still shivered, its breath faint, on the verge of death.
"Strange. How did a fox appear in the imperial inner court?" Lin Yu murmured. The palace was patrolled by guards and cleaned by servants; both dangerous venomous creatures and ill-omened beasts like foxes were driven away or killed. This white fox was a true oddity.