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Chapter 865: The Vast Aolai Sea

One day, Zhong Shan sat in a pavilion in Princess Nine-Tails\' residence, sipping tea and listening to music, when a servant approached.

"Master Zhong, Young Master Su is here again!" the servant said.

"Let him in," Zhong Shan nodded.

With a wave of his hand, the dancing fox spirits dispersed.

"Zhong Shan, has Princess Nine-Tails come out of seclusion yet? It\'s been six months," Su Afo exclaimed as he rushed into the courtyard.

"She\'s still in seclusion. Why are you in such a hurry?" Zhong Shan smiled.

"It\'s not just me who\'s in a hurry. All the countless powerful beings in the four directions are anxious. The three great sacred courts—Taichu, Taiyi, and Taiji—and the three major dojos—Purple Sky, Lady Snake, and Burning Lamp—all of Fengzhong Territory, and even the surrounding sea areas, are in a frenzy," Su Afo said.

"Oh?"

"That day in the ancient immortal\'s secret realm, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox revealed the saint\'s treasure in Aolai Sea in front of so many people. This caused an uproar. With so many people hearing it, the news spread quickly. Now, all the powerful beings are rushing towards Aolai Sea!" Su Afo said with a strange expression.

"What was she thinking? Heh, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, as you may have found out by now, is no simple beauty. Anyone who could maneuver among the seven great sages would not say anything without a purpose. I think she intended for the news to spread across the world," Zhong Shan said confidently.

"Why?" Su Afo asked, puzzled.

"Because Lady Nuwa\'s relics are not easy to find. Aolai Sea, where the Supreme Sage fell, has already attracted countless powerful beings. Even sages have visited Aolai Sea but found nothing. Do you think Lady Nuwa\'s treasure is easy to find? Can it be found with just a few fox clan members?" Zhong Shan said calmly.

"Then why not tell only the fox clan and search slowly? If it\'s the saint\'s treasure, what if others take it? The fox clan is not the sole power in Fengzhong Territory," Su Afo frowned.

"Su Daji? Since she chose to let the whole world know, it means Lady Nuwa\'s treasure can only end up in the hands of the fox clan. Even if countless strong beings rush there, they will only end up serving the fox clan\'s interests. Don\'t worry too much," Zhong Shan assured.

"You\'re really not worried!" Su Afo said, somewhat annoyed.

"Heh, I already know the outcome. Worrying is useless," Zhong Shan shook his head.

"But when will Princess Nine-Tails come out of seclusion? It\'s taking too long," Su Afo said anxiously.

"Why are you so eager for her to come out?" Zhong Shan asked, puzzled.

"If she doesn\'t come out, you won\'t leave. If she comes out, you\'ll head to Aolai Sea!" Su Afo said.

"Why are you so eager for us to go to Aolai Sea?"

"I want to go as soon as possible."

"Then go!"

"No, I must endure it this time and go with you all!"

"Why?" Zhong Shan asked, even more puzzled.

Su Afo\'s eyes gleamed, "I\'ve found that wherever you go, there\'s always a big event. Following you all will definitely be more exciting than going alone!"

Zhong Shan: "...!"

"Su Afo, what are you doing at my residence?" A voice suddenly rang out in the pavilion. Su Afo shivered initially but then looked delighted.

"Princess, you\'ve finally come out of seclusion! Zhong Shan and I have been waiting for you forever!" Su Afo exclaimed immediately.

Zhong Shan: "..."

The figure of Princess Nine-Tails appeared at the entrance of the pavilion, her eyes narrowing. "Waiting for me? For what?"

"To go to Aolai Sea, of course! We\'ve been waiting for you!" Su Afo said eagerly.

Princess Nine-Tails glanced at Su Afo and then, with a sly look, said, "We will go to Aolai Sea, but did I ever say I\'d take you along?"

"What? Princess, you can\'t do this. I\'ve been waiting for you for six months. How can you leave me behind? It\'s so unfair!" Su Afo whined, tears streaming down his face.

Zhong Shan watched Su Afo\'s dramatic performance, thinking it required a remarkable level of acting skill.

"Hmmm, I just broke through to the Great Celestial Realm, and I\'m a bit short on celestial artifacts. Last time, I saw you won seven in a bet. How about...?" Princess Nine-Tails said with a mischievous smile.

"Six. I already gave one to you, Princess," Su Afo said, wincing with pain.

"But I lost that one. You see..." Princess Nine-Tails continued.

"Alright, I\'ll give you another one," Su Afo said, his face twitching with pain.

"One won\'t be enough. What if I lose it again? Let\'s make it four," Princess Nine-Tails said, opening wide.

"You might as well kill me! Four? No way. I can only give you two, not a single one more!" Su Afo shouted.

Seeing Su Afo\'s determined expression, Princess Nine-Tails smiled and said, "I was just joking with you. Fine, two it is."

Joking? Su Afo felt a pang of misery. This woman was truly a demoness. He had been tricked out of another artifact.

"How about three? What do you think?" Princess Nine-Tails suddenly asked.

Su Afo\'s face stiffened, and he immediately jumped up. "Only two, that\'s it."

"Alright, alright, so stingy!"

Su Afo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Stingy? She had just reached the Great Celestial Realm and already taken three celestial artifacts from him. Many rogue cultivators in the Great Celestial Realm didn\'t have a single decent artifact.

Zhong Shan, Princess Nine-Tails, and Su Afo began their journey to Aolai Sea.

Fengzhong Territory was a vast region, resembling the Divine Land of the Small Thousand World, surrounded by sea on all sides. However, Fengzhong Territory was much larger than the Divine Land.

Aolai Sea was located in the southeastern corner of Fengzhong Territory.

The Taichu Sacred Court was in the northeastern part of Fengzhong Territory, with Great Yi even further to the northeast. To the east was the Purple Sky Dojo, and to the south was the Taiyi Sacred Court.

This meant that Aolai Sea was in the outer sea region between the Purple Sky Dojo and the Taiyi Sacred Court.

On the way, Princess Nine-Tails proudly said, "Zhong Shan, I have some great news for you!"

"Oh?" Zhong Shan asked, puzzled.

"You broke the Heavenly Calamity Chessboard, brought the senior\'s last words to the fox clan, and protected me. The Sacred King has decided to award you the title of baron. After my strong recommendation, your baron title has been elevated to viscount. It\'s a significant achievement, and you\'re one step closer to the title of marquis. Once you accumulate enough merits for the marquis title, you can return to Great Yi!" Princess Nine-Tails said proudly.

"Viscount?" Su Afo\'s eyes widened in surprise.

"What\'s the matter?" Princess Nine-Tails asked, confused.

"Princess, what is your relationship with the Sacred King? Why does he favor you so much? The merits required for each noble rank are staggering, yet you managed to persuade the Sacred King? You\'re incredible!" Su Afo exclaimed in surprise.

"Of course, do you know who I am?" Princess Nine-Tails said, enjoying the praise.

"Um, could you put in a good word for me too? Maybe help me get my rank raised?" Su Afo asked with a fawning smile.

"Hmm, it\'s not impossible. It depends on your sincerity!" Princess Nine-Tails pretended to think deeply.

"Sincerity? What kind of sincerity?" Su Afo was puzzled.

"For example, celestial artifacts, heavenly treasures, things like that! I might consider it," Princess Nine-Tails said.

Su Afo looked at Princess Nine-Tails with a mix of frustration and resignation. This little demoness was terrifying. She had already taken three celestial artifacts from him and now wanted more. And she was only \'considering\' it. If he gave her more celestial artifacts, it would be like throwing a meat bun to a dog—gone forever.

"Uh, let\'s pretend I didn\'t say anything. I never said that!" Su Afo waved his hands quickly.

"Stingy!"

"Zhong Shan, how about it? Aren\'t I impressive? Being my follower isn\'t bad, right?" Princess Nine-Tails turned to Zhong Shan.

"Hmm!" Zhong Shan nodded.

Exchanging merit for freedom? Zhong Shan had never considered it. He had his own plans. Leaving Taichu by earning merit was too slow. However, it was an excellent cover for his own plans.

"Then call me \'Master\' and let me hear it," Princess Nine-Tails smiled.

Zhong Shan forced a smile but didn\'t utter the words.

Seeing this, Princess Nine-Tails felt frustrated again.

Three months later, the three of them arrived at the vast sea known as Aolai Sea.

This was an incredibly expansive area, vast and boundless, with azure seas and skies, countless islands, and misty expanses. The vastness of Aolai Sea made it seem like an impossible task to search for anything. Even though more and more people and strong beings had gathered over the past six months, Aolai Sea still felt empty, with only a few groups of people flying by in the distance.

No one had found anything despite searching for months.

"How are we supposed to find anything in this vast sea? The senior didn\'t give any clear directions!" Princess Nine-Tails complained.

"Yeah, this is hopeless. It\'s like finding a needle in a haystack. How can we possibly find it?" Su Afo echoed her complaints.

When they first set out, everyone was full of enthusiasm, but seeing the vast expanse of the sea had extinguished all their confidence and passion. It felt hopeless.

"Let\'s find a local cultivator to guide us around Aolai Sea. We need to get a clear understanding of the entire area first," Zhong Shan suggested.

"That\'s a good idea. Zhong Shan speaks wisely. You need patience to find things, unlike you, complaining at the first sign of difficulty. No wonder you\'re not as successful as Zhong Shan!" Princess Nine-Tails chided Su Afo.

Su Afo was speechless. Wasn\'t she the one who started complaining first?

Finding a local cultivator, Zhong Shan and his group obtained a map of the nearby sea. The local was straightforward, giving them a jade slip map detailing the general area of Aolai Sea before leaving.

"This lousy map costs three hundred celestial stones? These people are so greedy!" Su Afo grumbled, holding the jade slip map.

Celestial stones, similar to spirit stones in the Small Thousand World, were used as currency to purchase items.

Su Afo felt particularly distressed because Zhong Shan didn\'t have any celestial stones, and Princess Nine-Tails wouldn\'t pay. So, the three hundred celestial stones came out of Su Afo\'s pocket.