Chapter Nineteen: The Sacrifice Once More

When Ye Qingyu returned to the Xuanqing Palace, dragging the enormous corpses of three ancient monsters, the entire palace erupted in joyous celebration. The disciples, gazing at the formidable, awe-inspiring, and terrifying beasts from the Wilds Mountains—now slain by their Palace Mistress—raised their arms and voices in exultation, their faces alight with excitement.

“All three ancient monsters from the Wilds Mountains have been vanquished!”

“Next, we build the ship and cross the Boundless Sea!”

Ye Qingyu’s words drifted through the palace, once again igniting the fervor of the Xuanqing Palace cultivators.

“The Palace Mistress is going to cross the Boundless Sea?!”

“At last, the day we’ve waited for has arrived!”

“Build the ship! Build the ship! To see the scenery on the far shore of the Boundless Sea!”

Uncle Iron, too, was visibly moved. The views beyond the Boundless Sea existed only in the ancient texts. No one could say for certain what lay there; apart from the ancient exiled immortals of Heaven’s Way, perhaps no one had ever truly witnessed it.

“The Palace Mistress is really going to build the ship…”

In a tall pavilion of the Xuanqing Palace stood Pei You, his expression tinged with emotion.

“In those days, besides seeking immortality, Lord Yan also longed to see the far shore of the Boundless Sea. What a pity…”

Beside Pei You stood Xiang Yunqian, her face equally wistful. The three of them had once been close, all yearning to cross the Boundless Sea. But now, Lord Yan had succumbed to the demonic path and was imprisoned by the Palace Mistress.

They had believed that all hope of crossing the sea was lost. Never had they imagined that the Palace Mistress, so profound in her cultivation, would slay three ancient monsters from the heart of the Wilds Mountains.

Now she intended to forge their colossal bones into a treasure ship to sail across the sea; this rekindled a blazing hope within both Pei You and Xiang Yunqian.

“Shall we tell Lord Yan?” Xiang Yunqian asked.

Pei You shook his head. “There’s no rush. We’ll wait a while. For now, our efforts must focus on forging the treasure ship…”

“Very well!” Xiang Yunqian nodded firmly, her gaze burning with hope as she looked upon the three ancient monsters’ remains.

“To think that little Ye Qingyu—after just two or three nights—has become so powerful…”

The events in the valley had not escaped Qin Feng’s notice. He looked at Ye Qingyu, his thoughts clear.

Though time flowed swiftly in the Box World, here only two or three days had passed.

“Ah, a day in the outside world, decades inside the box…”

“How quickly the world passes…”

With a sigh, Qin Feng also wondered how the little people of Xuanqing Palace would cross the Boundless Sea.

At the very edge of the Box World in his study lay the sea, seemingly the world’s end. Even Qin Feng could not glimpse what scenery lay beyond its far shore.

“If the people of Xuanqing Palace cross the sea, what changes will occur in my Box World?”

“When they cross the sea, will they vanish…or will the Box World itself expand?”

Curiosity sparked a flurry of ideas in Qin Feng’s mind. He watched the little people intently, adjusting the flow of time.

In an instant, time within the box accelerated.

Inside, the Xuanqing Palace cultivators wielded their arts: conjuring searing flames, calling down thunderbolts, swinging massive hammers—busily dismembering the three ancient monster corpses.

At the same time, they ordered the Great Qian Dynasty to collect rare materials from across the land. Martial artists and curious figures from every province and stronghold scoured the world for spiritual materials to forge the treasure ship.

Some climbed towering peaks, some dove into the deep sea, others searched through swamps. Enticed by the rewards of Xuanqing Palace, they brought their findings as tribute.

The cultivators skillfully blended these precious materials into the ancient monster remains, eventually constructing the hulls of many ships.

The process continued for five years.

During the following ten years, Ye Qingyu herself led the work. With a thousand Xuanqing Palace cultivators, she etched countless formation patterns into the ship hulls, strengthening their defenses and constructing layers of protective wards.

By the sixteenth year, the treasure ship was ready to set sail with an elite crew of cultivators.

“Palace Mistress, are you truly going to captain the ship yourself?” On the day of departure, Xuanqing Palace upheld tradition by holding a grand sacrificial ceremony. The beautiful priestess in charge looked at Ye Qingyu with concern, reluctant to see her risk herself.

“It must be me,” Ye Qingyu replied with a gentle smile, betraying no fear. “If you worry for me, then conduct the ritual with all your heart. Perhaps you’ll draw the favor of the ancient exiled immortals. If so, there will be no danger…”

As she spoke, Ye Qingyu looked up at the sky—azure and vast, with thick clouds overhead.

Yet, through those clouds, as always, she felt the presence of a celestial god or exiled immortal, merged with Heaven’s Way, eyes watching the mortal world from above.

“I will perform the ritual with utmost devotion!” the priestess promised, earnest and sincere, making Ye Qingyu smile softly.

She reached out, ruffling her disciple’s hair, recalling her own days as a young priestess.

“How the years flow by…”

“The little girl who once relied on the shelter of the ancient exiled immortals now has a disciple of her own…”

With a faint smile, Ye Qingyu waited for the ritual to begin, standing aside as her disciple presided over the grand ceremony.

“Resplendent Heaven’s Way, virtue overflowing to the world, shining upon the earth; gathering the spirit of the land, bestowing peace and auspiciousness, sending gentle winds and timely rain; all things flourish, the granaries are full, the people thrive; the livestock prosper, enduring through the ages; by the grace of the exiled immortal, sweet winds and rain arise, the four seas are ever tranquil; all plants and creatures reach their allotted span, none fail to flourish; fragrant offerings endure for a thousand ages, though merit has its end, the blessings are boundless; this rite is performed, we pray for favor, may the virtue flow on; noble deeds and benevolence are praised through generations, the waters run deep, the praise never ceases; with offerings and obeisance, we pray and give thanks, the great rite is complete.”

As the grand ceremony concluded, Ye Qingyu, together with several Xuanqing Palace cultivators, boarded the treasure ship and set out, soaring swiftly toward the Boundless Sea.

Thunder boomed overhead—the sky above the terrifying sea was split by bolts of lightning, each crash carrying a power that seemed capable of annihilating all. The surging tides battered the sea’s surface with the sound of armies clashing, a deafening roar.

“Set sail!”

The moment the treasure ship entered the Boundless Sea, the entire surface seemed to boil. Lightning fell like rain, relentlessly striking the ship.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In the next instant, the ship’s layered formations solidified, holding back the onslaught of thunder.