131 Chapter 116 Black Tide Island_i

Translator: 549690339

“This island is home to a tier one monster beast known as the Red-beaked Sparrow. This beast isn’t very useful, but the eggs it lays are quite delicious! They’re considered a specialty here!”

“There’s a type of small fish in the sea known as the Black Shuttle that loves to eat the droppings of these birds. They usually gather near the island, and when the waves roll in, they look like a black tide. Hence, the name Black Tide Island.”

As the island approached, Xu Yiren started explaining to Xu Mu.

As their flying boat drew near, Xu Mu saw that the black waters, Indeed, consisted of thumb-sized black fish gathered in large numbers.

Closer to the island, there were groves of red trees, half growing in the water half in the sea.

Gray-feathered and red-beaked small birds lived in these red forests.

These should be the Red-beaked Sparrows Xu Yiren was talking about.

The flying boat didn’t halt at the edge of the island but headed straight toward the center.

Xu Mu and Xu Yiren stood at the bow, looking down to find many cultivator dwellings and clusters of buildings forming small settlements.

Compared to Gourd Island, Black Tide Island housed many more cultivators- it even bore a semblance to Baihe Marketplace, a rare sight in the Outer Sea.

After all, the population on the sea couldn’t be compared to that on land.

Glancing up, Black Tide Island, compared to Gourd Island, was meticulously divided, with spirit fields surrounding the marketplace cloaked in formation’s white fog.

However, these spirit fields didn’t grow spiritual medicines or grains but a stout, low-tier spirit plant.

Locally known as the Spirit Potato, it resembled the papaya of the previous life but much shorter and thicker. Its fruits looked like sweet potatoes but were much more astringent and unpalatable.

This Spirit Potato was one of the primary food sources for low-tier cultivators in the Outer Sea.

The other source, naturally, was the ocean Itself.

Beyond fish, there were various types of seaweed and sea fruits.

Some cultivators also traded with the Sea Race for a food called Sea Grain.

Like the human-grown Spirit Grains, Sea Grain wasn’t cultivated but was produced by a creature caUed the sea anemone.

Sea Grain was the Sea Race’s main food.

The longer the sea anemone lived, the more energy its Sea Grains contained. They were said to have magical effects if the sea anemone lived for several centuries.

Though the Human Clan’s fight with the Sea Race never ceased, it didn’t prevent them from trading.

Just like the Humans, the Sea Race wasn’t monolithic; they also fought among themselves.

Some despised humans, and some were friendly. At large, hostility prevailed. Either way, where there was profit, there were always those willing to take risks.

Xu Mu had read about this recently.

Instead of flying toward the marketplace, Xu Yiren led Xu Mu toward a building cluster near the marketplace, shrouded with a formation’s light shield.

Compared to the rustic houses where other cultivators lived, these buildings were far more opulent and aristocratic.

They featured carved beams, painted pillars, blooming flowers, running streams, and an old-world charm, giving off the ambiance of a grand estate.

Men and women in servant attire were bustling around.

As their flying boat approached, a Qi Cultivation Late Stage cultivator in a grey robe flew out. On seeing Xu Yiren, he immediately bowed in greeting.

“Greetings, Gang Leader Xu! Greetings, Elder Xu! Our Gang Leader has been waiting inside, if you would please follow me!”

It wasn’t surprising to Xu Mu to be recognized instantly; Xu Yiren must have sent a message and his portrait ahead of their arrival.

The cultivator likely had been waiting outside for them.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible to be greeted so promptly.

“Have the other Elders and Vice Gang Leader Shen arrived yet?” Xu Yiren asked.

“Besides Gang Leader Shen, all other Elders have arrived!” The grey-robed cultivator replied respectfully.

“Just as I expected, it’s him again!”

Xu Yiren’s eyebrows creased slightly, and she hummed before leading Xu Mu with the welcoming cultivator past the front gates.

It seemed that there was some friction between Xu Yiren and the other Vice Gang Leader.

Xu Mu took note of it, but didn’t ask any further.

“Greetings, Gang Leader Xu!”

“Greetings, Gang Leader Xu!”

Along the road, maids and servants would pause, bow, and pay their respects upon seeing them.

“This Whale Gang Leader indeed lives in luxury, otherwise he wouldn’t have so many servants!”

For these Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, one round of cultivation seclusion could last half a month, and an occasional trip outside could be three to five years in length. Unless aimed at establishing a family or living in luxury, hiring so many servants would be overly wasteful.

They walked through several corridors until they reached an open courtyard.

At the doorway of the main hall, a robust old man with white hair, dressed in a luxurious brocade robe, was stroking his beard while looking up at the sky.

As the trio walked in, he glanced down, a smile spreading on his face.

“I assume this must be Friend Xu! Indeed, meeting someone is better than hearing about them. Being so young and having such cultivation is indeed promising,” the old man chuckled.

“You flatter me, Whale Gang Leader! It s simply luck,” Xu Mu responded modestly with a bow.

“I’ve heard so much about you, Gang Leader. Today, I have the good fortune to meet you!”

After they reciprocally lavished each other with compliments, Xu Yiren snuggled up to Whale Falling Chen, her eyes beguiling, “Gang Leader, let’s stop chatting here.”

Their intimacy suggested that they were more than just friends.

Xu Mu pretended not to notice.

Yiren is right, Friend Xu, please come in!”

“Please!”

The three of them walked one after the other into the hall.

As for the grey-robed cultivator who served as a guide, he turned to leave after receiving a nod from Whale Falling Chen.

As the three entered, the three men sitting in the hall chatting over tea all stood up.

Whale Falling Chen smiled and introduced Xu Mu to them one by one.

“This is Elder Wang Yin Xian, who has been a member of the Whale Sea Gang for over a decade…”

Whale Falling Chen pointed to a peculiar woman with pupils the size of mung beans.

“I greet Elder Wang!”

Xu Mu greeted courteously and didn’t show any anomaly.

On the way here, Xu Yiren had briefly Informed him about the scenarios of several people.

Elder Wang Yin Xian, who is now seventy-five years old, is at the second level of Foundation Establishment stage. A native Outer Sea cultivator, her eyes didn’t naturally look like this. It was an accident during the cultivation of her Divine Skills that caused this appearance.

Wang Yin Xian has a rather somber personality. After Whale Falling Chen’s introduction, she just nodded and sat down, staring blankly at the tea leaves in the cup.

Besides Wang Yin Xian, the other two were called Zhang Tianluo and Yang Wanshou.

Zhang Tianluo was also a young woman, but her appearance was more peculiar- with a disproportionately large head to her body, as if severely malnourished, and plenty of blue scales on her forehead.

According to Xu Yiren, this appearance was because she had some Sea Race bloodline in her.

Zhang Tianluo, for all her small stature, had a big temper. In response to Xu Mu’s greeting, she just hummed coldly, raised her chin in a haughty manner. The other, Yang Wanshou, was an even older gentleman than Whale Falling Chen, with white hair and beard and an air of charisma.

He had the best temperament among the three and had been laughing heartily since Xu Mu entered. When greeted by Xu Mu, he also responded courteously and even invited Xu Mu to visit him in the future.

The image of Yang Wanshou reminded Xu Mu of Zhang Shouren.

According to Xu Yiren, Yang Wanshou is a rare Array Master, also good at pulse diagnosis skill, but he has never shown it.

After the introductions, Whale Falling Chen invited Xu Mu to sit down. After the servants brought the Spiritual Tea and Xu Yiren worked to liven the atmosphere, the group started to chat and gradually warmed up to each other.

Only after half a day had passed, and Whale Falling Chen had glanced at the

door three times, did a tubby man walk in, wiping sweat off his face with a handkerchief, rolling in like a ball of flesh.

“Sorry! Sorry! Had too much on my plate at the marketplace today and got held up!” the fat man chuckled.

“Hmph!” Xu Yiren snorted disdainfully, eyeing the fat man contemptuously.

The fat man’s beady eyes swept around the room before finally landing on Xu Mu.

“You must be Friend Xu! You’re as impressive as they say!”

“Friend Shen is too kind!”

Xu Mu stood and bowed.

The man standing before him was Shen Gai, one of the Whale Sea Gang’s Vice

Gang Leaders.

As for his chubby appearance, it was completely due to his cultivation practice.

As per Xu Yiren, this Vice Gang Leader Shen, like him, was a cultivator who pursued both the Law and the Body.

“1 heard Friend Xu hasn’t chosen a residence yet. My Stone Man Island just happens to have a dwelling built over a Spiritual Spring. I wonder if Friend Xu is interested?”

“What is the meaning of this, Shen?”

Xu Yiren stood up with an icy expression- feeling his man was being poached right in front of her.

■Vice Gang Leader Xu, don’t be mad. I merely mentioned it so Friend Xu may

have more options!”

Shen Gai chuckled, not offended in the slightest.

“Friend Xu, what do you say?”

Shen Gai, with his thick face, continued to ask Xu Mu, completely ignoring Xu Yiren’s icy expression.

“Thank you for your kind offer, Vice Gang Leader Shen, but I’ve already set my sights elsewhere.”

Xu Mu smiled.

“Friend Xu, won’t you reconsider that dwelling…”

“Enough, Brother Shen! Let’s talk about the dwelling some other time. Friend

Xu has been here for quite a while now, so let’s start the banquet!”

Whale Falling Chen interrupted Shen Gai and signalled the servants to bring up all kinds of delicacies.

“The Gang Leader is right!”

Shen Gai laughed and sat in his place.

Various Outer Sea specialties and delicacies, fine wines, were served like flowing water.

Among them were the Red Beak Sparrow eggs special to Black Tide Island, and

Spirit Sweet Potatoes that had been processed repeatedly to completely remove the bitter taste.

Only once the dishes and wine were mostly served did Whale Falling Chen after inviting everyone to drink together, speak again: “I heard from Yiren’that you’re in need of the essence blood of a thunder attribute sea monster, isn’t that right Friend Xu?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Xu Mu nodded.

Everyone stopped eating and turned to look at them.

“As it turns out, by sheer coincidence, I happen to have a drop of Phantom

Thunder Silver Shark essence blood!” whale Falling Chen said, stroking his long beard and smiling..