Chapter 1937 — 1937: Sea of Dragons

After entering the Sea of Dragons, it didn't take long for the sea beasts to launch their assault on the Soaring Phoenix. Even though the flying treasure flew high above the waves, the creatures below unleashed powerful long-range attacks. Some even went as far as jumping out of the water to strike them using their entire body.

The sea beasts of the Sea of Dragons were notoriously aggressive, attacking anything that moved without hesitation. This was one of many reasons why few dared to traverse its waters. Navigating the sea required not only specialized equipment but also a vast amount of resources to defend against the relentless onslaught of these powerful creatures.

"Why are the sea creatures here so aggressive? It wasn't nowhere this bad at the Purple Sea," Xi Meili wondered out loud as she watched them bounce off an invisible barrier that protected the flying treasure.

"Well, dragons are aggressive creatures by nature," Feng Yuxiang said with a casual shrug.

"That's not true… at least not for the dragons in the Ancient Dragon City," Xi Meili responded, a hint of defensiveness in her tone.

"I'm not saying all dragons are violent," Feng Yuxiang replied calmly. "But many are. It's in their blood—just like how phoenixes are naturally prideful creatures. It's part of who we are."

"..."

Xi Meili fell silent, unable to refute Feng Yuxiang's words, especially with the evidence right before her eyes. The sea beasts, dragon-like in form and ferocity, were living proof of the aggression woven into their bloodline. All she could do was watch in quiet contemplation.

"So, how do you plan on approaching the Holy Dragon Clan, Young Master? I can't say I've dealt with them before, but I've heard many stories about them." Feng Yuxiang asked Yuan.

"Are you going to disguise yourself as a Dragon Emperor like you usually do?"

Yuan pondered for a moment before responding, "No, that trick probably won't work with them, especially if they're one of the top dragon clans in the Nine Heavens. Moreover, their God Ascension experts will most likely see through my disguise."

"Then how are you going to trick them? I doubt they'd pay attention to a human." Feng Yuxiang said.

"Since there's a good chance they have a connection with Dragon Goddess Yeyou, I can use that to my advantage. After all, I have Dragon Goddess Yeyou's soul with me."

"I see… so you're going to use Dragon Goddess Yeyou's identity…"

"If that doesn't work, I'll think of something else."

The Sea of Dragons was so vast that even with a high-speed flying treasure, crossing from one end to the other would take years. The Dragon Spiral Mountain was located at the very heart of the Sea of Dragons, and Yuan estimated that their journey would take several months at the very least.

With an abundance of time, the group dedicated themselves to cultivation. Thanks to the rich spiritual energy of the Seventh Heaven, Xi Meili's cultivation advanced at an astonishing pace.

Lan Yingying and Yingzi appeared to cultivate. While Lan Yingying focused on stabilizing her cultivation, Yingzi's cultivation soared at an unimaginable speed.

After a few weeks at sea, Feng Yuxiang returned to Yuan's Dantian and entered slumber. Fortunately, the Soaring Phoenix required no active supervision to operate. With a destination already set and absorbing the natural spiritual energy and Immortal Qi around it, the ship continued sailing steadily toward Dragon Spiral Mountain.

Meanwhile, Yuan continued to absorb the spiritual energy within the Demon Devouring Sword. It didn't take long for his Divine King cultivation to enter the Divine Emperor realm. However, after reaching the peak of Divine Emperor, Yuan encountered his bottleneck.

After reaching his bottleneck, Yuan focused on improving his Soul Strength.

Unlike spiritual energy, which could only be enhanced by absorbing more of it, Immortal Qi functioned differently. While it could be strengthened through conventional cultivation, it also grew stronger through one's Soul Strength, hence why Immortals spend more time cultivating their Soul Cultivation Technique than their Spiritual Cultivation Technique.

Of course, due to the rarity of Soul Cultivation Techniques, not all Immortals had the luxury of strengthening their Soul Strength. This was where factions became crucial. Beyond offering protection and resources, many powerful factions possessed Soul Cultivation Techniques, making them invaluable to those seeking to advance further.

'Heaven's Indomitable Soul… truly an unfathomable technique. I wonder how it's related to my past lives…' Yuan thought to himself as his Soul Strength strengthened with every passing second.

As the Soaring Phoenix drew closer to Dragon Spiral Mountain, the sea beasts grew noticeably more aggressive and far more powerful. Their appearances also resembled dragons more and more.

At first, the Soaring Phoenix effortlessly absorbed all incoming attacks, its defenses unfazed by the sea beasts' aggression. But now, the sea beasts were powerful enough to shake the flying treasure with their attacks.

"The barrier looks like it's struggling... It's not going to break, is it?" Xi Meili asked, a worried look on her face as the ship shuddered again.

"Feng Feng said the flying treasure can withstand attacks up to the Silver Immortal level," Yuan replied calmly. "The sea beasts are still only in the Immortal Ascension realm, so we're fine—for now."

"Is that so?" Feeling relieved, Xi Meili returned to her cultivation.

In just eight months, Xi Meili increased her cultivation to the 8th level of Divine Master from Divine Warrior. Lan Yingying had stabilized her cultivation at the 1st level of the Divine Lord level and had begun cultivating toward the next level by herself. As for Yingzi, her cultivation saw the most significant improvements, reaching the 3rd level of Divine Grandmaster.

As their journey entered its ninth month, the Soaring Phoenix came to a sudden halt for the first time since they had set sail.

Sensing the shift, Yuan and the others paused their cultivation to investigate, expecting to see their destination. But to their confusion, the Dragon Spiral Mountain was nowhere in sight.

"Young Master, several powerful presences are blocking our path," Feng Yuxiang reported calmly. "But it doesn't seem like they've noticed us. In fact, it looks like they're currently fighting among themselves."