Chapter 36: Chapter 216: Departing the East Sea Under the Stars, an Old Clam Spits Out a Golden Pearl

Xuzhuang reached out, picked up a grain of Superior Cloud Sand from the plate, and examined it. ’This quality should be more than enough to refine Tier Five Red Fire Gang Thunder,’ he thought. ’If I use it for Tier Four Gang Thunder, it will even boost its power a bit. It’s certainly worth the high price.’

Xuzhuang took out a total of one string of Tai Su Magic Coins (one thousand coins) to purchase the Superior Cloud Sand. He entrusted the remainder to Pengxuan Pavilion to be exchanged for Three Mountains Immortal Treasures, refined by the Three Mountains Immortal Sect, for use at sea.

The value of a Three Mountains Immortal Treasure was nearly identical to that of a Tai Su Magic Coin. This meant that a single grain of this Superior Cloud Sand cost two Tai Su Magic Coins—enough to exchange for two hundred fist-sized Spirit Stones! If Xuzhuang had used Superior Cloud Sand of this quality to refine Red Fire Gang Thunder in the past, he would have gone bankrupt after using just a few grains.

With a wave of his sleeve, Xuzhuang stored away the Superior Cloud Sand and the Three Mountains Immortal Treasures. He nodded to the middle-aged Daoist and said, "Since the Pengxuan Sea Ship has already departed, I don’t wish to linger. I will take my leave now."

The middle-aged Daoist cupped his hands in salute, then retrieved a leather scroll from his sleeve. "Fellow Daoist, are you planning to fly out to sea using a Flying Escape technique? The ocean is vast. During a Flying Escape, even the slightest deviation can send you thousands of miles off course. I have prepared a sea chart for you. Please accept it to check your route."

Xuzhuang was slightly surprised, but the sea chart was indeed useful to him. He accepted it directly, saying, "Then I thank you, fellow Daoist."

"You are too kind, fellow Daoist," the middle-aged Daoist said with a smile. "Shall I see you out?"

"No need to trouble yourself." Xuzhuang pointed to the window behind him with a smile. "I’ll leave from here. It will save us both some time."

"Hahaha, you are a man of character, fellow Daoist." The middle-aged Daoist waved his sleeve and said solemnly, "Please."

Xuzhuang dispensed with further pleasantries. He walked to the windowsill, turned to cup his hands in a final salute, and then rode a streak of light up into the clouds. Only when the buildings on the ground looked as small as ants did he take out the sea chart from his sleeve, check his direction, and fly away.

—

Zhao Yue Island was located in the depths of the East Sea, hundreds of thousands of miles from the Donghua Continent. For an ordinary cultivator, this was not a distance easily crossed, especially with the vast, boundless ocean in between.

In the past, when Xuzhuang had traveled to the East Sea, he had taken a sea ship. The journey required him to transfer between various islands, and it had taken him nearly two years to finally reach Zhao Yue Island and witness one of the most prosperous islands in the East Sea.

But now, under the power of his full-speed Flying Escape, a distance of hundreds of thousands of miles could be covered in just ten to fifteen days. Of course, when traveling, one could hardly maintain top speed the entire time, and over the vast ocean, some deviation was inevitable.

That night, a cool breeze blew under a clear, starry sky. The white and violet moonlight cast a dreamlike quality upon the vast, silent surface of the sea. The sea wind carried bursts of moisture, invigorating the senses.

As Xuzhuang continued his Flying Escape, his spiritual sense suddenly twitched, and his gaze fell upon something in the distance. A waterfall of pure white, flowing moonlight cascaded from the sky onto the sea’s surface. Within it, a golden pearl the size of a human head bobbed up and down, swaying freely in the Moonlight.

And beneath the moonlit surface, the massive, dark shadow of something the size of a ship loomed faintly.

Xuzhuang opened his Dharma Eyes to look. Hidden beneath the dark surface of the sea was, to his surprise, a gigantic clam. Its shell was open as it strenuously breathed in and out, drawing down the moonlight from the sky to form that waterfall of Moonlight. And the golden orb bobbing in the light was not a Demon Pill, but a pearl expelled from the clam’s shell.

’So it’s an old clam spitting out a pearl. For a golden pearl like this, the refinement process must be extraordinary. I fear this giant clam has been cultivating it for over a thousand years.’

Such a sight was truly rare, and Xuzhuang was quite surprised. He felt no strange impulse to act, however. ’When nature presents a treasure, there’s no harm in taking what heaven provides.’ As for killing the clam to take its pearl, he wouldn’t deign to do so unless it was absolutely necessary.

Xuzhuang felt no greed, but the giant clam’s situation was precarious. The phenomenon of an old clam spitting out a pearl to be refined by Moonlight had already attracted onlookers. Suddenly, a massive shadow passed beneath the waves, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.

Sensing the danger, the giant clam suddenly surfaced and let out a deep groan like a whale spouting water. The sea churned violently, and the Moonlight intensified, washing over the golden pearl as it shot back toward the clam’s shell.

The clam was alert, but it was a step too late. The shadow in the sea, seemingly aware of the situation, acted without hesitation. With a single swift movement, it closed in beneath the giant clam and rammed it forcefully, knocking the shell over like a capsizing ship. A sharp-toothed monster, part fish and part beast, burst from the water. Its gaping, bloody maw sucked in a gust of foul wind, pulling the golden pearl into its belly along with it.

"WUUU!!" The giant clam shuddered violently and frantically opened its shell, revealing circles and layers of golden flesh within, all of which trembled with its mournful cry.

However, the strange fish fell back to the sea’s surface, whipped its tail viciously against the shell, flipping it over again, and then dove toward the deep with another flick.

The giant clam’s body was ill-suited for combat, and what’s more, it was incredibly clumsy. It could only call out with all its might, trying to summon back its golden pearl, but it received no response. Its cries were waves of whimpers and wails of grief.

"Sigh." Xuzhuang, who had witnessed the entire event from the air, was finally moved by compassion. He sighed. ’Heaven has a virtue of cherishing life. Since I happened upon this matter, perhaps this is your destiny.’

Without any visible movement from him, a sharp, cold intent permeated the air. A faint scent of blood suddenly spread through the sea. The giant clam’s call was abruptly answered as the golden pearl, the size of a human head, broke through the waves and flew back to its side.

"ROAR!" The strange fish returned, its wound still bleeding, and charged after the golden pearl with ferocious, incessant roars. Xuzhuang’s brow furrowed slightly, and he lifted a finger on his lowered hand.

With a piercing cry of pain, the strange fish flicked its tail, vanished into the sea, and fled for its life.

In the end, Xuzhuang had not taken its life. He turned his gaze back to the giant clam. It had retracted the golden pearl into its shell, which was now half-closed in cautious vigilance. Yet, instead of closing up completely and fleeing, it directed a series of cries toward the sky.

’Is it... calling for me to show myself?’ Xuzhuang mused for a moment, then descended from the clouds, revealing his form above the giant clam.

"Wuuu!" Seeing Xuzhuang appear, the giant clam let out a joyful cry. It suddenly opened its shell again, and a silver light drifted lazily toward Xuzhuang, revealing a pearl. It was the size of a fist, perfectly round and smooth, and glowed with the color of Moonlight Spirit Essence from within.

’It has another Clam Pearl? Is this a reward for me?’

Xuzhuang took the pearl and looked back at the giant clam, but it had already closed its shell and was sinking with a gurgling sound into the bottomless depths. He couldn’t help but chuckle. ’Could this be considered a fortunate encounter? This Clam Pearl isn’t very useful to me, though.’

This fist-sized pearl, though not comparable to the golden one, was still a treasure. The Moonlight Spirit Essence within it must have been accumulated over countless cycles of the clam’s breathing. However, for someone of Xuzhuang’s current cultivation level, it was of little benefit.

Still, it was a small fortunate encounter. If exchanged for Spirit Stones, it might fetch several dozen Tai Su Magic Coins.

Xuzhuang smiled and shook his head, but still stored the pearl in his sleeve. He then took out the sea chart, unfolded it, and compared it carefully with the starry sky. He thought: ’It’s a good thing I have this sea chart. Although I’ve deviated slightly along the way, I haven’t strayed too far. There should be a few islands several hundred miles ahead. I might as well find one and rest for a bit.’

He had been traveling day and night. In just three or four days, he had flown two to three hundred thousand miles without a moment’s rest. While this was not enough to exhaust Xuzhuang’s Magical Power, it had consumed a fair amount.

At this pace, he could probably reach Zhao Yue Island within ten days. But if he were to encounter an emergency on the way, he would find himself stretched thin. Thus, Xuzhuang decided to find a place to rest for a while and meditate to restore his Magical Power.

Just as Xuzhuang was about to resume his Flying Escape, he stopped again, finding it strange. ’This ocean is so vast. I’ve been traveling day and night for three days without incident. Why have I run into so many "fortunate encounters" today?’