Chapter 255: Chapter 249: Da Yu’s Invitation, a Clue to the Purifying Marrow

"Until we meet again! I look forward to buying A-rank sea beast blood from you in the future!"

"Until we meet again."

After leaving Shi Ming her private contact information, General Jin set sail once more.

Shi Ming, meanwhile, began planning his next move.

He seriously considered having the "Da Yun" and "She Ri" temporarily split into two groups to maximize their sea beast hunting efficiency. One group, led by the Da Yun’s crew, could hunt on their own. Lin Hai and Stone Pillar were now A-rank Awakened, fully capable of hunting B-rank sea beasts.

He himself would lead the other group and take on some more thrilling challenges.

For example, this area was near the old site of Kunlun Mountain.

Probes from the Map of the Endless Sea revealed an S-rank sea beast of unknown rank and characteristics lurking in the deep sea at the old site of Kunlun Mountain.

’Maybe I can take the She Ri and probe that S-rank sea beast to see what it’s really made of?’

’If it’s just an ordinary S-rank sea beast, I could kill it while I’m at it. Even for a low-ranked S-rank beast, the physical enhancement from simply bathing in its blood would surpass the gains from absorbing an A-rank sea beast’s ability. If it’s an unusual one, I can gather some intel on it beforehand, add it to my "Beast Materials" database, and find a suitable opportunity to hunt it later!’

’It’s a plan.’

’In a few more days, my skill, Desperate Ground, will be off its cooldown.’

’When that time comes, I’ll have a greater margin for error and a higher chance of success when facing that beast beneath Kunlun. In the meantime, I can use the Eye of the World’s active ability to gather more intel on it.’

’A good warrior never fights an unprepared battle.’

...

After bidding farewell to Shi Ming, the Asahi sailed for half a day and arrived at the Da Yu.

General Jin boarded the Da Yu for the first time in fifteen years. After visiting some key figures, she naturally went to see some of her old acquaintances.

Thinking back to the great flood thirty years ago, if the Da Yu hadn’t, out of humanitarian consideration, shared some precious secrets and experience in building wandering ships with her father, the Asahi might never have been built. Their lives today wouldn’t be nearly as comfortable.

Now, after decades of strengthening their forces, the Asahi’s other aspects might not have reached the average standard for an Admiral-class Ship, but in terms of the depth of its Awakened, it was faintly on par with the neighboring "Da Min."

’I’ll never be able to repay this debt!’

"Captain Rong, long time no see!"

"General Jin, what brings you to the Da Yu all of a sudden?"

Rong Bing asked curiously as they walked down a corridor.

"A good trade opportunity came up, which served as a good reason. Plus, I was thinking it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the uncles, so I thought I’d come visit."

The "uncles" she referred to were Elder Zhou and his peers.

"A trade?"

Rong Bing was puzzled.

’What kind of trade requires a voyage of over 2,000 nautical miles?’

General Jin gave Rong Bing a meaningful look.

"A trade for A-rank sea beasts, of course. Speaking of which, there’s a Bronze or Silver-class wandering ship in the Sea of Soaring Dragons selling the bodies of A-rank and B-rank sea beasts. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it. Besides the Kunwu, is there another wandering ship in the Sea of Soaring Dragons that can hunt so many High-level Sea Beasts in such a short time?"

"Oh?"

The Kunwu was the Da Yu’s number one Admiral-class Ship. It was not only powerful but also extremely fast. At only thirty meters long, this Admiral-class wandering ship was far smaller than the typical five to six-hundred-meter ones, not even half the size of Shi Ming’s "Da Yun."

However, its construction had consumed a vast amount of resources, with its cost being second only to the Da Yu itself.

It possessed the Admiral Trait: "Chase the Deer."

A classic case of "good things come in small packages," the smaller Admiral-class wandering ships were often the most extraordinary. After activating "Chase the Deer," the Kunwu’s top speed could approach 500 nautical miles per hour, comparable to an airplane from the old world. It was a natural-born sword-bearer ship, able to reach any area in the Sea of Soaring Dragons in less than three hours!

In the chaotic early days of the Wandering Era, it truly managed to stop war with martial might and stabilize the world.

However, it placed extreme demands on its crew’s physical constitution.

Therefore, if it had the right intelligence, killing several sea beasts in a single day was not surprising.

But for an ordinary Silver ship to achieve such a feat... General Jin found that impossible to believe. She suspected the ship was likely a front for the Kunwu—a "glove," so to speak. The Kunwu would kill the sea beasts and take the blood, and this ship would sell the remaining corpses. Whether it was a shady operation or not, it was a new source of revenue.

But Rong Bing didn’t think along those lines at all.

In just a second, he knew exactly who Jin Riyi was talking about.

’Killing several A-rank and B-rank sea beasts in a row...’

’Shi Ming!’

’Such efficiency, such power!’

’No wonder the higher-ups place so much importance on him.’

"The sea is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Sea beasts are the common enemy of all humanity. Perhaps there’s a newly-risen Awakened out there, serving the people by hunting down these beasts one by one, wanting to bring true peace to the Sea of Peace."

"Indeed. The sea beasts are a crisis, but they are also a treasure."

General Jin was both puzzled and envious.

’An S-rank Awakened has the strength to kill an A-rank sea beast single-handedly. When will the Asahi have such a powerful S-rank Awakened of its own?’

Meanwhile, Rong Bing began to formulate his own plan.

’It’s time to contact him.’

The Moonlight Ripple Beast. Its ability ranked 35th, just below the "Royal Hegemony" of the Wangba Da Bo.

But because it guarded the Bodhi Tree of Suffering, the Moonlight Ripple Beast seemed to have evolved. Its strength had skyrocketed, far beyond what a 35th-ranked beast should possess. Its ability was bizarre and difficult to counter. Even Zhan Peng, the strongest on the Da Yu, couldn’t gain an advantage against it. His Physical Strength would be inexplicably drained, making a kill out of the question.