The Ghost Prison Sea Area was located in the easternmost part of the Cloud State. It was also an important passageway from the Cloud State to the Azure State.
The Heartsword Sect's main sphere of influence covered most of the Cloud State and had been expanding by sea over the years. If they could open the Ghost Prison Sea Area, they would be able to establish the most convenient sea route between the Cloud State and the Azure State.
It would be great news for the Heartsword Sect.
However, the Ghost Prison Sea Area was connected to a huge Sea Eye that was unfathomable. All kinds of strange and dangerous beasts often appeared in the Sea Eye. These beasts also seriously affected the safety of the sea and destroyed the connection between the two states.
The Sea Eye would also release endless Demonic Qi. Even ordinary fish would mutate under the influence of the Demonic Qi. Therefore, the Ghost Prison Sea Area was extremely dangerous. Any small crab could bite a person to death with one bite.
The Heartsword Sect had also sent Overlords to eliminate the beasts, but there were endless beasts. If you killed one, ten more would appear.
There was once an Overlord who went into the Sea Eye to eradicate the disaster, but he never returned. The Heartsword Sect had been in the Ghost Prison Sea Area for more than a thousand years, but they couldn't change the area after all, so they had to give up.
Sect Master Xuan Hai asked Gao Zhengyang to eliminate the beasts in the Ghost Prison Sea Area, which was actually a form of exile. If nothing went wrong, Gao Zhengyang would have to stay there for the rest of his life.
Artifact Spirit Tian Yi was too important. Xuan Hai was also very unhappy that Gao Zhengyang killed Tian Yi. However, he couldn't really do anything to Gao Zhengyang, so he could only send him to the Ghost Prison Sea Area.
Of course, if Gao Zhengyang could form a Golden Core, his status would naturally rise. By then, it would be reasonable for him to return to the sect.
However, it would be too difficult to form a Golden Core without enough resources. Xuan Hai didn't think Gao Zhengyang would succeed.
The decision of the top management of the sect spread quickly. After all, there were too many people attending the meeting.
Of course, the Artifact Spirit Tian Yi had to be kept a secret, but it wasn't a secret that Gao Zhengyang had made a big mistake and was sent to the Ghost Prison Sea Area. No one thought there was anything wrong with spreading this news.
Among this batch of disciples, Gao Zhengyang became an elder of the Ultimate Sword Peak in a single bound. He was also the idol of countless disciples. Now that Gao Zhengyang was in trouble, countless people were gloating over his misfortune.
The happiest person was undoubtedly Su Bai. He had been in the sect for more than half a year and had already gained a firm foothold among the new disciples. Now, he was recognized as the eldest senior brother of the outer sect.
However, Su Bai could not forget Gao Zhengyang, the guy who had become his master in one step.
He was not as handsome as him, his martial arts skills were not as high as his, and he was not as knowledgeable as him. How could such a guy be so high and mighty? Therefore, he was very happy to see Gao Zhengyang in trouble.
For this reason, he even signed up for the trial in the Ghost Prison Sea.
The Heartsword Sect would send disciples to the Ghost Prison Sea Region to train every year. However, the Ghost Prison Sea Region was extremely dangerous and outer sect disciples were generally not allowed to participate.
A Tier 7 cultivator like Su Bai was, of course, qualified to participate. Moreover, he was so proactive, and the sect always encouraged this kind of positive behavior.
There were more than a hundred inner sect disciples on the ship heading to the Ghost Prison Sea Region. Su Bai and a few other skilled outer disciples were also there. In addition, there were more than ten personal disciples.
For the sect, outer disciples were worthless. As long as they reached a certain standard, they could be accepted.
However, it was a different story for inner disciples. Every inner disciple was a one-in-a-hundred talent and was the precious new blood of the sect.
The next level above the inner disciples were the direct disciples. The disciples who were personally accepted by the elders of the seventeen peaks were the personal disciples.
If the outer sect disciples were the workers, then the inner sect disciples were the godson. A personal disciple was like a biological son.
Only by becoming a personal disciple could one be qualified to enter the upper echelons of the sect, obtain more resources, and achieve higher achievements.
Su Bai was so jealous of Gao Zhengyang because Gao Zhengyang had crossed the threshold and directly became an elder of the Ultimate Sword Peak, standing in the core position of the sect.
Ever since he boarded the ship, Su Bai had always wanted to see Gao Zhengyang. He wanted to talk to him. Unfortunately, the rank in the big ship was also strict.
As an outer disciple, Su Bai could only live in the lowest cabin. This kind of cabin had no windows, was full of stinky moisture, and was extremely narrow, making it particularly uncomfortable to live in.
If Su Bai wanted to breathe, he could only go to the passage on the side of the ship or the deck in front.
This big ship was more than a hundred feet long and had four floors. Five tall masts. Huge white sails were hung on them. Not only could it control the wind, but it could also control the power of the sun.
The whole ship was also suspended on the sea, but in fact, it was not in contact with the water. Traveling on the water like this, the speed of the giant ship was amazing. Moreover, the consumption was far less than that of an airship.
The major sects of the East Sea all used such floating water ships, which were convenient, fast, power-saving, and large enough.
This big ship was loaded with a lot of goods. Although the Ghost Prison Sea was dangerous, there were large islands around it. Some of the large islands had hundreds of millions of people living there.
The special environment of the Ghost Prison Sea also made it particularly rich in resources. In particular, some specialties were urgently needed by the major sects.
There were also a few small sects in the Ghost Prison Sea, but they were not strong enough and could only rely on the major sects.
Strictly speaking, the Ghost Prison Sea did not belong to the Heart Sword Sect alone. Instead, it was jointly managed by several sects. It was just that the situation here was very special, and no one would invest too much power here.
The Heart Sword Sect was the closest to here, so its voice was naturally the loudest and its power was naturally the strongest.
Su Bai was not a reckless person, and he had asked about the situation of the Ghost Prison Sea before coming. Although he was still an outer disciple, several elders had already expressed their appreciation for him.
Once he participated in the year-end competition, he would have the opportunity to cross the barrier of an inner disciple and directly become a direct disciple.
However, cultivation was different from practicing martial arts. The elders also needed time to observe and confirm Su Bai's cultivation talent.
Su Bai also understood this. This time, he came to participate in the trial of the Ghost Prison Sea not only to see Gao Zhengyang suffer but also to take the opportunity to show himself.
"Look, that's a real show …"
Yuan Li, who was traveling with him, was a little excited. He grabbed his sleeve and tore it hard, motioning him to look at the deck in front.
Su Bai followed Yuan Li's gaze and saw a group of yellow-clothed cultivators on the deck from a distance.
According to the rules of the Heart Sword Sect, clothing colors were divided into black, cyan, yellow, and purple.
Outer disciples could only wear black robes, while inner disciples wore cyan. Only direct disciples could wear yellow Daoist robes. As for purple, only the elders of the peaks and above were qualified to use it.
Of course, at the level of an elder, it did not matter what color they liked to wear. The most obvious sign of an elder was the Heart Sword Order. It was generally hung on the belt to show their identity.
The group of yellow-clothed cultivators on the deck was naturally a direct disciple.
There were more than a dozen direct disciples in this group, but Su Bai saw Zhen Xiu at a glance.
In fact, there were a few female cultivators around her, all of whom were very beautiful. However, standing next to her, these female cultivators had no sense of existence.
Looking at her, Su Bai thought of a sentence in his heart: Autumn water is divine, and jade is bone.
It was not necessarily true that Zhen Xiu was so bright and beautiful. It was just that her temperament was pure and clear, and her every frown and smile was like a spring breeze, making people feel warm both physically and mentally.
Anyone who saw her at first glance would be attracted to her.
"The top direct disciple, Zhen Xiu?"
Su Bai had also heard of Zhen Xiu's name, but this was the first time he had seen this woman, so his heart was full of surprise.
"Yes, this is Zhen Xiu. How is it? She lives up to her reputation, right? "Yuan Li talked about Zhen Xiu with pride and joy on his face, as if he had something to do with her.
"I heard that Zhen Xiu is already a Rank 8 high-level cultivator and is only a step away from the Foundation Establishment stage."
Su Bai did not think much of Rank 8, but being only a step away from the Foundation Establishment stage represented a completely different meaning.
He looked at Zhen Xiu's appearance but could not see any clues. He only felt that the other party was unusually young.
Powerful cultivators could not age, but time would always leave an indelible mark on a cultivator's body.
Zhen Xiu did not have such a time mark on her body. She looked about twenty years old, maybe even younger. This was because the vitality of young life in her could not be concealed.
"Zhen Xiu joined at the age of seven. She reached Rank 13, Rank 7, Rank 14, and Rank 8. She's only nineteen now."
Yuan Li said enviously, "Many elders concluded that she would complete the Foundation Establishment stage at the age of twenty. She's really a peerless genius. "
"Amazing."
Su Bai was already in his twenties. Although he had made rapid progress in the past six months, he knew that there was still a long way to go before he reached Rank 8. As for Rank 9, it was hard to say whether he would have a chance in this lifetime.
Only cultivators knew the difficulty of cultivation. He was naturally extremely envious of a genius like Zhen Xiu.
"Such a genius is the treasure of the sect. How can they be willing to let her go?"
Su Bai was a little puzzled. Someone like Zhen Xiu would only be released from the sect to deal with specific affairs when she reached the Golden Core stage. Her cultivation was still shallow, and if she really encountered an accident, the sect would suffer a great loss.
"I heard that her teacher, Xuan Guo, is traveling with her. He's a real big shot."
Yuan Li also knew Gao Zhengyang, so he could not help but tease him when he talked about big shots.
Indeed, Xuan Guo was the peak master of the Spirit Sword Peak. Although she was only at the Golden Core stage, she could firmly rank in the top five in terms of swordsmanship. She was also famous for her fierceness and first-rate fighting skills.
The trial in the Ghost Prison Sea Area naturally did not need such a big shot to accompany her. It was just that Xuan Guo was worried about her precious disciple and took the initiative to accompany her.
In fact, according to the sect's arrangement, Xuanye was in charge of all the trial matters.
Xuanye had been hiding in Yan City for more than a hundred years and finally returned to the sect. Naturally, the sect would not waste such a veteran Rank Nine.
This time, Xuanye would lead the team for the trial in the Ghost Prison Sea Area. Gao Zhengyang was stationed in the Ghost Prison Sea Area and had a completely different purpose from this group of trial disciples. His boat was just along the way.
Therefore, Gao Zhengyang had been staying in the cabin and did not show up at all.
Su Bai had a lot to say but did not have the chance to say it to Gao Zhengyang.
Being able to see Zhen Xiu this time made him feel that this trip was not in vain. He did not dare to hope to have such a beauty. Even just looking at her was good enough.
While Su Bai and Yuan Li were muttering, they were seen by a direct disciple on the deck. The direct disciple also guessed that they were talking about Zhen Xiu and was quite unhappy.
The direct disciple waved and said, "Junior brothers over there, why don't you come over and have a chat? Let's get to know each other … "
Yuan Li was very tall and had strong martial arts. However, facing a group of direct disciples, he still felt a little guilty. He looked at Su Bai hesitantly and did not want to talk to that group of people.
On the other hand, Su Bai was very generous. He took the lead and walked over, taking the initiative to greet everyone. "Senior brothers, my name is Zhen Yu, and I'm an outer disciple. "This time, I'm here for the trial. Please take care of me, senior brothers."
He turned to Yuan Li and introduced, "My junior brother is Zhen Li."
Su Bai was handsome and spoke and acted calmly, which made many direct disciples look at him in a new light. In particular, a few female direct disciples looked at him with a little more appreciation in their eyes.
Even among the direct disciples, there were few who could compare to such grace and bearing.
Even Zhen Xiu felt that Su Bai was a good person and took a few more glances at him.
Zhen Ming, on the side, was particularly unhappy. He was also handsome, but compared to Su Bai, he was more or less incomparable. Actually, when it came to looks, there was no such thing as superior or inferior.
It was just that Su Bai had been constantly practicing in the mortal world and was skilled in dealing with people and things. He was not comparable to a cultivator like Zhen Ming, who had cultivated since childhood.
Zhen Ming reminded him with concern, "The Ghost Prison Sea is dangerous, and monsters are rampant. Junior Brother Zhen Yu, you have to be more careful."
Su Bai knew that Zhen Ming was mocking them for their low cultivation, but he was not angry. He smiled and said, "My cultivation is limited, so I have to ask senior brothers and sisters to take care of me."
Zhen Ming said sternly, "Monsters are fierce, and others can't take care of you. The most important thing is to act within your means."
"I understand. Thank you for your teachings, senior brother." Su Bai was displeased, but his face remained calm and elegant.
Zhen Xiu frowned slightly. Zhen Ming was indeed rude, but this junior brother of hers was not easy to deal with.
Zhen Xiu had also cultivated since she was a child, but unlike Zhen Ming, she often traveled around with her master and had seen all kinds of local customs.
Although she was the youngest among them, she understood the human heart very well. With just a few words, she knew that Su Bai was not a simple person.
However, Su Bai, a one-in-a-million genius, was not a simple character. It was his scheming that made Zhen Xiu feel a little bored.
There were too many smart people in this world!
Zhen Xiu did not want the two of them to fight secretly, so she changed the topic. "I heard that a few powerful monsters have appeared in the Ghost Prison Sea this time. They're extremely powerful, so everyone must be careful. "
"We're only in the trial for three months, so there won't be too many powerful monsters in the offshore sea."
A true female disciple, Zhen Fang, said with some amusement, "I heard that Master Xuan Yang has to stay in the Ghost Prison Sea for a long time. He's really unlucky."
Gao Zhengyang had risen to the top too quickly, and it was all thanks to luck. Not to mention the outer disciples, even most of the true disciples were not convinced.
In private, this group of people also joked about Gao Zhengyang.
However, it was fine to talk about this topic in private, but it was a little rude to discuss it in a group.
Since Gao Zhengyang did not have much prestige, everyone did not care about it.
Zhen Xiu did not think that this was a good thing. Seniority was the order of the sect. Although Gao Zhengyang had risen to the top by luck, this was not a reason to joke about him in public.
She reminded softly, "Let's not talk about Master Xuan Yang's matters."
Zhen Fang had always been unconvinced by Zhen Xiu, but hearing Zhen Xiu's words, she became excited, raising her head and saying, "This is the sect's decision, it's not like I'm talking nonsense. What's there to be afraid of?"
Zhen Xiu was speechless, she understood Zhen Fang's thoughts, she knew that the more she persuaded, the more she would get excited, so she could only keep quiet.
Zhen Fang felt that she had won against Zhen Xiu, and was even more proud, "Master Xuan Yang is only rank seven, his cultivation is the same as Zhen Yu Junior Brother. But the sect arranged for him to stay in the Ghost Prison Sea, this is actually quite funny, hehehe … "
Among the many direct disciples, there were naturally admirers of Zhen Fang. Moreover, they all had opinions about Gao Zhengyang. Hearing this, they all laughed loudly.
"My heart aches for Master Xuan Yang …"
"In my opinion, when everyone is in the trial, we should take care of Master Xuan Yang, in case something happens to him, it would be bad for the sect."
"Then after we leave, what will happen to Master Xuan Yang?"
"Master Xuan Yang cultivates mortal world martial arts, his foundation is not strong enough, how will he survive in the Ghost Prison Sea …"
The more they talked, the more excited they became, and the louder their words became.
Although Su Bai looked down on Gao Zhengyang, he was quite unhappy when he heard everyone belittle Gao Zhengyang and the mortal world's martial arts.
Zhen Ming suddenly said to him, "By the way, I heard that you and Xuan Yang are from the same place. Do you know him?"
Zhen Ming was a little excited when he thought that Su Bai and Gao Zhengyang were from the same place. This time, he could both laugh at Gao Zhengyang and attack Su Bai. Therefore, he did not even call him Master Xuan Yang.
Su Bai was a little embarrassed. His relationship with Gao Zhengyang was not good. However, since Zhen Ming asked him face to face, he could only say, "We're both from Yan City, so we know each other."
"What did Xuan Yang do in the past?" asked Zhen Ming.
"Master Xuan Yang used to travel everywhere, so I don't know the specifics."
Su Bai really did not know Gao Zhengyang. He only knew that Gao Zhengyang was not from Yan City and had a mysterious origin.
"Was he a vagabond?"
Zhen Ming laughed. "You people from Yan City are all very funny."
Zhen Xiu heard that Zhen Ming was going overboard and was about to remind him when she suddenly became vigilant. She turned her head and found that a Taoist in blue had appeared beside her.
The Taoist had a high bun, held in place by an ebony hairpin. His facial features were deep, and his eyes were clear and deep. He seemed to have countless emotions, yet he seemed to have no emotions at all.
Zhen Xiu had never seen such a pair of eyes. They were ruthless and affectionate, deep and clear, cold and gentle. All kinds of complex and opposing emotions were contained together through those eyes, showing strange characteristics.
This person was also tall and slender. His blue robe was as blue as the sea and contained divine light. It was originally extremely gorgeous, but it did not seem out of place on him.
This was because this person's bearing was superb, and his whole person was so outstanding that his clothes had become a foil.
His slender hand was still holding a white jade horsetail whisk. He stood there with a leisurely and natural posture, like a bright moon and a cool breeze, high and clear, untainted by a speck of dust.
Zhen Xiu sized him up and was even more surprised. This person's bearing was so extraordinary and eye-catching, but no one had noticed his existence at all. She did not even know when he had arrived.
There were various arrays and restrictions on this ship, so it was impossible for outsiders to come in silently.
Zhen Xiu turned her gaze and saw a Heart Sword Token tied to this person's wrist. Two words were engraved on it: Xuan Yang.
She was even more shocked. This Master Xuan Yang looked extraordinary and was very different from the legendary idiot who relied on luck to get to his position!
Zhen Xiu looked at Zhen Ming, who was talking excitedly, and felt a little sympathy in her heart. This time, he was going to be embarrassed!
(End of this chapter)
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