Clan Cultivation: Starting with Building an Island Immortal City

8: Maritime Charts Secrets, Exploring the SeasThe two temporarily put the Spiritual Plant back into the jade box for preservation.

Li Yinglong picked up the animal skin scroll in the box and unfurled it with a whoosh!

This scroll was actually a meticulously drawn sea chart!

Linhai City was marked at the center of the map, and multiple different shipping routes extended to the upper, lower, and right sides (the left side was the western inland).

It also marked some precautions and local specialties along the way.

”Haha, good stuff! This is the original sea chart from the Lin Family, who have operated sea trade routes for many years!”

Li Yinglong immediately saw through it.

No wonder it was locked in such a hidden place; this was a good item for making a fortune.

”Not bad. I’ll give it to my son, Li Qingshan, later, and let him organize... Hmm? What is this?!”

Suddenly, Li Yinglong, who was carefully browsing the sea chart, let out a surprised exclamation.

”Uncle? What’s wrong?”

Li Qingzhu quickly asked.

Li Yinglong did not respond to her immediately; instead, he examined it even more carefully.

”sea soul moss... cannot be transplanted... medicinal efficacy gradually diminishes after leaving the soil... needs to grow near a Spiritual Vein...”

He muttered to himself as he read.

All the clues, at this moment, suddenly connected!

Li Yinglong’s hand holding the sea chart trembled slightly, as if he was somewhat excited.

”Qingzhu, look!”

He spread the sea chart flat, pointing to an inconspicuous small island marked with a leaf in the East Sea, his face filled with excitement.

Li Qingzhu was intelligent and understood instantly.

”Uncle! Are you suspecting... the Lin Family has secured a stable harvesting ground! Is it the island indicated by this sea chart?”

Li Yinglong, however, slowly shook his head:

”Child, you are thinking too superficially. Do you remember how ’records of strange tales of the universe’ described this item?”

Before Li Qingzhu could reply, he continued:

”And that dead Liu Yi, a Qi Refining Second Layer Loose Cultivator whose Lifespan was nearing its end and who indulged in pleasure, why would he condescend to stay in the Lin Family, a Mortal Family?”

”What could the Lin Family rely on to command a Cultivator? Just money and women? Absolutely not enough!”

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Qingzhu’s star-like eyes turned, and a look of shock gradually appeared in her gaze.

”Could there be... a Spiritual Vein... on that island?!”

Before her words finished, she herself was stunned.

This thought was too fanciful; even she found it absurd.

Having been with the Li Family for nearly two months, she had already pieced together a fact from others’ words and from the Li Family’s library:

For hundreds of years, no traces of Cultivators had been seen residing within a thousand miles of Linhai City.

Occasionally, a Cultivator would pass by, but they would always leave in a hurry, never staying.

Those legendary Immortal Sects never set foot in this place when selecting Disciple.

Others might just assume this place was remote and its Legacy broken, but she and Li Yinglong, based on various historical materials and legends, coupled with their own difficult Cultivation journey, had already deduced a deeper reason—this place was likely a region devoid of Spiritual Qi.

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was so thin as to be almost nonexistent, like a desert for Cultivation.

If not for the more than fifty Spirit Stone in her mother’s qiankun bag as a safety net, they would never have been able to enter the Dao simply by absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi themselves.

It was this despairing environment that probably led to the difficulty for living beings here to nurture a Spiritual Root, completely severing the Dao of Immortals.

It was not without benefits.

Such a poor and remote place would naturally not be coveted by Cultivators, allowing Mortals to recuperate and form their own distinct society.

The Lin Family’s ability to Cultivate a prodigy like Lin Bei using sea soul moss, almost allowing them to act without restraint, was clear proof.

But the drawbacks were even more fatal—for those just embarking on the path of Immortals, this place was no different from a cage.

Without Spiritual Qi, even with a Spiritual Root and a Cultivation Technique, the progress of Cultivation was agonizingly slow.

But now, the island marked as the sea soul moss harvesting ground on the sea chart subtly pointed to another possibility.

”It’s almost certain! The Lin Family has been engaged in maritime trade for many years; it’s not surprising for them to discover an island of Opportunity.”

”That Liu Yi was probably brought in from outside, partly with the intention of hiring help to destroy my Li Family, and partly to get concrete information from him, after all... they probably don’t understand these matters of Immortals.”

”But they also guarded against Liu Yi, merely keeping him in the manor. It’s likely they didn’t inform him of the secret of this place, otherwise... Liu Yi wouldn’t have only a Qi Refining Second Layer Cultivation!”

Li Yinglong sorted out his thoughts, his finger heavily tapping on the leaf-shaped mark, his eyes sharp:

”’records of strange tales of the universe’ clearly states that although sea soul moss is not a true Spiritual Plant, it needs to attach to the Qi emanating from a Spiritual Vein to grow and mutate. Without the nourishment of a Spiritual Vein, its medicinal efficacy will gradually diminish. The Lin Family’s stable acquisition of this item cannot be explained by merely stumbling upon it at sea!”

”And sea soul moss might be one of the keys. This item can stimulate blood and Qi, and temper muscles and bones. For a Cultivator, even if it cannot directly increase spiritual power, it might have the effect of stabilizing blood and Qi and delaying aging. For someone like Liu Yi, whose Lifespan is nearing its end and who has no hope for the Grand Dao, the attraction is self-evident. The Lin Family’s ability to provide this item, its source... is worth investigating deeply.”

Li Qingzhu remained silent; she didn’t know how to respond.

Li Yinglong slowly nodded, his expression growing more solemn:

”Nothing is absolute in this world. The creation of Heaven and Earth is mysterious; perhaps the seas have turned into mulberry fields, the earth veins have shifted, or perhaps that island is special and can gather faint Spiritual Qi... all are possible. However, this matter is too significant; whether it is true or false, it must be personally verified. Even if there is a one-in-ten-thousand chance, we must not miss it, and certainly not let outsiders benefit from it!”

He instantly made a decision:

”This matter should not be publicized. No one in the Family knows about Cultivation, and too many mouths would only cause trouble. The two of us going out to investigate is enough.”

He acted as soon as he thought of it, without any delay.

Li Yinglong immediately got up, led Li Qingzhu out of the secret room, and called for his eldest son, Li Qingshan.

Li Qingshan arrived quickly, bowed, and stood with his hands down:

”Father, what are your instructions?”

Li Yinglong’s expression had returned to its usual majesty:

”Qingshan, your father has been too quiet lately and wishes to take Qingzhu out for a few days to relax. All matters of the Family will still be discussed and decided by you and Uncle Zhong and others. Unless it is a matter of life and death, there is no need to report to me.”

Although Li Qingshan felt it was a bit strange that his father suddenly wanted to go out at this time, he was always filial and honest. Moreover, with the Family’s recent victory and numerous affairs, he simply assumed his father was mentally exhausted after the battle and wanted to relax. So he responded without hesitation:

”Yes, Father. I am happy for you to have such a refined interest. Please, Father and Third Sister, be careful. I will do my best with the Family’s affairs; please rest assured, Father.”

He didn’t even ask where they were going or when they would return, and this steadiness and trust put Li Yinglong’s heart at ease.

”Hmm.”

Li Yinglong gave a slight nod, said no more, and took Li Qingzhu to prepare.

The two did not use the conspicuous large ships at the Li Family’s dock.

Li Yinglong personally selected a medium-sized pleasure boat. This boat was well-maintained, sturdy, had a shallow draft, and was quite fast, suitable for coastal exploration. Moreover, it looked no different from the boats used by ordinary wealthy young masters for outings, attracting no attention.

Li Qingzhu quietly purchased a large amount of non-perishable dried food, jerky, and fresh water, as well as a compass, sea chart, and other supplies.

Immediately, the two each took out their qiankun bag.

Li Yinglong tied the old bag he had obtained from Liu Yi to the inner lining of his waist, while Li Qingzhu carefully kept the extraordinary brocade pouch left by her mother close to her body.

”Collect.”

With a slight thought, the pile of supplies, like a small mountain on the ground, was instantly absorbed into their qiankun bag.

With these two storage treasures, they could sustain themselves at sea for several months, and their movements would be convenient, without worrying about resupply issues.

By the time preparations were complete, it was already dusk.

The setting sun cast a layer of shimmering golden light on the sea.

The two changed into inconspicuous coarse cloth clothes and wore sun-shading bamboo hats. Taking advantage of the busiest and noisiest time at the dock, with people coming and going, they quietly boarded the pleasure boat like two ordinary fishing father and daughter.

Li Yinglong personally hoisted the sail, and Li Qingzhu untied the mooring ropes.

The evening wind swelled, filling the sail, which rose high.

The pleasure boat slowly sailed away from the bustling dock, gliding towards the vast sea, which was dyed golden-red by the setting sun.

Li Yinglong stood at the stern, one hand on the rudder, the other holding the carefully tanned sea chart, his gaze comparing the sea chart with the distant horizon, his expression focused and calm.

Li Qingzhu stood beside him, the sea breeze blowing through her hair.

She looked at the boundless sea ahead, then turned back to look at the outline of Linhai City, which was gradually receding and shrinking into a blurry black line, her small hand clenching slightly.

The road ahead was unknown; perhaps it concealed great Opportunity, or perhaps it was fraught with danger.

But with her uncle by her side, her heart felt much more at ease.

Night slowly descended, swallowing the last trace of twilight. The boundless deep blue enveloped the surroundings, with only the stars gradually lighting up, echoing the faint phosphorescence plowed up by the ship’s side.