Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 68 A Seventh-Rank Scholar, A Mandate to Slay Evil Across the Land (Please Read Further)
The sun in the sky deflects.

Wang Cheng worked almost non-stop, only grabbing a quick bite to eat, from the morning of the first day until the early hours of the second day.

The twelve hours were about to pass.

He stood on the small boat, holding a rod nearly two zhang long, equipped with a very strong silk fishing line, a large fishing hook, and live bait.

The fishing line suddenly taut.

Shouted loudly:
"rise!"

With his arm muscles bulging, he used the extraordinary control of his mind and eyes to draw upon the force of the waves beneath his feet. The thick fishing rod in his hand almost transformed into a long spear, and he yanked the hooked giant off the hook.

The next moment, a giant shark over four meters long burst out of the water and was skillfully flung by Wang Cheng onto the deck of the Zhang Fushun ship next to it.

Meanwhile, as the first rays of sunlight fell on the horizon, the day came to an end.

Wang Cheng dropped his fishing rod and jumped onto the Zhang Fushun ship with the shark. An altar had already been prepared on the deck according to the ritual requirements.

Fish, turtles, shrimp, crabs, hundreds of thousands of marine delicacies, and giant creatures from the sea—all sorts of precious catches were piled up like small mountains around the altar.

Two days ago, the third senior brother Zheng Qian, on the orders of their master, delivered the most suitable talisman and talisman for the [Bai Shui Lang] to take up the post.

It is a three-pointed, double-edged knife that evolved from the zhuodao.

Like the "Heart-Soothing Golden Hoop" seized from the monkey's second-hand possession, it carries the symbolism from the same mythological legend.

But Wang Cheng didn't use it.

Anyway, since Master's lineage mainly cultivates the [Chaofenglang], the Erlangdao (a type of sword) doesn't have any special significance. Whether he uses it or not won't prevent him from becoming a successor disciple in the future.

Wang Cheng decided to directly use the [Craftsman's Silver] to establish his own branch of the Dharma lineage.

He used Daoist energy to refine the talisman and the talisman in advance, paving the way for his crew members who came from humble backgrounds.

Gold, silver, copper coins, jade ruyi and similar talismans are believed to have divine power and are the most versatile, suitable for use in all thirty-six halls of the Water Bureau.

Wang Cheng accepted the "Craftsman's Silver" presented by Zhang Wu in the gold box inlaid with mother-of-pearl and fish and algae patterns made of purple lacquer.

It was placed neatly on the altar.

Burn incense, kowtow, and chant incantations:
"Heaven's assistance is impartial, and the celestial phenomena are all-pervasive. Without darkness or obscurity, without feeling or knowledge, one can wear the talisman and command divine soldiers at will. I, the Supreme Emperor of the Dao, ascend to the celestial capital, by decree!"

The silver craftsman's body shone with a bright blue light, sweeping away the precious catches worth thousands of taels of silver in the surrounding area, instantly melting them all away.

The radiant light mixed with the blue smoke disappeared into the void, creating a fragrant path between heaven and earth.
Wang Cheng had personally witnessed Han Shushu perform the ritual and knew that the process had proceeded without any problems so far, and they were preparing to receive the baptism of Daoist energy.

The Four Seas Coin, which had been silently lingering in my mind, suddenly lit up at that moment.

Together with the craftsman's silver, resonate with the [Heavenly One Water Golden Toad Qi] above the nine heavens.

Before he could react, the money in his pupils widened rapidly, and the range of his detection, which was based on the Dao Qi, was extended to its limit.

Wang Cheng's perspective suddenly rose as well.

In an instant, they passed through the coastal defense line formed by coastal garrisons, and the wide buffer zone in the middle where only the Tanka people lived.
They saw a golden ray of light leaping out from the boundary between the sky and the sea in the vast ocean, forming a winding golden Great Wall stretching from north to south across the eastern sea of ​​the Great Zhao Dynasty, like mountains and forests, like dragons and serpents.

Countless incense bricks, yellow cloth banners, shrines, altars, and temples were piled up densely on the city wall.

The phantoms of ghosts, gods, officials, children, guardians, ascetics, princes, emperors, dragon kings, and celestial princesses each sat solemnly in their shrines, suppressing this mountain and sea curse.

They were either making hand seals or holding steel whips, divine maces, or scepters, each one exuding awe-inspiring power.

Two of them particularly caught his attention.

The Heavenly Consort is undoubtedly in a class of her own, her Dharma form being a compassionate goddess shrouded in a golden radiance.

This is the only first-rank Earth Deity in the Water Class. He did not achieve this through cultivation during his lifetime, but was deified after death to protect the sea frontier. He gradually ascended to godhood through the immense incense offerings and prayers of the coastal areas.

Yunxiao said she had already submitted a petition to the Heavenly Consort.

While it's unrealistic to expect this revered deity to personally intervene in the mortal world, issuing an edict to the closely connected Mountain and Sea Society, ordering them to send more personnel, shouldn't be difficult.

The other was her father, Prince Jing, who was one of the very few who could reach the second rank before his death and immediately obtained a rank second only to the Empress Tianfei upon his return to power.

If he can successfully manifest his divine power, he will surely become the leading figure of the [Prince] lineage.

Although the officials of the divine path do not expect to ascend to heaven in broad daylight, they only want to be more practical and seek a posthumous deification so that they will "not perish after death".

But if given a choice, who would willingly abide by the strict and harsh precepts of ghosts and gods, forcibly shaping themselves into a perfectly righteous and impartial natural phenomenon? How much better is that compared to those evil spirits born from folk legends, most of which have no self?
Only living, intelligent beings can create infinite possibilities!
It's no wonder that emperors throughout history couldn't resist the temptation and repeatedly sent naval fleets to the sea to search for elixirs of immortality.

At the foot of this illusory, cursed Great Wall, there is also a bloody and murky underwater eye, where many ghosts and gods suppress evil spirits.

This time, Wang Cheng saw things much more clearly than when he sent the Wang ship away last time.

The former giant ship captains are now half-human, half-dragon, covered in scales, with messy horns on their heads, and most of them have empty eyes, gradually losing their rationality as they are worn down by the evil spirits day and night.

Even if [Dragon's Blood] were to eat them to their faces, they probably wouldn't know how to resist.

Wang Cheng felt a sense of shared fate and gritted his teeth, determined not to suffer the same fate as them.

The rare commodity reached the boundary of the Mountain and Sea Curse Restriction, but it was not over yet. It actually broke through the brilliant golden light barrier and continued to move forward.

"Could it be that?"

Wang Cheng's heart skipped a beat when he saw this.

He knew perfectly well that something extraordinary was hidden beyond the Mountain and Sea Curses that had been in place since the time of the First Emperor.

They also know that burying their heads in the sand like ostriches solves nothing, and that "dredging" is a proven and feasible approach rather than "blocking."

Therefore, he always wanted to see the world outside the wall with his own eyes, discover problems, solve problems, and know that only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle.

At the same time, I am also very curious as to why rulers of all dynasties have always believed that the secret of immortality is hidden in the depths of the vast ocean.

Finally, their gaze gradually pierced through the golden light released by the Mountain and Sea Curse.

Before Wang Cheng could even see what was there, a dense barrage of information about rare and valuable goods filled his field of vision.

Rare find: Crimson Pearl Immortal Herb, refined over 500 years

Efficacy: It can revive the dead, restore flesh and bone, and even revive the newly deceased in less than 15 minutes.

Value of goods: 100,000 incense and donation money

Rare commodity: Ganoderma lucidum
It relieves chest congestion, benefits heart qi, nourishes the middle jiao (spleen and stomach), enhances wisdom and memory, and prolonged consumption can lighten the body, prevent aging, and prolong life.

Value of goods: 60,000 incense and donation money

[Rare Treasure: The Seven-Star Beidou Ship of the Master Craftsmanship]
[One of the seven divinely crafted treasure ships that were lost in the vast ocean, accompanying the treasure ship's crew]

Just as Wang Cheng widened his eyes, wanting to see more clearly,

A point of shimmering golden light appeared in the depths of the azure sky, guided by a wisp of inner light within him, and crashed into his brow.

In an instant, a wisp of Dao energy descended, carrying with it the spiritual message of heaven and earth awaiting the "otter's sacrifice to the fish," weaving together into a golden-red talisman that resembled a dragon and a phoenix dancing.

It then sank into his heart, merging with Wang Cheng's own obsession to become the wick of the heart lamp.

The three flames of fortune, prosperity, and longevity shone brightly, bathing the entire fishing boat in a warm breeze, sweeping away the lingering chill of spring.

Huge schools of fish emerged from the surrounding sea, swimming rapidly around the Zhang Fushun, and even when natural enemies met, they remained at peace.

They swam and blew bubbles, as if they were calling his name together.

Some of the Tanka crew members excitedly swore to their companions that they had just heard them saying:
"When the Tanka people prosper, wealth and honor will follow!"

Without a doubt, Wang Cheng had just entered the ranks of the seventh-rank Bai Shui Lang, yet his spiritual sensitivity and skill were already approaching those of veteran officials who had served for many years.

Judging solely from the fanfare and impact of his inauguration, he was clearly one of the most outstanding students among all the Water Class graduates.

But Wang Cheng's uniqueness goes far beyond that.

He couldn't dwell on whether the scene he had just seen outside the wall was real or not.

He quickly focused his mind to sense the talisman in his heart, but his expression immediately froze:
"I obtained a seventh-grade [Four Seas Extermination of Evil Talisman]?"
But shouldn't the talisman Bai Shuilang received be the "River Diagram Life-Saving Talisman"?

He had already carefully studied the secret scrolls and Taoist books given to him by his master, and discovered that his magic talisman was different from those obtained by other Bai Shuilang and even all the officials of the thirty-six halls of the Shuiban.

One speaks of the Four Seas, the other of the River Chart; one speaks of vanquishing evil, the other of preserving life; the difference in their levels is completely different, and every word exudes a powerful aura that ordinary fishermen lack.

Before Wang Cheng could fully grasp the differences between the new magic talisman he had just mastered and those of others, his vision suddenly blurred.

When I opened my eyes again, I found that my consciousness had been pulled into the money eye of the [Four Seas Coins].

(End of this chapter)