Chapter 34: Zhi Fan’s Choice! Entering the Demon Spirit Sea!

In Zhenhai City, at the Star Pavilion.

“Sister Zhi Fan, what have you decided these past few days?” asked Prefect Li Shiyun of the Southern Province.

Zhi Fan looked at the scenery outside the window and shook her head. “I refuse.”

Li Shiyun did not seem surprised and smiled as he asked, “Why? Don’t you want to separate from Shen Wuque?”

Zhi Fan said, “Back then, he ran away from the wedding ceremony, leaving a wooden doll to marry me, making me the laughingstock of countless people. I hated him to the bone.”

“So I swore that someday, I would return tooth for tooth and bone for bone.”

“I had decided that once Shen Wuque returned, I would take my revenge, ruin him, and make him a laughingstock. Only after washing away the shame would I separate from him and have nothing more to do with him.”

“But…”

Zhi Fan continued slowly, “When he came back, he looked just like a stray dog, pitiful.”

“Recently, he was going to take the Academy Grand Examination again, probably to prove something to Fu Caiwei again, even though she is already married.”

“A person, making a fool of himself over and over for the world to see, just to prove himself, to prove himself to the woman he loves, even though she is married and won’t give him a second glance.”

“It’s too pitiful. I can’t bear to hurt him anymore.”

Li Shiyun said, “So you’re going to waste your whole life on this pitiful person?”

Zhi Fan said, “I won’t take revenge, and I won’t hurt him, but I will separate from him. I can even give a large sum of property to support him for the rest of his life.”

Li Shiyun said, “Fine. I will go visit Shen Gong’ao now to arrange your separation.”

“No!” Zhi Fan said firmly. “Originally, I had decided to go to the Shen Gong residence to discuss the separation. It’s because you came that I cannot go to talk about it.”

“What will people say? They’ll say Li Shiyun came, became the Empire’s rising sun, that I have a new patron, a new lover, so I dumped the useless Shen Wuque.”

“How much gossip will swirl around me? I, Zhi Fan, have lived a clean life, proud and flawless, with self-respect and self-love. I love everything about myself.”

“After thinking for a long time, I realized that my own purity and pride are for me to know. Why do I need to prove them to the world?”

“So, I will go to the Shen Gong residence myself to discuss the separation. This is a matter between Shen Wuque and me alone, and it has nothing to do with you, Li Shiyun.”

Zhi Fan raised her head, her swan-like jade neck appearing breathtakingly beautiful and proud.

She said firmly, “For the separation, to regain my freedom, I am willing to pay any price, even if it means giving up half of the Star Pavilion’s assets.”

…

Night fell, on the sea surface.

A small boat was moored at the dock, its sails already unfurled.

On the boat, Wen Daozi said seriously to Wuque on the dock, “We have no way back, but you are different. You still have a way back.”

“You are a top genius. Even if you don’t succeed in this Academy Grand Examination, it doesn’t matter. You can simply take it again in four years.”

“This journey to the Demon Spirit Sea is extremely dangerous, with slim chances of survival. If you board this ship, you might never return. I cannot bear to let a genius like you be buried with us.”

Wuque said slowly, “Mountain Master, I have no way back either. Perhaps at some point, our fates became tightly intertwined. Jiumogang killed his own uncle and cousin for me. Whatever the reason, I have no excuse to give up halfway.”

With that, Wuque reached out his hand toward Wen Daozi.

Wen Daozi gently pulled, and Wuque boarded the ship.

The sails filled with wind, and under the cover of night, they sailed toward the mysterious and terrifying Demon Spirit Sea.

In the darkness, the two disguised themselves completely, looking nothing like their original appearances.

…

Sailing with the wind, at a speed of fifty li per hour, covering three hundred li in just three hours.

Ahead…

lay the waters of the Demon Spirit Sea.

Mysterious, terrifying, a forbidden zone for humans.

Over the years, many who entered never returned.

Even Grandmaster Experts were not spared, disappearing in these waters.

They drew closer and closer to the Demon Spirit Sea.

Eighty li, sixty li, fifty li…

Wuque saw it.

The boundary was too clear.

This wasn’t the North Pole; there shouldn’t have been an aurora.

But fifty li ahead, between heaven and earth, a strange and beautiful aurora shimmered.

An aurora wall tens of thousands of meters high stood like a barrier, completely separating the outside world from the Dark Energy field.

Inside the Aurora Wall was the Demon Spirit Sea.

It represented death and mystery.

Both Wuque and Wen Daozi couldn’t help but feel excited, their breathing becoming rapid.

It was truly breathtakingly beautiful.

The boat sped up, getting closer and closer to the Demon Spirit Sea.

Suddenly…

A large warship came into view from behind.

On this large warship, there was a Giant Ballista and hundreds of warriors.

The person at the front, wearing a silver robe, shouted sharply, “Scholarium patrol on duty. Halt the vessel ahead immediately.”

Wen Daozi’s face changed dramatically.

He knew that the Scholarium patrol fleet cruised around this sea area, but he didn’t expect such bad luck to run directly into a patrol.

Why did the Scholarium patrol ships cruise around here?

The reason was very simple: many people coveted the demon spirit power within the Dark Domain.

Some were those who studied the evil techniques of the Dark Academy; this group was collectively called the fanatics of the Dark Academy.

The other part were Yin-Yang Masters.

For adventures into the Dark Domain, bringing a Yin-Yang Master was most suitable, but unfortunately, Wen Daozi’s side did not have a Yin-Yang Master they absolutely trusted.

According to Scholarium law, unless one had a pass from the Sky Scholar City Council of Elders, no one was allowed to approach the Dark Domain, let alone enter it.

Once discovered, immediate arrest followed.

“Vessel ahead, surrender immediately!”

“According to Scholarium law, no one is allowed to approach the Dark Domain.”

“Vessel ahead, surrender immediately, or face execution without mercy.”

“Vessel ahead, lower your sails and surrender immediately, or face execution without mercy.”

Wen Daozi, of course, did not lower the sails. Instead, he rowed harder, charging toward the Demon Spirit Sea area.

Seeing this, the Scholarium patrol ship behind immediately gave chase at full speed.

The speed of the small boat was no match for the specialized patrol ship of the Scholarium.

The distance between them grew smaller and smaller.

Wen Daozi and Wuque’s small boat desperately charged toward the Aurora Wall of the Demon Spirit Sea.

Go, go, go!

But…

The patrol ship from Scholarium was already within five hundred meters.

“Fire…”

Immediately, dozens of Giant Ballistas on the warship fired at Wen Daozi’s little boat.

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh…”

Massive flaming arrows shot out like mad.

One wave, two waves, three waves…

An insane barrage.

At the same time, warriors from the Scholarium patrol ship jumped into the sea, surrounding Wen Daozi’s boat.

“Boom boom boom…”

In a blink, the sail of Wen Daozi’s small boat was struck by the giant flaming arrows and instantly burst into flames.

In a short moment, the sail was completely destroyed.

Then, the mast was also shattered.

The entire boat spun in place on the sea, unable to move forward anymore.

Yet, they were less than three hundred meters away from the Aurora Wall of the Demon Spirit Sea, unable to advance even a single inch further.

So close, yet so far.

The Scholarium warship charged menacingly.

More and more warriors on the ship leapt into the water, closing in on Wen Daozi and Wuque from three sides.

They intended to capture them alive!

Because anyone approaching the Dark Domain could be a follower of the Dark Academy. Capturing them would be a great achievement.

“Take them alive! Take them alive!”

The Scholarium warship grew closer and closer.

Hundreds of warriors surrounded the damaged boat Wen Daozi was on, and it seemed the two would soon be captured.

If captured!

They would be ruined, with nowhere to bury their bodies, and might even implicate the Shen Gong Family.

At that moment, Wen Daozi grabbed Wuque’s arm and said slowly, “Child, I’m sorry, but I cannot accompany you inside. The most dangerous, most mysterious area ahead will have to be ventured by you alone.”

With that, he suddenly threw Wuque toward the Aurora Wall of the Dark Domain.

Wuque, a full-grown person, was thrown nearly a hundred meters, now only dozens of meters from the Aurora Wall of the Demon Spirit Sea.

Then, Wuque began desperately swimming toward the Aurora Wall, glancing back at Wen Daozi.

He saw Wen Daozi slowly drawing a wooden staff, raising it gradually.

Hundreds of Scholarium warriors closed in around him.

Wen Daozi’s frail, thin body stood straight, appearing fragile.

Wuque couldn’t help but recall a phrase: Even against ten thousand, I will go.

One man, facing hundreds!

Wuque swam desperately, frantically.

Hundreds of warriors rushed fiercely toward Wen Daozi’s thin body.

The remaining dozens chased madly after Wuque.

The distance grew shorter and shorter.

Wuque remembered his earlier question: Wen Daozi was not the strongest in Martial Arts, not the best in Classics Interpretation, and didn’t seem to excel in any particular subject. So, why was he the leader?

Was it just personal charisma?

So, he had once asked Jiumogang this question.

Jiumogang replied, Mountain Master Wen Daozi was truly powerful.

But this kind of power might only be seen once in a very, very long time.

At that moment!

Wuque heard Wen Daozi roar as if shouting to the heavens, chanting profound and obscure ancient mystical words.

His usual gentle voice now thundered deafeningly.

His voice rose to its peak.

Hundreds of Scholarium warriors drew their weapons and charged fiercely at his frail body.

Instantly…

Wen Daozi’s body was swallowed by the crowd.

At the same time, the dozens of warriors chasing Wuque leapt up, lunging madly toward him.

Then… suddenly!

“Boom boom boom…”

A tremendous roar!

The entire sea surface suddenly erupted in gigantic waves!

This was a sight Wuque could hardly believe and one he would never forget.

Across several square miles of ocean, waves dozens of meters high abruptly surged.

Then, they crashed down violently!

Instantly…

The Scholarium patrol ship was utterly shattered. Hundreds of warriors on the sea were swallowed by the waves.

It was stunning!

At the same time, Wuque made a final surge!

At the last possible moment, he passed through the Aurora Wall.

He entered the most mysterious, most dangerous Dark Domain!

He entered the Forbidden Zone.

He entered the territory of the Demon Spirits.

Is this… the Demon Spirit Sea?

…