Above the sea, the sky was clear and the scorching sun hung high; it was a rare good day.
On the deck, a square long table had already been set up.
Upon it were countless fresh fruits and pastries, exuding an enticing aroma.
Lin Sheng and Lingyu Princess sat opposite each other, tasting the fruits and pastries on the table.
"Your Excellency Lin Sheng, the Yao Beast flesh and blood you asked me to search for are not found in Eastern Province, but the Imperial Family still has some in its collection. I have already submitted a request, and there should be news in a while."
At this point, Lingyu Princess paused, as if she had thought of something, and continued, "If Your Excellency Lin Sheng needs them urgently, why not return to the Imperial City with Lingyu?"
After speaking, she quietly looked at Lin Sheng, waiting for his reply.
Her trip to Eastern Province had already taken a lot of time.
If Lin Sheng wasn't still here, she would have returned directly to the Imperial Court after coming back from the Misty Sea Area.
"Imperial City?"
Hearing this, Lin Sheng was startled but after a brief moment of contemplation, he nodded and said, "That's fine, there's nothing left to do here in Eastern Province anyway."
Although the Southern Qi Imperial Family was not as dominant as the Northern Yan Imperial Family, which held sway over an entire country,
it had always been closely connected with the military, and was considered the largest force in Southern Qi.
The richness of its Imperial Family collection was definitely not comparable to ordinary forces.
He imagined there would be many Yao Beast Materials.
Now that the matter of the Misty Sea Area had come to an end,
going to the Imperial Court was not a problem.
As for Dark Star, if there were any other arrangements, he would make plans then.
Hearing Lin Sheng agree, Lingyu Princess's heart was filled with joy.
For some reason, she felt that Lin Sheng possessed a certain quality that greatly attracted her.
This feeling had grown stronger after the trip to the Misty Sea Area, a feeling she had never experienced before.
"That's great! After we enjoy this island, we'll return to the Imperial City together."
"Alright."
The two continued to chat.
As an important member of the Imperial Family, Lin Sheng learned many secrets and anecdotes through his conversation with her.
"According to ancient myths, in ancient times, there existed many powerful and terrifying ancient beasts in the land and oceans. Although these ancient beasts have been extinct for countless tens of thousands of years, those that could be called ancient beasts were terrifying Void Realm level exotic beasts."
As they chatted, they unknowingly started talking about ancient times.
"At that time, exotic beasts of the Yao Beast level were merely food for ancient beasts."
"Indeed, it's hard to imagine how our human ancestors survived under such circumstances, and step by step imitated exotic beasts to create various cultivation methods, gradually strengthening the Human Race. The ancients truly possessed great wisdom."
Hearing Lingyu Princess's words, Lin Sheng also nodded with some emotion.
After witnessing the terrifying might of the Ink Sea Dragon Horseshoe Crab in his consciousness, he felt quite impressed by the ancients who, facing numerous terrifying ancient beasts, could still multiply and thrive, maintain their Bloodline, and even create cultivation methods.
Even the Human Race, with its complete cultivation system today, might not have fared well back then.
As Lin Sheng mused, Lingyu Princess opposite him smiled and shook her head.
"Your Excellency Lin Sheng, it seems you have also been misled by those ancient historical records. In ancient times, when ancient beasts dominated, humans were actually regarded as blood food by those ancient beasts and Yao Beasts, and were deliberately raised; otherwise, humans might have already become extinct."
Lingyu Princess seemed quite knowledgeable about various ancient legends, and at this moment, she explained in detail to Lin Sheng.
"Powerful exotic beasts like ancient beasts even possess a higher level of intelligence than humans. In such a situation, humans alone would be utterly unable to break free from their predicament."
Lingyu Princess's words stirred Lin Sheng's heart.
He had always been somewhat puzzled by what was recorded in ancient books, and now, hearing Lingyu's meaning, there were clearly hidden secrets.
Seeing Lin Sheng's interest, Lingyu Princess smiled and continued.
"According to the ancient records collected by our Imperial Family, in ancient times, those powerful ancient beasts suddenly encountered a great catastrophe and almost all perished. Even Yao Beasts suffered eight or nine out of ten casualties, with only a small number barely surviving. However, the Human Race, being weaker, suffered very few casualties."
"It was precisely because of this great catastrophe of Heaven And Earth that humans, who were blood food, had a chance to breathe and rise. Otherwise, the power of our human ancestors at that time was far from being comparable to these exotic beasts."
"So that's how it is."
Hearing this, Lin Sheng finally understood.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this so-called great catastrophe that the ancients had the opportunity to devour powerful exotic beasts and gradually master Bloodline power.
Even powerful Void Realm beasts, even after death, still contained extremely strong power, and ordinary people would probably die upon consuming them.
But there would always be a very small number of lucky individuals who could initially refine it, and with reproduction, fully integrate this Bloodline into their genes.
What's more, the number of rare Heaven And Earth Treasures on the ancient land far exceeded that of today. With the near extinction of the dominant ancient beasts and Yao Beasts, it was quite normal for the Human Race to gradually gain a foothold.
"What kind of Heaven And Earth calamity was that?"
Thinking of this, Lin Sheng was quite interested in the Heaven And Earth catastrophe that caused all this.
After all, a calamity capable of annihilating numerous ancient beasts must possess unimaginable terrifying power.
"I'm not sure about that. Even in the Imperial Family's archives, there are only fragmented records, describing it as 'black clouds obscuring the sky, annihilating all living beings.'"
Lingyu Princess thought for a moment before replying.
"Black clouds obscuring the sky, annihilating all living beings?"
Lin Sheng chewed on these eight words.
"What kind of power was that, exactly?"
He murmured silently in his heart.
This power had definitely surpassed the scope of a Supreme Grandmaster, reaching a brand new Realm.
"The might of Heaven And Earth..."
Lin Sheng looked up at the sky where the great sun hung high.
A thought involuntarily popped into his mind: how would he fare against such a terrifying calamity?
The answer made his heart sink slightly.
There was only one outcome: death and the dissipation of his Dao, utterly powerless to resist.
But he merely thought about it; this so-called Heaven And Earth calamity had passed tens of thousands of years ago, so how could it easily descend again?
He shook his head slightly, chuckled wryly, and cast the thought aside.
After all, even if that day truly came, his strength would definitely have surpassed that of the so-called ancient beasts.
"Your Excellency Lin Sheng, if you are interested in these ancient matters, after we arrive at the Imperial City, Lingyu can take you to the Imperial Library to have a look."
"That would be excellent."
Hearing this, Lin Sheng nodded immediately; he was indeed very interested in these matters.
Compared to the Incomplete Manuals he had searched for on the market, the Imperial Family's collection of books in Southern Qi was undoubtedly much richer and more accurate.
The two continued to chat, quickly moving on to other topics.
Unbeknownst to them, two hours had quietly passed.
The ship's speed gradually slowed down, as an island rich in vegetation and dense with trees had already appeared in their line of sight.
Unlike normal lush greenery, the trees on this island had leaves of various colors such as red, yellow, white, and green. As the sea breeze blew, the branches and leaves swayed, like a giant rainbow, quite spectacular.
"We've arrived; that's Butterfly Island ahead."
Seeing this rather special island, Lingyu Princess stood up, a hint of joy on her face.
Such a dreamlike scene, let alone Lingyu, a woman, even Lin Sheng was somewhat moved.
Soon, the ship docked.
On the island, various colorful flowers were quite pleasing to the eye, especially among the flower bushes, where several brightly colored, palm-sized butterflies could often be seen, extremely cute and eye-catching.
"These butterflies are called Illusionary Butterflies, which is also the origin of Butterfly Island's name. Your Excellency Lin Sheng, do not be fooled by their beautiful appearance; each one is highly poisonous, and ordinary people will die upon touching them."
Lingyu Princess seemed not to be visiting for the first time, as she skillfully introduced them to Lin Sheng, extending her fair, jade-like hand to attract two butterflies to land.
"Of course, for us, this poison is nothing to worry about."
Lin Sheng also imitated Lingyu's movements, extending his palm, but for some reason, those Illusionary Butterflies dared not approach.
Even when he walked a few steps closer to Lingyu, the butterflies in her hand scattered as if startled.
Lin Sheng was a little speechless. He simply grabbed at the Void Realm with his large hand, and with the force of his Qi, caught an Illusionary Butterfly. After glancing at it through the panel, he lost interest.
It was merely a high-level Mortal Beast, and aside from a relatively high illusionary poison attribute, it had no outstanding features.
The two walked side by side on the island path, chatting and enjoying the scenery along the way, which was quite enjoyable.
Behind them, Shi Po stopped.
As Lingyu Princess's protector, she usually stayed by her side, almost inseparable.
But at this moment, if she were to step forward, it would seem somewhat inappropriate.
So she deliberately slowed down, creating a distance between herself and the two.
This Butterfly Island had already been cleared by the military, and there were no powerful exotic beasts on it, at most a few Spirit Beasts.
Moreover, Lingyu Princess held a noble status, and truly no one in Southern Qi would be so audacious as to dare to attack her. Besides, Lingyu Princess herself, as a Divine Form Realm Martial Artist, possessed extraordinary combat power and many methods. Even if she couldn't defeat an opponent below the Grandmaster Realm, she could certainly escape.
What's more, there was also Lin Sheng, who had extraordinary combat power, so as long as a Grandmaster Realm exotic beast didn't appear, there wouldn't be any problems.
Powerful exotic beasts of that level weren't like roadside cabbage; how could they appear so easily?
Shi Po strolled along the roadside, her aged eyes looking at the vibrant and colorful flowers around her, her gaze softening somewhat.
She reached out and pinched an Illusionary Butterfly, playing with it in her hand.
Having been in seclusion in the Imperial City, seeing such scenery on this trip out, she couldn't help but feel a little relaxed.
Suddenly, her ears twitched, as if she heard something.
Soon, her nose twitched, and a hint of doubt flashed in her aged eyes.
"How can there be the scent of Dragon Saliva here?"
She muttered to herself, a look of surprise on her face.
Then, she darted towards the mountain forest on the other side.
In just a few breaths, she had already covered several thousand meters.
She stopped by a mountain spring.
Her gaze fell on the side of the mountain spring, where she saw a fist-sized porcelain bottle standing open.
Seeing this, Shi Po frowned, then suddenly woke up, a look of shock in her eyes.
She immediately turned and shot back the way she came.
But just as she turned around, a sharp cry shot out from the mountain forest, instantly arriving close by.
Shi Po raised her staff, shattering the incoming object, which was merely a pebble.
She didn't pay attention to these things, but rather, her eyes flashed with a cold light, mixed with shock and anger, as she looked at a black-clothed figure emerging from the forest.
The figure was gaunt, wearing a mask that completely obscured their face.
The mask's material was peculiar, seemingly possessing the effect of blocking perception; even a Grandmaster's perception couldn't penetrate it.
"No matter who you are, I advise you to leave immediately. I can pretend I didn't see you, otherwise, be prepared to face the wrath of the Imperial Family and the military."
Shi Po's eyes were icy cold as she spoke in a chilling tone.
"Old hag, you're not going anywhere."
Facing Shi Po's threat, the black-clothed figure merely sneered.
As his voice fell, his figure exploded forward, attacking Shi Po like a large black eagle.
Shi Po was anxious, but facing the opponent's continuous and swift attacks, she had no chance to escape.
She understood that the opponent's target was not herself, which meant it could only be Lingyu Princess.
Thinking of this, Shi Po gritted her teeth, her killing intent surging. Azure Qi emerged from her body, and she attacked the black-clothed figure with lightning speed, wanting to repel him.
However, the black-clothed figure's strength was not weak, completely on par with hers. It would be difficult to determine a winner in a short time.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
On the island, Lin Sheng and Lingyu had unknowingly reached the middle of the island.
They stopped in front of a waterfall.
Although this island was not very large, there were quite a few cliffs and precipices on it.
"I didn't expect there to be such a waterfall on this island."
Looking at the huge, dozens of meters wide, rapidly flowing waterfall in front of him, Lin Sheng's eyes showed a hint of surprise.
"That's right. Don't let the small size of this underwater island fool you; its underground connects to a sea eye. Whenever the tide rises, you'll see such a spectacular sight as this."
Lingyu Princess explained from the side. As she spoke, she had already come to a bluestone by the water's edge and sat down, removing her shoes and putting her clean, fair feet into the water. A look of enjoyment appeared on her face, and her usual dignified and noble demeanor disappeared, replaced by a hint of girlish playfulness and liveliness.
Seeing this, Lin Sheng's heart stirred, and he raised an eyebrow slightly.
This Princess seemed to be getting more and more comfortable in front of him.
Just as he was about to say something, Lin Sheng suddenly turned his head and looked at the mountain forest ahead.
"Your Excellency Lin Sheng, do you want to go inside the waterfall and take a look?"
Lingyu Princess, who was splashing in the clear water, didn't notice Lin Sheng's abnormality and spoke with some excitement.
"Alright, I'll go ahead and explore a bit more, catch a few wild beasts, and then come back later."
Lin Sheng replied with a smile.
"Is that so? That's good too. It's been a long time since I've had roasted meat. I can finally taste Your Excellency Lin Sheng's cooking!"
Lingyu was startled at first, but then quickly nodded with a smile.
"Then, see you later..."
As he spoke, Lin Sheng's figure had already disappeared from his original spot, shooting into the mountain forest opposite, and soon vanished from sight.