“There are countless beautiful fairy maidens serving at one’s side, able to summon clouds with a flip of the hand and bring rain with a turn of the palm, capable of anything. Ordinary mortals can only look on in longing, unable to approach. Even the royal family of Wu, high-ranking court officials, and powerful noble clans can do nothing but drool with envy and bow in awe.”

“Since ancient times, countless martial artists have set sail with lofty ambitions, braving the dangers of being swallowed by raging winds and waves, desperately searching for the Immortal Island and Fairy Village, hoping for just a single word of guidance from an immortal to embark on the path of cultivation.”

“Although it’s risky, there are quite a few martial artists who have succeeded. As long as you spend fifty taels of silver to buy a ticket from the sea merchants and take a ship to the Eastern Sea in search of the Fairy Village, all these wonderful things become possible. What’s money worth? If you find the Fairy Village, anything is worth it!”

Under the storyteller’s extravagant boasting, many martial artists in Wu, including James Carter, were so stirred that their hearts blossomed with excitement, wishing they could sprout wings and fly straight to the Immortal Island and Fairy Village in the Eastern Sea to apprentice themselves to an immortal.

But in the end, not many martial artists dared to make up their minds to follow the sea merchants out to sea.

There’s an old saying in Wu: “Better to climb a mountain than go down a river.” Even the rivers have fierce winds and huge waves, let alone the boundless sea. The Eastern Sea is known for its towering waves and violent winds, and it’s said that terrifying sea beasts roam there—of every ten who set out, nine never return.

Sailing out to sea is no joke.

Legend has it that there are many powerful sea monsters and beasts in the Eastern Sea. They often attack ships sailing on the sea, devouring the flesh of the crew, and sometimes even swallowing entire ships whole.

One such sea monster is called the “Shen Demon.” It is enormous, and with a single turn of its body, it can unleash a force like mountains collapsing and seas overturning. It can transform seawater into mist, creating an illusory Immortal Island and Fairy Village on the vast ocean.

Ships in the distance, thinking they have found the Immortal Island and Fairy Village, all sail toward it.

What awaits them is the gaping, blood-red maw of the “Shen,” large enough to swallow an entire ship.

These terrifying legends of Eastern Sea monsters have scared off many martial artists who were tempted, making them too afraid to seek immortals at sea.

But James Carter did not hesitate. He immediately decided to follow the sea merchants to the Eastern Sea in search of immortals.

He knew very well that as a lowly martial artist, staying in the capital of Wu would lead nowhere. Advanced martial techniques and body-tempering herbs were expensive—he simply couldn’t afford them.

If things went on like this, his only ending would be to give up martial arts, do some small business to make a living, find a wife, raise a child, and then spend the rest of his life in mediocrity among the common folk.

That was not what he wanted.

Even though James Carter was just an unknown martial artist in Wu, deep down, he still wanted to make a name for himself!

He wanted a grand mansion, a fine steed, a beautiful wife and concubines!

He wanted to soar high, to rise above all!

He wanted to live as he pleased, unrestrained!

There were so many things he wanted!

James Carter was only eighteen—he didn’t want to spend his whole life in the capital of Wu as an obscure martial artist.

He wanted to change everything.

He would rather take a risk and travel to a distant and unknown land, fighting for a way out for his meager dreams.

Even if it meant braving the extremely dangerous Eastern Sea, he would not hesitate!

William Carter knew that if he continued to live aimlessly in Wu, his whole life would just slip away like that.

Gritting his teeth, he sold the family’s only valuable old house, got a hundred taels of silver, and spent fifty taels to buy a ship ticket from the sea merchants.

With the remaining fifty taels, he bought a fine Qingfeng sword at the weapon shop in the capital and several packs of high-quality healing herbs at the herbal store, preparing for the journey at sea.

Then James Carter boarded the sea merchant’s giant ship.

This massive ship set sail from the fishing port of Donglai, carrying over a thousand martial artists from various countries across the Nine Provinces continent, all full of dreams, heading out to sea in search of the elusive Immortal Island in the Eastern Sea.

The ship drifted on the vast Eastern Sea for a month.

Just last night, the martial artists on board were still chatting and laughing, discussing how they would become apprentices and learn immortal arts after finding the Immortal Island and Fairy Village.

Some said that after learning immortal arts, they would return to the great nations of the Nine Provinces and become a national guardian mage, commanding awe and respect, second only to the ruler. Others said that after becoming immortals, they would marry a fairy maiden, have a bunch of children, which drew a burst of hearty laughter from the martial artists.

But the good times didn’t last. Suddenly, dark clouds rolled in over the ship, lightning flashed and thunder roared.

The entire sea for hundreds of miles around seemed to plunge into pitch-black purgatory.

A distant, rapidly spinning storm formed a massive waterspout a thousand zhang high, like a dragon drawing water, sucking the huge ship toward it.

The terrifying storm shattered the confidence of all the martial artists on board.

Everyone on the ship was filled with fear, helplessness, and despair, which enveloped the entire vessel.

James Carter heard the sound of masts and decks splintering one after another, being swept high into the air by the storm and torn apart.

The massive ship was as fragile as thin paper before the great storm, easily ripped to shreds.

Martial artists on board fell into the water one after another, and the ship and the sea echoed with countless heart-wrenching, desperate cries for help. Thunder rumbled, waves surged to the sky, and as disaster struck, everyone struggled to survive.