Chapter 271: Chapter 271: We Can Cooperate
The Endless Ocean, far beyond the three great imperial dynasties and thousands of miles away, took ordinary people more than half a year to reach.
It took Chen Pingping and his companions only a few days.
A vast expanse of ocean unfolded before their eyes.
There was also a small fishing village.
They didn’t rush to enter the ocean.
Lan Xiuzhi couldn’t help but speak up, "Pingping, I always feel like there’s something wrong with the Phoenix Cauldron inside me."
"An illusion!" Chen Pingping’s heart skipped a beat as he said, "How could there be anything wrong with the Phoenix Cauldron when it’s a Heaven Tao Divine Weapon?"
UM! That seemed right. Lan Xiuzhi, not fully understanding, didn’t ask any more questions.
However, the Saintess beside them became vigilant.
In the small fishing village, every household consisted of fishing families who lived off their catch, generation after generation.
There were no inns or restaurants here; the only entertainment was playing on the beach—monotonous and dull.
Chen Pingping and his group did not enter the village, instead standing at the edge of the ocean, watching the nearby children playing with great joy.
「After a long time...」
The Saintess asked, "What are you waiting for?"
She hurried them here in such a rush, and now they lingered, with no apparent hurry anymore? It’s baffling.
Chen Pingping smiled mysteriously and said, "Guess!"
In fact, he was more anxious than anyone else. It was just that on the way here, he had operated the Heavenly Book to perform a calculation, only to see a patch of fog. Where was Heaven Capital? The Endless Ocean was so vast; how could they search for it? This was a major problem. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to move; rather, he had no way to. Better to wait then!
After several days had passed, they finally saw a group of outsiders. They were very young, about seven or eight people, dressed extraordinarily and with an even more remarkable demeanor—clearly not ordinary cultivators.
Even Chen Pingping caught the subtle ripples of power hidden among them, likely from the experts following this group.
He recognized one of them: Huang Mingzhi, a young talent from the Ancient Dynasty, who had once made a move at South Mountain and fought with a prince of the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty.
His strength was not bad, at the First Heaven of Emperor Tao.
"Why is it this guy?" Lan Xiuzhi frowned, displeased. "I find him so annoying. I heard he loves frequenting brothels and has been involved with countless women."
At that moment, Huang Mingzhi happened to look over and saw Lan Xiuzhi, pausing in surprise. But when his gaze landed on the Saintess, his eyes suddenly lit up. He approached with a smile, "My lady, I greet you!"
The Saintess nodded her head as a polite response.
"From afar, I thought my lady looked astonishing, beautiful as an immortal. Coming closer, I see it is indeed the case—even lovelier than from a distance!" Huang Mingzhi said with a smile. "May I have the honor of knowing the lady’s name?"
The Saintess frowned, ready to retort, but Chen Pingping pulled her back and stepped in front of her, laughing lightly, "Want to get acquainted, do you?"
Huang Mingzhi’s smile froze as he said indifferently, "And who are you?"
A man behind him pulled at him, his expression tensing as he whispered, "Senior Brother, this is Chen Pingping."
Chen Pingping? Huang Mingzhi scrutinized him, then sneered, "You’re Chen Pingping? Not bad-looking, but unfortunately, your strength is too poor. I can’t understand why the Purple Gold Divine Clan’s Golden Cicada would challenge you."
His tone revealed disdain, yet it also seemed to imply that being challenged by the Golden Cicada was a supreme honor.
"Yes!" Chen Pingping laughed. "I can’t figure it out either."
"Get lost!" Huang Mingzhi didn’t want to talk to him anymore.
The Saintess’s beauty attracted him, stirring something deep within his heart. He only wanted to converse with the Saintess, but she was unwilling to speak with him.
Coupled with Chen Pingping standing in the way, the atmosphere turned strange for a moment. Huang Mingzhi squinted, a cold smirk playing on his lips.
The two women behind Huang Mingzhi also grew vigilant; if a fight broke out between the two sides, they would undoubtedly strike at the first opportunity.
ALAS!
Chen Pingping suddenly sighed, "So this is the extent of the talent from the Ancient Dynasty, huh? I didn’t expect much, but still... I was just thinking about joining forces with the talents of the Ancient Dynasty to explore the Endless Ocean for the Undying Furnace, but now, forget it, forget it!"
As his words fell, he was about to turn and leave.
At this point, Huang Mingzhi finally came to his senses. He wasn’t here to pick up girls; he had a mission!
Seeing Lan Xiuzhi about to walk away, he hurriedly called out, "Wait a minute!"
"Do you need something?" Lan Xiuzhi had no good feelings toward him, and her tone was deathly cold.
But Huang Mingzhi, having frequented brothels for many years and known countless women, had skin as thick as a city wall. He ignored her sarcasm, smiling as he said, "Finding the Undying Furnace is a common goal among the three great imperial dynasties, and it is key to unlocking the Heaven Martial Continent. I think we can collaborate."
Collaborate? HEH!
Lan Xiuzhi almost lost her composure and drew her sword, but Chen Pingping quickly held her back. He stepped forward and said in an indifferent tone, "Everyone knows that our Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty’s Phoenix Cauldron can resonate with the Undying Furnace. That’s our biggest advantage. So, may I ask, if the talent of the Ancient Dynasty wishes to collaborate with us, what can you bring to the table?""A map!" Huang Mingzhi was very confident.
In the history of the Ancient Dynasty, some emperors had ventured deep into the Endless Ocean and seen Heaven Capital. They returned and drew maps of the routes to Heaven Capital. However, in earlier years, no information about the Undying Furnace had been revealed, so the map was buried until now...
Huang Mingzhi was willing to bet that among the three great imperial dynasties, only their Ancient Dynasty possessed the map to Heaven Capital.
Chen Pingping’s eyes brightened. "Really? May I have a look?"
"No!" Huang Mingzhi scoffed. "Do you really think I’m a fool?"
The map is our greatest asset. If I showed it to you, wouldn’t it become useless? Would there still be any need for collaboration then?
Before Chen Pingping could speak, Huang Mingzhi continued, "You have the Phoenix Cauldron, which can resonate with the Undying Furnace, and I have the map to Heaven Capital. If we collaborate, we’re sure to find that legendary Heaven Tao Divine Weapon. How about it?"
The last two words were directed at Lan Xiuzhi.
Chen Pingping’s origins are unknown, his background a mystery. I also can’t understand why this fellow can even be here. Are the higher-ups of the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty really so assured as to let him travel with the young princess?
Lan Xiuzhi spoke up, "If you don’t show us the map, how do we know if it’s real or fake?"
Huang Mingzhi shrugged. "Then there’s nothing I can do." He wasn’t a fool; how could he agree to such a demand?
"Wait a minute!" Lan Xiuzhi pulled Chen Pingping aside to discuss in a low voice, "Pingping, what do you think?"
He replied, "It’s feasible."
If the map is real, I can find Master at top speed. If it’s fake, once we’re in the Endless Ocean, I’ll just toss Huang Mingzhi overboard to feed the fish. The decision to collaborate or not rests with me.
Lan Xiuzhi nodded and, returning to her spot, said, "Fine, I agree. We’ll search the ocean together for Heaven Capital later."
Huang Mingzhi smiled. "Then let’s go in!"
"Wait a bit longer!" Chen Pingping’s gaze swept over them.
"???"