Chapter 123: One Palace, Two Sacred Lands, Three Grotto-Heavens, Four Sects, and Five Great Families

The iron ship cut through the waves, slowly pulling alongside the beach. On deck, a group of beautiful, youthful girls stood on tiptoe, peering into the distance as if filled with curiosity about this place.

Banners danced in the wind, their intricate patterns vibrant and lifelike. The men and women on the deck, however, seemed to ignore the pair below, whispering and laughing among themselves, pointing at Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan with critical eyes as if they had stumbled upon an amusing topic.

After her appearance had changed, Xia Xinyan’s expression had turned cold once more; she stood motionless on the island’s sandy shore. Shi Yan ceased his howling and frowned, his face darkening. At first, he had been excited, feeling a keen curiosity about the people on the ship—especially after Xia Xinyan mentioned that the disciples of the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven were notoriously uninhibited in their affairs between men and women. He had been delighted, thinking his journey would not be lonely. But when she added that they also had a penchant for male-on-male relationships, his mood immediately plummeted into gloom.

The people on the ship had already discovered them; there was no turning back now. If they missed this vessel, he had no idea how long they would have to wait for another opportunity. Resigned, Shi Yan decided they should find a way to board and wait to see how things unfolded.

Before long, the massive iron ship—some twenty or thirty meters wide and a hundred meters long—reached them. The deck was crowded with figures, men and women moving about constantly. Most were strikingly handsome or beautiful; the youngest appeared to be only thirteen or fourteen, while the oldest were in their thirties or forties. There was not a single elder among them.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" a lean, yellow-faced man in his forties shouted from the deck. He possessed the cultivation of the Nirvana Realm; his voice was resonant, his manner guarded.

"We came from the West, hoping to travel the Endless Sea, but our ship was destroyed by a tornado," Shi Yan replied, cupping his hands. "We were lucky to survive and were washed ashore here. Please, let us come aboard and help us escape this desolate island."

"From the West?" The yellow-faced man frowned, his narrow, slanted eyes squinting as he scrutinized Shi Yan for a moment before turning his gaze to Xia Xinyan. "Do you have anything of value? We don't provide free passage."

Shi Yan’s expression stalled. He gave a dry laugh and said, "Everything we had was washed away. We only have some dry rations left. Please..."

"Set sail," the yellow-faced man snorted, turning his head to give the order, showing no intention of letting them aboard.

Shi Yan frowned but said nothing more. In the backpack on his back, he still carried a Grade Six beast crystal, along with a fair amount of crystal coins; it was not as if he lacked valuables. However, he was a cautious man. He knew that if he revealed his wealth now, not only would he fail to board, but he might even be killed on the spot. It was better to plead poverty; if they couldn't board, they would at least survive longer on the island. As the man ordered the ship to depart, Shi Yan, despite his feigned disappointment, felt a secret sense of relief.

"Wait." A lazy female voice drifted from a cabin on the third floor of the ship. A shutter on the cabin window cracked open, and it seemed a woman was peering through the gap.

Standing on the beach, Shi Yan looked up at the window, finding a pair of bright eyes seemingly fixed upon him.

*At least it’s a woman,* Shi Yan thought, his heart settling. He composed himself and waited to see what would happen.

"Protector Ju, what is your instruction?" the yellow-faced man asked, his brow furrowed with annoyance.

"Instruction? Hardly," the woman inside the room chuckled, her voice dripping with seduction. "They look rather pitiful. We need help tending to the plants on the bottom deck, and someone to help clear out the trash. Why not let them come aboard to work? Consider it their fare."

"Since Protector Ju has spoken, I must give you this face," the yellow-faced man said, hesitating for a moment—he clearly knew what the woman in the room was after. He nodded and added, "Move closer and let them board. Li Wei, you handle them later. Don't let them be clumsy and damage the plants, you hear?"

After giving the order, the yellow-faced man frowned and trotted up to the third floor, paying no further mind to the two newcomers.

A handsome youth smiled at the man’s retreating back and said, "Don't worry, Uncle. I will take care of them." The youth possessed the cultivation of the Second Heaven of the Hundred Tribulations; he looked young, but there were fine lines at the corners of his eyes, suggesting his true age was not as youthful as his appearance.

Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan exchanged a glance and walked toward the ship. When the rope ladder was lowered, they climbed up one after the other. Once on board, Shi Yan realized the ship was indeed substantial. It was three stories high, forged entirely from black steel, with a deck made of ironwood.

On deck, dozens of men and women stood in pairs, acting with intimacy. In broad daylight, they were hugging and kissing without restraint. Some men had their hands thrust into their companions' garments, kneading them with wide grins, while others—gorgeously seductive women—were equally uninhibited, sliding their hands into the trousers of their male partners, caressing the bulging protrusions. From the cabins on the middle and third levels, the sounds of unbridled passion echoed out, loud and without shame.

Shi Yan wore a strange expression, clicking his tongue in wonder. The people here were far more open than in the pleasure districts of his own world; they seemed to have no concept of shame, and their conduct was so unrestrained that even someone like Shi Yan was left internally stunned. Xia Xinyan’s expression remained indifferent, as if she held the atmosphere in deep contempt, though she kept her head down to hide the disgust in her eyes.

"Follow me," the youth named Li Wei said, casting a cold glance at the pair before walking straight ahead.

Without a word, Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan followed. Li Wei led them to the bottom level of the ship, which was filled with pots of flowers and plants, alongside large, sealed crates of unknown cargo. The ship had three levels, and this bottom deck seemed to be for storage; it was thick with the scent of damp soil, and the air was stagnant.

Li Wei led them to a dilapidated cabin and pushed the door open with a frown before stepping back. His gaze lingered on Xia Xinyan, a different intent creeping into his eyes. "A bit ugly, perhaps, but that figure is truly enticing. Hmm, in the dark of night, she might just serve a purpose."

Xia Xinyan, head bowed, felt her eyes turn icy. She bit her lip gently.

Shi Yan moved calmly to stand beside her, taking her hand. He smiled and said, "We are husband and wife. One room is enough; there is no need to trouble you for anything else."

Xia Xinyan had initially struggled slightly when he took her hand, but as soon as he spoke, she understood his intent and ceased her resistance.

"Husband and wife?" Li Wei’s eyes gleamed with amusement. He nodded and said nonchalantly, "Fine, this room is yours. You can rest tonight. Starting tomorrow, the man will move the plants to the deck for sunlight, and the woman will be responsible for cleaning this level. Understood?"

"Understood," Shi Yan replied.

Li Wei nodded, his gaze lingering on Xia Xinyan once more before he turned away with a smirk.

"I will kill him," Xia Xinyan said, raising her head with a cold face once Li Wei had left.

"Wait until you’ve recovered your strength," Shi Yan said, walking into the cabin. He found it to be cramped, less than five square meters. Aside from a dust-covered wooden bed, there was no furniture, and the bed lacked even a quilt. The room was sealed with no windows; the air was foul and draped in spiderwebs. As Shi Yan reached up to tear them down, dust billowed, making the air even more stifling.

Xia Xinyan did not step inside, standing outside with a frown as she watched him clean.

"The Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven is one of the fifteen major powers of the Endless Sea," she whispered, her voice low. "They are close with the Corpse God Sect, the Savage Sect, and the Cao family, and they have always been at odds with the Yang family and our Xia family. We must not reveal our identities here, or we will likely never leave this ship alive."

"The fifteen major powers of the Endless Sea? Who are they?" Shi Yan looked back at her, continuing to clear away the relentless dust.

"In the Endless Sea, there is one Palace, two Sacred Lands, three Grotto-Heavens, four Sects, and five Families. The Palace is the Martial Soul Palace. The two Sacred Lands are the Heavenly Pool and the Penglai. The three Grotto-Heavens are the Spirit Treasure, the Yin-Yang, and the Heavenly Evil. The four Sects are the Three Gods, the Holy Spirit, the Corpse God, and the Savage. The five Families are the Yang, the Eastern, the Cao, the Xia, and the Gu. These fifteen powers are the most formidable in the Endless Sea. There are countless other sects and families, but none compare to these fifteen," Xia Xinyan explained softly.

"I heard you mention before that the Three Gods Sect and the Yang family are not in the same camp. Now you say the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven is also not in their camp. How many factions are these fifteen powers divided into?" Shi Yan asked, puzzled.

"The current Endless Sea is divided into five great sea regions, each with thousands of islands. Each sea region constitutes a faction. The Yang family, the Xia family, and the Heavenly Evil Grotto-Heaven are in the Jialuo Sea Region—they are one faction. The Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, the Corpse God Sect, the Savage Sect, and the Cao family are in the Tuta Sea Region. The Martial Soul Palace and the Penglai Sacred Land are in the Firmament Sea Region. The Heavenly Pool Sacred Land, the Spirit Treasure Grotto-Heaven, and the Holy Spirit Sect are in the Black Water Sea Region. The Three Gods Sect, the Eastern family, and the Gu family are in the Yuanluo Sea Region. The fifteen powers are spread across these five regions, forming five factions that are often at war. The Endless Sea is far more complex than you imagine."

"It’s already complex enough," Shi Yan shook his head. "I can’t worry about all that, but after hearing you, I’m certain the Endless Sea is quite the spectacle. Hmm, since we’ve boarded a ship of the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, are we headed for that Tuta Sea Region?"

"Yes. The Tuta Sea Region is very far from our Jialuo Sea Region; it seems we will be taking a long detour. Within the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, martial artists at the Postnatal, Xiantian, and Human levels are common disciples. Those at the Hundred Tribulations and Earth levels are core disciples. Those at the Nirvana level are Protectors, and those at the Heavenly level are Elders. At the very top are the two Palace Lords—the Heavenly Empress and the Earthly Emperor—who are said to possess God-level cultivation. There are only two Nirvana-level martial artists on this ship, likely Protectors tasked with gathering herbs, jade, and silk for the sect. We must be careful and hope we can reach the Tuta Sea Region safely and leave this ship."

"That’s about it. Come in and rest," Shi Yan said suddenly.

After his efforts, the cabin was somewhat cleaner, though there was only one bed. Xia Xinyan glanced at it and her brows furrowed.

"You take the bed, I’ll rest on the floor. Don't worry, I won't do anything to you. There’s no need to be so guarded."

"I don't trust you," Xia Xinyan huffed, though she entered the room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and closed her eyes to meditate.

Shi Yan had intended to ask more about the Endless Sea, but seeing her unwillingness to speak further, he let it go. He sat down on the floor and closed his eyes to cultivate.

The night passed in silence.