Chapter 3314: The Cursed Sea

Lin Mu focused ahead, and with every mile they advanced, he discovered more distortions. Yet with him and Daoist Chu working together, the ship cut through the gloom with impossible ease.

The nearer they drew to the heart of the Ninth Sea, the stronger the oppressive force became.

But Lin Mu remained calm.

And the youngsters, who had shivered when approaching the boundary, now found themselves filled with newfound confidence.

Because they finally understood the truth.

With Lin Mu and the others by their side, the Ninth Sea was no longer a place where death was certain.

It was simply another challenge.

The Ninth Sea awaited them like a beast that had been resting for millennia, one eye half open and ready to strike. It was not merely a geographic region. It felt like a presence. An ancient thing with weight and intent.

The moment the Immortal Ship crossed the invisible threshold, everyone felt it.

CREAK

A crushing pressure descended upon them, not from above or below, but from every direction at once. It curled around them like the tendrils of a predator, searching for weakness, testing for vulnerability.

Even the air tasted heavy and metallic, as if laced with some unseen toxin.

The youngsters immediately stiffened, but their expressions shifted a moment later. Their bodies glowed faintly, a shimmering blue light spreading across their skin. Their bloodline resonated with the Ninth Sea, forming a natural shield that made the curse energy slip off them like water rolling off smooth stone.

For Lin Mu’s group, however, it was very different.

The curse energy surged toward them, drawn to them like moths to flame. It twisted through the air, drifting in fog like wisps that sought to coil around their bodies and drain their vitality. The ship creaked as the pressure increased, and even the reinforced hull shuddered.

But before the cursed energy could fully reach any of them, a faint hum filled the air.

A thin layer of shimmering power radiated from the ship like a white colored veil. It was Lin Mu’s Sword Intent, spread across the ship as a barrier. The sword energy cut through the cursed wisps as if they were made of brittle paper.

Every wisp that approached disintegrated soundlessly, leaving only harmless motes of dull energy that drifted away and dissolved into the sea.

The youngsters gasped in unison.

Shanhu Qing jumped up from her seat. "It... it vanished. It completely vanished."

Shanhu Jie leaned over the rail and stared at the faint shimmering veil of Sword Intent surrounding the ship. "How is this possible. That was the curse energy of the Ninth Sea."

Shanhu Dian rubbed his eyes, as if trying to make sure he had not been mistaken. "No tool or skill can block the curse so easily. Even the clan’s highest grade artifacts only resist it for a short time."

Shanhu Guimen turned toward Lin Mu with an expression caught between awe and disbelief. "What is that energy protecting the ship."

Meng Bai blinked, raising a brow as if surprised the question even needed to be asked. "You have never seen Sword Intent before."

The youngsters exchanged glances.

"We have seen sword intent," Shanhu Ying replied. "But it is not common in our clan. Only a few guards practice swordsmanship. Most of us use spears or harpoons. Some use hooks or tridents. Our clan is more familiar with Spear Intent and the like. I think only one of the Elder Guards has Intermediate Sword Intent."

Guimen nodded firmly. "We have never seen sword intent on this level. Is this the advanced stage?" She wondered.

Meng Bai could not help laughing. "Not advanced."

The youngsters waited, confused.

Then Lin Mu spoke, his voice steady and calm. "It is the Sword Heart Stage."

All five youngsters froze.

Shanhu Jie was the first to respond, his face full of confusion. "Sword Heart Stage. What is that. I have never heard of such a level."

Daoist Chu stepped in, hands clasped behind his back. "You can think of the Sword Heart Stage as a level beyond the advanced realm. It is the stage where one fully grasps the essence of their sword intent and begins shaping reality according to their will."

Shanhu Qing’s jaw dropped. "Beyond the advanced realm. That means..."

"That means your elder swordsman with intermediate intent is not even close," Cattaleya added with a grin.

The youngsters turned their gaze back to Lin Mu, eyes sparkling with unconcealed admiration. What they once viewed as a distant mercenary now felt like a mythical figure traveling alongside them.

Shanhu Guimen bowed her head, unable to hide her respect. "Senior Lin Mu, we never imagined such a level existed. No wonder the curse cannot affect us."

Lin Mu shook his head. "Sword Heart Stage sword intent is not merely stronger. Its properties change. Once you reach this stage, the sword intent gains the ability to function independently from the sword. It becomes an extension of yourself. In my case, I can spread it around the ship like this. It is simply a matter of shaping the intent and maintaining it."

Shanhu Ying looked at him as if he were a living legend. "So this... this is what a true sword cultivator is like."

Even Elyon nodded with admiration. "Lin Mu is in a class of his own. You will see that many more times before this journey is over."

Daoist Chu chuckled softly. "Indeed."

The youngsters clustered together like excited children meeting their favorite hero.

Guimen’s cheeks even flushed slightly, although she tried to hide it behind her stoic expression. Their awe made Little Shrubby smirk and puff up his fur slightly, clearly enjoying the admiration directed at his master.

As they sailed deeper into the Ninth Sea, the oppressive atmosphere thickened around them.

The cursed energy grew louder in their senses, like a constant whisper scratching at the back of their minds. Yet every wisp was cut apart the moment it came into contact with the shimmering sword barrier.

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