Chapter 3310: Heading Off To The Ninth Sea

"This is quite good," Lin Mu said, walking along the ship’s side and inspecting the craftsmanship. "Reinforced hull, wind gathering arrays, defensive plates, Qi circulation channels. Well made."

Pride flickered in the Patriarch’s eyes. "We have maintained it for several generations. It was originally gifted to us by the Merkin King many ages ago."

Daoist Chu whistled quietly. "A ship from the Merkin King. That explains its quality."

Cattaleya ran her hand along the hull. "I could punch a mountain and this vessel probably would not crack."

"Indeed. It is not only strong, but the Special Deep Ocean Corals that reinforce it also give it the aura of the Oceans, making it look unassuming to beasts. You can avoid most of the beast attacks with this as long as they are not provoked." The Patriarch added.

Though this did not stop the Shanhu Clan escorts from tensing at Catt’s casual statement. They had already seen her astonishing strength yesterday, so imagining her actually punching their treasured ship made their stomachs tighten.

Lin Mu approached the hull, placed his palm upon it, and activated his spatial ring.

The huge ship shuddered once. Then in the blink of an eye, it vanished completely.

The Shanhu elders gasped. Several of the younger clan members almost jumped backward in shock. Even the Patriarch’s eyes widened slightly.

"That large a vessel stored so effortlessly..." Shanhu Guimen whispered under her breath.

Patriarch Haiyang exhaled in disbelief. "Your spatial storage is... remarkable."

Lin Mu simply nodded. Before they could question him further, Elyon clapped his hands and said, "Now all preparations are complete. We can set out at any time."

The Patriarch straightened. "Then let us start the send-off ceremony for luck and you all can leave.."

Lin Mu looked at the distant ocean, where the horizon shimmered like polished jade.

The Ninth Sea awaited as the final preparations for departure began with a brief yet solemn ceremony.

Although simple, it carried a weight that every member of the Shanhu Coral Clan understood deeply. Hundreds of clan members gathered along the floating platforms and coral-lined walkways, forming a half circle that overlooked the sea.

The Patriarch stood at the forefront, the five awakened youngsters behind him, their faces pale but steady.

A soft bell was rung three times.

The elders raised their hands and called upon their ancestors in clear voices. There were no flames, no elaborate chants, no exotic incense. Only sincerity and unity. A wave of soft blue light spread from the coral spires and lingered around the youngsters for a moment before weaving into their bodies like a blessing.

The entire ritual ended in barely three minutes.

Lin Mu appreciated its simplicity. Sometimes the strongest blessings were the ones least adorned.

When the ceremony ended, he stepped forward and gently patted Little Shrubby on the head. The kitten had been quiet the entire time, perched at Lin Mu’s feet.

"Shrubby, get ready," Lin Mu said.

The youngsters turned to look, expecting the tiny black and red kitten to trot forward or maybe stretch lazily.

"Yes!" Instead, the kitten let out a quick meow and began to grow.

In an instant the small form expanded into a towering ten meter beast.

His body stretched, muscles rippling beneath a thick coat of red and black striped fur. Flames flickered across his back like living embers while arcs of brilliant lightning raced along his limbs.

His tail whipped through the air like a flaming whip, and his fangs gleamed with a metallic sheen that could bite through mountains. While his nearly half a meter long claws looked like swords that could split immortals in half.

The youngsters froze.

"Eek!" Shanhu Qing squeaked and stumbled back.

Shanhu Dian nearly reached for his coral spear only to be gently pushed aside by Shanhu Guimen who, despite her shaking hands, maintained some composure. Shanhu Jie’s mouth fell open wide enough to swallow a small fish. Even the escorts who had grown accustomed to powerful figures could not hide their shock.

"That... was the kitten?" Shanhu Ying whispered.

Lin Mu smiled faintly. "Yes. Little Shrubby prefers to stay small when resting or when indoors. This is his actual size."

The youngsters exchanged terrified looks.

Little Shrubby lowered himself onto the ground, the earth faintly trembling beneath his paws. His eyes that looked like glowing molten gold looked at the youngsters with curiosity rather than hostility, yet the sheer aura radiating from him was enough to make them tense up in fear.

Lin Mu climbed onto the beast’s back with practiced ease. The five youngsters approached hesitantly, clearly afraid that Little Shrubby might sneeze and send them flying into the sea.

"Come on," Lin Mu said gently. "He is very gentle unless provoked."

Once they approached close enough, Lin Mu grabbed the first harness strap and motioned them to climb up.

Shanhu Guimen moved first, mostly because the others were too frozen to move. After her, Shanhu Dian and Shanhu Qing cautiously lifted themselves onto the wide saddle. Shanhu Ying and Shanhu Jie followed last, trembling visibly.

Lin Mu quickly began strapping them in.

The harness had been designed a long time ago for ordinary mortals, so it was more than enough to ensure their safety. Metal hooks linked to half circle rings that glowed with protective formations, preventing them from being thrown off by sudden acceleration.

Lin Mu tightened the final strap and nodded in satisfaction.

The rest of his companions climbed up without any support. Daoist Chu hopped up lightly, Elyon stepped on a paw and leaped gracefully, while Cattaleya simply jumped and landed as if she weighed nothing. Meng Bai followed, settling behind Lin Mu.

"All right, Shrubby. Let us go," Lin Mu said.

ROAR!

Little Shrubby lifted his head and released a powerful roar that rippled through the sea like a war cry.

GUSH

SPLASH

Waves rose in response, trembling as dozens of aquatic beasts sensed the presence of a predator that was far above them in the food chain. Schools of fish scattered in panic and dove deeper into the water.

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