Chapter 4638 — Arriving at West Island
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
The crowd was afraid because they did not know the full picture. Had they known that Wei Zhao possessed the jade pendant, a divine artifact capable of giving early warning, they would not have been so panic-stricken. Wei Zhao's approach here was exactly the same as it had been back at the South Island Escort Agency grand gathering: he relied on the pendant's warnings to steer their course.
Bang! Mid-voyage, everyone suddenly heard a faint knocking sound. Just as the helmsman had predicted, they had clearly struck a reef. Instantly, every person stood on high alert. If this really was a vast reef field, it could spell serious trouble.
Yet what happened next took everyone completely by surprise. Though that faint knocking came again every so often, it was nowhere near as dense or violent as they had imagined. At this level, it was well within what the giant treasure ship could withstand.
"How is that possible?!" Not only the helmsman but everyone present was stunned, Gongyang Jun and Lan Tieshan included. The way they looked at Wei Zhao was unmistakably tinged with disbelief. No normal person could possibly do such a thing—unless Wei Zhao's strength far surpassed theirs and his spiritual sense could pierce through layer upon layer of sea mist. But that was simply impossible!
The people aboard the giant treasure ship were merely shocked, but the spirit beast experts on that sea vessel were utterly dumbfounded. Watching the treasure ship's silhouette vanish rapidly from sight, their faces were all masks of alarm. That was far too fast!
The reason they had deliberately chosen to operate within the sea mist was the fear that their quarry might flee with utter abandon. After all, no ordinary sea vessel could match the speed of any treasure ship. Only by letting the sea mist seal off movement did they stand any chance of succeeding. Setting aside the rare treasures aboard, the value of a single treasure ship alone was enough to let them live in comfort for the rest of their lives.
Yet they had never imagined that before they had even begun attacking the protective formation, their target would flee for dear life as if they had taken the wrong medicine—and by the look of it, deliberately charge into a reef field. What were they supposed to do now?
The sea mist might have a relatively minor effect on spirit beast experts, but it was not something they could completely ignore. If they too drove their ship as recklessly as Wei Zhao, a few stray knocks against the reefs would punch holes in the hull, and then the joke would be on them.
The spirit beast experts exchanged glances and finally had no choice but to abandon the pursuit in frustration. Treasure ships were rare encounters, but with enough patience, another opportunity would surely come. These spirit beast pirates might live beyond the law, but they valued their lives greatly. There was no way they would dare gamble like Wei Zhao…
Under the shroud of sea mist, the giant treasure ship tore along at maximum speed for a full hour, and everyone aboard spent that hour in nail-biting suspense—especially the helmsman, the most skilled in maritime affairs of them all, who was frightened into numbness.
Laymen merely watched the spectacle, at most sensing that something impressive was happening without understanding why. But to a professional like him, Wei Zhao's method fundamentally overturned his worldview and his entire outlook on life. An hour of extreme speed through the sea mist, and yet nothing at all had happened. A giant treasure ship could actually be sailed like this?
After another moment, the view before them unexpectedly opened up. Visibility that had been a mere ten zhang suddenly stretched to several hundred, and it was still rapidly extending farther. The layers of sea mist soon vanished without a trace, and the scene before them returned to an endless expanse of blue sky and white clouds.