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The environment of the vast ocean was a stark departure from that of the continent, and it was a field of study Su Wen had yet to delve into deeply.
Even during his previous voyage, though Su Wen had encountered wind and waves, they had never been this irrational. Back then, the turbulence he experienced was largely the byproduct of the movements of ten-thousand-year soul beasts surrounding Evil Spirit Island. On the continent, every environment had a clear cause for its formation.
Take the Blazing Mountains, for instance; beyond its geographical location, the overall local terrain dictated the flow of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi, shifting its properties toward the fire attribute. It even possessed the ability to congregate fire elements. Over a vast stretch of time, it became a world of flames—a paradise for fire-attribute soul beasts.
The Star Dou Great Forest, meanwhile, served as the core of the entire continent, and perhaps even the planet itself. It gathered the majority of the world's life energy. There, the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi was dense, and even the ethereal concept of "Fortune" or "Destiny" seemed to converge within its verdant depths.
The origin of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well lay in the corpses of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings. The essence of Extreme Ice and Extreme Fire from these two dragon kings was the fundamental cause of its creation, but the surrounding terrain was equally crucial. By absorbing the life energy of the Sunset Forest—which was significant in its own right—it became a "Cornucopia," a sanctuary for plant-type soul beasts.
It wasn't just these famous landmarks. On the continent, the path of every great mountain range and river caused shifts in the surrounding Yuan Qi. Near a river, water-attribute energy would naturally be more concentrated, and the river's course would carve out a flow of water-attribute Yuan Qi, interacting with other energies and triggering changes in the environment.
These interactions between different types of Yuan Qi, and the influence of terrain upon them, were the very resources Su Wen used to study Spirit Arrays. Aside from the energy circulation routes related to the cultivation techniques he explored on his own, Su Wen's other great teacher for arrays was the natural world itself.
The Dao follows Nature.
Every system of power was derived from insights gained from the natural world, and Spirit Arrays were no exception. However, most of the harsh environments Su Wen understood were long-term fixtures formed by terrain and geography—permanent fixtures of hostility.
In the ocean, things were different.
In a fleeting instant, a clear sky spanning ten thousand miles could transform into a tempest of thunder, hurricanes, and tsunamis, triggering a devastating chain reaction of disasters.
Currently, this was exactly what was happening in the waters surrounding the Pioneer.
Hurricanes, thunderous strikes, and tsunamis erupted in rapid succession. Before these converging calamities, the Pioneer appeared small and helpless.
"Senior, can we hold them back?" Hai Da stood behind Zhan Tian Douluo. The rest of the sailors were gathered on the deck, their faces etched with anxiety.
"Arrange yourselves according to the formation Su Wen gave you earlier. Protect the Pioneer as a whole first," Zhan Tian Douluo commanded, his expression solemn. It was his first time witnessing such a concentrated oceanic disaster. "I will focus on countering the most powerful lightning strikes and gale-force winds."
Su Wen emerged from his meditation and stepped onto the deck. By now, the array was already set. A sky-blue barrier of light enveloped the Pioneer, shielding it from the violent atmospheric currents and the stray lightning dancing in the air, isolating the ship from the chaotic Yuan Qi influenced by the weather.
Inside the barrier, things were relatively stable; the Yuan Qi remained normal. Outside, however, the Yuan Qi was being rapidly assimilated by the disaster, transforming into lightning and wind elements. Even water and wind elements were merging, making the hurricanes and waves more synchronized, their destructive power multiplying through mutual amplification.
Su Wen took a deep breath. While he was awed by the majestic power of nature, he was also observing, reflecting, and perceiving. Nature was the original object of imitation for cultivators and the root of all their power.
Su Wen did not believe that "Laws" or "Rules" existed as some sort of concrete, programmed code in the world. The world was simply the world; everything was the result of material evolution. There was a set of fundamental laws, but no "programmer" behind the scenes. Discovering these basic patterns and applying them—that was the true mastery of natural power.
Previously, Su Wen had learned by observing the terrain of the continent. Now, he had found another path.
"Observing patterns is a way to borrow the power of nature. It is the most fundamental method, but it is also cumbersome," Su Wen noted as he watched the rapidly shifting weather outside.
Despite the lightning and raging winds, his expression remained unchanged. The barrier and Zhan Tian Douluo were sufficient to keep the Pioneer safe.
"Intent. I began perceiving Intent long ago, using the insights from Mimicry Environments to accelerate my cultivation. Yet, I still haven't utilized it to its full potential."
One moment the sky was clear; the next, it was choked with black clouds and lightning. This was the power of "Intent." Natural changes occurred in a flash; under the influence of Intent, Yuan Qi was infected and assimilated, quickly becoming a force governed by that will.
Eventually, the storm subsided. On the vast surface of the sea, the lone sailing ship drifted. Many sailors lay exhausted on the deck, and even Zhan Tian Douluo let out a sigh of relief. Looking back at the path they had just traversed, there was no sign of the storm—only a clear, bright horizon.
"That... is the ocean!" Hai Da laughed heartily. The thrill of surviving a brush with death made him ecstatic. Many of the other sailors shared his sentiment, showing a mix of lingering fear and suppressed excitement.
The more rational and pragmatic sailors, however, noticed Su Wen.
"Grandmaster Wen, I saw you observing the storm for a long time on the deck. Did you discover something?"
"That's right, Grandmaster! There are so many dangers at sea. With your vast knowledge, did you find a better way to deal with these disasters?"
Perhaps Su Wen had been somewhat deified in their eyes, leading even these grounded sailors to ask such questions. It couldn't be helped; Su Wen was only seventeen, yet his achievements were unprecedented. The techniques he developed and the theories he proposed had shaken the entire Spirit Master world. In the eyes of other Spirit Masters, Su Wen was the type of genius who could master anything with a single glance.
Having just survived a disaster, Su Wen showed no worry; instead, the light in his eyes grew increasingly brilliant, fueling their speculation.
Su Wen smiled. "This is the majestic power of nature. It isn't so easy to find a weakness to exploit."
"However," he added, "I did indeed gain something from it."
Hearing this, the sailors' eyes lit up as they looked at him, eagerly awaiting his next words. Su Wen didn't keep them in suspense and shared his realization.
"Eh?"
Aside from Zhan Tian Douluo, everyone else looked blank. What was "Intent"?
Zhan Tian Douluo looked at Su Wen and fell into deep thought. "Little Wen, the 'Intent' you mentioned that influences external Yuan Qi... that should be the manipulation of the Power of Heaven and Earth. Once a Spirit Master reaches the Spirit Saint rank, they can use their own soul power to mobilize external Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi for combat, vastly increasing their strength."
The Spirit Master world didn't fully understand the underlying principles of how one mobilized the Power of Heaven and Earth after becoming a Spirit Saint. Su Wen, however, had achieved this mobilization through a different method. It wasn't that his soul power had reached the threshold to command the environment; it was through "Intent."
"But you are already a Spirit Emperor, not far from becoming a Spirit Saint," Zhan Tian Douluo noted, looking at him. "Are you sure you want to waste time on this concept of Intent?"
"How could it be a waste of time?" Su Wen replied. "Since both can mobilize the power, there is hope for them to overlap. Even if they don't, it proves they likely share the same underlying principle. Mastering it ahead of time will never be a loss."
(End of Chapter)