Chapter 317: Old Sha, I Want to Eat Fish!

Chapter 317: Old Sha, I Want to Eat Fish!

As the name suggests, Crescent Island is a crescent-shaped island resembling a large crescent moon.

It forms a perfect arc, with its two ends nearly meeting, separated by only a few hundred meters. Within this arc lies a vast circular lake, the inner sea of Crescent Island.

Due to its unique arc-shaped geography,

coupled with the facilities developed by the Heaven Cloud Group over time,

this place would undoubtedly have been an excellent tourist destination in Jianghai Province in recent years, had it not been for this once-in-a-century East Sea disaster.

Of course, the current situation seems to be similar?

Standing on the deck of the ferry, braving the wind and waves, Su Ping gazed at the approaching Crescent Island.

This time, he didn't inform Qin Erlong of his arrival.

Although he had asked about it yesterday, Qin Erlong was likely too busy to bother with such a minor matter.

Moreover, if he had accompanied him, how would Su Ping be able to assess Qian Yi and Xiao Qing's ability to handle wild companion beasts and gain experience?

As Old Qin had said, the situation here, after all, was mostly limited to Monarch Rank companion beasts, hardly posing a direct threat to him.

As the ferry sailed, the distant Crescent Island slowly came into view.

Nowadays, numerous beastmasters from Jianghai Province and other cities were flocking to this place, with a bustling crowd coming and going.

The rapid back-and-forth movement of ships on both sides of West Lake was a testament to this.

Besides Su Ping, there was also a group of people on the ferry, their faces serious yet filled with excitement.

When Su Ping had arrived at the border of West Lake, there were already many beastmasters coming and going.

It was only yesterday that Su Ping had returned from Northern Plains Province, and since his return, he had been solely focused on Xiao Qing's evolution and cultivation, not paying much attention to the situation here. Otherwise, he would have known without Qin Erlong needing to tell him.

Finally, as the ferry slowly approached the Crescent Island ferry terminal, Su Ping set foot on this island for the first time.

The sun, like a brilliant flame, shone down on the soft, golden sand of the beach, beneath the vast blue sky.

Tall, majestic palm trees and other coastal plants stood on this island, which was not small in itself.

At this moment, the numerous figures moving back and forth on the island, the dense crowd, seemed more like tourists taking advantage of the holiday.

However, the equipment and companion beasts summoned by those walking along the edges revealed that this was no vacation spot.

Even on the crowded shore, severely injured companion beasts and beastmasters were occasionally carried out.

At this moment, the water of West Lake seemed to be boiling, and the energy fluctuations were palpable even from this distance.

Su Ping knew that the beastmasters who had arrived, along with the aquatic ferocious beasts drawn to this place, were engaged in extremely fierce battles.

Countless beastmasters stood on a massive stone platform, one every few dozen meters, made of a special material known as Sea Ship Stone, an elite-grade resource.

Named as an elite-grade resource, it was primarily used as a special building material.

This Sea Ship Stone wasn't of much use to companion beasts.

It could float on the water's surface and was incredibly hard and stable.

Aside from that, it offered little help to companion beasts.

However, at this moment, it served a purpose, allowing beastmasters who weren't elite-ranked to also fight on the Sea Ship Stones along the shore, against the extremely ferocious and agitated ferocious beasts stimulated by the bloody atmosphere.

Su Ping, from a young age, had witnessed many grand scenes, but he had to admit that this was his first time seeing such a sight outside of movies.

Where there's demand, there's a market, and on Crescent Island, many people saw an opportunity:

At this moment, at the ferry terminal and along the inland streets of Crescent Island, various voices could be heard:

"Certified Blacksmith Association Blacksmith, able to use ferocious beast resources to forge armor, weapons, and good protective gear, ensuring the safety of you and your companion beast! Fair prices, only one-third of the resources used required! No Overlord Rank or below, please~"

"Selling various potions! Healing potions, power-up potions! Also, the precious 'Phantom Heart' potion from our Jianghai Province's Pingyun Company, better than their 'Dream Heart'! Hurry and buy while stocks last~"

"I am a Tier 6 Overlord and a certified intermediate-level beastmaster by the Beastmaster Association, specializing in healing-type companion beasts, with a Tier 7 Overlord water-type and life-type 'Life Sea Star'! As long as you don't die on the spot, I can save you and your companion beast! I support rentals and can join capable hunting teams! Weak teams, please refrain~"

"Soaring Company Beast Hunting Team..."

"..."

These voices fully demonstrated that this East Sea disaster was not only a crisis but also an opportunity for countless beastmasters.

After all, such large-scale hunts of ferocious beasts are not common.

Numerous Beastmasters with various needs were haggling, while those with the means were advertising on large signs set up in the distance.

For example, the familiar business of Su Ping's family.

'Pingyun Company, in appreciation of our esteemed fellow Beastmasters, is now selling the Phantom Heart at a resource material exchange rate, no need to exchange for money! Additionally, at 6 PM tonight, we will auction off twenty Time Potions, highest bidder wins! We also have other resources and items for sale, and Pingyun is also buying...'

Hmm, Su Ping nodded. Dong Muchun was indeed very perceptive in this regard.

In such a situation, items like Time Potions and the Phantom Heart, which can save lives in dangerous moments, were highly sought after by countless hunting Beastmasters.

This also indirectly proved the intensity of the water disaster beast tide on Crescent Island, which made Su Ping feel a surge of excitement, eager to join in immediately.

But he wasn't the only one feeling that way.

After getting off the ferry, Su Ping followed the crowd to the coastline road of Crescent Island.

Some people noticed Su Ping, who didn't seem to be recognized by many:

"Brother, you look so young. How old are you? What is your Companion Beast's strength?"

"Nineteen..."

As expected, upon hearing his age, many of those who had asked him gave him a strange look and turned to leave.

Those who were slightly nicer would warn him, "It's very dangerous here. If you don't have to, don't go to the beach to join the crowd," before leaving.

As for the sarcastic and disdainful remarks Su Ping had anticipated, none of them came.

After all, in such a place, everyone was in a hurry, and it was indeed rare to find someone so shortsighted.

This left Su Ping slightly disappointed.

However, he was mainly here to assess Xiao Qing's combat capabilities, so he didn't waste any more time. He approached the middle-aged man who had kindly warned him earlier and greeted him with a smile:

"Brother! Hello!"

Zhao Chen turned around, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, and looked at the grinning young man.

"Is there something you need?"

Such a young person coming here to join the crowd, Zhao Chen could almost guess the outcome.

It couldn't be helped; many Beastmasters in the inland cities of the Dragon Kingdom had been at peace for too long, and the only combat experience they had was in the arena, with a referee's gun signaling the start.

However, in the wild, over these few days, he had seen too many self-important individuals meet their demise in Crescent Lake.

Many ferocious beasts had been killed, but their numbers still didn't seem to decrease. At the same time, many Beastmasters and their Companion Beasts had also run into trouble!

Thinking of this, Zhao Chen said:

"Kid, I'm just giving you a friendly warning because you look young. Train your Companion Beast better before coming to places like this, or avoid going to the direct combat ship platforms. I need to find my team members; there are still people waiting for me, so I really don't have the time."

Su Ping understood the man's feelings, so he directly summoned Old Sha, who had been stored in the Beast Taming Realm after boarding the ship.

Instantly, the towering Ten Thousand Trees Wolf appeared, its peculiar appearance and the strange posture with the double horns on its head immediately drawing the attention of the surrounding people. Zhao Chen was also slightly taken aback, looking at the majestic wolf that resembled a Wooden Unicorn, seemingly unable to react.

Although he couldn't identify what kind of Companion Beast it was at first glance, and neither could the surrounding people, there was no doubt that the aura it released made everyone subconsciously step back:

Monarch Rank!

On this small island, this was considered high-end combat power.

After all, a Monarch Rank was already considered a High Rank Beastmaster, and in some smaller cities, they were already part of the upper echelon.

Zhao Chen also swallowed hard, looking at the young man in front of him.

But this time, it was different.

Nineteen?

Are you kidding me?

This thing was summoned from the Beast Taming Realm!

Seeing the other's gaze, Su Ping smiled and retracted Old Sha back into the space, then said:

"Actually, I don't have any other intentions. I just want to ask, what is the process for hunting these aquatic ferocious beasts on Crescent Island? I'm a first-timer and don't quite understand the rules."

This time, Zhao Chen no longer showed any impatience and quickly explained:

"It's like this: if you want to hunt on Crescent Island, there are two methods. One is to have a water-type Companion Beast and directly enter the water to fight. However, even Monarch Rank Beastmasters rarely choose this method because the underwater environment is complex, and once something goes wrong, there's no room for maneuver.

Next, it was time to board the sea ship stone platforms. Each platform was equipped with special resources emitting scents to attract underwater companion beasts. However, to board the platforms, one needed to obtain a sea ticket from the officials and use a jetpack. After leaving the platform, a portion of the captured prey had to be handed over as payment for the sea ticket.

Su Ping nodded, appreciating the convenience of the Jianghai Province Beastmaster Association's quick thinking and implementation.

In the vast Crescent Island, surrounded by a crescent-shaped island at its edge, numerous stone platforms divided the large sea pool into various sections, resembling chess pieces on a board.

"Where can I exchange for the sea ticket and get the jetpack?" Su Ping asked.

Looking at the bustling crowd, he knew it wouldn't be easy to find the right place.

"Over there!" Zhao Chen pointed to a temporary building set up less than a hundred meters away on the coast, with one building every two kilometers.

"Thanks!" Su Ping nodded.

Just as he was about to take a step, several figures appeared in the distance.

They all looked pale, clearly exhausted from mental exertion, and some even bore injuries.

"Quickly, inform everyone! The 18th sea ship platform has been completely breached! Those damnable cruising gold swordfish have done it again!"

There were other Beastmasters nearby, one with his shoulder and thigh pierced through, blood flowing freely. A medical Beastmaster hurried over to treat him.

"The 18th sea ship platform? Cruising gold swordfish?"

Su Ping blinked, then turned to Zhao Chen, who stood by his side, looking as if he was about to cry.

Zhao Chen, feeling helpless but patient, explained, "Each registration desk is responsible for ten sea ship platforms. Our registration desk is number two, overseeing platforms eleven to twenty. The 18th platform is particularly tricky. A group of Overlord-rank vicious beasts, known as Golden Flag Swordfish, patrol the area around platform 18."

"However, the resources used on the 18th platform are a pile of Water Essence Gold, a Monarch-rank resource with a strong Water and Gold attribute scent. This attracts not only the Golden Flag Swordfish but also their evolved Monarch-rank counterparts, the Cruising Gold Swordfish. They frequently cause trouble and are extremely difficult to deal with!"

"Golden Flag Swordfish... Cruising Gold Swordfish..."

Su Ping blinked and nodded, "So, are the sea ship platforms divided by rank, Overlord and Monarch?"

"Yes, they are! Some platforms have Monarch-rank resources, which are hunting grounds for high-level Monarch Beastmasters. But there are exceptions. Some aquatic vicious beasts are primarily attracted by attribute scents. Although Water Essence Gold is an Overlord-rank resource, it's at the pinnacle of that rank."

"Currently, Crescent Island doesn't have any Monarch-rank resources for both the Water and Gold attributes. Monarch-rank vicious beasts have significantly enhanced intelligence and are extremely cunning. That's why the Cruising Gold Swordfish group keeps causing trouble."

"If there aren't any Beastmasters on the platform to resist them, it will be breached. Over ten Beastmasters and their contracted beasts have already died on platform 18..."

As Su Ping listened to Zhao Chen, he gained a deeper understanding of the dire situation on Crescent Island. He nodded again, "What happens on the shore if the platform is breached?"

Zhao Chen shrugged, "What else can we do? We wait for the group of Gold Swordfish to completely devour and destroy the resources on that platform. Then we'll set up new resources. But I doubt many Beastmasters will choose platform 18, even after we've replaced the resources. The threat from those Cruising Gold Swordfish is just too great. If no Beastmasters go there, the registration desk won't rush to set up new resources."

Su Ping nodded, observing the gazes of the surrounding Beastmasters. They looked at the pitiful group that had just come from platform 18, their faces filled with fear and apprehension.

Finally, after some thought, Su Ping asked Zhao Chen one last question, "Is the meat of the Golden Flag Swordfish and the Cruising Gold Swordfish... tasty?"

Zhao Chen blinked, giving Su Ping, a high-rank Beastmaster with an extremely youthful appearance, a strange look. He scratched his head, then said, "I think... it's not bad? I haven't tried it myself, but I remember someone mentioning that the Golden Flag Swordfish is served as sashimi at the Forest Grand Hotel in Linzhou. They said it melts in your mouth and is incredibly sweet, like eating ice cream..."

As Zhao Chen pondered this strange review, Su Ping had already made his way to the second registration desk.

"I'm signing up for the sea ticket to the eighteenth sea ship platform!"

Is he really going?

Zhao Chen also widened his eyes, but seeing Su Ping already speaking amidst the somewhat astonished gazes of the staff, he finally understood what the young man had meant.

Sure enough, as soon as these words left his mouth, everyone's attention shifted to Su Ping.

Just after the eighteenth platform suffered a heavy blow, someone wants to go again?

Even the office staff was momentarily stunned, then frowned:

"Young man, if you're not prepared, and the platform gets attacked again, it'll waste Water Essence Gold! Why don't you find another team instead?"

Su Ping summoned Old Sha again, and under the intimidating gaze of the speechless Old Sha, Su Ping replied, "Can we go now?"

Seeing the terrifying giant wolf before him, the staff also felt the pressure of a Monarch Rank and quickly nodded:

"Yes, we can go now! If you, a High Rank Beastmaster, can eliminate those Cruising Golden Swordfish, it'll be a great achievement for us!"

"But right now, those Cruising Golden Swordfish might not have gone far. Are you sure you want to go now?"

Su Ping smiled slightly and nodded without saying much. He then recalled the speechless Old Sha back into the Beast Taming Realm and, amidst the staff's equally expectant and respectful gaze, received the registration ticket and jetpack.

He strapped on the jetpack, looked at the one-time departure and return buttons on it, and pressed the former. Amidst the gazes of countless Beastmasters, he rode solo on the jetpack's autonomous flight towards the so-called eighteenth Sea Ship Platform.

Following Su Ping was the staff member responsible for setting up resources and releasing the scent to attract the fish swarm.

Someone was going to the eighteenth Sea Ship Platform again?

Undoubtedly, this news, along with those who had just been driven back, caused quite a stir at the second registration desk.

Even Zhao Chen was curious, and some who had witnessed the whole thing from start to finish were even more intrigued.

Whether it was the young man or the strange giant wolf resembling a Wooden Unicorn that the young man had summoned, they all felt a sense of familiarity and strangeness that they couldn't quite place.

It was as if they had seen them somewhere before, but they couldn't quite remember.

However, there were indeed some busybodies who went to the registration desk and headed towards the nineteenth and seventeenth Sea Ship Platforms near the eighteenth one.

They were going to hunt underwater beasts, and there were plenty of them around Yueya Island.

They could also see the situation at the eighteenth Sea Ship Platform.

At this moment, Su Ping didn't seem to care about these minor details.

The eighteenth Sea Ship Platform, located in the inner sea of Yueya Island, covered an area of about 350,000 square meters.

It sounded impressive, but it was just a small square with a length and width of a few hundred meters.

There were even remains of beasts, scales, and bloodstains on it.

In the center of the square, a staff member carefully took out a large piece of aquamarine metal from a box and placed it in a depression.

Obviously, this was the Water Essence Gold used to attract the underwater beasts.

After placing the metal in the depression, an indescribable aura of both water and gold emanated from it, enough to be sensed by the nearby underwater beasts.

Su Ping was intrigued.

He had never heard of this method, and although it was useless to him, it was quite novel to watch.

However, this wasn't the time for curiosity. After the staff member placed the metal, they immediately activated the jetpack's return function, leaving Su Ping alone on the eighteenth Sea Ship Platform.

Su Ping didn't hesitate and summoned all his beasts.

Old Sha, Qian Yi, Xiao Qing, and the Elite Rank Little Crow, Ya Ya.

This scene almost made the staff member operating the jetpack fall from the sky.

What the heck is this?

Wasn't he supposed to be a Monarch Rank Beastmaster?

The two unconcealed Overlord Rank beasts were one thing, but the Elite Rank Flame Raven was another.

Wasn't he a High Rank Monarch Beastmaster?

The staff member who had come realized that he must have misunderstood something.

But now, there was no time to turn back.

Su Ping didn't mind at all. He stood in the center of the Sea Ship Platform, sensing the already restless aura around him.

Instead of rushing Xiao Qing and Qian Yi into action, he wanted them well-fed for the task ahead. So, he first looked at Old Sha, who had been repeatedly summoned as a ticket, and said:

"Old Sha, I feel like eating fish."

"Woof!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end