The Blue Moon Sect had been Aiden Mile's dream for as long as he could remember, and at 18 years old, it was finally time to pursue it. Anyone under the age of 18 was forbidden from joining a sect or participating in any cultivation activities outside their family's property. However, Aiden's circumstances were far from ordinary. He came from a slave clan on the Thousand Nations Continent, located in the southeastern sea. One night, while one of the nations was dealing with a rebellion, the Mile Clan took the opportunity to escape. The clan had only 5 members: Aiden, his parents, and his grandparents. They managed to board a ship leaving the continent, only to discover that it was actually a pirate ship.
While attempting to escape the Atlantic Sect, the ship accidentally entered the dreaded Silver Sea. Although they managed to lose the Atlantic Sect's disciples, they now found themselves in a place where many had ventured, but none had ever returned. The Mile Clan and this nameless pirate gang were certainly in the same boat, in every sense of the phrase. For days on end, they were forced to fight all manner of creatures they had never encountered before. Although every member of the Mile Family possessed spirit roots, none of them had ever truly cultivated. As members of a slave clan, they had been forbidden from practicing cultivation, leaving them completely unprepared for the dangers of the Silver Sea.
In times like these, beggars couldn't be choosers. Out of desperation, each member of the Mile Clan began learning cultivation from the pirates. To everyone's surprise, they discovered that they had quite a knack for it. Each of them made remarkable progress, and some of the pirates began to grow nervous. After all, they had called the Mile Clan useless several times before they started cultivating. Anon Mile, Aiden's grandfather, reached Qi Condensing Level 5, while his grandmother, Bailey Mile, also reached Level 5. Their cultivation foundations had synchronized due to their genuine love for each other, forming what was known as a Dao Companion Pact.
Alan Mile, Aiden's father, and his mother shared the same connection, with both reaching Qi Condensing Level 7. The balance of power aboard the ship had completely shifted, as the captain, who was the strongest among the pirates, was only at Qi Condensing Level 2. In just 4 months, the entire Mile Clan had surpassed every single one of them. However, Aiden's cultivation was the most shocking of all. At just 18 years old, he had already reached Qi Condensing Level 10, the peak of the stage. Even his parents were stunned by his progress. If they were to return to the Thousand Nations Continent, Aiden would undoubtedly be recruited by a sect immediately. Unfortunately, they were still sailing across what seemed to be an endless sea.
The family remained humble despite their growing strength, continuing to respect the decisions of the ship's captain. They fought together, trained together, and even found creative ways to prepare the many creatures they encountered as food. They also shared the spirit beast cores they collected, using them to aid their cultivation. After two years in the Silver Sea, no one aboard the ship was below Qi Condensing Level 5. With all the resources they obtained from spirit beasts belonging entirely to them, and no outside forces threatening to steal their gains, their cultivation continued to soar.
By this point, every member of the Mile Clan had reached the peak of Qi Condensing, while Aiden had accomplished something far beyond anyone's expectations. He had managed to refine a Martial Soul, something normally only cultivators at Foundation Establishment and above could possess. Yet here he was, still in the Qi Condensing Stage, with a Martial Soul of his own. Perhaps influenced by his experiences in the Silver Sea, his Martial Soul took the form of a Titan Squid, a powerful beast from the squid family's cultivation branch. Titan Squids were known to dominate the seas, and the ship had narrowly escaped encounters with them on several occasions.
It was through the abilities of his Martial Soul that Aiden managed to fight and defeat a Titan Squid, refining its essence to strengthen his Martial Soul's foundation and transform it into a True Martial Soul. With its foundation now solid, he began using its abilities to help navigate the Silver Sea, communicating with marine life in hopes of finding a way to land. One day, while following the guidance of an orange carp, they came across what appeared to be a dead ship. It earned that description because its sails were completely shredded, its torches had long gone out, and not a single trace of life could be sensed aboard.
It wasn't until they boarded the fragile vessel that they discovered its origins. Inside the captain's quarters, they found an insignia belonging to the Bon Royal Family. 300 years ago, the Third Prince of the Bon Empire, who was considered the most gifted cultivator in the royal family and served as the empire's Chief Cultivator, had set sail to assist one of the nation's allies. However, on his journey home, he encountered some great danger and was never seen again. Even the tracking arts performed by Nascent Soul masters had failed to locate him. It was eventually discovered that he had been taken by the Silver Sea, a place where all tracking arts and Divine Sense were rendered useless.
The discovery left everyone wondering what could have happened to such a powerful cultivator. If even a Nascent Soul master couldn't survive the Silver Sea, what chance did they have? However, Aiden was more interested in why the ship was still intact after 300 years. Even stranger, there were no signs of a battle, no remains of the crew, and no indication that anyone had tried to escape. While the others searched for anything valuable, Aiden noticed something unusual about the captain's quarters. Despite the ship's terrible condition, the room was almost perfectly preserved. And sitting on a wooden desk was a small jade box, completely untouched by time.
Alan approached the box, but just as he reached out to touch it, the ship suddenly rocked violently to the left, then to the right. "Is everyone okay?" he asked, looking around. Everyone nodded, but their attention quickly shifted to the box, which had begun to glow. A burst of Soul Power emerged from it, forming the lifelike image of a man. "I am Xavier Bon, Third Prince of the Bon Empire. If you have found this box, then the ship's preservation formation is still working. You may take it if you'd like."
The figure let out a sigh before continuing. "Under the circumstances, I had nothing but time on my hands, and somehow, I managed to form an Innate Realm while still in the Nascent Soul Stage. As a result, I advanced to Nascent Soul Level 5 in just 10 years. The Silver Sea truly is a wonderful place." He shook his head, seemingly realizing he had gotten distracted. "Anyway, the key is forming an Innate Realm. After accomplishing this, I was visited by a Great Venerable who informed me that I had met the conditions set by the Silver Deity and was permitted to leave her domain."
Xavier paused briefly before adding, "However, there is no telling where we will end up. You see, the Silver Sea is actually an All Void Domain, a place that touches every point of existence. For someone to possess such a domain, this Silver Deity must be the real deal." Just then, a bright light appeared behind him, causing him to turn around. "Ah, the Great Venerable has returned to escort me out. I've already taken my entire crew into my Innate Realm, as it's the only way others can leave without forming realms of their own."
With little time remaining, Xavier hurried to finish his message. "Consider this my gift to whoever finds this recording. May you have better luck in your efforts, and perhaps one day, we'll meet somewhere beyond this sea." With those final words, the Soul Power gradually faded, and the jade box lost its glow, leaving everyone aboard the ship to process what they had just learned.
Beside the box was a jade slip. Upon touching it, a detailed map appeared, displaying the holder's current location and everything around them in real time, even down to the cultivation levels of nearby creatures. The map was far more advanced than anything they had ever seen. It also contained another recorded message from the Third Prince. "Over these centuries, my subordinates and I have discovered several other lost ships and a few small islands, all of which have been marked on this map. I also placed preservation formations on those ships to keep them afloat."
The message continued. "Some of the ships we discovered had already been abandoned, which led me to believe that their occupants had met the conditions and were permitted to leave. Perhaps you can make use of whatever they left behind. We also discovered that certain currents lead directly to the islands. It took us quite some time to figure that out, but I've marked those routes as well. May this map be of help to you." With that, the recording ended, leaving the Mile Clan and the pirates with something they hadn't had since entering the Silver Sea: a reliable way to navigate its endless waters.
This also meant that their every move was being monitored by a deity, and had been since the moment they entered the Silver Sea. There had always been rumors of a Divine Realm and a Super Continent somewhere in the north, where a portal leading to the Divine Realm supposedly existed. However, no one had ever managed to reach it. Many had spent years sailing in search of this mysterious continent, only to turn back after finding nothing but endless open water. Now, it seemed that a former slave clan and a gang of pirates had stumbled upon proof that such a place might actually exist. Anon suddenly began searching the map frantically.
After a moment, his eyes widened. "There! There she is!" Following his finger, everyone noticed a ship bearing the symbol of a spiral galaxy, the insignia of the Mile Clan before it became a slave clan. Anon stared at the image in disbelief before uttering a name. "Cleo Mile." Everyone, including the pirates, was shocked. It was a name that had once been famous throughout the Thousand Nations Continent. Cleo Mile was known as a Supreme Nascent Soul Master, having killed over 5,000 Nascent Soul cultivators during the founding battle of the Thousand Nations Continent. Although she never ruled the union, she was honored as a saint for her contributions.
However, following her disappearance in the Silver Sea, the Mile Clan suffered a devastating decline. Cleo had vanished before she could leave behind an inheritance, forcing the clan to navigate the cultivation world without proper guidance. She had been the clan's first and only cultivator of such standing, and without her protection, their enemies quickly took advantage of the situation. Other clans and nations used her disappearance to suppress the Mile Clan, ensuring that another powerful figure they couldn't control would never emerge from its bloodline.
Many believed that had Cleo never disappeared, the Mile Clan would have become the Supreme Clan of the Thousand Nations Continent, and the terrible abuses of power that followed might never have occurred. These days, only the slave clans still remembered her name, holding on to the hope that someone like her would one day rise again. Now, after generations of suffering, the Mile Clan had discovered what appeared to be her lost ship. If it truly belonged to Cleo Mile, they might finally have a chance to recover their ancestor's legacy and reignite the flames of their bloodline.
Of course, this was a legend that was already 1,000 years older than the Third Prince's story, so the chances of Cleo still being alive were slim. However, Anon refused to dismiss the possibility. "If the Third Prince could leave this place, then so could our ancestor." Nieko, the captain of the pirates, nodded in agreement. "Well, I guess we know where we're going. It beats sailing around aimlessly. Besides, I want to see what such a figure would leave behind." With their destination decided, they adjusted their course and began making their way toward the location marked on the map.
The journey toward Cleo's ship was eerily calm. Not a single creature could be spotted, and there wasn't even a wave in sight. The water was completely still. Alan eventually broke the silence. "This is quite similar to the legend of her battle in the False Forest. That place was once filled with poisonous beasts, but she cleared them all out. Even the air became still, bringing a strange peace to a place where thousands had died. It eventually became the burial ground of 5,000 Nascent Soul Masters." Nieko looked out across the water before asking, "Do you think she slaughtered every beast in this region of the sea?"
Aiden examined the jade slip before answering. "The map doesn't show any life essence or signs of spiritual power besides our own." Hearing this, the pirates took a deep breath. They had already encountered countless terrifying creatures during their time in the Silver Sea, yet this entire region appeared to be completely empty. If Cleo Mile was truly responsible, then her strength must have been far greater than they imagined. Even Nieko, who had grown accustomed to the dangers of the sea, couldn't help but wonder what kind of person could accomplish something like this.
As they approached the marked location, they began to realize that what they were looking at wasn't actually a ship. Although it was certainly floating, the massive structure didn't appear to be man-made. There were several cabins scattered across its surface, along with what looked like a mansion standing at its highest point. "An island?" Nieko asked, staring in disbelief. As they drew closer, they could even make out what appeared to be a small but thriving community. People were moving between buildings, and from what they could sense, every single one of them was a cultivator.
Their ship soon passed through an invisible barrier, and almost immediately, the surrounding environment changed. The water began behaving normally again, with gentle waves and natural currents flowing around them. Fish and other sea creatures could be seen swimming beneath the surface, a welcome sight after traveling through such lifeless waters. Looking up, they noticed something even stranger. Above the island, the clouds formed a massive spiral that rotated at an unusually fast speed. However, the strange aura coming from it suggested that it wasn't made of ordinary clouds.
Before they could investigate further, their ship suddenly stopped moving. Four cultivators appeared in the sky around them, each standing firmly on a flying sword. All four had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, making them far stronger than anyone aboard the ship. Moments later, another figure appeared above them, radiating the unmistakable aura of a Golden Core Master. Unlike the others, he appeared rather welcoming as he looked down at the unexpected visitors. With a slight smile, he greeted them. "Welcome, travelers, to Drifting Orca Island."