The Cloud Sea was expansive to the point where many cultivators didn't have the ability to cross the whole thing, leaving them stuck on their own continents.
In the first place, the 4 peripheral continents of the Cloud Plane were vast enough to where there wouldn't be a need to leave them if one didn't aspire to, so there weren't many that tried.
But of those who tried, very few were able to succeed. Besides the distance that could diminish the mana pool of anyone attempting to cross the whole thing in one go, there were also the dangers of the sea itself.
It wasn't just earth where sea monsters ran rampant, if anything earth was a beginner example of this. For worlds as old as the Cloud Plane, the sea was bound to be even more terrifying.
However, there were ships that people used to ferry to the different continents, but they were extremely rare and meant for only those in the upper class of society.
Luckily, the sea monsters that resided near the surface were usually at the peak of 3rd class at their strongest, so such a service was possible. But the risk of a much stronger sea monster rising from the depths was always present. Nobody could guarantee absolute safety within the Cloud Sea.
Currently, Damien's group was experiencing these dangers firsthand. Zara was flying at a high altitude, causing the sea monsters to be unable to reach them, but it didn't stop them from trying.
They would often see massive beasts, some resembling animals of earth while some were completely mythological, jumping towards them, trying to swallow them whole.
The sight was frankly amazing to watch. Especially since almost everyone in the group could combat these monsters alone, they took the experience as a show.
But they didn't drop their guard. Xiao Zhen had warned them about the Cloud Sea and the monsters residing within it, pointing out one beast in particular.
"If you ever see a storm charging towards you, always run in the opposite direction." He had said. "That is no natural storm, it is one of the massive sea dragons that will occasionally surface to hunt prey."
The sea dragons were described more like huge snakes larger than most buildings, but they still fell into the category of eastern dragons.
And while they were told to avoid them at all costs, Damien was anticipating the encounter, if it ever came. He had met a wyvern at the beginning of his journey, but he hadn't met anything that could be confidently called a dragon.
And a dragon was something he desperately wanted to meet, and potentially devour.
Not even mentioning his skill, Damien hadn't evolved his body in a very long time. There simply weren't any suitable beasts to do so. Besides, at the level they had reached now, beasts were intelligent lifeforms who wouldn't wantonly seek conflict.
'Well, if it's conflict I want, I should be able to find plenty in the central continent.'
The central continent's major forces were mainly split into the 5 sects and 4 major clans.
These sects were the Azure Lotus Sect, the Divine Dragon Temple, the Supreme Fairy Paradise, the Celestial Star Palace, and finally, and the Jade Heavenly Palace.
The 4 major clans of the Central Continent were the Wang, Shi, Xue, and Long clans.
Unlike the 4 major clans, which were relatively equal in strength, the sects had a ranking for themselves that followed the aforementioned order from last to first.
They were based on the number and strength of disciples and the sects' placement in both the secret realm and regional tournament events.
Sadly, the regional tournament was still 5 years away, so Damien most likely wouldn't get to compete in it, but he wasn't aware of the date when the secret realm opened.
He already had experience in a secret realm, so he was excited at the prospect of entering another one.
There were tens of smaller sects within the continent as well, but they were rarely mentioned, as their disciples came mainly from those who failed to get accepted into the top 5 sects.
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Besides them, there was also an alchemy guild, whose influence spanned all 5 continents, as well as other auxiliary forces. However, these forces didn't strictly require loyalty, as one could join them even while being in a sect.
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Damien had also heard about a Mercenary Guild that functioned similar to the adventurers guild on Apeiron, but its influence wasn't near as large. It was counted among those previously mentioned auxiliary powers.
Suddenly, Damien opened his inventory and took out a small piece of crystal that Xiao Zhen gave him.
'Who would've thought that spirit stones actually exist.'
The currency of this cultivation world was actually spirit stones, however, they weren't exactly as they had been written in the countless cultivation novels he had read.
They were made of crystallized mana, but they weren't rare in the slightest. It seems this world produced them from the very start when it was introduced to mana.
Spirit stones couldn't be used to raise cultivation or mana capacity though, as the mana inside of them wasn't pure at all. It was contaminated with various other forms of energy that resulted in the clear crystals that became known as spirit stones.
Even without explanation, Damien was able to figure this out. After all, he had personally crystallized pure mana and seen its appearance and ability. Those mana beads he made worked like compressed bombs rather than harmless currency.
As Damien slowly took his attention away from the spirit stone in his hand, he noticed the shadow of land in the distance. While they weren't exactly close, they weren't far at all.
Truthfully, he thought they'd be in for another month of traveling, but Zara's speed made the trip much more convenient. It had only been a week, but he projected that they'd reach their destination in another day's time.
However, it was as if the heavens didn't want them to have a smooth journey. How could they cross the Cloud Sea peacefully when everyone else was forced to struggle?
From the distance, a massive storm approached them. It looked like a hurricane, with swirling winds whose speed reached the level where they could shred any weaker being, raging lighting that evaporated the seawater it touched, and roaring waves whose height reached the level of tsunamis.
It was a true natural disaster, yet there was nothing natural about it. In the middle of that storm, Damien could make out a massive shadow that silently swam through the air.
"The Cloud Sea's famous sea dragon, huh. They have the innate ability to control the weather, and their affinity lies in water and lightning. If one meets a sea dragon on their voyage, their only option is to pray for a quick death."
Elena and Rose looked at the incoming storm in trepidation. Although they had some confidence that they could win the battle if they worked together, it didn't suppress the innate fear they felt as they watched the scene in front of them.
"Damien, it might be best if we speed up our journey so we don't encounter that thing. It looks like it'll be too close of a shave for us."
However, Damien's thoughts didn't align with this notion in the slightest. He suddenly felt a thirst that he hadn't felt in a while, maybe even since his days within the dungeon.
His eyes began to change, with the blood-red color overtaking the amethyst that it usually calmly interacted with. His teeth elongated into fangs, and his fingers did the same into claws.
His muscles tensed, and his throat felt hot. He felt the undeniable urge to roar into the heavens. His blood boiled as if there was something within him that refused to retreat from this encounter.
And there was. The traits he had gained from the wyvern felt challenged by this beast that was also descended from dragons. It felt the need to establish dominance over the sea dragon.
Damien's aura began to shift, its color mimicking the blood red of his eyes, as his bloodlust leaked, grabbing the attention of the sea dragon.
Sensing its gaze, Damien's excitement grew as a certain feeling pricked at his intuition.
It was a sense he had long forgotten due to its inactivity over the past few years.
It was the sense that told him when he would benefit from devouring his prey.
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'That power, I want it.'