CHAPTER 501: CHAPTER 296: THE GREAT PIONEER EXPEDITION [TWO CHAPTERS COMBINED]

The world was enveloped in darkness, with over ninety percent of the explored regions lacking Fire Springs. It was a state that could be described as Ye Wujiang.

The Shanhai Spaceship was piercing through clouds and fog, embarking on a high-speed voyage.

It lacked the cold metallic sheen, appearing rather subdued with a back-to-basics elegance, yet its sleek lines suggested it was far from being an ancient relic.

This was a new model, mass-produced over the past two months, known for its exceptional speed and reliable safety features.

The entire vessel was enveloped by a delicate shield interwoven with fine runes.

This time for the Great Exploration, the mission was to advance westward!

Yu Gen Sheng stood on the deck, saying, "The Immortal Road is primary, while the newborn road and Esoteric Buddhism serve as supplements. Our main task is to broaden your horizons; the great era has arrived. Some have already ventured far, as you cannot simply watch idly from behind."

Qin Ming listened attentively, standing beside him was Xin Youdao, who had once dominated the Battle of the Eighty-One Cities.

Actually, the spaceship was not limited to people from the Newborn Road. Anyone from Shanhai Academy was eligible.

Ships departing from Kunling carried disciples from respective academies or dojos.

As for pure Newborn Road teams, they departed from their ancestral courts, including Yin Yang Temple, Tathagata Sect, Chunyang Palace, among others.

Many disciples on the spaceship were observing Qin Ming. After his true form and partial battle achievements were exposed, his reputation on the Newborn Road grew significantly, believed to possess Grandmaster Level talent.

Apart from Liu Hanyi, Qian Chuan, Tang Jun, and others, the ship also hosted many young and robust individuals.

"Senior brother, did you respond to the call as well?" Qin Ming noticed Jin Xiang among the crowd.

Jin Xiang laughed and said, "Hey, I may not have done well, but as an outstanding graduate from twenty years ago, and residing in Kunling City permanently, naturally, I responded immediately upon receiving the message."

Qin Ming admired him, not minding the peculiar stares of others, pulling a cart in Kunling for twenty years with refining the mind amidst worldly affairs, displaying remarkable steadiness.

Now Jin Xiang was no longer in the Golden Sheep form, which was stronger than an ox or horse; he had morphed into a human form. His long golden hair was adorned with two blade-like horns, looking rather rugged and heroic.

A middle-aged man among the young and robust said, "Old Jin, don’t be modest. Among our cohorts, you ranked first in battle prowess and refined your heart for twenty years, nurturing your blade for two decades. When you finally prepared to draw the sword, I knew you had accumulated enough momentum, destined to soar high!"

Jin Xiang immediately shook his head, saying, "Don’t speak so recklessly. I never rise, how can there be talk of bursting forth? I am ordinary, long lost amidst the crowd."

As he exchanged with the group of young and robust, Qin Ming came to know many members of the middle and young generation, experts who hailed from Shanhai Academy.

The West, World’s Edge.

Qin Ming had been here before, battling demons on the Shenshang Plain. This land was at the forefront of the Great Exploration.

The spaceship briefly landed here for a bit of rest.

Once it took off again, Qin Ming noticed that the supply ships behind them were fewer.

Not only that, the ships from other academies and dojos in Kunling left some behind.

"The Great Exploration is not that simple; they must have contingencies, making ample preparations." Yu Gen Sheng said.

He didn’t elaborate, yet everyone’s expression changed.

Suddenly, they no longer took it lightly and approached this journey with utmost seriousness.

Yu Gen Sheng smiled and said, "Don’t be nervous, it’s just normal procedures."

An elder yawned as he emerged from the cabin, saying, "This time, they say it’s an exploration of the Immortal Road, an early stage, but I think they’re just tomb raiding; it can’t be considered a real opening."

He was Wu Chengwang from Shanhai Academy. In his youth, he often explored big tombs and once unearthed a mutated version of the Golden Cicada Scripture. His power was substantial; his "archaeological" skills even stronger.

Qin Ming knew him; he acquired the Golden Cicada Scripture by willingly becoming a victim and resonating with Old Wu’s manuscript.

Wu Chengwang added, "Of course, when bypassing the ’World’s Edge’ and entering the depths of Yewu World, anything could happen, perhaps a sudden opening marked by blood and fire. After all, the vast expanse ahead has no end, no matter what occurs, it won’t be unexpected. Children, keep your spirits high!"

Yu Gen Sheng nodded, saying, "The realm we dwell in is merely a corner compared to the depths of Yewu World; the front is extremely profound, limitless. An Ancestor Master once explored it, spending many years before briefly telling us to push on to the end, but after hundreds of years, he hasn’t returned."

Xin Youdao asked seriously, "It’s rumored that the extremely distant realms up front may contain Shituo Ridge, the supreme court of the Demon Clan, and even kingdoms of evil gods, with various mysterious races present, and quasi-immortal creatures, is it true?"

Yu Gen Sheng hesitated briefly, then nodded, saying, "Judging from current data, it may be true, and possibly far more astonishing than we know."

These stories were heard from encounters with mysterious races during previous expansions and major migrations from the outer domain.

Yu Gen Sheng said, "From those legends, small and large civilizations are scattered across the dark depths of Night Fog. Some... sigh, talking now bears little significance, as none of us have seen or verified them."

Wu Chengwang sipped tea steeped with purple wolfberry and said, "That’s why exploration is a double-edged sword; winning ten times, but losing the last, means losing everything."

Yu Gen Sheng said, "Our civilization experienced a hiatus; to understand the world’s truths, we must seek outwardly. Thus, archaeology, hmm, tomb digging, and exploration, to discover other human nations and interact with different domain civilizations, are vital paths to unravel the essence of this world."