Melody of Manipulation

Huan Xue was initially curious about the strong aura. However, his curiosity quickly dissipated in the air after he realized that it could potentially be their enemy wanting to capture Qiaolian!

"There is a way in the backyard of this pavilion over there," Huan Xue whispered as he pointed the direction. He took a silver pouch from his pocket and placed it on their bed. He planned to pay the pavilion owner personally. But, with the aura that he had sensed, he decided to just leave his payment.

"That way connects to the main road going to the port. Let's take that route. It's not safe to go to the front desk."

"Hmm... I can circulate my inner force to get us there quicker," Qiaolian suggested.

For a moment, Huan Xue suddenly remembered that he planned to ask how they had traveled so quickly out from the Green Mountains last night. And about the tiger beast incident that he had coincidentally witnessed. But, he could only speak about his first concern.

"My lady, have you mastered the space cultivation using the force of your inner core?"

"Space cultivation? No! Hahaha... I don't think I'll ever grasp the complex principalities of dimensions! That inner force is not enough to execute a dimensional trip. Such a technique must use the power directly from the elixir field. As for this, I merely learned how to boost my speed because of hunting beasts," Qiaolian simply replied and started controlling the flow of her inner force.

Huan Xue watched as the black aura of her inner core started to materialize around them. The aura seemed to have silver traces around it, unlike the last time he witnessed the purest black color. Qiaolian regulated her inner force continuously until the aura spread to their bodies.

"Look closely, don't blink," said Qiaolian, and in just a split second their surrounding really blurred and then, they were standing on the port! The sound of waves splashing against the rocks could be heard on the distance.

"I can use this technique in the entire Boundless Shoreline region because I have memorized all the places here. I can tell the specific location even if I close my eyes." Qiaolian proudly smiled.

Huan Xue was momentarily stunned. "I have never seen that kind of technique."

"Ohh... it's a technique I learned to chase and hunt beasts! Hahaha... It's because I mostly rely on absorbing energy from beast core to improve my inner force," Qiaolian replied with no trace of sentiments on her face. "Well... It's better to get in the boat now while no one has recognized me yet."

Just like that, they bypassed the port officer that registers people coming in and going out of the region.

"That boat should be going to the Scarlet Islands region to deliver goods," Qiaolian made a guess. It was a merchant boat with a huge space on the deck carrying large chests of goods. Huan Xue nodded his head in confirmation before the two approached the middle-aged fluffy boatman, tying the rope on the side.

"Mister, how much should we pay for boat fee? Please give us a ride to the Scarlet Islands?" Qiaolian approached the boatman with a friendly tone.

The boatman examined the two figures in front of him and shook his head. "We will suspend our trip today. There are sea monsters migrating from the open sea to the Scarlet Islands territory. We must avoid any troubles. If you want to go, I heard the other boat on that side will not suspend their trip. You can ask them for a ride."

Qiaolian blinked her eyes with a slight intrigue in her expression. "Sea monsters? I've never heard of that.... Only sea beast... but, they say its rare to hunt one."

"Oh! Is it your first time to travel the sea? Sea monsters are beings with half human body, half fish tail. Below the oceans is their territory, its normal for those who do not travel the sea not to hear about them. Haven't you noticed of the abnormal thunderstorm and lightning last night? Some beast cultivators have witnessed the abnormality in the ocean and realized that it was caused by the migration of sea monsters!"

"Interesting..." Qiaolian trailed, trying to imagine the appearance of the creature in her head. She then turned around and asked Huan Xue, "Have you meet sea monsters?"

"Those creatures have a name. Its the same linage with the beasts bloodlines only they took half the form of a human but with the tail of a fish... They are called----"

"--Ahhh... mister, do not speak of their name! It brings evils and misfortunes to those who heard it! You must not! Those who mentioned them will become their food!" the boatman interrupted with a panic expression on his face. Qiaolian give him a glance before she dragged pulled Huan Xue's hand away.

"What's the sea monster called?" she eagerly asked after they maintained a good distance to the boatman.

Seeing her eyes gleamed with excitement, Huan Xue chuckled and asked, "Hmm... The boatman was right. It is better if you don't hear the name. But, have you heard of that mysterious tune technique used by other martial cultivators with musical instrument weapons to combat their opponents? The origin of that technique was believed to be from the beings that lived below the sea."

"Ohhh... That--- I've heard about the musical weapons but I've never read a book regarding it. Though, I vaguely remembered a battle song called, Twin Songs of Harmonious Sea!"

"Yeah, that's exactly the tune! Twin Songs of Harmonious Sea is known by most cultivators however, there is a different name for that song. The Tune of Calmness in Chaotic Seas. I read the cultivation manual of that tune."

"Wow! Master Huan, I've really admired your vast knowledge! How come I don't see any cultivation manuals about it here in Boundless Shoreline?"

"Those techniques belonged to an unknown tribe. Naturally, their manuals were unknown. I only read a few pages of it because of the Scarlet Islands landscape. My elixir field is not suitable to practice those techniques."

Qiaolian somehow comprehended that it must be practiced for those cultivators with Scarlet Martial Elixir Field. "So, what's written in the manual? Have you remembered the content?"

"I have memorized it. But, why are you interested in such a bizarre technique?"

"Ohh... I will live on your island soon! But, I realized that I am too ignorant of the techniques that some cultivators practiced!" Qiaolian's reply sounded so simple. But the curiosity within her heart was rippling within her blood and veins. Perhaps, once she examined the elixir field of her father, there would be a similar technique that she will encounter!

Huan Xue took a deep breath and tried to scan his memory for the content of the said manual...

"In the manual, it is said that without chaos, calmness cannot be recognized. And without calmness, chaos cannot be identified. That is the temperance of the sea. There are two tunes: The Tune of Calmness and the Tune of Madness. But, in the cultivation world, only one of the tunes was being practiced to increase battle morale, and the other tune was lost or maybe forbidden. But, what's interesting is that... Those sea monsters were capable of blending the tunes creating mystic voices underneath the sea. And that technique is called Melody of Manipulation. If you are immersed with the melody, they can control you and you will become their slave."

"That's it?" said Qiaolian after Huan Xue stopped talking and looked at her.

"Yeah... There are too many versions... But that's about it. It was Master Xia who let me read the manual for awareness. I only want to practice time and space cultivation. So, I did not pay much interest to it."