On a dark ocean speckled with faint stars, Mu Lin’s thoughts stretched far into the distance. Yet compared to the vast, tranquil sea surface, his mental reach might only cover an area similar to the vegetable garden of his home on land.
A faint bitter smile appeared on Mu Lin’s face. This sense of danger had grown increasingly intense ever since he set sail. Although he didn’t believe in fortune tellers or street-side diviners, he understood that humans possess an innate alertness to danger. The more trained a person was, the stronger this instinct became. It seemed he should have obediently stayed on land, resolving all threats before wandering the open seas again.
Facing the unknown, endless ocean, Mu Lin would be lying if he said he wasn’t afraid. But since danger was inevitable, he had to confront it calmly. Fear wouldn’t stop it from finding him. While the threat hadn’t fully arrived yet, he placed a set of backup equipment from the deck into his ring. Compared to external devices, he trusted his personal magical artifacts more.
Sitting in the cockpit, Mu Lin pondered what kind of danger awaited him. Based on past experiences, whether in water or on land, the schemes used by enemies were quite similar. Most likely, someone had installed a tracking device on his yacht, intending to eliminate or capture him at sea. He couldn’t figure out where he had slipped up, allowing the enemy to anticipate his movements and plan an ambush.
Mu Lin recalled an old saying: “When man plots against the tiger, the tiger plots against man too.” He had thought his small, solo operation would be hard to detect, so he acted recklessly in London. What he hadn’t considered was that he was up against an entire nation—one with a long-established reputation. Such a country undoubtedly possessed formidable forces he had yet to understand. After Cross and his team initiated their attack, Mu Lin had openly purchased this yacht. Any careful observer could easily trace him. But regret was useless now. Since the enemy had come knocking, he had no choice but to fight.
Acting on his thoughts, Mu Lin first extended his spiritual awareness across the entire yacht. His consciousness could detect all electromagnetic signals, so by locating the transmitter, he could gain an advantage. Indeed, he found two signal transmitters—one mounted on the engine and another hidden in the bathtub at the stern. Under his spiritual perception, these devices continuously emitted signals outward. He recognized these transmitters from his time in the U country; they were military-grade surveillance devices directly linked to satellites. As long as he remained at sea, he would be under constant surveillance. No wonder he had felt uneasy—the enemy had likely discovered him long ago, waiting until he was far out at sea before making their move.
Mu Lin picked up the two small transmitters but didn’t shut them off. He let them continue operating. He reasoned that the enemy’s ships were probably already nearby. If he turned off the signals, it would alert them that he had uncovered their plan, making them even more cautious. Confronting a national naval force at sea would be extremely difficult for him.
He removed a small submersible and a lifeboat from the yacht. After launching them into the water, he jumped onto the submersible and casually stowed the now-engine-off yacht into his ring.
As Mu Lin’s cultivation power grew stronger, he had expanded the space inside his ring. Using ample quantities of floating stones, he enlarged the originally cramped space. Now, the interior of his ring covered about two square kilometers, which is why he was reluctant to abandon his first yacht, purchased for $68 million. With his spiritual awareness enveloping the yacht, he mentally commanded it into the ring.
This yacht symbolized Mu Lin’s longing for the sea and marked his first vessel on his solo oceanic journey. He had invested tremendous effort into outfitting it, dreaming of one day bringing his beloved woman aboard to explore the mysterious ocean.
His plan was to hide aboard the small submersible—a vessel capable of submerging for 48 hours. He expected the enemy to strike tonight. If he could survive until morning, he could hitch a ride on a passing ship. As for the lifeboat, he decided to leave it as a “gift” for the Y country’s navy.
Don’t underestimate this lifeboat—it was equipped with the most advanced technology available. Roughly a third the size of the yacht, it was cleverly integrated into the main vessel, unlike the small lifeboats people usually imagine. At a distance in the dark sea, it would be difficult to distinguish from the original yacht. Mu Lin placed the two signal transmitters aboard the lifeboat, activated its autopilot system, and set it to continue along the original course, patiently waiting for the enemy to arrive.
Meanwhile, Mu Lin powered up the submersible and dove beneath the surface, silently trailing the lifeboat. His submersible resembled a large cargo container but was more aerodynamically designed, reducing underwater resistance and allowing a speed of up to 40 knots. Powered by a combination of hybrid fuel and batteries, it could remain submerged far longer than conventional diesel-powered subs. This small military-grade submersible had cost him nearly $6 million.
Staying closely behind the lifeboat, Mu Lin was confident the enemy couldn’t detect him with sonar or radar unless they visually spotted him on the surface at close range.
After about two more hours of travel, Mu Lin encountered no other ships—further confirming his suspicion that the enemy had already blockaded this area. At their current speed, he would soon enter international waters in another hour.
At this point, Mu Lin retrieved two Baoyuan Dan and two Juyuan Dan pills from his ring, placing them on his person. Preparing for the impending battle, he shut off the submersible’s diesel engine and relied solely on battery power, silently trailing the lifeboat in the darkness beneath the waves.
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