Chapter 165: Summoning the Black Colossus

"There is also a giant ship here!"

Su Ye's finger pressed heavily onto the Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map, his brow instantly furrowing as he fell into deep contemplation.

This Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map had been found by Ye Lingyun. Given Ye Lingyun's status as an overlord figure—famous, wealthy, surrounded by beauties, and possessing the one-in-a-million ability of a Spirit Listener—one could say that all ownerless treasures were simply waiting for him to discover them.

Why would such a figure travel thousands of miles, disregarding life and death, to find the Thunder City? Was it truly just to help his romantic confidante, Yu Zhisha?

"Ye Lingyun definitely came for this map, not for Yu Zhisha!"

Su Ye realized this with absolute certainty in an instant!

If Ye Lingyun had wanted to grant Yu Zhisha glory and wealth, he could have easily done so back in Guangzhou. Yet upon arriving here, when Ye Lingyun encountered the Black Heavenly Tribulation summoned by Su Ye, why did he run away alone, completely disregarding Yu Zhisha's life and death?

This behavior was entirely inconsistent with the persona Ye Lingyun constantly bragged about—being willing to sacrifice his life for his confidante.

"Could it be that everything inside this map is real? Since the demon tree and the Thunder City could be contained within this Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map, then this black ship certainly can be as well. If it can be stored inside, it must be able to be summoned out!"

As Su Ye muttered this to himself, even he felt that the idea was utterly insane. If he were to tell this to any of his classmates or friends, they would definitely laugh at him for going mad.

However, since he could even understand what the heavenly thunder was saying, what else was impossible?

Jiang Liuying watched him from the side, completely bewildered, and asked in a low voice, "What are you mumbling about? Is this painting of yours special?"

"Yes! The black ship on this Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map should be the exact same one on the sea. Perhaps we really can leave now." Su Ye had previously seen the giant black vessel sailing across the raging waves through the Thunder-Drawing Bead, heading toward the Thunder City. Perhaps he could make this giant black vessel reverse its course and return the way it came.

But how could he turn the things inside the Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map into reality?

Su Ye reached out and slowly traced his fingers across the map, finding nothing particularly unusual about it at first glance. If anything could be called special, it was that the illustrations of the Thunder City, the ocean, and the giant black ship were drawn with extraordinary realism.

Seeing that she could not be of any help, and noticing that Su Ye had fallen into deep contemplation, Jiang Liuying had no choice but to start packing up by herself.

The two of them had taken out quite a few things for their meal, and now it was time to put everything back into the storage conch shell.

"Sigh, if I had known, we should have brought a hot air balloon with us when we came. Maybe flying up into the sky would have allowed us to get out."

Jiang Liuying muttered to herself as she channeled her true Qi, directly activating the storage conch shell and putting the items away one by one.

Suddenly, Su Ye turned his head, staring blankly at the conch shell in Jiang Liuying's hand. Inspired by this, he channeled a tiny trace of true Qi into his own hand.

Hum!!

Instantly, the entire painting emitted a brilliant, starry glow that was extraordinarily mesmerizing and beautiful.

"Ah, Su Ye? What is this? Did you make this happen? Is this thing actually a magical artifact?" Jiang Liuying immediately asked in astonishment.

"It's possible."

Su Ye poured his true Qi down heavily once more, and the Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map actually began to rise slowly, hovering more than a meter above the ground.

Boom!

A deafening roar instantly echoed through Su Ye's mind, and he suddenly sensed the chaotic world contained within the Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map.

He could hardly fathom what kind of immense divine power someone must have possessed to create an entire realm within a single painting. He felt the Thunder City, he felt the surging ocean, and he felt that drifting giant black vessel.

"It has to be this!"

Su Ye let out a furious roar, slamming one hand fiercely onto the Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map. With another booming sound, his entire body was shrouded in a wave of black aura, and he stiffened, freezing completely in place.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Liuying's face instantly turned as pale as a sheet. Su Ye's current state was definitely not right!

"Su Ye! Su Ye, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me!"

Jiang Liuying called out several times, but received no response from Su Ye. She desperately wanted to walk over and shake him awake, but after glancing at the hovering Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map, she hesitated and held back.

Although things looked abnormal right now, at least Su Ye did not show any expression of pain.

And so they waited, until night fell.

Under the cover of darkness, Su Ye's body appeared even darker, like pitch-ink, while the Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map seemed to resonate with the stars in the night sky, emitting a dazzling starlight.

Anxiety gripped Jiang Liuying's heart, but she could only continue to wait patiently.

After a long and agonizing wait, morning of the next day finally arrived.

Yet by this time, Su Ye still had not awakened. Instead, the pitch-black color on his body had grown even denser, forming wisps of black vapor that continuously billowed out from around him and dissipated into the surrounding air.

By noon, a howling wind seemed to blow around Su Ye's body. If one listened closely, it sounded faintly like the shrill, miserable wails of vengeful spirits—perhaps the martial artists who had died unjustly in these waters.

"Su Ye, please don't let anything happen to you!" Jiang Liuying could only watch helplessly now, realizing that whenever she tried to approach Su Ye, she was forced back by an invisible barrier of black Qi.

In the blink of an eye, night fell once more.

This time, the sounds emanating from around Su Ye had evolved into dull, rumbling roars like muffled thunder.

Boom, boom, boom!

Right in front of him, the Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map shot out a massive beam of starlight that plunged straight down into the sea ahead. The previously calm ocean instantly transformed into churning, raging waves, causing the surrounding sea beasts to flee in terror, not daring to come close.

The second day passed.
The third day passed.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth days also passed.

Until finally, the seventh day arrived.

By this time, it was difficult to even catch a glimpse of Su Ye's figure; he was completely enveloped by thick, billowing clouds of fog, while the Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map before him had become the most blinding existence imaginable.

It erupted with a terrifying divine power, as if absorbing the stellar energy of the nine heavens. The sea ahead was tossed into violent turmoil, with a massive whirlpool spinning relentlessly right before their eyes.

Throughout these past seven days, Jiang Liuying had come to realize that she must not disturb Su Ye under any circumstances. As a descendant of Chiyou and the Jiuli tribe, her upbringing gave her a different perspective, and she had already guessed that something was about to be summoned out from the Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map.

Perhaps, it was that giant black vessel!

"Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map—The tide is coming, open!!"

Suddenly, Su Ye—who had remained silent for seven whole days and nights—flung his eyes wide open. Dazzling rays of light burst forth from his pupils as he slammed a single hand down heavily onto the Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map and roared in fury.

Rumble!

A heaven-shaking explosion resounded, and amidst that blinding beam of light, a massive black ship suddenly materialized.

At first, only its enormous bow was revealed. The giant black vessel was wreathed in endless black aura, emerging into the world in an exaggerated and domineering fashion. The bow appeared first, followed by the deck, and then towering flag masts, sails, and more.

Boom!

With another deafening crash that stirred up towering waves, the gigantic black vessel finally settled down upon the surface of the sea.

At this moment, not only Jiang Liuying, but even Su Ye—who had just opened his eyes—wore an expression of utter shock, their mouths hanging wide open as they stared incredulously at the giant black vessel that had suddenly appeared upon the ocean.

"Is this... the ancient black ship from inside the Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map?" Su Ye muttered to himself, then quickly looked back at the map. The illustration of the ancient black ship that had previously been on it was now completely gone, leaving behind only a lingering strand of black Qi.

He had actually succeeded in summoning the giant black vessel out.

"Oh heavens, Su Ye... am I hallucinating? Is this a dream, or can you perform magic? You... you summoned this ship?" Jiang Liuying parted her lips in shock, taking a few hesitant steps toward the shore as she wanted to get closer to see if this giant black vessel was truly real.

Su Ye also wanted to take a step forward, but his body suddenly went completely limp, and he collapsed straight to the ground. Not a single shred of true Qi was left inside his body.

Furthermore, worn out as he was, the exhaustion that he hadn't noticed before suddenly crashed down upon him all at once.

"Ah, Su Ye..."

Jiang Liuying immediately rushed over, supporting Su Ye as she helped him up. Upon seeing his condition, she cried out in alarm, "Ah, your nose is bleeding! Your eyes are bleeding too!"

Su Ye was so fatigued that his eyelids felt heavy enough to close. He managed a weak, bitter smile, reached out to grab the Twelve Heavenly Palaces Map, and said intermittently, "Get on... the ship. It can... take us away."

Jiang Liuying's delicate body trembled. Supporting one of Su Ye's arms over her shoulder, she half-carried him forward as they headed toward the shoreline.

Before she even reached it, the giant black vessel seemed to be driven by some powerful, invisible force as it slowly drifted closer, lowering a boarding ramp with a creaking sound.

Jiang Liuying looked up at it with a mixture of awe and dread. Did they really dare to board such a giant black vessel? Looking at the bizarre, ancient, and profound totems carved onto the ship's hull, an instinctive sense of terror gripped her.

"Go up... there's no one on it." Su Ye seemed to know what was on the ship and whispered another instruction.

Jiang Liuying gritted her teeth. There was no point in hesitating anymore—staying on this desolate island was a dead end anyway, so she might as well take a gamble and board the ship.

As her feet stepped onto the boarding ramp, it creaked loudly under their weight, sending a fresh surge of fear through her heart. When she finally stepped onto the deck, her body shuddered violently, as if she could sense something invisible slipping away from the surface and burrowing down into the lower deck.

"Set sail... take us away," Su Ye murmured, before finally letting his eyelids close and fainting outright.

"Su Ye, wake up!" Jiang Liuying called out anxiously. Realizing that Su Ye had likely over-exhausted himself and simply needed rest, she looked around nervously, not daring to venture down into the cabins below.

Creak! Creak!

In an instant, the entire giant black vessel sprang into motion.

The huge ship moved with an astonishing momentum, cutting through the waves. Strangely enough, wherever this giant black vessel passed, the previously calm sea churned into towering, turbulent waves.

Jiang Liuying carefully dragged Su Ye to a comfortable spot, propping him up against a bulkhead. She then stood up and looked out toward the sea, only to be struck by another wave of shock: the desolate island with the Thunder City had already shrunk into a tiny speck in the distance.

The speed of this giant black vessel was simply too terrifyingly fast!

"Where... on earth is it taking us?"