Passenger Ship to Jiu Li City

Yan Qingqing rushed out of the range covered by the seven light streaks, intending to quickly take down Li Weiyi. Her three-foot soft sword sliced through the air, its path a winding, illusory route, exuding a treacherous killing intent that was impossible to guard against.

Li Weiyi knew the opponent had activated Seven Springs; how could he dare to carelessly accept this sword strike?

He retreated at maximum speed, immediately reaching for the bottle containing Golden Crow Blood in his embrace.

Yan Qingqing had gained the upper hand with her sword and naturally pursued her advantage, giving Li Weiyi no chance to counterattack.

"Clang!"

Li Weiyi didn't have time to pour the Golden Crow Blood onto his Scripture Belt. He only felt a sky full of sword shadows attacking him, his ears filled with sharp sounds. Each sword tip seemed real, threatening to pierce him until he resembled a sieve.

Without a second thought, he turned and fled.

A piercing sword qi, sharp enough to penetrate flesh, landed on his back with a dull thud. However, it was blocked by the Ghost Flag worn on the outside and the Corpse Cloth Soft Armor underneath, preventing him from being injured.

"Trying to escape?"

Yan Qingqing knew he possessed defensive magic tools, and jealousy surged within her. She drew her sword and pursued him.

Li Weiyi sometimes used the Chan Sect Twelve Loose Hand Techniques' "Clear Void Cicada Evasion Step," making him appear as an illusion with overlapping movements. Other times, he employed "Yellow Dragon Ascends to Heaven," soaring through the air and crossing over the piles of coffins stacked like small mountains, as if walking on level ground.

Without borrowing the power of the Scripture Belt, his speed was actually on par with Yan Qingqing, who had activated Seven Springs.

"I've already killed one and held off another. I should have completed the mission beyond expectations, right? If Li Ling can quickly deal with that donkey-faced man, we might have a chance to resolve all hidden dangers today."

Li Weiyi had a certain understanding of his own strength. At least in terms of speed, he had no fear of a Martial Cultivator at the so-called Spring Surge Peak like Yan Qingqing.

"Roar!"

A deep, muffled wolf howl echoed in the silence, reverberating through the Sea of Coffins and shaking the surrounding night mist into retreat.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

Heavy yet swift running sounds approached from a distance.

Li Weiyi glanced back and saw a white-haired wolf king, five to six meters long, chasing Li Ling and charging rapidly in their direction.

The white-haired wolf king's body was semi-corporeal, and the chilling aura it released instantly coated the floating coffins it passed over with a layer of white frost. Fang Tong stood tall on the wolf's back, wearing thick black metal gauntlets on both hands.

The gauntlets, weighing a hundred pounds, were a formidable Martial Weapon, forged from a precious Dense Metal.

Li Weiyi immediately took out the Golden Crow Blood and poured it onto his Scripture Belt.

Yan Qingqing had long since abandoned pursuing him and attacked the fleeing Li Ling. She wanted to see if the mysterious man would continue to flee or turn to rescue her.

In an instant, Li Ling found herself in a perilous situation, with a dog in front and a wolf behind, but her expression remained unchanged. She struck out with her palm towards Yan Qingqing's incoming soft sword.

The palm wind contained Mana, like a wall of energy, causing the soft sword to vibrate violently.

Yan Qingqing retreated repeatedly, her eyes filled with disbelief. She hadn't expected to lose in the Martial Cultivation domain to a Netherlight Guide Envoy from the Spirit God Realm.

"Roar!"

The Snow Wolf King caught up and swiped its sharp, massive claws, intending to smash Li Ling's entire body into pulp.

"Bang!"

Li Ling met the attack with her palm, but she was no match for it. Her body was thrown to the side, her entire arm bleeding profusely. Before she could land and steady herself, Fang Tong leaped from the wolf's back and threw a punch towards her head.

Li Ling had just managed to roll away and dodge when Yan Qingqing attacked again with her sword.

"Clang!"

A flash of yellow light, and the two swords met.

The soft sword softened and was deflected away from Li Ling's front.

Li Weiyi met her, sword in hand. They stood back-to-back, surveying their three enemies.

"Your character is far better than I estimated; you didn't abandon me. You're reliable!" Li Ling's face and eyes remained cold, but the corners of her lips turned up slightly.

"I just understand a principle: if I don't kill that Canine-like Mutant woman today, escaping now would be meaningless."

That brief clash of swords made Li Weiyi realize that a Martial Cultivator at Seven Springs wasn't that terrifying.

The combat power of the Deformed Race was just that.

Li Ling said, "Be careful. Legend has it that the Snow Wolf King is Shi Jiuzhai's mount, its strength and speed beyond our reach. But it has a fatal weakness: its true form is not a real wolf, but the soul of a magic tool. I can deal with it using psychic power, but it will take time to cast the Beast Script."

Li Weiyi looked at Fang Tong and Yan Qingqing. Facing two of them alone, he had not even half the confidence.

To everyone's surprise, including Li Ling's own, Li Weiyi picked her up, tightly hugging her legs. He used the Clear Void Cicada Evasion Step, his body like an illusion, dodging Yan Qingqing's incoming sword strike and charging into the distance.

With the enhancement of the Scripture Belt, his speed was far superior to that of a Seven Springs Martial Cultivator.

"This time, you're carrying me willingly. I'm still an unmarried girl, won't this be too intimate? If it gets out..."

Before Li Ling could finish speaking, Li Weiyi said, "The Snow Wolf King is catching up. How long will it take to cast the Beast Script?"

The bright spot between Li Ling's eyebrows flickered like a star. As soon as Li Weiyi carried her, she had already begun sketching the Beast Script in her spiritual realm with psychic power.

Fang Tong and Yan Qingqing stood on the Snow Wolf King's back, their distance from the pair ahead rapidly closing.

"We can't let her finish casting the Beast Script."

In the next moment, Fang Tong grabbed Yan Qingqing's left wrist, channeling Mana into his arm and throwing her with all his might.

As Yan Qingqing flew through the air, her long hair billowed, and Mana surged out of her body like energy.

The soft sword moved like a wind-breaking arrow, heading straight for Li Ling below.

"Lend me your sword for a moment."

Li Ling took the Yellow Dragon Sword from Li Weiyi's hand and, like a graceful swan taking flight, soared up to meet Yan Qingqing's attack from above. In mid-air, the two women exchanged blows, their sword energy crisscrossing in all directions.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft..."

When Li Ling landed, blood dripped from the Yellow Dragon Sword.

When Yan Qingqing landed, she already had four or five bloody holes in her body. And waiting for her was the Overturning Sky Palm Seal that Li Weiyi had prepared.

This palm strike contained the power of the Silver Thread Gloves. The silver light struck her head.

With a "bang" and the sound of cracking bones, Yan Qingqing's beautiful face instantly contorted. Her entire head looked like a shattered jar. Not only was blood flowing from her seven orifices, but the orifices themselves had become indistinct.

She fell straight down, lifeless.

On the other side, the Snow Wolf King charged forward with icy cold air, its body radiating brilliant white light. Meanwhile, the Beast Script in Li Ling's spiritual realm had been completed and flew out from between her eyebrows.

"You're asking for death!"

Amidst the blinding white light, Fang Tong suddenly burst out like a god of slaughter. By the time Li Ling prepared to swing her sword to meet the enemy, it was too late.

His fist struck Li Ling like a cannonball, sending her flying like a blade of grass. She spat blood and could no longer stand.

At the same time, the Beast Script struck the Snow Wolf King's forehead.

The Snow Wolf King let out a high-pitched, pained roar. Its body shrank, and its light and cold energy condensed into a wolf's tooth, which fell to the ground with a clatter.

The Sea of Coffins fell silent!

Only Li Weiyi and Fang Tong remained, standing twenty feet apart.

Coldness emanated from both their eyes, their auras locked onto each other.

Not far away, Yan Qingqing was already dead. Li Ling's clothes were stained red with blood, her life or death unknown.

Even though Li Ling had her flaws, she was now an ally fighting and dying alongside him. Seeing her so gravely injured, Li Weiyi's fighting spirit and killing intent surged.

No words were spoken.

Fang Tong walked forward slowly, then at a rapid pace.

Li Weiyi had no intention of fighting him. He directly took out the Evil Camel Bell, infused it with mana, and shook it.

"Clang clang!"

The sound grew louder.

"Whoosh!"

The Evil Camel Bell flew out, transforming into a giant, semi-corporeal camel, which collided with the charging Fang Tong.

Fang Tong hadn't expected the opponent to have such a powerful magic tool. He was already disoriented by the bell and had no time to react before being sent flying high into the air by the camel, feeling as if every bone in his body had broken.

The next moment, a thunderous roar was heard.

Li Weiyi used the Black Iron Seal to unleash a wrist-thick, blinding bolt of lightning that snaked out and pierced Fang Tong's body.

"Bang!"

When Fang Tong fell to the ground, he was completely charred black, with a fist-sized bloody hole in his chest. To his death, he couldn't understand where he had lost.

Li Weiyi walked up to him, confirmed he was dead, and then went to check on Li Ling's condition.

She was severely injured but still breathing.

He carefully searched the bodies of Fang Tong, Yan Qingqing, and Xing Wanxing, collected their valuables, and then kicked them all into the Blood Sea.

Afterward, Li Weiyi picked up the blood-soaked Li Ling and walked back.

Five days later, when Li Ling woke up, she was on a boat heading to Jiu Li City.

The boat was a massive passenger sailboat, over twenty zhang long, departing from Yao Pass and sailing upstream along the Sui River. It had three decks of deckhouses and over a hundred cabins.

Li Ling lay on a spacious bed in a cabin on the first floor of the deckhouse. She wore a white silk undergarment, and her chest and abdomen were bandaged. She had already been treated by a shamanic doctor in Yao Pass.

The old wet nurse guarding her bedside was hired by Zhao Zhizhuo in Yao Pass.

Upon learning that the Fourth Miss had woken up, he hurried to pay his respects. After receiving permission, he entered the cabin. He then explained how Brother Xie Jin had brought her to Yao Pass, how they had invited a Beast Li shamanic doctor to treat her, and that everyone was heading to Jiu Li City and would soon arrive at the Cangli Tribe.

Li Ling sat up halfway on the bed, covered by a thin cool quilt. Her long hair cascaded down as she gazed at the vast river and faint mountains outside the door. A sense of peace emanated from her, a sickly yet cool beauty. She slowly said, "Zhao Zhizhuo, at the Great Ceremony of Mang Mountain forty years ago, you ranked first among the Ninety-Nine Elites. You entered the Five Seas Realm at twenty-three, and your Five Seas were fully opened at forty-one. It was also that year that your Spring Eye was shattered by Yao Qian of the Sui Sect, breaking your Five Seas. The gentle scholar Yao Qian, he must be a prominent figure on the Cycle Record now, right?"

Zhao Zhizhuo felt bitter and guilty at first, then a sense of disbelief. For someone of the Fourth Miss's age to remember the resume of a cripple so clearly filled him with emotion.

This attention, for someone who had been overlooked for years and once shone brightly, touched him more than any praise or reward.

He said shamefully, "I was merely first among the Ninety-Nine Elites, not even among the Nine Elites. Fourth Miss is too kind!"

"We remember everyone who has contributed to the Cangli Tribe."

After a pause, Li Ling asked, "Are they also on the boat?"

"Is Fourth Miss referring to Brother Xie and his companions?" Zhao Zhizhuo replied, "They are also going to Jiu Li City, so it's on the way."

Li Ling said, "He didn't tell you his real name? Never mind, it's not important."

Zhao Zhizhuo was slightly taken aback, then said, "Should I go tell Brother Xie that you're awake... He's quite concerned about Fourth Miss's injuries."

Li Ling said, "Go ahead!"

He walked out of the cabin.

Zhao Zhizhuo thought of something, so he turned and bowed, asking, "We'll arrive at the Cangli Tribe this evening. Should we disembark and return to the tribe, or go to Jiu Li City?"

"My brother has definitely gone to Jiu Li Dao Academy, and Mom and Dad are also managing businesses in Jiu Li City, so we won't return to the tribe for now," Li Ling replied.