Pinghai Division

On the other side, Chen Yuan, Wang Meng, and Sun Yun moved at the same time.

Wang Meng's fists were heavy and powerful, sending a First-Order Crocodile Demon that had climbed onto the railing flying with a single punch.

Sun Yun's movements were nimble, her short sword flitting like a butterfly among flowers, targeting the crocodile demons' eyes, throats, and other weak points. Wherever the blade's light passed, it brought forth spurts of blood.

Chen Yuan was the most decisive. He shifted his footing to dodge a crocodile demon's lunge, and the Cold Ripple Blade slid out silently.

"Cold River Reflecting Moon!"

The blade's light was like the cold, clear radiance of the moon—soft to the eye, yet carrying an extreme chill and sharpness.

The crocodile demon's tough scales were like paper before the blade's edge, instantly sliced open. One of its claws was split in two, the wound covered in frost, with barely any blood spurting out.

Seeing this, the remaining crocodile demons attacked even more frantically.

For a moment, the deck was filled with flashing blades and clashing swords, beastly roars echoing as the battle raged fiercely.

Though Chen Yuan and the other two were all at the Skin Grinding Realm, Wang Meng's strength was fierce, Sun Yun's footwork was agile, and Chen Yuan's blade technique was sharp and highly efficient at killing. The three coordinated seamlessly.

They steadily held off the siege of several First-Order Demonic Beasts, even gradually gaining the upper hand. From time to time, a crocodile demon was slain and fell into the sea.

But on the other side, Zhou Tai and Li Wei's situation was grim. Those two Second-Order Crocodile Demons were powerful, thick-skinned, and their strength was astonishing.

Zhou Tai could only barely hold his ground, and while Li Wei had a slight advantage, he was struggling against the Black Scale Crocodile's tough scales and couldn't finish it off.

If this continued, once either Zhou Tai or Li Wei couldn't hold on, the consequences would be disastrous!

Chen Yuan slashed away the demon beast in front of him, his gaze sweeping over the main ship's battlefield, anxiety rising in his heart.

I have to finish this side quickly and go help Senior Disciple Brother!

A cold glint flashed in his eyes. The blood and qi within him surged violently, unleashing the full power of the Stone Skin Realm. His skin took on a black, metallic luster.

"Fifth Senior Disciple Brother, Sixth Senior Disciple Sister, hold them off for me!"

He barked in a low voice, then suddenly lunged forward. Instead of dodging, he charged straight at a crocodile demon rushing at him.

The crocodile demon opened its massive maw to bite, but Chen Yuan neither dodged nor blocked. He swung his left arm horizontally, using his stone-skin-covered arm to forcibly jam the crocodile demon's jaws open.

The demon's sharp teeth ground against his stone skin, producing a grating sound that set one's teeth on edge—but they couldn't bite through!

At the same time, the Cold Ripple Blade in his right hand erupted with a dazzling blade light it had never shown before.

"Burst."

Chen Yuan muttered.

He fused the divine ability technique he had comprehended into his blade art. The highly compressed cold mist exploded at the blade's tip in an instant, unleashing extreme freezing force and impact.

The blade's tip pierced with pinpoint accuracy into the soft flesh of the crocodile demon's throat, exposed because its mouth was stuck. The bone-chilling blade qi and the impact of Mist Burst exploded inside its body.

The crocodile demon's entire body stiffened, the light of life fading rapidly from its eyes. Its massive frame froze as if encased in ice, and then Chen Yuan kicked it flying.

Instant kill!

Wang Meng and Sun Yun stared in shock, then their spirits soared. The three of them quickly finished off the remaining two First-Order Demonic Beasts.

"Hurry and help Senior Disciple Brother!"

Without pausing, Chen Yuan leaped like a great bird across the sea surface, landing on the main ship's battered deck.

By now, Zhou Tai's arm had been torn open, blood streaming down, and Li Wei was panting heavily.

"Senior Disciple Brother, Chief Escort Zhou, I'm here to help!"

Chen Yuan shouted, the Cold Ripple Blade aiming straight for the eye of the Second-Order Crocodile Demon attacking Zhou Tai.

The crocodile demon sensed the danger and jerked its head aside, but the blade still grazed past its eye socket, leaving a deep, bone-deep gash. One eye was instantly ruined!

The crocodile demon let out a pained roar, its assault slowing.

Zhou Tai's pressure eased sharply, and he gasped for breath, looking at Chen Yuan with shock in his eyes.

On the other side, Wang Meng and Sun Yun had also arrived, joining Li Wei to tie down the other Second-Order Crocodile Demon.

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Chen Yuan teamed up with Zhou Tai, the two of them ganging up on the injured Second-Order Crocodile Demon.

Chen Yuan's blade technique was eerie and cold, targeting the demon's wounded eye socket and the gaps between its scales. Zhou Tai handled the frontal assault to keep it occupied.

In just a short while, this Second-Order Black Scale Crocodile was overwhelmed, covered in wounds, its movements growing sluggish, and its roars tinged with fear.

"Die!"

Chen Yuan seized an opening, quietly using Mist Burst again. The Cold Ripple Blade shot out like a venomous snake, piercing precisely into the crocodile demon's remaining intact eye. The blade qi surged straight into its brain!

The crocodile demon's massive body convulsed violently a few times, then crashed to the ground.

Seeing its companion dead, the remaining Second-Order Crocodile Demon let out a terrified screech. It no longer dared to fight and turned to flee back into the sea.

"Where do you think you're going!" Li Wei roared, using the last of his strength to swing his long blade, slamming it heavily onto the crocodile demon's back. The demon stumbled.

Wang Meng and Sun Yun's weapons also struck it at the same time.

Chen Yuan wasn't about to let the chance slip. He moved like lightning, the Cold Ripple Blade carrying a chill as it sliced across the demon's relatively soft belly.

Its innards, mixed with ice shards, spilled out. The crocodile demon struggled a few times before following its companion into death.

The battle was over.

The deck was already a mess, splattered with bloodstains.

Just then, the Pinghai Division warship finally finished clearing the demonic beasts ahead and pulled alongside.

A middle-aged official in a dark blue uniform leaped onto the merchant ship. Seeing the two Second-Order Crocodile Demons and the many First-Order Demonic Beast corpses on the deck—especially noting that Chen Yuan and the others were only at the Skin Grinding Realm—his eyes showed an incredulous surprise.

"You... which trading company are you from? To kill so many demonic beasts, including two second-order ones?" The official's tone carried clear admiration and curiosity.

Zhou Tai hurried forward, enduring his injuries to bow and reply, "Reporting to you, sir, we are a fleet from the Four Seas Trading Company of Lin Hai County. These gentlemen are outstanding disciples of the Blackwater Martial Arts School's 'Cold Abyss Saber.' Thanks to them, we barely managed to repel the demonic beasts and save the fleet."

"Blackwater Martial Arts School? Lin Hai County..." The official nodded, jotting down these names.

"Good, very good. To stay calm in crisis, coordinate well, and kill enemies above your rank at the Skin Grinding Realm—truly rare. I will record your merits!"

Then, as the official gestured for his men to help clean the battlefield and tend the wounded, he explained gravely to Zhou Tai and the others, "This disturbance was not the Pinghai Division's wish."

"Black Mountain Corner has complex terrain, dense waterways, and numerous hidden reefs. It was originally the lair of several River Bandit gangs, easy to defend and hard to attack. Those River Bandits were excellent swimmers; at the slightest sign of trouble, they'd vanish into the water. The authorities raided them several times but couldn't root them out."

"Recently, our patrol ships noticed the area was unusually quiet... only to find the entire Water Stronghold had become a living hell—no bones left, just heavy demonic aura and gnaw marks!"

Hearing this, everyone was shocked and angered. The ferocity of these demonic beasts was unimaginable, followed by a chill of fear—passing by Black Mountain Corner that day must have been...

The official continued, "But it also stirred up these creatures. Our division received the warning and immediately mobilized forces to seal off these waters and set up a defense line, planning to trap them near the River Mouth for extermination."

"Time was short, though, and these beasts were cunning and vicious. They dared to actively charge our Pinghai Division warships. Caught off guard, they broke through part of the line, nearly causing a disaster."

"Thanks to your bravery in intercepting these stragglers, if they had slipped into the coastal villages, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

So that was it!

Everyone finally understood the whole story.

They never imagined the River Bandits that had plagued the merchant ships would end up like this, and their destruction had summoned even more terrifying demonic beasts.

"The threat in the waters ahead has been temporarily cleared after this battle. Your fleet can pass safely, but you must leave this area quickly. I will also report to my superiors to commend your deeds," the official added.

Zhou Tai quickly responded, "We understand. Thank you, sir."

The Pinghai Division warships began to regroup; some prepared to return to port for repairs, while others continued patrol and alert.

The merchant fleet dared not linger either. They immediately set sail and sped toward Lin Hai County.

As the fleet set off again, the crew's gazes toward Chen Yuan and the others had completely changed, filled with respect and gratitude.

Chen Yuan, however, remained calm, silently wiping the Cold Ripple Blade as he gazed at the approaching Lin Hai County.

Realm: Skin Grinding Realm - Great Accomplishment (69/100) (Experienced fierce battle, gained many insights)

Tide Luck: 99/100

Tide Luck Points rose again, just one point short of perfection.

The year's end was near, and home lay ahead.

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