Pinghai Division

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

Wang Meng's fists carried tremendous force. With one punch, he sent a First-Order Crocodile Demon that had climbed onto the ship's railing flying.

Sun Yun moved with nimble grace, her short sword darting like a butterfly weaving through flowers. She focused on the Crocodile Demons' eyes, throats, and other vulnerable points. Wherever her sword flashed, sprays of blood bloomed.

Chen Yuan was the most clean and decisive of them all. He shifted his footing to evade a Crocodile Demon's lunge, and the Cold Ripple Blade swept out soundlessly.

"Cold River Reflecting Moon!"

The blade's radiance resembled the cool, pure glow of a cold moon. It appeared gentle, yet contained an extreme chill and razor-sharp edge.

The Crocodile Demon's tough scales were like paper before the blade. They were sliced open in an instant, and one of its claws was split cleanly in two. Ice covered the wound, and surprisingly little blood sprayed out.

Seeing this, the remaining Crocodile Demons attacked even more frenziedly.

For a time, the deck was filled with flashing blades and swords, while the roars of beasts rang out without pause. The battle was extraordinarily fierce.

Although all three of them were in the Skin Grinding Realm, Wang Meng's strength was fierce and powerful, Sun Yun's movements were agile, and Chen Yuan's saber technique was sharp with tremendous killing efficiency. The three worked together with perfect understanding.

They steadily held off the encirclement of several First-Order Demonic Beasts and even gradually gained the upper hand. Crocodile Demons were cut down from time to time, plunging into the sea.

On the other side, however, Zhou Tai and Li Wei were in a somewhat precarious situation. The two Second-Order Crocodile Demons were extremely powerful, with thick hides and sturdy flesh, and their strength was astonishing.

Zhou Tai could only barely keep it occupied. Although Li Wei had gained a slight advantage, he was hampered by the Black Scale Crocodile's thick armor and was unable to kill it.

If this continued, once either Zhou Tai or Li Wei could no longer hold on, the consequences would be disastrous!

Chen Yuan knocked back the Demonic Beast before him with one slash, then swept his gaze across the main ship's battlefield, his heart burning with anxiety.

I have to finish things here as quickly as possible and go support Senior Disciple Brother!

A cold glint flashed through his eyes. The qi and blood within him erupted with a roar, fully revealing the strength of the Stone Skin Realm. His skin took on the dark, metallic sheen of black stone.

"Fifth Senior Disciple Brother, Sixth Senior Disciple Sister, help restrain it!"

He shouted in a low voice and suddenly surged forward. He no longer dodged, instead charging straight toward a Crocodile Demon pouncing at him.

The Crocodile Demon opened its bloody maw and bit down. Chen Yuan neither dodged nor retreated. He abruptly swept up his left arm and forcibly jammed the Crocodile Demon's enormous jaws open with his arm, which was covered in stone skin.

The Crocodile Demon's sharp teeth bit into the stone skin, producing a grating sound that set one's teeth on edge, yet it failed to pierce through!

At the same time, the Cold Ripple Blade in his right hand erupted with a dazzling radiance unlike anything before.

"Explode."

Chen Yuan shouted in a low voice.

He incorporated the divine ability technique he had comprehended into his saber art. Highly compressed cold mist erupted from the tip of the blade in an instant, producing an extreme freezing force and impact.

The blade tip pierced with incomparable precision into the soft flesh of the Crocodile Demon's throat, exposed because its jaws had been pinned open. The blade's extreme cold qi and the impact of Mist Burst erupted inside its body at once.

The Crocodile Demon's entire body suddenly stiffened. The life in its eyes rapidly faded, and its massive body froze solid as if encased in ice. Chen Yuan then kicked it flying.

Instant kill!

Wang Meng and Sun Yun stared in stunned disbelief. Their spirits soared, and the three of them swiftly finished off the remaining two First-Order Demonic Beasts with all their strength.

"Go help Senior Disciple Brother!"

Chen Yuan did not pause. He sprang forward like a great bird skimming over the sea and landed on the main ship's swaying deck.

By now, a gash had been torn across Zhou Tai's arm, blood streaming from it, while Li Wei was already panting heavily.

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

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

Sensing danger, the Crocodile Demon violently jerked its head aside. Even so, the blade scraped across its eye socket, leaving a deep wound with bone visible. One eye was instantly ruined!

The Crocodile Demon let out a pained howl, and its assault slowed.

The pressure on Zhou Tai dropped sharply. He seized the chance to catch his breath, staring at Chen Yuan in shock.

On the other side, Wang Meng and Sun Yun also rushed over and joined Li Wei in restraining the other Second-Order Crocodile Demon.

Chen Yuan worked with Zhou Tai, the two of them surrounding the injured Second-Order Crocodile Demon.

Chen Yuan's saber technique was strange and icy, focusing on the Crocodile Demon's wounded eye socket and the gaps between its scales, while Zhou Tai handled the frontal assault and kept it pinned down.

In only a short while, the Second-Order Black Scale Crocodile was unable to defend one side without neglecting the other. It was covered in wounds, its movements growing increasingly sluggish, and even its roars had taken on a note of fear.

"Die!"

Chen Yuan seized an opening and once again secretly unleashed Mist Burst. The Cold Ripple Blade shot out like a venomous snake from its lair, piercing precisely into the Crocodile Demon's other intact eye. The blade qi surged straight into its brain!

The Crocodile Demon's enormous body convulsed violently several times before crashing to the ground.

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

"Where do you think you're going!" Li Wei roared. Summoning the last of his strength, he swung his long saber and slammed it heavily into the Crocodile Demon's back, making it stagger.

Wang Meng and Sun Yun's weapons struck its body at the same time.

Chen Yuan would never let such an opportunity pass. His body flashed like lightning, and the Cold Ripple Blade, carrying a chill, swept across its relatively soft abdomen.

Its innards spilled out mixed with ice chips. After struggling several times, the Crocodile Demon followed its companion into death.

The battle ended.

The deck was already a scene of utter devastation, stained with blood.

At that moment, the Pinghai Division Warship finally finished clearing the Demonic Beasts ahead and drew alongside them.

A middle-aged official in a dark blue uniform leaped onto the merchant ship. When he saw the corpses of the two Second-Order Crocodile Demons and the many First-Order Demonic Beasts scattered across the deck—and especially when he saw that Chen Yuan and the others were only in the Skin Grinding Realm—his eyes filled with incredulous astonishment.

"You... which trading company are you from? You actually managed to kill so many Demonic Beasts, including two Second-Order ones?" The official's voice carried clear admiration and curiosity.

Zhou Tai hurried forward and saluted despite his injuries. "Reporting to you, my lord, we're the fleet of the Four Seas Trading Company from Lin Hai County. These young heroes are outstanding disciples of the Blackwater Martial Arts School's 'Cold Abyss Saber.' Thanks to them, we were fortunate enough to repel the Demonic Beasts and preserve the fleet."

"Blackwater Martial Arts School? Lin Hai County..." The official nodded, committing the names to memory.

"Excellent, truly excellent. To remain calm in a crisis, coordinate so seamlessly, and kill enemies above your level despite being in the Skin Grinding Realm is exceedingly rare. I will record your achievements!"

Then, while directing his subordinates to help clear the battlefield and treat the wounded, the official explained solemnly to Zhou Tai and the others, "We of the Pinghai Division truly had no wish to disturb you all."

"Black Mountain Corner has complicated terrain, dense waterways, and reefs everywhere. It was originally the stronghold of several groups of River Bandits, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Those River Bandits were excellent swimmers and vanished into the water without a trace at the slightest disturbance. The authorities wiped them out several times but could never eradicate them completely."

"Several days ago, our patrol ship noticed that the area was unusually quiet. Only then did we discover... the entire Water Stronghold had become a living hell. Not a single corpse remained—only a dense demonic aura and gnawing marks!"

Hearing this, everyone was shocked and enraged. The Demonic Beasts' cruelty could be imagined. Then a trace of lingering fear arose in them. When they had passed through Black Mountain Corner that day, they had likely already...

The official continued, "But we also disturbed those creatures. After receiving the warning, our division immediately mobilized personnel to seal off this stretch of sea and establish a defensive line. We had intended to trap and exterminate them near the River Mouth."

"But time was short, and those beasts were indeed cunning and ferocious. They actually dared to charge our Pinghai Division Warship directly. Caught off guard, we allowed them to break through part of the defensive line, nearly causing a catastrophe."

"Fortunately, you all were brave enough to intercept these stragglers. Otherwise, if they had been allowed to slip into the villages along the coast, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

"So that was what happened!"

Only then did everyone understand the whole affair.

They had never expected the River Bandits who had once plagued the merchant ships to meet such an end, nor that the River Bandits' destruction would draw out even more terrifying Demonic Beasts.

"The hidden danger in the sea ahead has been temporarily eliminated after this battle. Your fleet can pass safely, but you must leave this stretch of water as soon as possible. I will also report to the division and request that merit be awarded to you," the official added.

Zhou Tai hurriedly agreed. "We understand. Thank you, my lord."

The Pinghai Division Warships began withdrawing. Some prepared to return to port for rest and repairs, while others continued patrolling and keeping watch.

The merchant fleet also dared not linger. They immediately raised their sails and sped toward Lin Hai County.

When the fleet set sail once more, the sailors' gazes toward Chen Yuan and the others had completely changed, filled with admiration and gratitude.

Chen Yuan, however, remained calm. He merely wiped the Cold Ripple Blade in silence, gazing toward Lin Hai County, which drew closer and closer.

Realm: Skin Grinding Realm · Great Accomplishment (69/100) (After enduring a fierce battle, I gained many insights)

Tide Fortune: 99/100

Tide Luck Points have risen again. Only the final point remains before reaching perfection.

The New Year was drawing near. His household was just ahead.