"Whoosh!"
Countless Wraiths drifted all around them.
Their cold gazes fixed unblinkingly on Ye Changfeng and the others, but they made no move to attack. After all, they were terribly weak...
They couldn't even break through the light radiating from the Magic Treasures.
Lu Xueqi's pretty face turned slightly pale.
Looking at the many ghostly figures around her that resembled "humans," she couldn't help feeling a little afraid...
The Cold and Aloof Girl silently clutched Ye Changfeng's sleeve.
She quietly hid behind him.
Then peeked her head out.
It was the height of cuteness.
"Heh."
Ye Changfeng couldn't help chuckling softly.
He held the girl's slender hand tightly and explained, "These Wraiths are formed from the lingering obsessions of the dead. They don't have any real power to harm anyone..."
At that, Lu Xueqi relaxed.
They continued exploring the Ruthless Sea.
They encountered quite a few demon beasts along the way, but Qi Hao and the others took care of them all in the end.
Ye Changfeng didn't make a move.
After all.
Given his current strength,
these minor underlings weren't worth his effort.
He might as well let Lu Xueqi and the others use them for practice.
Before long,
Ye Changfeng and his companions reached the depths of the Ruthless Sea.
The vast underground sea stretched as far as the eye could see. It looked exceptionally calm, without even the slightest ripple.
An eerie silence reigned.
"Tap!"
But just then,
several crisp footsteps sounded from the darkness not far away.
"Hm?!"
Qi Hao and the others immediately grew alert.
Lu Xueqi's clear eyes flickered slightly as she silently tightened her grip on the Tianya Divine Sword.
"Whoosh!"
At the same time,
several figures emerged from the darkness.
The girl at the front wore a pale green dress. Slender and charming, she was every bit as beautiful as anyone else.
It was Biyao.
Behind her
stood a woman in a black dress.
The close-fitting black dress accentuated her graceful, tall, slender figure. A black veil covered her face, leaving only her brilliant, starry eyes to glimmer faintly in the darkness.
Besides them,
several elite members of the Ghost King Sect stood clad in yellow uniforms.
"Whoosh!"
The two groups faced off against each other.
The instant You Ji saw Ye Changfeng, her gaze involuntarily drifted toward him. Memories of their recent encounter in Heyang City seemed to surface in her mind, and a hint of mortification flashed in her eyes.
"Oh?"
"Aren't these the young heroes of the Qingyun Sect?"
Biyao held a Sad Flower in her hand. Smiling as she looked at Ye Changfeng and the others, she spoke with a sharp, hostile glint in her eyes:
"What?"
"Are you after the Blood Refining Hall's treasure trove too? Is that why you came all the way into the depths of the Ruthless Sea?"
At that,
Qi Hao and the others exchanged glances.
They didn't know who Biyao was, so they said nothing and simply turned to Ye Changfeng.
Lu Xueqi frowned slightly.
She glanced back at Ye Changfeng, a hint of confusion in her eyes, as if asking who they were.
Ye Changfeng said quietly,
"They're from the Ghost King Sect."
His voice wasn't loud, but in the stillness of the Ruthless Sea, everyone heard him clearly.
At that,
the expressions of Lu Xueqi and the others changed slightly.
The Ghost King Sect?
So they were Demonic Sect fiends!
Biyao's pretty face gradually darkened.
She glanced at You Ji beside her, then waved at the elite members of the Ghost King Sect behind her and said coolly,
"Kill them!"
At her command,
the Ghost King Sect's elites attacked without hesitation.
"Whoosh!"
Qi Hao, Zeng Shushu, and the others turned pale.
They immediately summoned their Magic Treasures and prepared to fight. Although these Ghost King Sect elites were less skilled than they were, they had the advantage in numbers...
At that moment,
You Ji's gaze was fixed on Ye Changfeng.
She had a faint feeling that he seemed to have changed. He had become...
Stronger?!
"Heh!"
Ye Changfeng chuckled softly.
He glanced at the surrounding Ghost King Sect elites but didn't make a move. Instead, he planned to let them help Lu Xueqi and the others train. After all, with him here...
Nothing could go wrong.
Ye Changfeng lifted his eyes slightly.
He met You Ji's gaze, then attacked without hesitation.
"Whoosh!"
Ye Changfeng moved incredibly fast.
He was almost too quick for the naked eye to follow.
Seeing this,
You Ji's expression shifted slightly.
Before she could react, a streak of Sword Qi was already hurtling toward her.
"Whoosh!"
You Ji quickly dodged.
But
the next moment,
the veil on her pretty face slipped off again.
"You..."
You Ji glared at Ye Changfeng, vexed and embarrassed.
A faintly teasing expression appeared on the face of the Green-robed Youth, as if he wanted nothing more than to see her make a fool of herself.
"Lout!"
You Ji couldn't help cursing him silently.
At that moment,
she stopped holding back.
She immediately summoned the Vermilion Bird Ring.
"Boom—"
Flames blazed, and the seawater boiled.
The only one left standing there in a daze was Biyao.
Uh...
Was nobody going to pay attention to her?
Being ignored like this made Biyao extremely annoyed. She secretly summoned the Sad Flower, intending to give Ye Changfeng a nasty surprise, only to discover...
She had no way to join in.
Ye Changfeng's Late Shangqing cultivation was far beyond what a little nobody like her could match.
Even You Ji, who was at the Shangqing Mid-stage,
could only be humiliated and toyed with by Ye Changfeng.
At that moment,
Biyao was overcome by a tremendous sense of defeat.
Why was nobody paying attention to her?
She looked around in a daze.
Lu Xueqi and the others were fighting several opponents at once. The three of them had formed a formation based on the Three Powers, holding off seven or eight Ghost King Sect elites. Even if Biyao joined that fight, she wouldn't be able to change anything...
"Boom!"
Ye Changfeng was toying with You Ji.
Ahem...
Well, "toying" might not be quite right.
He was just teasing her, really.
You Ji couldn't hurt him at all. She couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.
Wasn't that just teasing her?
"You..."
You Ji was about to explode with rage.
When had a Holy Envoy of her standing ever been toyed with like this?
And to make matters worse, the very same person had pulled off her veil several times!
At that moment,
You Ji was seething.
But she didn't feel much murderous intent.
She just wanted to catch Ye Changfeng and give him a good beating.
Uh...
Pin him to the ground and hit him a hundred times?
Something like that.
"Whoosh!"
Just then,
Ye Changfeng's expression suddenly changed.
He casually struck back the furious You Ji, then looked warily toward the depths of the Ruthless Sea.
"Hm?"
You Ji noticed Ye Changfeng's expression.
Her heart stirred, and she instinctively followed his gaze. Deep in the Ruthless Sea, two lanterns had suddenly appeared?!
Golden light flickered faintly.
No...
Wait!!
How could those be lanterns?
They were clearly a pair of enormous snake eyes!
"Roar!"
A low growl echoed through the Ruthless Sea.
A massive serpent, a hundred zhang long, appeared not far away. Its hideous head rose from the Ruthless Sea, and its pair of brilliant golden eyes gleamed like magma. A deep claw mark scarred the area just behind its head.
"The Blackwater Mysterious Snake?!"
"That thing still isn't dead!"
At that moment.
Everyone stopped fighting.
Ye Changfeng cautiously moved to Lu Xueqi and the others' side and said in a low voice, "Stay by my side. Don't wander off."
Hearing this.
Lu Xueqi and the others nodded repeatedly.
They stared at the Blackwater Mysterious Snake before them, as enormous as a small mountain, somewhat terrified. It was their first time seeing such a colossal creature.
"Don't move!"
You Ji came to Biyao's side.
She warily warned the elite members of the Ghost King Sect around them.
Biyao grabbed You Ji's hand, frightened.
"Whoosh!"
At that moment.
Everyone froze.
They were afraid of drawing the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's attention.
"Roar!"
The Blackwater Mysterious Snake let out a low growl.
A hint of amusement flashed in its golden eyes as it stared unblinkingly at the ants who had disturbed its slumber.
Under this faint pressure.
One of the Ghost King Sect members quickly lost his nerve.
His legs went weak.
Instinctively, he wanted to flee.
But.
The moment he moved.
The Blackwater Mysterious Snake was immediately startled.
Its enormous body swept sideways, instantly crushing most of the Ghost King Sect's elite members.
"Ah!!"
Screams rang out one after another.
The thick stench of blood drifted across the Ruthless Sea.
It also stirred the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's bloodlust.
"Roar!"
It violently twisted its body.
Its massive tail abruptly swung toward You Ji and Biyao.
"Not good!"
You Ji's expression changed.
She hurriedly shielded Biyao and tried to dodge the blow.
But...
The Blackwater Mysterious Snake was simply too large.
Even though she reacted extremely quickly.
The force of its body still sent her and Biyao flying.
Seeing this.
You Ji protected Biyao as they disappeared into the distance, carried away by the water.
In an instant.
Only Ye Changfeng and his group remained.
"Roar!"
The Blackwater Mysterious Snake growled.
Its hideous eyes abruptly turned toward them.
Its enormous body charged straight at them without hesitation.
Even though Ye Changfeng quickly dispelled most of the shockwave, Lu Xueqi and the others were still sent flying in different directions.
"Wretch!"
Ye Changfeng's expression turned cold.
He noticed the claw marks near the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's vital spot and realized that the creature's wounds from its battle with the Yellow Bird might not have healed yet...
If so.
Now was the time to strike.
Ye Changfeng's expression grew cold.
Without hesitation, he raised his sword and slashed at it with all his might.
"Boom!"
Brilliant Sword Light erupted.
Terrifying Sword Intent surged into the sky, its unstoppable force reaching for the heavens. This strike was almost the full extent of Ye Changfeng's power.
His Late Shangqing cultivation, combined with his terrifying Sword Intent.
Immediately made the Blackwater Mysterious Snake sense a hint of danger.
"Roar!"
It growled.
Its enormous body thrashed wildly.
But...
That streak of Sword Light still struck its vital spot.
"ROAR!!!"
Excruciating pain swept over it.
Thick black blood oozed from the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's wound.
The strike had instantly worsened its injuries, nearly costing it its life...
A trace of terror welled up in its eyes.
A humanlike fear flashed in its gaze. Without hesitation, its enormous body lashed toward where Lu Xueqi stood.
Clearly, it meant to distract them with a feint.
"Not good!"
Ye Changfeng's expression changed.
He flashed forward, appearing in front of Lu Xueqi and pulling her into his arms.
"Ah!"
The Cold and Aloof Girl cried out in surprise.
"BOOM—"
A huge shockwave swept toward them.
Even with Ye Changfeng's profound cultivation, he could not match the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's physical strength.
Therefore.
Faced with this terrifying shockwave.
He and Lu Xueqi were swallowed by the water.
"Junior Brother Ye!"
"Senior Brother Ye!"
Darkness.
Everything around them was pitch-black.
Not even a source of light could be seen.
From somewhere in the depths came the faint sound of dripping water.
"Drip!"
Lu Xueqi slowly awoke from unconsciousness. She realized she was in a warm embrace, and the familiar feeling instinctively put her at ease.
At that moment.
She paid no attention to her surroundings.
Because...
She knew that as long as he was there.
She would be in no danger.
"Xueqi?"
A gentle voice called in her ear.
Curled up in Ye Changfeng's arms, Lu Xueqi opened her eyes, still somewhat dazed. Her clear eyes were like autumn waters, shimmering softly.
"Whoosh!"
The Tianya Divine Sword gave off a faint glow.
She saw the young man before her. He was still dressed in his breezy blue robes, his figure tall and lean, without a single injury.
Lu Xueqi breathed a sigh of relief.
Before you continue