Preparing to Enter Seclusion

Everyone here practiced martial arts, so they understood that kind of mindset.

The others quietly dispersed. Only Lin Ling stayed behind, earnestly asking Fang Yue for guidance on martial arts.

Lin Ling specialized in spear techniques, an unfamiliar field for Fang Yue, but all paths in martial arts ultimately led to the same destination.

At Fang Yue's current level, he couldn't exactly teach Lin Ling every move hands-on, but helping him spot problems and flaws in his spear technique was no trouble.

Time passed by, second by second.

Fang Yue occasionally offered Lin Ling pointers and occasionally watched the river ahead.

To Fang Yue's disappointment, however, the route ahead proved unexpectedly calm. No more strange phenomena appeared.

Perhaps the aura Fang Yue had unleashed earlier had been too powerful. Or perhaps they were nearing the Capital, entering territory under its jurisdiction. Even this stretch of the Cold River would be subject to its control.

Fang Yue thought the latter explanation was more likely.

After all, this was the Capital's riverfront and its pier. If it weren't safe, what a mess that would cause.

During his journey aboard the Cold River Giant Ship, Fang Yue had encountered only one incident—the Demon Corpse—that made him feel even a Rain-grade expert might not be able to withstand it. The other strange phenomena had all been within the ability of Rain-grade experts to handle.

Only if they ventured deep into the Cold River might they encounter something truly beyond the reach of even Rain-grade experts.

But according to Old Helmsman, such phenomena might surface only once in several thousand years. There was no need to pay them special attention. Besides, they were usually found in the river's deep central reaches, not near the Capital's pier on the outskirts of the Cold River.

The closer