By the time the two returned to the ship, the sailors had already made preparations to leave port.
Once the two were back, the order was immediately given to hoist the sails and depart.
Little did they know that watchful eyes had taken note of this unusual move.
The two were still too inexperienced. None of the other ships in the harbor had departed yet, so Linghua Island's ship leaving first was bound to draw the attention of those watching.
Had their master been there, with his decades of seasoned experience, he would never have been the first bird to stick its head out!
A short while after the Linghua sailed out of the harbor, a two-masted ship followed.
Another hour later, the Zhao Family's ship left the harbor.
After returning aboard the Linghua, Zhao Yi and Liu Yu went into their cabin and stayed there, grinning foolishly at the jade bottle containing the Primordial Chaos Pills.
Night fell. Dark clouds veiled the moon, and not a single star shone in the sky. The sea was pitch-black.
The Linghua sailed alone across the boundless sea, its bow cleaving the black waves with a dull rumble.
Most of the sailors aboard were resting. Only the captain's cabin and the lookout still had oil lamps burning.
At that moment, a small boat slipped toward the Linghua like a ghost.
On the small boat, four figures wrapped tightly from head to toe in black clothing resembled specters in the night.
Black masks covered their faces, leaving only pairs of eyes glinting with cold light.
When the two vessels were less than ten feet apart, one of the black-clad figures sprang into the air.
He landed aboard the Linghua and concealed himself in the shadows, his movements extraordinarily nimble. He made not a single unnecessary sound throughout.
Moments later, the other three on the small boat used their agile skills to climb swiftly and lightly aboard the Linghua in succession.
After boarding the larger vessel, the four black-clad figures scattered, stealthily making their way in different directions.
Their footsteps were as light as a cat's, making not the slightest sound.
Before long, everyone aboard apart from Zhao Yi and Liu Yu had been drugged unconscious.
At that moment, Zhao Yi and Liu Yu were still enthusiastically working out how to earn spirit stones and raise spirit fish.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
A knock sounded at the door.
"What is it?"
"Immortal masters, the chief sent us to bring you a late-night meal."
"Heh, Old Wu is quite thoughtful. Just a moment."
Liu Yu rose to open the door, but Zhao Yi caught his wrist and gave him a meaningful look. Then he silently walked to the weapon rack, picked up his halberd, and handed Liu Yu a sword.
"Immortal masters!"
Zhao Yi opened his mouth without making a sound. Reading his lips, Liu Yu's pupils abruptly contracted, and his previously calm, gentle gaze instantly turned piercing.
Zhao Yi pointed at the window. Liu Yu nodded, then pulled out a chair, deliberately making some noise to mislead the people outside.
Zhao Yi quietly walked over to the window and leaned against it to listen, then pointed above Liu Yu's head, indicating that someone was up there.
Zhao Yi gave Liu Yu a hand signal, then walked toward the door.
Holding Long Ji behind his back, Zhao Yi drew a deep breath and stepped forward, hurling himself at the main door like lightning.
"Crack!"
The cabin door shattered under the impact, slamming straight into the Black-Clothed Cultivator standing outside it.
Looking into the Black-Clothed Cultivator's terrified eyes, Zhao Yi smiled coldly and locked both arms around him.
"Kill!"
He squeezed hard with both arms. As though a giant python had coiled around the man's innards, his ribs instantly snapped, the broken bones stabbing into his organs. Blood immediately seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Without sparing him a glance, Zhao Yi casually dropped him, then lunged at the black-clad man Liu Yu was pursuing.
Behind Zhao Yi, two dark figures dropped through the cabin roof. They had thought they could ambush the pair, only to first see a Black-Clothed Cultivator fall to the floor, his fate unknown.
Their prey had abruptly become the hunters, leaving them momentarily unable to react.
In that fleeting instant, Zhao Yi caught the other Black-Clothed Cultivator.
Paying no heed to the sword thrusting toward him, Zhao Yi turned sideways to evade it, then stamped forward and used the same move to seize the man in his arms. Liu Yu closed in and drove his sword through the man's skull.
Immediately afterward, without looking back, Zhao Yi swung the Black-Clothed Cultivator behind him as a shield. A streak of dark light flashed and struck the corpse squarely—it was a concealed throwing knife.
Discarding the corpse, Zhao Yi reached back and drew Long Ji, facing the enemy alongside Liu Yu.
"Good! Good! Good!"
"Linghua Island's Chen-"
"Kill!"
Not waiting for the man to finish, Zhao Yi roared. His eyes flared blood-red, and his body swelled a size larger. Long Ji in hand, he hacked straight at his opponent like a god descending from heaven.
Both opposing cultivators were at the perfection of Meridian Opening. On this boundless sea, where could he and Liu Yu flee? Their only choice was to fight to the death!
Using the Boiling Blood Art, he could last thirty breaths at most.
What would happen then?
The only way to break out of this predicament was to trade a life for a life!
At that thought, Zhao Yi went mad, furiously whirling Long Ji and engulfing the two Black-Clothed Cultivators in a violent storm of blows.
One of the two Black-Clothed Cultivators wielded a longsword, the other a long whip. They swung their weapons, repeatedly clashing with Long Ji and sending sparks flying.
What kind of monster is this? How can he be so strong? The impacts are making my arms tremble and the webbing of my hands go numb!
Both men kept crying out inwardly.
Beside them, Liu Yu circled the pair, searching for an opening and preparing to kill with a single strike.
Suddenly, Zhao Yi stumbled, seemingly about to fall.
Seeing Zhao Yi expose an opening, the whip-wielder inwardly rejoiced. Long Whip traced a vicious arc through the air with a shrill whistle.
The length of the whip twisted as nimbly as a venomous snake, its tip glinting coldly as it lashed Zhao Yi's leg in an instant.
Zhao Yi stumbled again, and a black longsword gleaming with dark light thrust down from above, straight toward his heart.
"Clang!"
Something on Zhao Yi's body blocked the direct thrust. Though the sword failed to pierce him, its vicious force still made him spit out a mouthful of blood. His loose hair fell across his face, hiding the murderous intent on it from view.
"Whoosh!"
Zhao Yi's hand shot out like lightning and caught Long Whip. He gave it a fierce yank, then pushed off with his feet. He and the whip-wielding cultivator closed in on each other as though their minds were linked.
This was precisely Zhao Yi's method of luring the enemy deep in and gambling his life against theirs.
The same terrified gaze, the same embrace. The difference was that another sword thrust straight at him from behind, and this time Zhao Yi did not dodge.
The longsword pierced straight through his back and emerged from his front, then pierced the whip-wielding Black-Clothed Cultivator, skewering both men with a single thrust.
Before the whip-wielding cultivator could cry out, Liu Yu's sword came whistling toward him.
It severed his head in one stroke, then continued its sweep unabated, hacking toward the space behind Zhao Yi.
"Clang!"
The two swords collided. Liu Yu grunted and moved past Zhao Yi, taking out a talisman with his left hand and slapping it onto Zhao Yi. His right hand never stopped its sword movements as he continued fighting the Black-Clothed Cultivator.
The Black-Clothed Cultivator attacked Zhao Yi like a madman.
Zhao Yi violently spat out a great mouthful of blood, casually dropped the headless corpse in his arms, and turned with a roar, his voice hoarse like the howl of a malevolent ghost.
Relying on the Golden Light Talisman's protection, he lunged at the Black-Clothed Cultivator again, intending to repeat his old trick.
But the Black-Clothed Cultivator was already prepared. Seeing Zhao Yi lunge, he hastily jumped back to evade him, then drove Liu Yu back with a reverse sword stroke and began leading the pair in circles around the ship.
He wanted to stall until the strange technique and the Golden Light Talisman on Zhao Yi wore off before fighting him to the death.
Then victory would be firmly in his grasp.
As time passed, just as the Black-Clothed Cultivator had predicted, Zhao Yi's footsteps grew heavier and his turns and dodges became slower. Seeing blood seeping from Zhao Yi's mouth, nose, and both eyes further steadied his heart.
Under the impact of life-and-death combat, the Black-Clothed Cultivator's swordsmanship grew increasingly seamless, flowing like drifting clouds and running water as he performed it. His sword strikes surged like a mighty river, unbroken and unending.
Every thrust, flick, chop, and slash seemed to follow his heart's desires.
This! This!
My swordsmanship, which hasn't improved for years, is actually showing signs of a breakthrough now.
There truly is great terror-and great opportunity-between life and death!
For a time, the Black-Clothed Cultivator's momentum surged.
Facing him, Liu Yu felt the pressure coming from his opponent and could scarcely cope with his sword moves. There had already been an enormous gap between their cultivation levels, and now he could do nothing but struggle desperately to parry!
How could they break out of this predicament!
Before you continue