Above the azure sea, a dark cloud drifted unhurriedly, suspended tens of feet high in the air; to a casual glance, it might be mistaken for nothing more than an ordinary storm cloud at sea.

Inside the dark cloud, Ye Qin was sifting through the storage pouch he had taken from Shen Daliang.

He had initially expected to find spirit artifacts, magic tools, or raw materials. To his surprise, however, the pouch contained only one item: a thin, old, yellowed ledger.

He opened it out of curiosity.

"Deep Sea Azure Demon Snake Demon Cores, Tier Two: Seven hundred units. "Deep Sea Azure Demon Snake Fangs, Tier Two Poison Material: Seventeen thousand units. "Red-Winged Bird Demon Cores, Tier Three: Two hundred and fifty units." "Conch Pearls, Tier Three Alchemy Material: Three hundred grains. "Green-Haired Turtle Shells, Tier Three to Tier Four Artifact Refining Material: Nine thousand pieces. "Assorted Low-Tier Sea Beast Eggs: Ninety-eight." "Liuli Island Specialty: Fragrant Purple Wood, Tier Three Rare Wood: Three hundred logs." "Earth Slaves: Seven individuals."

Ye Qin rapidly scanned the ledger's final page, quickly calculating that the low-tier demon cores alone numbered over a thousand. The other items were practically countless. It seemed this ledger was used by Captain Shen for keeping his cargo accounts.

"Could this list what was actually on that large sailing ship? The Shen family fleet truly has considerable resources; to have such a volume of cargo on a single vessel." Ye Qin’s expression shifted, deeply moved.

To say he wasn't tempted would be a lie.

A ship full of goods like this represented an immense fortune.

Take the demon cores, for instance; he wondered how much effort it must have taken to gather so many low-tier cores.

He himself had slaughtered nearly a hundred thousand Fire Crows in the Blazing Mountain Range of the Chaotic Lands just to obtain enough cores to extract the Crow Essence for refining his Southern Bright Flame Sword, a fire-attribute Primordial Spirit artifact. Afterward, finding another massive beast swarm to craft the remaining Primordial Spirit artifacts became impossible. Yet, this single great sailing ship carried so many cores.

Of course, Ye Qin was also well aware that this ship's cargo wasn't particularly valuable while out at sea. Water-attributed demon beasts were abundant in the ocean, making cores and materials relatively easy to acquire. The risk at sea, however, was immense; any sudden surge of demonic storms could spell doom. Few sea goods ever made it safely back to Dongyu Town. Only when the great ship arrived safely from Liuli Island would this cargo truly become valuable.

Ye Qin almost succumbed to the urge to immediately return and seize the massive vessel. Yet, he coolly restrained the impulse.

He didn't know how many Foundation Establishment cultivators were aboard the large ship. Besides the six or seven low-tier Foundation Establishment men who had given chase, there might be other, higher-ranked Foundation cultivators remaining onboard.

Uncertain of the enemy's true strength, boarding the ship alone was far too risky.

Danger lurked everywhere on the sea; one had to avoid taking unnecessary gambles.

Ye Qin mentally weighed his options on how best to deal with the great sailing ship.

At that moment, a streak of golden magical light shot across the distant sea surface toward the small dark cloud. As the golden light closed to within a hundred or two hundred feet of the cloud, it halted. A bald cultivator stood atop the artifact, his expression shifting from excitement to profound disappointment. "What, just another cloud fragment?... I thought it was a cultivator!" With that, the cultivator controlling the golden light prepared to leave.

"Amu Meng!"

A startled voice called out from within the dark cloud.

"Who, who's in there? Show yourself!"

Amu Meng was startled by the sudden sound, stopping abruptly and staring wide-eyed at the cloud. His divine sense had clearly swept over this small mass earlier, yet he had detected no sign of a cultivator.

Ye Qin, still inside the cloud, was speechless upon seeing Amu Meng appear here. To encounter someone like this on the vast expanse of the East Sea...

In truth, since they were both flying steadily eastward, meeting midway was statistically normal.

The sole difference was that Ye Qin possessed a Star Fixing Plate, which provided his exact coordinates and his precise distance to any island.

Amu Meng lacked such a tool. He navigated only by the sun and stars, desperately pushing east across the water, hoping through sheer luck to stumble upon some landmass.

Ye Qin exposed a portion of his head from behind the obscuring cloud barrier.

"How could it be you?"

Amu Meng froze, momentarily stunned. The shock passed quickly, and he immediately summoned his Precious Form Wheel artifact. In an instant, a thin golden light enveloped his entire body—the Grand Method of Dignified Protection, the most supreme body-guarding Qi in the Sky Dome Original Cultivation World—prioritizing self-defense first.

Simultaneously, the Adamantine Demon-Subduing Cudgel flew out, resting horizontally before him, ready for battle at any moment. Facing Ye Qin, Amu Meng dared not relax his guard. Though Ye Qin’s cultivation was lower, he possessed countless tricks, necessitating caution.

Ye Qin remained seated steadily within the dark cloud barrier. This cloud was not merely a flying device; it was a powerful defensive artifact in itself. Attacking him wouldn't be simple for Amu Meng.

Amu Meng glared, not daring to strike rashly. He recalled their previous encounter at Minche Front, where they had fought to a draw, with neither gaining an advantage. Now, he lacked a concrete strategy to defeat Ye Qin.

Naturally, Ye Qin also held back. Having dueled Amu Meng before, he knew that the defensive golden shield of the Precious Form Wheel was as tough as an ancient turtle’s shell. If Amu Meng only defended and refused to attack, shattering it would be no easy feat.

The two faced each other across the sea, locked in a standoff.

Ye Qin held a slight tactical advantage: his Cloud Barrier artifact flew swiftly, allowing him to engage or retreat as he pleased. Amu Meng’s artifact lacked such speed, putting him at a disadvantage.

"Haha, Brother Ye, we are acquainted through combat. We hold no grievance, so why fight to the death? Besides, we are both lost at sea, unsure how long we will survive. Why not join forces and search for land together? It would certainly be safer."

Amu Meng suddenly burst into laughter, recalling his Demon-Subduing Cudgel and attempting to defuse the hostility. However, his Precious Form Wheel's protective golden shroud remained active. With that shield up, Ye Qin couldn't touch him.

"Very well. All past grievances from our duel in Dongyu Town have been settled. There’s no need to continue fighting. Brother Meng, how did you end up here? Were you also separated during the recent demonic storm?" Ye Qin paused briefly, then smiled.

"Exactly. I was carelessly struck by a wind blade and forced into the water. Thank goodness my protective golden shield was strong, or I might have been killed instantly. Brother Ye, have you sighted any islands in this vicinity?"

"No islands, but I did spot a large sailing ship ahead of me earlier. It seemed to be traveling from some sea island toward the Central Continent."

Ye Qin brought up the ship he had encountered earlier, intentionally testing the waters.

He had just been contemplating how to seize that great sailing ship. Amu Meng’s sudden appearance gave him an idea. Amu Meng's Precious Form Wheel had astonishing defensive capabilities; he could easily use Amu Meng to probe the strength of the ship's crew. If Amu Meng emerged unscathed, they could take the ship together. As for the cargo, he could always split it evenly with Amu Meng—it was better than getting nothing at all. If the ship carried too many Foundation Establishment cultivators, they would have to flee together. That risk, too, they would share.

Ye Qin knew Amu Meng would be intensely interested in the ship.

As expected, Amu Meng’s face lit up with wild joy. "What, a ship ahead? Those people must know where a habitable island is nearby! I’ve been flying over this ocean for half a month and haven't seen a single living soul; I’m going mad."

Amu Meng, despite his rough demeanor, was sharp enough to notice a discrepancy. "Uh, if there's a ship, why didn't Brother Ye go over there instead of heading in another direction?"

Ye Qin offered a wry, helpless smile. "Heh, I wanted to, of course, but it depends on whether they welcomed me. As soon as I approached, a Foundation Establishment cultivator tried to ambush me, and I killed him on the spot. There should be several Foundation Establishment cultivators on that ship, and I estimated their numbers were too great for me to handle alone, so I retreated. Is Brother Meng willing to try his hand against them?"

"Oh? Such a thing happened? What kind of people are they? How strong are they?" Amu Meng asked cautiously. He wasn't a fool and certainly didn't want to be used by Ye Qin.

"Roughly six or seven Foundation Establishment cultivators, all of ordinary low-tier cultivation. I didn't detect any more Foundation cultivators beyond that," Ye Qin stated calmly, speaking nothing but the truth.

Amu Meng weighed the odds and felt he had a significant chance of winning, which instantly enraged him. A mere six or seven low-tier Foundation cultivators were beneath his notice. His artifacts and techniques excelled in wide-ranging, chaotic group combat. Moreover, Ye Qin’s strength was no less than his own.

"Damn it! How dare they bully my brother! Lead the way, take me over there, and I’ll teach them a lesson!" Amu Meng urged repeatedly.

Normally, Amu Meng would deliberate more about whether Ye Qin was trying to trick him. But after being confined and bored at sea for over half a month, he had lost his patience. He was utterly weary of the ocean and desperately craved an island to rest upon. That sailing ship represented his best hope.

"Since Brother Meng is willing to step forward, I naturally have no objections. Let's go!" Ye Qin agreed readily.

Led by Ye Qin, Amu Meng followed toward the direction of the sailing ship. To avoid alerting the vessel prematurely, they flew low, several dozen feet above the waves. A streak of dark light and a streak of golden light carved two straight wakes across the ocean surface.

The Shen family cultivators aboard the great sailing ship were having an exceptionally unlucky day. They had initially thought they’d found a fat sheep lost at sea, only to discover that the 'sheep' was frighteningly fierce and had slain their Captain Shen in one blow.

Unable to catch the fleeing cultivator, they had given up and returned to the great ship, which was now sailing steadily eastward toward Dongyu Town. They never suspected that the cultivator who just left would return so quickly, and this time, bringing two terrifying figures with him, closing in on their vessel from low altitude.