“What is it?”

Zhou Yao noticed Ye Qin’s distress and immediately looked toward the sea ahead, speaking quickly. “They are fast. Over a dozen Golden Core cultivators, their formation scattered, approaching our direction... Are they just passing by, or are they coming for us?”

“Unclear. Whatever they intend, we must avoid them! Zhou Dawu, immediately manipulate the flying boat and change course! Everyone else, prepare for battle.”

Ye Qin commanded in a deep voice.

“Got it!”

Zhou Dawu, piloting the vessel, immediately channeled his spiritual power to force the flying boat into a sharp turn, veering steeply toward the western sea to avoid collision with the approaching group of cultivators.

The Vice-Captain Zhou Yao, along with two direct Golden Core disciples from the Purple Sword Palace, immediately raised their respective magic artifacts in vigilance.

This small transport team was not large, but every member was fiercely loyal to the Purple Sword Palace. Aside from Elder Ye Qin, the rest were core disciples of the sect. Zhou Dawu was the direct descendant of Elder Zhou Xiang, and the other two also hailed from elder lineage.

They obeyed every command from Elder Ye Qin of the Purple Sword Palace absolutely.

Ye Qin stood upon the flying boat, his gaze fixed coldly on the more than ten streaks of light rapidly approaching, which indicated pursuit.

The more tense the fighting became in the Blood Sea, the more perilous the environment grew. He needed to maintain a heightened level of alertness to prevent any unforeseen incident.

The opposing group outnumbered their small team by more than three to one, and their strengths seemed to be in the mid-to-late stages of the Golden Core realm. Their varied attire made their affiliations impossible to discern.

Ye Qin frowned slightly. The cultivator leading the group was shrouded in a faint black aura, suggesting they practiced some form of poisonous or malevolent art, which usually marked them as rogue cultivators. With the two Great Immortal Alliances currently at war with the Demon Race, many rogue cultivators had been conscripted onto the battlefield, leading to a motley and uneven assortment of cultivators in the Blood Sea theater.

However, the moment the flying boat changed direction, the dozen or so cultivators in their mismatched robes also adjusted their seemingly loose encirclement formation, continuing their aggressive pursuit. While their objective remained unknown, it certainly boded no good; otherwise, they would not employ such an overtly hostile strategy to chase them down.

“Elder Ye, we are still several hours away from Stone City. We might be overtaken before we get there. Should we perhaps return to the Giant Field Stronghold? They have patrol teams and a Nascent Soul ancestor stationed there; they wouldn’t dare cause trouble.”

Zhou Dawu was surprised by the relentless pursuit. He held deep respect for Elder Ye Qin, but in his view, even the Elder was only a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. The enemy advanced aggressively, outnumbering them three-to-one. Once surrounded, the odds would surely favor a dire outcome.

“They are encircling us from three directions, having already blocked the route back to the stronghold. Big Brother Ye, what do we do now?”

Zhou Yao manipulated two flying swords, anger burning in her eyes. To dare surround and pursue cultivators from the Purple Sword Palace! Were it not for their low numbers, she would have charged straight into battle herself.

Soon, fifteen or sixteen streams of variously colored magic lights were closing in from all sides.

The flying boat could not break free from the pursuit.

Since escape was impossible, Ye Qin decisively abandoned the attempt to flee.

“This team belongs to the Heavenly Dao Alliance and we are on an urgent mission. Fellow Daoists, which Immortal Palace do you hail from...?”

Ye Qin’s face was as calm as still water as he demanded coldly. The question was perhaps superfluous, but necessary; otherwise, should they be forced to kill, they would at least know whom they had slain. The attire of this group lacked any identifying Immortal Palace insignia, suggesting they had been removed prior to engagement.

“You want to know who I am? Do you plan revenge? Hah! Dream on! Since you are all about to die anyway, I don’t mind telling you. I am Huo Zhentian, a notorious rogue cultivator of the Blood Sea! Consider it your good fortune to die by my hand; when you become vengeful spirits, don’t forget to shout my name!”

The lead figure, a large, dark-faced man, Huo Laoda, laughed wildly, his black aura blazing fiercely. The situation was obvious—his group held the clear advantage, and he felt he had nothing to fear.

“Huo Zhentian...? Likely another Blood Sea rogue cultivator like the great cultivator Cao. They only become this arrogant because they hold some minor sway in these backwater locations.”

Ye Qin, clad in his green robe, stood perfectly still on the boat, frowning slightly as he mused internally, though his outward expression remained placid.

Huo Laoda, though coarse, was sharp-eyed. Seeing Ye Qin’s composure—the leader showing not a trace of panic or surprise despite being surrounded by more than a dozen cultivators—suggested remarkable courage. Yet, it was precisely this extreme calmness that enraged him further.

“Enough talk. Hand over your personal magic artifacts and supplies, then surrender and we might grant you a whole corpse! Don't expect to leave here alive. I, Huo Laoda, rank over five hundred on the Golden Core Demon Slaying Ledger, a late-stage Golden Core expert! If you are smart, you’ll commit suicide now and save us some effort. If you resist to the end, it’s no great matter... cackle! With Huo Laoda here, and a group of fifteen or sixteen mid-to-late Golden Core cultivators, do you truly think you can escape alive?”

A goat-bearded cultivator trailing closely behind the dark-faced man spoke with smug satisfaction, grinning sinisterly.

The Golden Core cultivators aboard the flying boat heard this. Zhou Yao and the others’ faces turned grim.

“They really are murderous rogue cultivators bent on robbery! Damnable!”

“That black-faced cultivator ranks over five hundred on the Demon Slaying Ledger? To break into the top thousand means one possesses top-tier overall combat strength for a late-stage Golden Core expert, famous in the major Immortal Palaces.”

“Ranking five hundred plus—that is genuine formidable power. Golden Core cultivators lacking real strength can only watch in despair; even reaching the top thousand is difficult. The Purple Sword Palace only counts a mere handful of Golden Core cultivators with such peak combat strength.”

“What do we do now?”

The Purple Sword Palace disciples exchanged glances, regret and chagrin clouding their eyes. Had they known they would encounter this group of rogue cultivators, they should have remained at the Giant Field Stronghold; it would have been safer. But now, it was too late, and it would take hours to return to safety.

As the goat-bearded cultivator finished speaking,

“No need for more words. Attack!”

Huo Laoda found Ye Qin’s calm demeanor intensely irritating and no longer wished to leave any remains intact. He moved first to quell the rising anger in his heart, striking out a magic artifact from beneath his black sleeve. With a sharp hissing sound, it shot directly toward Ye Qin on the flying boat.

The artifact was a whip, shaped like a serpent. Once released, the whip instantly radiated inky black mist, swelling into a monstrous serpent-whip dozens of feet long, coiling toward Ye Qin. The whip billowed with dark energy, intensely foul, bloody, and unclean, instantly saturating an area a hundred feet around them. The head of the whip morphed into a black-scaled serpent’s head, two dripping fangs of black fluid wide open, lunging to devour the flying boat.

The other dozen cultivators also attacked from their respective positions.

Zhou Yao, Zhou Dawu, and the others had already mounted their swords, prepared for battle. They gripped various mid-to-high-tier talismans in their free hands. Seeing the assault, they instantly unleashed a barrage of these charms.

Flames soared everywhere, wind blades raged, and ice shards pierced the air.

“Damn them, how do they have so many talismans? Even when I was at my wealthiest, I couldn’t afford this many!” “Brothers, kill them quickly! These talismans will be ours!” “Blast it, this little lady has a fine figure, why is she so ruthless in battle! Leave her to me!”

The power unleashed by these mid-to-high-tier talismans momentarily stunned the dozen or so Golden Core cultivators, forcing them into a disheveled retreat while spewing curses, yet they dared not press too close.

Zhou Yao’s delicate face turned pale with fury.

However, Zhou Yao and the others were too few to simultaneously contend with the siege of fifteen or sixteen mid-to-late Golden Core cultivators. They could only rely on the large quantity of talismans they carried, unleashing an unrestrained bombardment regardless of cost, managing to force the advancing rogue cultivators back. If they had tried a direct confrontation, a barrage of more than ten mid and high-tier talismans would have overwhelmed even a Golden Core cultivator.

Fortunately, the supplies Ye Qin and the five others were transporting included a large stock of talismans intended for battlefield use, so they didn't have to worry about exhausting their stock immediately.

“A top-tier sinister artifact capable of polluting magic artifacts! It can suppress most conventional tools! ...Forging this sinister artifact must have taken immense effort.”

Ye Qin, noting the dark-faced cultivator’s sinister artifact, offered a cold sneer amidst his surprise. He opened his mouth and shot out five beams of light. Forming a sword seal, five-colored spiritual soul flying swords materialized, instantly forming the Grand Five Elements Sword Array to shield the flying boat. The encroaching foul aura was immediately driven back by the surging light of the Grand Five Elements Sword Array.

“Five spiritual soul artifacts! ...Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth?!”

Huo Laoda’s expression changed slightly upon seeing Ye Qin deploy his artifacts.

Typically, a Golden Core cultivator would only refine one spiritual soul artifact, or perhaps two. The more artifacts one attempted to nurture simultaneously, the greater the drain on vital essence. Nurturing five spiritual soul artifacts consumed five times the energy of nurturing one, severely impeding a cultivator’s progress. Most Golden Core cultivators avoided refining too many spiritual soul artifacts to ensure their own cultivation advanced unimpeded.

However, this man in green had not only refined five artifacts corresponding to the five elements, but he had also reached the eighth layer of the late Golden Core stage—a rare sight in the East Sea cultivation world. More spiritual soul artifacts inherently meant stronger combat prowess; that was undeniable.

“This lad is from the Purple Sword Palace. Could he be among the top hundred on the Demon Slaying Ledger? ...But that’s impossible; the Purple Sword Palace has no Golden Core cultivators ranked in the top hundred.”

Huo Laoda had noticed the Purple Sword Palace insignia on Ye Qin and the others’ robes earlier but hadn't given it much thought. Now, a subtle sense of unease grew within him; he felt a touch of regret for engaging without properly assessing the enemy’s strength.

Even among late-stage Golden Core cultivators, the gap in combat power could be immense. A late-stage Golden Core cultivator ranked in the top hundred could defeat one ranked in the top thousand with casual ease. Those ranked in the top ten were even more terrifying, capable of slaying top-thousand experts effortlessly.

Huo Laoda, leading the charge, had intended to immediately slay the enemy leader to establish dominance. But before his Demon Serpent Whip could even reach the boat, he was blasted back by the barrage of talismans. Once Ye Qin revealed his artifacts, he knew something was wrong.

Huo Laoda was exceptionally shrewd. The moment he sensed trouble, he tried to retreat, planning to let the other rogue cultivators swarm forward; fifteen Golden Core cultivators attacking a five-person squad ensured a swift victory.

But at that moment, an unexpected turn occurred.

Ye Qin, standing atop the flying boat, his eyes flashing with cold light, waved his hand, and five beams of light suddenly shot out from the vessel.

As the writhing Demon Serpent Whip recoiled from the black mist, golden light suddenly flared intensely, shooting out hundreds of feet. Rolling flames swept out, engulfing large swathes of the vile, corrupting black vapor. Amidst this golden light and flame, celestial music resonated like the purest sound, and a sword as heavy as a mountain cleaved through everything blocking the view: the concealing black mist and the enemy artifact.

The Sky One Azure Water Sword had, at some unknown moment, vanished seamlessly within the golden light, hidden from sight.

Huo Laoda’s senses were momentarily confused by the celestial tones. He bit hard on his tongue, instantly regaining clarity.

At that very instant, a soft thwack sounded.

His protective robes and his defensive light shield shattered, and a faint, slim line of light pierced straight through his abdomen, skewering his Golden Core within.

“Insta-...instant kill?!”

Huo Laoda looked down, disbelief etched across his rugged, dark face.

In a single moment, the Golden Core Ninth Layer cultivator—once ranked over five hundred on the Demon Slaying Ledger and boasting considerable reputation—was dead. With a crash, his corpse fell into the Blood Sea, becoming just another fallen Golden Core cultivator amidst countless others.