Though the sky above was utterly clear, a vast, unbroken blue, the sea below seethed with hidden currents and endless peril.

Every guard stationed along the shores of Glazed Island had retreated inland. Within thirty zhang of the water’s edge, not a single silhouette remained. The former bustle of the harbor was utterly gone.

Yet, at this very moment, two figures abruptly emerged from the island’s interior to stand by the shore. Gazing at the splinters of wood scattered across the water and the massive fissures scarring the harbor docks, their expressions were grim beyond measure.

“Father, these sea fiends are utterly damnable,” Li Yajing exclaimed in anger. “They’ve actually destroyed every single one of our sea vessels. The losses to our Sect this time are truly immense.”

Li Jiangfeng slowly shook his head. “We can count this as the greatest fortune amidst misfortune. If Brother Jin hadn’t discovered it early and ordered all disciples to retreat urgently inland, our loss wouldn’t have been just some ships, but a large contingent of our disciples.”

Li Yajing’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she sighed softly. “I never imagined these sea fiends would hold such a fierce grudge. They have been surrounding the island for an entire day now. Who knows when they will finally withdraw.”

Li Jiangfeng offered a wry smile. “This is the first time the Sacred Beasts of the Outer Sea have engaged in siege behavior. Heaven knows how long this will last. We can only wait patiently.” He paused. “At least we’ve dispatched the carrier pigeons, warning our disciples abroad not to approach. Perhaps they will withdraw on their own once they’ve laid siege for a period.”

Li Yajing could only reply with a helpless sigh, “Let us hope so.”

Her gaze flickered, as if noticing something, and turned toward the sea surface.

At that precise instant, a black silhouette suddenly leaped from the water, shooting toward Li Yajing like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.

This was a type of flying fish from the Outer Sea, possessing formidable leaping ability. Its body was long and pointed, allowing it to erupt from the water to attack enemies without warning.

Li Yajing didn't turn her head. She raised a hand and pointed; a single spark flew from her slender, jade-like fingers.

This spark appeared utterly devoid of power, but the moment it touched the flying fish, the creature burst into violent flames, as if every bit of fat and oil within it had been instantaneously ignited. In just a moment, it was reduced to a pile of ash.

However, the appearance of this single flying fish was merely the prelude. In the very next second, no fewer than a thousand flying fish surged from the sea, rushing toward the father and daughter like a deluge of myriad arrows.

These flying fish were remarkably ferocious, willing to leap onto the shore just to strike down anyone exposed. Such suicidal attacks were genuinely unsettling.

Li Yajing’s expression shifted slightly, but her movements remained swift. She quickly raised her hands, and a vast torrent of Fire Force radiated around her body.

Then, the replica artifact envied by all Venerables—the Nine Dragon Furnace—appeared in her grasp. Its mouth opened rapidly, and a fiery dragon, bearing immense might, surged forth.

Instantly, the area before her transformed into an ocean of fire.

The flying fish surging ashore flew headlong into this sea of flames, much like moths drawn to a lamp, emitting loud, explosive sounds as if seawater were being violently splashed into intense fire. The flames in the sea occasionally spiked upward dramatically—the result of countless fish being instantaneously vaporized by the dragon’s heat.

Though fierce, these sea fish were nothing more than ordinary creatures, certainly no match for Venerable-level Li Yajing, especially with the replica artifact Nine Dragon Furnace in her hand—using it to incinerate these fish was vastly overkill.

But just as Li Yajing unleashed her mighty Fire Force, holding the tide of fish at bay with the flames, a powerful aura suddenly erupted. A black, whip-like object violently pierced the seal of the Fire Force and lashed out like lightning toward Li Yajing.

It was the tentacle of a colossal sea monster, which had surfaced near the coastline and launched a sudden, fatal strike while Li Yajing’s attention was diverted by the flying fish.

Li Yajing’s expression flickered, but her reaction was instantaneous. With a slight twist of her wrist, she brought the replica artifact Nine Dragon Furnace up to shield herself.

The massive tentacle, having pierced the fire, slammed down heavily upon the Nine Dragon Furnace.

The sheer force caused Li Yajing to retreat several steps. But the sea monster fared even worse.

The Nine Dragon Furnace unleashed an extreme surge of heat at that moment, catching the unprepared monster completely off guard. A powerful influx of Fire Force traveled up the tentacle, instantly scorching a section of it black.

A massive howl, filled with agony, echoed across the sea, and the tentacle retracted with incredible speed.

Li Jiangfeng’s face tightened. “Let’s go,” he urged quickly.

Li Yajing responded immediately. With a slight movement of her wrist, the fire dragon retreated back into the Nine Dragon Furnace. Behind them, the coastline was engulfed in towering flames. By the time the Sacred Beasts on the surface had gathered, the Li father and daughter had vanished without a trace.

Having distanced themselves significantly from the shoreline, Li Yajing frowned slightly. “Father, these sea fiends and Sacred Beasts are too cunning; they are difficult to deal with.”

Li Jiangfeng nodded slowly. “These creatures are here for vengeance. Their strength far surpasses that of the Sacred Beasts we usually encounter. It is hardly surprising that a few of them possess sharp intellects.” He sighed with resignation. “I did not expect the Sacred Beasts of the Outer Sea to be so unified. After we hunted a portion of them, they actually learned to gather their strength to retaliate.”

A flicker of a smile suddenly broke across Li Yajing’s somewhat heroic features. “Father, thankfully Elder Hua was impatient and urged the disciples to finish processing the bodies of those previous sea fiends within a day. Otherwise, our losses this time would have been far greater.”

Li Jiangfeng let out a soft chuckle. “Brother Hua likely wanted to quickly extract and catalog the inner cores of the Sacred Beasts and the most valuable materials, to give the Venerables an accounting. He inadvertently helped avert a far greater disaster. It is indeed a blessing in disguise. It’s a pity, though, that some of the bodies of the Sacred Beasts were dragged back into the sea…” He shook his head, expressing deep regret, as the remains of a Sacred Beast held incalculable worth.

Li Yajing glanced toward the center of the island. “It is unfortunate that the Old Ancestor is not on the island, and Grand Venerable Zhuang will not permit us to unleash the power of the volcano. Otherwise, how could these sea fiends succeed in besieging the island?”

Li Jiangfeng gave a wry smile and sighed deeply. “Brother He has been in the cave beneath us for four days now, and still has not returned. It is truly worrying.”

Li Yajing’s lips curved slightly, but by now, she was completely convinced of He Yiming’s strength and held far less jealousy toward him.

“Father, why do you mention him? Can he, by himself, drive away these sea fiend Sacred Beasts?”

Li Jiangfeng’s expression turned serious. “Brother He’s personal strength might be insufficient, but if he rides the White Horse Lightning, the power he wields will surely be extraordinary, perhaps not inferior to a peak human expert. With him assisting from the sidelines, we could apply far greater pressure on these Sacred Beasts of the sea.”

Li Yajing murmured something softly, then fell silent.

After He Yiming and the White Horse Lightning returned, everyone had witnessed the formidable might of that combination. If He Yiming could secure the White Horse’s assistance, it would be an invaluable boon to Glazed Island.

But alas, after He Yiming entered the cavern beneath the mountain, the White Horse Lightning, while not opposing the disciples in Glazed Cave, ignored everyone else.

It seemed aware of He Yiming’s whereabouts and showed no signs of impatience.

For a super Sacred Beast comparable in status to a peak human expert to remain quiet here was already remarkable. But expecting it to aid Glazed Island in repelling the enemy while He Yiming was absent was something no one dared to hope for.

The father and daughter soon returned to Glazed Cave, where Zhuang Munan and Hua Ruijin were already waiting.

Li Jiangfeng recounted everything they had witnessed. Upon hearing that the sea Sacred Beasts possessed high intelligence and a determined will to maintain the siege, the faces of the two men darkened considerably.

Hua Ruijin snorted in anger. “These wretches are hateful. Since they are so insolent, once the Old Ancestor returns, we must slaughter every last one of them.”

Zhuang Munan waved a hand slightly, stating in a deep voice, “Although these sea fiends are powerful, as long as they cannot come ashore, we need not worry too much. Our island is self-sufficient; we could be trapped for years without issue. However…” A sharp chill flashed across his face, “If they prove utterly stubborn, then the Sect Master will surely make an exception and deploy the might of the volcano to wipe them all out in one sweep.”

The Venerables nodded one after another, though they knew that before the Old Ancestor of Glazed Island returned, they lacked the strength with their current personnel to contend with the vast numbers of sea fiend Sacred Beasts.

Suddenly, a massive, resonant roar, filled with majestic power, echoed from the distance.

This single roar instantly swept across the entire island, causing intense tremors in everyone’s heart, as if someone were shouting loudly right beside their ears, shaking their very souls.

The faces of the Venerables all changed drastically. Even the usually steady and supremely confident Zhuang Munan looked troubled.

“Impossible…” he murmured. “That is the power of a Top-Tier Sacred Beast. Yet, for thousands of years, it seems no monster of this magnitude has ever entered the Inner Sea.”

The only entity capable of inducing such dizziness in a Five Qi Venerable like himself must be a Sacred Beast that had reached that level.

The few looked at each other, seeing the deep apprehension in each other’s eyes. Learning that such a powerhouse existed among the Sacred Beasts of the Outer Sea severely shook their previously firm confidence.

With flashes of movement, they exited Glazed Cave and rushed toward the direction from which the sound had originated.