... Once their divine sense was extended, the complexions of both individuals shifted slightly. They exchanged a glance, each recognizing a flicker of caution in the other's eyes. Out on the open sea, storms or powerful demonic beasts were certainly frightening enough. But what they dreaded most was encountering their own kind. Tens or even hundreds of thousands of miles from any shore, upon the vast, boundless ocean, only three outcomes were possible when two groups chanced upon one another.

One: their strengths were evenly matched, and each side judged that consuming the other would result in unacceptable friendly casualties. In such a scenario, peaceful separation was the likeliest outcome—an agreement to mind their own business. Two: their own side held a decisive advantage in power. Greed would then likely surface, tilting the scales toward eliminating the weaker party. Three: the most tragic possibility—their own strength was vastly inferior to the opposition’s. This was the outcome every hunter venturing out to sea hoped desperately to avoid.

Captain Qian and Lei Dong both paled because, within the sweep of their divine sense, the opposing vessel appeared to possess considerable size. In this boundless, endless expanse of sea, the size of a ship was sometimes a testament to strength. A medium or large warship, powerfully equipped to withstand storms and even powerful demonic beasts, could easily attract strong allies.

Lei Dong had already confirmed via divine sense that the other ship was substantial, likely over thirty zhang in length. Now, as they looked with their eyes, a dark speck had appeared in the distant sky. The flying boat’s destination was clear: it was heading directly for Lei Dong’s group.

“Everyone, back to the ship immediately! Speed up and take your pills to recover your True Qi!” Captain Qian leaped up, practically roaring his command. “Old Zhang, protect Shangguan, don’t let him die.”

The others understood the urgency. Each streaked away on their escaping light, heading straight back to the small boat, which measured barely ten zhang. Lei Dong, silent and composed, leaped to the bow, swallowed a small Hui Ling Dan of the misty essence, and fixed his gaze upon the approaching flying boat.

Perhaps due to Lei Dong’s previous exceptional performance, Captain Qian regarded him with particular attention. He sent a private sound transmission: “Lei Dong, I need you to deploy your Foundation Establishment Peak puppet right at the bow. Also, please don the strangely styled wings of yours; they might offer some deterrence.”

Perhaps spurred by the Captain's request, the weak and frail Shangguan managed to stand up straight, though he deliberately donned a mask and positioned himself toward the rear.

“Captain, let’s be clear from the start,” Lei Dong transmitted back sternly. “If the enemy has a Golden Core cultivator, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” As he spoke, Lei Dong summoned the magnificent, dazzling golden Peak Puppet, allowing it to hover before the flying boat.

Captain Qian gave a slight start, then shook his head repeatedly with a pained expression while transmitting back: “If they have a Golden Core cultivator, then we’ve simply run into bad luck. Everyone scatter and flee for your lives; save who you can.” The thought of a Golden Core cultivator brought Captain Qian a wave of helplessness. Even in his peak Foundation Establishment state, facing the focused attention of a Golden Core master meant certain death. This was precisely why he fought so hard—he was desperate to reach the Golden Core realm, no matter the cost.

Lei Dong said no more. With a slight movement of his divine sense, the Wings of Asura manifested on his back. The roots of the two pairs of wings, seemingly solid yet ethereal, pierced through his robes and anchored firmly to his back. To intimidate the enemy, the wings were fully displayed now, sweeping high overhead, spanning no less than six zhang from tip to tip.

Without any conscious control from Lei Dong, the wings began to move with an extremely slow, almost imperceptible flutter, effortlessly suspending him just above the boat’s gunwale. To maximize the scare factor, Lei Dong quickly donned his formidable, savagely grim, and obsidian-hued battle armor. This transformation rendered him the picture of an extremely dangerous individual.

Lei Dong’s sudden appearance drew stunned sideways glances from his teammates. Especially Qing Niangzi, whose beautiful eyes lingered on him. It had to be admitted that his entire presentation was profoundly impactful, a fusion of raw power and perilous beauty. To borrow a phrase from Lei Dong’s previous life, he looked exceptionally cool and handsome.

Before, Captain Qian had only managed a hasty glance and retracted his focus. Now, he saw Lei Dong’s fierce, impossibly cool Wings of Asura with far greater clarity. Even with his peak Foundation Establishment cultivation, observing the wings induced a sense of oppression, a feeling of being unable to hold his head up, stirring both dread and awe in his heart. He could clearly sense the terrifying pressure and danger emanating from the fully transformed Lei Dong. Vaguely, he felt that he might not even be a match for him. He drew a sharp breath. Damn it, the fellow he casually picked up on Canglan Island possessed this kind of might: a top-tier spirit artifact flying sword, a peak Foundation Establishment puppet, formidable techniques, and those breathtaking wings. Especially those wings—Captain Qian found them strangely familiar, like the wings of an Asura. Wait, no, Asura wings weren't this large. Could they be those of a Great Asura?

Regardless of what Captain Qian and the others speculated, they would never, in their wildest dreams, conceive that those appendages were the wings of the Asura King. After all, a being of the Asura King’s caliber was simply too distant, too unattainable for them to even consider on a normal day.

Just as the group braced for confrontation, the thirty-plus zhang flying boat glided to a halt before them. Captain Qian’s own vessel, which he had once been so proud of, measured roughly fourteen or fifteen zhang long. In terms of length, it seemed only half the size of the opponent’s boat, but in reality, the comparison between the two vessels was like a child standing next to a giant.

Captain Qian did not immediately command an escape. Firstly, everyone knew the lamentable speed of their own ship. Secondly, fleeing would immediately signal guilt, prompting the enemy to pursue relentlessly. It was like two wild beasts encountering one another; the one that fled would inevitably provoke the other’s predatory instincts.

Lei Dong and Captain Qian projected their divine senses toward the enemy vessel, but the opposing energy shield repelled them, preventing entry by so much as half an inch. Likewise, peering with the naked eye revealed nothing of the figures aboard, as higher-grade ships could project illusion formations that rendered the occupants indistinct.

The two vessels hovered in silent opposition. Suddenly, the illusion formation aboard the enemy ship dissolved, and the scene on deck gradually materialized. Ten cultivators were massed at the bow. Captain Qian’s face convulsed with rapid changes. The quality of the opposing ten cultivators was exceptionally high; there were fully three late-stage Foundation Establishment experts, and the rest were cultivators at the seventh or eighth layer of the Foundation Establishment stage. The distance was small, and Captain Qian clearly read amusement and relaxed smiles in the eyes of the enemy leaders.

Their own side, however, had only six cultivators of that caliber. Furthermore, Shangguan, after deploying his Scarlet Blood Scythe, had been completely incapacitated and would require several days of recovery before fighting again. This meant five individuals would have to face ten.

The difference in strength was almost certainly overwhelming. The only reason the opposing side hadn't attacked immediately was likely due to Lei Dong: the presence of a peak Foundation Establishment puppet and that arrogant, imposing figure clad in black armor and wings made them hesitate, unable to accurately gauge his bottom line.

Now that the illusion array was gone, revealing their lineup of ten powerful cultivators, it was obvious the enemy intended to enter a probing phase. This was akin to beasts hunting: if uncertain of success, a test phase was mandatory; the moment the opponent showed fear or guilt, it was time to bare their fangs.

The enemy’s superior strength visibly strained the faces of their own cultivators, causing them to look grim. Even the more fiery-tempered Qing Niangzi’s expression was pale and heavy. Lei Dong, conversely, felt a wave of relief. There were no Golden Core cultivators. Moreover, nothing aboard that ship inspired fear in him. As long as there was no Golden Core expert, Lei Dong felt unconcerned.

Just as the opposing side seemed ready to speak, Lei Dong broke the silence first, his voice cold and merciless: “To the crew of that ship: leave the Golden Core demonic beasts you’ve killed, and you may leave.”

Silence. Lei Dong’s words instantly shattered the heavy atmosphere. All eyes turned to him. His own comrades thought he had gone mad. The opposing crew, however, were simply stunned. Such a demand was supposed to come from them, wasn’t it? The situation stood at ten against six. Damn it, such arrogance—did he think he was a Golden Core cultivator?

After the initial pause, the enemy cultivators displayed expressions ranging from anger to mockery and disdain. The leading cultivator, whose strength was comparable to Captain Qian’s—both peak Foundation Establishment—crossed his arms and spoke in a hoarse voice, “Are you looking to die? I can grant your wish. We were in a good mood before and only required you to surrender your spoils, but now…”

Lei Dong had already assessed that while the enemy warship was massive, reaching the standard of a mid-sized Kangfu flying boat, its weapon configuration appeared to be zero. Lei Dong detected no cannon barrels. He couldn't tell if these types of flying boats lacked magical artillery or if there was another reason. In any case, a ship without cannons was useless, no matter its size.

“Lei Dong, you’re crazy! Don’t provoke them,” Captain Qian transmitted urgently. “If we act aggressively enough, making them think biting us will break their teeth, they might back down and accept the spoils. What you’re doing will make it impossible for them to back down, forcing a fight.” His point was sound: ten against six offered a high probability of victory, but how many of their own side would die was uncertain.

“They have no Golden Core experts, and there aren't too many of them,” Lei Dong replied in a low voice, a cold glint in his eyes. “So, they are done for.”

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