“You figured it out already?” Artemis’s brow furrowed so deeply it could rival Mount Olympus; she now suspected Ye Wen had deliberately led her to this island to confront the Sea King’s eldest son.

If that were the case, was Ye Wen in league with the Sea King? What conspiracy brewed between them? Regardless of the truth, none of it boded well for Artemis.

Unfortunately, while Artemis wasn't dull, she wasn't as sharp as Athena, capable of deducing the broader truth from mere threads of evidence. Thus, she preferred a simpler, more direct approach, pressing Ye Wen again: “Were you intentionally brought here?”

“If it were intentional, I wouldn’t have drunk that spring water!” Ye Wen didn’t move, not even lifting his head, sitting perfectly still with remarkable composure.

“What do you mean?” Artemis couldn't grasp the connection between the spring water and her question; Ye Wen’s reply seemed completely irrelevant.

Yet, Ye Wen followed up with a wry smile: “I feel utterly weak and limp right now, my limbs are numb, and my tongue is starting to tingle slightly…”

“You mean…” Ye Wen’s response startled Artemis: “You’ve been poisoned?”

If so, the situation was far worse. While she and Ye Wen together might not have feared fighting Triton, if only one of them retained combat ability, the danger level escalated significantly.

“It should be so…” Ye Wen remained exceptionally calm, as if the poisoning hadn't happened to him. “But I’m quite curious—what kind of poison is potent enough to do this?”

Artemis didn't know the specific toxin, but many creatures of the sea realms carried exceptionally virulent poisons, where even a minuscule amount could fell a tremendously powerful deity. Though she hadn't witnessed it firsthand, Artemis had heard tales of such events.

Despite not holding any particular affection for Ye Wen, this hardly seemed the moment for mockery: “Are… are you alright?”

“I should… be fine!” Ye Wen’s answer brought a measure of relief to Artemis. It seemed that while the poison was potent, it wasn't enough to fell this powerhouse from the East. Perhaps with a little time, Ye Wen could regain his strength, and they could jointly repel Triton.

Regrettably, Triton didn't seem inclined to grant her that time. In the brief interval Artemis and Ye Wen were speaking, the formerly beautiful and tranquil sea surface erupted with strange, bizarre monsters—some looked like lobsters but stood upright like men, while others were purely monstrous, bearing no discernible human resemblance.

They surfaced one after another, a dense, terrifying mass that made the hair on Artemis’s scalp prickle. A quick glance confirmed that this modest island was now completely encircled, the swarm of common soldiers closing in on her.

Simultaneously, these monstrous soldiers held either tridents or bows, aiming them from a distance. The slightest movement from her, and a volley of arrows would surely follow.

Shifting her gaze to Triton’s location, the ‘Seaweed Man’ hadn't emerged; he merely showed half his head peeking above the water, watching her side of things, showing no intention of fully revealing himself.

“What is that guy… trying to pull?”

“He’s probably trying to keep his distance,” Ye Wen observed, then slowly articulated his guess with a thickening tongue: “As long as he doesn’t show himself, he can claim he didn’t intentionally capture you. He can simply argue his subordinates attacked you to curry favor.”

Hearing Ye Wen’s explanation, Artemis displayed a look of disdain: “Can such a flimsy lie really deceive anyone?”

Ye Wen looked up at Artemis and suddenly realized how rather naive this proud goddess was. Perhaps it was because she rarely bothered to hone her skills in such areas; when it came to schemes and machinations, she lagged far behind Athena.

“He doesn’t need to fool everyone; a semi-plausible excuse is enough! Even if everyone knows he's lying, they’ll be helpless to do anything about it!”

“Hmph! Do you think he’ll succeed that easily?” Artemis lifted her chin. “Even with this many soldiers from the Sea Realm sent, they pose no threat to me…” Her voice lacked its usual confidence, but as the Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt, her inherent pride prevented her from yielding in this situation. She would rather fight to the death here than be captured and toyed with by that repulsive fellow.

“I’d rather die fighting here than be taken by him!”

“Oh.”

After uttering words that sounded like an oath, Artemis turned to look at Ye Wen, who remained seated, unmoving—the man Zeus had designated as her husband. Though she didn't accept it, she never imagined that in her final moments, this man would be by her side.

“Is… is this what fate is?”

A deity speaking of fate—Ye Wen would likely scoff if he knew. Yet, Artemis felt precisely that way in this moment, if only for an instant.

Raising her arm, Artemis instinctively prepared to summon her weapon, but as she did, she remembered it had been destroyed during her duel with Ye Wen. Later, Ye Wen had offered compensation, and she hadn't bothered seeking a suitable replacement. Now, she had no weapon on her person, and her raised hand paused awkwardly in mid-air.

“You didn’t bring a weapon?”

Artemis’s expression was slightly embarrassed; she didn't dare look down at Ye Wen, whose face she could practically imagine was filled with amusement.

It had to be admitted: as the time they spent together increased, Artemis understood Ye Wen better. The Great Sect Master Ye was indeed grinning silently, only holding back from making a sound to spare the woman some face.

As for the matter of weaponry, although Ye Wen was immobilized, his Zhenqi could still circulate. The Ring of Persephone on his finger emitted a faint light, and then several weapons materialized in front of Ye Wen, near Artemis’s reach.

“Pick whatever feels right!”

The jumble of weapons piled up into a small mound. It included the few modern firearms he'd procured from Hephaestus earlier, alongside several melee weapons. The total quantity wasn't enormous, as Ye Wen had entrusted most of his magical artifacts to Zheng Ying for safekeeping in the Artifact Pavilion.

What he kept on hand were either superior items or personal collectibles.

Artemis was momentarily startled by the sudden appearance of so many things, but quickly composed herself, tilting her head as she sifted through the heap of miscellaneous items for a suitable weapon.

“You’d best hurry, those things are already starting to charge this way!”

Ye Wen’s tone remained slow and unhurried, as if the unfolding events had nothing to do with him. But Artemis couldn't afford such leisure. Her gaze darted over the pile before she finally pointed, somewhat resignedly, at the Vulcan Minigun Ye Wen had retrieved earlier: “This thing—it’s very powerful, isn’t it?”

“Yes! And it’s perfectly suited for the current situation!”

“Then tell me how to use it.”

Artemis lifted the massive Vulcan Minigun with one hand, gripping the forward handle with her right and the rear lever-like grip with her left. The beautiful Moon Goddess transformed into a Terminator; the colossal weapon seemed like a toy in her grasp, betraying none of its actual weight.

“Do you see that red button? Just hold that down, and aim the muzzle at your target.”

The sight was quite striking. Ye Wen watched the beautiful Moon Goddess wielding such an anachronistic weapon, feeling a peculiar sense of aesthetic appreciation.

“The red… button… Here goes—”

Artemis had never used this weapon, seen it, or known its effects. If not for her already formidable inherent strength, she might have been genuinely terrified by the immense recoil when the weapon’s rotating barrels spun up and unleashed a torrent of death, its tracers almost forming continuous lines of fire.

Indeed, Artemis flinched, but it didn’t stop her actions. At most, her hands holding the Vulcan trembled slightly, causing an unknown number of bullets to miss their intended targets and streak harmlessly toward the sky, vanishing from sight.

Ye Wen’s Vulcan was no ordinary machine. It was a firearm artifact he’d acquired through certain connections, specifically engineered by incorporating cultivation talisman technology. The ammunition box utilized a storage formation to boost capacity, allowing it to hold one hundred thousand rounds. Furthermore, the barrels were reinforced with cooling formations to ensure sustained fire.

Moreover, the ammunition itself consisted of specially crafted talisman bullets. Each round left a bright tracer trail, helping the user correct the trajectory, and their destructive power far outstripped conventional bullets.

Consequently, facing the horde of Sea Realm soldiers, even with their innate armor (various shells), they stood no chance against the terrifying Vulcan Minigun. After just a few seconds of sustained fire, their proud outer casings would be shredded by the horrific beam, and the creatures themselves would be blown into a bloody pulp—this was cannon fire, not merely a gun! Let that not be forgotten.

Artemis moved from initial surprise to sheer exhilaration. She even beamed a radiant smile, twisting her enviably slender waist as she spun the Vulcan, watching the lines of death she unleashed fan out in a devastating arc, tearing those hateful, ugly monsters into fragments.

“This is exhilarating!”

Getting carried away, she even shouted out loud. Ye Wen stared in astonishment as the usually noble and beautiful Moon Goddess transformed into a she-barbarian, and a sudden sense of guilt, as if he had done something wrong, washed over him.

“Maybe… I shouldn’t have given this to her…”

While the Vulcan Minigun’s power might be insufficient against true powerhouses, it was peerless for slaughtering lesser foes, completely nullifying numerical superiority.

Ye Wen hadn't been sure how effective such a weapon would be in the Immortal Realm, but now he was certain: if he could further enhance the power of the Vulcan’s ammunition, this device would be terrifying even there.

However, the weapon in his hands was almost maximized in its current iteration. Although the barrels were specially quenched, the near-continuous spray of high-intensity rounds meant that after firing countless bursts, the entire assembly glowed a dull red.

Ye Wen noticed that the bullets were no longer flying in nearly straight lines as they had at the start; they were beginning to scatter aimlessly. If not for the abundance of targets in front of her, allowing her to mow down foes even by sweeping wildly, the killing efficiency would have dropped significantly.

But even so, it had reached its limit!

“Artemis!”

“Hmm?” Deep in her enjoyment, Artemis didn't turn around, continuing to swing the weapon and reap the lives of the monsters. She noticed the creatures seemed ready to retreat, sensing the sheer terror emanating from the weapon in her hands.

“You’d better stop…”

“Why—” Before she could finish voicing her question, the Vulcan in her hands let out a tremendous bang followed by a flash of fire. The once mighty and awe-inspiring weapon that had filled Artemis with excitement instantly turned into scrap metal.

Her pristine white gown was torn in several places. A large gash near the hem, where the fabric had been lifted, exposed a stretch of pale thigh previously concealed. There was also a rip near her side waist; had it been slightly lower, Ye Wen might have glimpsed an even more captivating view.

Her softly curled brown hair was also disheveled by the sudden explosion, a few unruly strands breaking free from the main mass, standing defiantly in the sea breeze.

Artemis froze for half a beat, then turned back to Ye Wen with a darkened expression to demand, “What was that?” Ye Wen shrugged: “Well… this weapon wasn't designed for sustained firing. It tends to rupture its barrel if pushed too long…”

“Rupture?”

“Ah… it means the barrel, due to overheating, suffers an explosive failure! That’s the general idea!”

Tossing aside the remnants of the Vulcan still in his hand, Artemis looked at the scattered pieces of metal, then at her tattered gown, feeling a surge of dissatisfaction: “Now you not only owe me a weapon, but you owe me an outfit too!” Ye Wen stood up, unconcerned. He had plenty of clothes; Artemis could pick out a few hundred sets if she wished.

Glancing toward the sea, the 'seaweed head' who had refused to emerge from the water was gone. He likely saw Artemis’s frenzied display and realized his scheme was doomed for the day, so he promptly fled.

“Tsk, he ran fast enough.”

“You’re fine now?” Seeing Ye Wen stand, Artemis scrutinized him, only to notice a fist-sized ball of water hovering above his palm. This water sphere looked unremarkable, yet holding it perfectly round in his hand made it appear quite beautiful.

“I’m fine. I was actually planning on giving this back to that fellow,” Ye Wen moved the hand holding the sphere, unleashing Meixia Dang energy that rose like flames, instantly turning the beautiful water ball into steam. “Didn’t expect him to bolt so quickly!” Artemis turned, glancing again at the monstrous soldiers who seemed ready to advance: “What now? Should we run?”

“Run?” Ye Wen chuckled. “Even though the main culprit escaped and we can’t settle this debt immediately, collecting some interest first is appropriate!” With a casual wave, a row of Zixiao Swords materialized before him. Without any discernible gesture from Ye Wen, these swords darted out like sprinters receiving a command, then abruptly changed direction mid-flight, soaring straight into the high sky.

Moments later, several bursts of purple light erupted, and it began to rain swords across the heavens. Ye Wen propelled the Zixiao Swords upward, and every one of them detonated, unleashing boundless sword energy.

With Ye Wen’s current cultivation, the sword energy contained within each Zixiao Sword was a terrifying quantity. As they erupted simultaneously, the sky filled with purple sword energy, seemingly dyeing the entire realm purple.

Artemis watched as the countless monsters were obliterated, ground down to nothingness beneath the purple deluge, her expression shifting several times. Though confident she could dispatch these monsters herself, she certainly couldn't do it so effortlessly! If not for that peculiar weapon called Vulcan, she might already be embroiled in a grueling fight. Even killing dozens with a single strike, the sheer number of monsters would have exhausted her legs and arms.

Triton had clearly gambled on wearing Artemis down until she lost her strength before capturing her. He hadn't accounted for Ye Wen possessing that magical weapon, nor that this Easterner would be a pervert specialized in mass destruction.

The purple sword rain lasted for ten minutes. When the blinding purple faded, night had fallen. Under the moonlight and starlight, not a single monster could be seen on the sea surface, and even the corpses left behind by Artemis’s barrage with the Vulcan had vanished.

“That last move of yours…” Ye Wen’s technique was even more terrifying than the Lightning Speed Fist he had used previously. Did this mean his true strength was far greater than what she perceived?

Ye Wen smiled, as if he hadn't just unleashed such a terrifying attack. “It amounts to nothing. Just a means effective against minions.”

Artemis felt a slight easing of tension upon hearing this, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that the Easterner wasn't telling the whole truth.