A thousand miles of ice sealed the sea—this was power no single individual should possess. To freeze the ocean, even just a thin sheet of ice, had drained Ye Jingyu of every last bit of his soul power. After all, he was no Soul Immortal, let alone a True Immortal. To summon such a spectacular spirit art and drive back the colossal Lù was already an astonishing feat...

His body slammed heavily onto the ground, two faint streaks of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. His eyes rolled back, and he immediately fell unconscious...

Zhuge Siyu’s expression shifted drastically, and her white silhouette shot toward Ye Jingyu...

The others’ faces also changed. Ye Jingyu had unleashed two powerful spirit arts consecutively, deeply shocking them all. Especially the final move, Qianli Da Bingfeng (Thousand Miles of Great Ice Seal); while not as mighty as the Tiandi Xingling Jian (Heaven and Earth Star Spirit Arrow), the ability to freeze the intensely hot ocean surface instantly was a heaven-defying technique, entirely beyond human capability...

If Ye Jingyu hadn't intervened, facing that monstrous creature, even if they had performed the sacrifice, escaping unscathed would have been uncertain. Seeing someone as powerful as Ye Jingyu brought a wave of astonishment to many hearts...

Some revealed looks of worry. Of course, expecting these people to suddenly develop a conscience and care for Ye Jingyu’s injuries was impossible; they were merely anxious about what they would do if the beast surfaced again...

After all, there was no Soul Master as strong as Ye Jingyu here...

Naturally, a glint of viciousness flashed in some eyes, perceiving this as the perfect opportunity to eliminate Ye Jingyu. This group consisted of the dozen or so junior officers whose morale Ye Jingyu had incinerated with fire. However, they were completely unsure of Ye Jingyu’s true condition and dared not act rashly. Moreover, a thread of anxiety held them back: what if the monster truly returned? How would they resist?

Zhuge Siyu reached Ye Jingyu first. Her slender, pale, and supple little hand rested on his forehead, and immediately, a milky-white light flared, sinking directly into his brow...

Yet, Ye Jingyu remained deeply unconscious, showing no sign of waking. Zhuge Siyu knitted her brows slightly, clearly encountering a significant puzzle...

Then, she looked up toward the maid who attended her side. The maid understood immediately and hurried forward to help her lift Ye Jingyu...

At this moment, the dozen or so officers exchanged glances, seeming to confirm that Ye Jingyu was indeed severely wounded and unlikely to wake soon, a cruel glint surfacing in their eyes...

But they did not move immediately. They glanced toward the sea, a hesitation in their eyes, seemingly pondering whether killing Ye Jingyu would provoke the monster’s return...

“This is our best chance,” declared the large-bearded man who had once flattered Sato, a fierce light shining in his gaze...

“Exactly. This area is bitterly cold; I doubt that behemoth will reappear,” another chimed in agreement...

“Then we act now, or once he wakes up, none of us will have an easy time,” a third man urged on...

These dozen or so men, nursing resentment for having their egos crushed by Ye Jingyu, had endured the humiliation due to his might. Now, seeing him unconscious, wicked thoughts naturally took root. In their view, Zhuge Siyu, a delicate woman, posed no threat...

Moreover, imagining the harder times they would face once Ye Jingyu recovered his strength only intensified the killing intent in their hearts. Finally, the overwhelming urge to kill won out, and the group of more than ten simultaneously converged on Ye Jingyu...

“What are you doing?” the maid attending Zhuge Siyu cried out as the dozen or so Xiantian Martial Masters suddenly encircled them...

“Get out of the way, this is none of your business!” the bearded man roared, his face contorted with rage...

“He just risked his life to save everyone. Have you already forgotten that debt of gratitude?” The maid, fueled by a sudden surge of courage, actually shouted at the Xiantian Martial Masters...

“Get lost!” The bearded man had no patience to waste on the maid. He suddenly lashed out with an open palm, slapping the maid directly away. Though he lacked Ye Jingyu’s terrifying power, the blow was enough to knock the maid senseless...

“She’s just a petty woman; why should she meddle in our affairs? Brothers, this man not only killed our General Sato but also wounded our Sea God! If it weren't for him, we could have simply sacrificed these women, and the Sea God wouldn't have punished us. But now, he has hurt our Sea God, and we must kill him. Only by offering his flesh and blood as a sacrifice can the Sea God forgive us!” After swatting the maid away, the bearded man spoke first, genuinely worried that his own soldiers might feel conflicted. He quickly pinned the blame squarely on Ye Jingyu...

In truth, he needn't have said any of this. With Ye Jingyu incapacitated, these dozen men represented the strongest force, and as the officers, their soldiers had no intention of obstructing them. In the soldiers’ eyes, if they wanted to kill him, let them do it; the rank and file wouldn't lift a finger...

Seeing his subordinates remain passive, the bearded man relaxed slightly, only to notice Zhuge Siyu still supporting Ye Jingyu, her dark eyes fixed intently upon him...

“You shouldn't interfere either, or we’ll kill you along with the hundred and thirty women aboard this ship,” the bearded man threatened, though he couldn't explain why Zhuge Siyu’s calm gaze sent an involuntary tremor through him...

Zhuge Siyu had seen the bearded man strike down the girl who had been caring for her and was too late to intervene. Now, seeing these men taking advantage of Ye Jingyu’s weakness to harm him, she was furious and resolved to protect him at any cost. But when the bearded man threatened the women on the ship, a faint, sharp light flickered and vanished in Zhuge Siyu’s eyes...

Though she did not strike immediately, her body remained steadfastly beside Ye Jingyu, showing no intention of moving aside...

“Damn it, do you think I won’t dare kill you?” The bearded man cursed when Zhuge Siyu refused to yield even an inch...

But Zhuge Siyu still held fast. “Then I’ll kill this girl first, and we’ll see what you do!” Acting on pure instinct, the bearded man hesitated to strike Zhuge Siyu directly, but knowing her weakness, he shouted, preparing to strike one of the women nearby. Suddenly, a spray of water erupted violently from the sea surface, causing everyone’s expression to freeze in shock...