The sky was heavy with dark clouds. A sudden, biting wind swept across the sea, the air growing oppressively dim, as if a torrential downpour was imminent.

The surface of the calm sea abruptly began to heave, churning up layer upon layer of waves.

Amidst these waves, a small vessel struggled forward. On the deck, Linda's long hair whipped about, her pretty face stern. She continuously shouted orders, urging Jett and the others to be careful, warning the warriors aboard to stay vigilant lest the boat capsize.

The sea breeze grew increasingly sharp and fierce, raging across the water, whipping up colossal waves that were higher and more violent than before.

The small boat pitched precariously, looking extremely dangerous. Linda, slightly tense, held her breath and concentrated, watching with extreme caution, daring not to relax even for a moment.

Shi Yan frowned, standing at the stern, his expression equally grave. The storm had arrived so suddenly, with no prior warning; one moment it was sunny, the next, the sky was choked with dark clouds—the entire scene felt strangely eerie. His face grim, Shi Yan suddenly recalled an experience when he and Xiao Hanyi were riding the Azure Blood Demonic Bat. A sudden gale and deluge had struck, dark clouds pressing down, and then, bursting forth from those clouds, the giant skeletal hand of Demon Emperor Bo Xun had snatched Xiao Hanyi away, whisking him off to some unknown corner of the Fourth Demon Realm. The memory of Xiao Hanyi made Shi Yan’s mood turn heavy, stirring up a surge of frustration. Now, this storm was equally abrupt, appearing out of nowhere, filling Shi Yan with suspicion and endless speculation.

At this moment, the small ship was extremely close to Yunxia Island—just one more day’s journey, and they would reach its shores.

At this critical juncture, this particular stretch of sea suddenly turning violent truly kept Shi Yan from letting down his guard. Many conjectures filled his mind.

Standing at the stern, Shi Yan cast his spiritual sense outwards, letting his gaze cover every direction. On the sea, there was no abnormality; wherever his spiritual power swept, everything appeared normal. Shi Yan refused to give up, pushing his spiritual energy further outward, sustaining it with the tenacity of pushing past exhaustion. He extended it towards Yunxia Island, farther and farther. After an unknown period, just as he felt his spirit beginning to flag, he vaguely sensed an icy, malevolent aura emanating from the direction of Yunxia Island. This aura didn't seem concentrated; it was diffused across the heavens and earth, and it was gradually dissipating… Shi Yan was startled, immersing his spiritual energy toward Yunxia Island, scrutinizing it carefully.

This cold, evil aura was distributed quite uniformly across Yunxia Island, like a mist clinging above it. That icy malice faintly resembled the aura released by Demon Emperor Bo Xun’s skeletal dharma body, though considerably weaker. Could it be that devils from the Third Demon Realm had appeared on Yunxia Island?

A shock went through him, and Shi Yan’s expression suddenly changed.

He had a premonition—a feeling that something significant must have occurred on Yunxia Island. He secretly suspected there was something profoundly bizarre awaiting them there.

Just as he prepared to focus his senses further, the cold, malevolent aura shrouding Yunxia Island faded away with the wind.

By then, his spiritual energy was heavily depleted, and a wave of weakness washed over him, forcing him to retract his spiritual sense. He frowned, deep in thought.

The brewing tempest surprisingly began to subside; the oppressive dark clouds above slowly drifted away, and very quickly, everything returned to normal.

The evening glow reappeared on the horizon. Shi Yan looked up at the vast expanse of rosy light, his expression becoming even more solemn.

This very moment was when Gu Lie and his son, Gu Jiange, were speaking with the demonic beings at the Soul Gathering Pool.

“What’s happening? The storm disappeared again? That’s truly strange.”

“Yes, this kind of situation is really rare. It built up so much, only to fizzle out at the end.”

“Mmm, something isn’t right. Usually, when the clouds gather to this extent, a downpour is guaranteed to follow. It’s strange that no great rain came this time; I wonder why.”

Jett, Nano, and the others frowned, murmuring among themselves, clearly astonished, marveling at such an anomalous natural event.

Linda quietly let out a breath of relief, tossed her hair, and called out sharply, “You can relax your guard now.”

“Got it, Sister Linda,” Jett laughed, leaning back languidly on the deck, squinting toward Yunxia Island. He called out loudly, “This journey is almost over. Once we deliver the goods to the Gu family, we can head back. Sister Linda, are you returning with us?”

Many of the crew members on the ship were slightly startled by Jett’s words, then seemed to suddenly recall something, turning to look at Linda and Shi Yan.

In a distant corner, Kamo and Huo Jie, their faces dark, watched Linda with venomous eyes.

Linda’s beautiful eyes flickered for a moment. She sighed silently within her heart, glancing subtly at Shi Yan, who had his back to her. A faint bitterness touched the corner of her mouth. “Of course, I’m going back with you all. I belong to the Divine Sect; once the mission is complete, I must report back to the Sect. That is my home; where else could I possibly run off to?”

“Is that so…” Jett glanced covertly at Shi Yan and said with a smile, “That’s good. I thought we wouldn’t see Sister Linda again! Heh, it’s much more comfortable following Sister Linda. If we followed others, when danger strikes, we’d just be used as cannon fodder sacrifices. Those leaders aren't as kind-hearted as Sister Linda.”

“Yeah, yeah, we definitely want to stick with Sister Linda from now on,” the other crew members chimed in their agreement. Hearing that Linda was indeed returning, they all secretly breathed a sigh of relief, counting themselves fortunate.

Among the peripheral disciples of the Three Divine Sects, many leaders, when encountering peril during missions, would use their subordinates as human shields, often showing no regard for the lives below them.

Jett, Nano, and others had many friends who, because they followed the wrong leaders, had been sacrificed as cannon fodder and killed during missions.

Jett had been in the Three Divine Sects for a long time and knew exactly what those minor leaders were like. If Linda didn't return this time, and without a leader, they would be reassigned to other petty chiefs, and their future safety would be hard to guarantee—they might end up being sacrificed like their deceased friends.

Jett kept glancing secretly at Shi Yan while covertly watching Linda. He saw worry and helplessness on Linda’s face. Seeing that Linda’s spirits were low, Jett dared not press the matter further, giving Nano and the others a meaningful look, signaling them to stop probing lest they upset Linda. Linda stood before Jett and the others, clearly not in high spirits, looking somewhat dejected. After a moment, Linda took a soft breath and walked away from them, gracefully moving toward Shi Yan’s side at the stern. She stood shoulder to shoulder with him, both gazing out at the sea, which shimmered a vibrant red under the sunset glow. With their backs to the light, their figures were drawn out long, their shadows merging into one.

Linda lowered her head and noticed their overlapping silhouettes. She sighed inwardly, thinking how delightful it would be if she and Shi Yan could truly remain inseparable like those two shadows, but alas… Shi Yan frowned, still preoccupied with the icy, malevolent aura from Yunxia Island. He suspected some major change had occurred there, his mind filled with uncertainty about whether they should continue this journey to Yunxia Island.

Although that icy, malevolent aura was dispersed, if it were to truly gather, it would likely become vast and terrifying. Regardless of the creature from which the aura originated, Shi Yan was certain it was beyond his current ability to handle. Rushing rashly onto Yunxia Island, if he encountered that being, he would likely have no strength left to fight back.

Thinking this, Shi Yan began to hesitate.

“Shi Yan…”

“Hm?”

The chaotic thoughts in his mind slowly receded. Shi Yan took a deep breath, regaining his clarity and composure, and glanced at Linda beside him.

Under the sunset, Linda’s cheeks were flushed, tinged with the rosy light, making her look exquisitely beautiful. Her bright eyes held a gentle emotion that stirred the heart. “Linda, you are becoming more captivating,” Shi Yan said sincerely, looking at her deeply. In the time they had spent together, nurtured by him, Linda had indeed bloomed with radiance. A woman living within love naturally found both her body and spirit uplifted, making her inherently more charming.

“Shi Yan, we’re almost at Yunxia Island,” Linda sighed softly, reminding him. Shi Yan’s expression faltered, his brow suddenly furrowing. After a long pause, he finally said with resignation, “Good times are always short-lived; they must…”

“Shi Yan, you can come with me. No matter who you are, as long as you are willing to be with me, I… I am willing to be with you…” Linda trailed off, unable to finish. “I have to go to the Galuo Sea Region,” Shi Yan shook his head. “Linda, I have my own pursuit, and you have your family. If you are willing, you can come with me. I will return to the Yuanluo Sea Region, but it will be to deal with the Dongfang family and the Gu family. If you come with me…”

He knew he was not the type to endure loneliness or settle down quietly. His vengeance against the Gu and Dongfang families would come sooner or later, and one day, the name Shi Yan would echo throughout the Boundless Sea. Linda’s family was in the Yuanluo Sea Region, dependent on the Three Divine Sects. If Linda followed him to the Galuo Sea Region, the moment the Three Divine Sects found out, they would likely take their anger out on Linda’s family, and her relatives would be unable to escape the wrath of the Sect. This was certainly not what Linda wished to see.

Until he possessed enough power to change everything, there would be no benefit for Linda to follow him, and he dared not make idle promises. Linda suddenly fell silent.

After a long while, Linda lowered her head and murmured softly, “Shi Yan, my home is on Snow Dragon Island in the Yuanluo Sea Region. If you ever come to the Yuanluo Sea Region in the future, and if you happen to pass Snow Dragon Island, remember to visit me at the Qiaorui family.”

Shi Yan sighed inwardly and nodded gently. “Don’t worry. I will find you. When the day comes that I am strong enough, I will go to Snow Dragon Island. On that day, I will no longer fear the Three Divine Sects, and I can shelter you and your family, keeping you safe from harm.”

Linda’s eyes quietly grew moist. She gritted her teeth, on the verge of tears, looking at Shi Yan with watery eyes, stating firmly, “Shi Yan, you must remember the promise you made today! I will wait for you! I will wait forever!”