Fang Xunzhuo, afraid that after presenting the treasure he would be silenced instead of rewarded, had created a farce by clashing with the Fen Feather Sect disciples. By nightfall, the news that there was an Amethyst Spirit Branch on the boat was known by everyone on board.
Chi Song knew of his scheme and felt a trace of anger in his heart, but it was later soothed by the spiritual object. The people on the same boat were merely at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, easy to deal with.
He immediately formed an incantation with his hands, using a technique to cover the entire great boat, sealing it completely to prevent anyone with ill intentions from sending news out. At night, a Foundation Establishment disciple tried to send a message to his sect elders but was caught red-handed by Chi Song.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Chi Song brutally shattered the disciple's Dantian and threw him off the boat! This was killing the chicken to warn the monkey, cautioning the rest not to harbor any other ideas. Zhao Chun's breath hitched.
She hadn't expected his methods to be so decisive and cruel. But on second thought, if the news got out and that disciple's sect elders came to attack, the one who would lose their life would likely be Chi Song himself. The struggles between cultivators inherently involved one's life and fortune.
No wonder Chi Song was so cautious and careful. It was just that now, another troublesome matter lay before her and Meng Han…
“I went to ask the boatmen. Both cloud-treading ladders have been locked. That person's intention is to have the great boat sail directly into the Eastern Region.”
Meng Han pushed the door open and came in. With Chi Song's eyes and ears everywhere now, the two of them didn't dare speak much outside and could only exchange a few words in the guest room. He poured himself a bowl of tea, moistened his throat, and said, “Looking at this route, it should pass by Fragrant Blossom Mountain.
If it goes straight on, it will reach a rogue cultivator city. That person should be someone from there.”
“It's just troublesome for us. We'll have to detour back from the Eastern Region, adding several days to our journey for no reason.”
Zhao Chun said, “That's not a big deal. As long as no mishaps occur and we can get off the boat safely, it'll be fine.” The fear was that Chi Song might suddenly have a murderous impulse and silence everyone on the boat during the journey.
That would truly be an undeserved disaster. Meng Han nodded. This fellow's methods were extremely vicious.
There was no guarantee he wouldn't harbor ill intentions. When that time came, with him and Zhao Chun, one at Qi Refining and one at Foundation Establishment, how could they defend against the techniques of a Core Formation stage cultivator?
They could only hope the boat would travel as fast as possible, reach the Eastern Region soon, and let them leave. The next morning, the boatmen reported their position, saying they had already passed Fragrant Blossom Mountain. When the people on the boat received this news, they all bottled up their various thoughts, and the atmosphere grew even more somber.
It was unknown if it was the will of heaven, but in the afternoon, the vast sea of clouds suddenly changed. Heavy mist and haze replaced the white clouds. The great boat slowed down, making Chi Song even more anxious and agitated.
Zhao Chun's guest room was along the edge of the boat. Pushing open the outer window, one could see the sea of clouds. But at this moment, Zhao Chun could only see dark clouds pressing in, and she could faintly feel a light rain falling on her outstretched arm.
It was completely impossible to see into the distance. She could only vaguely perceive frequent flashes within the cloud layer. The thunderstorm has arrived!
Zhao Chun's heart sank to the bottom of a valley. The first clap of thunder struck the top of the great boat, audible but invisible. If Chi Song wanted to protect the great boat and make it travel quickly, it would not be a difficult matter.
But he feared an enemy ambush and dared not divide his attention for this, so he sat upright in his guest room, conserving his energy. After the thunder, the rain came down. It didn't fall on the boat but struck the outer screen enveloping the hull, creating a cacophony of noise.
With the danger of the celestial phenomenon outside and the threat of a Core Formation cultivator inside, the cultivators' hearts grew more and more restless. Cooped up on the boat, it caused people's hearts to be filled with panic. Zhao Chun closed her door, not trying to inquire about anything at all.
She sat cross-legged on a cattail hassock, silently chanting a mind-calming incantation. An unknown amount of time passed when a sky-shaking thunderclap exploded. The great boat shook violently.
She flipped up to her feet, pushed the door open, and saw Meng Han also coming out with his saber in hand. The two exchanged a look and walked outside together. On the deck, someone shouted, “What happened?”
A boatman replied, “There was lightning! It snapped a mast!” The nine-sail great boat had a total of three masts.
With one broken, that was a third of them gone. The boat's speed would have to slow down again. Zhao Chun furrowed her brows.
Something's wrong!
She abruptly raised her head. The great boat was shielded by a Core Formation cultivator, how could a lightning strike get through? Before she could get a clear look, she felt a weight on her shoulder.
It turned out Meng Han had also noticed and was pulling her to take cover towards the guest rooms. The two had been gone from their original spot for less than a breath's time when a beam of white light descended from the sky, blasting straight through the boat's deck!
The surrounding cultivators who hadn't reacted in time were swept by that white light, and in an instant, flesh and blood flew everywhere!
“Which vile wretch dares to cause trouble here?!”
The wild wind howled. A figure stood suspended in the air. It was precisely Chi Song, the one who had obtained the Amethyst Spirit Branch!
His face was as grim as water. The matter of the spiritual object shouldn't have leaked at all. He didn't know if this person was here for the treasure or for revenge…
“This seat is the resident consecrated member of Immortal Meeting City! To dare commit an offense before this seat, you'd better weigh your own abilities!”
A sneer drifted from the clouds and mist, drawing closer from afar, gradually revealing a slender figure. This person had a face like a beautiful woman, appearing to be a youth of seventeen or eighteen.
But looking down from the neck to the two large hands exposed outside the sleeves, they were covered in yellow spots—unmistakably the skin of an old man!
“I have weighed them, and that is why I have come.”
His voice was thin and soft, as light as a mosquito's buzz.
“I specifically chose this time when you are injured…”
Chi Song didn't recognize this person, but Meng Han did. He whispered, “It's actually him!” Zhao Chun asked, “Senior Brother, you know him?”
Meng Han's expression was grave. He said, “I saw him once from afar. I don't know his name, but I heard others call him the ‘Superficial Old Daoist’.
They say he has a fondness for handsome youths, and flays their faces to refine into his own visage, hence the title.” If that's the case, then he's an evil cultivator. In the Drifting Clouds World, righteous cultivators were the mainstream.
The methods of evil cultivators were perverse and vicious, unable to enter the righteous path. And because they attacked mortals, damaging Heavenly Dao karma, their reputation was atrocious. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that everyone had the right to execute them.
Chi Song had cultivated for many years and made countless enemies. Seeing that the Superficial Old Daoist's eyes held no greed, but were instead filled with hatred, he knew the man had come seeking revenge. His heart relaxed slightly.
Seeing the Superficial Old Daoist's aura was somewhat unstable, his anger flared. To think someone who had just entered the mid Core Formation stage would dare to make a move on him!
“A fine 'weighing' indeed! This time, I will make you understand that even a mid Core Formation cultivator is nothing but an ant in the eyes of this seat!”
When immortals fight, mortals suffer. The two clashed, and under the might of the shockwaves, the great boat was also in danger of capsizing! This was in the sky, several thousand meters above the ground.
If the great boat were to break apart, aside from the Foundation Establishment cultivators who could survive, those at the Qi Refining stage would almost certainly die. That Superficial Old Daoist's own strength was inferior to Chi Song's, yet he attacked without regard for his own life, wanting Chi Song to fall here!
Chi Song had just obtained the spiritual object and had reservations, so for a moment, he was actually at a disadvantage. The more he fought, the more infuriated and humiliated he became. Previously, he had still considered the disciples and attendants on the boat, but now he disregarded them completely.
He used all his techniques, fighting the Superficial Old Daoist until the sky and earth turned dark.
“The boat is breaking apart!”
It was unknown who was shouting. Zhao Chun could no longer see clearly. The boat was in chaos, with shrieks and wails rising and falling one after another.
With a loud crash, the only two remaining masts also fell. Wild winds rushed in from all four sides. Those at the Qi Refining stage could no longer keep their footing.
Fortunately, Meng Han helped, preventing Zhao Chun from being thrown off the boat.
“Junior Sister Zhao!”
Meng Han gripped a railing on the boat.
“Right now, these two are fighting fiercely and have no time to pay attention to us. It's a good opportunity to escape!”
Zhao Chun asked, “Senior Brother, do you have a way?” He wrapped one arm around the railing, reached out, and took out a sheet of talisman paper. He laughed in the wind and said, “I have a good thing!”
That talisman paper was pitch-black all over, very strange. Before Zhao Chun could ask in detail, Meng Han pulled her to the side. A cultivator had actually flown past them horizontally and fallen into the clouds.
Seeing his Qi Refining cultivation base, his chances of survival were slim.
“We can't delay any longer!”
Meng Han tossed the talisman paper outwards. A hazy black light enveloped her. Almost at the instant they jumped off the great boat, its hull shattered and scattered in all directions.
(End of Chapter)