"Fellow Daoist Ling?" Mo Tiange and Qin Xi did not act immediately, as they were currently inside Ling Yunhe's magical treasure.
Ling Yunhe stared at the sea beast outside, his expression grim. "Although the three of us working together could kill this beast, it would waste too much time, and getting injured would be even more troublesome..." At this point, his face hardened with resolve, and he stepped forward. "Let me try to shake it off."
"Shake it off?"
Before they could say anything more, Ling Yunhe had already formed hand seals, sending one incantation after another onto the ship. Instantly, countless talismanic seals around the magical treasure ship lit up one by one with each spell.
In that brief moment, the sea beast outside blinked its massive eyes, opened its maw wide, and took a powerful inhale, as if trying to suck the entire ship into its gullet in one breath.
Just as the ship began to tilt, the final seal finally ignited. Spiritual Qi flowed from the Spirit Gathering Array at the prow into the ship's body. With a resonant hum, the bow, which had already been partially sucked in, violently wrenched free, spun around, and shot into the darkness like an arrow.
The three inside the ship were prepared, their figures not budging an inch. Ling Yunhe, in particular, wore a grave expression, his hands never ceasing their seal formations.
Mo Tiange turned to look. Outside the barrier, the sea beast seemed momentarily stunned, blinking once before surging forward with renewed ferocity.
"It's chasing us!"
Ling Yunhe did not look back. This was his magical treasure; he could sense the turbulent aura hot on their heels through his connection to it.
He said, "Replace the spirit stones in the Spirit Gathering Array. The more, the better."
He was busy controlling the treasure and couldn't spare his hands. The spirit stones on the ship hadn't been replaced in days and were nearly depleted.
Mo Tiange stepped forward, glanced at the Spirit Gathering Array providing power to the ship, and said, "Fellow Daoist Ling, if you trust me, I can set up a new Spirit Gathering Array..."
"Nonsense," Ling Yunhe cut her off. "Who else would I trust? Hurry up."
Without another word, Mo Tiange poured out a pile of multicolored, crystal-clear jade stones from her Qiankun Ring, each one emanating exceptionally pure spiritual energy.
Ling Yunhe's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You actually have this many Crystal Jades?!"
These Crystal Jades were obtained from the ancient ruins of the Guixu Sea Immortal Palace. The Jiuyan Sect had also acquired many ancient cultivator relics, and Ling Yunhe himself possessed some Crystal Jades. However, as a junior member with a limited total share, he had only been granted a dozen or so. The pile Mo Tiange had just poured out numbered in the dozens.
Ignoring him, Mo Tiange flicked her sleeve, placing several Crystal Jades at the key positions of the original array. Then, with swift and dexterous hands, she dismantled the old Spirit Gathering Array while simultaneously constructing a new one. In mere moments, a brand-new array was complete. Throughout the entire process, the flow of spiritual energy supplied to Ling Yunhe never once ceased.
As the dozens of Crystal Jades serving as the array's core flashed with light simultaneously, Ling Yunhe felt the pressure ease. He now effortlessly drove the ship forward, cleaving through the waves.
"That should be enough to maintain full speed for several days, right?" Mo Tiange stepped back.
Ling Yunhe replied, "With this many Crystal Jades? Of course!" In battles between Nascent Soul cultivators, a single Crystal Jade could sometimes influence the outcome. To use so many in a Spirit Gathering Array just to power a magical treasure ship—if others knew, they'd probably faint from rage.
Thinking of this, Ling Yunhe also felt a pang of irritation. He didn't have many Crystal Jades himself! Using them like this... what a spendthrift woman. He really didn't know how that Qin Xi could stand it...
Mo Tiange had no idea what he was thinking. She didn't feel the slightest bit of regret. After all, Crystal Jades automatically regenerated their energy. What was the point of hoarding them? Spend a little time, and they'd be back.
With the abundant spiritual energy from the Crystal Jades, Ling Yunhe drove the magical treasure ship at full speed. The sea beast behind them initially followed at a steady pace, but then seemed to have its ferocity provoked and began chasing them with relentless determination.
This sea beast was native to the North Sea, incredibly fast, and unafraid of the Aurora and Gale-Rending Winds. It pursued without any restraint. Even with Ling Yunhe pushing the ship to its limits, they could only manage to stay just out of reach.
This chase continued for over half an hour. The sea beast still pursued vigorously, and the ship maintained its top speed, not daring to slacken for a moment.
"Will it keep chasing us forever?" Mo Tiange couldn't help but ask.
Ling Yunhe was also facing a North Sea beast directly for the first time and hadn't expected such speed. His expression serious, he tossed out a reply, "Don't know."
Demonic beasts, when pursuing prey, tended to be far more patient than humans. If this sea beast considered them prey, it might chase them to the ends of the earth. But if they didn't flee, they'd have to kill it. Logically, demonic cultivators shouldn't exceed the Tenth Rank. With three Nascent Soul cultivators here—one at the early stage, two at the mid-stage—slaying a sea beast shouldn't be a problem. But as Ling Yunhe had said, beasts here were difficult to kill. Wasting time was a certainty, and getting injured... it was better to flee if they could.
"How long will this chase go on? Didn't we want to save time?" Another half-hour passed, and Qin Xi frowned as he spoke.
"It won't waste time," Ling Yunhe said nonchalantly. "Our current direction is precisely where Fellow Daoist Tian Can is."
"What?" Mo Tiange exclaimed urgently. "What if we can't shake it off along the way? What then? Bring this sea beast along to rescue someone?"
"We'll deal with that when the time comes," Ling Yunhe replied, a hint of irritation in his voice as he manipulated the treasure. "At worst, we abandon this thing and go on our own."
Mo Tiange fell silent. The value of this magical treasure ship was obvious to anyone with eyes. While it might not compare to a Flying Xuan Treasure Ship, its craftsmanship surpassed it in some aspects, worth the entire fortune of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator. Ling Yunhe hadn't brought it out initially, likely treasuring it greatly. For him to say this now was probably just venting frustration.
After a moment, Ling Yunhe's tone evened out. "If we can't shake it off within three days, we'll disembark and kill it. This ship consumes too much. Keeping it up for too long isn't worth it."
Mo Tiange and Qin Xi naturally had no objections. "Very well, we'll follow your lead, Fellow Daoist."
To avoid disturbing other sea beasts in the depths, Ling Yunhe simply brought the ship to the surface, skimming over the waves.
On the sea surface, the Aurora shone unobstructed. The magical treasure ship merely emitted a soft hum, its protective shield glowing brightly as it continued to cut through the waves without pause.
Mo Tiange glanced down. Within the Spirit Gathering Array, the Crystal Jades were gathering spiritual energy even faster. She knew Ling Yunhe was right. Sailing on the surface like this, having to resist both the Aurora and the Gale-Rending Winds, consumed spiritual energy at an alarming rate. Although they could afford the loss with the Crystal Jades, as Ling Yunhe said, it wasn't worth it. Crystal Jades took time to recover their energy after depletion.
If one ignored the pursuing sea beast, flying at extreme speed beneath the Aurora was a breathtakingly beautiful sight rarely seen in the world.
Above, the Aurora shimmered like mist and lightning, casting a hazy, clear radiance. There was no sun or moon around, yet the brightest stars in the world sparkled like golden sand scattered across a black curtain. It would have been even better if one could feel the sea breeze, but unfortunately, the winds here were all Gale-Rending Winds. A direct hit would be fatal.
Mo Tiange watched for a while, then turned to find Qin Xi cultivating again. She shook her head, similarly calming her mind and entering a meditative state to regulate her breathing.
"Huh?" An unknown amount of time later, Ling Yunhe's voice suddenly broke the silence. Mo Tiange and Qin Xi both snapped to attention, turning to look at him.
Ling Yunhe didn't turn around but spoke to them. "Fellow Daoist Tian Can is coming towards us."
The moment his words fell, both of them exclaimed simultaneously, "What?"
"I sensed it through the Soul Brand Talisman."
The Soul Brand Talisman... that shouldn't be wrong. Mo Tiange thought for a moment, feeling uneasy. "Right now, we're dragging a sea beast behind us. What if Demon Lord Yueying is following Fellow Daoist Tian Can..."
She didn't need to finish. They all knew how disastrous that situation would be. Individually, they weren't afraid of either the sea beast or Demon Lord Yueying if they joined forces. But if the two encountered each other...
"Abandon ship. Kill the beast." The next instant, Qin Xi rose to his feet, summoning his Three Yang True Fire Sword.
Killing the sea beast before meeting up with Nie Wushang was the best course of action. If Demon Lord Yueying wasn't following, then all would be well. If he was right behind, they would at least have their hands free to repel him.
Ling Yunhe naturally understood. With a hand seal, the cabin door silently slid open.
"Let's go." After a glance at Mo Tiange, Qin Xi was the first to leap out of the magical treasure ship.
Mo Tiange summoned her Jade Bone Puppet, handed it the Fusheng Sword, and also jumped out.
The moment they left the ship, the Three Yang True Fire Sword flashed with light. Vermilion Bird Flames spread out as Qin Xi launched a direct attack.
Mo Tiange didn't hesitate either. With a wave of her Heaven and Earth Fan, a mass of golden lightning flew out, transforming into countless golden rays that scattered like a shower of golden rain.
Simultaneously, the puppet brandished the Fusheng Sword and slashed forward.
*Ssss! Ssss! Ssss!* Several sounds indicated they had all struck. The sea beast stiffened all over but remained completely unharmed.
"This beast has been exposed to the Aurora and Gale-Rending Winds for years, making its hide exceptionally tough," Ling Yunhe said as he emerged from the ship, shrinking it back to its treasure form and storing it in his Qiankun Bag. As he finished speaking, a flash of light appeared in his hand—a stream of radiance resembling a crescent moon, cold, clear, and ethereal, with form yet seemingly intangible. After advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, his lifebound magical treasure had been reforged, its appearance vastly different from before. Originally just a crescent-shaped jade blade, it had now transformed into a shimmering, icy glow, like a true sliver of moonlight.
Seeing the sea beast, Ling Yunhe narrowed his eyes. "Your magical treasures can actually harm it..."
*Gurgle, gurgle...* The terrifying-looking sea beast couldn't roar, only emitting bubbling "gurgle" sounds. It seemed to have just reacted. Opening its massive maw, it spewed a stream of bubbles and lunged to bite them.
The three scattered, each attacking. Vermilion Bird Flames blotted the sky, golden lightning rain sought every opening, and moonlight radiance flashed like lightning.
The sea beast seemed oblivious to evasion, taking every hit solidly. For a moment, the seawater churned violently, raising massive waves.
*Gurgle—!* Enraged, the sea beast bared its sharp teeth and began thrashing wildly.
*Hiss, hiss...* As it writhed, a layer of luster spread across its pitch-black skin. This luster resembled both mist and lightning, carrying a dazzling brilliance that stirred an eerie aura. Under this aura, the spiritual energy of the three cultivators became chaotic.
This sea beast, having lived in the North Sea for years, tempered by the Aurora and Gale-Rending Winds, had forged a body of bronze skin and iron bones, and had even learned to harness that power for itself.