Originally, he intended to use the Dragon Country’s Ship as a stronghold and then find a way to incite these Hua Dan Cultivators to join forces in besieging Xiao Musui. He himself would wait on the sidelines, seeking an opportunity to strike the enemy. If he managed to kill Xiao Musui on the spot, he would not only eliminate a major threat but also thoroughly bind these Hua Dan Cultivators to his side.
Although now trapped and unable to reach the Dragon Country’s Ship, he wasn’t entirely without options. At worst, he could summon the Demon Storage and hide within it, teleporting through the void. Even if Xiao Musui could catch up, he would find himself unable to do anything to him for the time being.
During the three-person attack against Xiao Musui, he had once attempted to activate the wisp of Purple Light at the center of his brow, but a mystical feeling told him that something was still missing. Even if he were to unleash this sword, it might not necessarily harm the opponent.
As for what exactly was missing, he had a vague sense in his heart but couldn’t quite grasp it fully.
At this moment, standing beside him, Lu Mei Niang had regained some of her strength. When she saw Xiao Musui’s Nascent Soul emerge and swiftly subdue or repel everyone, she realized that rushing forward would be futile. Clenching her pearl-like teeth, she grabbed Zhang Yan’s wrist and said, "Fellow Daoist, you have fought to save my life, freeing me from danger. Though this matter pertains to my Lu Family, how can I let you risk your life further today? Even if I must die, I won’t let you suffer any harm."
After finishing her words, without waiting for Zhang Yan’s response, her slender finger pointed towards her cloud-like hair. An Emerald Phoenix Jade Hairpin flew out, smashing into the water vapor blocking the front with a "bang," carving out a clear path. She wrapped her arms around Zhang Yan, transforming into a dazzling rainbow streak, and dashed straight towards the Dragon Country’s Ship.
With the two demons captured and Lu Mei Niang now gone, Guo Lie saw the situation taking a turn for the worse. He, too, transformed into light and fled, vanishing into the vast ocean in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Musui hesitated for a moment. Although his mission this time was to besiege Tao Zhenhong, he knew that now was not the time for a direct confrontation. If Tao Zhenhong sought revenge for losing his disciples, there was no way Xiao Musui could fend him off alone. He whispered to himself, "I’ll let you off for now. After I join forces with some fellow Daoists and take care of Tao Zhenhong, I’ll deal with you later. Right now, I can’t let Zhang Yan and Lu Mei Niang escape."
With that thought, he shook his shoulders, retracted his Nascent Soul, and transformed into a smoke-colored mist, swiftly pursuing Zhang Yan.
Lu Mei Niang hadn’t actually recovered much Primordial Qi. After releasing her Dharma Treasure and immediately following with a rapid flight, her strength was already depleted. Seeing the Dragon Country’s Ship ahead, she bit her tongue to push her speed further. When the tunneling light reached the deck, her tense Heart and Spirit finally relaxed, and she fainted on the spot.
Zhang Yan hurriedly supported her body. At this moment, he could feel the fierce killing intent approaching from behind. The sword ball at the center of his brow twitched uneasily.
This small movement, however, seemed to illuminate his Sea of Consciousness like a flash of Spirit Light. His previous doubts suddenly became clear.
He glanced back at the raging mist chasing toward him, steadied Lu Mei Niang, and leaped forward, transforming into light and heading straight for the Treasure Pavilion. Yet, as he moved, he deliberately paused for a moment.
Xiao Musui saw Zhang Yan about to hide in the enormous sea boat. Although he didn’t recognize the Dragon Country’s Ship, he understood that such vessels must have formidable Prohibitions. He realized that if he delayed for even a moment, he would fail to capture this junior. With a furious shout, he unleashed all his Mana, flashing repeatedly in the air, closing the gap to just a single breath before following Zhang Yan into the Treasure Pavilion.
A shadow loomed behind him, pressing a life-and-death peril onto Zhang Yan’s psyche. He cried out internally, "Beiming senior, assist me!"
As though responding to his call, the purple sword light suspended at his brow suddenly trembled. With a sharp whistle, a monstrous, ancient beast-like sword light broke free and charged out with devastating force.
Xiao Musui had barely entered the scene when his previously smug expression froze on his face, replaced by sheer terror. He let out a furious howl, as his Nascent Soul exploded with brilliance to shield him from harm, while he himself rapidly retreated.
Yet his vision was filled with a blinding sword light that seemed capable of cutting through everything. His once-majestic Nascent Soul turned to sludge under the strike of this sword light, split in two from head to toe. The light then surged toward him, flashing once before vanishing.
Xiao Musui’s body stiffened as a blood trail emerged slowly from his brow, oozing fresh blood. He shot Zhang Yan a venomous glare, clutching his chest silently, then staggered outside toward the deck. There, he took to the clouds, limping away into the distance.
Zhang Yan stepped out of the Treasure Pavilion, slightly narrowing his eyes. He had finally realized that the Beiming Sword’s avatar would only respond to his full control during moments of genuine life-and-death crisis. Otherwise, even if activated, its power would remain latent.
Xiao Musui was indeed worthy of being a Nascent Soul cultivator. Like a centipede that refuses to die, he persevered despite severe injuries, relying on his profound cultivation to stay alive.
However, this was also because Zhang Yan’s cultivation wasn’t yet advanced enough to fully unleash the power of the Beiming Sword. Otherwise, that strike would have surely claimed Xiao Musui’s life outright.
Still, this first attempt allowed him to grasp the sword avatar’s disposition. Next time, he would know exactly how to wield it.
Gazing at Xiao Musui’s fading figure, Zhang Yan let out a cold laugh. At this stage, how could he allow this man to escape alive?
Instead of giving chase, he activated tunneling light and headed into the boat, settling into the first layer of the Treasure Pavilion. Picking up a token, he shouted aloud, causing all thirty-six Dragon-climbing Piles of the Dragon Country’s Ship to spin violently, stirring up mighty waves to crash toward Xiao Musui.
Xiao Musui was desperately fleeing. With his Nascent Soul shattered, hundreds of years of cultivation had been almost entirely destroyed by Zhang Yan, leaving only about one-tenth intact. He could only rely on the family’s secret guardian artifact, the "True Fixing Jade," to preserve his life and sustain a single breath of Innate Primordial Qi to avoid immediate death.
Despite this, he could barely muster enough strength to unleash one more round of Hand Palm Thunder. Hating Zhang Yan deeply, he thought, "If that brat dares come after me, I’ll make sure he regrets it. If he doesn’t, once I’ve recovered from my injuries, I vow to tear him limb from limb!"
Gritting his teeth, he suddenly heard thunderous rumbles from behind. Turning back, he was terrified to the point of soul scattering.
The Dragon Country’s Ship, its colossal hull shimmering with Prohibition forces, was smashing through the ocean waves, charging at him with the power of a Divine Mountain descending.
He could never have imagined Zhang Yan to be so merciless. Panicking, he let out a cry and tried his hardest to dodge.
But his injuries were too severe. He was unable to evade as the dragon-head prow, imbued with boundless force, slammed brutally into his back.
The impact felt like a mountain collapsing. It sent him spewing blood from his mouth and nose, with smoke billowing out. The Jade Pendant at his chest emitted a sharp "crack," and a faint fracture appeared. His body sank uncontrollably toward the water.
Zhang Yan frowned upon witnessing this man still alive. With resolve, he dove into the water. Spreading the Lan Yun Xuan Guang, he parted the waves, flicked his robe sleeve, and summoned a six-layer treasure tower. The tower spun and emitted light as Zhang Yan ascended to the third layer. Operating its mechanisms, the Demon Storage let out a tremendous roar, teleporting directly above Xiao Musui for another collision.
A muffled sound echoed from the sea as Xiao Musui, battered by the earlier blow, found his bones shattered and his organs destroyed. This second strike left him screaming in agony as his chest Jade Pendant fractured with a crisp "snap." Golden light burst forth from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, and he died on the spot.
A Primordial Spirit floated out of his corpse, swiftly flying toward the northwest. Just as it was about to escape, Immortal Sounds resounded overhead, and a crystal-clear Jade Scroll flew out from the Demon Storage. In moments, it circled around the spirit and absorbed it completely.
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian.com to vote for it with recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)