Chapter 2089: Big Brother

The sky was gloomy, and dark clouds obscured the sun.

The sea breeze gradually intensified, and the waves on the sea surged, signaling an approaching storm. Dark clouds in the distance visibly converged towards their location.

Amidst the wind and waves, a small boat slowly approached. Logically, this type of covered boat shouldn't be out at sea; a single large wave could capsize it. However, an unusual spiritual glow emanated from the hull, making the boat appear exceptionally light. Furthermore, ordinary people couldn't see this small vessel, as it was a magical artifact piloted by cultivators.

Three people stood at the bow, and figures were visible within the covered cabin as well. One of them was Qin Li, holding a small fox in his arms. The fox was lethargic and drowsy.

After being sent to the North Sea, they couldn't enjoy peace for long before being rotated from Butterfly Island to the front line. This so-called front line was a narrow stretch of sea where the Storm Realm and the Changyou Clan army confronted each other. Both sides were recuperating, with no desire for a major offensive. However, their deep-seated animosity made peaceful coexistence impossible, so they sought every means to probe and harass each other, weakening the enemy's strength. This sea became a battlefield of contention. Both sides often dispatched small teams to fight here, turning it into a hunting ground. Victories served to boost morale.

Qin Li and the little fox had never experienced such a brutal war. Initially, they were bewildered, even terrified, but unexpectedly, their 'junior' played a crucial role. Jian Yi was exceptionally courageous and decisive in combat, adapting remarkably well to the battlefield environment, as if he had been forged by countless battles. Under Jian Yi's leadership, they quickly adjusted to the conditions and achieved repeated successes.

While dangerous, the battlefield also presented opportunities. The various sects of the Storm Realm were absolutely generous with rewards for those who earned merits; the array of treasures was dazzling, with nothing beyond their capacity to provide. As their battle merits accumulated, Qin Li and the little fox's cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. They also underwent a complete transformation, finding themselves somewhat reluctant to leave.

“Why haven't we encountered anyone yet? This is so boring! Why don't we get a bit closer?” The little fox stretched, grumbling under its breath.

Their purpose for this voyage was to accumulate enough battle merits to exchange for a spiritual item capable of refining a magical treasure, in preparation for Qin Li's future destined magical treasure. Their magical artifacts were practically armament to the teeth, with nothing left to replace, and they couldn't consume elixirs without restraint either. Although reaching the Golden Core stage was still some distance away, at this rate, breaking through shouldn't be an issue, so they began planning from now.

“Fellow Daoist Fox Immortal is confident, but caution is still best. We're already close enough. Although we're on the outskirts of the core battlefield, there's no guarantee that Changyou Clan masters won't roam out. There have been many precedents...” A middle-aged man beside them gently advised. It was said that battles involving Nascent Soul and even Soul Transformation stage cultivators took place in the core battlefield, and even the aftermath was beyond their endurance.

“Do you think I, the Fox Immortal, don't know these things?” The little fox huffed, “You don't need to teach me!”

The middle-aged man looked helpless, unable to do anything about the willful little fox. Fortunately, the fox knew its limits and wouldn't cause trouble in important matters, and with Qin Li helping to apologize, no one truly disliked it. Qin Li, as expected, repeatedly apologized. He still had a simple, honest appearance, but after the crucible of battle, he was no longer the same. Any enemy who judged him by his looks would surely suffer greatly.

Suddenly, the middle-aged man's expression changed slightly, and he lowly exclaimed, “Be careful!” At the same time, everyone else on the boat also felt the approaching danger. The area outside the magical artifact suddenly became blindingly white, fierce gales swept in, and the vessel began to violently pitch and roll.

It was then that they saw over a dozen silver fish surfacing around the magical artifact, seemingly out of nowhere. These silver fish were merely ordinary demonic beasts, and while they had sensed them before, they hadn't paid them any mind. Now, however, powerful fluctuations emanated from within the silver fish, and they began spitting out white light. The next moment, all the silver fish were disemboweled and instantly perished. From their bellies flew out orbs of light. As these orbs appeared, the white light became even more dazzling and substantial, forming chains of light between the orbs. These chains then wove into a vast net that encircled the magical artifact, seemingly capable of draining its power, causing its spiritual glow to abruptly dim.

“Haha...” From a distance, maniacal laughter rang out. “You've fallen into my carefully laid trap, let's see if you can escape death!”

“Oh no, retreat quickly!” The middle-aged man's face was a mix of shock and anger. He pulled a fist-sized jade orb from his sleeve and fully activated it to counter the light net. Qin Li and the others also reacted, promptly summoning their preferred magical artifacts. Without needing explicit discussion, they tacitly aimed at the same orb of light.

Several streaks of light shot out from the magical artifact, seemingly about to strike the orb of light, but the enemy had planned this for a long time; they wouldn't let them succeed so easily. All the orbs of light exploded, sending countless fragments showering towards the magical artifact. In an instant, the vessel was engulfed in a storm of blades and swords.

The middle-aged man was greatly alarmed. He immediately activated the magical artifact's strongest protective array, raising a transparent barrier that resembled an eggshell. A deafening roar followed as the barrier bore the full brunt of the attack, instantly becoming covered in cracks. The jade orb in the middle-aged man's hand even cracked with a sharp sound, nearly shattering. This magical artifact was something he had specifically acquired with a large amount of battle merits, and he hadn't expected it to be on the verge of destruction so soon after engaging in combat. But he ignored the heartache and shouted urgently, “Retreat quickly!”

Knowing the gravity of the situation, Qin Li and the others didn't hesitate. They summoned their respective magical artifacts, seizing the opportunity to break out, then fled back the way they came without looking back. By this time, a group of Changyou Clan members had already swept over. Fortunately, Qin Li and the others reacted quickly enough not to be encircled.

Seeing that they hadn't managed to trap their opponents, a Changyou Clan general roared. Blue light erupted from all four ears of every Changyou Clan member, converging into a single blue stream, like flowing water. The seawater seemed to be drawn by some force, flowing upward into the sky and actively merging with the blue light. The blue light danced around the Changyou Clan members themselves, as more and more seawater converged, completely enveloping them and forming tall, imposing water giants.

Unlike the Zhuyan Clan, the Changyou Clan didn't focus on body tempering, but one of their innate divine abilities was to transform into these water giants. In this form, they possessed immense strength, no less than that of body cultivators, and felt no pain or fatigue. Not everyone could comprehend this divine ability; the fact that this entire group could transform into water giants indicated they were an elite squad of the Changyou Clan.

Water giants materialized one after another, their entire bodies composed of water, moving over the sea as if on solid ground. They sprinted, running across the sea as if it were land, causing the water to thunderously rumble. Their speed was no less than that of Qin Li and the others' flying magical artifacts.

The seawater was their source of power. One water giant reached down and, seemingly from thin air, drew a large mass of seawater, which solidified and shaped in its hand before being molded into an axe and hurled towards a streak of escaping light.

“Dodge!” Qin Li was responsible for fleeing, while the little fox kept watch. Seeing the axe flying towards them, it warned Qin Li to dodge. The streak of escaping light shifted, avoiding the blow just in time. The axe narrowly missed them, plunging into the sea with a burst of furious power, creating a deep crater on the surface. Witnessing the axe's destructive power, everyone was secretly alarmed, understanding that they absolutely could not be hit by such an attack.

“Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!”

Blades, spears, swords, halberds, axes, hatchets, hooks, and pikes—the Changyou Clan members condensed seawater into all sorts of weapons, forcing Qin Li and the others into a desperate dodge, unable to form a formation and counterattack. After a period of pursuit, the Changyou Clan members gradually closed in. Qin Li and his group were disorganized; if caught, they would undoubtedly suffer a crushing defeat.

Just then, the sea beneath one of the water giants suddenly exploded without the slightest warning. A sword light shot out from the water, incredibly sharp. It effortlessly pierced the water giant's body as if cutting through tofu, and the Changyou Clan member inside died instantly from a sword through the heart, without time to react!

“Boom!” The water giant's body exploded with a roar, seawater mixing with blood, shocking everyone. Even before the water giant dispersed, that sword light had already shot forth. The spiritual sword sliced through the air with a dragon's roar and a tiger's cry, slashing diagonally towards another water giant nearby.

“Swish!” This water giant was cut in half at the waist, its Changyou Clan occupant severed into two, a look of excitement still lingering on his face. Two individuals instantly perished from a single sword, throwing the Changyou Clan's formation into disarray. To make matters worse, Qin Li and the others all turned back, shedding their previous embarrassed appearance, and charged forward. Their earlier display had clearly been a disguise.

“Do you think only you can set traps?” The little fox let out a wild laugh, excitedly shouting, “Kill! Kill! Kill!” The sword light spun in mid-air, continuing its assault on the other water giants. For any enemy it targeted, there was only one outcome!

The situation instantly reversed. The Changyou Clan members fled in terror, but under the relentless pursuit of the sword light and Qin Li's group, they fell one after another. Blood stained the sea, until the last Changyou Clan member died by the sword. The enemy was completely annihilated, while only three on Qin Li's side were injured. Only the middle-aged man's magical artifact was destroyed, suffering the heaviest loss.

Everyone excitedly collected the spoils of war. The sword light shot back, returning to Jian Yi's hand.

“Brother Jian, your swordsmanship is getting more and more formidable!” Qin Li flew over, expressing continuous admiration.

The little fox eyed Jian Yi suspiciously. “When we go back this time, you're not going to break through again, are you?”

Meeting Jian Yi, they truly understood what a genius was. In recent years, Jian Yi's cultivation had advanced at an incredible pace, surpassing them and breaking through to the late Foundation Establishment stage. Jian Yi's strength was beyond doubt; without him, they would likely have died on the battlefield long ago. Everyone speculated that Jian Yi never used any magical artifacts other than his sword, and his battle merits were likely all used to exchange for elixirs that boosted his cultivation. Even so, his cultivation speed was astonishing. The little fox's address for Jian Yi had quietly changed from 'Junior Brother Jian' to 'Brother Jian'.

“No,” Jian Yi gently shook his head, sheathing his sword.

The group quickly finished cleaning up the spoils of war. The middle-aged man brought Jian Yi's share of the spoils, but Jian Yi didn't reach for them. Instead, he suddenly looked up at the sky, his gaze sharp.

“What's wrong?” The little fox looked tense; whenever Jian Yi made that expression before, it never boded well.

Before its words faded, a thunderous roar came from the horizon. “How dare you slaughter my clan! You're seeking death!” With the roar, a powerful aura rapidly approached. The horizon churned with terrifying waves, as if a hurricane were striking.

“A Yuan Realm Stage Three master!” The middle-aged man gasped in alarm. A Changyou Clan master at Yuan Realm Stage Three was equivalent to a human Golden Core stage cultivator, and no one present was a match for him.

With a clang, the spiritual sword was drawn from its sheath. Jian Yi said in a deep voice, “You all go first. I'll draw him away!”

“No...” Qin Li hesitated, but Jian Yi sharply cut him off. “Go!”

The group had long since been obedient to Jian Yi's words, guessing he might have a way to escape. Moreover, staying would only mean certain death, so returning quickly for reinforcements might offer a glimmer of hope. The middle-aged man bowed solemnly. “Brother Jian, take care! Everyone split up!”

“You must come back alive!” The little fox cried out.

With his spiritual sword held aloft, Jian Yi stood against the wind, his expression calm, his aura instead contained, as if accumulating power. He had sought guidance from Sword Slave and learned the art of sword nourishment. To pursue his own path, he decided to re-tread the path of sword cultivation, sealing his cultivation to aid his enlightenment. Only by constantly seeking opponents on the battlefield, honing himself, and clarifying his path, would he unseal the next layer of his cultivation. However, opponents also had to be carefully chosen. He cultivated a killing sword, not a reckless one; he didn't want to be forced to unseal his cultivation due to a failed enlightenment, nor did he want to die. He was already close to the Golden Core stage. This Yuan Realm Stage Three master, who had come alone, was perfect for honing his sword!

“Rumble!”

As the fierce winds and massive waves drew closer, Jian Yi remained calm. With a single gesture, his sword shot forth!

At this time, Qin Li and the little fox had fled far away, but they dared not stop, pushing their flying magical artifacts to their limits as they raced back for reinforcements.

“Brother Jian will definitely be alright!” Qin Li kept repeating the same sentence. The little fox had also lost its usual cheerfulness, only regretting that its cultivation was too low to do anything.

“Stop!” The little fox suddenly cried out, pointing towards the core battlefield. “Head inside!”

Qin Li gasped, instantly understanding. Returning to camp would be too slow. Heading inside might lead them to allied masters, but it also carried the high risk of encountering powerful enemies. However, the two, one human and one fox, didn't hesitate. They immediately changed direction and plunged into the core battlefield.

After a period of frantic flight, they finally sensed unusual fluctuations—the ripples of a battle. From afar, they saw both allied and enemy forces locked in an intense struggle. Their allied masters were heavily surrounded by the enemy and at a disadvantage, making it impossible for them to spare anyone to save Jian Yi. They could only search elsewhere.

Whether it was good luck or bad, they subsequently encountered two more groups, both in the same situation. They sensed something was amiss but couldn't pinpoint the reason. Gritting their teeth, they were about to search elsewhere when their hearts inexplicably tightened. Within the battlefield, a Changyou Clan master suddenly looked over and sneered, “Two fools who don't know their place. This general shall grant your wish!”

The seawater suddenly surged into a white wave, shooting towards them. Qin Li and the little fox were terrified, desperately trying to flee, but they were already locked on by the white wave and could only watch in despair as it closed in.

Just at this critical moment, they sensed a familiar aura. The little fox looked up and suddenly widened its eyes. Sword qi shot straight into the sky; the newcomer was none other than Jian Yi. He arrived riding his sword, completely unharmed. In a short time, he had not only slain his opponent but had also successfully broken through to the Golden Core stage!

The little fox and Qin Li stared blankly at him, unable to believe their eyes. As the white wave drew nearer, the little fox snapped out of its daze. As if seeing a savior, it shrieked, “Brother Jian, save me!”