Chapter 576: Are You an Outsider?
The fierce battle on the river continued.
The Spine-Piercing Crocodiles charged relentlessly, crashing again and again against the sides and bottom of the ships with loud bangs. This was precisely where the Beast-Taming faction’s advantage lay—these demon beasts lacked intelligence, and with just a slight provocation of their wild nature, they would fight to the death.
The sacrifices of the Spine-Piercing Crocodile swarm were effective.
One of the outermost Redwood Warships was eventually smashed open with a hole. Pitch-black river water surged inside, while the Spine-Piercing Crocodiles scrambled to force themselves through the breach to slaughter those aboard.
The cultivators within the warship instantly fell into panic, but soon began frantically trying to contain the situation.
They were forced to face demon beasts clad in bone armor covered with vicious barbs, causing casualties to soar.
The primary reason was that the Redwood Warship had been damaged, greatly weakening the defensive formation. It was like a city whose walls had been breached at one corner.
Soon, the central warship also began creaking ominously, several sections of its railing on the verge of collapse.
A Spine-Piercing Crocodile close to the Golden Core level suddenly leapt from the stern onto the deck, rampaging left and right among the crew and causing massive casualties.
Yang Weida shouted, “Hold the line! Hold it!”
He wanted to unleash his full spellcasting power, but the space aboard the ship was too cramped. Afraid of injuring his companions, he felt restrained and unable to act freely.
“Damn it! I’ve spent years as a merchant and barely earned anything. I finally got a chance to become someone important. Am I really going to die here?”
Yang Weida gritted his teeth secretly. His footsteps shifted slightly as he quietly retreated behind the others, gradually moving to the relatively safer bow of the ship.
He believed everyone was too busy fighting to notice his small movements. In reality, the entire battlefield across the river surface was under the observation of Sun Ning and the other.
The two of them had just participated in the great war of Liangzhu Kingdom. Compared to that, this river battle—though fierce, with both sides risking their lives—was nothing remarkable in their eyes.
Flying Bone Shield.
Sun Lingtong controlled a floating bone shield and slammed it down onto a Spine-Piercing Crocodile that was trying to climb over the railing.
Fiend Soul Blade.
He spun around precisely, as though he had eyes in the back of his head. A flash of blade light appeared, and the crocodile behind him was instantly decapitated.
Although Sun Lingtong had only recently acquired these two magical instruments, he wielded them skillfully, already having slain quite a few crocodiles.
“Careful. I’ve detected a concealed aura deep in the river,” Sun Lingtong secretly transmitted through spiritual sense to Ning Zhuo.
Having come from the No-Void Sect, his detection methods were far superior to Ning Zhuo’s.
Ning Zhuo nodded inwardly. “That makes sense. The Bone Crocodile Demon is quite familiar with Qing Yan. Since he dared to ambush this fleet, he must have a backup plan.”
“They’re both Golden Core cultivators. The hidden one is very likely another Golden Core cultivator.”
As he spoke, Ning Zhuo threw the harpoon in his hand.
The harpoon magical instrument had belonged to Jiao Ma. After collecting the corpse, Ning Zhuo naturally refined it for use as part of his disguise.
Once thrown, the harpoon instantly pierced through a Spine-Piercing Crocodile, killing it on the spot.
Ning Zhuo reached out and grasped, linking it with his spiritual sense. Consuming mana, he retrieved the harpoon back into his hand.
This harpoon was a magical instrument designed to be thrown and recalled. Weapons, on the other hand, were usually held in hand—unless they were bows, crossbows, or similar—so they were rarely thrown.
Sun Lingtong focused on defense while Ning Zhuo specialized in offense. Even under their disguised identities, the two worked together with perfect tacit understanding.
Sun Lingtong had once created his own blade techniques. Now wielding a large blade, he moved with powerful momentum, forcing back all the Spine-Piercing Crocodiles within the surrounding area.
Whenever Ning Zhuo finished gathering power, he would throw the harpoon, each strike achieving results—often killing with a single blow.
“Little Zhuo, here’s something exciting for you,” Sun Lingtong reminded him through divine sense.
He tilted his body and pretended to be exhausted, deliberately allowing a Spine-Piercing Crocodile to break through.
Then he knelt halfway on the deck and shouted loudly, “Master, be careful!”
Ning Zhuo snorted coldly. The raised harpoon in his hand suddenly dropped. With a twist of his wrist and a shift of his stance, his entire body spun in a circle, carrying the harpoon around his waist with a whistling sweep.
With the momentum built through that movement, the harpoon struck violently against the crocodile’s belly, sending it flying straight back into the river.
Sun Lingtong transmitted through spiritual sense again, chuckling. “Hehe, Little Zhuo, nice moves.”
Back in the Myriad Medicines Sect, Ning Zhuo had trained tirelessly to overcome his weakness in close combat. After experiencing the great war of Liangzhu Kingdom, his melee capability had improved even further. Most importantly, he now possessed a certain composure—remaining calm even in danger.
Ning Zhuo responded with another cold snort, knowing Sun Lingtong was joking about his role as a servant.
He immediately shouted aloud, “You Iron Lump slave! Get up and fight! Don’t embarrass me!”
Sun Lingtong glared and gritted his teeth as he stood up. “Iron Lump obeys!”
Both of them were Foundation Establishment cultivators with extraordinary combat power. Even while disguising themselves and revealing only thirty to forty percent of their strength, they firmly defended the bow of the ship.
“These two are impressive. No wonder Commander Qing Yan values them,” Yang Weida had already retreated to the bow. After noticing the two, his thoughts stirred and he moved a bit closer to them.
At that moment, a sinister laugh suddenly rang out.
Immediately afterward came Qing Yan’s startled shout: “Who’s sneaking around like that?!”
“This old man is Xie Sichao, a ghost cultivator. Acting sneakily is only natural. Commander Qing Yan, your compliment is well said,” the eerie voice replied.
As he spoke, a Golden Core–level aura was revealed without concealment.
The enemy still had a second Golden Core cultivator hidden!
Everyone aboard the ships turned pale. For a moment, panic spread and their fighting spirit noticeably dropped.
“They’re here—water ghosts,” Sun Lingtong said, spiritual light flickering in his eyes as he completed his detection and secretly informed Ning Zhuo.
In the next moment, the Spine-Piercing Crocodile swarm retreated rapidly. Countless ghosts rose from the riverbed, drifting up to the surface and surrounding the three Redwood Warships.
Hundreds of water ghosts wore tattered black armor. Ghostly blue flames flickered in their empty eye sockets as they wielded hooks and curved blades, repeatedly crashing into the ships.
The cultivators fought fiercely. A large wave of spells bombarded first, followed by a chaotic barrage of magical instruments flying out. The assault halted immediately, and more than fifty water ghosts were destroyed on the spot.
“Hahaha, that’s all they’ve got!”
“I killed a water ghost when I was three years old.”
“Everyone around here knows how to deal with water ghosts!”
Morale among the cultivators surged.
Yet Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo frowned at the same time.
“These water ghosts aren’t right.”
In the next moment, Xie Sichao made his move.
Military Art—Speed is the Soul of War.
Military Art—Iron Mantle!
In an instant, the water ghosts’ defenses multiplied several times over, and their speed increased drastically. They charged through the barrage of spells and magical instruments, chopping through the ship rails and storming into the vessels.
The stalemate that had lasted before collapsed instantly.
The village faction’s situation took a sharp turn for the worse, teetering on the brink of total defeat.
Objectively speaking, a single water ghost had less than sixty percent of a Spine-Piercing Crocodile’s combat strength. But once enhanced by military arts, their power skyrocketed, completely surpassing the crocodile swarm.
Qing Yan burst out of the river and flew into the air, casting two defensive spells that reinforced the three warships, barely stabilizing the situation.
“Yin soldiers! Which Underworld domain do you belong to?” Qing Yan’s face was extremely grave. “Is the Underworld planning to forcibly interfere in the living world again?”
The Bone Crocodile Demon surfaced. His body was covered with numerous wounds, nearly half of his bone armor shattered. Even the crocodile he rode had already been replaced with another.
The demon pointed at Qing Yan. “Even if we told you which Underworld domain we’re from, what could you do? The strength of our City-Overthrowing Alliance runs deeper than you imagine!”
“Qing Yan, kneel and beg for mercy now. Perhaps I might spare your life.”
Xie Sichao still did not reveal himself. Instead, he spoke calmly.
“We understand the rules dividing Yin and Yang. We are not trying to occupy the living world or reenact the ancient war. But the Yin Soul Black Marsh already resembles the Underworld’s environment closely. It’s like a small window—our cultivators simply want to breathe through that window. Is that not allowed?”
Qing Yan glared at the crocodile demon with fury.
“You cultivators of the living world colluding with Underworld forces—utterly shameful!”
“Shameful?” The Bone Crocodile Demon snorted coldly, murderous intent overflowing. “For freedom, and to restore purity to this land, our City-Overthrowing Alliance must make sacrifices. Sacrificing our reputation is only part of it. That is our resolve!”
“Qing Yan, today you and all your subordinates will die here!”
With that, the crocodile demon attacked again.
This time the situation was very different.
Though the crocodile demon himself was not Qing Yan’s match, Xie Sichao’s assistance allowed him to firmly gain the upper hand.
Qing Yan immediately ordered the three warships to retreat.
Alone, he had to fight two Golden Core cultivators while also protecting everyone aboard the ships. Forced to defend on all sides, his situation quickly deteriorated. Several new wounds appeared, and defeat was imminent.
Once Qing Yan fell or fled, the cultivators aboard the ships would face certain death.
“Boss, how should we act later?” Ning Zhuo transmitted through spiritual sense.
Sun Lingtong glanced at him and secretly smiled.
Back in Huoshi Immortal City, Ning Zhuo would definitely have chosen to avoid trouble and endure quietly. Escaping using the Wanli Dragon would have been effortless.
But now, after experiencing the battlefield’s heroic ferocity, Ning Zhuo showed no intention of retreating. Instead, he wanted to strike hard!
This suited Sun Lingtong perfectly.
He replied through divine sense, “I can’t see clearly beneath the river, so I don’t know where Xie Sichao is hiding. That leaves only one target—the Golden Core sitting smugly on that crocodile, the loudmouth who keeps boasting!”
“Good!” Ning Zhuo agreed instantly.
Though both were only Foundation Establishment cultivators, neither hesitated in plotting against a Golden Core cultivator.
In the Liangzhu Kingdom war, they had even slain Nascent Soul cultivators! With that experience, their courage was naturally different.
However, just as they were secretly plotting while maintaining their disguise in battle, another Golden Core aura suddenly streaked across the sky.
A middle-aged scholar flew through the air.
Holding a brush, he began writing in midair. In just a few breaths, he composed a spell based on the Record of Rites.
The spell transformed into countless characters that poured into the battlefield, striking precisely into the bodies of the water ghost Yin soldiers.
Then everyone watched in shock as the Yin soldiers lowered their weapons. Some slapped their own faces repeatedly, others knelt to apologize, while many bowed and performed elaborate rituals.
The ferocious Yin soldiers from moments ago suddenly turned into polite and well-mannered companions.
Then the village cultivators reacted and slaughtered them mercilessly, destroying over a hundred water ghosts.
“It’s Lord Wen Ruanyu!”
“We’re saved!!!”
Cheers erupted as morale soared.
Qing Yan quickly identified himself and explained the situation to Wen Ruanyu.
Wen Ruanyu nodded slightly, occupying the high ground in the sky. With a flick of his brush, countless characters poured down like torrential rain.
The characters suppressed the Yin soldiers’ morale, allowing the village cultivators to drive them back step by step.
“So this must be a Confucian cultivator?” Ning Zhuo widened his eyes. This was the first time he had seen one in reality.
Sun Lingtong nodded. “There’s abundant literary qi and national power in those techniques. That should indeed be a Confucian cultivator.”
Confucian cultivators were rarely seen in Southern Dou Country. In fact, they were also rare in the Northern Wind Country and Liangzhu Kingdom.
Their true cultivation holy land was Huazhang Country—a cultivation nation said to govern through Confucianism, nearly abolishing all other schools and honoring Confucian doctrine alone.
Since Confucian cultivators could serve as the backbone of an entire cultivation nation, they naturally possessed profound foundations and methods.
Wen Ruanyu skillfully wielded national power and Confucian arts, directly suppressing the Yin soldiers.
“Golden Core peak. Excellent lineage. This person is definitely no ordinary cultivator,” Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo quickly reached the same conclusion.
Confucian Art—Cultivate Literature, Restrain Martial Force!
Standing in the sky, Wen Ruanyu radiated surging waves of literary qi.
Under the influence of this Confucian art, the effectiveness of all techniques on both sides—friend and foe alike—dropped significantly. The battlefield’s intensity plummeted to its lowest point.
“Strategist Xie, that man is the White Paper City Lord’s right-hand man. We’d better withdraw first!” The Bone Crocodile Demon, who had been shouting arrogantly earlier, now had no desire to fight upon facing Wen Ruanyu.
“Hmph. Very well,” Xie Sichao’s voice echoed as he immediately ordered a retreat.
Wen Ruanyu did not pursue. He simply protected the warships.
Qing Yan wanted to chase them, but Wen Ruanyu advised, “Do not pursue a desperate enemy,” causing him to stop.
Wen Ruanyu said, “I still have urgent matters and cannot stay long. Daoist Friend Qing Yan, please continue escorting them to White Paper City.”
“If the enemy returns, crush this jade pendant and I will sense it.”
With that, Wen Ruanyu tossed a token to Qing Yan, who quickly expressed his gratitude.
Wen Ruanyu nodded slightly and continued flying north.
However, after flying several hundred steps, he suddenly turned back.
“Oh right. Is there anyone among you who is an outsider?”
He looked down at the cultivators aboard the ship.
Everyone glanced at each other, until their gazes finally settled on Yang Weida.
“There really is one?” Wen Ruanyu’s thoughts stirred. “What do you have on you? Take it out and let me see.”
“Huh?” Yang Weida was completely bewildered.
The other cultivators quietly surrounded him with unfriendly expressions.
Qing Yan stared at him closely. “Lord Wen asked you to do it, so do it.”
Yang Weida’s heart tightened. He quickly waved his hands.
“I’m not a spy!”
In his panic, he hurriedly took out all his belongings for Wen Ruanyu to inspect.
Wen Ruanyu did not see any candles, but he did notice several Soul-Ferrying Lamp Wicks. His thoughts stirred again.
“Lady Funeral Music Nether Performer told me to pay attention to matters related to candles. Do these lamp wicks count?”
“No matter. I’ll bring him along first.”
In truth, Wen Ruanyu normally remained stationed in White Paper City handling important affairs. But after the Funeral Music Nether Performer performed a divination, she ordered him to depart immediately and travel north of White Paper City to search for a key individual.
After flying for some time, he encountered this river battle. Recognizing Qing Yan as a local leader acknowledged by White Paper City, he intervened to rescue them.
“You will come with me for now,” Wen Ruanyu said.
He had discovered Yang Weida but was not certain. He decided to take him along temporarily and continue searching to observe further developments.
Thus, Wen Ruanyu flew away through the sky, carrying the uneasy Yang Weida with him.
Meanwhile, Qing Yan led his subordinates to make brief preparations before continuing their journey toward White Paper City.