Clouds veiled the sea and moon, while tidal waves surged fiercely.
Under the swift sea wind, massive waves crashed like collapsing mountains, as if to swallow everything in existence.
The Silver Armor Daoist’s gaze shifted to the small boat bobbing amid the waves. He bellowed, his voice resounding like thunder: “Who are you?!” Before Li Ruoshui could respond, he channeled his magic power, conjuring a terrifying vortex at the boat’s location that rotated and ground everything to dust.
Li Ruoshui had no interest in replying to the Daoist. The suppressed emotions deep in her heart erupted like a volcano. Her figure flashed as she stepped onto the waves and unleashed the Universe One Qi Palm toward the Daoist. Though not of the aquatic races, she had gained some control over water ever since cultivating the Five Elements Qi. How could she fear mere sea waves?
The sea turned gray and misty, shrouded in fog across several li. Suddenly, blazing firelight burst forth, sweeping away the sea mist as if countless stars had plummeted to the world, illuminating the surface like daylight. The Silver Armor Daoist’s eyelids twitched. He channeled his magic power, and lightning coiled around the trident he raised.
Li Ruoshui sneered. She activated the Five Elements True Light, and clusters of azure radiance bloomed around her, isolating the encroaching thunderous power. This ceaseless, endless azure glow enveloped her body impenetrably. Gazing ahead, Li Ruoshui’s figure flickered as she invoked Carefree Wander. She reached out and seized, manifesting a blurry sword shadow that slashed toward the Daoist’s trident.
The Silver Armor Daoist’s expression shifted slightly. He shook his shoulders, widening the distance from the sword gleam. With a mad howl toward the heavens, he summoned several vortices on the sea surface, intent on dragging every creature passing over it into their depths. But Li Ruoshui’s Carefree Wander was refined to perfection, and her control over magic power was exquisite. She darted through the vortices and water pillars like fleeting light. With a sweep of her longsword, Shift Stars Change Hosts descended.
In the dim surroundings, countless rays of light exploded amid a thunderous boom, raining down on the Silver Armor Daoist like a gale of storm. Unable to evade, he was struck by several sword gleams, though the flowing sheen on his silver armor blunted the sword qi.
Li Ruoshui arched a brow. This Daoist’s armor was clearly a fine treasure. She recalled her longsword and channeled her magic power, stirring up water vapor around her. As water and fire qi circulated, the sea surface was swiftly cloaked in hazy white mist. The Silver Armor Daoist laughed smugly. As one born of the aquatic races, he was adept at manipulating water and mist too. He opened his mouth like a whale swallowing and inhaled the mist ahead—unaware that it was born of water and fire. With a shift of her water true qi, it instantly turned into blazing flames.
A miserable scream erupted from the Daoist’s mouth. His face was charred black, and his throat scorched by the inferno. Seeing the Silver Armor Daoist wounded, Li Ruoshui’s gaze darkened further. Seizing the moment of his disrupted qi flow, a massive fiery red palm slammed down ruthlessly, trapping him in flames.
Unable to escape, the Silver Armor Daoist could only activate the treasure light on his silver armor to resist the enveloping fire palm. Li Ruoshui patiently ground away the protective power of the armor before pointing at the confined Daoist. A streak of cold light shot from her fingertip, striking his neck with a crisp clang.
The Silver Armor Daoist rolled his neck smugly and declared, “I cultivate the Power Dao—what can you do to me?” He simply stopped resisting, sitting amid the flames and waiting for his comrades to rescue the merfolk over there and come to his aid. He was no match for this Daoist, but what could she do to him?
Power Dao? Li Ruoshui mused inwardly. It seemed she had come to the Origin Sea at the right time. Could a body tempered by Power Dao truly be indestructible? If this Daoist’s Power Dao technique were truly profound, his body would be seamlessly fused inside and out like profound iron, impervious to wear. How then could he be burned by fire? A cold smile tugged at Li Ruoshui’s lips. With a surge of magic power, the Five Elements True Light mercilessly brushed over the Silver Armor Daoist.
At first, he paid it no mind, but as the essence and baleful qi on his body were peeled away layer by layer, panic set in. Unable to break free from the confinement, he struggled desperately and even reverted to his original form—a nearly ten-foot-long ferocious shark with spines covering its back.
“I am of the Thunder Spine Shark Clan—”
Li Ruoshui slapped the ferocious shark and sneered, “I don’t care who you are!”
She absolutely needed to vent this pent-up fury, or it would harm her Dao heart.
In less than a quarter-hour, flesh and blood scattered. The oncoming sea wind carried a thick stench of blood.
Li Ruoshui spared no glance for the shattered corpse sinking into the depths. She spun around in search of her small boat. Its restrictions could indeed withstand attacks from the Golden Core Stage, but not entirely unscathed. While she battled the shark, the boat’s restrictions wore down and were ultimately shattered by the residual magic power.
She might not care about the spirit jade pills to buy a new sea boat, but her Tianyan Mirror was on it.
She had hated sharks her entire life!
Furious beyond measure, Li Ruoshui knew fishing a needle from the sea would be no easy task. Better to head to the Merfolk Kingdom’s market and buy a new one. Taking a deep breath, she sped toward the direction from which the ethereal singing had come—likely where merfolk gathered, if her guess was right.
Channeling her magic power, Li Ruoshui treaded the waves, her figure gliding effortlessly as if on flat ground. She encountered no more trash like the Silver Armor Daoist, but as she neared the source of the sounds, she sensed intense magic collisions, as if many were locked in battle. Upon approaching the fray, it proved true.
It was a lone island in the sea.
Reefs lined the coast.
The merfolk who had been singing atop the reefs had ceased, replaced by occasional shrill cries of grief. Their foes were a group of Silver Armor Daoists, identical to the one Li Ruoshui had encountered earlier.
Unsure why the Merfolk Kingdom warred with the Silver Armor Daoists, but since Yue Shenlin was her friend—and the Silver Armor Daoists had offended her before—by the principle of hating the house for the crow’s sake, she ought to send them to reunite! With her mind made up, Li Ruoshui swept into the battlefield like a merciless hurricane. No Golden Core Cultivators lurked among the gathering Silver Armor Daoists nearby, allowing her to move freely like a fish in water. She rampaged across the sea surface with devastating might, leaving the waters littered with the corpses of shrimp soldiers and crab generals.
The merfolk did not know Li Ruoshui, but seeing a lofty, otherworldly Daoist come to their aid, they rallied anew. Conch horns blared, and merfolk blessings descended upon her.
Though also of the Heavenly Blessing Dao, these merfolk differed from Yue Shenlin.
Li Ruoshui clearly sensed her spiritual platform clear and her consumed magic power recovering at an astonishing rate.
She gave the merfolk a dao salute before spinning back into the fray among the Silver Armor Daoists, casually picking up a few unclaimed universe pouches along the way.
In less than two quarter-hours, the scattered Silver Armor Daoists fled panic-stricken into the sea. Li Ruoshui halted with evident regret.
Unfamiliar with these waters, she chose not to pursue the routed foes over eradicating the roots.
Li Ruoshui turned toward the vast island, where clouds veiling stars and moon dispersed. Beneath the sparse stars and bright moon, the domes of the island’s halls emitted mysterious silver light, and faint ethereal songs echoed in her ears, though their source eluded tracing.
“Thank you for your assistance, Fellow Daoist.” A merfolk clad in merfolk gauze came ashore. Her silvery scaled fish tail transformed into legs, though pale blue scales still adorned her eye corners and ear temples, marking her difference from humans. As Li Ruoshui curiously appraised her, the merfolk subtly observed Li Ruoshui in turn. After a few breaths, a smile curved her lips. She asked again, “May I know Fellow Daoist’s name? From whence do you hail?”
Before Li Ruoshui could answer, a clear voice rang out from the sea.
“Li Fellow Daoist! Li Shangshan!”
A blue figure leaped from the waves, its raised fish tail splashing crystalline water. She swam with astonishing speed, reaching the silver sands in mere breaths. Her azure eyes brimmed with joy. Upon landing, she shoved aside the merfolk and said to Li Ruoshui, “I thought you’d gotten lost!”
Li Ruoshui: “…” She eyed Yue Shenlin—if not for the poor signal, she would have arrived at the Merfolk Kingdom far sooner.
The merfolk turned to Yue Shenlin. “Your Highness, this is—”
Yue Shenlin blinked and puffed out her chest proudly. “She’s my friend, Li Shangshan Fellow Daoist, who topped the Prodigy List alongside me!”
The merfolk understood at once. “So she’s Your Highness’s friend.” The last traces of wariness in their hearts vanished with Yue Shenlin’s words.
“I’ll handle the hosting.” Yue Shenlin addressed the merfolk, her expression turning solemn. “That Thunder Spine Shark escaped. Tally our personnel and send any wounded for treatment.” Most merfolk cultivated the Heavenly Blessing Dao, aiding fellow Daoists but lacking in combat prowess themselves. Their kingdom’s warriors were mostly from affiliated races rather than merfolk born. Yet those affiliates’ loyalties often shifted.
Yue Shenlin led Li Ruoshui deeper into the island.
The island, named Penglai, was cradled by mountains and waters, with towering crags, flowers, grasses, and pines in serene, ethereal beauty. Silver-glowing lanterns hung at intervals along the paths, casting light on the ground like clear, flowing streams.
“What’s the deal with those Thunder Spine Sharks?” Li Ruoshui asked with furrowed brows.
Yue Shenlin sighed faintly. “The Thunder Spine Sharks are the merfolk’s ancient nemeses. In primordial times, they preyed on our young. Now with the Origin Sea’s prohibitions, they dare not devour merfolk openly, but clashes are inevitable. They always show ill faces upon encounter. No idea why they attacked so suddenly this time.”
Li Ruoshui’s brows furrowed tighter. “But don’t your merfolk have a Cave Heaven Realm Daoist in residence? How dare the Thunder Spine Sharks act so boldly?”
Yue Shenlin blinked. “That’s why I’m baffled!”
Li Ruoshui fell silent for a moment.
As expected, Yue Shenlin’s reliability was only ever temporary.
She pondered briefly before saying, “I have a guess. Want to hear it?”
“No.” Yue Shenlin shook her head like a rattle drum. “Tell my big sis.”
Li Ruoshui pretended not to hear and continued, “Fearless of Cave Heaven means they have a Cave Heaven backer. Considering the current Cave Heaven powers in the Origin Sea, it must be either a newcomer or the Dragon Lord.”
A cold voice interjected, “Such speculation from Li Fellow Daoist is unkind to my Dragon Clan.”
