Chapter 286
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On the pitch-black surface of the sea, two massive ships sped toward each other like arrows loosed from taut bows, on the verge of collision.
Naturally, Flood Dragon King Xu had his reasons for such a move. The South Sea Flood Dragon Palace’s specially crafted ships were all reinforced with iron plating, and even the wooden planks along the hull were exceptionally thick. As for the naval vessels of Jingyue City, he had personally studied them—they were inferior by more than a grade. What was one’s own could not be compared to what was public—this was a truth beyond question.
The navy, seeing the enemy vessel charging straight toward them, was greatly alarmed. Yet at that moment, they were sailing with the wind—how could they possibly stop in time? Moreover, if they let the other side escape, they would be unable to shoulder the responsibility. Thus, they could only grit their teeth and press forward.
As the distance between them rapidly shortened, a sudden burst of firelight erupted from within the navy’s formation. Moments later, that firelight streaked toward the massive ship—it was a volley of fire arrows. The enemy vessel had already entered the range of their crossbows—was this not an ambush long prepared?
However, Zhang Xiaohua glanced at Flood Dragon King Xu, who stood calmly, expressionless, watching the rain of fire arrows flying toward them without the slightest trace of concern.
Sure enough, the fire arrows whistled through the air. Some were blown off course by the wind, others fell into the sea, and only a small portion struck the giant ship. But everyone standing atop the platform was a martial expert; a few arrows posed no threat to them. And as for those burning arrows that did land—no sooner had they touched the deck than they were drenched and extinguished by the torrents of rain pouring down from above. They achieved nothing. Zhang Xiaohua came to a sudden realization.
Flood Dragon King Xu laughed heartily and said: “As expected, the one leading them is not the true commander of the navy. If he were, he would never have launched such useless fire arrows on a night like this.”
The navy commander, seeing that the fire arrows had failed, gave up on the tactic. Still, volleys of arrows continued to rain down in waves. As the distance closed, the sailors of the South Sea Flood Dragon Palace began to shoot back, but their arrows flew against the wind and had little effect—many simply fell into the sea.
The two massive vessels were now dangerously close. Though the navy’s ship had already slowed and even shifted slightly in direction, they could not withstand the South Sea Flood Dragon Palace’s determined charge. At last, under the gaze of all, a thunderous “Bang!” echoed across the waves as the two ships crashed together with full force. Waves surged high into the air, and because the South Sea ship had prepared meticulously, striking at a precise angle and location, its reinforced prow smashed directly into the side of the naval vessel, gouging a massive hole in its hull.
At the very instant the two ships collided, the tremendous force of inertia caused everyone to lose their footing. Fortunately, both the sailors and the naval troops were seasoned veterans, rich in experience. They immediately grabbed hold of something, leaned into each other, or braced themselves to stay upright. As for those atop the elevated platform, all were martial experts—they channeled internal energy into their legs, standing firm and unmoving. Zhang Xiaohua did the same. As the surge of inertia struck, he instantly circulated his true qi, guiding it into the meridians of his legs to remain steady.
Yet just as the thought passed through his mind, a sudden darkness fell over his vision—he had fallen asleep!
In that brief instant, while everyone else aboard the ships—be they sailors, soldiers, or martial artists—remained steady as rocks, only one slightly frail figure was caught by the forward momentum of the massive ship. Weightless and floating, that figure was sent drifting straight toward the naval vessel. Qin Shiyue saw it and immediately understood—wasn’t this midnight? In the chaos of fleeing and retaliating against the navy’s pursuit, Zhang Xiaohua’s unusual condition had been entirely forgotten. He himself was likely so tense he’d failed to remember it too.
Qin Shiyue quickly darted forward several steps, intending to use qinggong to catch up. But how powerful was that momentum? In the blink of an eye, Zhang Xiaohua’s body had already floated past the South Sea ship. By the time he moved to save him, it was already too late. In his urgency, he shouted to Flood Dragon King Xu: “Flood Dragon King Xu! Hurry and catch Ren Xiaoyao for me!” In his panic, he had even used the word catch.
By the time Flood Dragon King Xu prepared to give an order, that figure was already above the naval ship. Seeing a dark shadow drifting toward them, the navy men thought a martial expert from the South Sea had come to challenge them. Yet everyone was still unsteady on their feet—there was no time to prepare a defense or even draw bows and shoot. They could only grip their saber hilts and prepare to swarm as soon as the figure landed, ready to hack him into a bloody pulp. Just as Zhang Xiaohua’s body was about to fall, a violent gust of wind suddenly swept across the sea. His body stalled midair, then veered sideways, blown toward the outer edge of the naval ship. As the wind died down, he drifted erratically, descending into the sea below.
The sea was dark, the waves roaring. No one heard even a splash, nor did anyone see water spray up. Zhang Xiaohua simply vanished into the darkness.
Flood Dragon King Xu immediately ordered several men to dive into the sea to search for him. The others stood frozen, watching the strange scene unfold, momentarily forgetting what they were meant to do next. After a long pause, a sailor from the South Sea suddenly bellowed, “Charge! Kill them!” and leapt onto the naval vessel. The rest finally snapped out of their daze and roared as they followed, engaging in fierce combat.
As for Zhang Xiaohua, his frail body, caught by the wind, had soared high and drifted far before dropping into the sea. At first he sank, and then the waves carried him far away. By the time he floated to the surface again, he was already a great distance from the ships. Though the sailors who had jumped in to find him were strong swimmers, the raging wind and waves made them wary of straying too far from the ships. They scoured the nearby waters carefully—but how could they possibly find him?
Zhang Xiaohua’s frame was thin and frail, and his weight light. Floating atop the sea, he was swept along by the strong wind just like the scattered planks and debris from the earlier ship collision, drifting swiftly forward.
No one knew how much time passed. The rain had lessened, and the wind had eased as well. The sounds of battle were no longer audible. Zhang Xiaohua’s drifting body gradually began to slow. But just then, the wooden planks floating quietly beside him suddenly seemed to fall into a rushing river. One by one, they picked up speed, rapidly surging in a single direction—far faster than even the earlier winds had pushed them. Zhang Xiaohua’s body was likewise caught in the flow, swept swiftly into the depths of the ocean.
This was something rarely encountered in the sea—a hidden current.
The next morning, the storm had just passed. Scattered dark clouds still lingered, and the first rays of dawn barely peeked over the horizon, painting the edges of the clouds in hues of orange and crimson.
Zhang Xiaohua slowly opened his eyes. It took him quite some time to realize his situation. Thanks to the pile of floating timber around him, he had easily clambered atop a thick, long beam to keep himself from sinking. He looked around in all directions—and couldn’t help but curse inwardly. The vast ocean stretched endlessly around him. A boundless expanse of blue with no sign of land in any direction, no sense of north, south, east, or west. How was he supposed to survive this?
Still, there was at least one small comfort—he remained within the undercurrent. The hidden flow continued to bear him swiftly forward, filling him with a sliver of hope. If he had remained motionless, stranded atop the still sea, Zhang Xiaohua would have despaired completely. Missing a perfect chance to flee only to end up soaking in the ocean like this? What was this, a bath? Granted, it was quite the massive bathtub.
Though the undercurrent appeared slow, in truth, it surged like galloping horses. It was just that, with no landmarks to judge by, the speed was imperceptible. Bored out of his mind and unsure how long this strange, calm journey would last, Zhang Xiaohua reached into his robes and drew out the two Yuan Stones in his possession, beginning to circulate his energy and absorb Yuan Qi.
Zhang Xiaohua truly deserved praise for one thing—no matter how little spare time he had, he would always begin cultivating. Whether the time was long or short, he firmly believed that as long as he put in the effort, there would be rewards.
Perhaps this was the very foundation for how he would one day rise higher and higher.
The day passed quickly. This kind of lonely, desolate drifting was somewhat difficult for Zhang Xiaohua to bear, but what troubled him most wasn’t the solitude—it was thirst.
The rain from the night before had already passed, and now the sun above was scorching and merciless. Although Zhang Xiaohua no longer feared heat or cold, after being exposed to the sun for an entire day, even his lips were cracked and dry. He had tried taking a sip of seawater, but the salty, fishy taste made him instantly spit it out. If he actually drank that, his stomach would be in agony. Though he hadn’t eaten for an entire day, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t feel particularly hungry—it was more a habitual discomfort from missing a mealtime than true hunger.
Night soon fell. This time, Zhang Xiaohua had learned his lesson—he used his clothes to tie himself securely to the timber beside him to avoid slipping into the sea again. Then, glancing at the two Yuan Stones in his hands, he hesitated. He knew that even while asleep, he could continue cultivating. In this vast, boundless ocean, even a bit more increase in true qi might mean a bit more hope of survival. But if he held the stones and fell asleep, and they slipped from his hands into the sea—wouldn’t that be a terrible loss?
After thinking for some time, Zhang Xiaohua finally decided not to put them away. After all, he’d cultivated in meditation many times before without ever dropping them. If he just paid a little more attention, it should be fine.
So, clutching the yuan stones, Zhang Xiaohua absorbed Yuan Qi as he gradually drifted into sleep.
Tonight, the sea was extraordinarily calm. Moonlight shone gently across the surface of the ocean. Zhang Xiaohua and the timber beside him were carried swiftly through the undercurrent, gliding under the moonlight.
Suddenly, in this tranquil sea, a school of leisurely swimming fish scattered in panic, as though encountering a deadly predator. They vanished in an instant. Not long after, a translucent jellyfish approached from the distance. Unlike an ordinary jellyfish, this one was ten times larger. It was passing through the area by chance, but when it drew near Zhang Xiaohua, it suddenly stopped, seeming to hesitate—then darted after him.
The undercurrent was fast, but the jellyfish was even faster. In no time, it had reached Zhang Xiaohua’s side. Without the slightest hesitation, it extended its tendrils toward Zhang Xiaohua’s hand. But just before touching him, it abruptly recoiled. In this stretch of ocean, this jellyfish reigned supreme. For such a creature to have survived for so long, it had naturally gained a trace of spiritual awareness. Though it was drawn to the yuan stones in Zhang Xiaohua’s hands, lured by the pulsing qi they emitted, Zhang Xiaohua’s body was currently cloaked in a layer of faint, colorless starlight. While invisible to the human eye, the jellyfish sensed it with perfect clarity.
Before its tendrils could reach him, the jellyfish sensed the danger emanating from that starlight and hastily retracted. Yet, to simply let it go like that—how could it endure the temptation of the yuan stones? Left with no other choice, it trailed behind Zhang Xiaohua, waiting for an opportunity to seize them.
And perhaps it was a stroke of luck that this giant jellyfish followed along. Though the ocean surface appeared calm, no one could tell how many dangers lurked beneath. For someone like Zhang Xiaohua, drifting alone in the sea, it would be all too easy to encounter dangerous sea creatures. With this jellyfish looming nearby, it unwittingly served as a personal bodyguard all the way through the night.
The black veil of night slowly faded. Not far ahead, along the path of the undercurrent, a desolate island came into view. Judging by the direction of the current, it was flowing directly toward that very island.
Soon, the morning sun rose. Zhang Xiaohua opened his eyes and looked around—and could not help but rejoice. Just ahead, not too far away, was a solitary island. At last, he was about to escape the endless soaking of the sea. But before his joy could fully bloom, he suddenly sensed movement in the water, swiftly approaching him.
Zhang Xiaohua was startled. He knew little about the ocean and all its hidden terrors. His swimming was poor, and he had no idea how to evade an attack at sea. In this moment of desperation, an idea sparked—he drew the true qi from his lower dantian and immediately activated his floating technique. His body shot up from the surface of the water.
He had only just risen when he heard a loud peng! The timber he had been clinging to was struck by something soft and transparent—yet the force of the blow was enormous. In an instant, Zhang Xiaohua was knocked out of the undercurrent’s path. While still airborne, he flung the timber beneath him, landing lightly atop it once more. Looking ahead, he finally saw the massive jellyfish in the water—easily many times larger than himself.
What was that thing?
Zhang Xiaohua was dumbfounded. He had never seen such a huge thing before.
Though he didn’t recognize it, the terrifying way that translucent thing flailed its limbs made it clear—it was not to be trifled with.
“What do I do now?” Zhang Xiaohua pondered anxiously.
“I’m standing on this timber and can’t exert any force with my feet. My most powerful attack is the flying sword, but such a small sword—can it even harm that huge creature?
“And looking at it, both sides are equally massive—where even is its weak point? If I could find a vital spot, the flying sword might land a decisive blow… but if not…
“Right. And can that transparent outer layer even be pierced by the sword? Ugh—this is troublesome.”
Zhang Xiaohua thought hard, but still couldn’t come up with a good plan. The only thing he could do was release his flying sword. But flying swords—he had only just come to comprehend their use, never even had the chance to try one out properly. If he were on solid ground, he could afford to experiment a little. But here, on the open sea—if he made even the slightest mistake, the sword would fall into the water. And with its weight, wouldn’t it just sink straight to the bottom?
Unable to decide, Zhang Xiaohua glanced at the nearby island—and finally settled on a plan.
The bundle of timber in the undercurrent had already drifted quite a distance. Zhang Xiaohua first tucked the yuan stones safely back into his chest, took a deep breath, and sank downward. Then, with a swift motion, he scooped up another piece of floating timber from the water and leapt up again. The jellyfish, seeing this, naturally wouldn’t let him go—it immediately gave chase.
Suspended in mid-air, Zhang Xiaohua grabbed at the timber and broke off a large chunk, tossing it beneath his feet. As his body descended, he stepped on the plank and pushed off again, lifting himself back into the air. Repeating this several times, he finally caught up with the original bundle of timber in the undercurrent.
But that massive jellyfish was still right behind him, sticking to his tail like a shadow. Zhang Xiaohua raised his eyes to look at the still-distant island, then glanced down at the timber beneath him. After a quick assessment, he sighed—then reached into his robe and drew out that small sword.
