They reached the very edge of the island and stood still, waiting in silence. Around them, countless other forces had also gathered, their eyes fixed on the shimmering barrier that separated them from the world beyond. Every soul present waited for it to open. Yet, including Yu Hao, many wore serious and heavy expressions. Almost every elder from each faction stood there in complete silence, their faces etched with a severity that weighed down the air.
As if beyond this barrier, an unseen and unfathomable danger lurked.
"Li Min, how was it? Were you able to sense your kilt?" Yu Hao finally asked, his voice carrying a rare hint of urgency.
"Yes," she replied, nodding. "With the assistance of Jun Island's forces, I managed to locate it. The moment we leave, we can ride it."
To endure the effects of the Poison Storm, beasts of the ocean would dive deep into the abyss, hiding as far beneath as they could. Still, many failed, trapped by the storm's venomous embrace and reduced to lifeless corpses. That was why Li Min had left earlier, using the methods of the Jun Island cultivators to sense her kilt—something difficult to do within the restrictions of Jun Island.
Everyone was gathered in tense anticipation, yet they deliberately kept a certain distance from one another.
"Elder Yu Hao, do you think the Water Peacock will still be out there?" an elder from the Iron Clad Sect finally asked, his tone laced with worry.
"I can't say for certain, Elder Lei Mou," Yu Hao replied seriously. "But I believe there's a high chance we'll cross paths with it again. Even soaring above the skies won't free us from its reach. Still, it is far better to face the Water Peacock than the Cloud Serpent."
"You are right," Lei Mou muttered, nodding in reluctant agreement.
Darkness still enveloped Jun Island, but no one panicked. All knew that this shadow was quiet before dawn. Soon, the island would leave the Poison Ocean, unveiling the endless sea and the sky above.
After what felt like half an hour,
A faint white glow seeped into the island from the outer world. The light slowly expanded, swallowing the dark.
The moment it happened, nearly every elder took their position, their bodies taut with preparation.
A long, blaring trumpet echoed across the island.
"All of you, lessen the gaps! Gather together!" Lei Mou commanded sharply, his tone leaving no room for disobedience.
The disciples hesitated, confused, but still obeyed.
"What's going on?" one of them muttered under his breath, baffled.
"From here onward, our path will be anything but smooth," Lei Mou explained, his voice heavy with warning. "Jun Island has always been shielded by powerful cultivators and protected by a barrier far beyond imagination. That is the only reason our journey remained peaceful until now. If I were to step into the Poison Storm without this protection, even I would perish instantly. That is also why no beast dares to plunge into it casually. But the area we are about to enter is different—it is the dwelling ground of two terrifying beasts, the Water Peacock and the Cloud Serpent. We can only avoid one."
"If fortune favors us, we may avoid crossing paths with them. But if we do…" Yu Hao's tone sank like iron as he cut in, "…then be prepared. Any one of you may die without warning."
"What?" gasps rippled among the disciples, terror flooding their faces. Fear clutched their hearts like chains of ice.
The oceans—vast, treacherous, and merciless—were far deadlier than anything one could fathom. These very oceans served as the invisible walls, keeping continents apart. It was because of their cruelty that no continent ever feared large-scale invasions from another, nor felt the need to guard against secret crossings.
Even in my past life, I would have never dared to cross to another continent without absolute certainty, Yang Zhai thought calmly to himself. But during my previous life, I uncovered a truth—one both cruel and fascinating. The greater the cultivator attempting the crossing, the greater the power that would descend to annihilate them. If I, in my current strength, tried to cross these waters, I would not encounter terrifying beings. But the environment itself… it is worse than death. Oceans like the Poison Ocean would devour me in seconds. The stronger may fall to beasts, but the weak will still be drowned by nature itself.
At last, Jun Island crossed it, leaving the poisonous waters behind, emerging into the open expanse of the boundless sea.
Yet instead of relief, tension tightened every muscle. No one allowed themselves the luxury of joy.
"Prepare yourselves! The moment the barrier opens, leap through and jump into the ocean before riding the kilt before the beasts gather!" Li Min warned the disciples sternly.
Confusion deepened among many of them.
They were still lost in thoughts when, suddenly, the barrier began to ripple and openings started appearing one after another.
She wanted to leave this area as soon as possible before the beasts gathered. Right after leaving Jun Island, many beasts would rise to devour them because of such powerful people. So, before giving the beasts a chance to gather and pull them into an unnecessary fight, she wanted to rise above the clouds.
Right after jumping, she was hoping for the kilt to emerge from the ocean and bring them into the sky.
"Jump!" Yu Hao roared, plunging through the first opening without hesitation. The other elders and servants swiftly followed.
But the disciples faltered. Uncertainty bound their minds, though fear of being abandoned ultimately drove them to leap after. Only Yang Zhai and Zuh Qil held back, as if frozen in their places.
However, before the kilt, something else arrived.
"Oh no! Thousand Eyes!" Lei Mou's shocked shout split the air as a monstrous mouth erupted from the depths below.
It shot skyward in an eruption of foam and fury.
"Help!" Innumerable voices screamed, raw and desperate. Terror was etched onto every face, a mask of pure dread as tears cut tracks through the water on their faces, all of them frightened by the approach of death.
Yang Zhai's gaze was cold and calm as he saw a colossal golden carp rise high into the sky, scales glistening red. Every single scale bore an unblinking eye. The beast stretched more than twenty feet long, its delicate fins thin enough to be transparent.
His expression remained calm, untouched by fear or pity.
People betray each other without even knowing. In truth, no one cares about anyone else unless gain or loss binds them. Given the right opportunity, they would all betray me. So why should I allow them to command me? Betrayal wears many faces—love, hate, greed, beauty, or simple ignorance. Throwing oneself into a treacherous place without a second thought, all because of the fear of being left behind?
So be it. The moment I stepped onto this path, I had decided to walk it alone if I could get what I wanted. I was born alone, I planned alone, and I died alone.
The elders leapt confidently, relying on their strength, never considering what awaited the ones who followed. Weak, always bear the consequences. Strength always dictates survival. Doubt may be humanity's sharpest weapon, but it needs time to show its effects. Strength is still the dominant factor, merciless and immediate.
To leap blindly into a sea of death was nothing short of death.
Such were Yang Zhai's thoughts. His eyes as cold as abyss, showed no emotion as he watched the Thousand Eyes Carp devour those before him. Among the swallowed were his companions, Feng Rui and Min Ho, their desperate screams fading without salvation.
The monstrous carp dove back into the depths with its prey, and in its wake, seven disciples of the Iron Clad Sect were gone.
But it was only the beginning. As soon as the first carp vanished beneath the waves, more emerged, ravenous and merciless, snatching victims with every rise.
Yu Hao's eyes widened in shock. He was already ten meters above the ocean, but disbelief clouded his face.
How? How are they surfacing so quickly? They should not have been able to appear so fast! Unless… they already knew we would emerge here. Unless this was a trap, laid long before our arrival!
The thoughts raced through his mind in an instant, but he still focussed on what was before him. He lunged, grabbing two flailing disciples by their arms.
"Hold on! Pull them up!" he bellowed.
The others snapped out of shock and immediately joined in the rescue.
"How many did we lose?" Li Min's voice was sharp, directed at an elder beside her.
"Elder Min, nine disciples… gone," he replied grimly.
Li Min's gaze darkened. Nine lives, gone in an instant. Her heart sank as her thoughts spiraled. What went wrong? Why was my kilt delayed this time, costing us so dearly? As her eyes swept over the scene, she caught sight of Yang Zhai and Zuh Qil, still standing safely within the island's barrier. They hadn't jumped. Why?
Her thoughts broke when the surface rippled, and at last, her kilt emerged.
Even though it took for it only less than a minute to emerge, the damage had already been done.
"Quickly, get on it!" she commanded without hesitation.
The elders and servants wasted no time, landing on the kilt that already bore a canoe atop it.
Yang Zhai and Zuh Qil finally stepped out through the opening and landed on the kilt as well, entering the canoe alongside the others. Slowly, the kilt began to ascend into the skies.
"You two," Li Min's voice cut sharp, her expression severe as her aura pressed down on them. "Why didn't you jump when you were ordered?"
"Elder Li," Yang Zhai said calmly, "just as I was about to jump, I noticed a massive shadow lurking in the distance beneath the waters. I stopped—and I stopped Master Zuh as well. I wanted to warn the others, but being the last, I had no time. They had already leapt before I could stop them."
!|!*****!*****!|!