Translator: AnubisTL
Looking at Gu Feng, who was right in front of her, Hua Wenyue felt a bit flustered.
"Do you think there was something wrong with my head back then? How could I have let you go?" Gu Feng's expression carried a hint of regret.
"If you dared to do that, I would definitely kill you," Hua Wenyue said with a flushed face, her tone fierce but lacking conviction.
Gu Feng chuckled and shook his head, releasing Hua Wenyue. He stood on the deck of the Spirit Boat, gazing at the boundless sea, his brows tightly furrowed.
Hua Wenyue hurriedly straightened her clothes and stood up as well.
"How far are we from where the 'Deep Sea Moon Shadow Whale' fell?" Gu Feng asked in a low voice after a moment.
"About a month's journey. The Spirit Boat Runes are all damaged, so we're moving very slowly. Probably around a hundred thousand miles," Hua Wenyue replied after a brief moment of thought.
"Can you still tell the direction?"
"I think so!"
Hearing this, Gu Feng fell silent. The situation in the East Sea was currently shrouded in mystery, with the factions roughly divided into two. The East Sea Dragon Clan was likely searching for him aimlessly as well.
"Rather than drifting aimlessly in the East Sea, it might be better to actively approach the East Sea Dragon Clan!" After a while, Gu Feng turned to Hua Wenyue and spoke.
"But where is the East Sea Dragon Clan?" Hua Wenyue asked, confused.
"Truly, beauty without brains. The direction the 'Deep Sea Moon Shadow Whale' was heading is most likely where the East Sea Dragon Clan is located. The sea clans chasing us probably wouldn't expect us to dare head in that direction..."
Gu Feng's analysis made Hua Wenyue's eyes light up. The East Sea was full of dangers, but going against the grain might yield unexpected results.
After discussing for a while, the two decisively abandoned the Spirit Boat, letting it drift freely on the sea to draw attention. Meanwhile, Gu Feng and Hua Wenyue traveled light, diving into the sea and slowly making their way toward the direction where the 'Deep Sea Moon Shadow Whale' had fallen.
...
"I'll take the three Sea Demons on the left; you handle the three on the right!"
Hiding behind a Coral Stone, Gu Feng gestured to Hua Wenyue.
Gu Feng had taken a detour specifically to kill these Sea Demons, with only one goal in mind: to create the illusion that the two of them were trying to break through in this direction.
The sea was simply too vast. Even if all the sea clans mobilized, they couldn't blockade the entire ocean.
After swiftly dispatching the six Sea Demons, Gu Feng led Hua Wenyue away, then entered a state of stillness, quietly observing the movements of the Sea Demons.
Sure enough, not long after, a large group of Sea Demons gathered from both sides.
"Let's go. We've disrupted their deployment. We'll break through the Sea Demons' blockade from the weakly defended area!"
The blockade lines grew denser, with waves of Sea Demons appearing almost every hundred miles.
Under Gu Feng's command, the two of them managed to advance only ten thousand miles closer to the East Sea Dragon Clan in a month.
The speed was excruciatingly slow, all because the sea was so vast. Often, to avoid a heavily defended point, they had to detour several thousand miles.
Time flew by, and another half a year passed.
The two of them grew increasingly in sync, sometimes communicating with just a glance.
Countless pursuits, blockades, and head-on encounters followed. The enemies weren't numerous, but they were strong, almost all at the second or third level of Sea Condensation.
Gu Feng's strength was limited, and even though Hua Wenyue had successfully broken through to the second level of Sea Condensation, the battles were still tough.
Several times, they nearly lost their lives, only narrowly escaping by exerting every ounce of their strength.
As they continued forward, the realm of the Sea Demons showed no significant changes, and their numbers even decreased compared to before. However, their individual combat strength was terrifyingly formidable.
Some of the humanoid Sea Demons required Gu Feng and Hua Wenyue to exert every ounce of their strength just to barely defeat them, yet they still couldn't manage to kill them. Fearing they might cause too much commotion, they had no choice but to retreat helplessly.
Over the past ten days, the two had been hiding in a crevice among the reefs at the bottom of the sea, healing their wounds. They hadn't advanced even a single meter during this time.
"We've run out of pills!" Hua Wenyue finished refining the pill in her stomach, opened her eyes, and returned to her peak condition. However, a trace of exhaustion lingered between her brows.
"Hmm, it's already impressive that we've made it this far," Gu Feng sighed softly, as if remembering something. He took out a small notebook from his Storage Ring and made a few marks in it. "This High-Grade Spirit Pill will cost you five thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."
Hua Wenyue's face darkened, but she didn't say much, only giving a soft "Hmm." She was already used to this kind of behavior.
Gu Feng was a complete miser. Even in such dire circumstances, when their lives were hanging by a thread, he still insisted on keeping track of the pills she used. Not only that, he even took out a notebook to record it, and no matter how dangerous the situation, he never forgot to make Hua Wenyue stamp her fingerprint as proof.
She had never seen someone so stingy. Sometimes, she really wanted to ask him, "Are you even a man?" Of course, she would never say that out loud.
Because every time she did, Gu Feng would walk over with a mischievous grin, pin her to the ground, and press his indecent weapon against her thigh, asking, "Do you think I'm a man?"
"The Sea Demons are getting stronger. It's probably going to be difficult to break through," Hua Wenyue pouted and said in a low voice.
Gu Feng furrowed his brows in thought, unlike his usual self who would wave his fist and shout, "Let's just do it!" This time, his silence was unusually long. After a while, he finally spoke again, "Hua Wenyue, don't you think something's strange?"
"What's strange?"
"You've been getting more and more beautiful!"
"Shut up, be serious!"
"Alright, you've changed. You've even become immune to these kinds of comments!" Gu Feng said with a sorrowful expression. Hua Wenyue's face turned dark, and just as she was about to say something, he abruptly changed the subject:
"Have you noticed that we've been encountering more and more humanoid Sea Demons lately?"
"What's so strange about that?" Hua Wenyue tilted her head, somewhat confused.
"It's very strange. Sea Demons who can take human form in the Sea Condensation Realm are considered nobility among their kind," Gu Feng said solemnly, his chaotic thoughts beginning to collide and spark with insight.
"Maybe it's because the lower-level Sea Demons aren't getting the job done, so the noble Sea Demons have no choice but to step in themselves," Hua Wenyue said indifferently.
"The Great Chu Dynasty is a remote place, and our strength is only considered average. Surely the East Sea can't be lacking in experts, right?"
After saying this, Gu Feng fell silent again. Suddenly, he let out a loud laugh, "Hahaha, I've got it! It's probably something like this!"
"Hua Wenyue, there's a good chance we'll survive."
Hua Wenyue was stunned by Gu Feng's seemingly random outburst. Before she could even process what was happening, she felt herself being picked up and her cheek being kissed.
"What are you doing?!"
"Listen to me. The East Sea isn't lacking in experts. On the contrary, there are too many experts—not just from the East Sea Dragon Clan, but also from the other noble Sea Demons!"
"The forces in the East Sea are not two, but three, entangled, restraining, wary, and muddling through. Unless absolutely necessary, none dare to initiate a grand war."
"Thus, they sat down to negotiate... and finally decided to confine the conflict to a controllable level, allowing the Heaven's Chosen from their clans to engage in battle..."
"Previously, we discovered the corpse of a Sea Demon, but we never knew who was responsible, right?"
"This place and the nearby East Sea Dragon Clan have become a vast arena, where, apart from the two of us, the cultivators' strength is generally around the third level of Sea Condensation..."
"..."
"Hua Wenyue, do you believe there is anyone in the world who can kill you at the third level of Sea Condensation?" Gu Feng asked loudly, holding Hua Wenyue's hands.
"I believe!" Hua Wenyue nodded calmly, seemingly unaffected by Gu Feng's emotions.
"I don't believe it!" Gu Feng waved his hand grandly, speaking with boldness.
"Then what do you plan to do? Seek out the Heaven's Chosen of the Dragon Clan and have them take us back to the clan?" Hua Wenyue tilted her head and asked.
"There might be traitors within the Dragon Clan. Have you forgotten how the inheritance was leaked?" Gu Feng stood up, his hands behind his back.
"Now, I have confidence in myself, and of course, you can trust me a little too!"
Before Hua Wenyue could frown, Gu Feng's voice rang out again: "For over a year, we've been like rats scurrying in the streets, hiding and fleeing in disarray. I've had enough... I, Gu Feng, have never been so humiliated... They treat us as pawns in their game, so why can't I treat them as fat sheep?"
"Hua Wenyue, from today onwards, I will take control of everything. We will transform into a pair of bandits, killing those Heaven's Chosen in this sea, robbing them of their treasures! Until we fight our way into the Dragon Clan!"
"Uh—, alright!" Hua Wenyue nodded in a daze.
...
A Heaven's Chosen from the sea clan, with horns on his head, sped across the sea.
Suddenly, in the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something out of place. Upon closer inspection, he was overjoyed.
In the crevice of a reef lay a female cultivator of the human race, her eyes tightly shut, her body covered in blood.
"Hahaha, what luck! I've actually found her!" He was ecstatic and without hesitation, he rushed towards the crevice.
Just as he was about to reach out and grab the female cultivator, she suddenly opened her eyes and scattered a cloud of medicinal powder.
"Ah—"
The sea clan's Heaven's Chosen felt a sharp pain in his eyes and was startled, quickly retreating. But before he could get far, a silver whip appeared out of nowhere.
Bang—
The sound of metal clashing rang out, and the sea clan's Heaven's Chosen felt his head spin, his consciousness fading!
After a series of chaotic whip strikes, the sea clan's Heaven's Chosen completely collapsed.
Seizing the opportunity, Gu Feng threw a punch, shattering his head.
"Done, loot, and let's go!"
In no time, Gu Feng stripped the Heaven's Chosen of his Storage Ring and even his clothes.
"Sigh—, if only we had that bald monk's Kasaya, it would be more efficient!"
"Is this how you rob the entire battlefield?"
"Yes, including that time in the lake."
"You scoundrel!"
"If you dare to curse again, I'll really become a scoundrel!"
Previously, Gu Feng and Hua Wenyue's direction was clear, but now it became ambiguous.
The Heaven's Chosen from various clans couldn't predict their movements. They thought they were heading towards the East Sea Dragon Clan's territory, but then they turned back, leaving everyone utterly confused.
The elusive robberies and shameless tactics dealt a heavy blow to the straightforward and proud Heaven's Chosen of the sea clans.
Almost every three to five days, a Heaven's Chosen would fall victim, their treasures completely looted.
This left them both frustrated and furious, yet helpless.
...
"Thirteenth Young Master, someone has spotted the inheritor and his companion!" a cultivator with a pair of dragon horns on his head bowed and whispered to a young man clad in gilded armor.
"Oh? Since you've found them, why haven't you brought them back?" The Thirteenth Young Master also had a pair of dragon horns on his head.
"He doesn't trust us!" The dragon clan cultivator twitched his mouth, speechless.
"With such obvious markings of our East Sea Dragon Clan, he still doubts us? Even if he does, couldn't you just forcefully bring him back? Don't tell me you couldn't defeat him!" The Thirteenth Young Master glanced sideways at the dragon clan cultivator before him.
To retrieve the inheritor, they had mobilized all the Heaven's Chosen within their realm.
The combat prowess of Gu Feng and his companion was no secret—one at the peak of Nurtured Spirit, the other at the second level of Sea Condensation. If they couldn't even capture them, it would be utterly shameful.
Hearing the reproach, the dragon clan cultivator's face turned bitter. "Gu Feng is just too cunning. The moment he saw us, he looked delighted and came over to give each of us a big hug. Of course, we were happy too.
But just as we were about to bring them back, the moment we turned around, they suddenly attacked. Various powders filled the air, blinding some, causing diarrhea in others, and greatly reducing our combat power..."
The Thirteenth Young Master's expression turned strange. When he heard that an entire six-man squad had been completely robbed, he finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Truly worthy of being the inheritor, shameless indeed! Such a human cultivator might not be a bad match for my sister as a Dao Companion in the future!"
The Thirteenth Young Master stroked his chin, then waved his hand grandly. "I'll go catch him myself."
...
A month later, the Thirteenth Young Master returned, covered in dust, his face bruised and swollen.
"Ouch—that bastard is just too shameless!" The Thirteenth Young Master cursed through gritted teeth as he treated his wounds.
"Next time I see him, I won't give him any chance to speak. I'll knock him out myself and bring him back!"
Just thinking about yesterday's encounter made the Thirteenth Young Master's temper flare.
This time, Gu Feng had changed his tactics. As soon as he saw them, he ran, and by sheer coincidence, he ran straight into an ambush set by Heaven's Chosen who were enemies of the East Sea Dragon Clan.
This wouldn't do, of course. The Thirteenth Young Master and his group had to rescue him!
After a fierce battle, they defeated the enemy and rescued Gu Feng and Hua Wenyue.
Gu Feng was profusely grateful, tears streaming down his face, expressing his belief that they were good people.
Just as the Thirteenth Young Master was about to wave his hand and say it was only natural, he felt a sharp pain in his eyes, followed by a beating from a silver whip.
All ten or so Heaven's Chosen in their group suffered the same fate.
Even more absurd, Gu Feng looted all their weapons, Storage Rings, clothes, and other belongings before gracefully departing.
No matter how they called out, he simply didn't believe them.
"Thirteenth Young Master, I now seriously suspect that Gu Feng doesn't distrust our identity and motives—he just wants to rob us!" A dragon clan Heaven's Chosen, holding the bump on his head, whispered.
"Exactly, otherwise why would he kill the Heaven's Chosen of other races but spare us!" another Heaven's Chosen from the Dragon Clan chimed in.
"Outrageous, absolutely outrageous!" The Thirteenth Young Master was stunned, believing this explanation, and howled in anger.
He had never seen such a person—life hanging by a thread, one step away from safety, yet completely indifferent, repeatedly testing the edge of death just to snatch some treasures.
Could treasures truly be more important than life?
...
"Hehehe—" In a hidden crevice of a reef, Gu Feng counted his treasures, chuckling to himself.
"Why didn't you leave with those Heaven's Chosen from the Dragon Clan?" Hua Wenyue glanced at Gu Feng, asking in exasperation.
"I was specifically targeting them. The mighty Dragon Clan couldn't even intimidate lowly Sea Demons, nearly getting us killed. They're utterly useless," Gu Feng sneered.
As he spoke, he tossed a thunder-attributed treasure toward the Thunder Spirit Grass on his chest, then swallowed a Natural Treasure that nourished Soul Power.
After refining it for a while, he suddenly opened his eyes.
Finally, his Soul had fully recovered.
"Let's go, rob another wave, and then enter the territory of the East Sea Dragon Clan!"
With his strength restored, Gu Feng waved his hand grandly and strode out boldly.
Behind him, Hua Wenyue pursed her lips and followed!
(End of the Chapter)
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