Chapter 52: Instant Kill
Qiu Qianhai?!
He was actually here, and he was even fighting someone... Ji Yuan immediately pressed the Black Wind Boat down into the water, heading toward the cluster of small islands ahead.
Even with the Water-Repelling Talisman stuck to his body, Ji Yuan could still feel that the water here was indeed much colder than elsewhere.
The Black Wind Boat glided underwater.
Even though Ji Yuan had deliberately slowed down, it still took only a few breaths to reach the battleground.
Above the water, spiritual energy raged, but beneath the surface, it was as calm as ever.
Aside from sensing the chaotic spiritual energy, Ji Yuan could detect nothing else.
Looking up from beneath the water, the noonday sunlight filtered down.
He could only make out two magic boats floating on the surface and couldn’t see anything else clearly.
The water blocked all aura. He couldn’t even tell which one was Qiu Qianhai.
Should he just charge up and launch a sneak attack?
Since they were both at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, Ji Yuan was confident he could kill the other party with ease if he attacked by surprise.
Just as he was about to make a move, he saw one of the magic boats suddenly retreat at high speed, followed by a voice he didn’t recognize.
"Run? Qiu Qianhai, is running all you know how to do?"
"Haha, you old dog Lin, you’re trying to kill me, and you expect me not to run?!"
Though Qiu Qianhai’s voice sounded bold, it carried an undeniable weakness—he was injured.
Seeing the remaining boat about to give chase, Ji Yuan finally made his move.
He pushed the Black Wind Boat with full force, his figure shooting out like a black arrow.
In an instant, he broke through the water’s surface.
The Black Wind Boat hovered in midair as Ji Yuan’s white robes fluttered.
He formed a hand seal and softly chanted:
"Go!"
White water rippled as a pale blue water curtain rose both on the surface and in midair.
He could now clearly see the man chasing Qiu Qianhai.
The man appeared to be in his fifties or sixties, wearing black robes, slightly bald on top, with a fierce expression.
In his left hand, he held an iron shield, and in his right, a spiked mace.
Seeing Ji Yuan suddenly emerge from underwater, the man’s face was filled with shock.
The layered white water instantly trapped him like quicksand.
As the Black Wind Boat glided over his head, Ji Yuan used both hands to perform the second level of the "Water Drop Finger" technique—Stone Piercing.
Six strands of hair-thin spiritual light shot out.
The old dog Lin reacted quickly.
He first flung his iron shield violently, deflecting Ji Yuan’s white water flying sword.
Then he swung the spiked mace wildly, creating a spinning blur that blocked Ji Yuan’s Water Drop Finger.
Just as he thought he had successfully withstood the ambush, he suddenly let out a muffled grunt, his eyes widening.
Though his spiked mace continued to spin from inertia, the iron shield had already dropped.
While he had deflected the white water flying sword, the hidden Life-Taker Needle within the sword had followed along the spiked mace’s shaft.
The needle pierced right through his glabella.
The Life-Taker Needle lived up to its name—deadly and unstoppable.
The small, two-finger-long white water flying sword instantly transformed into a three-foot-long azure blade, sweeping out to decapitate him in one stroke.
"Boom—"
The Black Wind Boat finally landed on the water’s surface as Ji Yuan flung out two drops of Corpse-Dissolving Water.
One drop landed on the corpse, the other on the unblinking severed head. Under the effect of the Corpse-Dissolving Water, both dissolved completely.
From bursting out of the water to successfully ambushing the target, it had taken no more than a single breath.
In the distance, Qiu Qianhai, who had turned around after sensing the commotion, stared at the black boat floating on the water.
On the boat stood a figure both unfamiliar and familiar.
For a moment, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
He couldn’t believe Ji Yuan had actually appeared here.
Even more so, he couldn’t believe Ji Yuan possessed the strength to instantly kill a sixth-layer Qi Refining cultivator.
Seeing that Qiu Qianhai appeared to be mostly unharmed, Ji Yuan let out a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to gather his spoils and go over to meet him—
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two cultivators standing on a nearby island.
His heart stirred as he suddenly shouted angrily, "The Qin Family’s targets are not for petty thieves like you to covet!"
"Qiu Qianhai, where do you think you’re running?!"
Hearing this, Qiu Qianhai immediately understood Ji Yuan’s intention.
He stopped running, instead drawing the two crescent blades from his back with a cold laugh.
"I, Qiu Qianhai, slaughter members of your Qin Family like dogs!"
With that, he suddenly threw the two blades, which spun like crescent moons toward Ji Yuan in a deadly arc.
It looked extremely dangerous.
Ji Yuan summoned the Dragon Scale Shield, advancing with the magic boat.
The white water flying sword at his side shot out, knocking the two crescent blades aside in the blink of an eye.
Before Qiu Qianhai could react, Ji Yuan had already closed the distance.
Ji Yuan’s fist slammed heavily into Qiu Qianhai’s chest, sending him flying backward.
With a flash of the magic boat, Qiu Qianhai landed steadily on the Black Wind Boat.
Seeing this, Qiu Qianhai seemed about to resist, but the white water flying sword was already hovering at his glabella.
Any slight movement, and the sword tip would strike.
Ji Yuan casually gathered Qiu Qianhai’s spoils, then waved his right hand, sending two spirit stones toward the two spectators on the island.
He even cupped his hands toward them with a hearty laugh:
"Qin Wei of the Qin Family thanks you two brothers for holding the line."
A favor given is hard to refuse.
The two cultivators, having received the spirit stones, quickly cupped their hands and laughed, "Young Master Qin is most generous."
"Congratulations to Young Master Qin for successfully capturing the criminal."
Though Ji Yuan had no idea why the three from the Qin Family hadn’t arrived yet despite setting out earlier, it was still a good thing that he had now reunited with Qiu Qianhai.
After briefly cupping his hands in return, he took Qiu Qianhai and sped off in the opposite direction.
After traveling a good distance, he finally asked softly, "Where to?"
"Just keep going forward. After reaching a Y-shaped island, turn to the northwest."
"..."
"Now that we’ve come this far, can you move the sword away?" Qiu Qianhai glared at Ji Yuan, clearly annoyed at the way Ji Yuan seemed to be teasing him.
"Oh." Ji Yuan acted as if he had just remembered. "I forgot I have a mid-grade flying sword."
"Enough, enough, I get it, you’re amazing."
Qiu Qianhai took back his magic boat and the two crescent blades from Ji Yuan, then retrieved a Hundred Herb Pill from his storage pouch.
Unexpectedly, Ji Yuan tossed him a small piece of Blood Essence.
"That’s too slow to recover. Take mine instead."
Qiu Qianhai looked down at the Blood Essence, then back up at Ji Yuan.
"Wait a minute, did you sell yourself or something? Damn, how are you richer than me, a bandit cultivator!"
"Heh, being a bandit doesn’t make much money."
Ji Yuan chuckled, but soon his smile faded. "Enough chatter. Hurry up and recover. The Qin Family sent three sixth-layer Qi Refining cultivators. If we run into them, you’ll need to pull your weight too."
"Alright."
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Qiu Qianhai immediately swallowed the Blood Essence and clutched the two spirit stones, beginning to slowly recover.
An hour later, Ji Yuan finally spotted a Y-shaped island ahead. He circled around it and turned toward the northwest.
But something still felt off to him.
The Qin Family’s three members had left much earlier—how could he be the first to find Qiu Qianhai?
As for things like fate or destiny, Ji Yuan didn’t quite believe in them.
He slowed the boat slightly and turned to ask, "Does anyone else know about your hiding place?"
Qiu Qianhai instinctively shook his head. "No—"
But before he could finish, he suddenly remembered something. "There’s one. A life-and-death friend from the neighboring Jingde Alley, named Xiong Youfu."
"A while ago, when I was severely injured, I asked him to buy me some pills and food, so he found out about my hideout."
"You mean..."
Ji Yuan pondered. "We’d better not return to your place for now. Let’s find another spot first."