As the black threads extended from the Five Elements Sphere made contact with Xu Fu’s water arrow, they quivered instantly, then pierced through like a needle threading a coin, attaching themselves immediately.
At this moment, on the end of the Five Elements Sphere beneath the beast’s head, the threads suddenly transformed into countless black strands. Amidst the splashing waves, these black threads remained completely untouched by seawater, resembling a cascade of long hair flailing in the wind, connecting the beast’s head and the water arrow with countless threads.
As the water arrow curved in an arc, narrowly grazing the beast’s head and nearing the Jieshi barrier, Zhang Liusun suddenly shouted, “Heavenly spirits disperse, purple chambers in darkness, strike now!”
At Zhang Liusun’s cry, the black threads snapped one by one. Across the dozens of zhang between the beast’s head and the water arrow, space seemed to collapse instantly, forming a vast, unfathomable black hole.
With a deafening roar, the beast, at the moment the threads snapped, lunged furiously towards the water arrow like a mad creature.
At first, Mei Qing was somewhat confused by the scene. Yet, when the threads broke and the beast rushed wildly at the water arrow, he finally understood the brilliance of Zhang Liusun’s technique, marveling at it greatly and feeling profound admiration.
In fact, the black threads drawn from the Five Elements Sphere were the result of Zhang Liusun continuously extracting the water essence from within the sphere, causing the water essence from both the beast’s head and the water arrow to extend toward the collapsing center. At the instant the water arrow and the beast’s head made contact, Zhang Liusun instantly destroyed the Five Elements Sphere entirely, naturally resulting in a direct collision between the water arrow and the beast’s head.
Among the Five Elements, water is the most fluid. In various magical arts, water spells are often used to simulate different forms to enhance attacking power. However, water’s fluidity also brings a drawback—it is easily influenced by various external factors.
Now, on the sea surface, the water essence was extremely dense. Thus, the two spells Xu Fu had cast were even more effective. Yet, Zhang Liusun cleverly exploited the proximity of the two water spells, using his Five Elements Sphere to connect them. Since the water essence in the later-launched water arrow was much stronger than that in the earlier water beast, the two naturally drew toward each other, flying closer and closer. Meanwhile, the water essence surged from the stronger water arrow like a tidal wave toward the weaker beast’s head.
Upon first contact with the water arrow, the water beast let out a furious roar, shaking its massive head violently, trying desperately to break free from the connection. However, once connected and with such a vast disparity in energy, escape was impossible. The long water arrow curved in an arc, slanting toward the beast’s massive head and plunging straight into it.
At that moment, the tip of the water arrow suddenly erupted with blinding white brilliance, illuminating the beast’s head from within with a crystal-clear glow. Refracted light created dazzling rainbows across the dark sea, producing an extraordinary and mesmerizing spectacle. The beast’s protruding eyes, its giant mouth silently opening and closing halfway, and the ever-distorting water flows across its head and face gradually blurred.
With a deafening explosion, the massive beast’s head suddenly split apart. A towering white wave cascaded down from midair like a reversed Milky Way, a roaring torrent plunging thousands of feet, forming a celestial waterfall that struck the sea surface, creating a massive crater dozens of zhang wide, followed by rolling waves several zhang high expanding outward in concentric circles.
The black threads extending from the Five Elements Sphere trembled upon contact with Xu Fu’s water arrows, then swiftly attached themselves like threads through a needle. Meanwhile, the end of the Five Elements Sphere beneath the beast’s head suddenly transformed into countless black threads. These threads, unaffected by the splashing waves, flew up like a mane of hair, intricately connecting the beast’s head to the water arrow.
As the water arrow curved around the beast’s head, nearing the Jieshi barrier, Zhang Liusun shouted, “Mystic Spirit Divide, Purple Chamber Obscure, Swift!” Instantly, the black threads snapped, and the space between the beast’s head and the water arrow collapsed into a vast, unfathomable black hole.
The beast let out a deafening roar and, as the threads broke, it frantically lunged towards the water arrow. Mei Qing, initially puzzled, quickly understood Zhang Liusun’s ingenious method and was filled with admiration.
The black threads were actually Zhang Liusun continuously extracting water spiritual energy from the Five Elements Sphere, causing the beast’s head and the water arrow to extend towards the collapsing center. When the water arrow and the beast’s head touched, Zhang Liusun destroyed the Five Elements Sphere, resulting in a direct collision between the two.
Water, the most fluid of the Five Elements, is often used in spells to simulate various forms for enhanced attacks. However, its fluidity also makes it susceptible to external influences. On the sea, where water spiritual energy is abundant, Xu Fu’s spells were particularly effective. Zhang Liusun cleverly used the proximity of the two water spells to link them with his Five Elements Sphere. The water arrow, with its stronger spiritual energy, overwhelmed the beast’s head, causing it to roar and shake violently, unable to break free.
The water arrow, now glowing with a brilliant white light, pierced the beast’s head, illuminating it from within and casting a spectrum of colors across the dark sea. The beast’s eyes bulged, its mouth half-open, and the water around its head twisted and blurred until it finally exploded with a thunderous crash, sending a massive wave cascading down like a waterfall, creating a huge whirlpool in the sea.
The once-mighty water arrow, having expended most of its energy in destroying the beast’s head, faltered and disintegrated into a shower of rain over the black sea.
The sky and sea calmed, and the stars twinkled faintly. The two formidable spells had been effortlessly nullified by Zhang Liusun.
“How about that, Xu Lao Guai? Did my move impress you?” Zhang Liusun laughed.
Mei Qing, repeatedly analyzing Zhang Liusun’s technique, had to admit its brilliance. Though it might seem opportunistic, the ingenuity, precision, and execution were nothing short of divine.
“Just a trick, nothing to boast about,” Xu Fu sneered from his ship. “You, with your sneaky tactics, are no true cultivator. If you have real skill, face me in a direct duel!”
Zhang Liusun laughed heartily. “Xu Lao Guai, you’re a thousand-year-old immortal, yet you speak like a brute. Cultivation isn’t about wielding swords and hacking away. You weren’t a match for me back then, and it seems you’ve only regressed since.”
“You think I fear you? Your little tricks with the Five Elements are nothing in my eyes. I’ve held back to avoid damaging this paradise. But since you insist on showing off, I’ll let you see what true ancient immortal techniques are!” Xu Fu’s voice was calm, laced with confidence and mockery.
“Really? Then show me what you’ve got, old monster. Don’t tell me you’re still relying on those sacrificial boys and girls. I’ve seen enough of that!” Zhang Liusun retorted coldly.
Xu Fu merely snorted and began to lower his ship towards the sea.
Mei Qing strained his eyes to see the massive ship, its hull covered in barnacles and seaweed, almost unrecognizable. Xu Fu stood motionless at the bow, his wide sleeves still in the sea breeze, chanting ancient, incomprehensible spells that echoed over the waves.
Mei Qing tried to decipher the chant but found it impossible, each syllable disconnected from the next. Suddenly, Zhang Liusun’s voice echoed in his mind, “The old man is getting serious. If things go south, retreat to the stone chamber. I’ll seal the mountain gate to protect you.”
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Mei Qing prepared to flee if necessary.
Xu Fu finished his chant and raised his arms, forming strange hand seals. Mei Qing felt the surrounding spiritual energy rapidly converging towards the ship. Despite the protective barrier around Jieshi, it couldn’t contain the surging energy.
A massive vortex formed at the ship’s bow, sucking in spiritual energy and seawater, growing larger by the second. Dark clouds gathered above, and the sea churned violently, forming a deep, black abyss.
Mei Qing, alarmed, was about to ask Zhang Liusun about the nature of Xu Fu’s spell when he heard metallic clanging from the depths of the vortex.
“The old monster has sunk a massive cauldron into the sea!” Zhang Liusun’s voice, tinged with anger, echoed in Mei Qing’s mind.
Looking into the vortex, Mei Qing saw a colossal black cauldron slowly rising from the depths. As it emerged, the small cauldron within Mei Qing’s body began to spin wildly, its purple energy extending through his meridians, threatening to burst out.
In an instant, the world fell silent, with only the faint starlight above. The two powerful spells, so formidable moments ago, had been effortlessly undone by Zhang Liusun.
Such exquisite craftsmanship momentarily left Xu Fu, who had started off so aggressively, speechless.
“What do you think, old Xu? Did you enjoy that display?” Zhang Liusun laughed heartily.
Not only was it impressive—Mei Qing repeatedly analyzed Zhang Liusun’s technique in his mind. No matter how he calculated, he had to admit that Zhang Liusun’s method of dealing with the beast and the arrow was truly ingenious. Although it might have involved some clever trickery, the brilliance of the idea, the precision of the calculation, the dexterity of the execution, and the accuracy of the timing could all be described as divine inspiration.
Mei Qing himself always preferred to win through cleverness and strategy rather than brute force. Witnessing Zhang Liusun’s performance today, he couldn’t help but feel that he was merely an apprentice compared to a master.
“Just a cheap trick, nothing worth boasting about,” Xu Fu coldly replied from the distant ship’s bow. “You’re just playing around with flashy gimmicks, dodging and hiding. What kind of cultivator are you? If you really have the guts, face me in a real duel, and we’ll see who’s stronger!”
Zhang Liusun burst into laughter. “Old Xu, you’ve cultivated for over a thousand years and still talk like that? Do you think cultivation is like being a brute soldier in the Qin dynasty, swinging swords at each other? You weren’t my match back then—how come after all this time, you’ve only gotten worse?”
“You think I’m afraid of you? Hmph. Don’t think that just because you’ve picked up a few tricks of the alchemical arts, they amount to anything in my eyes. If I were to truly unleash my power, this blessed land might suffer collateral damage, so I haven’t gone all out. But since you insist on showing off, I’ll just have to show you what true ancient immortal techniques are like!” Xu Fu’s voice remained calm and carried a hint of confidence and mockery.
“Oh really? Then I’d love to see what other tricks you’ve got hidden up your sleeve,” Zhang Liusun shot back coldly. “Just don’t bring out those sacrificial boys and girls again—I’ve seen that act too many times already!”
Xu Fu merely snorted, saying nothing more, but steered the great ship downward toward the sea.
Mei Qing strained his vision to see. The ship appeared enormous, made of some unknown material. Below, the surging waves and mist made it seem like a celestial dragon descending from the heavens. The ship’s body was layered with barnacles and oysters, covered in seaweed and kelp, almost obscuring its original form.
Xu Fu stood motionless at the ship’s bow, arms stretched straight out to either side, his wide sleeves unmoving even in the sea breeze. From his mouth came a continuous chant of obscure, ancient incantations, carried across the sea wind and waves.
Mei Qing strained to catch the words, trying desperately to understand what kind of incantation Xu Fu was reciting. Strangely, each syllable seemed disconnected from the next, not forming any recognizable words, yet it didn’t sound like any known dialect either.
At that moment, Zhang Liusun’s voice suddenly echoed in Mei Qing’s mind: “This old fellow seems to be getting serious. If things go badly, quickly retreat back to the stone chamber—I’ll seal the mountain gate to keep you safe.”
Hearing the gravity in Zhang Liusun’s tone, Mei Qing realized that Xu Fu’s technique must be something even Zhang Liusun himself wasn’t confident about countering. Mei Qing, therefore, quietly prepared himself, so he wouldn’t be caught off guard if he needed to flee.
At this time, Xu Fu, standing far away at the ship’s bow, had finished his long incantation. His arms, previously stretched out to the sides, slowly lifted upward, each hand forming a strange mudra. His dark silhouette stood like a statue at the bow.
Suddenly, Mei Qing sensed that the surrounding spiritual energy was rushing toward the ship’s bow at an incredible speed. Although Zhang Liusun had set up a tight barrier around Jieshi, it was mainly for defense against external attacks and did not restrict the flow of spiritual energy.
Countless streams of spiritual energy were being sucked into a vortex gradually forming at the bow of the dark ship, like a whale gulping in water. When the vortex first appeared, it was only a few feet wide, but soon expanded to several zhang in diameter. As the spiritual energy surged in, the vortex grew larger and larger. The surrounding seawater was drawn in, forming a massive whirlpool funnel. The clouds above were pulled into the vortex, condensing into thick, rolling storm clouds in the sky.
The vortex walls churned with black water like startled dragons and prowling tigers, producing a deafening roar. Gigantic water spouts, like coiling serpents, twisted and turned within, forming a bottomless abyss beneath the surface, plunging unknown hundreds or thousands of zhang into the ocean depths.
Seeing such a spectacle, Mei Qing felt a chill run down his spine. Just as he was about to ask Zhang Liusun about the nature of Xu Fu’s spell, a metallic clashing sound rang out from afar.
This ringing sound came from the ocean floor. Listening carefully, it indeed originated from the vortex. Each clang caused the vortex walls to ripple and churn, making the entire massive whirlpool tremble in rhythm.
“No wonder I couldn’t find it anywhere on Jieshi,” Zhang Liusun’s voice suddenly echoed in Mei Qing’s mind, tinged with both shock and anger. “That old madman actually sank the thousand-jin smelting cauldron to the ocean depths!”
Upon hearing Zhang Liusun’s words, Mei Qing quickly turned his gaze toward the vortex. Sure enough, a massive black cauldron was slowly rising from the ocean depths.
Mei Qing shuddered. As soon as the ancient cauldron appeared, he felt the small cauldron inside his body begin spinning wildly. A vast net of purple energy radiated outward from the cauldron, extending through his meridians like a web, nearly bursting forth from his body.
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