In that split second, the three men's movements were as precise and clear as if they had been planned in advance: the formation in Wei Ming's hands instantly spread out, a faint silver-blue light enveloping the entire ship; Chi Lian cast a Water Repelling Art on the three of them and stood guard before Wei Ming with his sword held horizontally, while Gui Heng leaped onto the bow, holding a longbow with its string drawn like a full moon, and shot an arrow capable of splitting mountains and parting seas toward the center of the vortex!

The piercing cyan arrow light shrieked as it streaked across the dark sea surface, and wherever it passed, even the seawater retreated. Under the brilliant glow of the spiritual light, the giant beast lurking in the depths of the abyss, stirring up wind and waves, finally revealed its true form—

A sea clam as large as half the Imperial Palace slowly opened its shell. From within emerged a slender silver dragon, its entire body covered in soft armor. Its snout was exceptionally long, on its head were two coral-like dragon horns, eight pairs of thin fins grew on its back, and its tail was slightly curled. It was continuously sucking in seawater through its snout, creating a massive vortex on the sea's surface. Their ship had probably been mistaken for small fish and shrimp and was swept in as well.

No matter how Wei Ming looked at it, this thing didn't resemble a dragon. Supporting the formation, he asked, "Is this something that should exist in the Mortal Realm? Can it understand us?"

"Hard to say," Chi Lian said cautiously. "His Highness, step back. Let's first see how it deals with Gui Heng."

Gui Heng's arrow broke through the waves, shooting toward the center of the sea clam. Although the silver dragon's body was sinuous, it was the shape of its natural skeleton and not as flexible as a typical dragon or serpent's body; it couldn't turn its head at will. It could only use its fins to paddle and avoid the rushing arrow. The sea clam, however, couldn't even dodge. It simply opened its shell wider and swallowed Gui Heng's arrow in one gulp.

Gui Heng was dumbfounded: "Huh?"

Wei Ming also let out a "huh" and said, "Doesn't it find that scratchy on the throat?"

Gui Heng felt as if he had suffered a great humiliation, so angry his hair was about to stand on end. "My arrow had at least a thousand years of cultivation in it! This thing swallowed it just like that, without even a burp! How dare it! Is it looking down on me!"

Chi Lian said coldly, "Don't just blame others. Look for the reason in yourself."

Gui Heng complained, but his hands didn't stop. He fired two more arrows in quick succession, but both were swallowed by the clam's shell. Chi Lian's expression was grave. He gazed at the shimmering silver dragon and the slowly opening sea clam. This time, his tone was finally no longer mocking: "To be able to take Gui Heng's arrows head-on, it must have at least ten thousand years of cultivation. But how could such a mythical beast come to the Mortal Realm?"

"If even the Ran Dragon and the Tree Spirit could come, why can't this one?" Wei Ming's formation barely held the ship steady amidst the waves, preventing it from being sucked into the silver dragon's mouth, but this was not a long-term solution. "Grand Preceptor, let's not worry about how it got here. We should first think about how to make it leave!"

As they spoke, the silver dragon turned its snout toward their ship and took a sharp breath. The entire ship trembled violently, then suddenly froze. Wei Ming suddenly felt something was wrong. He turned his head to look at the water beside them, and his breath caught in his throat.

It was as if an invisible hand had grasped the hourglass of time, causing the grain of sand passing through the aperture to hang suspended. In that instant, the surging waves suddenly froze. The vast, hundred-zhang sea congealed like ice in the blink of an eye, the entire surface of the sea formed a huge, temporarily still channel, and all living creatures in the sea also came to a halt. In this silence where heaven and earth returned to one, the only thing still flowing continuously was a myriad of fine phosphorescent lights, as faint as ice shards, like a bolt of iridescent thin silk unfurling in the water.

If the other end of the silk gauze were not that strange silver dragon, this scene would be beautiful enough to be captured in a painting, a rare and magnificent sight in the Mortal Realm.

Wei Ming murmured, "I understand."

Chi Lian turned back abruptly, "What?"

"What happened on that ghost ship—the answer lies with this silver dragon." Wei Ming pointed at the flowing phosphorescence outside. "They were probably farther away, so their entire ship wasn't sucked into the vortex like ours was. But this silver dragon absorbs the souls of all living things within a hundred li. The people on the ship who could move were involuntarily drawn to it, jumping into the sea to follow it, while those who were locked up and couldn't move could only have their souls drained. That's why there were bodies with unknown causes of death left in the cabins... Now it all makes sense!"

Although Chi Lian wasn't clear on the details of the case, seeing this familiar scene outside gave him a headache. "What's been going on lately? Every demon and monster wants to meddle in the Mortal Realm, and the first thing they do when they arrive is suck up a wave of mortal souls..."

Gui Heng drew his bow and nocked an arrow, not forgetting to retort with sarcasm. "Everything the Emperor taught you must have gone to the dogs. The mortal world is bound by the Oath of the Nine Heavens; spiritual energy is scarce and cultivation is difficult. For a demon in the mortal world to increase its power, what else can it eat besides souls?"

After speaking, he released his hand, and a cyan light sped out, striking the silver dragon's vital spot. In an instant, everyone heard a crisp "clang," like metal striking jade, as if someone in the unseen world had struck a heavy bronze bell. The long, lingering sound echoed in circles like ripples in the still space-time. Immediately after, the silver dragon abruptly reared back, letting out a silent roar in mid-air. The wound where the arrow hit burst open, unleashing a sky-swallowing white light, instantly submerging all living beings within the stagnant vortex!

The people on the ship had been drifting at sea for half the night, and their eyes had adjusted to the dim light of the darkness. Struck by the white light, they were nearly blinded. At the same time, the ship, which had been stabilized by Wei Ming's formation, suddenly spun out of control for some reason. It lurched violently to one side, and a few soldiers by the rail who lost their grip were thrown overboard.

"Ah!!!"

"Help!"

Cries of alarm rose one after another. Chi Lian's first reaction was to reach back and grab Wei Ming, but he caught only air. Then, belatedly, he finally realized the source of all this turmoil—

The formation had broken.

Chi Lian had followed Emperor Cangze for several thousand years. He was as familiar with that unique silver-blue luster as he was with the light of his own sword. The last time on Longshan, he hadn't seen Wei Ming cast the spell with his own eyes, but he had heard Gui Heng describe how that formation had easily crushed an immortal artifact. Therefore, this time, he had taken it for granted that the light would remain pure and bright, and would always illuminate the space around him.

Just as he had once naively believed that person would forever stand high above the clouds, that even if the heavens and earth were overturned and the sun and moon reversed, he would never fall.

Again and again, he still hadn't learned his lesson.

A brilliant, torch-like stream of golden-red light shot into the sky, illuminating the dark seawater in the dead of night as if it were broad daylight. Amidst the frantic tossing and spinning, Chi Lian finally saw Wei Ming, his eyes shut tight, being swept away by the current and sinking rapidly, and at the bottom of the sea, the giant clam was slightly opening its wide shell, waiting insatiably to take him into its mouth.

"His Highness!"

Faster than Gui Heng's cry of alarm was Chi Lian's leap. He left only a single sentence behind as he pushed off the boat and jumped down without looking back.

"Watch over the people on this ship. I will bring him back."

Gui Heng: "...Be careful!"

He clung to the bow, watching helplessly as Chi Lian dived into the sea and swept Wei Ming completely into his arms. But as they drew closer and closer to the clam, Chi Lian couldn't break free from the suction that threatened to tear their very Divine Souls from their bodies, no matter how hard he struggled. Seeing the vortex growing more rapid and the large ship about to sink with them, at the critical moment, the longsword in Chi Lian's hand glowed with a shimmering red light. He swung his sword with all his might. An overwhelming sword aura, carried by the current, rushed toward the silver dragon, and with a boom, it severed the band of light wrapped around it.

This strike was like churning the Heavenly River, scattering the phosphorescent light. But Chi Lian and Wei Ming were pushed in the opposite direction by a massive wave, and both fell into the gap of the clam's shell.

The vortex and the sword aura clashed, raising monstrous waves, but the ship miraculously righted itself. The force that had been firmly pulling them was broken by Chi Lian's sword strike. The fish in the sea were also able to break free and escape for their lives. Gui Heng knew this was a chance to escape that Chi Lian had bought for them with his life, and he couldn't let it go to waste. So he closed his eyes, steeled his heart, and stopped trying to find the two whose fates were unknown. He formed a hand seal, conjured an east wind out of thin air to fill the sails, and pushed the great ship to speed out of this sea area.

After an unknown amount of time, the wind and waves on the sea surface finally began to subside.

All the lights on the ship were extinguished, and its appearance was no better than that of the ghost ship from before. The soldiers were either dizzy or had collapsed, their nerves still rattled; they couldn't possibly fathom how they had escaped from such extremely dangerous turbulence with their lives. Fang Tianchong, on the other hand, was not in such a sorry state because he had been tied firmly to a pillar. While no one was paying attention, he quietly extended his foot, trying to reach a piece of a broken sword not far from him.

Just as he was about to succeed, a piece of iron flew out from somewhere at an angle. With a "ding" and a spray of sparks, it knocked the broken sword fragment away, spinning as it wedged itself into the ship's planking on the other side.

Fang Tianchong jerked his foot back. Looking up, he found Gui Heng standing diagonally opposite him with his arms crossed, eyeing him coldly.

"Behave yourself."

When he put away his casual smile and his face darkened, the viciousness that he had always deliberately restrained was finally exposed without concealment, like a lazily resting beast baring its fangs and claws. "I'm in a very bad mood right now. His Highness, Prince Duan, isn't here to protect you. If I accidentally break one or two of your limbs later, I hope you won't mind."

Although the people of Jiangxiao Palace had different temperaments, when they threatened people, they were all as if carved from the same mold. One couldn't tell who they took after. Gui Heng leaned against the ship's rail, gazing at the ink-black night sky and sea. Worry gradually creased his brow, and he sighed silently.

He wasn't afraid of what a mere sea clam could do to Chi Lian. He just hoped they wouldn't cause too much of a commotion, lest they alert the true enemies lurking in the depths of heaven and earth.

When Wei Ming regained consciousness, his surroundings were already bright. His memory was still stuck on the flash of white light in the deep sea. At that moment, his head had suddenly throbbed with a pain like it was splitting open, and then everything went black and he completely lost consciousness.

'What is this place?'

Wei Ming tried to turn over and sit up, but his hand pushed through empty air—because he currently had no "body," nor was he even "lying down." He was just a formless, unsubstantiated stretch of divine consciousness floating in the air.

The surrounding scenery gradually became clear, and the sounds of flowing water and birdsong grew more distinct. A faint fragrance floated in the air. As far as the eye could see, strange flowers and exotic grasses shaded pavilions and terraces, clouds and mist lingered, and rainbow-hued lights shone brilliantly. The scenery was as magnificent as a celestial paradise, yet it held an indescribable sense of familiarity.

At the center of the garden was a wide waterscape. All the streams that wound through the courtyard flowed in and out from here. A pool of water was as soft a green as jade, so clear one could see to the bottom. On the water's surface grew a field of lotus leaves of varying heights, but only a single budding Red Lotus stood solitarily by the side of a Green Jade Bridge.

For some reason, Wei Ming felt a sense of intimacy looking at that lotus flower. He couldn't help but want to reach out and touch it. However, before he could get close, he suddenly heard voices not far away, seemingly heading in his direction.

He was about to hide when he remembered he was now an invisible and intangible ghost; he could watch openly. So he simply stayed by the lotus flower without moving, waiting for them to approach.

After a moment, two figures indeed walked onto the bridge, one after the other. One of them wore green robes and a jade crown, with a slender figure and a beautiful appearance. He was blessed with a handsome face, smiling eyes, and thin lips that were always curved in a smile. One look at him was like a warm spring breeze and a gentle sun, making one feel close to him. The one a step behind, however, was dressed in magnificent deep blue robes that were completely out of place with the bright scenery, making his skin seem cold and white, as if carved from ice and jade. Although his features were handsome and stern, his imposing manner outshone his beauty. Coupled with the fact that he was exceptionally tall, his presence would overwhelm the scenery wherever he stood. Walking in the garden, he didn't look like he was admiring the view, but rather like the Son of Heaven on an imperial tour.

He paused briefly by the bridge, his face reflected in the pond water, right where Wei Ming was standing. The two of them, separated by endless time and space, faced each other from afar, yet it was as if they were looking through the void at another version of themselves on the other side.

Wei Ming was so shocked he didn't know how to feel. If his eyes weren't playing tricks on him after being dazzled by the light, that person had a face that was almost identical to his own. He must be the legendary...

"Emperor?"

The Immortal Lord in green robes suddenly spoke with a smile, "Are you looking at that lotus flower?"