Wei An, who had fallen into the river, was hauled up quickly by A Du.
With a heavy splash, Wei An was dumped onto a plank. He had swallowed a mouthful—no, several mouthfuls—of river water, and his hair and robes clung to him in an ugly mess. The humiliation hit harder than the water.
"Rob me? He actually dared to rob me!" Wei An roared, eyes bloodshot with fury. "This is outrageous! Chase them down!"
"I'm going to butcher that brat!"
His face twisted with murderous intent.
Robbed—on his turf?
This was Huangshi Heavenly Sect territory. In all his life, only Wei An robbed others. No one had ever robbed him. To lay hands on him was to dig at the base of disaster itself.
Two remaining ships immediately pushed their formations to full power and surged forward in pursuit.
Boom!
On the Blood Stele, Lin Ye glanced back and saw the two ships still charging after them.
He didn't even slow down.
He flicked his sleeve.
Two bursts of profound qi flew out like invisible hammers.
Bang!
The two ships were seized mid-run, yanked upward by a terrifying force, spun several times in the air like toys, then smashed down onto the river with brutal violence.
Wood exploded.
Formations shattered.
The hulls collapsed into floating wreckage.
Everyone on board plunged into the water, screaming.
People scrambled onto broken planks. Wei An was fished out again—soaked, sputtering, shaking with rage that finally boiled into something darker.
"This… you forced me into this!"
Normally, Wei An wouldn't readily summon his personal guards. He didn't need to. The name "Huangshi Heavenly Sect" alone was enough for him to swagger wherever he pleased.
Even if someone didn't recognize him at first, once others explained who he was, respect came immediately. And even if they didn't respect Wei An, they still had to respect the half-step Sunlit Realm Sect Master behind him—his father.
But this Lin Ye?
This was beyond bullying. This was stepping on his face and grinding it into the mud.
Wei An crushed a jade slip in his hand.
Crack.
A vicious glint burst from his eyes.
The other young masters who had been drinking and playing along with him all wore faces of anger… and a trace of eager anticipation. They wanted to see that arrogant youth kneel, bow his head, and beg.
The moment the jade slip shattered, sharp wind-splitting sounds came from the distance.
Whoom! Whoom!
This entire region—within a thousand li—fell under the Huangshi Heavenly Sect's influence. The waterway here wasn't wide. The mountain walls on either side were less than half a li apart, and farther ahead the river narrowed as if being squeezed between cliffs.
Technically, this stretch wasn't even a normal "through-route" river section.
But the Huangshi Heavenly Sect's dominance was absolute. They claimed this segment anyway—declared it their land—and even posted manpower at the edges.
They called them outposts.
Outposts served two purposes: first, to enforce territory—if it's your sect's land, you guard it. Second, as temporary supply nodes.
Even within the sect's control, most areas stayed wild. Ferocious beasts flourished. Disciples who entered for training often ran into real danger.
Wei An was arrogant and reckless, but he wasn't stupid.
He only acted wild inside his sect's sphere. He didn't go stirring trouble on someone else's turf—because outside, his name might not carry as much weight.
Those outposts usually had experts stationed.
And today, luck—or misfortune—placed a Huangshi Heavenly Sect elder nearby. Receiving Wei An's signal, the elder immediately brought men rushing over.
Boom!
Several figures tore through the air. In a blink they saw the situation below. The leading elder pointed; one subordinate dropped down and quickly gathered Wei An and the others, lifting them from the water.
At the same time, the elder didn't hesitate.
He led his group forward and cut off the Blood Stele's route.
"I am Shi Tiangong, Seventh Elder of the Huangshi Heavenly Sect!"
His voice rang out across the river canyon.
"Please stop your ship. Settle the matter—then you may leave."
Shi Tiangong didn't attack on sight. He had sensed a strong presence aboard that ship—a pressure that didn't feel weak at all, likely Moonwheel Realm.
The ship also carried no visible banner. He needed to confirm identity first.
More importantly… he had seen a Tier-5 ferocious beast on the deck.
A tamed Tier-5 beast meant the owner had methods. People like that were rarely easy targets.
On the Blood Stele, Xia Wei's pretty face tightened in alarm.
"Shi Tiangong…?"
Her voice dropped.
"He may be the Seventh Elder, but he's the Huangshi Heavenly Sect's strongest expert outside the sect master. The sect master doesn't take part in rankings—so Shi Tiangong is considered the top."
Moonwheel Eighth Realm.
The strongest "external" blade.
Meaning: if Shi Tiangong appeared, this was already the highest-level response short of the sect itself mobilizing.
Xia Wei's shock came from the speed.
The reinforcements arrived so quickly it felt like they had been waiting in ambush.
Behind Shi Tiangong, three people formed a small array and released their profound qi. The water around the Blood Stele stiffened and thickened, as if turning into a bound slab.
The ship slowed—then locked in place.
Among Shi Tiangong's group was a woman in a black gauze skirt. Pale legs were outlined under black fishnet stockings; short boots gleamed with fine workmanship.
She stepped lightly in midair.
Each step pressed onto a "brick" of condensed profound qi, letting her stand steady as if walking on invisible stairs.
Her identity wasn't ordinary.
She was an exchange disciple from an Upper Riverlands sect—now stationed at Huangshi Heavenly Sect as an official.
Her name: Shu Mo.
With Shu Mo present, Shi Tiangong's posture hardened even further.
This incident had to be handled cleanly, decisively—because it affected whether Huangshi Heavenly Sect could continue receiving support from the Upper Riverlands sects.
Upper Riverlands sects often cooperated with Middle Riverlands sects. They selected top talents, brought them upward, traded resources and influence. Even the strongest powers needed allies. This pattern had long become standard.
Shu Mo was curious too.
Who on earth was on that ship—someone bold enough to pluck at Huangshi Heavenly Sect's whiskers?
Wei An and the others, hearing that it was Seventh Elder Shi Tiangong, instantly lit up with wild joy.
Elder Shi was infamous.
He was "polite" only before he started.
Once he confirmed your background, if you had damaged the sect's dignity, he would crush you—crush your clan—crush your entire foundation, leaving you no chance to ever rise again.
Now that he had arrived, in Wei An's mind, the people on that ship were already dead.
Then—
Shi Tiangong's face abruptly changed.
A scorching force flashed out from the Blood Stele.
"Dodge!"
Shi Tiangong burst out with thick, heavy qi and braced in front, flinging the others back with a shockwave.
Shu Mo also sensed the danger. Her figure retreated instantly, sliding backward through the air.
Whoosh!
Her refined face turned sharp with disbelief.
A line of fiery, burning qi tore across the sky.
It didn't slam directly into Shi Tiangong.
It merely brushed past him.
But that was enough.
His protective qi split open as if cut by a blade.
Pain exploded in his shoulder.
"Hiss—!"
Shi Tiangong looked down.
His ice-silkworm inner armor—famous for defense—had been sliced apart. His shoulder was charred, burned black.
Beads of sweat—large and heavy—rolled down his forehead.
"Sunlit power…"
Shi Tiangong sucked in a cold breath.
Was this some Sunlit Realm expert wandering around for leisure?
That single strand of sunlit power was not a bluff, not a trick—its reality was terrifying. If the other party had wanted him dead just now, it would have been effortless.
Perhaps they spared him out of respect for the Huangshi Heavenly Sect's name.
Shi Tiangong knew the truth.
It wasn't fear of the sect that stopped them.
It was mercy—or indifference.
Some fools thought that because they had powerful backing, they could provoke true monsters again and again.
They didn't understand: no sect would offend a Sunlit Realm expert for the sake of one spoiled young master.
Shi Tiangong didn't even care about the burning pain anymore. He bowed toward the Blood Stele, voice humble to the bone.
"Senior, we disturbed your leisure. Shi Tiangong offers his apology. Please do not take offense. We will withdraw at once."
He stayed bent for five full seconds.
No response came from the ship.
That silence was an answer.
Leave. Now.
Shi Tiangong waved sharply. Everyone retreated from the Blood Stele's vicinity at top speed.
The frozen water around the ship loosened and returned to flow. The Blood Stele resumed cutting forward.
Lin Ye didn't even need to show his face.
One strand of sunlit power was enough to scare away a Moonwheel Eighth Realm elder.
If Shi Tiangong had refused to leave, and the people aboard that ship became angry… no one here would survive. They wouldn't just die—they could drag the Huangshi Heavenly Sect into calamity.
Fortunately, the other party didn't bother pursuing.
Shi Tiangong finally exhaled.
Only when the Blood Stele became a distant shadow did the tension in his chest slowly release.
Wei An, still wet and furious, clenched his teeth.
"Elder… that man trespassed on our territory and stole my ship. And we're just letting him go?"
Shi Tiangong's eyes were cold and clear.
"The fact they didn't kill us… is our luck. We only survived because they allowed it."
His words were blunt, and they struck like a slap.
Beside him, Shu Mo watched the receding Blood Stele, gaze quiet and sharp. The "owner" never appeared, but she had seen one detail clearly.
That Wugang Leopard.
She memorized it.
Wei An and the other young masters looked at each other, faces tightening. Only now did the fear seep in—realizing they had just brushed against death and walked away.
Three ships lost.
That was all.
On the Blood Stele, Luo Gui stared at Lin Ye as if staring at a god.
No need to appear.
No need to speak.
Just one release of aura—and a Moonwheel Eighth Realm elder fled at the first scent of danger.