The battle on the sea surface fell into a brief stalemate. The Sea-Overturning Magic Whale had been burned by Xiao Qi's Crimson Flame Sword energy, not daring to surface easily for the time being. It only continuously created waves and vortices underwater to interfere with the vessel. One of the Abyssal Giant Octopus's eyes had been injured. The sharp pain made it even more frenzied. Several giant tentacles, like dancing demonic shadows, continuously struck and wrapped around the hull. The cold air froze the ship's hull, making its movements increasingly sluggish.
The Wave-Cleaving Number creaked under the combined assault of the storm and giant beasts, as if it would fall apart at any moment. Under Uncle Hai's command, the crew members desperately reinforced the hull and operated the sails, fighting against the giant beasts and harsh sea conditions.
In the chaos, no one noticed that Sharp Eye, who had always appeared diligent and clever, had a flash of ruthlessness and determination in his eyes. Taking advantage of everyone being focused on the giant beasts outside, he quietly slipped to the staircase leading to the hold.
His mission was not only surveillance, but at the critical moment, to ensure these two targets could not reach the Dragon Palace Ruins, or to let them forever sink to the bottom of the sea. This was the best opportunity. As long as he destroyed the keel or core formation in the hold, under this violent sea conditions and giant beast attack, the entire ship would instantly break apart.
The fawning smile on his face had long disappeared, replaced by the coldness belonging to an assassin of the Shadow Serpent Pavilion. In his hand appeared a pearl as black as ink, emitting unstable energy fluctuations. The Yin Thunder Pearl. This was an extremely venomous one-time magical artifact with enormous explosive power that would also produce corrosive yin poison energy, sufficient to cause fatal damage to the ship.
Just as he was about to throw the Yin Thunder Pearl at the core formation node in the hold, a steady and powerful hand, like an iron clamp, suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"Sharp Eye, what do you think you are doing?"
Tang Xiaoqi's icy voice sounded in his ear, like a wind from the ninth netherworld.
Sharp Eye's whole body stiffened. He turned his head in horror, meeting Xiao Qi's gaze that seemed to pierce through everything. He wanted to struggle but found the other party's hand as stable as a mountain, impossible to move an inch. His other hand quickly reached for the dagger at his waist, but a cold sword edge had already pressed against his back.
Liu Yun had somehow also appeared behind him. The Autumn Water Sword emanated a stern cold aura, sealing all his retreat routes.
"You." Sharp Eye's face turned ashen, his eyes filled with disbelief. "How could they have discovered me? How could they, while fighting two Fifth Rank sea beasts, also spare attention to notice me?"
"From the day you came aboard, we already knew whose person you were." Xiao Qi's voice carried no emotion. His wrist, powerful spiritual power instantly surged into the other party's body, sealing his dantian and motor abilities. The Yin Thunder Pearl also fell into Xiao Qi's hand.
Outside, the sounds of battle, waves, and the hull's groaning were still deafening, but the small space at the hold entrance seemed to have frozen.
"Speak. Apart from surveillance, what other missions did the Shadow Serpent Pavilion send you on? How many people do they have in the East Sea? How much do they know about the Dragon Palace Ruins?" Xiao Qi stared at the man, his powerful spiritual sense mixed with a hint of purification power's might, striking the Sharp Eye's mind like a heavy hammer.
Sharp Eye gritted his teeth, trying to resist. But under Xiao Qi's spiritual sense impact containing purification nature, he felt like snow and ice exposed to the scorching sun, his will melting rapidly. Especially the purification power, which had natural restraint over people who cultivated yin evil techniques, made him tremble from the depths of his soul.
"I do not know." He still wanted to be stubborn.
Xiao Qi's eyes sharpened. His fingers slightly, Sharp Eye immediately felt his wrist bone about to be crushed, the sharp pain piercing his heart.
"My patience is limited." Xiao Qi's voice was like a death deity's whisper. "Those two sea beasts outside might be happy to have an extra course."
The fear of death and the suppression at the soul level finally broke Sharp Eye's psychological defense. Trembling, he spoke incoherently:
"I will talk! I will talk! It was the command issued by the Pavilion, having me sneak onto the ship to monitor your every move, report at any time, and at the appropriate time, create an accident to prevent you from reaching the ruins, or die at sea."
"Within the Pavilion, they also attach great importance to the Dragon Palace Ruins, suspecting that the Azure Dragon Soul Crystal might be there. They have already sent an elite team led personally by the Silver Mask Elder Youquan, riding the faster Black Flood Dragon Ship. They estimate they would arrive at that sea area earlier than us."
Elder Youquan! Black Flood Dragon Ship!
Xiao Qi and Liu Yun's hearts sank simultaneously. Indeed. The Shadow Serpent Pavilion's movements were faster than theirs. And they had sent an Elder to lead the team, with strength absolutely far exceeding theirs.
"How many people do they have? What are the specific cultivation levels?" Liu Yun pressed her sword forward slightly, asking coldly.
"The specific numbers are unclear, but Elder Youquan is a mid Golden Core expert. His team has at least two late Foundation Establishment members, and the rest are also Foundation Establishment experts. The Black Flood Dragon Ship is a specially made fast ship by the Pavilion, with extremely high speed, and equipped with attack formations." Sharp Eye, in order to survive, spilled everything he knew.
Just then, the hull was struck again by the violent impact of the giant octopus's tentacle. The entire ship tilted violently, and the sound of wood planks breaking echoed from the hold.
"Not good! The ship will not hold!" Uncle Hai's anxious roar came from above.
Xiao Qi knew there was no more time for interrogation. He looked at the ashen-faced Sharp Eye, his eyes flashing a cold light.
For enemies, especially those who wanted to kill them, he would never show mercy.
He pointed his fingers like a sword. A condensed sword qi instantly pierced through Sharp Eye's brow, destroying his spiritual soul. Terror and unwillingness lingered in Sharp Eye's eyes as he fell softly.
Xiao Qi casually put his corpse and the Yin Thunder Pearl into an empty storage bag. He said to Liu Yun, "Go up to help. We must get rid of these two sea beasts as soon as possible."
The two quickly returned to the deck. At this moment, the Wave-Cleaving Number was in dire straits. The hull was damaged in multiple places, taking on water seriously, and its speed was greatly reduced. The Sea-Overturning Magic Whale and the Abyssal Giant Octopus also seemed to have lost patience, their attacks becoming even more violent.
"Uncle Hai! This will not work!" Xiao Qi shouted toward Uncle Hai who was desperately steering. "We must find a way to severely wound or lure away one of them."
Uncle Hai was covered in sweat, bellowing: "Damn it! I know! But these two creatures have thick skins and tough hides. How do we wound them?"
Xiao Qi's gaze swept over the two giant beasts, finally fixing on the eye-injured, even more frenzied Abyssal Giant Octopus.
"Senior Sister, you cooperate with Uncle Hai and the others to contain the whale. That octopus, leave it to me." A resolute light flashed in Xiao Qi's eyes. He had to use some trump cards now.
He took a deep breath. Spiritual power within his body surged madly into the Crimson Flame Sword. The sword body erupted with unprecedented brilliant light, even faintly eclipsing the surrounding wave sounds. A terrifying sword intent, far beyond Foundation Establishment level, began to condense.
It was time to let these deep-sea overlords witness the sharpness of a land sword cultivator. And the news that the Shadow Serpent Pavilion had gotten there first also hung like dark clouds over their hearts, making their subsequent actions filled with even more variables and urgency.