Chapter Sixty: The Furious Monocorn Shark

Chen Zaizhi took the opportunity to take over, but the precarious situation quickly collapsed. Hongjian and Chen Zaizhi were both struck by the jets of water sprayed by the Rainbird, making them look as wretched as possible. Ding Chunxue raised his hand to drive away one of the Rainbirds and said in a deep voice, “What did you learn the Water Condensation Technique for? Use your water true energy to shield your whole body!”

Hongjian snapped back to her senses and applied several layers of the Water Condensation Technique over her body. As a Rainbird swooped down, its sharp claws raked her back, but the water rippled and the attack, devoid of power, was deflected by the lowest-level spell. Hongjian twisted away, feeling no pain at all.

Chen Zaizhi, whose foundation was exceptionally solid, followed suit and began circulating the Water Condensation Technique for protection. With only five Rainbirds attacking, the two managed, albeit in a flurry of chaos, to juggle their magical implements and hold out.

Only when the wind and rain ceased and the Rainbirds lost interest in attacking did Ding Chunxue allow the beasts to leave. He looked at the two drenched figures on the boat and smiled slightly, saying, “How do you feel? Did you still have time for idle thoughts just now?”

Hongjian raised her arm and wiped her face dry with her sleeve, her voice excited. “Senior Brother, this kind of cultivation is truly fascinating. Let’s rest a while, then go find somewhere else where it’s still raining.”

Ding Chunxue was somewhat surprised in his heart. He glanced at Chen Zaizhi, who was tidying himself quietly. Chen Zaizhi’s cultivation was not as advanced as Hongjian’s, and he had suffered more earlier, yet he did not object, behaving honestly. Ding Chunxue smiled, seemingly infected by Hongjian’s enthusiasm, and said, “Very well. Recover fully first, don’t be careless and overwork yourselves.”

From then on, every few days, Ding Chunxue would lead Hongjian and Chen Zaizhi into the Endless Sea, braving the heavy rain to train. Their attention was focused on circulating true energy, maneuvering the brocade-sailed flying boat, and evading the beasts. Gradually, Hongjian’s previous restlessness during meditation was greatly improved.

Ding Chunxue devoted himself to their training. In fact, Hongjian and Chen Zaizhi had spent much more time under his guidance than with Yan Changqing, and the two young people seemed more like Ding Chunxue’s disciples.

More than a year passed in the blink of an eye. Hongjian advanced steadily to the eighth level of Qi Refining, while Chen Zaizhi successfully broke through to the seventh level. By then, Chen Zaizhi was eighteen, and Hongjian still had several months before her sixteenth birthday. The entire Dan Cliff Sect knew that the two youths of Late Tide Peak held limitless promise and would surely reach Foundation Establishment early—the rising stars of the sect's future.

Fang Zheng also progressed greatly in cultivation this year. Considering his age and the precedent set by Hongjian and Chen Zaizhi, it was expected that if he maintained this rate of advancement, a wood spiritual root elder would recruit him even before he reached Foundation Establishment.

Hongjian devoted most of her time to cultivation. Due to past estrangement, she remained wary of her master Yan Changqing and her second senior brother Qin Baoxian. However, she had grown closer to Grandmaster Sun Yougong after their shared secret, often visiting him for greetings.

Sometimes, while engaged in some task, her mind would wander to Shi Qingxiang, Qi Xiuning, and the others, who had been out of contact for so long. She wondered how they were faring now. Due to various inconveniences, she still hadn’t managed to send out that message. After more than a year, the six disciples of the Transformation Realm might already have been sent to the demonic territory beyond the “Sky Curtain,” their fates uncertain.

One day, Ding Chunxue, as usual, summoned Hongjian and Chen Zaizhi to go out to sea.

Ding Chunxue had already refined a flying treasure, but for the sake of the younger cultivators’ training, he had used the brocade-sailed flying boat for more than a year without change. The Endless Sea was stormy and often turbulent, and as the three ventured deeper, Ding Chunxue grew concerned for their safety. He found a pair of “Flowing Water Soulmates,” magical tools for communication, to carry with him.

After so many trips, Hongjian and Chen Zaizhi had become highly skilled at piloting the flying boat. Ding Chunxue gradually increased the number of Rainbirds besetting them to a dozen or more, and to further hone their spiritual senses, sometimes extended their outings into the night.

The full moon hung high, a gentle breeze wafted, and silvery light spilled across the sea, the scales of waves quietly rippling for thousands of miles.

Both Hongjian and Chen Zaizhi had grown taller over the year; Chen Zaizhi now stood nearly a head above Hongjian. Training on the Endless Sea had given him a calm demeanor and a rare sharpness for a water spiritual root cultivator.

He steered the brocade-sailed flying boat, spiritual sense spread out to scout the path, and said to the two, “Senior Brother, Senior Sister Fang, the moon is so bright here—I'm afraid we’ll have to go far to find rain clouds.”

“Zaizhi, head north,” Ding Chunxue instructed.

In the past year, Ding Chunxue had poured immense effort into the two youths, and they followed his word without question.

The flying boat sped northward, and after some time, Chen Zaizhi’s true energy waned. Ding Chunxue took over the magical implement, accelerating like lightning. They traveled for nearly half an hour, passing through seas where thunder flashed, but Ding Chunxue never stopped, steering the boat straight through the storms.

Hongjian and Chen Zaizhi exchanged puzzled glances. Hongjian asked, “Senior Brother, aren’t we stopping to train?”

Ding Chunxue replied, “Tonight, we’ll visit the region near the Far North Glacier. The climate there is harsh, and the lesser beasts are much fiercer than those you usually encounter.”

Neither Hongjian nor Chen Zaizhi had ever been to the Far North Glacier. As the boat moved north, the air grew colder, and they had to use spells to ward off the chill.

The moon wove through the sea of clouds, gradually dimming. Snow began to fall from the sky.

Seeing snow over the sea meant they were not far from the Far North Glacier.

Ding Chunxue handed the brocade-sailed flying boat to Hongjian, instructing, “Approach carefully, don’t go too deep, and watch for beasts beneath the water.”

Hongjian agreed, her spiritual sense already detecting numerous ice floes to the north. The lesser beasts Senior Brother mentioned must be nearby. She guided the boat closer to the surface, and sure enough, soon Chen Zaizhi, who was watching the rear, called out, “There’s a beast chasing us underwater!”

A short distance behind the boat, water splashed as the beast swam, a sharp horn about a foot long breaking the surface.

Ding Chunxue smiled, “A One-Horned Fury Shark. Hongjian, stop the boat, let’s wait for it. Didn't you want to refine pills with those Essence Herbs? The horn oil of this beast will be useful.”

Hongjian was delighted, “Thank you, Senior Brother!”

But Ding Chunxue didn’t forget their real training, saying, “First, spar with it for a while. This beast is strong and heavy, but very agile in the water. It can swallow and spew seawater, much fiercer than Rainbirds. Don’t let it suck you into its belly.”

While he spoke, the massive One-Horned Fury Shark was already upon them. Its huge head surfaced, and it suddenly opened its maw wide.

A colossal wave came crashing down, blindingly white. Despite Ding Chunxue’s warning, the beast’s water attack was far more powerful than Hongjian had anticipated. Caught off guard, she was struck directly, and the brocade-sailed flying boat was instantly swallowed by water weighing more than a thousand pounds.