"Leave it to fate," Old Yuan's voice rang out, unusually calm, but tinged with a faint trace of helplessness and confusion.
Leave it to fate!
An uproar rippled through the group of cultivators on the deck. Faces twisted in unwillingness and defiance, and one by one, they summoned their magical weapons, ready to fight to the death. These were not ordinary folk but cultivators of the immortal path. As long as they drew breath, they would never submit.
"Surrounding us are hundreds of demonic beasts, most of them at the first tier. There are even dozens of second-tier beasts. As for whether there's something stronger among them... even I can't tell," Old Yuan said, his gaze sweeping over the assembled cultivators, their battle spirit blazing.
Demonic beasts were classified into nine tiers, each corresponding to the nine stages of cultivation. A first-tier demonic beast had strength equivalent to a cultivator in the Qi Refining stage, while a second-tier beast was comparable to someone in the Foundation Establishment stage.
Surrounding the great "Heavenly River Boat" were hundreds of demonic beasts, with dozens of them being second-tier, a force equivalent to dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators. On this perilous river, both in terms of individual power and sheer numbers, they were overwhelmingly outmatched, and the river itself offered no advantage.
The crowd of cultivators fell into a brief silence, before someone finally spoke, their voice resolute:
"Are we just going to sit here and wait for death?"
"That's right! Even if it means our lives, we should fight!"
"If we fight, we might still have a chance to escape!"
Some hot-headed cultivators were already preparing to cast their spells.
"Stop!" Old Yuan's cold shout echoed through the air, a wave of spiritual pressure suddenly crashing down upon those rash cultivators. Everyone nearby felt as if they were suffocating, struggling to draw breath… Old Yuan's cultivation was clearly beyond the Qi Refining stage.
The two impulsive cultivators stood frozen, cold sweat pouring from their foreheads, unable to move.
For a moment, the entire ship fell into a deathly silence. All eyes were fixed on Old Yuan. He was the most powerful and experienced among them, and everyone was waiting for him to make a decision, not daring to act rashly.
"With the number and strength of these demonic beasts, if they wanted to destroy us, it would take mere moments..." Old Yuan said with a faint, bitter smile tugging at his lips. "Look closely. Though the beasts have surrounded the Heavenly River Boat, they show no signs of hostility."
The crowd focused their attention and, sure enough, realized it was true. The number of beasts was still growing, yet none of them appeared aggressive toward the ship.
"For nearly a century, the demonic beasts of the Clear River have coexisted peacefully with humans. Rarely have there been incidents of beasts attacking human vessels. Moreover, for the past thousand years in the Kingdom of Yuyang, human cultivators have always suppressed the demon clans. This balance has never been broken. Even when conflicts arose, they were isolated events. Such a large-scale gathering of beasts is certainly strange…" Old Yuan continued, his voice calm and steady. "I suspect these beasts may not be here to attack us. There might be some other reason we do not yet understand."
Old Yuan's reasoning struck a chord with the crowd. The demonic clans had no reason to target such insignificant cultivators. If they had truly intended to strike, the entire boat and everyone aboard would have already been torn to shreds by the monstrous horde.
The water around the boat surged, and the number of beasts continued to climb. Soon, there were over a thousand of them. Among them, over a hundred second-tier demonic beasts, which was akin to facing over a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators! As far as the eye could see, the water was densely packed, not just with common fish, but with demonic creatures. The overwhelming aura of demonic energy alone was enough to crush any fighting spirit the human cultivators had left.
"Since they show no signs of attacking, we should continue our journey as normal," someone suggested.
"That seems reasonable," Old Yuan nodded, producing a sword-shaped token, using it to guide the Heavenly River Boat forward. The ship itself was protected by dozens of formations and enchanted with a substantial number of spirit stones. The token in Old Yuan's hand was merely the key to activating this powerful vessel.
At first, the boat moved slowly, and the mass of beasts followed alongside it, stirring the waters into a fearsome, frothy display. Such a spectacle sent waves of anxiety through the crowd. However, the creatures remained peaceful, merely accompanying the ship in its passage.
Phew!
Everyone, except for Yang Fan, who had slipped into a unique meditative state, let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness… it seems they truly mean us no harm."
"But why are they following us?"
The cultivators on deck remained uneasy, still riddled with unanswered questions. The boat began to gradually pick up speed, eventually cruising as it normally would.
"Let's hope we make it through the night without incident," Li Yue Shuang whispered, pressing her palms together in silent prayer.
"Things might not be as simple as they seem. These beasts are following us, but not attacking. They must have a purpose. The 'Demon King' of the Clear River, a figure shrouded in legend for millennia, is likely behind all this," Old Yuan murmured, frowning in thought.
Li Yue Shuang glanced across the deck and noticed Yang Fan standing by the railing. Her heart tightened. With so many demonic beasts surrounding the ship, wasn't it dangerous for him to stand there alone? Yet, there was something so natural about his presence, as if he belonged to the very air around him, blending seamlessly with his surroundings. Only Li Yue Shuang, who had grown fond of him, noticed his peculiarity.
Just as she was about to rush over and pull him away from the edge, something incredible happened.
Boom!
In front of the boat, a colossal wave rose, towering more than ten feet high. The mighty force of the surge seemed to shake the entire Clear River, disturbing the mountains and sending flocks of birds fleeing in panic from the cliffs.
The Heavenly River Boat came to an abrupt halt, blocked by the towering wave. A subtle yet overwhelming pressure descended upon the waterway, enveloping everything within a hundred-mile radius. Whether demonic beasts or humans, they were all suffocating under its weight.
Old Yuan, the highest-ranking cultivator aboard, flushed red from the strain, dropping to one knee on the deck, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The greater his cultivation, the heavier the pressure he endured, and he had been injured in an instant.
The other cultivators fared no better, struggling to maintain their composure. Most of them knelt on the ground, unable to move.
Except for one.
Yang Fan, still in the early stages of Qi Refining, stood calmly by the railing, his perception extending out to sense all the life around him. The life essence mist within him flowed effortlessly through his body, forming an ethereal bridge to the outside world. In that moment, he could hear the emotions of every living thing in the river—their joy, sorrow, and fear. He had tried to connect with the life forces on deck but found their emotions too complex, so he instead extended his awareness to the creatures of the river, sending out waves of peaceful, harmonious energy. Unbeknownst to him, this natural aura of affinity had drawn countless powerful life forms to him, eager to respond to his presence.
Boom!
Suddenly, an overwhelming force shattered the bridge Yang Fan had formed, pulling him out of his transcendent state. At the same time, all the demonic beasts and creatures around the boat scattered, fleeing in terror.
In just a few breaths, the thousands of demonic beasts had vanished without a trace.
Crash!
A massive wave surged skyward, and from the swirling water, a vague figure emerged—an enormous, humanoid form made entirely of azure water. Its very presence radiated an awe-inspiring pressure that seemed to shake heaven and earth.
"Ha ha ha... To think such a strange existence would appear in this world... When the time comes for the ascension to the throne, I invite you to visit my 'River Abyss Court!'"
The giant, composed entirely of water, laughed, its voice booming as it spoke in a language that defied all logic.