Stranger Danger

"Aren't you afraid of becoming drunk?" A chuckling Ye Qing asked the question and received an immediate shake of the head from the Gluttonous Fish. It also hit the water surface with its thin, long tail and elicited some splashes.

"Interesting. Looks like the sea is gaining a new drinker from now on!" Feng Qingyou remarked smilingly.

"Hahaha... I know right?"

Ye Qing's hands were moving even though he was laughing. He poured another cup of Burning Fire for the Gluttonous Fish and said, "This is the last one, okay?"

This time, the Gluttonous Fish did not flip on its belly. Instead, it wobbled here and there around the Cloud Boat as if basking in the feeling of mild drunkenness.

The Gluttonous Fish woke up a short while later. This time though, it did not beg for food from Ye Qing or Feng Qingyou anymore. Instead, it circled around the Cloud Boat protectively and chased away those malicious Strangers who were eyeing the boat intently.

"I like that it's not a freeloader."

The sight of the Gluttonous Fish on guard duty put a smile on Ye Qing's face. He looked at Feng Qingyou and said, "Go rest, Qingyou. I'll guard us during the night."

"Very well. Call for me if you need anything." Feng Qingyou did not turn him down. She gave him a nod before walking toward her room.

Although they hadn't fought anyone this whole day, they performed thievery right under the nose of several Sages and spent the rest of the day running for at least hundreds of kilometers. It was a big stress on their spirit and their stamina. This was especially true for Feng Qingyou as she was the one who planned and arranged most of their escape routes and methods after the Yin Horse Carriage. Naturally, she needed a good rest to recover from the mental and spiritual strain she put herself through.

As for Ye Qing, he spent most of his time enjoying the fruits of his companion's labor. The fatigue he accumulated was so minor it basically did not exist. That was why he volunteered to keep watch for the night.

Technically, he didn't need to keep watch. At their level, they could detect any danger or unusual occurrence at first notice. The Cloud Boat possessed the ability to turn invisible and conceal their tracks as well.

This was the sea, however. Most parts of the land might not be a mystery to humans any longer, but the sea had always been unknown and mysterious; dangerous and terrifying, not to mention that this night of all nights was one where they should be on guard.

That was why it was necessary to have someone to keep watch during the night.

After draining the last bit of Burning Fire in the wine pot, Ye Qing took a moment to put away all the utensils. Finally, he returned to the deck and sat down with his eyes lightly shut, facing toward the night.

Right now, he was releasing his demonic thought and perceiving everything around him. At the same time, he turned his focus inward and channeled the "Earthly Sovereign Scripture", assisting the Earthly Sovereign Bell in devouring and refining the Heavens' Eye's origin power.

Inside his headspace, the Earthly Sovereign Bell was flashing brightly and chiming noisily. It was both because the Earthly Sovereign Bell was much stronger after consuming the Heavens' Eye's origin power, and because the latter was still struggling and attempting to break free.

Of course, its efforts were utterly futile. Although the Heavens' Eye was the national relic of Chu, it had suffered significant damage and lost the large majority of its power beforehand. On the other hand, the Earthly Sovereign Bell was a potent Strange Artifact with an even greater background than the Heavens' Eye. Sure, the Earthly Sovereign Bell had lost most of its origin power as well, but a dead camel was still bigger than a horse. It might not be able to suppress the Heavens' Eye perfectly, but it could certainly prevent it from breaking free.

This was doubly true after Ye Qing fused his strength with the Earthly Sovereign Bell. To give a metaphor, his assistance was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Inside his headspace, Ye Qing's yang god was sitting crosslegged while holding up the Earthly Sovereign Bell with one hand. He was circulating the Yin Yang Qi to neutralize the Heavens' Eye's struggle while injecting new strength into the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

Over time, the Earthly Sovereign Bell grew stronger, and the Heavens' Eye weaker. Naturally, the speed at which the Earthly Sovereign Bell was devouring and refining the Heavens' Eye's origin power was increasing in a straight line as well.

Not only that, as the Earthly Sovereign Bell's power swelled, a portion of it was flowing into Ye Qing as well. His yang god became denser and flawless, his spirit became richer, and his body became stronger. This was especially true for the Earthly Sovereign True Body. It kept improving under the nourishment and refinement of the Earthly Sovereign Bell's Profound Yellow Mother Qi.

In just a moment, years of hard work had been shaved off his cultivation.

He had no doubt that the Earthly Sovereign Bell would experience a qualitative increase in power after it had fully devoured and refined the Heavens' Eye's origin power. It was the same for him as well.

All he could say was that the Heavens' Eye was the good shit, and Emperor Jing Run was a good fucking man.

After he was done indulging in his stray thoughts, Ye Qing focused fully on assisting the Earthly Sovereign Bell and refining the Heavens' Eye.

Silence soon settled over the boat. Seemingly knowing that the passengers on the boat were resting or cultivating, the Gluttonous Fish stopped hitting the water surface or chasing after the waves. Instead, it swam around the Cloud Boat quietly.

The night was hazy, and the moon was blurry. The boat was the only distinct object sailing toward the horizon like a clear dream.

......

"Ooo ooo ooo..."

Several hours later, Ye Qing was woken up from his meditation by a long cry.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the Gluttonous Fish crying insistently and slapping the water with its fins. It looked anxious and worried.

When it saw that Ye Qing was awake, it lifted its thin, long tail high into the air and pointed forward, crying.

"You're saying there's danger up ahead?"

Ye Qing could feel anxiety and fear from the Gluttonous Fish's cries. At the same time, his demonic thought told him that something terrifying was approaching them.

Ye Qing waved his hand, and the Cloud Boat created many clouds. Over time, the clouds lifted the Cloud Boat into the air.

"Ooo ooo!"

The Gluttonous Fish's eyes bugged out when it saw this.

"You didn't know? I can fly, bud."

Ye Qing gave the Gluttonous Fish a smirk and a wave. "We'll be fine, so go hide."

The Gluttonous Fish caught his meaning and dove into the ocean.

First, Ye Qing flew the Cloud Boat dozens of meters above sea level. Then, he carefully crept forward.

He was curious. He wanted to know what kind of creature lurked ahead that even he felt uneasy.

"What's wrong?" Feng Qingyou walked out of the cabin. She had sensed the unusual movements of the Cloud Boat.

She looked much better after the long hours of rest.

"There's something up ahead."

His answer was unnecessary. Feng Qingyou noticed something amiss before he even said anything.

The duo stopped talking after that. They sat on the deck and allowed the Cloud Boat to continue forward.

A dozen or so breaths later, a massive object entered their vision.

It was a massive dragon boat. It was over three hundred meters long and almost two hundred meters tall. It looked like a dragon. The frame was its bones, the scales were its body, and the flesh and blood were its deck. It looked massive and formidable, brutal and barbaric.

Even stranger, the boat was burning with a dark green flame. Neither wind nor water could extinguish it.

The dark green flame felt bone-chilling instead of hot. Even from a hundred meters away, it chilled both Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou.

"Is that... the Ghost Dragon Boat?" Ye Qing guessed.

Feng Qingyou wasn't sure, but she replied, "I think so."

"Tsk tsk... we're a lucky duo, aren't we? To think we would run into the legendary Ghost Dragon Boat not even one full day after we enter the sea," Ye Qing quipped sarcastically.

The sea was a mysterious and unfathomable place. All sorts of Anomalies, legends, and taboos existed in it. The Ghost Dragon Boat was one of them.