"That's a Ray Beast!" Master Chaoyang suddenly recalled. The Saintess's wound was not a bite, but a stab from its tail stinger. No wonder it was hard to see; this sea beast's tail stinger was incredibly agile.
"Quickly return its cub to it. This sea beast is immensely powerful. If angered, it can capsize a medium-sized ship," Master Chaoyang immediately ordered the guards to release the young ray back into the sea.
Looking at the beast's wings, tens of meters wide in the water, it was clear this sea beast hadn't caused further trouble because its cub was on the ship, making it hesitant to act rashly.
It was fortunate its cub wasn't killed; otherwise, it would have been an endless battle.
In the cultivation world, whether it was demonic beasts or cultivators, they were fiercely protective of their offspring. The higher the cultivation, the more difficult it was to conceive, and it was the same for demonic beasts. Therefore, capturing a demonic beast's cub was an absolute declaration of war, leading to an unending conflict.
This was the drawback of the cultivation world. The higher one's cultivation, the closer their bodies approached perfection, making procreation increasingly difficult.
"We've inquired. This cub was washed onto the deck by the waves and picked up by someone from the kitchen. During the tsunami, many fish were swept onto the ship's deck," Yu Jian said from the side.
As soon as the cub was released into the water, the colossal sea beast swam over, letting the cub rest on its back. It then submerged into the sea and swam away.
With the matter resolved, Ye Ju decided to return to her own ship. Had Xiao Bai and the others not arrived yet? Was something wrong? Ye Ju felt a pang of worry.
"Fellow Daoist Chaoyang, I must take my leave. I need to check on Xiao Bai and the others," Ye Ju said, flying away on her sword.
"Ah—" Yu Jian was about to say something when he saw Fairy Ye fly off, feeling a sense of emptiness.
Master Chaoyang also wished to depart, intending to bid farewell to the Saintess and Elder Yu.
"Brother Yang, where are you going? Can you escort me to Pearl City?" The Saintess, upon waking, disregarded her recovering body and eagerly got up to find Master Chaoyang. As she descended the stairs, she only saw the figure of Fairy Ye flying on her sword.
"Yu Yao, why are you up? You should rest more," Master Chaoyang said, his expression darkening slightly, displeased.
"I... I'm fine..." Saintess Yu Yao, seeing Master Chaoyang's expression, felt a bit scared.
"Shui Qin, help your Saintess back to her room to rest," Master Chaoyang commanded without room for argument.
"Yu Jian, send a signal for Zhen Niang from your sect to rendezvous. I will escort you for a stretch of the journey."
Yu Jian bowed respectfully:
"Yes, Senior Brother Chaoyang." Yu Jian was secretly pleased. Everyone knew that the Young Master of the Chaotian Immortal Sect possessed profound cultivation. With his escort, their upcoming journey would be secure. Thinking of that Fairy Ye, he could ask his senior brother about her.
Meanwhile, Ye Ju had been flying for about fifteen minutes. According to her route, she should have met the Purple Bamboo ship by now.
However, the vast ocean revealed no sign of the Purple Bamboo ship. Helpless, Ye Ju ascended, expanding her divine sense to scan the sea for a hundred li around. She also checked the seabed, but found nothing.
Ye Ju began to panic. Could they have encountered powerful cultivators and been abducted? Wiped out in one go?
Ye Ju sat down on her sword, Yusou. She needed to activate the contract power to locate Xiao Bai.
Ye Ju closed her eyes and entered her sea of consciousness. She saw Xiao Bai slumbering within, which was bad. Someone had drugged Xiao Bai. No wonder she hadn't sensed any danger for Xiao Bai. Xiao Mo was also asleep in a corner, just as he had been when she left, curled up like a piece of excrement. Could he still be unconscious since she knocked him out?
Xiao Mo, wake up! Wake up quickly! Unable to rouse him, she, enraged, transformed into a tiny figure and rushed into her sea of consciousness, punching Xiao Mo on the head.
"Moo~" Xiao Mo cried out in pain from Ye Ju's punch. He opened his hazy eyes and looked at his shrunken master.
"Master, why are you hitting me again?"
"Xiao Mo, quickly return to your body and see where you are! Xiao Bai has been drugged. I can't find you!" Ye Ju's voice was anxious.
Xiao Mo nodded, shot out of the sea of consciousness, flashed with luminescence, and disappeared.
Xiao Mo woke up in his own body and saw himself coiled in a circle, his tail tied in a knot. He was no longer on the Purple Bamboo ship. He was confined within a cage.
The dignity of a flood dragon could not be violated.
"Moo~~" With an enraged roar, his body instantly expanded, shattering the cage. He burst out of the dilapidated structure! He realized he had been locked at the bottom of the ship's cabin.
Flying into the air, he discovered that the Purple Bamboo ship was being towed by a colossal vessel.
Xiao Mo opened his mouth and spat out a spherical lightning bolt, striking the ship's mast.
With a thunderous boom, the mast, as thick as a water bucket, toppled. The moment Xiao Mo roared, the people on the ship felt their hearts tremble, and boundless fear spread through everyone's hearts.
They emerged from the cabin to see the colossal flood dragon roaring in the sky. My heavens! Everyone was stunned. Where did this flood dragon come from? It was unbelievable! Those with lower cultivation directly collapsed to their knees in fright.
Only one person, clad in black, had eyes filled with fanaticism. A flood dragon? If he could subdue it and make it his spiritual pet, he would be invincible! He had just obtained a Nine-tailed Divine Fox, and now a divine dragon appeared immediately!
"Ha~ Hahaha~" The man in black suddenly threw his head back and laughed!
"Is the Elder crazy? Has fear driven him mad?" The others on the ship looked at the man in black with disbelief.
"Noble flood dragon, are you willing to submit to me and become my spiritual pet?" The man in black said, his eyes burning as he looked at the flood dragon in the sky.
"You are not worthy!" Xiao Mo said coldly.
"Hand over Xiao Hu, and I will spare your lives!"
"Haha, if you don't obey, you'll get a beating." The man in black held a long whip. He believed that without beating these beasts into submission, they would not listen. He lunged forward and whipped at Xiao Mo in the air.
Xiao Mo nimbly dodged, spewing lightning bolts, but they were deflected by the man in black's whip. They crashed into the sea, exploding and instantly electrocuting many fish, causing their corpses to surface. Xiao Mo's pupils contracted. That whip was unusual. He continuously spat out spherical lightning and ice blades.
The man in black, caught off guard by Xiao Mo's move, narrowly avoided it by turning his head, but his ear was sliced off. Enraged, the man in black flew into the air, his whip dancing like a blur. Xiao Mo, unable to dodge, was struck by a whip, which felt as if it had struck his very soul.
"Moo~ Master, it hurts so much." Xiao Mo's soul trembled in pain, and he couldn't help but call out to Ye Ju.
This was the Soul-striking Whip! Xiao Mo knew he couldn't touch the whip and could only attack from a distance.
A gale rose from the sea, as if sensing Xiao Mo's inner rage. Waves rose higher and higher! The seawater churned violently. This was the wrath of the flood dragon. The people on the ship were battered by the waves; some fell into the sea, while others were directly knocked unconscious. Those with higher cultivation flew into the air to watch the battle, daring not to approach. Even the shockwaves from the fight between the man and the dragon could send people flying.
The Elder was at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, but his most potent weapon was the Soul-striking Whip, specifically designed to counter demonic beasts. Countless spirit beasts had met their end at his hands. Submit or die... The sect members feared him. Even sect disciples who offended him were struck by his whip and had their souls scattered!
As early as Xiao Mo's first roar, Ye Ju had heard it and rushed over on her sword. By the time she arrived, she saw her Xiao Mo being struck by a whip, his entire dragon body trembling in pain...
Ye Ju's heart ached at the sight, and she shouted, "Staff, come forth~~"