A shocking turn of events! Utterly unexpected!

There was someone else on the Profound Vessel! Lan Qijin was horrified.

He couldn’t believe it. With his level of skill, he hadn’t detected anyone else on the Profound Vessel. Coupled with Qin Ya’s consistently fearless demeanor, what did this imply? It meant the person on the Profound Vessel had an extraordinary cultivation, perhaps even greater than his own!

’Damn it,’ Lan Qijin inwardly cursed, gritting his teeth.

Without a shred of hesitation, his figure shot off into the distance.

’Get out of here!’ That was Lan Qijin’s only thought.

’I should have seen it. That brat Qin Ya was so fearless, he was bound to have an ace up his sleeve. I was too careless.’ Lan Qijin was filled with regret.

He couldn’t be entirely blamed. Besides the feud over his son’s murder, Qin Ya also possessed a staggering 150 tons of Primordial Stones and a Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact—a treasure trove that would drive anyone mad. Hatred and greed had blinded him.

"Supreme Elder, he’s getting away."

Qin Ya watched Lan Qijin flee into the distance and gave an indifferent smile.

"Heh, he’s not going anywhere."

A young man with blue hair walked out from the ship’s cabin. His tone was casual, but the chilling intent behind his words made the entire sea tremble.

"Get back here!"

The moment the words were spoken, the boundless ocean erupted into a monstrous frenzy. Fleeing in the distance, Lan Qijin’s heart leaped in his chest as an icy chill instantly enveloped him.

Then, dozens of massive pillars of water erupted from the ocean before him.

The pillars of water reached from the sea to the sky, soaring toward the Nine Heavens and completely encircling Lan Qijin.

’To control such a vast amount of seawater from dozens of miles away... that kind of power... could it be...?’ Lan Qijin’s pupils constricted. He thought of one person, a man revered like a god in the Vast Sea Divine Palace.

The Supreme Elder, the Martial Arts King... Zong Ji!

"Damn you!!"

Unwilling to accept his fate, a look of grim resolve flashed in Lan Qijin’s eyes.

BOOM! Demonic Qi surged violently. Lan Qijin’s aura skyrocketed as his robes billowed and his hair flew wild. His eyes glinted with a dark, black light. "Dharma Aspect!"

With a roar, his Demonic Qi, carrying his True Essence, stirred the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

A two-hundred-foot-tall, humanoid Dharma Aspect instantly materialized. The moment it appeared, its boundless power churned the ocean currents. Amid his furious roar, Lan Qijin struck out with a world-shaking palm!

"Demonic Qi! A Demon Seed!"

Aboard the Profound Vessel, Zong Ji’s face was like ice. "Well now. To think there’s a Martial Artist in our Vast Sea Divine Palace who would collude with the Demon Race and stoop so low."

"Lan Qijin, you will die today!"

When Zong Ji grew angry, it was as if the Sea God himself was stirred, and the very ocean began to boil.

In the distance, Lan Qijin channeled his Dharma Aspect, striking out with a world-shaking palm that snapped one of the water pillars in half. But immediately after, the countless pillars of water began to move.

The pillars flowed and morphed, transforming into roaring, ferocious Sea Beasts made of pure seawater. There were Sea Dragons baring their fangs and claws, giant sharks with savage visages, and sinister, terrifying Sea Serpents... Every single one of these Sea Beasts radiated a terrifying aura.

Lan Qijin could sense that each one was equivalent to an Extraordinary expert.

The Sea Beasts before him were densely packed—no fewer than thirty of them.

In other words, he was about to be mobbed by more than thirty Extraordinary experts. Even with the power of the Demon Seed, he couldn’t help but feel his heart pound in terror.

’So this is the power of a Martial Arts King.’

A wave of despair washed over Lan Qijin. But then his Demonic Qi flared, the savage look in his eyes intensifying. The will to survive meant he would not be taken without a fight.

’Even if you’re a Martial Arts King, I’ll still give you a fight!’

"Foolish!"

Just then, a roar echoed through the heavens, shaking Lan Qijin to his very core.

The dozens of giant Sea Beasts charged at Lan Qijin. His mind still reeling from the roar, he was caught off guard as a massive whale slammed into his chest. He instantly coughed up a spray of blood and was sent flying for miles.

"ARGHHH!!"

The injury seemed to trigger the brutal nature of his Demonic Qi. Corrosive Demonic Qi pulsed from his body as he launched a barrage of Palm Seals that blotted out the sky, aimed at the Sea Beasts.

The Sea Beasts he struck dissolved into streams of water, but they let out no cries of pain. The seawater simply surged and reformed the creatures’ missing parts.

These Sea Beasts had an Undying Body!

As long as there was water, they could be replenished at any time, in any place!

Lan Qijin’s potent, corrosive Demonic Qi had no effect whatsoever.

’Damn it, how can this be?’

Lan Qijin attacked with frantic desperation, but the Sea Beasts were too powerful. Being made of seawater, they were fearless. They beat him down, leaving him with no way to fight back.

BOOM! Under the combined assault of the Sea Beasts, his massive Dharma Aspect shattered!

Without the aid of his Dharma Aspect, Lan Qijin’s combat prowess plummeted.

RIP...

With the sound of tearing flesh, a sea shark opened its cavernous maw and, in an instant, ripped off one of Lan Qijin’s arms. Blood stained the surface of the sea red.

"AH!"

Lan Qijin screamed in pain. In that moment of distraction, a massive, thousand-foot-long Sea Serpent lunged forward and coiled around him, then began moving off into the distance.

"Let me go! Let go!"

Lan Qijin gritted his teeth against the pain, his Demonic Qi surging as he relentlessly struck the Sea Serpent.

But the Sea Serpent paid it no mind, moving steadfastly in Zong Ji’s direction. Any damage Lan Qijin inflicted was instantly repaired by the surrounding seawater. Soon, the Sea Serpent had carried Lan Qijin before Zong Ji.

"Lan Qijin, stop your pointless struggling."

Zong Ji gave an indifferent wave of his hand, and the Sea Serpent dissipated. He then pointed a finger, and the immense power of his Sea True Intent completely suppressed both the Demonic Qi and True Essence within Lan Qijin’s body.

"Heh, a Martial Arts King truly lives up to the name."

Lan Qijin gave a wretched smile, then looked toward Qin Ya, who sat upon the Profound Vessel. His eyes burned with boundless fury, like a Fierce Beast about to devour its prey. Faced with such a glare, Qin Ya merely smiled faintly and met his gaze without a care.

"Qin Ya!" Lan Qijin spat, his teeth clenched. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

He was in this state entirely because of Qin Ya.

If Qin Ya hadn’t killed his son, he never would have sought revenge. He never would have made a deal with Ying San. And he never would have exposed the fact that he possessed a Demon Seed.

If it weren’t for Qin Ya, he would still be the glorious Divine Palace Island Master.

"Island Master Lan, it’s been a while."

Qin Ya smiled faintly, a hint of mockery in his eyes.

Sensing the mockery in Qin Ya’s eyes, Lan Qijin was overcome with apoplectic rage. He roared, ignoring the True Essence Demon Qi suppressed within him. Blood vessels burst in his eyes, his face contorting into a ferocious snarl as he lunged at Qin Ya like a common man.

Seeing this, Zong Ji, who was standing to the side, snorted coldly and restrained him.

After his frenzied outburst, Lan Qijin knew he couldn’t escape death. His face turned ashen as he asked, "Supreme Elder, I just want to know... why are you here?"

Zong Ji replied coldly, "A member of the Demon Race infiltrated our Vast Sea Divine Palace. What’s more, they possessed the Divine Palace’s treasure, the Reversing Needle, and used it to release a Female Demon. If you claim there isn’t a Demon Race mole inside the Divine Palace, how could I possibly believe that?

Furthermore, this Demon Race member was hunting Master Qin. Heh. Why would a member of the Demon Race hunt someone for no reason? And at the time, you just so happened to have a feud with Master Qin over your son’s death. It would be difficult *not* to make a connection to you.

Today, when Master Qin left the Vast Sea Divine Palace, I decided to follow along and see for myself. Sure enough, you were too impatient. Or perhaps, too confident. Under Master Qin’s questioning, you admitted to everything, confessing your collusion with the Demon Race."

"So that’s how it is... so that’s how it is..."