Chapter 347: Securing First Place
His Red Sun Piercing the Sun was no longer a singular golden flame. Now, it was sheathed in a layer of vibrant emerald. The two colors coiled around each other, a vortex of consumption that ultimately fused into a pillar of churning yellow-green light dozens of feet thick.
The flame patterns on the pillar’s surface no longer flowed; they writhed and roiled as if alive. The very air ignited in its path, leaving a searing trail of fire. Space itself seemed to warp and shimmer from the intense heat, filling the air with the sharp, constant crackle of a forest fire.
Inch by inch, Zhao Wuji’s robes were incinerated into ash. The seawater beneath his feet didn’t just boil—it flash-vaporized, erupting into a towering wall of steam that blotted out the sky.
The Thunder Kui Dragon Beast was scalded so badly that fine beads of sweat oozed from between its dark golden scales. The faint arcs of lightning sputtering from its horn dissipated into nothingness the moment they touched the heatwave, utterly overwhelmed.
It was absolute suppression. A complete and utter rout.
In that moment, Zhao Wuji was a lone sail caught in an apocalyptic inferno. He felt the same suffocating despair that had consumed the Lightning Eel King just moments before.
Just as he was about to activate his life-saving treasure, the oppressive fiery aura vanished as if it had never been.
The turbid water rushed back in, instantly filling the void left by the evaporated sea. In a blink, the world returned to the calm that had preceded the battle.
Jiang Chen retracted his spiritual energy, his expression impassive. “On account of my past dealings with the Dragon Tiger Immortal Sect, I will spare your life. This time.”
A wave of profound relief washed over Zhao Wuji. He hastily cupped his hands in a deep bow. “Thank you, Senior, for showing mercy!”Jiang Chen’s voice was a low rumble. “That ship is the price you pay for your recklessness.”
Zhao Wuji bobbed his head so furiously it was a blur, not daring to utter a single word of protest.
With a flick of his wrist, Jiang Chen dismissed him. “Go.”
Just as Zhao Wuji and his Thunder Kui Dragon Beast turned to flee, the water churned nearby. Luo Teng, who had been knocked overboard, finally surfaced, shouting desperately, “Senior Brother, don’t forget me!”
Only now, when he saw his Senior Brother was safe, did he dare to show his face.
Zhao Wuji’s brow furrowed in annoyance. “Summon your own transport. We’re leaving.”
Luo Teng hastily summoned a seven-colored flying sword. “Where are we going?”
Zhao Wuji shot a terrified glance back at the mysterious expert, the memory of the battle making his scalp tingle. “Straight back to the Sect!”
He remembered now. The whole reason he’d entered this once-a-century Thousand Sails Event was to acquire a Water Spirit Source Crystal and Awaken his Water Spirit Root. That was his only path to the Wanlan Secret Realm in ten years, his only shot at the legendary Su Water Fated Chance.
Zhao Wuji rolled his eyes, his voice laced with bitter resignation. “The Thunderclap is gone. What’s left to compete for?”
With that, the two figures sped away, vanishing into the distance.
Jiang Chen simply watched them go, entertaining no thoughts of a sneak attack. He and Zhao Wuji were not mortal enemies; a harsh lesson on Jin Fugui’s behalf was sufficient.
Of course, he had two other motives for intervening.
First, it was a test of his own power. It seemed that with his various abilities stacked, he could effortlessly crush the so-called “invincible below Golden Core.”
Second, by destroying the Thunderclap, he had effectively disqualified Zhao Wuji from the event.
Now, no one was left to challenge him for first place.
Its massive body, scarred with the marks of fire and lightning, floated listlessly on the murky waves, its death a miserable sight.
He then sent his senses to his Demon Dragon Water-Avoiding Boat and found it in a peculiar position.
It was straddling the wreckage of the Thunderclap.
To the informed, it was clearly devouring the remains to evolve. To the uninformed… it looked like the boat had a rather peculiar fetish.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen glanced toward the distant Calyx Boat and let a meaningful smile touch his lips. He projected his voice, making it sound like a disgruntled senior. “My spirit pet is gone, and my meditation has been disturbed. I shall take my leave of this place!”
His body erupted into a ball of fire and streaked across the sky, disappearing over the horizon.
Beside the Calyx Boat, Long Ao emerged, his expression grave. “To think a powerful expert was in Secluded Cultivation here…”
He had planned to use Zhao Wuji, a scheme that had nearly cost him his life. He was fortunate to have survived, and that Zhao Wuji had as well. But as he looked around the empty deck of the Calyx Boat, his brow furrowed with worry.
Just as his anxiety for Jiang Chen peaked, the water beside the boat began to churn.
With a great splash, a head popped out of the sea.
It was Jiang Chen.
Long Ao stared, dumbfounded. “Junior Brother Jiang, why are you in the water?”
Jiang Chen answered with deadpan sincerity. “Because I’m afraid of death.”
Long Ao was momentarily speechless.
As Jiang Chen climbed back aboard the Calyx Boat, he asked, “What happened to Zhao Wuji?”
Long Ao threw up his hands with a playful shrug. “He ran off!”
Jiang Chen’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Good! While I was down there, I saw a ton of water demons that were either burned or electrocuted to death. We’ve hit the jackpot.”
Long Ao pointed to the colossal corpse of the Lightning Eel King floating in the distance. “Forget those small fry. With this sea monster, we have more than enough to head back!”
Despite his words, they both stayed to clean up the battlefield. They meticulously harvested the corpse of the Lightning Eel King and the other various water demons, taking special care to secure their valuable core parts.
Half an hour later, they were finally piloting the Calyx Boat back toward the mainland.
Along the way, a familiar vessel approached from the opposite direction.
The ship was the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost.
Standing on its deck were two familiar figures: Mu Beiyun and Long Xiyao.
A rare look of surprise crossed Mu Beiyun’s face. “You’ve finished already?”
“What about Zhao Wuji?” she asked.
Jiang Chen and Long Ao exchanged a quick glance. “He… had some urgent business to attend to back home!”
As they continued, they passed numerous other vessels—ships, boats, and shuttles—all heading toward the Turbid Current Belt to hunt. When the cultivators aboard saw the Calyx Boat already returning, they broke into exclamations of praise.
“That must be Fairy Beiyun! As expected of her!”
“She’s a core disciple from one of the three great Immortal Sects. Of course she’s on another level!”
“Well, it looks like the rest of us are fighting for second to tenth place!”
Some cultivators, seeing the futility, simply gave up the competition on the spot. They turned their boats around and followed in the wake of the Calyx Boat, heading back to the Mystic Heart City port.
Having received word of an early return, Zhao Qianyun was already waiting patiently atop a giant water lotus. From a great distance, he spotted the large, jade-white flower of a boat gliding across the water.
The crowd of onlookers erupted in cheers, but their shouts died in their throats. When they saw two men disembark from the Calyx Boat instead of the ethereal Fairy Beiyun they all expected, they were collectively dumbfounded.
Zhao Qianyun himself was taken aback for a moment before breaking into an amused chuckle. “I was wondering who was piloting the Calyx Boat. I never imagined it would be our own people. Gentlemen, have you met the point requirements?”
Jiang Chen wasted no time on pleasantries. He started by pulling out the fish he had caught.
Three Dragon Whisker Koi: 60 points.
One Golden Fin Dragon Carp: 50 points.
Zhao Qianyun’s eyes widened. “Is that a Golden Fin Dragon Carp? One hasn’t been seen in thirty years!”
The rarity of the fish sent a ripple of shock through the crowd.
Jiang Chen asked coolly, “Are the fishing points sufficient?”
Without waiting for a reply, he began pulling out the carcasses of water demons.
Ten Wave-Chasing Shrimp Spirits: 50 points.
One Lightning Eel King: 50 points!
Staring at the colossal corpse now lying on the docks, Zhao Qianyun’s composure finally broke. “The corpse of the sea monster, the Lightning Eel King?”
Few cultivators could ever hope to hunt a beast of this level, let alone a team of two.
Jiang Chen simply lifted his chin. “Are the points for hunting water demons and sea monsters sufficient?”
He pressed on, his voice sharp. “Then, have we obtained first place in this Thousand Sails Event?”
Zhao Qianyun took a deep, steadying breath, his voice booming across the port for all to hear. “Congratulations to Long Ao and Jiang Chen of the Cloud Sea Sect for obtaining first place in this year’s Thousand Sails Event!”