70: Pay up! Or we'll dismantle your ship!

On the deck, the sea breeze was fishy and salty.

Li Jianyi's miserable scream was like a duck with its neck choked, sharp and ear-piercing, cutting through the deathly silence.

He was pinned firmly to the mast by his own broken sword, and blood stained his snow-white sword robes red.

The group of Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples behind him had faces as pale as ghosts, their bodies trembling like fallen leaves in the wind.

The sea-crossing divine boat steward felt his legs go soft, almost collapsing to the ground.

"Everyone, everyone, esteemed Cultivators, it's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding..."

Before he could finish, a golden abacus slammed onto the railing in front of him with a "thwack."

Wang Duojin walked forward with a pained expression, pointing to the spot where Ye Chenfeng had just been standing.

"A misunderstanding? You call this a misunderstanding?"

He pointed at the few drops of blood on the deck.

"See that? Blood! My Senior Brother's foot was injured by the Sword Qi from that dog surnamed Li! Are you going to pay for the medical expenses or not?"

Ye Chenfeng glanced at him, retreated silently two steps, found a clean spot, leaned against the ship's side, and began wiping his newly acquired, still-warm broken sword.

The steward opened his mouth, staring at Ye Chenfeng's soles, which were cleaner than his own face, and couldn't say a word.

Wang Duojin ignored him, his golden abacus clicking and clacking.

"And another thing, my Senior Brother's beloved sword got a chip in its lacquer while blocking that sneak attack from the guy surnamed Li! Calculate it, how much should you Heavenly Sword Sect pay for mental damages and lost wages?"

"We didn't bring that many Spirit Stones..." a Heavenly Sword Sect Disciple gathered his courage to whisper a rebuttal.

"Didn't bring them?" Wang Duojin's eyes widened. "You dare go out without bringing Spirit Stones? What about your Storage Rings? Magic Treasures? Cultivation Techniques? Take them all out! My Myriad Dao Merchant Guild supports bartering!"

His demeanor didn't look like a Disciple of a Sect; he looked more like a bandit chief holding up travelers.

On the lower deck, countless passengers poked their heads out, pointing at the top deck with excited expressions, ready to watch a good show.

"My god, isn't that Li Jianyi from the Heavenly Sword Sect? That ruthless guy ranked tenth on the hidden dragon ranking, how did he get pinned to the mast?"

"Shh! Keep it down! Didn't you see? The one who attacked is Ye Chenfeng from the recently famous Myriad Dao Divine Sect!"

"One move! Just one move! Are all the Cultivators from the Eastern Wasteland this ferocious?"

Amidst the discussion, those Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples turned pale and blue, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to hide in.

"What? Still not moving?"

Ye Wushang had walked behind them at some point.

He didn't speak, just watched them quietly with his pitch-black eyes.

Those Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples shivered under his gaze, feeling as if they were being stared at by a Vicious Beast from the Nine Netherworlds, and hurriedly scrambled to rummage through their Storage Rings.

"Clink."

"Clatter."

In an instant, Spiritual Artifacts, Medicinal Pills, and Jade Slips were tossed all over the ground.

Wang Duojin crouched down with a grin and began counting them one by one, muttering non-stop.

"Low Grade Profound Rank Flying Sword, tsk, piece of junk, I'll count it as one hundred Spirit Stones."

"Third-grade Qi Recovery Pill? Still has Impurities, fifty Spirit Stones, can't pay more than that."

"《Heavenly Heart Sword Art》? A fragment? Not even a dog would want it, get lost."

His nitpicking manner made those Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples so angry they almost coughed up blood.

Just then, a calm voice sounded from the stairwell.

"Stop."

A middle-aged man in black brocade robes with a majestic face walked up slowly, surrounded by a group of guards.

His aura was clearly that of a Great Perfection of Nascent Soul Transformation Stage, only half a step away from Void Refining.

He was the Chief Steward of this sea-crossing divine boat, Sun Hai, Divine Boat Chief Steward.

Seeing him, the steward looked as if he had seen a savior and scrambled over.

"Chief Steward! You've come! This group of Eastern Wasteland..."

"Shut up!"

Sun Hai, Divine Boat Chief Steward coldly stopped him, then swept his gaze across the deck.

When he saw Li Jianyi pinned to the mast and the mess on the ground, his eyelids twitched violently.

He didn't look at the Heavenly Sword Sect people, but walked straight to Ye Chenfeng and bowed deeply to this young man who was only at the Soul Transformation stage.

"I am Sun Hai, Divine Boat Chief Steward, Chief Steward of the divine boat."

"That such an unpleasant event happened on the boat is due to my poor management, disturbing the esteemed Cultivators of the Myriad Dao Divine Sect."

"I represent the divine boat in offering my sincerest apologies to you all."

His posture was extremely low.

Ye Chenfeng lifted his eyelids and glanced at him.

"You, at least, know how to speak better than him."

Sun Hai, Divine Boat Chief Steward's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He knew he had bet correctly.

This group of powerful dragons from the Eastern Wasteland was far more terrifying than the local snake that was the Heavenly Sword Sect.

"Come here!" Sun Hai, Divine Boat Chief Steward turned sharply, pointed at those Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples, and shouted sternly.

"Compensate the esteemed Cultivators of the Myriad Dao Divine Sect with everything of Young Master Li's!"

"And take Young Master Li back to his room and treat him well!"

"Tell the people of the Heavenly Sword Sect that this provocation was their fault first. If they have any objections, tell them to come find me, Sun, directly!"

His words were decisive.

It was both giving an explanation to the Myriad Dao Divine Sect and completely drawing a line with the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Those Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples were pale as death, not daring to resist at all, handing over all their valuables, and then scrambled to "pry" the still-wailing Li Jianyi off the mast and carried him away in a sorry state.

The deck was finally quiet.

Wang Duojin put the pile of spoils into his Storage Ring, his face beaming with joy.

"Chief Steward Sun, you are indeed a reasonable man."

He patted Sun Hai, Divine Boat Chief Steward's shoulder with an "I approve of you" expression.

"To show support for your work, I won't ask you to refund three times the rent for the top floor."

"However..." his tone changed.

"For our hundred or so people, shouldn't you, Chief Steward Sun, provide some gestures regarding all our food, drink, and snacks on the boat?"

Sun Hai, Divine Boat Chief Steward's mouth twitched.

He looked at the fat man smiling like the Maitreya Buddha in front of him, and only one thought crossed his mind.

What kind of divine Sect is this Myriad Dao Divine Sect?

How are the Disciples they teach one more ruthless than the next?

One cripples people, the other extorts them in a blink.

"Yes, yes." He nodded repeatedly, "All expenses for the esteemed Cultivators on the boat are free! All free!"

"That's more like it." Wang Duojin nodded with satisfaction.

...

Cabin, Heavenly Room Number One.

Chu Xuanjin lay on the soft couch paved with ten-thousand-year ice silkworm silk, listening to the commotion outside, a curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

These Disciples of his truly did not disappoint him.

One is better at causing trouble than the last.

And one is better at settling trouble than the last.

【Ding! Detected that Host's Disciple Ye Chenfeng has demonstrated the Sect's Divine Might before forces of the Central Plains!】

【Sect prestige significantly increased!】

【Reward: Sect Master's exclusive rocking chair * 1 (comes with massage, warm tea, and noise-canceling functions)!】

Chu Xuanjin looked at the reward that popped up on the System panel and was stunned for a moment.

Immediately, he shook his head with a wry smile.

This System really understands him better and better.

He waved his hand, and a rocking chair made of unknown divine wood, emitting a faint fragrance, appeared in the room.

He lay on it.

Hmm, it was indeed much more comfortable than the previous one.

...

Three days later.

The sea-crossing divine boat officially sailed into the legendary Endless Dead Sea.

The sky turned gray.

The seawater also changed from azure blue to a deathly ink black.

A scent of decay and decline permeated the air.

The divine boat's protective light barrier lit up automatically, isolating the Death Qi that could erode the Divine Soul.

All passengers were told not to leave their cabins.

On the top deck.

The Disciples of the Myriad Dao Divine Sect, however, were all gathered here, curiously looking at the scene outside.

"Is this the Endless Dead Sea?"

Ergou leaned on the ship's side, looking at the black seawater without a ripple below, feeling a bit palpitated.

"It is said that this sea cannot even be penetrated by light. In the sea, live countless terrifying sea beasts left over from the ancient times." Lin Yi's expression also became grave.

"It's not just sea beasts."

Su Linger looked at the gray sky in the distance and spoke coldly.

"The Void Realm in this sea area is also unstable. Spatial cracks often appear. If one is sucked in, even a Void Refining expert has a nine-in-ten chance of death."

Just then.

"Woooo —"

A long roar, as if coming from the abyss of Hell, suddenly erupted from the pitch-black seabed!

The entire divine boat shook violently!

"What is that!"

Everyone's faces changed drastically.

Only to see, on the left side of the divine boat, a huge shadow comparable to a mountain was slowly rising from the seabed.

It was a giant beast that could not be described in words.

It had a body like an octopus, but grew hundreds of tentacles like giant pythons.

Every tentacle was covered in densely packed eyeballs flashing with ghostly green light.

Just by floating to the surface, the fierce aura from the Primordial era suppressed all the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Stage Disciples present until they couldn't breathe.

"It... it's a Void Sea Demon!"

Sun Hai, Divine Boat Chief Steward, the divine boat's steward, rushed to the deck with a pale face, his voice trembling.

"Damn it! How could we run into this thing here!"

"All guards! Activate the divine boat's main cannon! Prepare to fight!"

He roared at the top of his lungs.

Above the divine boat, several batteries began to gather dazzling spiritual light.

However, that Void Sea Demon didn't pay any attention to the divine boat at all.

Its hundreds of ghostly green eyeballs were locked onto one person on the deck.

Zhao Wuyou.

"Roar!"

The sea demon let out an excited roar, and a tentacle thicker than a mountain range kicked up a monstrous wave and slammed down fiercely towards Zhao Wuyou!

"Its... its target is that Young Master!" Sun Hai, Divine Boat Chief Steward screamed in terror.

"Court death."

Zhao Wuyou raised his head, his golden eyes without a ripple.

He just extended his hand.

Hum!

A halberd, dark gold throughout and carved with Primordial Dragon patterns, appeared in his hand.

The dragon emperor halberd!

He held the halberd, took a step out, and charged towards the sky-covering tentacle!

"Junior Brother!" Ye Chenfeng and the others' expressions changed.

But before they could act.

Zhao Wuyou's figure had already collided with that terrifying tentacle.

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

Only a slight sound, as if cloth was being torn.

That huge tentacle capable of smashing a city was actually sliced open by that seemingly tiny figure with a single strike of the halberd!

Dark green blood poured down from the sky like a rainstorm.

"Roar —!"

The Void Sea Demon let out a painful wail.

Its hundreds of eyeballs all showed expressions of fear.

It wanted to escape.

But Zhao Wuyou would not give it that chance.

"Dragon God Transformation!"

He let out a low roar, and the aura on his body climbed step by step!

A more solid and majestic Primordial Dragon God phantom appeared behind him!

His whole person turned into a golden stream of light, charging directly into the dark green blood rain, rushing towards the Void Sea Demon's main body!

"Today, I take you to sacrifice to my dragon halberd!"