401: Chapter 41 Meeting the Vast Ocean!

"What's the deal with this Qin Yan...?"

He murmured to himself, "How could his strength surpass Wangshu's by so much?"

Xiao Shan knew his granddaughter better than anyone.

Xiao Wangshu was not only his direct blood descendant but also possessed an extremely unique and secret inheritance from her mother's lineage.

Coupled with the Xiao family's all-out investment in her cultivation and her own extraordinary comprehension and perseverance,

Xiao Wangshu's strength was absolutely top-tier among her peers, and fighting beyond her rank was no difficult feat for her.

Yet just now, facing Qin Yan who was also at the Fourth Rank Peak, Xiao Wangshu was practically crushed in a head-on confrontation!

This was simply unbelievable!

"And, the 'Five Elements Primordial Scripture'..."

Confusion filled Xiao Shan's eyes, "This scripture is profound and abstruse, extremely difficult to begin with, placing nearly perverse demands on the cultivator's affinity with the Five Elements and their comprehension."

"How could Qin Yan succeed in grasping the basics in such a short time..."

Unless... this boy has encountered an earth-shattering stroke of fortune, or perhaps, he harbors a secret even the higher-ups of Modu University haven't detected?

Xiao Shan sank into deep thought.

A genius who suddenly rises, with strength far exceeding expectations, is undoubtedly a blessing for humanity, but it could also bring unknown variables.

"It seems I'll need to have someone thoroughly investigate Qin Yan's background later."

Xiao Shan made a decision in his heart, "From his origins, his growth experiences, to his performance at Modu University, especially the detailed events within Canglin Ancient Peak... no detail can be overlooked."

...

Approximately a quarter of an hour later, the fluctuating moonlight aura around Xiao Wangshu gradually calmed.

She opened her eyes, their color having returned to their usual cool clarity.

She stood up, silently glanced at the broken fragments of the long sword on the ground, and waved her hand to collect them.

Then, she took out another sword of a similar style, but one that seemed more restrained and ancient in aura, and hung it at her waist.

Throughout the entire process, she did not look at Qin Yan again, nor did she utter a single word.

She simply walked quietly back to the reef she had been guarding earlier, resumed standing with her hands clasped behind her back, and gazed out at the sea.

Qin Yan rubbed his nose and wisely chose silence as well.

He also returned to his own position and began keeping watch.

Over the next few hours, the beachhead position welcomed two more small-scale infiltrations by the Sea Clan.

One was five or six low-rank "Spiked Armor Crab Soldiers," attempting to land while brandishing their sharp pincers;

The other was seven or eight Merman Warriors mixed with two swift-moving "Poisonous Jellyfish Demons."

Qin Yan did not use his long spear again, nor did he even leave the reef.

He simply sat cross-legged on the high ground, his fingers flicking continuously, sending out condensed streams of "Xuan Ming True Water Qi."

Whether it was the heavily armored crab soldiers, the soft-bodied, highly Poisonous Jellyfish Demons, or the fearless mermen,

All were killed with a single strike before the supremely soft yet tenacious Water-Element Qi.

Qin Yan's performance of effortlessly dispatching enemies with a flick of his fingers greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers at the position.

Their gazes toward Qin Yan were filled with respect and trust.

Having such a powerful Fourth Rank Martial Artist holding the fort made them feel much safer.

Unconsciously, the sun dipped westward, painting the horizon where sea met sky with a magnificent tapestry of gold, red, and dark purple.

Night was about to fall, and the chill in the sea breeze noticeably intensified.

At that moment, a soldier hurried to the position, walked straight up to Qin Yan and Xiao Wangshu, and saluted.

"Martial Artist Qin Yan, Martial Artist Xiao Wangshu, Commander Canghai has ordered that you two proceed to see him immediately. He has important matters to convey."

Qin Yan and Xiao Wangshu exchanged a glance.

Xiao Wangshu remained expressionless, merely giving a slight nod.

"Lead the way," Qin Yan said.

Qin Yan instructed the soldiers at the position, "We'll be away for a moment. Heighten your vigilance and send a signal immediately if anything abnormal occurs."

Then, he and Xiao Wangshu followed the messenger soldier and left the position.

However, after walking some distance, Qin Yan and Xiao Wangshu almost simultaneously sensed something amiss.

The direction this messenger was leading them was not the path back into Zhenhai City.

Nor was it the road to other nearby camps.

Instead, it led deeper into a more remote, rugged, and desolate stretch of beach along the coastline, a place rarely frequented.

The night grew thicker, and the surrounding light rapidly dimmed.

Only the occasional sweep of searchlights from the warships on the distant sea and the sparse starlight in the sky provided any illumination.

The sound of waves crashing against the reefs seemed exceptionally clear, even somewhat eerie, in the silence.

"Where are we going?"

Qin Yan stopped walking and asked.

The messenger soldier also halted, turned around, and replied, "Commander Canghai is waiting at a temporary observation post over there.

For you new student arrivals, the Commander gives separate, more in-depth instruction on battlefield survival skills and precautions after your initial deployment, to help you adapt faster."

This explanation sounded reasonable, but Qin Yan's suspicions grew heavier.

Why choose such a remote place, far from the main defensive area and already dark, to teach battlefield basics?

Why not choose a safer, more formal tent or command post?

His gaze flicked toward Xiao Wangshu beside him, just as she happened to look up at him.

Their eyes met for an instant, and both read a trace of identical wariness and doubt in the other's gaze.

Without verbal communication, both subtly adjusted their pace, the distance between them quietly closing somewhat.

They also, as if by unspoken agreement, slightly increased their distance from the messenger soldier.

Simultaneously, the Qi within their bodies began to circulate more swiftly, and their Mental Energy became highly focused.

Their senses heightened to the extreme, carefully perceiving any abnormal energy fluctuations or life auras in the surroundings.

Under the cover of night and the moaning of the sea wind, the three traversed the rugged reefs.

The soldier leading the way maintained a steady pace, while Qin Yan and Xiao Wangshu followed closely behind, the silence between them growing increasingly tense.

This place felt like a lonely corner forgotten at the edge of the battle lines.

After proceeding a bit further, the path ahead suddenly opened up.

In the center of the tidal flat, a figure stood with its back to them, facing the sea, motionless.

The sea wind whipped the hem of his military uniform, and his silhouette, set against the dim twilight and shimmering wave light,

Appeared exceptionally tall and straight, yet also exceptionally solitary.

After leading Qin Yan and Xiao Wangshu to this spot, the guiding soldier saluted the figure's back, then turned around without a word.

He quickly disappeared into the rocky path they had come from, his footsteps soon swallowed by the sound of the waves.

On the tidal flat, only Qin Yan, Xiao Wangshu, and Canghai, who stood with his back to them, remained.

Qin Yan concentrated his gaze and, by the faint and eerie glimmer of light from the sea, barely made out the person's profile—sharp angles, a stubbly beard.

It was indeed that seemingly stern and impartial Sixth-Rank Martial Artist, Canghai!

Canghai slowly turned around and said in a gentle tone:

"Qin Yan, Wangshu, you've come."

"Your performance today was outstanding. I saw it all."