87: Chapter 87 is neither subordinate nor a tribute.

Looking at the five giant ships blotting out the sky on the horizon, a trace of unease flashed through Song Lushan's heart.

He naturally knew of the reputation of these cloud whale ships.

It was said that last time, with just a single ship, the power of one cannon blast had pierced through the Protective Sect Array of the Huoyan Sect, a power comparable to a full-force strike from a Golden Core True Person.

"Hmph!" Song Lushan sneered inwardly, forcibly suppressing that trace of unease.

"So what if there are five? They are merely equivalent to five Golden Core True Persons. To me, a Nascent Soul True Lord, how much of a threat can they be?"

As for the fifteen hundred female Disciples on the deck whose Aura was like a rainbow... he had to admit that the Disciples of the same rank in the Tianhuo Sect truly could not compare to them.

But so what? Foundation Establishment is, after all, Foundation Establishment!

In front of a Nascent Soul Cultivator like him, they were merely ants that could be wiped out with a flick of his sleeve!

Thinking this, Song Lushan's mind calmed slightly.

He exchanged a glance with Wu Chunhua beside him, and both their figures rose simultaneously, hovering in mid-air to face Ling Hao at the bow of the central ship.

Song Lushan spoke first, his voice mocking: "Sect Master of Moon Shadow Sect, you are rather late? I thought you would make the envoy from the Upper Kingdom wait for you."

"Since you have only just arrived, your Moonshadow Sect... the tribute you have prepared this time must be extremely generous, right?"

Ling Hao stood at the bow of the ship, his black robes fluttering in the wind, his expression calm, his voice clearly spreading in all directions: "Tribute? My Moonshadow Sect is neither subordinate to any force, nor do we offer tribute."

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a thunderclap!

The crowd of Loose Cultivators below, who had been whispering, fell into an uproar.

"What did he just say? No tribute?!" Someone exclaimed in shock.

"I think this Sect Master of Moon Shadow Sect has lost his mind!"

"Simply arrogant! Even the Tianhuo and Huoyan Sects would not dare to have such thoughts!"

"I remember that the fourth-rank Sect in the neighboring Cao State, the Cao Ni Ma Sect, refused to pay tribute, and three months later they were wiped out by a Sect from the Upper Kingdom with a wave of their hand. Now the grass on their graves is ten meters high..."

Hearing Ling Hao's words, Song Lushan was stunned for a moment, then laughed in extreme anger, as if he had heard the most absurd joke in the world: "Ha... Hahaha! A good 'neither subordinate, nor offering tribute'!"

"Sect Master Ling, in this world of cultivation, the weak are prey to the strong—an eternal truth! You want to offer no tribute? Fine! But do you have the... strength to match that?"

Ling Hao's actions not only failed to anger him but instead made Song Lushan overjoyed.

This was simply a perfect excuse for a fight delivered to his doorstep!

"Very well!" Song Lushan's voice was icy. "Since you dare to speak such wild words and show contempt for the Upper Kingdom, today, since the envoy has not yet arrived, I will act on their behalf and capture you, this madman! I believe the envoy, upon knowing the reason, will not blame me."

A flash of killing intent appeared in his eyes. "By the way, I will also settle the blood debt for my son, Qingfeng!"

Although Song Lushan could not really be said to love that son very much, they were, after all, connected by blood, and this son had indeed been of great help to his cultivation of the Green Crown Immortal Art.

He swept his gaze toward Wu Chunhua at his side.

Wu Chunhua seemed to understand his meaning; hatred surfaced in her eyes, and she said sternly: "Well said! Today, I also want to avenge my son!"

Before the words had faded, the spiritual power around her exploded, and she was the first to transform into a streak of red light, carrying surging flames as she lunged straight at Ling Hao.

Song Lushan glanced at the back of Wu Chunhua as she rushed forward, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

He remembered that his former wife had always been extremely protective of their son, Qingfeng; even when their son wanted to establish the Huoyan Sect, it was largely her paving the way.

But now, with the enemy before them... the desire for revenge she was showing at this moment seemed... less intense than his own, a "father" who treated the son as a tool?

Seeing Wu Chunhua lunging to kill, Chi Shuying, who was standing beside Ling Hao, felt a flash of cold light in her eyes and stepped forward without hesitation!

"Hmph, a mere Nascent Soul second layer, and you dare to stop me?" Wu Chunhua snorted coldly, her words full of disdain and contempt.

Chi Shuying's face was as calm as water, and she did not respond verbally.

As her delicate hands rose lightly, two streams of light shot out, piercing the air.

The flowing cloud water sleeves expanded in the wind, with pale golden runes flowing endlessly on the surface of the sleeves, carrying a shrill screech as they headed straight to wrap around Wu Chunhua's waist.

With her right hand forming a sword finger, the mystic frost ice sword rang out as it left its sheath!

The sword body was crystal clear, and the rich water spiritual energy erupted instantly, turning into a sky full of bone-chilling ice crystal sword shadows, covering the sky and earth, sealing off all of Wu Chunhua's retreat routes.

Wu Chunhua's expression changed slightly, and she did not dare to be negligent.

The crimson long silk danced endlessly, and scorching fire waves surged out, turning into layers upon layers of fire curtains to resist the icy Sword Qi.

At the same time, a precious umbrella burning with raging flames spun above her head, shedding streaks of fiery red light to forcefully contend with the flowing cloud water sleeves.

The red silk collided with the ice sword, ice and fire intertwined, explosions continued, and mist steamed upward.

The fire umbrella and water sleeves wrestled, and dull impact sounds accompanied the wild diffusion of energy ripples!

For a moment, the sky seemed to be divided into red and blue, with flames and ice clashing fiercely, presenting a state of being evenly matched.

"Impossible!" Wu Chunhua's heart surged with stormy waves, and for the first time, an expression of disbelief appeared on her face.

"You are only at the Nascent Soul second layer! How can you contend with me?!"

In the Nascent Soul Realm, the barrier of every small Realm was extremely difficult; fighting across two or three layers was already the mark of a rare Genius.

The person in front of her was actually using second-layer cultivation to hard-match her, a seventh-layer True Lord, without falling behind? This simply overturned her understanding!

Chi Shuying felt Ling Hao's gaze behind her, her eyes calm.

This time, she would win beautifully!

Her hands suddenly formed seals, her ten fingers flying like butterflies, and a mysterious and obscure fluctuation spread from her body.

"Secret Technique—Jie!"

Amidst her clear shout, Chi Shuying's face instantly paled a little.

As the word fell, the light on the flowing cloud water sleeves and the mystic frost ice sword suddenly soared!

The flowing cloud water sleeves shook violently, and the pale golden runes burned as if they were alive!

The sleeves suddenly tightened, like billions of tons of divine iron, and struck fiercely against the crimson long silk!

"Crack!"

The incredibly tough crimson silk, containing the essence of earth fire, let out a mournful cry, and the fire spiritual light flowing on it dimmed by more than half, forced to roll back.

Wu Chunhua felt a vast and irresistible force coming, her tiger's mouth shook violently, and she almost couldn't hold onto her Magic Treasure.

At the same time, the sky full of ice crystal sword shadows suddenly solidified!

Each sword shadow seemed to have been injected with the Origin of extreme cold, and wherever it passed, even the scorching air was frozen into fine ice dust.

The defensive light curtain emitted by the spinning flaming treasure umbrella was directly pierced by the countless ice swords!

The ice crystal sword shadows continued unabated, carrying bone-chilling killing intent as they stabbed straight at Wu Chunhua's body!

"What?!"

Wu Chunhua was terrified, and in her haste, she only had time to dodge sideways while frantically urging her protective spiritual light.

Several ice swords grazed past, leaving deep dents on her protective spiritual light.

An exceptionally sharp sword shadow flew past her left shoulder, and the protective flames were instantly frozen and torn apart.

The magic robe on her shoulder was broken, leaving a wound deep enough to see the bone, blood gushed out, staining her clothes red, and an icy, bone-chilling chill surged into her Meridians through the wound.

Wu Chunhua groaned, retreated several steps before stabilizing her figure, and looked at Chi Shuying with eyes full of horror and fear.

"This... what kind of Demonic Technique is this?!"

She had cultivated for nearly three thousand years and experienced countless battles, but she had never seen such a bizarre secret method that could allow a Nascent Soul second-layer Cultivator to erupt with terrifying power enough to severely injure a seventh-layer True Lord!

On the other side, Song Lushan, who was fighting Yu Lingshuang, was also doubting his life.