A flash of red light erupted as a crimson flying sword shot across the battlefield. It instantly clashed with the claws of the Second-Tier Demon Crane, leaving a deep, bone-exposing wound on its talon.

It was Li Derong who had saved Wang Wenmei.

Seizing the opportunity, Wang Yanfeng swung his sword down, severing one of the demon crane’s wings. The beast struggled twice, unable to fly, and collapsed to the ground. Li Derong directed his flying sword to circle back and pierce through its chest, ensuring it was dead beyond any doubt.

In a short span of time, two Second-Tier Demon Cranes were killed, and over a dozen First-Tier beasts perished. This terrified the remaining cranes. With a mournful cry, the last Second-Tier crane led its flock in a hasty retreat.

Wang Hao did not pursue them. While the battle had seemed straightforward, two clan members had been injured. If they continued fighting, there was a risk that the Cat-Eye Snails trapped within the formation might break free.

After landing, Wang Hao dared not rest. He immediately cast spells to exterminate the trapped Cat-Eye Snails. Half an hour later, all the snails were eradicated, and everyone collapsed onto the beach, exhausted and disheveled.

“Fellow Daoist Wang, let’s rest for a while before we withdraw the formation and head back! What we’ve gained this time should be enough for our cultivation for a period!”

Suddenly, laughter echoed from afar.

“Hahaha, indeed! Hurry up and take down that formation! After killing you all, this old man can find a place to cultivate in peace!”

“Not good. Enemies!” Wang Hao’s heart sank.

He had heard more than once from wandering cultivators that the greatest danger in the vast sea was not demon beasts, but ill-intentioned cultivators. He never thought he’d actually encounter them so soon.

Wang Hao’s own consumption wasn’t too severe; he could still fight. But after such an intense battle, his clan members had nearly exhausted their Qi. If they were surrounded now, the consequences would be dire.

“Fellow Daoist Li, take charge of the Flying Cloud Boat! Get our clansmen away quickly!”

“What about you?”

“I have a flying spirit beast; they won’t be able to keep me here. I’ll buy you some time. Go now, don’t hesitate!”

Li Derong was not one to dally. He understood that even if they could defeat these opponents by staying behind, most of their clansmen would likely perish in the crossfire. He immediately led everyone onto the flying boat, abandoning the valuable Cat-Eye Snail corpses on the beach.

“Trying to leave? It won’t be that easy! Die!”

Three cultivators flew over from the distance. Shockingly, one of them was at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Dressed in yellow robes with a face full of stubble, he clearly looked like trouble.

With his left hand, he produced a bowl-shaped magical tool and gave it a light toss.

“Ah!”

Three clan members on the Flying Cloud Boat were struck by the shockwave and fell from the sky. Li Derong had no time to rescue them; he frantically stabilized the boat to prevent more from falling and threw out a small orb. After a flash of light, the boat’s speed suddenly increased, and it vanished into the distance moments later.

The three attackers prepared to strike again.

“Stop!”

Wang Hao hurriedly intercepted them, unleashing several fiery dragons.

The late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator sneered contemptuously. “With your mere early Foundation Establishment cultivation, you dare block us? Fine then! This old man will grant your wish—I’ll finish you off first before going after your clansmen!”

He produced a palm-sized yellow shield and lightly placed it before him. A phantom image of the shield instantly expanded, easily blocking Wang Hao’s fiery dragons.

Wang Hao calculated silently. Among these three, the early Foundation Establishment cultivator posed little threat. The late-stage one, however, was a problem he couldn’t overcome in a direct fight. His only option was to deal with the mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator first.

Gritting his teeth, he threw out several high-grade First-Tier Chain Fireball Talismans to obstruct their vision. Through the flames, he fixed his gaze intently on the mid-stage cultivator.

He softly uttered a single word: “Die!”

The Spirit-Splitting Cone proved effective once more as the mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator fell lifelessly from the sky.

“Second Brother!”

“Second Brother!”

But Wang Hao didn’t fare well either. This mid-stage cultivator possessed stronger Divine Consciousness than average—only slightly weaker than Wang Hao’s own—so Wang Hao suffered a partial backlash. His head felt like it was splitting apart. Biting his tongue hard to draw blood, he fought to stay conscious.

“You bastard! What sorcery did you use on my second brother?” The late-stage cultivator flew into a rage. He activated his bowl tool again, hurling it fiercely toward Wang Hao.

Wang Hao brought out his Chaos Earth Seal and met the attack head-on.

Boom!

The impact sent him flying backward, spitting a mouthful of blood. Direct confrontation was futile.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Wang Hao crushed a Second-Tier Water Escape Talisman and swiftly fled toward the sea.

“A Water Escape Talisman? Big Brother, what do we do?”

The late-stage cultivator glanced at his fallen brother on the ground and the corpses of demon beasts littering the beach. “He’s injured; he won’t get far. I’ll pursue him! Third Brother, you clean up here and then come find me!”

“Yes, Big Brother!”

Once the Water Escape Talisman’s effect ended, Wang Hao hastily summoned Yaya and mounted her. Stuffing a handful of pills into his mouth, he sat cross-legged on her back to recover. Soul-Gathering Pills had some effect on spiritual injuries; at least his headache subsided, though he wouldn’t be able to use the Spirit-Splitting Cone again soon.

Suddenly, Wang Hao felt a gaze spying on him from behind.

Looking back, he saw the yellow-robed cultivator chasing after him aboard a black flying boat. Yaya’s speed was faster than even what Wang Hao could manage himself—comparable to the Flying Cloud Boat—yet this person’s vessel was closing the distance rapidly.

Truly extraordinary!

“Kid! Where do you think you’re running? Be sensible and stop now—this old man might leave your corpse intact!” the Yellow-Robed Man mocked from afar. “A low-grade Second-Tier flying spirit beast—is this your trump card?”

Enraged by these words, Yaya let out an angry cry, flapping her wings with all her might. But she wasn’t particularly adept at flight compared to eagles or wild geese; she still couldn’t shake off the pursuit. In fury, she unleashed lightning attacks from both wings, but they were easily dodged by her pursuer.

“Kid! If you remain stubbornly deluded until this old man catches you, I swear I’ll make your life worse than death!” The Yellow-Robed Man chased relentlessly, certain his prey was already within reach.

Seeing no other way out, Wang Hao decided it was time for one last gamble. A glint of killing intent flashed in his eyes.

Scanning the terrain below, he spotted a small nearby island. He immediately ordered Yaya to fly toward it. On land, Wang Hao could summon Xiaobai for assistance; otherwise, he was truly uncertain about dealing with this opponent.

Moments later, Wang Hao landed on a flat area of the island. No sooner had he touched down than he hurled several talismans—fireballs, wind blades, brambles—all raining down upon the Yellow-Robed Man.

The cultivator was prepared. He promptly summoned his small yellow shield, which grew against the wind to block the barrage. This item had to be at least a high-grade Second-Tier defensive magical tool; otherwise, so many talismans wouldn’t have failed to leave a mark.

Then again, for a cultivator at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, possessing a few high-grade spirit tools was normal.

Wang Hao worked both hands simultaneously, throwing two fiery lotuses forward. The momentum was awe-inspiring.

The Yellow-Robed Cultivator snorted coldly, taking out a blue bamboo tube and giving it a gentle shake. The tube spewed forth a large amount of icy water, emitting bone-chilling air.

Boom, boom, boom!

A series of explosions later, the ice water evaporated completely, and the two fiery lotuses flickered violently before extinguishing. It was a stalemate.

The Yellow-Robed Cultivator’s wealth was truly enviable. Counting the flying shuttle, he already had four high-grade spirit tools on display.

“Kid! Let’s see how long you can resist!”

Wang Hao sighed helplessly. “This Fellow Daoist merely seeks plunder, right? This humble one is willing to offer up my Storage Bag. Would Fellow Daoist consider letting me go?”

“What do you think? You killed my second brother, and you think a mere Storage Bag is enough to settle this?” The Yellow-Robed Cultivator retorted angrily.

He didn’t share a deep bond with the deceased to talk about revenge, but seeing Wang Hao’s considerable assets stirred his greed. Moreover, having fought this far, there was no reason to let his opponent leave alive.