Shen Xian brought the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise to the deck and found a quiet corner to stand.

Suddenly, a series of light, bouncing footsteps sounded from behind.

“Big brother, your turtle is so cute!”

Turning around, he saw a little girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old. She had two pigtails tied up, wore a goose-yellow short jacket, and had a belt embroidered with small fish patterns tied around her waist.

She crouched down, her large, round eyes curiously fixed on the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise. The shell ornaments in her hair jingled with her movements.

Having gone to sea with her father since she was young, this was the first time she had seen such a land turtle.

“My name is Zhang Xiaoyu. My father is the owner of this ship,” the little girl said, tilting her small face up with a cute smile. “Can I touch your turtle?”

Shen Xian nodded slightly.

This little girl made him think of that youngster from the Ye Family who could send Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators flying with a single punch.

The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise slowly extended its head, curiously observing this lively little girl.

Unlike Xiao Bai, this big fellow wasn’t overly wary of strangers and was immensely curious about many things.

Zhang Xiaoyu excitedly pulled a crimson spirit fruit from her pocket. “Big turtle, here’s something for you to eat!”

At that moment, a deep voice came from behind. “Xiaoyu, are you bothering the guest again?”

Shen Xian turned to see a burly middle-aged man striding over. It was the man who had been directing the crew to inspect the cargo earlier.

“Daddy!” Zhang Xiaoyu called out cheerfully. “I’m feeding big brother’s turtle!”

The middle-aged man cupped his hands in greeting toward Shen Xian. “I am Zhang Tieshan, owner of The Dawn. My daughter is mischievous; I hope you don’t mind.”

Shen Xian returned the gesture politely. “Wang Yu. Your daughter’s innocent liveliness adds some interest to this journey.”

He glanced gently at the little girl playing with the tortoise, thinking that this lively child could help relieve the boredom of the voyage and also provide an opportunity to gather some information about the sea.

Hearing someone praise his daughter made Zhang Tieshan very happy. He smiled and asked, “Thank you for your kind words, Fellow Daoist Wang. May I ask where you are headed? Perhaps I know something about it.”

“Burning Heaven Island,” Shen Xian stated frankly.

Zhang Tieshan’s brow furrowed slightly. “Fellow Daoist Wang, that area hasn’t been peaceful lately. Last month, the Bibo merchant convoy encountered people from the Black Tide Pirate Group near there. I heard both their ship and cargo were seized.”

It was quite normal for pirates to raid merchant ships. Being targeted by the largest pirate force was simply bad luck.

“Then we…” Shen Xian began but didn’t finish.

Zhang Tieshan understood his meaning and immediately showed a confident smile. “Don’t worry, Fellow Daoist Wang. I have made arrangements for this voyage; there won’t be any accidents.”

Merchant ships like theirs that regularly sailed overseas often had intricate connections with pirates behind the scenes. For long-term development, such forces usually wouldn’t resort to complete annihilation.

Shen Xian nodded slightly.

Burp!

The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise had finished chewing the spirit fruit leisurely and let out a satisfied burp.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaoyu couldn’t help but giggle and generously took out another one to offer it.

“Xiaoyu, time to go practice,” Zhang Tieshan said gently before nodding to Shen Xian. “Fellow Daoist Wang, if you need anything, feel free to come find me anytime.”

Watching the father and daughter leave, Shen Xian thoughtfully observed their retreating figures.

The captain’s actual cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Even if he had ulterior motives, it was nothing to be concerned about.

The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise lazily sprawled by his feet, continuing to chew on the spirit fruit. This big fellow’s attitude toward external things was always one of accepting whatever came its way.

The days of sailing passed as calmly as flowing water.

Over the past month, Shen Xian often leaned against the ship’s railing, gazing into the distance at the vast expanse of blue waves and watching the clouds roll and drift.

Zhang Xiaoyu gradually became a frequent visitor by his side, bringing various spirit fruits every day to play with the tortoise.

The lively and spirited little girl loved pestering Shen Xian to tell her strange tales and anecdotes from the sea.

From her mouth, Shen Xian learned many secrets about the region—which islands were rich in rare spirit herbs, which sea areas often had sea beasts appearing, and even many of the evil deeds of the Black Tide Pirate Group were recounted during these casual conversations.

Gradually, Shen Xian developed some genuine care for this innocent and lively little girl.

Not only did he give her some puppet toys he had purchased earlier, but he also often told her stories from his previous life to amuse her.

The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise grew even closer to her, often allowing her to stroke the patterns on its shell and even proactively extending its head when she arrived.

One day, while Shen Xian was resting with his eyes closed in his cabin, the ship suddenly shook violently.

Boom—

In the distance on the sea surface, a pitch-black large ship was cutting through the waves toward them. On the flag flying at its bow, a ferocious skull emblem was particularly glaring under the sunlight.

[Pirates attacking! All hands on deck!]

Zhang Tieshan’s voice erupted like thunder on the deck.

His burly figure rushed out from a cabin, his late Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation erupting explosively. His right hand’s mechanical fingers rapidly formed seals as he attempted to activate the ship’s defensive formation.

However, as soon as the formation’s light screen lit up, it emitted a piercing crack sound before instantly shattering into specks of spiritual light that dissipated into thin air.

“How is this possible?!” Zhang Tieshan’s expression changed drastically.

“Hahaha…” A sinister laugh came from the leading black ship.

A tall, thin man dressed in black robes walked across the waves toward them. A skull-shaped magical tool hanging at his waist emitted an eerie glow.

“A mere small formation dares to block my Black Tide forces?”

The tall thin man approached menacingly, casually playing with a fragment of a formation disk in his hand—the core component of The Dawn’s defensive formation.

“There’s a traitor!” Zhang Tieshan gritted his teeth.

His gaze swept over the crew members on deck, noting their varying expressions, before turning back to face the intruder. “Guishou! Our Dawn merchant ship pays tribute every month! Aren’t you breaking your own rules!”

“Rules? Heh… Since when has our Black Tide ever followed rules?” The tall thin man sneered coldly.

Under normal circumstances, perhaps he might have adhered somewhat, but times were different now.

He looked down condescendingly at the panicked cultivators on deck, revealing a ferocious grin. “With slaves like you all, that grand formation can finally be completed.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it pierced everyone’s ears like ice, causing chills to run down their spines.

“Bullshit!”

A furious roar suddenly rang out as a brawny bearded man at the late Foundation Establishment Realm leapt from the crowd. Surging spiritual energy erupted around him while a fiery red long blade ignited blazing flames in his hand.

“I’ve sailed these seas for thirty years and never been treated like a slave before!” He roared angrily, pointing the blade directly at the black-robed man. “Fellow Daoists, rather than waiting for death, let’s join forces and fight our way out!”

The opposing side only had thirty or forty people, while the entire ship held over a hundred. If a real fight broke out, the outcome was truly uncertain.

These words stirred the bloodlust of many cultivators. Immediately, seven or eight more Foundation Establishment cultivators stepped forward, each summoning magical treasures, their spiritual energy surging as they prepared to fight desperately.

Seeing this, the tall thin man merely smiled contemptuously.

“Admirable courage… pity… utterly foolish.”

Suddenly, a terrifying oppressive aura erupted around him.

A Half-step Golden Core presence swept across the entire deck like a tide. Those Foundation Establishment cultivators instantly felt trapped in a quagmire; even breathing became difficult.

“Ants dare resist?”

He casually raised a hand. The skull magical tool at his waist erupted with an eerie glow.

Black mist flashed like lightning. Before the bearded man could react, a bloody hole appeared between his eyebrows. His entire body instantly withered, collapsing to the ground as a dried corpse.

Complete silence fell over the scene.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at the corpse, only deep fear remaining in their eyes.

Half-step Golden Core cultivation was beyond their ability to resist!

Despair spread like tidewater across the deck.