Chapter 73: Another Battle Against Foundation Establishment

Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing stood awkwardly to the side, utterly bewildered by the sudden domestic dispute unraveling before them. It was clear there was deep history here, and equally clear that it was inconvenient for outsiders to intervene.

“Do not speak of this again!” Zhang Tianzhi’s voice was sharp, cutting through the salty air. “Even if I have to fight to the last man, I will see you to safety.”

“What difference does it make?” Princess Yuge’s voice trembled, her eyes red. “Brother, you know the truth. Even if I marry into the Yuanhai Kingdom and become a concubine, there is no guarantee they will send troops to save our country. Why must you suffer and die for a gamble?”

Zhang Tianzhi remained silent, his jaw clenched tight.

Yuge continued, her voice breaking. “In the end, I will be the only one left alive. I know you want to send me away so you can die a martyr for the kingdom. But do you think Yuge is someone who covets life and fears death?”

The situation on the deck was deteriorating rapidly. The enemy ships were closing in, grappling hooks flying.

Daoist Bichen could hold back no longer. He launched himself into the air, his robes flapping in the sea breeze. With a wave of his hands, he scattered a handful of yellow paper slips—Talismans—into the terrified crowd of enemy soldiers boarding the ship.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As soon as the Talismans touched the deck, they detonated. These were simple Explosion Talismans, low-level tools in the cultivation world, but against mortals, they were devastating. The blasts sent the enemy flying, limbs flailing, turning the orderly assault into a chaotic rout.

Morale on the Heavenly Dragon ship surged. Soldiers roared, emboldened by the immortal’s power.

But just as Daoist Bichen was turning the tide, the sea surface below him rippled.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Countless arrows made of condensed water shot silently from the waves, aimed directly at the old Daoist’s back.

Sensing the ambush, Bichen whipped his sleeves around, summoning a violent gale to shield himself. He twisted in mid-air, dodging the bulk of the barrage, but the attack was too dense. One water arrow punched through his wind barrier and pierced his left hand.

“Argh!”

Bichen landed heavily on the deck, stumbling back as blood dripped from his fingers. He looked up at the sky, his face pale with shock.

“Senior Brother Jincheng! I never expected you to become a running dog for the rebels! How can you face our Master’s teachings?”

“Junior Brother Bichen,” a voice drifted down, dripping with condescension. “Since you know I have pledged allegiance to the Empress, why not surrender immediately? A wise man submits to circumstances. Stop your stubborn resistance. The Heavenly Dragon Kingdom has already changed hands.”

A middle-aged Daoist in yellow robes descended slowly from the enemy flagship. Despite being Bichen’s senior, his face looked unnaturally youthful.

He was not alone. Two more figures rose into the air to flank him. One was a man in black robes radiating the pressure of the mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm. The other two, including Jincheng, were at the early stage.

Three Foundation Establishment experts. The pressure they released was suffocating, pressing down on the ship like a physical weight.

“Bichen, join us,” the black-robed man said, his tone casual, as if discussing the weather. “I can still put in a good word for you. The Empress might appoint you as a State Protector. You could enjoy your twilight years in luxury. But if you force us to kill you… well, there are no luxuries in the grave.”

Daoist Bichen’s face turned an ugly shade of gray. He looked at the three powerful cultivators, then at the endless fleet surrounding them.

On one side, death and the destruction of his cultivation path. On the other, betrayal of his principles. It was the ultimate dilemma between survival and righteousness.

Seeing the Daoist’s hesitation, Zhang Tianzhi’s expression darkened. He stepped forward and bowed deeply to the old man.

“Immortal Bichen, the Zhang family has treated your sect well, but you have already returned that favor ten times over.”

The Crown Prince straightened up, his eyes resolute. “If the situation becomes hopeless, please leave on your own. I have only one request: I beg you, take my sister with you.”

Bichen closed his eyes, a war raging within him. Finally, he let out a long, heavy sigh and nodded.

Zhang Tianzhi turned to Xiao Yifeng and Su Miaoqing. He bowed to them as well.

“I intended to offer you a ride, but I never expected to drag you into this calamity. Please, leave as soon as possible. I will hold the line to create an opening. If you can… please help Daoist Bichen take my sister to safety.”

“Brother, I am not leaving! If we die, we die together!” Yuge cried, clinging to his arm.

“Silence!” Zhang Tianzhi roared, though his eyes were filled with pain.

Su Miaoqing tugged at Xiao Yifeng’s sleeve. “Xiao Feng,” she transmitted her voice, sounding distressed. “What do we do? They are so pitiful!”

Xiao Yifeng looked at the weeping princess, the desperate prince, and the conflicted old Daoist. He quickly pieced together the narrative in his mind.

“Enough,” Xiao Yifeng said aloud. His voice wasn’t loud, yet it cut through the noise of the battlefield with undeniable authority.

The siblings froze.

“Please, do not argue,” Xiao Yifeng continued calmly. “Things haven’t reached the point of no return. Tell me the cause and effect of this mess. If there is a way, my Senior Sister and I will naturally lend you a hand.”

Zhang Tianzhi stared at him, stunned. These two young travelers still dared to help? And they sounded so confident?

Hope flared in his chest. He signaled Bichen to stall the enemy with words, then hurriedly explained the situation.

The story was a classic tragedy. The King of the Heavenly Dragon Kingdom had married a princess from an enemy nation, making her Empress. It was a fatal mistake—inviting a wolf into the house. The “Demonic Empress” had poisoned the King, leaving him paralyzed, and seized control of the military.

With the kingdom crumbling and foreign enemies invading, the dying King had sent Crown Prince Zhang Tianzhi to smuggle Princess Yuge to the Yuanhai Kingdom. The goal was to seek reinforcements, or failing that, marry Yuge to the Yuanhai Emperor to preserve their bloodline.

They had escaped the capital under Daoist Bichen’s protection, but the Empress’s spies had tracked them down.

Xiao Yifeng listened quietly, processing the information.

“The enemy is powerful,” Zhang Tianzhi finished, his voice grave. “I am grateful for your willingness, but if you wish to leave now, I will hold no grudge.”

“Brother Tianzhi, you speak too seriously,” Xiao Yifeng smiled, a relaxed, easygoing smile that seemed out of place on a burning ship. “Since we bumped into this matter, it must be fate. We will handle it.”

“In that case,” Zhang Tianzhi bowed deeply, “I thank you on behalf of my soldiers for your righteousness—lofty as the sky itself.”

“Old man Bichen!” the black-robed cultivator shouted from the sky, his patience exhausted. “Stop stalling! I’m done wasting breath on you!”

The black-robed man produced a scroll and unrolled it with a flourish.

Whoosh!

Countless green vines erupted from the painting, writhing like serpents as they surged toward Daoist Bichen.

Bichen gritted his teeth, summoning wind blades to hack at the encroaching vegetation, but the vines were endless. They regenerated faster than he could cut them.

“Senior Sister, stay here and prepare your spells. I’ll go play with them,” Xiao Yifeng said.

Before Su Miaoqing could respond, he spun around and shot into the sky.

The crimson blade of the Falling Rainbow sword materialized in his hand, blazing with intense fire Qi. He slashed once.

Roar!

A massive dragon of flame erupted from the blade, crashing into the wall of vines. The heat was scorching, instantly turning the magical plants into ash and smoke.

Xiao Yifeng hovered in mid-air, holding the immortal sword casually at his side. He looked down at the three enemy cultivators with a faint, provocative smile.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he announced loudly. “My hands have been feeling a bit itchy lately. I’d like to test my skills against your Daoist techniques!”

“Kid, you are courting death!” the black-robed Daoist snarled, enraged by the interference.

He poured his Qi into the scroll. The remaining vines twisted together, forming a massive spear of wood and thorns that thrust toward Xiao Yifeng’s heart.

Xiao Yifeng didn’t panic. He didn’t even dodge. He moved with the leisure of someone strolling in a courtyard, his wrist flicking almost lazily.

Slash.

A wave of sword intent swept out, reducing the massive vine spear to drifting embers.

Seeing this, the yellow-robed traitor, Jincheng, pulled his hands apart. The ocean below boiled as dense clusters of water arrows rose into the air, locking onto Xiao Yifeng like a swarm of hornets.

“Go!”

The water arrows screamed through the air.

Xiao Yifeng raised Falling Rainbow vertically. The blade hummed.

Countless beams of sword light exploded outward, forming a protective storm. With a single, decisive strike, he annihilated the incoming vines and the torrential rain of water arrows simultaneously.

Mist and ash rained down on the sea.

When the view cleared, Xiao Yifeng was still floating there, his robes fluttering gently. He released his aura—unmistakable, potent, and sharp as a razor. It was not the slightest bit weaker than the Foundation Establishment experts facing him.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

Zhang Tianzhi and Yuge stared up, eyes wide with shock and elation.

Even Su Miaoqing was momentarily stunned. She knew he was strong, but this? He was handling three experts with the ease of a master teaching children. She recovered quickly, staying hidden on the deck as she began to chant, preparing her own lethal surprise.