The Cold-Bone Winged Fish is a creature of modest size, known for its gentle temperament and low aggression. They typically live in schools, and even a fully grown specimen is only the size of an adult human.
The most unique and valuable part of them is their skeletal structure. That a relatively weak species can thrive in the Inverted Sea is testament to their hidden strength; their bones are exceptionally hard, capable of piercing the protective layers of high-level spirit beasts with ease, making them a prime choice for humans looking for materials for mechanical construction.
Li Li and her party had been in the Inverted Sea for two days, and they had quickly discerned the pattern of the Cold-Bone Winged Fish. They usually appeared in pairs, twice a day—once at dawn and once at dusk. When massive fish like the Fangen Fish appeared, the smaller ones would choose to retreat.
Today was the second day they had waited for the Cold-Bone Winged Fish, and for Li Li, it was the second day she had been waiting to die. The very day she boarded the ship, she had overheard that Xie Qi—a man she had met but once—was plotting to assassinate her. Perhaps it was because the ship had been constantly beset by fish attacks that no one had moved against her until now.
Today’s catch of Cold-Bone Winged Fish had been bountiful, and the surface of the sea was deceptively calm. A cold, murderous glint flashed in the depths of Li Li’s eyes. It was time for them to make their move; it would be fitting to use their lives as nourishment for her recovering spiritual veins.
Li Li walked to the window and let her gaze linger on the right for a moment. Xie Qi had arranged for her to stay on the second deck; her room was the second one to the left of Song Ji’s. Yet, during this voyage, the prince had remained deathly silent, acting as if he were truly only interested in building a bridge of goodwill with her. A man who sat firmly on the throne of the Crown Prince despite lacking a royal surname was truly difficult to fathom.
Dusk arrived like a receding tide, gradually draining away the final wisps of golden-red warmth as night slowly seeped into every outline. Outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared; rain, thick as beans, lashed mercilessly against the ship. The few commoners left on the deck complained and wept continuously. The deafening thunder seemed to drag her back to the day she had suffered her lightning punishment. Li Li pressed her fingers against her temples, suppressing the irritability that had surfaced without reason. By her calculations, her manic phase was coming.
Tonight was destined to be turbulent.
...
The night on the sea was as thick as spilled ink. Deep in the night, with everyone else fast asleep, the lights inside the cabin were dim. Through the hazy shadows, four figures appeared, casting no shadows of their own. They cast a spatial hand seal outside a door and then broke in without the slightest hesitation.
Li Li had sensed their presence the moment they appeared on the second deck. She let out a cold laugh. That Young Master Xie Qi was so afraid she wouldn't die that he had actually brought four Peak Foundation Establishment cultivators to deal with a mortal. Before her spiritual veins had been shattered, she was a renowned genius in the cultivation world; while others took three hundred years to reach the Nascent Soul stage, she had taken only three.
But Xie Qi would be disappointed this time. Even though she had only just recovered enough of her cultivation to reach the Qi Condensation 2nd Layer, these few Foundation Establishment cultivators were not enough to kill her.
As soon as the four of them entered, Li Li tossed out several immobilization talismans. They had paid the "mortal" Li Li no mind and, caught off guard, were struck true.
Li Li’s life-bound sword, Jitu, had been destroyed, and she had no suitable weapon on hand. She could only grab a nearby fish spear and thrust it at them one by one. A howling gale rose, and the fishy-smelling spear was suddenly heavy with killing intent.
The man in the lead had a feminine appearance and a pale complexion, his eyes shadowed with an unnatural gray-blue hue. He stood frozen, and upon seeing the weapon in Li Li’s hand, he shouted in a rage, "You dare! I will tear you into a thousand pieces!"
The effectiveness of a talisman relied on the cultivator's power. Li Li was currently only at the Qi Condensation stage; in his fury, the man shattered the binding of the talisman. He instantly transformed into a ball of black mist, with only a pair of sharp, vicious claws protruding, lunging straight for Li Li’s vital points with a malicious aura.
Li Li dodged his attacks with fluid, agile movements, teasing the black mist behind her as if she were taking a leisurely stroll. The man resumed his true form and struck out at the other three, who were still immobilized. "Useless trash! You couldn't even break free from a Qi Condensation stage talisman. Kill her for me!"
The four of them attacked simultaneously. Li Li had nowhere to retreat and was forced to take the blow head-on. The four men were all suffused with a heavy, bloody aura, and their movements were well-coordinated; they must have been secret guards specifically trained by the Xie Family to handle the dirty work.
Ignoring the wounds on her body, Li Li threw twelve jade talismans from her sleeves. The talisman patterns erupted into ghostly blue flames in the air, transforming into ferocious fire dragons that lunged at her opponents. The four men turned to dodge, but Li Li’s fish spear followed immediately, the silver light slicing into the pale man’s thigh, drawing out a spray of viscous blood.
The other three ignored their leader’s cry of pain and surrounded Li Li, closing in. Each wielded a different weapon. Li Li used her Divine Sense to parry, but she was still struck by a bone fan wielded by one of them. A sharp, piercing pain surged from her left arm; it was nearly severed. Blood soaked her entire body, the crimson liquid blooming like sinister flowers across her originally pale-yellow robes.
In stark contrast to the bloody violence here, the room just a wall away was a scene of perfect serenity. A hand with well-defined knuckles was wiping a water droplet from a flower petal.
"Your Highness, there is a great deal of commotion from Miss Li’s side. It seems she is losing."
Song Ji flicked the water droplet into the nearby fish pond, ripples spreading across the surface. His voice always carried a hint of a smile, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts.
"A genius such as the Dichen Sect has not seen in a century will not fall here. Rather than worrying about her, you should focus on your own affairs. What about the task I ordered you to look into?"
The guard behind him trembled, bowing respectfully to report. "Replying to Your Highness, the Dichen Sect has locked down the news very tightly. However, it seems something has happened to the second personal disciple of the Second Peak. As for Miss Li, they have directly declared her dead. The fourth disciple, Lou Fengyin, is currently wreaking havoc at the Law Enforcement Hall; he does not believe that Miss Li has perished and is forcing the Law Enforcement Hall to hand over his junior sister."
"These great immortal sects are truly interesting. Very well, you may withdraw."
The guard was about to nod in assent when he heard the prince above him add in a low voice, "Go watch the room next door. If she cannot handle it, give her a hand."
"Yes."
The room returned to its original silence.
"Boom—"
Li Li was thrown directly against the wall. The furniture in the room had been reduced almost entirely to dust, and the four walls were splattered with blood. The mechanical light that had originally been as bright as day was also broken; the only source of light now was the lightning flashing intermittently outside the window.
In the flickering light, the lead man hummed a little tune, his mood quite good. "Hmph, I never expected you to be a cultivator as well. What a pity, your path to immortality has only just begun, and now it is to be cut short."
Li Li sat halfway up on the floor and wiped the blood from her face. She looked disheveled, but her eyes were piercingly bright. She said with a playful tone, "Oh? Is that so? I think your wretched life is the one about to be cut short."
The man’s expression darkened. The four of them, all at the Peak Foundation Establishment stage, had indeed wasted a great deal of time dealing with a mere Qi Condensation cultivator, and each of them had sustained no small injuries. They closed in on Li Li once more, intending to finish off the troublesome female cultivator.
But this was the moment Li Li had been waiting for.