Chapter 504 472: Nangong Jin

The wind howled.

Black clouds churned like furious waves as thunder shook the heavens. The entire sky trembled.

A massive Spiritual Passenger Ship slowly sailed into the eye of this cataclysmic storm. On its deck, Spirit Patterns flickered in and out of sight amidst the downpour, and the ship's hull groaned as if overburdened.

At the bow, an old man with a white beard and hair stood as steady as a pine tree.

He was the ship's captain, having helmed vessels for nearly a hundred years. He was the renowned "Cloud Sea Iron Hand" of his trade, and right now, his calloused, iron-like hands held a firm grip on the ship's wheel.

The moment the first black clouds had gathered on the horizon, the veteran captain had already raised a translucent Spiritual Energy Shield. The pale-green barrier enveloped the entire passenger ship like an eggshell, allowing the Spirit Wheel to carve a path of survival through the storm.

"Nangong Fairy, you can rest easy. This old man travels to the Xuanyuan Dao Sect all the time. I know the fastest and most direct route to the Dao Sect like the back of my hand.

The weather on this route might be a bit rough, but for an old captain like me, it's a piece of cake! HIC—"

The captain was boasting when he suddenly let out a drunken hiccup. He glanced at the white-robed Fairy beside him, a little embarrassed, and gave an awkward smile.

The white-robed Fairy didn't respond. She just stood quietly on the deck, gazing out at the pitch-black storm.

Her simple white robes were spotless. As the fabric fluttered, one could faintly discern the subtle patterns of winter plums embroidered with silver thread. Her slender, willowy figure stood like a lone, sheer peak—tall and imbued with an inviolable chill.

Her White Jade-like face showed no emotion. She was the epitome of beauty, yet as cold and distant as an emotionless doll.

Even the old captain, who had sailed for many years, traveled far and wide, and seen countless beautiful Female Cultivators, couldn't help but sigh to himself.

'A woman like this... she's beautiful, yes, but so intimidating that no one would dare have an improper thought about her. Even in her silence, the Suppression she exudes is more suffocating than this raging storm.'

'She's like a sharp sword, drawn a few inches from its sheath—seemingly cold and reserved, but with a hidden, deadly edge.'

The old captain didn't dare to look any longer and quickly averted his gaze.

Just as he was about to refocus on steering the ship, the Compass Magical Artifact beside him suddenly began to tremble and hum.

The old captain took a closer look and chuckled. "Well, what do you know. Another ship has sailed into this storm."

"No."

A voice as cold as a mountain spring suddenly rang out.

The old captain's hand trembled in shock. He whipped his head around to look at Nangong Fairy—it was the first time he had heard the cold, otherworldly woman speak since she'd boarded.

'If she hadn't told me beforehand that she was going to the Xuanyuan Dao Sect, I would have thought this beautiful Fairy was mute.'

Her long eyelashes lowered slightly, and her White Jade-like fingertips slowly caressed her black scabbard.

As her fingers swept over the two gilded characters for "Nangong" on the hilt, her longsword was already unsheathed. The blade reflected the lightning, tracing a blinding silver arc across the deck and forcing the old captain to shut his eyes against the overwhelming Sword Qi.

"What's coming isn't human—it's a demon."

Nangong Jin spoke, then turned to face the churning black storm behind her, the tip of her sword pointing toward an unseen shadow deep within the dark clouds.

[This is bad, Captain! On our starboard quarter, a large ship is rapidly approaching us!

As it gets closer, the Spiritual Qi around our ship is becoming turbulent! It could compromise our safety!]

"Dammit!"

Listening to the crewman's message, the old captain irritably slammed his fist on the Compass in front of him.

"My apologies for this embarrassing display, Nangong Fairy. I'll send someone to communicate with the ship behind us and tell them to take a detour immediately."

"Stop. I told you. It's a demon."

Nangong Jin spoke sparingly, her back still to the old captain.

The longsword in her hand suddenly erupted with a snowy-white Geng Metal Sword Qi. For an instant, the light from the blade outshone the lightning flashing through the surrounding Cloud Sea.

In that same instant, the old captain finally saw clearly what was hiding behind the black clouds, chasing after their ship.

It was a massive "black ship"—and the reason to describe it as a 'beast' was because this ship was alive!

Its dark hull was covered in writhing scales, sharp Bone Spikes, and teeth, along with a chaotic overgrowth of blood vessels.

It was a profane, blasphemous thing!

"It's a Demon corrupted by Demonic Qi! Dammit, aren't these things only supposed to appear near the Endless Sea? Why is it here, inland!"

The well-traveled captain immediately recognized the origin of this Demon Ship. He let out a cry of terror and scrambled to a crouch on the ground.

Nangong Jin watched the Demon Ship, which was flapping countless membranous wings as it sped toward them, and turned to speak calmly to the old captain.

"My apologies. This demonic thing followed me here from the Endless Sea. I didn't expect them to be able to follow me this far."

Although her words were apologetic, Nangong Jin's tone was still ice-cold, as if she were an emotionless robot.

But the old captain was no longer paying attention to Nangong Jin's words. He pointed at the ship and shrieked, "The ship—the ship opened its mouth!"

[*Nangong Jin, you little bitch! How dare you steal our clan's Holy Key! Give it back!*]

A chaotic, inhuman voice spread through the Cloud Sea, powerful enough to make a Low Tier Cultivator's Dao Heart give rise to a Dao Heart Demon and have their Divine Thought corrupted just from hearing it.

Fortunately, Nangong Jin had already used her Void Refining Peak Spiritual Qi to protect the entire Spirit Wheel. Otherwise, that single sound would have killed everyone on board.

"F-Fairy... what did you steal from the Demon Race?"