Bei Xinghan had not forgotten the harsh words Cang Hai Zhenren had uttered back then.
Just as Cang Hai Zhenren had also not forgotten.
He remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly, "You are right, we continue."
Bei Xinghan was stunned, and a surge of anger erupted within him, charging wildly through his body.
The corners of his eyes were tinged with red from his fury.
Cang Hai Zhenren's calmness made him feel as if his earlier display had been entirely in vain.
Holding the Frost Sword, Bei Xinghan pointed its tip directly at Cang Hai Zhenren and said hatefully, "Fight me!"
Cang Hai Zhenren closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, his gaze was as calm as still water, devoid of any ripples.
A faint, imperceptible chill slowly emanated from him.
In a daze, Bei Xinghan felt as if the Cang Hai Zhenren before him overlapped with the Cang Hai Zhenren who had berated him so sternly in the past.
This was the true emotionless sword cultivator, Cang Hai Zhenren.
And in that fleeting moment, Cang Hai Zhenren's sword had already been drawn.
Under the intense sense of danger, Bei Xinghan abruptly snapped back to reality.
He raised his sword to block, only to be sent flying by a massive force, crashing heavily onto the sea's surface.
Splash—
A huge splash erupted on the sea.
After a while, a figure slowly floated on the surface of the sea, motionless.
Cang Hai Zhenren watched Bei Xinghan bobbing in the water with a cold gaze before sitting down calmly.
He had intended to hold back.
However, Bei Xinghan's actions had made him change his mind.
He truly shouldn't have been merciful.
To defeat him?
Heh.
Ba Tian Zhenren, who had witnessed their animosity, narrowed his eyes, a faint smile curving his lips.
Bei Xinghan awoke a day later.
Upon waking, his first reaction was to search for his Frost Sword.
Finding the Frost Sword in his hand, he breathed a sigh of relief before slowly recalling everything that had happened, a faint shadow casting over his eyes.
He finally understood that a vast gap still existed between him and Cang Hai Zhenren.
This gap was like the distance between Cang Hai Zhenren and Ba Tian Zhenren, one that was difficult to bridge in a short period.
Bei Xinghan recalled the praises he had heard about Cang Hai Zhenren in the sect, feeling somewhat disheartened.
He seemed to have been too arrogant.
At this rate, when would he ever be able to leave this place?
For the first time, Bei Xinghan felt his mind in utter disarray, with no clear direction.
He didn't want to go ashore to face Cang Hai Zhenren, so he simply remained lying there, letting himself sway gently in the sea.
He thought he should calm down and rethink how to interact with Cang Hai Zhenren.
...
Elder Zuiyue glanced at Xu Yi, suppressing her inner anxiety, and refrained from asking.
However, her slightly unsettled brow and eyes clearly revealed her extreme unrest.
A month had passed since they entered the Wave-Slaying Secret Realm.
Over the past month, Xu Yi had spent almost all her time here, which Elder Zuiyue found very difficult to understand.
Both she and Xu Yi had repeatedly searched this stretch of rocky reef and found nothing unusual. They could clearly leave this place and proceed to other areas to search for clues.
Yet, Xu Yi insisted on staying.
She believed that a hidden mystery must lie here.
Elder Zuiyue had initially agreed, but as time wore on and they still found nothing, Elder Zuiyue gradually began to waver.
She believed that staying here would only waste time and might even delay the rescue of Cang Hai Zhenren and Bei Xinghan.
However, though she thought this, she dared not voice it, as Xu Yi was a distinguished guest personally invited by their Sect Leader, and her status was different.
Furthermore, they needed Xu Yi's assistance for this expedition, making her even more hesitant to offend Xu Yi.
Elder Zuiyue could only anxiously await Xu Yi's change of heart while secretly fretting.
Elder Zuiyue was pure-hearted and did not conceal her emotions much, so Xu Yi could see everything clearly.
Xu Yi herself had wavered at times, wondering whether to search for clues elsewhere first.
But every time she had the thought of leaving, a voice would suddenly emerge in her mind.
That voice told her that the answer she sought was right here.
It was precisely for this reason that Xu Yi, despite finding nothing, remained steadfast in this location, unwilling to leave.
With just one catalyst, she was sure she could find the reason for Bei Xinghai and Cang Hai Zhenren's disappearance.
Whoosh—whoosh—
Suddenly, the sound of the wind around Xu Yi's ears quickened.
She looked up and saw that the wind had picked up.
The previously calm sea surface began to churn violently.
Waves, layer upon layer, spread rapidly from afar, each surge higher than the last.
Elder Zuiyue was initially drawn to the anomaly of the sea, but gradually lost interest.
Only Xu Yi watched the sea intently, her gaze unwavering.
A fierce wind raged, the sky darkened, and the waves surged.
Giant waves crashed towards the rocky reef like mountains toppling from the sky, a spectacular sight.
Xu Yi listened to the roaring sea and felt the oppressive force of the waves, thinking that it was in such an environment that Ba Tian Zhenren had created the peerless sword technique, "Wave-Slaying Absolute."
She had a sudden inspiration.
If she could let go of all her distracting thoughts and keenly sense them, could she also create her own unique technique?
With this thought, Xu Yi cast aside her distractions, stilled her mind, and her breathing gradually became deeper and more measured.
Elder Zuiyue did not notice anything amiss at first.
It wasn't until she casually glanced in the direction where Xu Yi was standing that she leaped from the reef in the next moment, looking around in shock, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Where was Xu Yi?
She had been standing right there moments ago, so where had the very large Xu Yi gone?
...
Within the spatial realm.
Ba Tian Zhenren was resting his chin, watching a one-sided battle with a smile.
The combatants were, of course, Cang Hai Zhenren and Bei Xinghan.
After careful consideration, Bei Xinghan decided to set aside his prejudice and address the immediate crisis.
Therefore, the next day, he once again invited Cang Hai Zhenren for a duel. However, this time, both his words and actions were much more subdued.
But Cang Hai Zhenren was not as accommodating as before. He accepted Bei Xinghan's invitation and did not hold back, his attacks each time being like thunder.
Consequently, Bei Xinghan would wake up in the sea almost every day.
Bei Xinghan was not afraid of hardship or pain. After losing, he would reflect on his mistakes and try again.
After being knocked unconscious numerous times, he gradually discovered the miraculous power of the seawater. It not only healed his body but also made him stronger, in other words, more resilient.
The duration of his unconsciousness grew shorter until he could withstand three moves from Cang Hai Zhenren.
In today's duel, Bei Xinghan achieved a small breakthrough. He was only flung away after Cang Hai Zhenren unleashed his fourth sword strike, falling into the sea.
As soon as he poked his head out of the water, he felt a strange fluctuation in the air.
He instinctively looked up.
He saw the clouds twisting and distorting before a gap tore open within them.
Before Bei Xinghan could react, a dark shadow fell from the gap.
Then, the gap closed with extreme speed, as if it had never existed.