The man clad in black narrowed his eyes, his voice tinged with a hint of amazement and gloom. How did this jinx suddenly appear out of nowhere? Just a coincidence? Reaching their level, one sometimes understands that things that seem coincidental are often destined in the dark. Could it be that Eastern Emperor was destined not to die? He did not advance, his expression holding a hint of hesitation. Should he really let these two leave!? Ji Nanjue was a piece the Supreme had been planning for a long time. If he wasn’t dead, how would this all be explained!? Yet, he could never have anticipated that Su Bei, who had just been proclaimed by the Sacred Land as the first below Dao Integration, was not at the Refining Void stage... —He was at the Peak of Dao Integration!? No wonder his combat prowess was so terrifying atop the Ascension Platform. With that, everything made sense. What exactly was he plotting? Pretending to be wounded? But to leave just like that? He still felt reluctant at heart! Dongting Stream was just a short distance away from the pair, and Su Bei showed no sign of fear. After multiple encounters that drew blood, the Qingping Sword seemed even sharper, its sword cry clear and piercing! "Can Su Mou leave now!?" Facing a group of evil spirits who were visibly conflicted, Su Bei appeared nonchalant, yet inside, he was seething with urgency. This was his last one—The Dao Integration Experience Card—and it only had five minutes left! The evil spirits remained silent, then exchanged glances. Clasping the woman tightly in his arms, Su Bei tapped the ground lightly with the tip of his foot under the watchful eyes of all. His figure instantly vanished between heaven and earth. As they watched the duo’s retreating figures, one of the evil spirits finally said with reluctance, "Leader, are we just going to let these two go?" "Even if that Su Bei has the strength of Peak Dao Integration, so what? There are so many of us..." The black-clad leader pursed his lips. He was well aware of the terror of the Sword Sect’s Sword Scripture. Though Su Bei only had the power of Peak Dao Integration, when paired with the Qingping Sword and the Sovereign Sword... even a common early-stage Tribulation-Crossing cultivator would likely choose to avoid his sharp edge. And if all the evil spirit cultivators here were crippled by him taking advantage of the situation... After a brief contemplation, he took a deep breath and commanded, "Follow them!" He was, after all, determined to take Eastern Emperor. There would surely be a moment of vulnerability. "Report this to the Supreme immediately." "There has been an unforeseen development." "This Su Bei... is suspicious!!" The group of evil spirits exchanged glances, then hurriedly pursued Su Bei and the woman under the moonlight! Just as Su Bei’s figure disappeared into the night, the Spiritual Energy around him vanished instantaneously. He staggered, a sickly flush emerging on his face. Yet, glancing at Ji Nanjue in his arms, his face seemingly frosted over, Su Bei summoned another burst of Spiritual Energy and sped up even more. The sounds of tearing air came again from behind. Su Bei was frantic. If they catch up this time, I’ll truly lose my life. Damn it— Right now, I have only one thought: Survive! Survive with the woman in my arms. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩 Not far away, the sound of flowing water could be heard. "Dongting Stream," the woman in Su Bei’s arms spoke softly. "Miss Nan Ji, your brother asked Su Mou to meet him at Dongting Stream. Once we get there, there will surely be a way..." Ji Nanjue’s eyes were tightly shut, his vermilion lips gently parting. He mumbled for a long while but ultimately said nothing. He simply held Su Bei tightly, feeling his strong and powerful chest. Your Brother Ji is right in your arms... "How could Miss Nan Ji appear here alone?" Su Bei gasped for breath. Ji Nanjue did not answer, perhaps because the Supreme Yin Cold Poison inside his body could no longer be suppressed. Frost clung to the tips of his hair, and his face was devoid of color. The water grew more turbulent. Cliffs opposed each other on both banks, blocking out the sky, leaving only a sliver of light. It grew narrower and narrower; the tightest spot was merely a little over forty zhang. This was Dongting Stream—breathtakingly beautiful, yet also immensely perilous. Again, waves of terrifying Evil Qi appeared behind them, pursuing relentlessly like maggots attached to bone. Su Bei felt a surge of despair. Damn it, Brother Ji, where are you?? Suddenly, the terrifying streak of Evil Qi that should have struck Su Bei and his companion dissipated into thin air. Su Bei abruptly looked up, his gaze fixating on something in the distance, his eyes instantly widening. Ahead, in the center of the river, a small boat drifted. An old man sat cross-legged at the bow, fishing with his eyes closed. Ji Nanjue also sensed something unusual. He looked at the unidentified old man, who held a green bamboo fishing rod with silver thread lines, its hook submerged and indistinct in the water. The old man glanced in their direction and then at the horde of evil spirits in hot pursuit behind them, his expression unchanging. ——He gently flicked the fishing rod in his hand. The green bamboo rod bent into a crescent arc, the fishing line trailing upward as a golden hook soared into the sky. This cast stirred up thousands of layered waves. Wave after wave rolled toward the relentless Evil Qi, forcefully halting the advance of the horde. A short while later, the fishing line and golden hook fell from the sky. Like a massive stone, they smashed fiercely into the river’s surface! A huge wave thundered into being. Witnessing this terrifying scene, the group of black-clothed, masked evil spirits abruptly stopped, their eyes filled with shock as they stared at the old man before them. Finally, the masked leader took a deep breath, speaking gravely, "May I ask who on earth you are!?" Somehow, he had a premonition. The death of Yi Er had to be related to the person before him. The strength of this person was definitely above the Tribulation-Crossing Stage, perhaps even Mid-Late Tribulation-Crossing Stage. Not someone they could contend with? In all the world, who could it be!? The old man seemed not to respond, merely glancing lightly in Su Bei’s direction. The worn-out conical hat on his head twirled, and his gaze shifted to the horde of evil spirits. The next instant, his eyes turned sharp and cold. With a flick of his fishing rod, the line and golden hook shot out like a wicked flood dragon, tearing through the river’s surface. In the blink of an eye, they carved an immense arc of indeterminable length. With a MIGHTY ROAR, a rift nearly a hundred zhang wide split open the river’s surface, exposing the muddy bottom!! Then, the old man’s voice echoed between heaven and earth: "Kid Five, watch closely." The surge of Spiritual Energy made the old man’s two white sideburns flutter backward, his sleeve cuffs whipping like flags. Like an unknown fisherman, he sat high above the waves. The great river churned endlessly, yet the small boat beneath him remained unmoved. "Sword Ten, Rolling Wave."