What... What Kind of Method Is This...

“Now... it's no longer needed.”

Shen Xiuhan fell silent.

He understood the underlying meaning in the other's words, and he also understood why Zuo Muxian had suddenly gifted the 『Qingyuan Black Body-Tempering Pill』 to Shen Momo.

It was nothing more than seeing an object and thinking of the person.

Shen Xiuhan tactfully refrained from asking more, sitting quietly in the cabin.

The black-awning boat glided forward in silence, leaving only the sound of oars splashing through the water in their ears.

About an hour later, the old man at the bow stopped rowing, his aged voice drifting in with the night breeze:

“Guests, we have arrived.”

Hearing this, the two of them lifted the bamboo curtain one after another and stepped out of the cabin.

The night breeze, carrying the fishy scent of aquatic weeds and a trace of chill, rushed over them.

This was the southwestern side of Yunyi Island, close to Changshui County.

It was directly opposite Dongyi Island of Chenjian Dock, one in the south and one in the north, facing each other across the water. Thus, the Ji family patrols on the island rarely ventured into these waters.

Reeds grew thick along the shore, and wild grass was overgrown. Even the trestle bridge had fallen into disrepair, submerged askew in the water with its wooden pilings covered in moss.

Once the two leaped off the boat, the old man collected the money. Without another word, he turned the boat around, found a shallow cove to anchor, and waited for them as agreed.

Shen Xiuhan and Zuo Muxian exchanged a look, then immediately activated their respective movement techniques, gliding silently across the lake's surface.

Shen Xiuhan used 『Swift Swan, Swimming Dragon』. His figure was elusive, and with every step he took, the water beneath his feet rippled only slightly, not even disturbing the fish foraging in the night.

Zuo Muxian's footwork was even more profound. He walked with an easy composure, his feet seemingly supported by an invisible qi force, his robes untouched by even a drop of water.

The two walked side by side on the water, and in less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the silhouette of Dongyi Island emerged from the night.

The watchtowers were brightly lit, the braziers at the top burning fiercely.

Along the shore and on the water, several patrols of bandit lackeys carried torches, patrolling back and forth. The clatter of scabbards, low murmurs, and occasional crude laughter and curses drifted faintly across the water.

Shen Xiuhan stopped behind a reef jutting into the water, poked his head out to gauge the distance, listened closely to the sounds, and whispered:

“This is close enough.”

Zuo Muxian landed silently on another reef. He raised an eyebrow, looking at Shen Xiuhan in surprise.

They were still at least two li away from Dongyi Island by water.

The lake was vast and unobstructed; even the patrolling lackeys were merely faint shadows, let alone the people on the island.

He paused and couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

“Isn't this a bit too far... Are you sure?”

Shen Xiuhan nodded slightly, his tone flat yet firm:

“It is enough.”

Zuo Muxian opened his mouth but ultimately refrained from asking further, though confusion churned in his mind.

What kind of method could lure out someone hidden on an island from miles away?

Even as the Chief Disciple of the Star-Plucking Sect's Leader Lineage, he didn't have the slightest clue.

Because this was a divine ability method.

It was also the most profound technique Shen Xiuhan currently possessed.

Shen Xiuhan looked left and right, then leaped onto a larger black reef. Its top was flat like a millstone, just large enough for a person to sit cross-legged.

He adjusted his robes, faced Dongyi Island, and slowly sat down.

The 『Overturning Sea Bead』 in his shirt, separated by the cloth bag and his clothing, still emitted a faint azure glow. The light flickered in the night, resembling a pearl in the deep sea.

Shen Xiuhan closed his eyes, resting his hands on his knees with palms up and fingers splayed, like a blooming lotus.

Taking a deep breath, he emptied his mind of all stray thoughts and silently circulated his cultivation technique.

『Thousand Lakes Fishing』!

Once the profound cultivation pathway was activated, an invisible wave rippled outward silently in all directions, with him as the center.

However, the moment this wave traveled about ten feet, it was instantly absorbed completely by the 『Overturning Sea Bead』 in his chest, failing to stir even a single ripple.

In the next breath!

This inheritance spiritual artifact of Diaohai Pavilion's Mystic Dark Peak suddenly began to vibrate violently!

The vibration originated from Shen Xiuhan's chest.

At first, it was very light, like a sympathetic heartbeat, but it quickly grew increasingly violent. It shook his lapels, emitting a low hum like an ancient behemoth awakening from its slumber.

A wave dozens of times more powerful than 『Thousand Lakes Fishing』 surged out from the 『Overturning Sea Bead』!

The azure light flared brilliantly!

It enveloped Shen Xiuhan completely. The light coalesced into a beam that shot straight into the sky, flashing and vanishing in the night sky like a blue divine sword piercing the heavens.

Zuo Muxian's pupils contracted sharply. His arms, which had been crossed over his chest, lowered unconsciously, his heart filled with utter shock.

The aura contained within that beam of light just now made even a Huajin expert like him feel a tremor of fear!

It wasn't because of its strength.

Rather, it was due to that incredibly profound quality, a mystical nature that seemed to touch the very origin of the laws of heaven and earth, evoking a sense of awe in him that he usually only felt when facing the elders of his sect.

This was precisely the third miracle of the 『Overturning Sea Bead』, and its most heaven-defying wonder!

【By wielding this spiritual artifact to perform water-attribute cultivation methods and martial arts, one can transcend their current realm and unleash the power of a higher-tier secret technique.】

The next tier of the 『Thousand Lakes Fishing』 secret technique was something that could only be mastered by a Gangjin expert...

『Dragon Gate Attraction』!

Once this technique was activated, its profound effects flooded into Shen Xiuhan's mind like a tide.

Hazy yet incredibly clear, it was as if an invisible pair of hands had laid out all the secrets of this technique right before him.

This low-tier secret technique, derived from 『Old Man of the Creek』, was a unique method created by the ancient powerhouse, the Sea-Overturning Daoist Monarch.

Its name was taken from the legend of the “carp leaping over the Dragon Gate,” and its effect was similar.

For the target, once affected by the secret technique, they would inexplicably feel as though a monumental opportunity was descending upon them. Their mind would be captivated by it, making it difficult to maintain their original focus.

Meanwhile, the caster used this technique to hook onto their greed and anger, controlling them like a marionette, able to make the target do whatever they wished.

If 『Thousand Lakes Fishing』 was a secret technique for capturing Precious Fish and treasures in the water,

then 『Dragon Gate Attraction』 was a unique fishing technique designed specifically for “people.”

What it fished for was not fish, but the human heart.

The azure light grew brighter and brighter. Shen Xiuhan's eyes were tightly shut, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, sliding down his brow bone and dripping onto his blue robe, spreading into small, dark patches.

His brow furrowed slightly and his lips pressed into a tight line, clearly under a significant strain.

The qi force consumed by 『Dragon Gate Attraction』 was dozens of times greater than that of 『Thousand Lakes Fishing』.

This secret technique, which only a Gangjin expert could perform, was still an immense burden for Shen Xiuhan, even when forcibly activated with the aid of the 『Overturning Sea Bead』.

The four acupoints already opened in his body—Taichong, Guanyuan, Tinggong, and Mingmen—continuously pumped out qi force, surging along specific meridians toward the 『Overturning Sea Bead』 in his chest.

He could clearly feel the qi force in his acupoints draining rapidly, like a floodgate being opened, never to return.

In just a few breaths, his qi force had decreased by twenty-five percent.

And it was continuing to plummet at a visible rate.