Outside the Spirit Boat, blood-colored cloud shadows still lingered beneath the sky, mixed with the not-yet-dissipated turbid Devilish Qi.
A group of Cultivators huddled in the cabin and on the deck, their faces pale, their eyes filled with terror.
"What exactly happened in that mist? Why was there no sound at all?"
"Divine Son Jiang has been in there for so long; I wonder how his fight with that Shen Lian is going... He wouldn't be in trouble, would he?"
"I hope Divine Son Jiang can slay that scoundrel... Otherwise, with our meager cultivation, I'm afraid we won't even have a chance to escape!"
Discussions rose and fell, each voice tinged with suppressed fear.
Above the Spirit Boat.
Traces of the activated Blood Refinement Demonic Array were everywhere, the deck was stained with blood, and the pungent smell of blood, mixed with the scent of scorching and demonic flames, was nauseating.
Broken bones and shattered Magical Artifacts were scattered everywhere; some were even Backlash by the Talisman Array, leaving them bloody and mutilated, dying terribly.
Many of the True King-level custodians who had previously guarded the Spirit Boat had already fled in panic when the Demonic Array erupted.
The few remaining were all injured and dejected.
At this moment, everyone fell into silence.
Finally.
The intertwining starlight began to dissipate, and the mist transformed into wisps of light dust, scattering like smoke.
A figure slowly stepped out from within.
The young man wore a Dragon-patterned black robe, its hem unstained by blood or dust, his posture as elegant as an Immortal, his golden hair floating in the wind.
It was Jiang Ye.
Everyone's eyes widened, as if they had seen light in Hell, and they all showed expressions of excitement and relief at having escaped death.
Jiang Ye glanced at the ground full of corpses and bloodstains, his brow slightly furrowed, a faint hint of apology appearing in his eyes, and he softly said:
"Is everyone alright?"
"These people of the Demonic Path are most skilled in escape techniques; all sorts of strange evasion methods emerge endlessly, truly troublesome."
"This Divine Son was careless for a moment, and that Shen Lian actually managed to escape by luck. What a pity!"
Upon hearing this, everyone felt as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted, and they let out a long sigh of relief.
Immediately, they all bowed in salute, their voices filled with heartfelt gratitude and reverence:
"Divine Son Jiang is benevolent; he saved us from danger. We are eternally grateful!"
"If not for Divine Son arriving in time, we would have long been swallowed by that Demonic Array, our flesh and blood turned into sacrifices!"
Jiang Ye waved his hand, smiled, and said, "No need for such courtesy. Slaying demons and guarding the Dao is what Cultivators like us should do!"
As he finished speaking, he cupped his fists slightly, his expression calm.
Jiang Ye's appearance at this time was to let the people on the Spirit Boat spread the word about this matter.
Shen Lian had entered the Demonic Path.
The goal had been achieved.
The next moment, the Void Realm hummed softly.
Jiang Yi's figure suddenly appeared.
Jiang Ye calmly said, "Let's go."
Jiang Yi raised his hand and tore open the Void Realm, and a spatial rift formed by golden light runes appeared.
Jiang Ye was about to turn and step into it.
A voice on the Spirit Boat suddenly rang out, sharp and piercing, abruptly breaking the dead silence.
"Jiang Ye, you useless good-for-nothing!"
"A dignified Divine Son of the Longevity Immortal Clan Jiang Family, actually let that Shen Lian, a remnant of the Demonic Path, escape right in front of you? Do you still have the face to leave?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire scene fell silent.
The next second, it was as if the entire Spirit Boat had frozen; hundreds of gazes looked over in unison, staring at each other, as if they had heard something incredible.
"Whose subordinate is this? So brave?" Jiang Ye was slightly surprised in his heart, his gaze following the voice.
The person who spoke these words.
was a young Cultivator wearing a silver-patterned black robe, carrying an ancient bronze sword on his back, with an extraordinary aura. Although he was only at the Immortal Realm cultivation level, he exuded a profoundness that did not belong to his age.
His brows and eyes were arrogant, his expression carried undisguised anger and sarcasm, as if he was naturally fearless of coercion.
Xu Yang, the fourth in line of the Xu Family.
Just before he spoke, Xu Yang actually had a moment of hesitation in his heart.
He looked at Jiang Ye, who stepped out from the mist, his Dragon-patterned black robe unstained by dust, his expression indifferent, immortal light ethereal around him, like a banished Immortal descended to the world.
Jiang Ye had taken action to rescue everyone, the Dao protector had destroyed the Blood Refinement Demonic Array, and Shen Lian had fled like a stray dog.
"Isn't he the good-for-nothing in the rumors who only relies on the Empress Hongye's patronage?"
At that moment.
Xu Yang couldn't help but feel a bit of respect in his heart, and even began to waver in his previous thoughts.
But very quickly.
Jiang Ye's indifferent expression and the almost fanatical reverence in the eyes of the people around him stung his nerves again.
In Xu Yang's mind, the people of the Xu Family suddenly appeared: the elders' hypocritical concern, the siblings' smiles that weren't smiles.
"Heh, respect? A hero saving the world?"
"They're just a bunch of wolves in Saint's clothing!"
As soon as this thought came to mind, the respect instantly collapsed, and the obsession burned like fire scorching bones, as anger and resentment surged up fiercely.
"The Xu Family must be destroyed!"
"And the Everlasting Immortal Clan Jiang Family is the best blade!"
Xu Yang's eyes turned cold, malice surged, and he forcibly extinguished that subtle thought in his heart.
He immediately raised his hand and pointed at Jiang Ye, bursting out with an endless torrent of abusive words.
"Jiang Ye, you're nothing but a hypocrite!"
"What 'eliminating demons and guarding the Dao,' what 'saving people and saving the world'—in the end, you just want to gain a good reputation!"
Everyone on the Spirit Boat's deck was almost completely stunned.
Many people's faces were filled with shock and bewilderment, as if they couldn't believe their ears.
After a long while.
They suddenly reacted, and immediately began to denounce Xu Yang:
"Is Xu Yang crazy?"
"Divine Son Jiang just saved us!"
"Exactly! If it weren't for Divine Son Jiang arriving in time, we would have long become sacrifices for the Blood Refinement Demonic Array!"
"Is he challenging the Longevity Immortal Clan? Has he gone mad?"
Several Spirit Boat custodians, whose injuries had not yet healed and who were sitting cross-legged in meditation, also changed their expressions drastically, quickly stood up, and angrily cursed Xu Yang.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"Divine Son Jiang risked his life to save us, and you're cursing him instead? Listen to yourself, are you even human?"
For a moment, the crowd was agitated, and accusations surged towards Xu Yang like a tide.
After all, their lives were saved by Jiang Ye; there was no need to dispute this point.
"Absurd!"
A furious roar sounded, and everyone turned to look.
Zhao Pan, the person in charge of the Spirit Boat, walked out from the cabin, his face ashen, his gaze cold as he stared directly at Xu Yang.
"Xu Yang! Are you crazy?"
After speaking, he quickly cupped his fists towards Jiang Ye again, his tone anxious: "Divine Son Jiang, this person is a Divine Son candidate given by the Ancient Aristocratic Family Xu Family, the fourth in line, picked up from the Dry Zen Dao Domain's Eastern Transfer Point..."
"But he seemed to have suffered some damage to his Divine Soul during a Secret Realm trial, and his thoughts are often confused."
"His wild words are absolutely not his true intention!"
"Please, Divine Son Jiang, do not be offended. This child's mind is probably not clear, and he is speaking nonsense; it is absolutely not our intention!"
Jiang Ye did not respond immediately.
Jiang Yi, standing nearby, had long been unable to restrain himself, but was stopped by Jiang Ye.
He simply looked at Xu Yang with an indifferent expression.
Xu Yang still stood ramrod straight, with a strange stubbornness and coldness in his eyes, seemingly not at all afraid of the authority of the Everlasting Immortal Clan Jiang Family.
After a long time.
Jiang Ye let out a light chuckle, his gaze distant, the corners of his lips curling into a half-smile, his tone carrying a hint of coldness.
"Heh heh, interesting."
Everyone around immediately fell silent, retreating one after another.
At that moment, no one dared to speak again.
The entire Spirit Boat was pressed down as if in an icy Hell by Jiang Ye's light chuckle.
Only Xu Yang showed no fear, his eyes turning cold, a sinister sneer twisting his lips.
"So what if you saved everyone, Jiang Ye?"
"You can't even stop a Demonic Path successor; what kind of Divine Son of the Jiang Clan are you?"
"You're not a hero, you're a good-for-nothing!"