: Are You an Outsider?

Author: Gu Zhenren

Date: 2025-04-26

The fierce battle on the river continued.

The Bone-Spike Crocodiles relentlessly charged, crashing repeatedly against the sides and bottoms of the ships with loud thuds. This was where the Beast Taming faction's advantage lay—these demon beasts lacked sufficient intelligence; simply rousing their wild instincts made them fight to the death.

The sacrifices of the Bone-Spike Crocodile swarm were effective.

The outermost mahogany warship was eventually breached, allowing dark river water to gush in. The Bone-Spike Crocodiles scrambled to squeeze through the hole to attack and kill.

The cultivators inside the ship panicked briefly but quickly mobilized to counter the threat.

They were forced to face the bone-armored, spike-covered demon beasts head-on, leading to a sharp rise in casualties.

The main reason was that the damaged mahogany warship had weakened the defensive formation's power, much like a breach in a city wall.

Soon, the middle warship also creaked ominously, with multiple parts of its hull on the verge of collapse.

A Bone-Spike Crocodile nearly at the Golden Core level leaped from the stern onto the deck, rampaging among the crew and causing heavy casualties.

Yang Weida shouted, "Hold the line! Hold it!"

He wanted to cast spells at full strength, but the cramped space on the ship made him worry about harming his companions, leaving him feeling constrained.

"Dammit! After years in trade, I haven't made much money. I finally got a chance to rise above others. Am I really going to fail here?"

Yang Weida gritted his teeth, his steps faltering slightly as he subtly retreated behind the others, gradually moving to the safer bow of the ship.

He thought no one noticed his maneuvering amid the intense fighting, but in reality, the entire river battle was under the observation of Sun Ning and his companion.

Having just participated in the great battle of Liangzhu Kingdom, Sun Ning and his companion saw this river conflict, though fierce and desperate on both sides, as nothing particularly remarkable.

Flying Bone Shield.

Sun Lingtong controlled a hovering bone shield, slapping down a Bone-Spike Crocodile trying to claw its way onto the ship's side.

Soul-Severing Blade.

He turned with precision, as if eyes were on the back of his head, and with a flash of his blade, decapitated a Bone-Spike Crocodile behind him.

Though Sun Lingtong had only recently acquired these two magical instruments, he wielded them skillfully, taking down many crocodiles.

"Be careful, I've detected a hidden presence deep in the river," Sun Lingtong secretly transmitted to Ning Zhuo via divine sense.

Hailing from the Bukong Sect, his detection abilities far surpassed Ning Zhuo's.

Ning Zhuo nodded inwardly. "That makes sense. The Bone Crocodile Demon is familiar with Qing Yan and dares to ambush this fleet, so he must have a backup plan."

"Both are Golden Core level cultivators; the hidden one is likely another Golden Core expert."

As he spoke, Ning Zhuo threw the fish spear in his hand.

The fish spear was a magical instrument from Jiao Ma, which Ning Zhuo had taken and refined after collecting the corpse, using it as a disguise.

The spear shot out, piercing and killing a Bone-Spike Crocodile on the spot.

Ning Zhuo reached out, connected with his divine sense, consumed some spiritual power, and retrieved the spear back into his hand.

This fish spear, being a magical instrument, had the function of being thrown and recalled. Weapons, on the other hand, were usually held in hand; unless they were bows or crossbows, they weren't easily thrown.

Sun Lingtong focused on defense, Ning Zhuo on offense; even with changed identities, the two cooperated seamlessly.

Sun Lingtong, having created his own blade techniques, wielded the large blade with force, driving back the Bone-Spike Crocodiles in the vicinity.

Each time Ning Zhuo built up momentum, he would throw the spear, often achieving kills with a single strike.

"Little Zhuo, let me spice things up for you," Sun Lingtong transmitted via divine sense, then tilted his body, pretending to be exhausted, allowing a Bone-Spike Crocodile to break through.

Then, Sun Lingtong half-knelt on the deck, shouting, "Master, be careful!"

Ning Zhuo snorted coldly, lowering the raised fish spear, twisting his wrist, shifting his feet, and spinning his body in a full circle, whirling the spear around his waist.

The spear, charged with momentum from this movement, struck the crocodile's belly with increased force, sending it flying back into the river.

Sun Lingtong transmitted via divine sense, "Hehe, Little Zhuo, nice moves."

Ning Zhuo had trained diligently at the Wan Yao Sect, greatly improving his close-combat weaknesses. After the battle in Liangzhu Kingdom, his close-combat skills had advanced further, and most importantly, he had gained composure, remaining calm under pressure.

Ning Zhuo responded with a cold snort, knowing Sun Lingtong was joking, clearly dissatisfied with the servant role.

He then scolded, "You iron-weight slave, get up and fight! Don't embarrass me!"

Sun Lingtong glared, gritting his teeth as he stood up. "Iron Weight obeys!"

Both were Foundation Establishment cultivators with extraordinary combat prowess. Even while disguised and showing only thirty to forty percent of their strength, they defended the bow of the ship steadily.

"These two are impressive, no wonder Qing Yan holds them in high regard!" Yang Weida, who had retreated to the bow, glanced at Sun and Ning, had a thought, and moved closer to them.

Just then, a sinister laugh echoed.

Following that, Qing Yan's surprised shout came, "Who's sneaking around?!"

"This old man is Xie Sichao, a ghost cultivator, so it's only fitting to be sneaky. Commander Qing Yan praises me well," the sinister voice continued.

As he spoke, his Golden Core level aura was revealed without concealment.

The enemy had a second Golden Core cultivator hidden!

Everyone on the ship turned pale, panicking momentarily, their fighting spirit visibly waning.

"He's here, it's water ghosts!" Sun Lingtong's eyes gleamed with spiritual light; having detected the presence, he immediately informed Ning Zhuo secretly.

The next moment, the Bone-Spike Crocodile swarm retreated swiftly, and countless ghosts emerged from the riverbed, floating up to the surface to besiege the three mahogany warships.

Hundreds of water ghosts clad in tattered black armor, with flickering blue algae flames in their eye sockets, wielded hooks or curved blades, continuously assaulting the mahogany warships.

The cultivators fought vigorously, first bombarding with spells, then hurling various magical instruments chaotically, halting the water ghosts' advance and destroying over fifty on the spot.

"Hahaha, is that all?"

"I took down a water ghost when I was three!"

"Who here isn't familiar with water ghosts in our area?"

Morale soared among the cultivators.

But Sun and Ning frowned simultaneously. "These water ghosts aren't quite right."

The next moment, Xie Sichao employed his techniques.

Military Tactic—Speed is Key.

Military Tactic—Fortified Armor.

Instantly, the water ghosts' defense and speed multiplied several times, allowing them to withstand the spells and magical instruments, break through the ship's sides, and swarm aboard.

The previously stalemated battle turned in an instant.

The village side's situation deteriorated rapidly, nearing collapse!

Frankly, a single water ghost's combat power was less than sixty percent of a Bone-Spike Crocodile's, but with the military tactics加持, their power surged, far surpassing the crocodile swarm.

Qing Yan broke through the river surface, flew into the air, and cast two defensive spells to bolster the three warships, barely managing to stabilize the situation temporarily.

"Yin Soldiers! Are you from the Underworld's Diyu, sir?" Qing Yan asked with a grave expression. "Is the Underworld interfering in the mortal realm again?"

The Bone Crocodile Demon surfaced, his body covered in wounds, his bone armor partially shattered, and riding a different crocodile.

Pointing at Qing Yan, the Crocodile Demon said, "Even if I told you which part of the Diyu we're from, what could you do? Our City Toppling Alliance's strength runs deeper than you imagine!"

"Qing Yan, kneel and beg for mercy now, and I might spare your life."

Xie Sichao still hadn't revealed himself, leisurely retorting, "We understand the rules separating Yin and Yang. We don't intend to fully occupy the mortal realm and reignite old wars. It's just that the Yin Soul Black Marsh is very similar to the Underworld's environment. It's like a small window—shouldn't we Underworld cultivators be allowed to breathe through it?"

Qing Yan glared angrily at the Crocodile Demon. "You mortal realm cultivators, colluding with Underworld forces—utterly despicable!"

"Despicable?" The Crocodile Demon snorted coldly, filled with killing intent. "For freedom and to purify this land, our City Toppling Alliance must make sacrifices. Sacrificing reputation is just part of it. That's our resolve!"

"Qing Yan, today you and your subordinates will die here!"

With that, the Crocodile Demon launched another attack.

This time, the situation was vastly different.

Though the Crocodile Demon himself was no match for Qing Yan, with Xie Sichao's assistance, he firmly gained the upper hand.

Qing Yan immediately ordered the three warships to retreat.

Fighting two Golden Core cultivators alone while protecting his subordinates on the ships, he struggled to defend, soon sustaining multiple injuries and nearing defeat.

If Qing Yan were defeated and fled, the fate of the cultivators on the three warships would be grim.

"Boss, how should we act later?" Ning Zhuo transmitted to Sun Lingtong via divine sense.

Sun Lingtong glanced at Ning Zhuo and smiled inwardly.

Back in Huoshi Immortal City, Ning Zhuo would have chosen to avoid and continue lying low. After all, escaping with the Thousand-Mile Wandering Dragon would have been easy.

But now, imbued with the heroic spirit of the battlefield, Ning Zhuo didn't suggest retreating but instead wanted to strike hard!

This suited Sun Lingtong's taste perfectly.

He immediately responded via divine sense, "I can't see clearly what's at the river bottom, so I don't know where Xie Sichao is hiding. That leaves only one target: that Golden Core fool sitting on the crocodile, always boasting and chattering endlessly!"

"Good!" Ning Zhuo agreed without hesitation.

Though both were only at Foundation Establishment, they plotted against a Golden Core expert without a second thought.

Having experienced the great battle of Liangzhu Kingdom, where they had even slain Nascent Soul cultivators, their courage was naturally different.

However, just as they pretended to fight while secretly planning, another Golden Core aura suddenly swept across the sky.

A middle-aged scholar flew into view.

Holding a brush, he wrote in the air, composing a ritual text from the "Book of Rites" within moments.

The ritual transformed into countless characters that shot into the battlefield, accurately entering the water ghost Yin Soldiers.

To everyone's astonishment, the Yin Soldiers dropped their weapons, slapped their own faces, knelt to confess crimes, or bowed and clasped hands, performing various rituals.

One moment, they were ferocious soldiers; the next, they became polite, ritual-observing companions.

The village cultivators, snapping out of their surprise, launched a chaotic attack, dispersing over a hundred water ghosts.

"It's Lord Wen RuanYu!"

"We're saved!!"

Cheers erupted, and morale soared.

Qing Yan quickly identified himself and briefed Wen RuanYu on the situation.

Wen RuanYu nodded slightly, taking a high position in the air, overlooking the scene as his brush produced a torrent of characters.

The characters poured down like rain, demoralizing the Yin Soldiers and allowing the village cultivators to push them back relentlessly.

"Is this a Confucian cultivator?" Ning Zhuo widened his eyes; it was his first time seeing one in reality.

Sun Lingtong nodded. "There's abundant literary energy and national power here; it must be a Confucian cultivator."

Confucian cultivators were rare in Nandou Kingdom; in fact, they were uncommon in Beifeng Kingdom and Liangzhu Kingdom as well.

The sacred land for Confucian cultivation was Huazhang Kingdom, said to govern with Confucianism, nearly abolishing all other schools to honor Confucianism alone.

As a pillar of power in a cultivation kingdom, Confucian cultivators naturally had depth and methods.

Wen RuanYu adeptly used national power to employ Confucian arts, suppressing the Yin Soldiers directly.

"Peak Golden Core, excellent lineage—this is no ordinary cultivator." Sun and Ning continued observing, quickly reaching a consensus in secret.

Confucian Art—Cultivate Civility, Restrain Warfare!

Wen RuanYu stood high in the air, surrounded by swirling literary energy.

Under the influence of the Confucian art, the effectiveness of all techniques, both enemy and ally, decreased significantly. The intensity of the battle dropped to its lowest point instantly.

"Strategist Xie, this man is the right-hand man of the White Paper City Lord. We should retreat for now!" The Bone Crocodile Demon, who had been boasting earlier, now showed no will to fight against Wen RuanYu.

"Hmph, fine," Xie Sichao's voice came, and he immediately withdrew his forces.

Wen RuanYu did not pursue, only protecting the warships.

Qing Yan wanted to give chase but was advised to "not pursue a desperate foe" and stopped.

Wen RuanYu said, "I have urgent matters and cannot stay long. Fellow Daoist Qing Yan, please continue escorting them to White Paper City."

"If the enemy returns, shatter this jade pendant, and I will sense it."

He tossed a token to Qing Yan, who quickly expressed gratitude.

Wen RuanYu nodded slightly and flew northward.

However, after flying a few hundred steps, he turned back. "By the way, are there any outsiders among you?"

He looked down at the cultivators on the ship.

Everyone glanced at each other, their gazes eventually settling on Yang Weida.

"There really is one?" Wen RuanYu's heart stirred. "What do you have on you? Show me."

"Ah?" Yang Weida was baffled.

The other cultivators subtly closed in, their eyes unfriendly.

Qing Yan stared intently at Yang Weida. "Do as Lord Wen says."

Yang Weida's heart tightened, and he waved his hands hastily. "I'm not a spy!"

In his panic, he quickly pulled out all his belongings for Wen RuanYu to inspect.

Wen RuanYu didn't see any candle flames but noticed a few wicks from Soul-Ferrying Lamps, stirring his thoughts again. "Lady Youling asked me to watch for matters related to candle flames. Do these wicks count?"

"Regardless, I'll take him for now."

It turned out Wen RuanYu was normally stationed in White Paper City handling important affairs. But after Mourning Music Youling's divination, she ordered him to set out immediately, heading due north from White Paper City to search for a key figure.

Wen RuanYu had flown for a long time when he encountered this river battle. Recognizing Qing Yan as a local leader acknowledged by White Paper City, and seeing the clear sides, he intervened to help.

"Come with me for now," Wen RuanYu said upon finding Yang Weida, though unsure, deciding to take him along and continue searching to see how things developed.

Thus, Wen RuanYu took the anxious Yang Weida and flew away.

Qing Yan led his subordinates, made brief repairs, and then set off immediately for White Paper City.

(End of )