I Only Shot Twice

The appearance of Chen Xia and Ma Xiaohong was a minor episode for the entire Huangli Realm.

It didn't have much impact; it simply meant there were two more cultivators on the ferry, and Dao Master XuanLi compensated them with some spirit stones.

That matter was more or less concluded.

Chen Xia sat in a room on the ferry, while Ma Xiaohong was in the adjacent room. She still held half of a flying sword, ensuring her safety.

As for Chen Xia, he was behaving as usual in his own room—being stubborn and engaging in self-conflict.

Mainly because he couldn't achieve a clear victory, it was pure restlessness, the ultimate indulgence.

Dao Master XuanLi didn't say much about it. He considered it a unique quirk of a top-tier genius and didn't dare to disturb Chen Xia during normal times. He especially refrained from allowing the cultivators on the ferry to disturb him.

The holes in the ferry's exterior caused by the collision with the shuttle were not a significant problem. The ferry could still operate even without repairs, although it would be less aesthetically pleasing and slightly affect its speed.

Now, the thirteen ferries began their journey toward the Dead Sea Star River.

Among them, Huangli Realm occupied four ferries, but it didn't mean that Huangli Realm was the strongest. It only signified that Huangli Realm had a larger population.

In terms of combat power, Huangli Realm was actually the weakest among the three realms. However, the other two realms weren't much stronger, which allowed them to form an alliance.

As a cultivator at the tenth level of the Replenishing Heaven stage, Dao Master XuanLi had considerable influence within Huangli Realm. During this time, he also led the Huangli Realm cultivators to conquer several ruins, gaining many opportunities for the Replenishing Heaven stage.

However, these opportunities were certainly not enough. They were merely minor skirmishes. If they truly wanted to cultivate a quasi-saint in Huangli Realm, they would have to break through a quasi-saint ruin.

After the destruction of the Great Death Realm, someone conducted a rough statistical investigation.

There were over 150 quasi-saint ruins, thirty great saint ruins, eleven quasi-emperor ruins, and three great emperor ruins.

They could be considered top-tier realms among the countless realms in the universe.

The reason Huangli Realm came here was to find an opportunity among the 150-plus quasi-saint ruins and lay the groundwork for the emergence of the first quasi-saint powerhouse in Huangli Realm.

The beginning is always the most difficult part. Once they have the first quasi-saint, the aura of the Heavenly Dao will recover, and the second one will quickly appear.

Afterwards, great saints and quasi-emperors will emerge, and the Heavenly Dao aura in Huangli Realm will become increasingly abundant and prosperous.

The fortunes, strength, and even the state of mind of cultivators are intertwined with the realms. It is a relationship of mutual growth.

Once the cultivators become stronger, the realms also improve, and then they begin to reciprocate by providing opportunities to the cultivators. It is a positive cycle.

Their purpose in this journey is to find an opportunity to advance to the quasi-saint level in the Great Death Realm and benefit their own realm, thus realizing this cycle.

That's why Huangli Realm musters an imposing force of over two hundred people. Although none of them can be considered top-tier combatants, the scale is still grand.

They are heading to the Dead Sea Star River, hoping to find their own quasi-saint opportunity among the numerous ruins in the Dead Sea Star River.

No one knows if this journey will be successful. Perhaps they will obtain opportunities and achieve their goals, and everyone will be delighted.

Or perhaps all two hundred people will perish without a single survivor.

But regardless of the outcome, they will ultimately go.

Chen Xia's unexpected inclusion actually gave Dao Master XuanLi a bit of confidence.

On the ferry, there was now a top-level combat force. Although it was uncertain whether Chen Xia would take action, Xuanli decided to try and kneel down to plead with him.

It's not shameful for a lower-level cultivator to seek help from a higher-level cultivator.

However, Xuanli had some concerns because Chen Xia's mental state seemed a bit strange.

He could understand if someone liked arguing and fighting, as every cultivator had their own temperament.

But arguing and fighting with oneself? That was something Xuanli couldn't comprehend.

He couldn't wrap his head around it and could only console himself by saying it was a peculiar preference of a top-level cultivator.

News of Chen Xia and Ma Xiaohong boarding the ferry quickly spread.

Other cultivators from the Huangli Realm were curious and asked Xuanli about it. He simply said that Chen Xia was a peculiar top-level cultivator and asked them to show some respect.

"How peculiar?" asked a cultivator of a similar status to Xuanli.

"Unprecedented," Xuanli replied.

"That's indeed strange," the cultivator nodded, then asked with some concern, "Inviting him aboard, won't it be harmful to us?"

"It shouldn't be," Xuanli furrowed his brow and shook his head. "The main reason is that if we don't invite him aboard, he'll borrow one of our ferries."

The cultivator fell silent. He wasn't a naive teenager who had just started cultivating, so he naturally understood what "borrowing" meant.

On the surface, it was borrowing, but in the end, whether to return it or not was entirely up to the borrower.

It could only be said that they understood Chen Xia well and saw through his tricks.

Shaking his head, the cultivator suddenly asked, "Should we let Qing Xia meet this senior? After all, Qing Xia is our only genius."

"We can, but I'm afraid this senior has a peculiar temperament. You should talk to Qing Xia in advance and see if she's willing," Xuanli cautiously replied. He was afraid that something would go wrong and neither side would be happy. After a moment of contemplation, he asked again.

"By the way, how are the Diyu Realm and Dou Realm doing these days? Although we're allies, we certainly aren't of one mind. They must have their own plans."

The cultivator replied, "We only mentioned going to the Dead Sea Star River together. We didn't discuss much else. I estimate that once we arrive at the Dead Sea Star River, we'll part ways."

Xuanli's expression grew solemn, and he murmured, "If we part ways at the Dead Sea Star River, it would be a good ending. What I'm afraid of is that they have other intentions..."

The cultivator also became serious and proposed, "Should we just go separately now?"

"What if they attack us right now?" Xuanli countered.

The Huangli Realm was relatively weak among the three realms and only had one genius, which meant their prospects were not great. They were undervalued in various aspects and were more likely to be targeted by the other two realms.

But Huangli had its own ways.

Half a month later.

A message spread among the dozen or so ferries, stating that the Huangli Realm actually had another hidden genius, but due to some unexpected circumstances during their breakthrough, their mental state wasn't very good.

However, this genius possessed extremely formidable strength and was one of Huangli Realm's hidden cards.

Meanwhile, Xuanli entered Chen Xia's room and without a word, immediately knelt down on both knees, respectfully making a request.

"Huangli Realm wishes to present a ferry to the senior, only seeking the senior's protection!"