Chapter Sixty-Nine: Invasion of a Formidable Enemy

The next day, Ye Sansi woke early and, careful not to disturb the others, tried to make his way quietly to the hall at the back to wash up.

To his surprise, as soon as he got out of bed, the others awoke as well, stretching lazily on their bunks. Ye Sansi chuckled, “I truly didn’t mean to wake anyone. I never thought even with such light steps, I’d disturb you all. Had I known, I’d have slept in.”

Liu Lingshuang waved a hand, yawning. “Don’t blame yourself. None of us slept well last night, kept waking up.”

“Are you worried about something?” Ye Sansi asked.

She shot him a look. “You even need to ask? The disciple selection is tomorrow, and you’re not the least bit anxious?”

“What’s there to be anxious about? When the day comes, I’ll handle it earnestly. Worrying won’t help at all.”

Liu Lingshuang laughed aloud. “Ha! You always see things so clearly, Sansi. Never mind, then. After breakfast, come walk with me by the sea.”

Ye Sansi nodded in agreement, and the group washed up, then stepped outside to the barrier, where they ate. Afterwards, led by Xiong Gang and Jin Sun, they made their way through the coastal woods until they reached the shore.

Xiong Gang gazed at the waters, unable to suppress a grin. “I used to glimpse this vast sea from the barrier, but it’s been two years and I never made it to the shore. It feels so different seeing it up close today.”

Lin Nian’er asked, “Young Master Xiong, what’s so different about the sea from here?”

“I know, I know!” Jin Sun jumped in eagerly. “From high up, the South Sea looks calm, just a sprinkle of gentle waves. But at the shore, you see the crashing breakers, feel the power pressing down on you. Isn’t that right, big fellow?”

Xiong Gang nodded. As they strolled along the coast, Ye Sansi suddenly sensed something amiss, stopped, crouched low, and whispered, “Listen. Can you hear anything odd from the sea ahead?”

The other five rose on tiptoe, peering out at the vast waters, but saw nothing unusual—just endless ocean.

Xiong Gang laughed. “Big brother, wind and waves on the sea make plenty of noise. That’s only natural.”

Li Taiyi, knowing Ye Sansi wasn’t one to be cautious for no reason, guessed there must be danger. “Brother Sansi, what have you discovered? Is it a sea demon?”

“It’s not a demon. I hear, far off, the sound of ships approaching.”

Liu Lingshuang asked, “Fishing boats?”

“No, the sound is much louder than a fishing boat—perhaps the merchant vessels you mentioned.”

Li Taiyi muttered to himself, “Could it be supplies purchased by the Immortal Isle?”

Xiong Gang couldn’t guess why merchant ships would come to the island, but he knew all supplies were bought in the cities by disciples in disguise, never ferried by merchant ships.

Ye Sansi also sensed something was wrong and said, “Let’s report this to the Island Master. I fear these ships come with ill intent. Judging by the sound, there are at least ten of them.”

“Ten?” Lingshuang frowned, worried. “That’s odd. Even if they’re merchant ships, why so many? All the island’s supplies wouldn’t fill ten ships.”

As they spoke, the ships appeared on the horizon, growing clearer. Lingshuang’s voice trembled as she shouted, “No, those aren’t merchant ships—they’re warships! We must get back at once—”

At Lingshuang’s words, the six of them sprinted towards the island’s heart. Although Ye Sansi didn’t know what a warship was, Lingshuang’s tone left no doubt that these vessels were dangerous.

They had just made it through the woods when hundreds of disciples soared out from the barrier on their swords, gathering above the shore. Clearly, the elders on the Immortal Isle had sensed hostility and sent disciples to intercept the threat.

This squadron was led by Fang Yuan, flying at the head. The sight of a hundred disciples with their swords hovering in the air was as imposing as an imperial army—no king’s troops would dare rashly provoke them.

Seeing the disciples mobilize, the outer islanders knew something serious was afoot and hid in their homes, not daring to step out.

But Ye Sansi and his friends, youthful and unafraid, were only more curious about the unfolding drama. They climbed the steps for a better view of the distant sea.

The disciples hovered in readiness, prepared to launch an attack at any moment. The purpose of the warships was still unclear—each of the six kings and one emperor possessed such vessels, and offending an imperial house could spell endless trouble.

Outside the Immortal Isle, an outer barrier concealed its existence. Ordinary men on the ships would see only a lush, green island.

Yet the ten warships sailed straight for the island. Fang Yuan, sensing their hostile intent, resolved not to let mortals desecrate this pure land.

It didn’t matter now if the ships belonged to any king or emperor; if they breached the barrier, it would be hard to stop them. An inner barrier guarded the core of the island, but the outer dwellers were vulnerable.

Fang Yuan acted swiftly, channeling a golden light at his fingertip and pointing it toward the sea barrier. At once, the gentle veil shimmered with light like the inner one.

He had turned the barrier from a concealment into a shield; now, the warships could see the true shape of the Immortal Isle and the hundreds of disciples poised above.

Still, the ships did not halt. Fang Yuan ordered that if the warships tried to force their way through, they would defend the island with their lives.

The disciples tensed, but there was no fear among them. They had practiced here long enough, and now was their chance to protect the Immortal Isle.

The warships, realizing the risk of ramming the barrier, dropped anchor a thousand paces away.

Liu Lingshuang smiled. “At least they’re not fools. Even if these are imperial warships with elite troops, they can’t stand against cultivators—especially not with a hundred disciples here, each able to take on a hundred men.”

Ye Sansi, still frowning, watched intently. “They’ve only stopped, not retreated. I fear—”

Before he finished, a harsh mechanical creak echoed from the warships. Li Taiyi shouted, “This is bad—they’ve come as enemies!”

“How do you know, Taiyi?” Ye Sansi asked.

Taiyi pointed. “Can’t you see the weapons rising on deck?”

Liu Lingshuang’s face paled. “Cannons! My father said those were Tang Clan devices, never meant for outsiders. How could they be on warships? Unless… unless these belong to King Qingjian of the Xijiang?”

Lin Nian’er replied, “If these are the Iron Troops of the Guardian King, this is serious for the Immortal Isle—”

Just then, all ten warships fired at once. The deafening roar forced the six to cover their ears as cannonballs exploded against the barrier in showers of fire.

The bombardment was fierce; under such a barrage, the barrier would be shattered in less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

Fang Yuan watched, but dared not act rashly. If a breach opened, the whole barrier might collapse.

He resolved that when the barrier broke, he and the disciples would charge out and teach these mortals a lesson.

Liu Lingshuang, hands over her ears, called out, “This cannon fire is too intense. Once the barrier falls, we’ll all be in trouble!”

Ye Sansi reassured her. “Don’t worry, Lingshuang. With so many disciples above, if the barrier breaks, they’ll defend the island. Besides, the elders haven’t even appeared—clearly, they’re confident. We can’t help anyway, so let’s not worry.”

Sure enough, after the relentless bombardment, a crack appeared in the barrier. Another barrage shattered it completely, light cascading like rain into the sea.

At Fang Yuan’s command, ten disciples shot straight for the warships, while twenty others watched the cannons, ready to intercept any fire, for the safety of the outer dwellers could not be compromised.

Fang Yuan and seventy more disciples hovered above, waiting to act. He believed that although the cannons were powerful, the soldiers were only mortals—a single disciple could subdue an entire ship.

But halfway there, two soldiers flew from one of the ships, clad in heavy, ancient iron armor, larger and more battered than anything seen in Jianzhu City, marked with scars from blades.

The sight of this armor shocked not only Ye Sansi and his friends but also the ten disciples, who had never seen its like.

The armor even bore wings on the back, seemingly made of metal. Ye Sansi, with sharp eyes, saw the wings resembled a great eagle’s, each feather crafted from iron.

Unfamiliar with such devices, the ten disciples felt no fear after years of cultivation. They pressed on, swords at the ready.

The two armored warriors folded their wings to their chests, then snapped them open. Feathered blades shot out, forcing the disciples to dodge desperately. Some could not evade and had to use spells to block.

Besides the Heaven and Earth Lock, Fangcun Immortal Isle taught another powerful technique—Command of Qi. This allowed one to gather all their strength into a single point and unleash extraordinary power.

Two disciples, unable to dodge in time, used the Command of Qi to form a shield of light on their palms, hoping to block the iron feathers.

But the feathers were so sharp—even with magic, they couldn’t hold. Fortunately, the two disciples, experienced and quick-thinking, managed to deflect the attack, but both suffered wounds to their hands.

Seeing things go awry, Fang Yuan ordered the ten to retreat, but it was too late. One armored warrior surged forward, wings spread, forcing the disciples to fight.

His speed was astonishing. In a blink, he struck down four disciples with fists and kicks. Fang Yuan raced in to rescue them, but the second armored man blocked his path, forcing Fang Yuan to engage him instead.

Drawing a second sword from his waist, Fang Yuan used magic to keep both armored warriors occupied, allowing the remaining six disciples to rescue their fallen comrades and retreat.

He alone now faced two formidable foes…