Chapter 177: Beneath the Starlit Sea

Dear Readers,

Thank you for sailing with Lan An and Shui Niang Qing through treachery's tides! If this tale of art and audacity enchants you, please shower it with Power Stones! Your support drives this xianxia saga onward. Share with fellow cultivators, and let's conquer the rankings together!

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"You killed Hei Ao?"

Lan An's words drew a mocking laugh from Dong Ming Zhe. Though he knew Hei Ao's killer wasn't from the Lan Hong Sect, Lan An's youthful appearance struck him as absurd.

A greenhorn slaying Hei Ao? Did Lan An take him for a fool?

Yet, the atmosphere shifted. Shui Niang Qing, Shui Xiong, and the elders all stared at Dong Ming Zhe as if he were the fool.

"What's this?" Dong Ming Zhe frowned, puzzled.

"Young Master, our intelligence confirms Hei Ao was indeed killed by a young man below the Divine Transformation realm," an elder behind him whispered through voice transmission.

"Truly?" Dong Ming Zhe froze. He had skimmed the report lazily, dismissing Hei Ao's death as trivial and overlooking the details.

"Absolutely. If you doubt it, test him," Lan An said with a calm smile, his pale eyes flickering, sending a chill through Dong Ming Zhe.

"Haha, since you're offering yourself, Hei Sha has no reason to refuse. You may join Shui Niang Qing to the Black Sharks' lair!" Dong Ming Zhe forced a laugh, eyeing Lan An like a dead man walking.

"Must I seal my cultivation too?" Lan An asked nonchalantly.

"Haha, of course! Though you're merely a Nascent Soul cultivator, killing Hei Ao proves some skill. The Sealing Talisman is precious. Be honored it's used on you!" Dong Ming Zhe said, as if it were obvious.

He wasn't foolish enough to let Lan An retain his cultivation alongside Shui Niang Qing. What if this youth helped her escape? Who would answer for that?

With both sealed, they'd be powerless to stir trouble.

"Sealing Talisman?" Shui Niang Qing's brow arched.

"Indeed, an Earth-grade Supreme Sealing Talisman. Below peak Void Refinement, none can break it. The Dong Ming Commerce Guild possesses only two," Dong Ming Zhe boasted, adding, "Hei Sha instructed me to witness Sister Niang Qing's cultivation sealed."

He muttered deliberately, "If I don't return safely to the Guild within three days, Shui Mo Er will suffer."

His meaning was clear: the Lan Hong Sect dared not harm him, or Shui Mo Er would pay.

"When did the Dong Ming Commerce Guild become the Black Sharks' loyal dogs?" an elder sneered.

Dong Ming Zhe's face darkened, but he replied coolly, "Blame the law of the strong devouring the weak. Our Guild lacks Void Refinement experts. Blame your Lan Hong Sect for being weaker than the Black Sharks. Such a pity for a former eighth-rank force."

"You…" The elders flushed with rage. Had a traitor not emerged a millennium ago, would their sect have fallen so low?

"Enough nonsense. Seal us!" Shui Niang Qing snapped coldly.

"Oh, so eager to wed Hei Sha, Sister Niang Qing? True, he's old, but breaking through to mid-stage Void Refinement at nearly 800 is no small feat," Dong Ming Zhe sighed, smacking his lips.

Lan An's eyes glinted. Were it not for Shui Mo Er's safety, this man would be a corpse. Utterly detestable.

"I can't kill you, but I can take a piece of you," Shui Niang Qing said, her killing intent coiling like frost, her eyes icy.

Dong Ming Zhe shivered, sneering inwardly. If not for 'that person' targeting your Strange Water, why bother with this effort? A woman nearing death, yet clueless.

Outwardly, he fell silent, producing a talisman etched with swirling arcane runes—the Sealing Talisman.

Shui Niang Qing's expression shifted. Her instincts told her this talisman was unbreakable.

"Fear not. I'm here," a faint voice whispered in her ear.

Shui Niang Qing's body trembled, an inexplicable sense of reassurance washing over her. She glanced unconsciously at the youth standing calmly, as if nothing had occurred.

Dong Ming Zhe, mistaking her reaction for fear, mocked, "Stand still, Sister Niang Qing. The Sealing Talisman is precious. Any mishap, and Shui Mo Er will suffer."

This man's every word leveraged Shui Mo Er's life, betraying the trust of that naive boy who had traded with him.

The Lan Hong Sect seethed. If they survived this ordeal, the Guild would be their first target.

Yet, their current plight darkened their faces. Shui Mo Er was beloved by the elders, and none could urge Shui Niang Qing to abandon him.

As her elders, having watched the siblings grow, they knew her resolve. Her determined expression brooked no dissuasion.

They could only pray she had a plan to turn danger into safety, or the Lan Hong Sect was doomed.

Their hatred for the traitor burned, vowing to flay them alive if unmasked.

"Stand still, Sister Niang Qing. I'm activating the Sealing Talisman," Dong Ming Zhe said.

"Wait!" Elder Fu cried, his eyes brimming as he pleaded, "Lady, let us muster the sect's full strength and fight the Black Shark beasts to the death!"

"Aye, fight!" The elders, roused, roared in unison.

"Silence! Fight? Before a battle begins, you'll receive Shui Mo Er's head!" Shui Niang Qing rebuked sharply.

The elders exchanged glances, their fervor deflating.

Shui Mo Er's integrity and sincerity won the sect's hearts. His death would crush morale, leaving them nothing to fight with.

The traitor, knowing this, had dared use Shui Mo Er as bait.

"Sister Niang Qing sees clearly. Accept the seal," Dong Ming Zhe said, wiping cold sweat. If the sect fought desperately, he'd be the first to fall.

Without further delay, he aimed the Sealing Talisman at Shui Niang Qing and crushed it.

Instantly, radiant arcane runes erupted, forming a circular array that enveloped her.

The runes converged swiftly behind her, burrowing into her body.

Her early Void Refinement cultivation plummeted.

Divine Transformation, Nascent Soul, Foundation Establishment… Qi Refining.

It halted at the Qi Refining realm.

Shui Niang Qing's face remained cold, her path forward closed.

She had staked the Lan Hong Sect's fate, and her own, on one man.

A man she barely knew, yet trusted by her brother as a sworn sibling, favored by her mother, who infuriated her, and now entangled in this crisis.

Dong Ming Zhe, satisfied, produced another Sealing Talisman, targeting Lan An.

Lan An felt a potent force lock his strength, concentrated at his back before spreading through his body.

His cultivation dropped to early Qi Refining.

"Splendid. Now, release our prisoners. They'll return with me to report my safety, preparing a grand welcome for Sister Niang Qing's arrival… and this young brother," Dong Ming Zhe said, smirking at their impotent rage.

"Third Elder, release the prisoners," Shui Xiong ordered grimly, then growled at Dong Ming Zhe, "You may leave."

"Haha, farewell. Hei Sha eagerly awaits Sister Niang Qing," Dong Ming Zhe laughed.

"Young Master, is it wise to let this boy accompany Shui Niang Qing?" an elder behind him asked, eyeing Lan An.

"What issue? A peak Nascent Soul, now sealed. Can he cause trouble?" Dong Ming Zhe scoffed.

"What if he takes advantage of Shui Niang Qing? Their strengths are equal now," another elder whispered.

"That's Hei Sha's concern. Our task is done," Dong Ming Zhe replied dismissively.

Inwardly, he sneered. 'That person' seeks her Strange Water. Her beauty, though a pity, is secondary to the grand plan.

The elders exchanged glances, falling silent.

"Elder Fu, prepare the ship," Shui Niang Qing commanded.

Elder Fu gritted his teeth and departed.

"Niang Qing, do you have a plan?" Shui Xiong asked anxiously, the elders straining to hear.

Shui Niang Qing shook her head, whispering, "We'll take it as it comes. If need be, I'll self-detonate before letting them succeed. As long as Shui Mo Er lives, the Lan Hong Sect can rise again. His safety comes first."

Shui Xiong and the elders' faces turned ashen, only now noticing Lan An.

A spark lit Shui Xiong's eyes. "Young Master Lan, you offered yourself willingly. Surely you have a strategy?"

"What choice did I have? I couldn't doom Shui Mo Er," Lan An replied, his face a mask of reluctance.

"Sigh, our sect has dragged you into this. If danger strikes, flee if you can," the Great Elder, a mid-stage Divine Transformation cultivator, said.

The elders were moved by Lan An's 'selfless sacrifice.'

"I understand. If possible, I'll escape with Shui Mo Er and Lady Shui," Lan An said earnestly.

Shui Xiong and the elders sighed, exchanging glances. Too naive. Even a peak Divine Transformation cultivator couldn't escape a Void Refiner, let alone a sealed one.

They hoped Hei Sha would honor his word and release Shui Mo Er.

Shui Niang Qing gazed at Lan An silently, her thoughts unreadable.

A day later, before Madam Hua's tearful eyes and mournful expression, Lan An and Shui Niang Qing boarded the ship.

"Xiao Nan, I believe you and Niang Qing will work miracles," Madam Hua whispered through voice transmission.

Lan An returned a reassuring smile.

Shui Niang Qing, now a Qi Refining cultivator, bore the Sealing Talisman's effect flawlessly, her face cold as frost, betraying no emotion.

Their vessel, a Mysterious-grade Supreme artifact of the Lan Hong Sect, was modest but driverless, moving at Shui Niang Qing's will, powered by spirit stones.

Dong Ming Zhe had already departed with the Black Shark prisoners and the two warships Lan An had seized, likely returning to Ming Island to report to Hei Sha via their communication methods.

The shorter distance from Ming Island to Hong Island, compared to Hong Island to the Black Sharks' lair, explained Hei Sha's seven-day deadline.

The ship, shaped like a five-pointed starfish, was compact, with two cabins and a hold, sufficient for their needs.

Shui Niang Qing stood at the bow, leaning against the railing. Her smoky-gray hair danced in the sea breeze, her black dress clinging to her luminous form. Her purple lips parted slightly, her gaze lost in the distant horizon.

The ship glided slowly from the dock.

Lan An, captivated by the sight of beauty against the sea, paused in awe.

Suddenly, he produced paper and brush, studying Shui Niang Qing with intense focus, even channeling soul force.

Since discovering the women's fondness for paintings in Ping An City, Lan An had dabbled in art.

For a Nascent Soul prodigy with heaven-defying comprehension, mastering a task was effortless. High-tier skills and arts came easily, let alone painting.

Yet, he found this world's classical art lacking. Drawing on past-life memories, he began sketching in 3D.

Shui Niang Qing, long absent from the open sea, was entranced by its vastness, occasionally stretching her delicate hands to breathe deeply.

Lan An immersed himself in his work, neither seeming concerned about the storm ahead.

Finally, the painting was complete.

"Beautiful, isn't it? You're my first subject," Lan An said, presenting the artwork.

Shui Niang Qing glanced over, her body stiffening, her eyes widening unconsciously.

The painting depicted a beauty gazing at the sea, her elegant back and a profile of her transcendent face rendered vividly.

Every angle and line formed a masterpiece, as if the figure could step from the paper's confines.

It was breathtakingly lifelike.

The beauty blended with nature, her soulful eyes fixed on the ocean. Who else but Shui Niang Qing?

Yet, unlike her usual coldness, her purple lips curved in a smile, startling her with its radiant beauty.

"A new school of painting?" Shui Niang Qing couldn't resist asking.

Lan An shook his head, smiling. "Countless masters came before me. I merely follow their path."

Shui Niang Qing frowned, curious. Such realistic art was new to her. Was she so out of touch?

Unbeknownst to her, Lan An had introduced 3D painting to the cultivation world.

Subconsciously, Shui Niang Qing folded the painting, about to store it.

"Wait, who said you could keep it?"

Lan An's urgent voice rang out. He snatched it back, tucking it into his robe before Shui Niang Qing's teeth ground audibly.