TM CH1

Chapter 1 Storm at Sea

At midnight, a sudden burst of intense light pierced the dark sky, illuminating the boundless ink-black sea. Across the waters, a massive fishing vessel was sailing, its wooden hull tossed high by towering waves before crashing down heavily.

The rain began to fall. Driven by fierce wind, it hammered the sea with a deep, muffled sound. It was as if the sky itself had turned upside down, with sheets of water suspended in the air. In an instant, the weather changed dramatically. The lanterns at the bow had long been extinguished, and the entire ship rocked violently. The helmsman shouted desperately, “The storm is here! The storm is here!”

The sea that had been peaceful during the day had turned into a wild beast, roaring and churning, bent on swallowing everything in its path.

The hijacked crew members broke free from their captors’ blades.

“Quick! Get into the cabin! Stop fighting, your life is more important!”

Another giant wave struck. As the ship tilted sharply, several people on the deck lost their footing and slipped overboard in an instant.

Rong Qi clung to the mast with one hand, his sword still gripped in the other as he faced his opponent. Drenched to the bone, his wet hair clung to his forehead. His dark eyes burned with killing intent.

“Gu. Yun. Xing!”

Gu Yunxing stood opposite him, his expression calm, as if the storm around them didn’t exist.

“Fang Lian is my friend. You took him, so I came to get him back.”

“Busybody!” Rong Qi’s face twisted with fury. “This venerable one only brought him to the East Sea for a chat. Once I find the Tianyuan Manual, he will naturally be released.”

Gu Yunxing said, “The Tianyuan Manual is nothing but a myth in the martial arts society. If it truly existed, how is it possible that there’s still no lead even now?”

“Who says there’s no lead?” Rong Qi sneered. “The Tianyuan Manual belongs to Fang Yuanqing. Others may not know the clues, but his son surely does! You’ve repeatedly obstructed me along the way, and now you’ve even chased me out to the sea. If you insist on seeking death, then this venerable one will grant your wish!”

With that, he raised his sword and struck Gu Yunxing.

His attack was swift and vicious, his movements strange and unpredictable. But Gu Yunxing remained calm, deflecting each blow with ease.

The two had already been locked in combat at the bow for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Although both bore minor injuries, neither had gained the upper hand. Now, even with the sudden arrival of the storm, neither held back, each unleashing deadly strikes in hopes of ending it quickly.

A cold glint flashed in Rong Qi’s eyes. Midair, he twisted his sword and slashed at a sharp angle. But Gu Yunxing merely shifted his stance with a subtle step, letting the strike slip past him. Rong Qi was startled. Before he could recover his balance, Gu Yunxing had already pivoted behind him.

A surge of killing intent arose—

Rong Qi didn’t dare turn around. He lunged forward, grabbed the mast for leverage, and dodged to the side. At the same time, the sword in his hand flipped backward, stabbing with terrifying speed towards the enemy who was close at hand.

“Ah!”

But the sound of steel piercing flesh never came. Instead, a jolt of searing pain shot through his wrist.

Rong Qi let out a short, muffled groan as his sword slipped from his hand.

He was defeated?

A flicker of disbelief crossed his face before it twisted into viciousness. He launched several hidden weapons from his sleeve and used the brief distraction to retreat quickly.

The hidden weapons clattered to the deck. Gu Yunxing’s face was like ice.

Rong Qi stared back.

This man’s prowess was far beyond what he had expected. If the fight continued, he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance.

What now?

He had to get the Tianyuan Manual. He couldn’t let Fang Lian go. But how was he supposed to defeat Gu Yunxing?

The two stood at a distance, facing each other across the deck.

Suddenly, the world spun. Rong Qi felt his body hurled into the air by a tremendous force. Before he could react, that immense power had slammed him violently towards Gu Yunxing.

Bang—

Rong Qi crashed headfirst into Gu Yunxing’s arms. At the same instant, a wave several dozen feet high lifted one end of the ship.

Boom!

Another clap of thunder roared through the sky.

It felt as if an invisible hand from the depths of the sea had lifted the entire ship into the air.

Both men lost their balance. Rong Qi grabbed hold of Gu Yunxing, who in turn clung to a section of the mast.

Seeing that the ship was about to capsize, the crew began leaping into the sea, clutching wooden barrels to stay afloat.

The guards from the demon palace who had been watching over Fang Lian had already fled for their lives. Fang Ruoyao rushed into the cabin. “Big brother!”

Fang Lian had already broken free of his restraints. When he saw her, he was shocked. “Little sister, how did you get here?”

“I hid on Brother Gu’s ship,” she said. “That’s how I found you!”

Fang Lian: “Foolish!“

The ship had completely lost control. Fang Lian pulled his sister up to the deck, and following the example of the crewmen, they each grabbed a wooden barrel and jumped down.

Lightning continued to flash, but above Rong Qi’s head loomed a deep shadow. The ship, overwhelmed by the force of the waves, had begun to capsize. He clutched Gu Yunxing’s arm, seemingly anticipating what was about to happen — against the might of the sea, no amount of martial arts skill could make a difference.

For the first time, Gu Yunxing’s unshakable composure finally flickered.

A dull splash echoed as they hit the water. For a brief moment, the world seemed to fall into silence.

Then, icy cold seawater surged in from all directions. The briny stench overwhelmed every sense. Water, water everywhere, nothing could be seen, nothing could be heard clearly.

Rong Qi felt his body sinking deeper. There was no air left in his lungs. The pain of suffocation swept over his mind. He began to kick wildly, his hands tightly gripping Gu Yunxing.

Would he die?

No. He didn’t want to die!

Gu Yunxing knew how to swim. What he hadn’t expected was that Rong Qi couldn’t. Not only could he not swim, but he was dragging him down with him. The water was in chaos. Gu Yunxing tried to shake him off, but Rong Qi clung tighter, his entire body wrapped around him. Unable to break free, Gu Yunxing could only paddle hard, hoping to reach the surface for a breath of air.

But Rong Qi wasn’t helping, or rather, like most people who couldn’t swim, he made things worse. Gu Yunxing found himself being dragged under by the thrashing weight. No matter how he fought against it, he couldn’t reach the surface. And slowly, he too began to feel the signs of suffocation.

Never had he imagined that this was how he would die, dragged to the bottom of the sea by a demon.

Splash—

Another wave crashed over them, and for a moment, they lost all sense of gravity. The next moment, the surge carried them out of the water.

Damp, salty air flooded their lungs. Rong Qi threw his head back, coughing uncontrollably, his gaze already beginning to lose focus.

“Save… save me…”

Gu Yunxing, barely able to stay afloat himself, panted, “Right Protector Rong… this humble Gu is willing but unable to help.”

Rong Qi clung to his neck, his expression contorted in pain, muttering something unintelligible.

Weighed down in the water, Gu Yunxing still couldn’t shake him off. His patience ran out. He raised his right hand, forming a palm strike aimed straight at Rong Qi’s back.

“Water… I can’t swim… save me…”

Gu Yunxing frowned. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a wooden barrel floating nearby. Mid-strike, he twisted his wrist and redirected the force outward, sending a burst of energy to propel them toward it.

Thunder and rain continued to clash overhead. The sea rose and fell in violent swells. This massive storm continued for what felt like an eternity before finally subsiding.