Star Martial Soaring Cloud

"How about we go take a look?" Wang Xiao asked tentatively, prepared for Xie An to refuse. After all, aside from eating, he was almost always engrossed in formations.

"Walk!"

Xie An readily agreed and got up to leave.

Wang Xiao was slightly taken aback, then picked up the lantern by the door and followed.

A night breeze swept by, causing the lanterns to sway and the firelight to flicker, casting the shadows of the two figures into varying lengths.

Along the coast, the sea breeze howled and the waves surged.

The boundless night enveloped the pitch-black sea, vast and endless, with surging waves crashing against the rocks, creating a cloud of fine white foam.

At this moment, heaven and earth appeared vast and boundless, as if they were about to devour everything—people, plants, storms, worries…

It's not difficult to find Zhou Qian and Erdan.

Although Wang Xiao's cultivation has not yet recovered, his divine sense can already operate freely, covering an area of ​​a hundred feet in radius.

The moment Erdan burst out the door, he had already locked onto him with his divine sense.

In the brief respite of the roaring waves, the boy's shouts, filled with grievance and resentment, pierced the wind and reached the ears of the two.

"Are you feeling any better?"

Zhou Qian sat quietly on the reef, turning to look at the boy beside him whose eyes were red. He quietly spread out his protective true energy, which steadily enveloped Erdan, completely isolating him from the biting sea breeze and the damp chill.

His voice was neither joyful nor sorrowful, offering no comfort or explanation, but simply asking a question indifferently.

"Growth inevitably involves trials and tribulations. Now that we've been discovered, let's figure out how to avoid being discovered again." Zhou Qian's eyes held a gentle, indulgent affection, yet his tone was exceptionally serious as he gazed intently at the boy beside him. "Storms will always come; even fate can't control them. For us, the key isn't avoiding the storms, but rather the choices we make after they pass."

He paused, shifting his gaze from Erdan to the boundless, dark sea. His voice deepened: "Some people, after enduring hardship, will inflict that grievance and suffering on others, becoming the very thing they despise; others will bury the storms deep within their hearts, endure the suffering, and later create a bright future for others, bringing them a beautiful rainbow after the rain. Erdan, what do you choose?"

Erdan looked up at Zhou Qian, seemingly understanding but not quite, yet his eyes were exceptionally firm, as if something had been ignited within him: "Of course, I choose the rainbow!"

"Then remember your choice, forget about today, and go home to sleep!" Zhou Qian patted his shoulder, his tone becoming relaxed, as if what he had just said was just a casual remark.

"Brother Zhou..." Erdan's lips moved, but he hesitated, unable to utter a word of his frustration and helplessness.

"Do you still want to save your sister?" Zhou Qian's voice suddenly deepened, his gaze sharp.

"I want it! I want it no matter what!" Erdan clenched his fist tightly, a strong obsession burning in his eyes.

That was the stubbornness unique to teenagers, fearless and indomitable.

"Then hurry up and go back to sleep! If you don't get enough rest, how will you practice tomorrow?" Zhou Qian said with a smile and a scolding tone, his tone sharp but full of expectation.

He vigorously rubbed Erdan's head, making a mess of the boy's hair.

Erdan took a deep breath, suppressed all his grievances, and turned to run towards home.

Xie An quickly raised his hand to signal Wang Xiao to extinguish the lanterns and candles.

"The wind was too strong, it was blown out a long time ago!" Wang Xiao's voice came from several meters away. Whether the candle was actually blown out by the wind or not, no one cared at the moment.

In Wang Xiao's view, Zhou Qian's words of comfort were perfect. He did not mention his mean mother, his sister who was sold, or judge right and wrong or good and evil in people's hearts. He only taught the boy the principles of life and the way to grow up.

The most precious thing in a person's life is to experience darkness but not to succumb to it.

If you despise sycophancy, you will never curry favor with the powerful; if you hate oppression by the strong, you will never bully the weak; if you have tasted the bitterness of the world, you will spend the rest of your life giving gentleness to others.

Try your best to avoid doing what you hate in the future.

But too many people in this world make solemn vows when they are young, only to end up becoming the very thing they hate.

People often say that when you're out in the world, you shouldn't easily get involved in other people's karma, lest you become entangled in negative karma and suffer misfortune.

Wang Xiao has never agreed with this kind of self-preservation approach.

Just as he did when he attacked Lin Shisan, he did what he could and sought to have a clear conscience.

But some things do require extreme caution, especially those involving emotions.

Every family has its own troubles, with kinship, obsession, ignorance, helplessness... all intertwined and entangled, making it difficult to distinguish right from wrong.

In cases like Erdan's situation, what can outsiders do?

Forcibly taking Erdan away?

Are they capable of shouldering the responsibility of raising teenagers?

The sea breeze gradually subsided, but the waves continued to surge.

Zhou Qian remained seated alone on the reef, motionless, staring blankly at the dark, boundless sea. Waves crashed against the reef one after another, as if sighing for him.

"Why does he seem so preoccupied?" Wang Xiao asked softly.

"Who doesn't have a story?" Xie An shook his head gently, his tone indifferent, but a hint of melancholy lingered in his eyes.

He didn't say much, but just looked at Zhou Qian's back with a complicated expression.

"Since you have a story to tell, how about we have a drink together? I discovered a while ago that Zhou Qian secretly hid a few bottles of good wine!" Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow and smiled, breaking the slightly dull atmosphere.

"Let's go! This idiot dared to hide wine!" Xie An said, feigning anger.

The three returned to the courtyard, brought out a small table, and opened the wine jar to pour wine.

With stories, exhaustion, and friends, alcohol is indeed a good thing.

As the wine flowed freely, Zhou Qian and Xie An patted their chests and solemnly promised that they would do everything in their power to rescue Shanhu and would never betray the young man's sincerity.

The two men also comforted Wang Xiao, assuring him that all the items he had been robbed would be recovered and returned to their rightful owners.

He even extended a sincere invitation that once things were settled here, they would travel together to the capital and explore the world.

The two had been preparing for a full month to wipe out the pirates.

During this time, Zhou Qian has been searching day and night, traveling all over the waters around Dongji Island, and has thoroughly investigated the pirates' activity patterns, the layout of their strongholds, the timing of their shift changes, and their weaknesses in defense. His intelligence is detailed and accurate.

During this time, Erdan repeatedly volunteered to help gather information and lend a hand, but Zhou Qian resolutely stopped him from doing so.

Xie An, on the other hand, secluded himself to deduce the formation, working tirelessly day and night to refine it.

The nine-palace illusion array he prepared was his greatest reliance and trump card in this operation.

Once activated, this formation can trap, confuse, and divide the enemy's forces, thus neutralizing their advantages.

According to the reliable intelligence gathered by Zhou Qian, this group of pirates who have been entrenched in the East China Sea for ten years are not to be underestimated, with a total of thirteen Fish Leap Perfection cultivators under their command.

Thirteen against two sounds like a huge odds, but with the addition of the Nine Palaces Illusion Array, the odds of winning are reversed.

The operation was scheduled for December 19th.

The following day was the wedding day of pirate leader Xiang Tian and Coral.

The pirates have been working tirelessly for this important event, and as the moment approaches, they will surely become complacent and their defenses will slacken.

At that time, the Nine Palaces Illusion Array will cover the entire mountain stronghold, trapping all the pirates. The two of them will then defeat them one by one, thus eliminating this scourge in one fell swoop.

As the days passed slowly, everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

On December 17th, the stagnant vital energy in Wang Xiao's body was completely restored, the dried-up sea of ​​vital energy was fully revived, surging and flowing, and the meridians were clear and comfortable.

The familiar feeling of controlling the energy of heaven and earth and manipulating it at will swept over his entire body. At this moment, he truly felt that he had come back to life.

Early in the morning, neither Zhou Qian nor Xie An were there. Wang Xiao stood in the courtyard, raising his hand in a gesture of respect.

Vital energy gathered in the palm, transforming into a pale golden light, warm and substantial.

He stopped, and the light faded.

The little corn perched on his shoulder, tilted its head to look at him, and chirped twice.

"What are you looking at?" Wang Xiao smiled and reached out to tap the little corn's mouth.

These past two days, everyone has been making final preparations.

Xie An's Nine Palaces Illusion Array has also taken shape. The array plate has clear patterns, the spiritual light is restrained, and the killing intent and illusion are intertwined. It is exquisite and just waiting to be set up and activated.

When he checked the array plate for the last time, his hands were trembling slightly, not from nervousness, but from excitement.

Erdan had long forgotten the unpleasantness of that day and still came to chat and play with Wang Xiao from time to time. With full youthful enthusiasm, he brought him little surprises by the sea in various ways. He also took the initiative to lead Wang Xiao to every corner of Dongji Island to watch the sunrise and the tide receding over the reefs, and to stroll through the fishing village alleys and mudflats.

When they were having a great time, Erdan even showed Wang Xiao his secret base.

It was a small cave hidden deep in the coastal reefs. The entrance was covered by vines and rocks. The cave was clean and dry, with soft hay laid out. His various treasures were also displayed inside.

Standing in this small, quiet space, Wang Xiao felt a slight stirring in his heart, and couldn't help but recall his youthful years in Qixing Mountain.

It turns out that every boy's childhood has a secret world that belongs only to him.

Perhaps it's a hidden cave deep in the mountains, perhaps it's a hollow in an old, lush tree, or perhaps it's a simple treehouse built by hand.

Simply lie quietly in it, watch the sun rise and set, observe the clouds drift and gather, and listen to the wind and birdsong—that is the most beautiful time of your youth.

"Brother Lu Yang, this is my secret, you must keep it a secret for me! I went to Old Chen's house to learn to read, I'll come find you later!" Erdan waved his little hand, his eyes crinkling with laughter, and skipped away.

Once the boy's figure disappeared, Wang Xiao confirmed with his divine sense that no one was around. With a swift movement, he rose from the ground, transforming into a light shadow, and sped off towards the southeast.

After flying for about twenty or thirty miles, an unnamed island surrounded by the vast sea came into view. It was densely wooded, with reefs and a secluded location, which was the main base of Xiang Tian's gang of pirates.

This island is extremely remote, surrounded by reefs and with strong currents, so ordinary fishing boats and merchant ships dare not approach it.

However, this seemingly impregnable and secluded place was completely exposed to Wang Xiao's divine sense.

He had a complete and clear understanding of every building, every passage, every sentry post on the island, and even the cultivation level and position of every pirate.

At this moment, the pirate stronghold is brightly decorated, with red silk hanging from the eaves and lanterns, and festive red paper pasted all over the doors and windows.

Pirates could be seen busily moving about in the stronghold. Some were wiping tables and chairs, some were carrying drinks, some were tailoring wedding clothes, and some were chatting in twos and threes.

Wang Xiaoling, hidden above the clouds, took in everything below and nodded to himself.

As expected, the information obtained by Zhou Qian was exactly the same. There were a total of thirteen Fish Leap Perfection cultivators stationed in the stronghold, but no Dragon Gate Divine Realm cultivators.

With the formations and tactics that the two had prepared for a month, this operation was sure to be foolproof.

He couldn't help but feel more admiration for Zhou Qian's meticulous investigation and Xie An's dedicated preparation.

After confirming that everything was safe, Wang Xiaofei turned back to Dongji Island.

Not long after he left, a huge black-sailed warship broke through the waves and docked steadily beside the nameless island.

The ship's hull was covered with mottled knife marks, exuding a strong sense of bloodshed and violence, clearly a pirate ship that had been ravaged by bloodshed for many years.

The pirate leader, Xiang Tian, ​​came to greet them personally.

On the deck of the warship, nearly ten bandits stepped down one after another. The leader was a tall and burly man with a fierce and ferocious face, full of horizontal lines, sharp eyes, and a murderous aura emanating from him, faintly carrying a powerful pressure.

It was none other than a powerful expert at the Dragon Gate Consciousness Sea Realm!

"Brother Sandao! Why did you arrive ahead of time? I am terrified that I did not come to greet you from afar!" Xiang Tian stepped forward quickly, his face warm and his tone extremely respectful, completely lacking his usual fierce and domineering demeanor.

The burly man known as Three Knives laughed heartily, his voice booming so loudly it stirred the surrounding sea breeze: "I just finished a big deal recently and came to congratulate you on my journey, so I can also have a good drink with you, brother! Please don't think I've come so abruptly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and his men behind him carried over several heavy wooden crates.

The lid was lifted, revealing a box full of gold, silver and jewels, dazzling in its luxury.

Some of the wooden crates still had fresh, undried bloodstains on their edges.

"Good! Good! Good!" Xiang Tian exclaimed three times, his eyes filled with greed and joy. He loudly ordered, "Guards! Quickly prepare the best wine and meat! Tonight, my brothers San Dao and I will drink until we're completely drunk!"

Time flies.

On the evening of December 19th, dusk fell, the sea breeze was bleak, and night slowly enveloped the entire East China Sea.

Under the cover of night, Zhou Qian, Xie An, Wang Xiao, and Erdan quietly boarded a boat and set off towards the nameless island, the pirate stronghold.

The sea was as black as ink, with surging waves, and the ship's hull rose and fell with the waves, creating a solemn and oppressive atmosphere.

Before departing, Zhou Qian was extremely cautious and repeatedly instructed, "Lu Yang, you must take good care of Erdan during the operation and stay close to Xie An the entire time. If the situation turns bad, the two of you must evacuate immediately, especially you! Remember, do not act recklessly!"

Wang Xiao was insightful and naturally understood Zhou Qian's deeper meaning.

The two had prepared for a long time, and the Nine Palaces Illusion Array was extremely powerful, enough to trap all the cultivators on the island. Even if the situation got out of control, everyone would have a chance to escape.

Zhou Qian specifically instructed himself because of Erdan's special identity.

As Xiang Tian's nominal brother-in-law, with this relationship in place, the boy is absolutely safe regardless of victory or defeat in this battle.

This is also the source of their confidence to risk bringing Erdan along and letting him witness all of this firsthand.

The small boat gradually approached the shore of the nameless island, where the lights and red ribbons of the mountain village could be seen in the distance.

At that moment, Wang Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he was secretly alarmed.

"Huh! How come there's an extra Dragon Gate Realm cultivator and seven Fish Leap Perfection Realm cultivators on the island?"

Wang Xiao made up her mind instantly, her face showing fear as she lowered her voice and said, "I'll wait for you here. For some reason, I suddenly feel flustered and a little scared."

He glanced around nervously, his voice tinged with panic as he mimicked the rising and falling waves: "I need to relieve myself in a secluded spot on the shore!"

"Brother Lu Yang, why are you so timid..." Erdan looked at him with disdain. As a young man, he could never hide his thoughts.

He wanted to continue speaking, but Zhou Qian raised his hand to stop him.

"Then you can stay here without worry. Don't wander off. We'll be right back," Zhou Qian said gently. He then took his supplies and led Xie An and Erdan deeper into the island.

After walking a few feet, he pulled Erdan to his side, lowered his voice, and gently advised, "Erdan, don't talk nonsense. It's already extremely difficult for Brother Luyang to accompany us this far. Think about it, if you've been bitten by a snake once, what's your first reaction when you see a snake again? It's human nature, no one is an exception."

He assumed that Wang Xiao had been traumatized by a previous accident, which was why she was afraid to perform.

Zhou Qian's voice was very soft, but how could it possibly escape Wang Xiao's divine sense?

Once the three figures had completely disappeared into the night, the fear and panic in Wang Xiao's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a calm and cold demeanor.

He swayed, completely concealing his aura, and blended into the vast night and sea breeze, moving silently like a ghost towards the place his divine sense had locked onto.

At this moment, in a house inside the mountain stronghold, Luo Sandao was leading his men in a low-key conspiracy.

Just as everyone was discussing their next plan to plunder at sea, amidst the noisy and arrogant chatter inside the room, they suddenly noticed that there was an extra figure inexplicably in the room.

Wang Xiao stood quietly in place, a faint smile on her lips, gazing at everyone with a gentle and calm voice.

"I advise everyone not to act rashly."

"Who are you?" Someone slammed their hand on the table and stood up, their eyes wide with anger, and a murderous aura emanating from them.

"Where did this blind bastard come from? Are you looking for death?!" someone shouted angrily, his hand on the hilt of his knife, his killing intent palpable.

……

"Oh, give me a reason!" Luo Sandao narrowed his eyes slightly, a fierce light flashing in them. The majestic aura of the Dragon Gate Realm quietly spread out, and his tone was extremely arrogant.

Amidst the cacophony of angry shouts and fierce rebukes, Wang Xiao stood quietly, his expression unchanged. His voice, though not loud, pierced through the clamor, resounding clearly and coldly in everyone's ears.

"If you move, you'll die!"