Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

As the sound of the tide faded into the distance, the sea breeze, carrying a faint spiritual energy and the fragrance of grass and trees, rustled through the branches and leaves of the forest. Lin Yan walked at the forefront, his steps steady and leisurely. The spiritual power of the sixth level of Qi Refining was contained within his dantian, with only the occasional subtle spiritual light flowing from his fingertips revealing the profound foundation he had gained after breaking through his cultivation level.

Yunxi followed closely behind, her Water Cloud Pendant hanging close to her neck, its warm, moist aura constantly nourishing her meridians. Her spiritual energy, having just broken through to the fifth level of Qi Refining, flowed smoothly, no longer exhibiting the sluggishness she had felt during her previous battle with the Crimson Shrimp King. Her once cool and aloof expression now held a touch of composure born of her improved cultivation. She gently stroked the storage ring on her finger, which now contained the Sea Spirit Grass and several mid-grade spirit stones given to her by Lin Yan. A warmth welled up within her, and as she gazed at Lin Yan's retreating figure, a subtle, almost imperceptible emotion flickered in her eyes.

Holding the spirit tortoise on her lap, Yi Azhu's steps became much lighter, no longer timidly shrinking back as before. The Sea Rhythm Pearl felt slightly warm in her palm, and pale blue spiritual energy flowed slowly through her water spirit body. Every rustle of wind and movement of spiritual energy within a hundred feet was clearly imprinted in her mind; she could even accurately perceive the crawling of insects in the soil. The spirit tortoise perched on her shoulder, its little head turning left and right from time to time. The ancient patterns on its shell gleamed faintly, capturing all the aura within hundreds of feet. If there was any abnormal fluctuation, it would gently nuzzle Azhu's cheek, emitting a soft buzzing warning.

Chen Dagang, carrying the Xuan Iron Rhinoceros Bone, walked at the outermost edge of the group, like the most loyal guard. At this moment, his body was brimming with energy, and his bronze skin faintly revealed strength. His previously somewhat clumsy steps had become steady and powerful, allowing him to move with incredible speed even when traversing rugged mudflats and forests. He would occasionally turn his head to survey his surroundings, his face beneath his thick beard full of vigilance. Nourished by spiritual energy and the rhinoceros bone, his mortal body had not only gained immense strength but also sharpened his senses considerably, allowing him to immediately detect any unusual activity in the distance.

The group traveled along the path where the mudflats met the forest. What used to be a path where they had to be careful to avoid monsters was now going much more smoothly because everyone's strength had improved.

Lin Yan noticed the changes in his divine sense. He could perceive all the movements within a radius of several feet. Having just broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refining, he could not only detect danger, but also vaguely distinguish the density and attributes of the surrounding spiritual energy.

"Brother, about three miles ahead, there's a faint demonic aura, very weak, like... several small demonic beasts gathered together." Yi Azhu suddenly stopped, her brows furrowing slightly. She activated her Water Spirit Body to its fullest extent and spoke softly, her voice low but carrying an unprecedented certainty. The spirit turtle immediately raised its small head and nodded slightly towards the eastern forest, its shell gleaming as it echoed Azhu's perception.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yan stopped and instantly extended his divine sense to the east. In a short while, he discovered the situation there—three blue-striped crab demons at the second level of Qi Refining were perched beside a puddle, nibbling on mudflat shellfish. Their demonic aura was thin, far less than one-tenth of that of the Red Crayfish King.

"They're just three low-level crab demons, no need to worry about them." Lin Yan withdrew his divine sense and spoke calmly. "Take a detour and get home as soon as possible."

The group nodded and were about to turn around and change course when a rustling sound suddenly came from the forest to the east. Three blue-striped crab demons, wielding their claws that gleamed with a bluish-black luster, charged out sideways. Their beady eyes stared at the group, and they hissed and growled, clearly regarding them as prey that had invaded their territory.

Although the Azure-Striped Crab Demon wasn't highly cultivated, its speed and powerful claws made it difficult even for ordinary Qi Refining Level 3 cultivators. Seeing this, Chen Dagang immediately stepped forward, holding the Xuan Iron Rhinoceros Bone horizontally in front of him. His fierce face tightened, and he said in a deep voice, "Brother Lin Yan, Miss Azhu, Miss Yunxi, step back. Leave these little demons to me!"

He was physically strong and full of energy, so he naturally wanted to test his strength.

"Big Steel, be careful! They're fast, and their claws are poisonous!" Yi Azhu quickly warned. The Sea Rhyme Pearl glowed slightly, clearly transmitting the movement trajectories of the three crab demons into everyone's minds.

Chen Dagang responded, gripped the rhinoceros bone tightly, and charged towards the foremost blue-patterned crab demon. Seeing this, the crab demon swung its claws fiercely, the sound of the claws cutting through the air filling the air. If a mortal were caught in its grip, their flesh would surely be mangled beyond recognition. But Chen Dagang's reflexes were far superior to before. He sidestepped, barely managing to dodge, and slammed the black iron rhinoceros bone in his hand hard into the crab demon's back. A dull thud resounded, and the crab demon staggered a few steps, a thin crack appearing in its blue-patterned shell. It hissed and screamed in pain.

Seeing this, the other two crab demons immediately flanked from both sides, their claws outstretched. Although Chen Dagang was strong, he was, after all, a mortal and did not know any immortal cultivation techniques. For a time, he was unable to defend himself and gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.

Seeing this, Yunxi condensed a wisp of water-attribute spiritual energy at her fingertips, about to lend a helping hand, when she saw Lin Yan move slightly, taking only one step to Chen Dagang's side. He didn't use much spiritual power, just casually flicked his finger, and a wisp of pure Qi Refining Level 6 spiritual energy transformed into a tiny water blade, instantly slicing through the claws of the two crab demons.

With two crisp cracking sounds, the hard crab claws snapped, and dark blue-green demonic blood gushed out. The two crab demons, in pain, turned to flee, but Lin Yan's eyes turned cold. He condensed spiritual energy at his fingertips, and two water blades followed closely behind, piercing straight through the crab demons' cores. The three low-level crab demons instantly lost their breath and collapsed to the ground.

However, the crisis was resolved in an instant.

Chen Dagang stared in disbelief, his hand gripping the rhinoceros bone pausing slightly. His eyes were filled with admiration as he looked at Lin Yan: "Brother Lin Yan, you're amazing! You just broke through, and you've already dealt with these minor demons so easily!"

Yi Azhu's eyes widened in amazement. The spirit turtle poked its head out from her shoulder and nodded gently at Lin Yan, as if in admiration. Yun Xi stepped forward slowly, a smile in her eyes: "You've broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refining, your spiritual power is so much stronger. Such methods are beyond the reach of ordinary sixth-level Qi Refining cultivators."

Lin Yan withdrew his hand, concealing his spiritual energy, and said calmly, "It's just a low-level demonic beast, not worth mentioning. We shouldn't linger here; let's continue on our way."

The journey was uneventful. As the sun began to set, the outlines of distant villages gradually came into view, with wisps of smoke rising from chimneys, blending with the twilight over the sea and exuding the warmth of everyday life.

The closer they got to the fishing village, the stronger the smell of fish and the aroma of food in the sea breeze became. The tranquility of the forest was broken by the noise coming from the village entrance, mixed with the familiar local accents of the villagers. The sounds made the group of people, who had been traveling all the way, slow down their pace and feel a sense of relief at returning home.

The first thing that catches the eye is the old banyan tree with its gnarled roots at the entrance of the village. Its lush canopy provides a cool shade, and the ground beneath it is already filled with waiting villagers.

Yunxi spotted her parents at the front of the crowd immediately. The moment her eyes met theirs, her heart sank. Her father was wearing a faded long gown, his brows furrowed into a deep frown. His once gentle features were now filled with unconcealed weariness, and his eyes were bloodshot. Her mother was clutching a faded blue handkerchief, her knuckles white from the force, and her eyes were swollen and red like walnuts.

"Yun'er? My Yun'er!" As soon as Yun'er saw Yun'er, Yun'er's mother pushed aside the villagers in front of her and rushed towards Yun'er, staggering and almost falling.

Yunxi rushed forward to support her, grasping the thin yet warm hand in return. She found it icy cold, likely from the sea breeze and prolonged crying the previous night. Yunxi's mother pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her so tightly it felt as if she were embedding herself into her own bones. Warm tears fell onto Yunxi's hair, soaking it: "You wretched girl! You suddenly disappeared the night before last! Your father and I didn't sleep a wink all night, guarding the village entrance, fearing something had happened to you… If anything were to happen to you, how could I live!"

Yunxi leaned against Yunmu's chest, her nose tingling, her eyes instantly reddening. She hugged her tightly back, her voice choked with emotion, "Father, Mother, I'm sorry for making you worry. Last night I just went to explore some spiritual energy and accidentally got delayed. I'm fine, really fine."

Yun's father stepped forward and saw that his daughter had no injuries. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, eased slightly, but his tone still carried an undisguised reproach and heartache: "It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright. You can't do this again next time." As he spoke, he raised his hand and gently patted Yun Xi's back. His rough palms, warm with the passage of time, were full of fatherly love.

Yunxi's nose stung even more, and she nodded vigorously: "Father, I understand, I will never do it again."

Chen Dagang, standing to the side, searched anxiously through the crowd and soon spotted his elderly mother sitting on the roots of the old banyan tree. His mother's hair was gray, her back slightly hunched, and she leaned on a wooden cane. Hearing the noise, she slowly raised her head, her cloudy eyes instantly brightening as she shakily tried to stand up.

"Mother!" Chen Dagang's heart tightened. He immediately dropped the black iron rhinoceros bone on his shoulder and strode to his mother's side. He carefully took her arm, his voice choked with unconcealed sobs, "Mother."

Chen's mother stretched out her withered hand and gently touched her son's strong face and arms. She smiled and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "It's good that you're back. Seeing that you're healthy, I'm relieved." The surrounding villagers smiled and echoed her sentiments.

Holding the spirit turtle, Yi Azhu stood beside Lin Yan, watching Yun Xi and her adoptive parents embrace and weep. A flicker of envy crossed her eyes, quickly fading away. Remembering her father's tragic murder a few days prior, and now being all alone, a lump formed in her throat, and her small hands unconsciously tightened around the spirit turtle. The spirit turtle seemed to sense her sadness, gently nuzzling her cheek, its shell gleaming softly, as if offering comfort.

Lin Yan glanced at his sworn sister beside him, then at Yunxi's reunion with her parents, and said softly, "Azhu, with your brother here, I won't let you suffer any injustice in the future. These villagers are all our family too." Yi Azhu looked up at Lin Yan, her eyes filled with tears, and nodded gently. With her sworn brother Lin Yan by her side, she was no longer alone, and the loneliness in her heart had lessened somewhat.

The villagers, who were usually taken care of by Lin Yan, Yun Xi and others, saw that everyone had returned safely and in high spirits, clearly having gained a lot. They all gathered around and greeted them warmly.

"Lin Yan, Miss Yunxi, you're finally back! We were so worried when we heard Miss Yunxi was missing last night!"

"Little Zhu, come to your aunt's house and have a bowl of hot porridge to warm yourself up!"

The villagers spoke simply and warmly, laughter echoed under the old banyan tree, and the warm evening breeze from the sea swept away the dust and fatigue of the journey, also easing the lingering fear from Yunxi's disappearance the previous night. The sun sank completely below the horizon, painting the sky with a breathtaking sunset, enveloping the entire Qingdao Bay fishing village in a gentle twilight.