Chapter Fifty-Nine: Battle in the Rain

The wind roared and waves surged, rain pouring down in torrents. No one expected that merely entering a patch of storm clouds would transform the seemingly tranquil Endless Sea so dramatically. The Brocade Sail Flying Boat was capable of shielding them from the tempest, but Ding Chunxue seemed to have forgotten all about it, neglecting to channel even a trace of magic. He let the rain cascade over them, his body shrouded in a thin mist that formed a unique space and kept the rain at bay. Meanwhile, Hongjian and Chen Zai were instantly drenched, the rain streaming down their faces, making it impossible for Hongjian to even open her eyes. Amidst the storm, Ding Chunxue’s voice rang out, stern and commanding: “Focus!”

Cultivating in such chaos was no easy feat. Ding Chunxue brought the flying boat down to the sea’s surface, where furious waves crashed against the vessel. Even enlarged, the magical craft could only hold four or five people, and it was easily tossed skyward by the waves, then plunged downward again, as if at any moment the world might overturn.

Despite the storm, Ding Chunxue’s magic never wavered. Before long, Hongjian felt herself returning to peak condition. Ding Chunxue spoke: “Continue cultivating, Junior Sister. Ignore everything else. Zai, use your spiritual sense to search for nearby monsters.”

Hongjian understood her elder brother’s plan instantly—she had already broken through her barrier and could now focus on cultivation, while Chen Zai was still stuck between the sixth and seventh layer, so Ding Chunxue had him refine his spiritual sense. But were there monsters lurking in these pitch-black clouds?

Curiosity got the better of her, and her mind wandered. She opened her eyes, meeting Ding Chunxue’s calm gaze, and remembered his instructions. Sheepishly, Hongjian stuck out her tongue at him and quickly shut her eyes again.

Though her eyes were closed, her mind was restless. The storm, the towering waves, the hidden monsters—all tempted her endlessly. Just then, Chen Zai called out, “Elder Brother, there are many strange birds flying in the clouds!”

“How many is ‘many’?” Ding Chunxue asked.

“…I can’t count them all!” came Chen Zai’s reply.

Hongjian felt unbearably itchy with impatience, shifting uneasily. She thought, “If Chen Zai breaks through, he’ll be at the seventh layer like me. I must hurry and cultivate, I can’t let him catch up.”

Ding Chunxue continued instructing Chen Zai on the finer points of using his spiritual sense. Hongjian listened for a while before forcing herself to block out his voice and immerse herself wholly in cultivation. Ding Chunxue sensed her focus and glanced her way—she was a promising seedling, gifted and spiritual, though perhaps for the same reason, her mind was particularly prone to wandering. In the end, she did settle into meditation, yet Ding Chunxue knew this wasn’t quite the purpose he had brought her here for.

He shook his head quietly and turned his attention to Chen Zai, who, under his guidance, was now following a proper method. With a flick of his robe, Ding Chunxue cast a spell to awaken Hongjian. “When you return from meditation, practice more on your own. For now, let’s deal with these monsters. They’re called Rainbird—you haven’t encountered them before, but they’re quite common in the Endless Sea. They love storms and flock here whenever a tempest strikes.”

Hongjian was delighted—not having to sit still pretending to be dead. With Ding Chunxue nearby, she could have cultivated without worry, but truth be told, her efficiency was never as high as when she practiced her secret technique alone, away from prying eyes.

As Ding Chunxue spoke, she swept her spiritual sense outward and found, a dozen yards away, a massive flock of Rainbirds. Each was several feet long, with white feathers, red eyes, sharp talons, and pointed beaks—ferocious in appearance.

There were easily a hundred of them, startling Hongjian. She stared at Ding Chunxue, waiting to see how her elder brother would respond.

Unhurried, Ding Chunxue continued, “Whenever it rains, the whitefish of the deep rise to play at the surface. Rainbirds come to hunt them, but now they’ve spotted us and will attack us first. Don’t be afraid—these birds are weak, about as strong as a cultivator who has reached the tenth layer of Qi training but not yet built their foundation. Still, monsters are dangerous by nature. Be wary of their water spray—it hurts quite a bit if it hits you. That’s all you need to know. I’m leaving the flying boat in your hands. Unless you’re attacked by more than five birds at once, I won’t intervene. Begin.”

Hongjian was the first to respond.

This method of cultivation was truly fascinating. Magical tools consumed a tremendous amount of true energy—no apprentice could sustain them, and only with Ding Chunxue present could they afford such extravagance. Hongjian quickly gathered her energy and took control of the Brocade Sail Flying Boat. As for Chen Zai, she had never considered working with him—their mutual wariness would only make cooperation counterproductive. Better to handle it herself for a while before passing the magical tool to him.

Chen Zai, a bit resigned, gripped the boat’s edge, ready to take over.

Hongjian didn’t intend to keep him waiting long. Ever since her spiritual sense had been exposed before Jianhui, she’d made an effort to behave properly whenever others were around—not standing out, but not falling behind either.

Even in such a short span, she maneuvered the flying boat admirably. In her hands, it couldn’t outrun the Rainbirds, and several soon caught up. The lead bird shrieked and dove at Chen Zai’s head, talons outstretched. The flying boat veered sharply; the Rainbird missed, its huge wings smacking the sea and sending water spraying, making the rain seem even heavier.

Chen Zai, shaken, called out, “Well done, Senior Sister!” This little senior sister had never liked him for reasons unknown, but thankfully hadn’t used the opportunity to feed him to the monsters.

Hongjian merely grunted, too busy to pay him any heed. Four jets of water followed, crashing through the rain so heavily she only noticed them when they were close. Eyes wide, she found an opening and the flying boat darted through, barely escaping as another water jet slammed onto the stern with a heavy thud, nearly overturning the boat. Hongjian gritted her teeth and held fast, relieved: five birds—any more and her elder brother would step in.

Sure enough, Ding Chunxue spread his sleeves wide, gathering the surrounding rainwater into the air and separating the pursuing Rainbirds from them.

In the downpour, all was a blur of white, punctuated by frantic wingbeats and panicked cries. Ding Chunxue said, “I’ve trapped the ones behind with an illusion array. Get used to handling these five for now.”

All Hongjian could do was steer the flying boat to dodge attacks. One Rainbird’s sharp beak missed her face by barely half a foot, its gusts of wind stinging her skin. She squinted, alert and cautious, and called out to Chen Zai, “Watch for your moment—get ready to take over!”