Without a Golden Core Cultivator at the helm, a Martial Might-level Flying Boat could only struggle to defend itself against another Golden Core Cultivator. But with an allied Golden Core Cultivator distracting the enemy, it could slay one in just a few moments.

"Even if I pull the Flying Boat with all my might, that Human Demon will still catch up to us in less than an hour. That’s only enough time for us to reach the outer sea of the Dong Kingdom. We’ll still be at least eight hundred miles from the inner sea."

The West Sea Great Saint sent a secret transmission to Yang Jing with her Divine Sense.

She was rather surprised by how familiar Yang Jing’s disciple, Yinjiao, was with the sea routes. They had taken almost no detours.

They even took advantage of hidden undercurrents in the sea, increasing their speed significantly.

That was how they had managed to evade the Human Demon’s pursuit for nearly two days, far exceeding her expectations.

’Yang Jing’s four disciples truly each have their own unique expertise. If I entrust my child to him, perhaps he’ll have a much brighter future.’

Unlike the other fiefdoms of the Western Province, which viewed the West Sea as a catastrophe, the Dong Family used their tamed Dragon Beasts to carve out a territory of three thousand li within the sea, designating it as their inner sea.

"The Dong Family established a Marketplace in the inner sea called the Celestial Sea Marketplace. It is guarded by Dong Clan Elders of the Nascent Soul Realm and a Flood Dragon. If you can escape there, you will be completely safe."

The sea lacks many of the Spiritual Objects found on land. Her Merfolk subjects often traveled thousands of miles to the Celestial Sea Marketplace to purchase supplies, so she was quite familiar with it.

She used her Divine Sense to transmit the location of the Celestial Sea Marketplace to Yang Jing. Although the Marketplace was within the inner sea, it was still nearly three thousand miles away.

At their current speed, it was absolutely impossible to reach the Marketplace before the Human Demon caught them.

A grim resolve settled in the West Sea Great Saint’s heart.

"Great Saint, no matter what, I will do my utmost to ensure Yellow Foot’s safety."

Yang Jing tapped the side of the Demon-Catching Tripod, warning it not to secretly start Refining the Celestial Demon trapped inside.

The West Sea Great Saint let out a long, keening cry and summoned the last of her strength to pull the Flying Boat forward. She had been dragging the vessel, which weighed thousands of tons, for tens of thousands of miles underwater without a single moment of rest.

Even for a whale, a creature known for its immense stamina, she felt a profound exhaustion.

The pursuing Human Demon had also run into considerable trouble.

After the once-in-a-millennium storm finally subsided, all manner of Demons from the sea emerged to hunt for food. They had been hiding from the storm and hadn’t eaten for over ten days, so they were ravenous.

The first flock of Evil Owls he encountered was easily annihilated. The Human Demon funneled nearly ten thousand of them into his "stomach hold," where they were converted into billowing Demonic Qi.

However, the stench of blood from the dead Evil Owls attracted even more Demon Birds, and eventually, Demon Monsters and Demon Fish from the depths of the sea.

Among them were some particularly troublesome creatures, as formidable as Profound Whales.

After consecutively killing five Golden Core-level Demon Birds, one Golden Core-level Demon Fish, and three hybrid Demon Monsters, the Human Demon suddenly felt a pang of regret.

Although his Cultivation was at the Nascent Soul Stage, his experience at sea was far inferior to that of the Cyan Demon Ancestor.

He had overestimated himself and underestimated the vast West Sea. If not for the Celestial Demon Mark, the Human Demon felt he would have been lost in this great ocean by now. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

As his Flying Boat was entangled with these sea Demons and Demon Monsters, his pursuit of the Feathered Whale was much slower than anticipated.

They traveled onward submerged, passing through the outer sea and into the inner sea.

Because the Dong Family had moved its population to the islands of the inner sea to cultivate a Dragon Vein and convert the Muddy Qi and Evil Qi, the presence of these negative energies in the inner sea had begun to diminish, allowing Spiritual Qi to flourish.

Yang Jing chose not to head for these islands. Even the largest islands in the inner sea were only defended by Tier Three Magic Arrays and stationed Golden Core Cultivators.

Such forces were sufficient to deal with the Demons and Demon Monsters of the inner sea, but they would be utterly useless against the Nascent Soul Realm Human Demon. Going there would only lead to unnecessary slaughter.

Suddenly, Yang Jing’s eyes flew open, and he pushed his Grotto Dark Dharma Eye to its absolute limit.

A brilliant demonic light flared, and a Flying Boat abruptly appeared in the water less than three miles from their own.

The vessel was magnificent and imposing, its entire body covered in glittering golden Demon Scales. Even more striking, three majestic phoenix heads sprouted from its bow.

The heads were covered in resplendent plumage, shaped like those of roosters, each with a single golden feather standing up high.

If not for the terrifying demonic light it radiated, one would never have guessed it was a Demon Sect Flying Boat.

Yang Jing pushed his Grotto Dark Dharma Eye to its limit, staring intently at the vessel until blood began to trickle from his eyes. Only then did he manage to glimpse its true nature.

"That vessel has become a living creature! Quick! Activate the Extinction Cold Light Array!"

The Flying Boat looked opulent, but in reality, it surged with a terrifying and bottomless Demon Intent.

Even with his strong Dao Heart and courage, Yang Jing felt a sliver of fear rise within him.

The Extinction Cold Light Array was the most powerful Array on a Martial Might-level Flying Boat, surpassing even the Void Five Weapons Array. A single activation consumed an entire tripod’s worth of Spiritual Qi.

Once activated, it could release an Extinction Cold Light Beam that would freeze anything it touched.

Even a Golden Core Cultivator would be frozen into an ice sculpture if struck by the beam. Of course, the Extinction Cold Light Beam fired by the Array was very rigid, making it difficult to hit an agile Golden Core Cultivator.

Most of the time, this Array’s intended targets were other Flying Boats.

The frost-white Extinction Cold Light Beam shot forth, instantly turning the seawater in its path to solid ice.

The Demon Sect Flying Boat made no move to evade the incoming Extinction Cold Light Beam. Instead, its leftmost phoenix head spat out a blazing jet of Demon Fire. This fire possessed the power to incinerate the heavens and boil the seas; the moment it erupted, the frigid, dark seawater began to show signs of boiling.

The chill of the Extinction Cold Light Beam melted away as quickly as frost under a scorching sun.

"So this Human Demon cultivates the Nine Nether Ghost Car Scripture."

Gazing at the Flying Boat the Human Demon had become, the West Sea Great Saint recognized his Cultivation Technique and felt a pang of sorrow for a kindred spirit.

The Nine Nether Ghost Vehicle was the form taken by the Nine Phoenixes, a True Spirit descendant, after it suffered Demon Contamination and degenerated into an Outer Celestial Demon. When the Nine Nether Ghost Car Scripture is cultivated to its final stage, the Demon Cultivator will transform into a Nine Nether Ghost Vehicle.

This Human Demon had already grown three phoenix heads, showing his attainment in the Nine Nether Ghost Car Scripture was by no means shallow.

Limited by their own innate aptitude, it was nearly impossible for a Cultivator to truly grow all nine phoenix heads. To manifest three was already a sign of exceptional Talent in this particular scripture.

The phoenix heads were spewing Nine Nether Ghost Car Demon Fire; it was only natural that the Extinction Cold Light Beam would disintegrate on contact.

’If my child were to fall and become a Demon, perhaps a technique like the Nine Nether Feather Whale Scripture would emerge.’

At this thought, a blazing Demon Qi surged from the West Sea Great Saint. The Flying Boat shook violently as she tore free from the anchor chains binding her, preparing to fight the Human Demon to the death.

The moment the Human Demon’s Flying Boat appeared, Yellow Foot had hidden in terror behind his senior sister, Chi Yu. He trembled uncontrollably, paying no mind to the fact that her petite frame could barely conceal his head.

Seeing his mother prepare to fight the Human Demon to the death, he let out a series of urgent, panicked cries.

"Take my child and go! Quickly!"

the West Sea Great Saint called out to Yang Jing, her voice mingling with a long, drawn-out whale cry.

One of the heads on the Demon Sect Flying Boat lifted, its phoenix-like eyes gazing mockingly at the West Sea Great Saint.

"West Sea Great Saint, you abandoned your Feathered Whale body, your Divine Soul leaving to possess a Profound Whale. You caught me completely off guard and managed to spirit away the young Feathered Whale. But I never imagined you would be so foolish as to place all your hopes on a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator. How pathetic. After all your scheming, didn’t your child end up falling into my hands anyway?"

"Not necessarily!"

A voice suddenly rang out, and a Yellow Dragon descended from the heavens.

Unlike the phoenix heads, which exuded a sinister and ferocious aura thick with Demonic Qi, the Yellow Dragon billowed with auspicious energy and was wreathed in favorable clouds. Its scales, like yellow jade, shimmered with a precious light, and its pair of dragon eyes with their Vertical Pupils blazed with a dazzling Spiritual Light.

The Demonic Qi, Evil Qi, and Muddy Qi in the sea were instantly swept away by this auspicious presence, vanishing without a trace.

Canyuan True Monarch was seated cross-legged between the Yellow Dragon’s two horns, his gaze fixed on the Flying Boat the Human Demon had become.

"Friend from the Eastern Demon Sect, to parade so brazenly through our Western Continent Domain... you must have very little regard for the Six Sects of the Western Continent."

There is only one true Nine Nether Ghost Vehicle; the rest are all Demon Cultivators from the Eastern Demon Sect who practice the Nine Nether Ghost Car Scripture. That was how Canyuan True Monarch recognized this Human Demon’s origins at a glance.