Cao Changjing pondered briefly. "I do have some friends in Cangzhou who might be able to help."
Li Xuanxiao feigned surprise. "If that's truly possible, I'd be endlessly grateful! Though I hate to trouble you, Brother Cao."
Cao Changjing waved his hand. "You saved my life. This small matter is nothing in return."
"By the way, those three people who were giving you trouble earlier..."
Cao Changjing smiled bitterly. "It's a long story. Best not to mention it."
Li Xuanxiao nodded and didn't press further.
Cao Changjing had returned to Cangzhou feeling somewhat lost, uncertain of what he should do next. Or perhaps in the thirty years since defecting from Burial Armament City, he'd been living in a daze.
He'd personally come to Zhongzhou, witnessing demons and monsters running rampant across the human lands in chaos. He couldn't quite describe what he felt.
"..........."
While calculating his needed supplies, Li Xuanxiao occasionally exchanged pleasantries with Cao Changjing.
Inside his cabin, faint flames flickered from the alchemy cauldron. Li Xuanxiao dared not make too much movement, lest he draw unwanted attention.
The silver spirit snake he'd purchased for thirty thousand spirit stones ultimately yielded only a small vial of venom, thinner than a thumb's width. This was clearly due to insufficient refinement. Without channeling spiritual energy into the cauldron, proper refinement was impossible.
Yet Li Xuanxiao had no choice - once a silver spirit snake died, its venom would gradually weaken over time. If he waited for a better opportunity, the venom's potency would diminish significantly.
Storing the small vial in his storage ring, Li Xuanxiao surveyed the assortment of bottles surrounding him, carefully categorizing each toxin.
Di Nü Feng rested her head on her hands, her jade-white fingers interlaced. Outside the flying ship, everything was blanketed in white.
Suddenly, the vessel shuddered. Li Xuanxiao recognized this as the sign they were entering a teleportation array.
Sure enough, a voice soon echoed through the ship, warning everyone to brace themselves. Li Xuanxiao kept a close watch on the activity outside.
"Bzzz—!!"
As the flying ship entered the teleportation array, Di Nü Feng bit her lip and let out a pained moan. "Mmm~" The array's energy seemed to agitate the toxins within her body.
She tilted her head toward Li Xuanxiao, resting it against his shoulder. After a moment's hesitation, Li Xuanxiao reached out and patted her shoulder.
"............."
After what felt like an eternity, above the three snowy mountains of Cangzhou, flying ships began streaking out from the ethereal void one after another. As time passed, more and more vessels emerged, clustering together to form an impressive fleet.
This armada of flying ships resembled a coiling dragon soaring above the snow-capped peaks.
"We've arrived."
Li Xuanxiao gazed quietly at the snowstorm outside. Goose feather-like snowflakes drifted down like willow catkins. When these flakes struck the flying ship, they produced faint pinging sounds, like countless tiny hailstones hitting the hull. Though soft, these noises stood out sharply in the silent snowfall.
"Whoosh—!!"
Boom!!
First came the sound of something cutting through air, followed by a heavy thud. However, the incoming streak of light didn't damage the ship itself, instead colliding with the protective barrier surrounding the vessel.
This was, after all, a flying ship belonging to Qianfeng Merchant Group - currently ranked second among Zhongzhou's great merchant associations. Any group capable of conducting business between Zhongzhou and Cangzhou naturally possessed considerable strength.
Moreover, with such an enormous fleet, who would dare attack?
"Snow monsters," Cao Changjing announced.
"Snow monsters?"
"Creatures born from heavy snowfall, collectively called snow monsters," Cao Changjing explained. "They frequently attack passing cultivators and merchant ships, feeding on them."
Li Xuanxiao nodded, not particularly concerned. These snow monsters likely couldn't pose any real threat to such a large fleet.
As expected, shortly afterward, the fleet retaliated against the creatures below. Streaks of light rained down on the snowy mountains with thunderous booms, silencing many of the creatures below.
Those aboard the flying ships barely paid attention, long accustomed to snow monster attacks.
But soon, louder and more numerous explosions erupted.
The towering snow mountains seemed stirred by an invisible force. The previously calm peaks began shaking violently, roiling and howling like boiling water.
Simultaneously, countless dazzling streaks of light shot toward the flying ships at astonishing speeds.
"BOOM—!!"
Mountains quaked; ships trembled.
Everyone stared in shock.
Then armored snow apes began leaping onto the ships' edges. Though hindered by defensive arrays, their powerful physiques allowed them to resist, gradually tearing through the ships' protections.
"The savages seek death!" the merchant leader growled coldly, waving his hand decisively.
From the flying ships, powerful magical treasures and spells poured down like rain, forming a dazzling yet terrifying web of firepower. The cultivators aboard showed no mercy, engulfing the attackers below in a storm of destruction.
Yet despite the fleet's ferocious assault, enemies continued emerging endlessly from below, wave after wave battering against the ships' defenses, creating a sense of helplessness.
As the protective barriers shattered rapidly around the ships, chains shot out from the snowy mountains, latching onto the vessels. Once connected, these chains slowed the ships' movement. More chains followed until finally, the fleet came to a complete halt.
Only then did the merchant leader realize something was amiss. This wasn't like previous attacks—whereas before they'd been minor skirmishes, this was a full-scale assault.
Now even the spectators aboard grew panicked. Who could have imagined such a massive fleet would be attacked?
Cao Changjing's expression darkened. "After that great war, Cangzhou became a wasteland. In the past, these creatures would never have dared such insolence."
That great war had begun with Burial Armament City allowing demonic creatures into Cangzhou. Then the entire world had joined forces to besiege Lingxu, who split half the world with a single sword strike.
Though Lingxu had been severely wounded, Cangzhou suffered devastating losses. Many demonic remnants had remained in Cangzhou, wreaking havoc across the land.
"Stop gawking!" the merchant leader bellowed. "If the flagship falls, we all die!"