Chapter 51: Humiliation

The blood-colored flying sword arrived, accompanied by a familiar voice. Everyone paused. From the stern, Yue Buhei looked back at the path they had come, and saw that the Gannet Ship he had spotted during the day was now only a hundred meters away.

In the midst of the torrential rain, a blurred figure stood at the bow, nine talismans whirling overhead.

"So this man is actually at the ninth level of the Mysterious Observation Realm—I have truly underestimated him," Yue Buhei's expression changed abruptly. He knew well whose voice it was, but never imagined that Huang Yuyi's cultivation was so terrifying. For a Yin-Yang Master of the Mysterious Observation Realm, each ascension allowed them to condense a strand of Daoist True Fire within. When nine strands came together, there was a chance to forge a Golden Pill and step into the Returning Subtlety Realm.

At this moment, Huang Yuyi manipulated nine talismans simultaneously in midair—a display of mastery, using his mind in nine ways, a sign that his True Fire was perfected.

Lu Xin slowly rose, dragging his weary body toward the stern. After all their running, Huang Yuyi had still caught up. At this point, he was not concerned for the safety of the Yang sisters, but Yue Buhei had no backing and could not afford to fight any longer.

On the boat, the middle-aged man withdrew his flying sword. Yang Xiu and Yang Qin stepped back onto the merchant ship, and silence fell over everyone. With Huang Yuyi’s arrival, they were truly caught between the hammer and the anvil. With just a handful of people, there was no way to protect Lu Xin.

The Gannet Ship drew closer. Despite the downpour, not a drop of rain touched Huang Yuyi; all water evaporated within three feet of him, and even the wild winds on the river could not stir his robes.

Wang Cong, upon seeing Huang Yuyi, immediately bowed his head in respect. Though he called him "Senior Brother," he was more deferential than when facing his own sect leader. Even the middle-aged man addressed as "Senior Brother Ouyang" by Huang Yuyi showed a trace of seriousness on his face.

"Gentlemen, it's been many days since we parted in Xuanzhou. I must admit, I failed to see clearly back then—one among you has earned our sect leader’s favor."

The Gannet Ship stopped less than five meters from the merchant vessel. Huang Yuyi’s gaze moved between Lu Xin and Yue Buhei, finally settling on the Sword of Wandering Immortals.

Yanfu had ordered Lu Xin’s capture to seize the divine weapon, but he certainly wouldn’t tell his disciples the truth. Yet Huang Yuyi had followed the Underworld Soldiers to Qingyang County that night, hidden in the wilderness all along—he must know the real story.

"The Underworld Soldiers marched through Xuanzhou to Qingyang County; you were present throughout. There’s no need for grand words. Huang Yuyi, let them go, and I’ll return with you."

Lu Xin walked to the stern and stated his terms directly. He knew nothing of cultivation or the levels of Yin-Yang Masters, but Yue Buhei’s expression upon seeing Huang Yuyi said it all. To continue fighting would only mean senseless death.

"Good, it’s refreshing to speak with someone clever. Rest assured, those two ladies are Yin-Yang Masters of the Witch Clan, their identity is unique. Unless absolutely necessary, I would not offend them. As for the young man in white, cultivation in the mountains is hard, and I would not spoil his century of progress."

Huang Yuyi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, smiling and speaking with ease. Yue Buhei drew a long breath, then sneered coldly.

"I’ve always acted openly and honestly—not like your Upper Celestial Sect, which prefers cunning and theft, always indulging in shady dealings!"

"Hahaha, what a sharp tongue. But no matter how eloquently you speak, it won’t change anything. Heaven’s treasures belong to those with the strength to claim them. Since the Martial Virtue era, our Upper Celestial Sect has protected the people alongside the Tang court, pacifying this chaotic land. Why let such treasures waste away in the hands of a weak mortal, when we could use them to subdue demons and evil spirits? Ultimately, you are simply too weak."

With that, Huang Yuyi suddenly pointed at the merchant ship. Yue Buhei immediately felt a crushing force descend from the void, pinning him so he could not straighten up. His face reddened as he resisted for two seconds, but in the end he was forced to kneel on the deck.

Such terror from the power of a single finger!

No extravagant moves, no talismans or flying swords. Huang Yuyi’s magic suppressed Yue Buhei with a mere gesture, revealing his immense strength.

"Huang, if you mean to kill, then do so. I bow to neither heaven nor earth! Who are you to humiliate me so?"

Kneeling on the deck, Yue Buhei trembled with rage, his entire body shaking. He struggled to lift his head, but the crushing force upon him was as heavy as mountains and seas—even his neck would not move. He had never endured such humiliation; his face was flushed, his gaze ferocious.

"Huang Yuyi, I already said I’d go with you—don’t push us too far!"

Lu Xin’s brows shot up as he shouted. He knew Yue Buhei’s character well: though he seemed carefree and crass, like a scholar, he was deeply proud and would not tolerate the slightest injustice. Before strangers, he wouldn’t lower his head, let alone kneel.

"Hahahaha... you are truly naïve and ridiculous. In this world, who grants dignity to the weak? Today, I merely make you kneel—no fingers lost, no blood spilled. How is that excessive? Fox, do you know true humiliation? Compared to my experience, you are already fortunate today."

Suddenly, Huang Yuyi threw back his head and laughed wildly, his expression turning manic. There was mockery in his laughter, but more than that, deep-seated resentment. Lu Xin could not fathom why this man’s demeanor had changed so suddenly, and as he was about to retort, a great force descended from above, forcing him to his knees.

The kneeling made his already frail body cough up a mouthful of blood, staining the deck crimson.

"Huang Yuyi, dignity is not given by others, but earned through mutual respect. It has nothing to do with status or power. If you humiliate us so today, are you not afraid someone will do the same to you in the future?"

"Afraid? Of course I am! That’s why I practice tirelessly, aiming to stand above ten thousand, atop the world itself. Only then can I protect those around me, and not lose what I love! You say dignity is unrelated to status or power? When you crush an ant underfoot, do you feel remorse, do you chant prayers for it?"

Huang Yuyi’s voice grew louder and more frenzied. It thundered in Lu Xin’s ears, leaving him speechless.

Indeed, no one apologizes for crushing an ant. No one feels guilt or sorrow for an ant. Perhaps, in Huang Yuyi’s eyes, he himself was as insignificant as an ant.

At this moment, Lu Xin truly understood what the world was, what the realm was!

Without enough power, one could only be pinned to the cold deck, battered by wind and rain. Without enough power, one could not even lift their head to speak. Staring at the blood on the deck, Lu Xin’s pupils turned crimson, his chest weighed down as if by a mountain.

Since he could remember, since crossing into the Tang Dynasty, he had never hated anyone as much as he did now!

"You’re right—it’s our own naivety. Huang Yuyi, as long as I, Lu Xin, live, one day you’ll taste what it’s like to kneel before another!"

"Good, I’ll wait. But for now, you must come with me."

Huang Yuyi’s cold gaze pressed down. With those words, he gestured, sending Lu Xin flying toward the Gannet Ship. The distance was only five or six meters; Huang Yuyi moved so swiftly that even Yang Xiu couldn’t react. By the time she came to herself, Lu Xin was already in Huang Yuyi’s grasp.

"A man's knees are worth their weight in gold—what you’re doing is not the way of righteousness. Huang Yuyi, show mercy where you can. The Upper Celestial Sect has only stood for a few decades; you are far too arrogant."

"Hmph, Miss Yang Xiu, Gu King Village hides deep within the Great Mountain, cut off from the world. I respect you not for your sake, but out of respect for the Witch Clan. If you persist, don’t blame me for being ruthless."

"Ha! Who needs your respect? Huang, do you know who we are? How dare you speak to my sister like that? Before the clan leader, your sect leader Yanfu is nothing but a worm!"

"You brat, mind your tongue!"

Enraged, Huang Yuyi flashed onto the merchant ship, heading straight for Yang Qin. At that moment, a tremendous thunderclap descended from the sky, shaking the earth. The wind and rain on the river grew tenfold, raindrops slashing through the air like blades.

Such a violent change in the heavens made everyone look up in terror. Huang Yuyi halted mid-stride, raising his gaze. Dark, churning clouds hung low over the river, and within them it seemed a pair of eyes, full of resentment, stared down. Then a chilling roar echoed in their ears.

"Shameless humans! Deserving of death—all of you deserve death!"

Yue Buhei, who had been unable even to lift his head, suddenly let out a skyward howl. His body swelled and grew at an alarming rate—first his head, then his back, limbs... In an instant, the frail youth transformed into a giant white fox.

Yue Buhei had revealed his true form many times before, so the scene was not unfamiliar. However, this time, the demon fox’s forehead bore a prominent mark—a blood-red crescent moon, as large as a palm, glowing with fierce red light in the night. Yue Buhei’s pupils were crimson, his gaze wild and murderous, as if he had lost all consciousness.

Roar!

The demon fox slammed its paw onto the deck, shattering the entire ship. Its terrifying power shook the void, raising waves dozens of meters high in the river. Forced back by the fox’s aura, Huang Yuyi finally grew serious as he faced the enormous beast, bigger than an elephant.

"Nine Tribulations Thunder Law—Sword from the heavens... down!"

With a furious shout, Huang Yuyi’s hands formed seals. The flying sword suspended in the air merged with the nine talismans, erupting in blinding blood-red light. Then, from the light burst a massive sword aura wrapped in thunder, falling like a mountain, slashing toward Yue Buhei. The demon fox did not dodge, but charged forward with its body.

Boom!

The two forces collided, forming a giant black vortex in the void. The shockwave swept across a dozen miles. All three ships exploded, reduced to fragments. Unable to move, Lu Xin fell into the river, swept away by the towering waves, disappearing into the raging waters.