[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-the-immortals-disappeared":3,"chapter-after-the-immortals-disappeared-after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-928":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After the Immortals Disappeared",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2284812,4468,"Chapter 928: Dragon Sucking Water","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-928",928,"\u003Cp>\"The Heaven-Respecting Treasure Scroll can block Yin-Vipers, but it cannot block Yin-Malice. Dragon Spine Island is one of the sources of Yin-Malice turbid Qi; we cannot get close.\" Min Tianxi was now telling everything he knew, not daring to hide anything. \"Besides, if we were to rashly stay on Dragon Spine Island, I suspect even the Heaven-Respecting Treasure Scroll could not withstand the wrath of the Yin-Viper King.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan was accustomed to grasping the main point: \"What were the ancient immortals doing coming to Dragon Spine Island?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is said they were extracting and refining Yin-Malice. As for what they refined it into, I do not know,\" Min Tianxi said dryly. \"Immortal methods are beyond my understanding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Refining?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spellcaster Xiang Lian said from the rear: \"Likely weapons to use against enemies, or some sort of harmful contraption.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even in the ancient era, there were some forbidden lands that even immortals were unwilling to approach. I suspect the Yin-Malice forbidden land is one of them; staying here for too long, one would likely be plagued by karmic obstacles,\" the spellcaster Xiang Lian explained from the side. \"Since that is the case, Yin-Malice might be able to be refined into a weapon. Ancient immortals often collected a wisp of rosy clouds, a mountain of miasma, or a river of flowing water to refine; their purpose in coming here might also be to collect raw materials.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan remembered the \"Green Intent Bottle\" from the old collection of the Green Palace; it had indeed easily stored half a river's worth of water, leaving Zhao Pan's army in shambles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Min Tianxi had been keeping an eye on the ship's direction and couldn't help but ask: \"Young Master, is this ship heading into the depths of the archipelago?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Min Tianxi said cautiously: \"The Yin-Malice in the depths of the archipelago is too thick; even immortals are unwilling to approach. Are you, are you not afraid?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan glanced at him and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the previous few instances, he had killed people right after smiling. Min Tianxi felt a chill in his heart the moment he saw that smile and subconsciously avoided his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was as submissive now as he had been arrogant before, at least on the surface. He Lingchuan was quite satisfied with this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, treating bandits with nothing but tolerance and soft-heartedness only makes them think you are easy to bully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You must use the truth to reform them, which is:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever has the harder fist is the boss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they are fierce, you must be fiercer than them; if they are cruel, you must be crueler than them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when the arrogance of the pirates has been worn away by pain and fear will they bow down to He Lingchuan. Later, as long as their master treats them even a little bit better, they will be moved to tears and become utterly devoted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, bullying the weak and fearing the strong, oppressing the feeble and admiring the powerful, is already written into the instincts of most people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan knew well that methods only serve the ultimate goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goals are diverse, so methods must be ever-changing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taming pirates is one way; to take over other forces, he might use a different method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said before that I could drive away the Yin-Malice of the Yangshan Archipelago; didn't you not believe me?\" He Lingchuan looked toward the direction of Dragon Spine Island. \"Then seeing is believing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today was an overcast day, with thick clouds covering the sky; the sun had not emerged at all. Sailing into the depths of the archipelago at this time was the most dangerous, as the Yin-Malice had long since permeated the surface of the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Min Tianxi did not make a sound. After being smashed in the face twelve times by He Lingchuan, his mind had actually become clearer: this Young Master He did things with a method, it was just that everyone hadn't understood it before. Therefore, he should, probably, perhaps not be dragging the whole ship to its death?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other few pirates had their eyes darting around, secretly assessing the chances of jumping into the sea to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Hu and the others saw their strange behavior and smiled to themselves without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan, however, added: \"You have seen people who died from Yin-Malice, right? What were they like?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bandits were secretly shocked: You don't know? You dare to bravely charge into the depths of the archipelago without knowing? And you want to drag us along to die with you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold sweat broke out on Min Tianxi's forehead again: \"Everyone's constitution is different, and their ability to resist malice is also different. But for most people, even if they hold their breath when encountering malice, it will seep through their pores into their skin and invade their internal organs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Generally speaking, touching just a bit of thin mist will cause dizziness, nausea, and incessant vomiting; it is still in time to retreat quickly. If one stays in the mist for too long, or if the concentration of Yin-Malice is high, one will quickly go insane and die shortly after.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan asked: \"No exceptions?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Some people, after death, will grow hair on their bodies and turn into mindless zombies, wandering the island all day. But they fear water and light, so they generally cannot reach human residential areas.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan muttered: \"Why does that sound like a place a Drought Demon would like?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Drought Demon?\" Min Tianxi actually knew this kind of monster. \"Yes, I heard that the Yangshan Archipelago had a Drought Demon a very, very long time ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan perked up: \"When?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is unclear; it is just a legend.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After another hour or so, the ship went deeper into the archipelago, and thin gray mist began to appear in the sea area ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like dark clouds drifting onto the water, and it would change direction midway, as if it had a spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the group saw the gray mist, it moved, actually drifting straight toward the ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speed was getting faster and faster, without even a turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Yin-Malice in the fan-shaped area ahead gathering together, the pirates' scalps went numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ship, however, fearlessly headed toward it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With two \"plop\" sounds, two pirates seized the chance to abandon the ship and jump into the water, swimming toward the islands behind without looking back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nearest island behind was three miles away; with their swimming skills, swimming there was no problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two didn't forget to look back, only to find the Yin-Malice rushing toward the ship with a swoosh, scaring them so much their mouths couldn't close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Rongshan people on the ship had experience now and stood directly one yard behind He Lingchuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They saw that the Yin-Malice didn't look for anyone else, but instead crashed into He Lingchuan like moths to a flame, and then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if this person were a giant black hole, or a bottomless abyss; the Yin-Malice disappeared without a trace the moment it touched him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four bandits on the ship were dumbfounded; Min Tianxi pointed at He Lingchuan, too shocked to speak: \"Th-th-this...?\" How could this be!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pointing at someone like that was very rude, but He Lingchuan knew he was agitated and couldn't be bothered to argue with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another pirate said with a trembling voice: \"Are you an immortal? Only immortals can collect, collect Yin-Malice!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were also pirates who had experienced storms and seen the world; they knew that Yin-Malice wouldn't disappear out of thin air, but it could be collected by someone. What He Lingchuan was doing wasn't driving away malice at all, but collecting it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the others heard this, they also felt it made sense. Didn't Xiang Lian just say that only immortal families have such methods?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could a human do such a thing! He Lingchuan smiled without a word, appearing unfathomable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sense of mystery can make people develop respect from fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Making people fear you from the heart is not difficult, but to make people respect you from the heart is not something that can be achieved by the word \"smart\" alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Qiu Hu still remembered the two people on the water: \"Those two who jumped into the water, should we fish them up?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fish them up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subsequently, those two clever little ghosts who abandoned the ship to escape were dragged back onto the ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were soaked through and shivering as they looked at He Lingchuan, not knowing if it was from the cold or fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What they saw today had repeatedly dealt heavy blows to their usual understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the ship got closer and closer to Dragon Spine Island, the gray mist on the sea became more and more abundant and dense, and its posture of rushing toward He Lingchuan became even more determined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene was just like a long whale sucking water; the gray mist came to him automatically from all directions, even forming a huge, visible vortex above the ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seen from afar, it looked like a tornado had started here, commonly known as a dragon sucking water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the center of the vortex was He Lingchuan; here, there was not a bit of gray mist, none!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply sat down to drink wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for the gray mist lingering around, his demeanor would be like going out to sea for fun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the eyes of the group hiding at the stern, this \"Young Master\" was simply like a bottomless pit; no matter how much Yin-Malice there was, he accepted all comers and took everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene became more shocking the further it went.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until half an hour later—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group of bandits also became like the Rongshan people, from initial disbelief, to being unable to figure it out, and finally to letting their guard down and becoming accustomed to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Young Master He here, the Yin-Malice couldn't reach anyone else at all, so they had nothing to fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group of bandits had at least two speculations in their hearts: either this Young Master He himself could absorb Yin-Malice—could his true form be some kind of demon or ghost? The other possibility was that he possessed a treasure that could absorb Yin-Malice! If so, the treasure was truly not simple. Ordinary magic treasures, once stained with Yin-Malice, would be contaminated just like people, and would be damaged if in contact for too long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Min Tianxi was very bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan turned back and asked him: \"Have you ever seen the Yin-Viper King?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Min Tianxi hurriedly shook his head: \"Only heard its voice; besides, we generally don't enter the depths of the archipelago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Yin-Malice cannot see sunlight, there is much wind and rain on the sea, and sometimes a cloud drifting over can block the sun. When one will encounter Yin-Malice is really hard to say. Therefore, the pirates in this vicinity do not go deep into the archipelago; only merchant ships driven to a dead end by them dare to take such risks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now this ship was less than twenty miles away from Dragon Spine Island, and the Yin-Malice along the way had been sucked dry by He Lingchuan. For a local bandit born and raised like Min Tianxi, the opportunity to walk into the depths of the archipelago was actually not many.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked left and right, planning the route in their minds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan asked them: \"If I let you take over this ship, how fast can you sail out of the depths of the archipelago?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Min Tianxi looked at his own fluttering sleeves, then at the sky, and finally even tilted his head and sniffed a few times before saying: \"It depends on the situation; fast as a quarter of an hour, slow as an incense stick's time, the wind direction can change. When does the Young Master want to turn around and leave?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan thought for a moment: \"Within two quarter-hours.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At that time, with the wind, we can take the West Wind Strait. This ship is good; if the five of us cooperate, we can leave the danger zone in just two quarter-hours and reach the outermost perimeter in one hour,\" Min Tianxi's answer was very certain. \"Strange, is there any heavy cargo in the hold? With less than twenty of us, the ship's speed should be faster.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew very well that only by proving his value was he safe on this ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan gave a hum: \"Right, there are things in the hold, they cannot be thrown away.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said they couldn't, so they couldn't. Min Tianxi thought for a moment: \"After the sun comes out, the wind can be even stronger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When will the sun come out?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Min Tianxi did not answer immediately, but looked up at the sky and discussed it with his companions: \"Looking at these clouds, half a cup of tea at most.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2175,"2026-06-20T02:23:34.395Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","06b4acf4771952dc2087e82b6758fcbd205da5bc846fac8fe37c3e948c464b3d","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-929","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-927",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-the-immortals-disappeared-cover.jpg"]