The small black sailboat, forged from sturdy Ironwood, resembled a resilient leaf amidst the sea and sky, silently departing the bustling Flood Dragon Seaport to enter the boundless heart of the ocean. The mainland and familiar mountains quickly receded, shrinking until they vanished behind the horizon where water and sky merged into a single hue. In all eight directions, there remained only the jade-green of the sea blending seamlessly with the azure of the heavens. The sea breeze, carrying a briny tang, swelled the sails, propelling the vessel swiftly across the white-capped waves. This sense of freedom and expansiveness made Tran Kien, accustomed to mountains, forests, and cramped alleys, feel as if his very chest had expanded.
Yet, the romance of the sea is reserved only for poets. To seafarers, it is a battlefield.
"Boy, do not let its peaceful facade deceive you," Old Kinh stood at the helm, his single eye squinting toward the sun, his voice deep and raspy like waves crashing against the hull. "The sea is like the human heart, its joy and anger ever-changing. One second it can be tranquil, the next it can whip up savage waves capable of swallowing even iron and steel. Here, we are but grains of sand."
Tran Kien nodded. He was by no means complacent. The Primordial Chaos Qi within his body circulated ceaselessly in silence, heightening all his senses tenfold. He could hear the sounds of schools of fish and aquatic birds swimming deep beneath the surface, and he could perceive the most minute shifts in the wind currents.
The initial days of the journey passed in relative peace. Old Kinh, drawing upon a lifetime of maritime experience, proved to be an unparalleled navigator. By day, he observed the sun. By night, he read the stars. He could decipher the paths of ocean currents simply by observing the color of the water, and he could forecast the weather by examining the clouds on the horizon. He also imparted to Tran Kien the most fundamental knowledge of maritime survival: how to tie a secure sailing knot, how to identify various seagulls, and most importantly, how to cope with solitude.
"At sea, the most terrifying enemy is neither sea monsters nor storms," the old man said, gripping a jug of wine, "but the silence. It can gnaw away the resolve of the weak."
Tran Kien, however, utilized that very silence for his cultivation. He sat cross-legged at the bow, ignoring the crashing waves and the howling sea breeze, his mind as placid as still water. He was striving to fuse his Saber Intent - Hundredfold Tempered with the "Great Dao" of the sea. His saber was inherently domineering and unyielding. But the sea possessed both hardness and softness. Waves crashing against the shore were powerful and destructive. Yet, hidden undercurrents were soft and yielding, capable of eroding even the sturdiest of rocks over time. He was learning. Learning how to infuse his saber arts with not only the searing power of a furnace but also the profound, shifting illusions of the ocean.
On the afternoon of the tenth day, as they entered entirely uncharted waters, Tran Kien, who was in deep meditation, abruptly opened his eyes.
"Elder," he spoke, his voice gravely solemn. "Something is wrong."
"What is it?" Old Kinh, who had been mending a net, looked up. The sky remained azure, the sea placid.
"The wind," Tran Kien replied. "The wind has ceased blowing."
Old Kinh froze. He hastily glanced up at the sails. Indeed, the previously taut sails now hung limply. The surrounding air had become bizarrely sultry and oppressive. The sea's surface was as flat as a mirror, devoid of a single ripple. To seafarers, this deathly silence was far more terrifying than a storm.
"Disaster! It is the 'Windless Zone'!" Old Kinh's complexion underwent a massive change. "This is the precursor to an apocalyptic sea storm! Quickly! Lower the sails! Secure everything!"
The two sprang into action immediately. But it was too late. In a matter of mere breaths, the distant sky abruptly plunged into darkness. Black clouds rolled in like a colossal monster opening its gaping maw, carrying the murderous intent of Heaven and Earth. The wind began to pick up—initially just light gusts, but rapidly intensifying into a howling gale, shrieking like tens of thousands of malicious fiends. The previously flat sea suddenly erupted with white-capped waves, swiftly transforming into towering walls of water, several zhang high, crashing down upon their tiny vessel.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Under the raw power of nature, the sturdy Ironwood boat became as fragile as a leaf. It was hoisted to the crest of the waves, only to be violently hurled into the abyssal troughs, causing their internal organs to churn. Tran Kien and Old Kinh had to exert every ounce of their strength to cling desperately to the mast to avoid being flung into the sea. Torrential rain battered their faces, scaldingly painful, nearly rendering them unable to open their eyes.
But the true peril did not solely stem from the storm.
"Rooooar!!!"
From the abyssal depths beneath a colossal wave, an immense black silhouette abruptly surfaced. It was a sea monster resembling a giant squid, yet the size of a small hill. Dozens of tentacles, thick as pillars and lined with terrifying suckers akin to demonic maws, flailed wildly in the air, stirring even the lightning strikes descending from the heavens.
"It is the Black Ink Demon King!" Old Kinh roared in terror. "The overlord of these waters! We are in grave trouble!"
The demon king had clearly been roused by the storm. Upon spotting their tiny vessel, its eyes—the size of silver platters—flared with a savage glint. One of its colossal tentacles, carrying a fearsome gale, whipped straight down.
"Watch out!" Tran Kien had no time to think. He let out a thunderous bellow. His mid-Foundation Establishment Primordial Chaos Qi erupted in full force. The matte-black saber was already in his hand.
"Saber Intent - Hundredfold Tempered!"
Facing an attack of such staggering might, he dared not hold back even a fraction of his strength. A golden streak of saber intent, bearing the will of tempering and the domineering aura of the grand sun, cleaved straight toward the tentacle.
CLANG!!!
An ear-piercing sound, like clashing metal, rang out. Tran Kien's saber intent struck the tentacle but felt as though it had struck a fortress wall of iron and steel. It merely left a shallow gash, sparking and spraying a foul-smelling, black ichor. The colossal tentacle only paused for a fraction of a second before continuing its downward smash. A tremendous force struck the boat, tilting it drastically, bringing it perilously close to capsizing.
"Pff!" Tran Kien was jolted so violently that he coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood. This was the very first time his saber intent had failed to shatter an opponent's defense.
"It is a water-attribute demonic beast; its flesh is incredibly resilient! Do not confront it head-on!" Old Kinh bellowed. Though he possessed only one eye, he was exceedingly valiant. He drew a finely crafted steel harpoon and, mustering every ounce of his life's strength, hurled it straight toward the massive eye of the Black Ink Demon King.
The demon king roared, utilizing another tentacle to swat the harpoon away. Seizing that fleeting opportunity, comprehension dawned on Tran Kien. He ceased his domineering saber intent. He recalled the epiphanies he had reached. He took a deep breath. His stance upon the violently rocking boat grew incredibly, preternaturally steadfast. He no longer looked at the incoming tentacle. He looked at the surging wave beside them.
He unleashed a slash. This slash carried no killing intent. It was soft, yielding, and graceful. His saber intent did not strike the tentacle; it struck the wave.
A bizarre spectacle unfolded. The colossal wave, guided by his saber intent, no longer crashed into the boat. Its trajectory was warped, transforming into an immense water whip that lashed backward, striking directly against the tentacle of the Black Ink Demon King!
BOOOOOOM!!!
Utilizing the might of the sea to counter a true child of the sea! The Black Ink Demon King unleashed a roar of agony. While this attack did not inflict severe injury, it caused the beast immense discomfort. It could not comprehend why the sea itself had turned against it.
While it was reeling in confusion, Old Kinh had already readied another harpoon. The life-and-death struggle between two insignificant humans and a marine overlord, amidst the raging tempest, had officially begun.