"The Blood Crow is cautious by nature. If he detected my Martial Uncle's aura, he would never show himself so easily. That's why Martial Uncle could only remotely sense my qi to judge when to strike. When you and I were shrouded in the Blood Sea, our qi connection was severed — Martial Uncle must have already guessed what happened."
Yang Kai caught on immediately and picked up the thread: "So you had to break through the Blood Sea and carve out a path, restoring the severed qi connection so that senior could pinpoint your location."
Xu Wang smiled and nodded: "Exactly. For this mission, Martial Uncle didn't hesitate to split one of his Artifacts in two, entrusting a part to me. He coordinated from outside while I closed the net from within. No matter how formidable the Blood Crow is, he won't escape this time!"
Yang Kai clicked his tongue, watching the churning Blood Sea retreat around them. "Ruthless."
Within the Blood Sea, the lid-like object Xu Wang had thrown out swelled with the wind. By the time they finished talking, it had expanded to cover several hundred li, scooping the entire Blood Sea up inside it. No matter how the blood churned, not a drop could spill over.
The Blood Crow clearly sensed danger and tried to flee, sending the Blood Sea surging in one direction. But the lid followed like a shadow, reshaping itself to match the Blood Sea's movements.
High above in the void, an enormous dark shadow swept over — its nature unclear — answering the lid below. In the blink of an eye, the two merged into one, forming a cage!
Yang Kai vaguely made out a tall, imposing figure standing atop the shadow, seals shifting through nimble hand gestures. The might of a world's power surged violently — the unmistakable pressure of a 7th-rank Open Heaven cultivator.
The Blood Crow refused to go quietly. Waves of powerful aura erupted from within as it fought like a cornered beast.
But the gap in rank was plain to see, it had lost the initiative, and it was trapped by an unknown Artifact. No matter how hard it struggled, escape was impossible.
Half an hour later, the massive shadow slowly shrank, and Yang Kai finally saw what it was — something shaped like a fish basket.
The basket had gaps, and through them one could clearly see crimson blood-water churning inside. What was remarkable was that the liquid couldn't leak through the gaps, as though bound by some invisible force.
A massive hand seized the basket and casually slung it over a shoulder.
Yang Kai broke into a cold sweat watching.
Xu Wang stepped forward and cupped his fists: "Martial Uncle Fisherman!"
"Yang Kai of the Void Land greets the senior." Yang Kai also cupped his fists in salute.
Only now did Yang Kai have a chance to study the newcomer. The man before him bore none of the lofty bearing one expected of a superior-grade Open Heaven cultivator. Yang Kai was no stranger to such figures — during his time stationed in the Star Realm, haggling with envoys from the various Grotto-heavens and Blessed Lands, he had met eighty if not a hundred superior-grade Open Heavens.
Setting aside someone like Yu Changdao, who looked every bit the immortal sage, even the foul-mouthed Xu Linggong had been overwhelmingly imposing.
But never had he met a superior-grade Open Heaven who looked quite like this one — peculiar in appearance indeed.
Xu Wang called him Martial Uncle Fisherman, and at first glance, the man truly looked no different from an old fisherman — a bamboo hat on his head, a straw rain cape over his shoulders, barefoot, with a fish basket strapped to his back. Had he been holding a fishing rod, he could have passed for the lone angler fishing in the cold river snow.
But his catch was a far bigger fish — the Blood Crow.
The Fisherman raised a hand and lifted his bamboo hat just enough to peek beneath the brim. He glanced at Yang Kai and smiled faintly. "As expected — each generation produces its own talents. I've heard your name more than a few times these past years."
Yang Kai replied modestly: "You flatter me, senior."
The Fisherman spoke unhurriedly: "No need for false modesty. You handled the Star Realm's affairs well. Every Grotto-heaven and Blessed Land owes you a debt of gratitude."
He turned to Xu Wang and asked gravely: "I detected several superior-grade Open Heaven auras flash by earlier. What happened here?"
Xu Wang quickly reported the opening of the Qiankun Grotto-heaven's portal. The Fisherman was visibly surprised. He gazed toward the depths of the void where the portal had been and sighed softly. "A pity I need to return to Mingwang Heaven. Otherwise, I might have stayed to join the fun."
Xu Wang's eyes darted as he said: "You go ahead, Martial Uncle. I'll stay behind." He was quite curious about that Qiankun Grotto-heaven.
The Fisherman shook his head. "You're coming back with me."
Xu Wang's face immediately fell.
The Fisherman chuckled: "Helping me capture this Blood Crow is a great merit. Have you forgotten what rewards the sect offers? There's an opportunity once a year. If you don't go back, that's fine — just wait another few decades, or maybe a century."
Hearing that, Xu Wang immediately changed his mind: "I'll do as you say, Martial Uncle."
As they spoke, the fish basket behind the Fisherman suddenly shook violently — the Blood Crow was clearly struggling inside. The Fisherman reached back and slammed a palm against the basket, and it fell silent at once.
Xu Wang said: "Martial Uncle, Junior Brother Yang contributed greatly to capturing the Blood Crow this time. Without his help in freeing me earlier, I'd probably be dead. He then tracked the Blood Crow all the way here, and it was thanks to him that you were able to reestablish that thread of qi. Shouldn't our Mingwang Heaven show some appreciation?"
The Fisherman smiled faintly and looked at Yang Kai: "If you were a Mingwang Heaven disciple, you could enter the Small Origin World for a trial just like Xu Wang. Unfortunately, you didn't originate from Mingwang Heaven, and the sect won't reward an outsider with access to the Small Origin World."