"At the speed we are flying, it will probably take twelve years before we reach our first target," said Goumang with a smile.

"Although I"ve sneaked into the spatial tide alone in the past, I"ve never properly explored it, much less engaged in battle with experts from other universes." Kong Xuan looked forward to their expedition as he smiled at Goumang. "Brother Goumang, in terms of experience in the spatial tide, you have the most experience among us. You have to help me."

Hou Yi nodded with a smile. "Give me some pointers as well."

"I"ve only entered once in the past," added Qin Yun.

"Are the three of you deliberately mocking me? I was just a little bolder because of my avatar," said Goumang. "Although I"ve encountered quite a few situations, and met quite a dangerous opponent with Sword Immortal Qin and Rushou previously, that was just one opponent. In the spatial tide, any surprise can happen. One has to remember the one important thing in the spatial tide—that is to hide one"s strength! Try your best to hide your strength, for it might create miracles at a critical juncture. If one"s strength is completely exposed, it"s very easy to be targeted."

"Although we are very powerful, it"s possible that experts from other universes are even stronger than us," warned Goumang.

"When the difference is strength is small, it will depend on strategy," said Kong Xuan with a smile.

In a life-and-death battle, there was no chance of a redo.

Therefore, utmost care had to be taken.

…

In the vast spatial tide, an inconspicuous rundown wooden s.h.i.+p was flying.

It had flags and banners, but it looked like it was in shambles.

"Hu! Hu! Hu!"

Gray auras permeated every spot in the s.h.i.+p, so much so that its surface was immersed in gray auras.

Within this envelopment, the s.h.i.+p did not emit any aura as it vanished completely.

"Whoosh~" Gray auras gathered and manifested as a blurry female figure.

The translucent figure stood at the bow as she looked far into the distance. With a smile on her face, she mused, "I killed another prey successfully. This prey sure had many treasures, especially that Demonic Saber. I wonder how many lives it has ended. It"s of great help to me, raising my strength by fifty percent."

The woman was in an excellent mood.

Although she preyed in the spatial tide perennially, to find a treasure that raised her strength by fifty percent was very rare. After all, at her realm, to raise her strength by ten percent was difficult. The Demonic Saber suited her very well.

"Oh?" The woman suddenly looked ahead.

In front of her were four figures carefully flying through the spatial tide.

"Four lives from another universe?" The woman was instantly delighted as a smile suffused the corners of her mouth. "To have four of them join forces, it"s obvious they seldom come to the spatial tide. Their fear prevents them from taking action alone. Haha… Only weaklings will feel fear to the point of forming groups."

The moment she saw that it was a quartet in action, she determined that they seldom visited the spatial tide.

This was because hunters in the spatial tide had to endure the misery of loneliness. Few experts would join forces to alleviate the loneliness and be able to actually trust each other.

For instance, the Three Realms had yet to produce one hunter, much less a few.

Furthermore, hunters typically had a common trait—they were extremely confident in their life-preservation means! Even when facing other-universe experts of unknown origins, they were confident of surviving. For instance, back when Qin Yun fought Fate, the outcome was Qin Yun and company fleeing. All they killed were three envoys controlled by Fate.

Every hunter was extremely difficult to deal with.

"Four prey. How unconfident are you to act as a quartet?" The woman scoffed before dissipating into gray auras and fusing into the rundown s.h.i.+p"s aura.

Whoos.h.!.+

The rundown s.h.i.+p silently approached Qin Yun and company at an extremely fast speed. The distance between them was constantly contracting.

…

Qin Yun and company were still traversing the spatial tide as Qin Yun diverted some of his attention to think about his Misty Rain Array.

Traveling was boring. Furthermore, they had traveled for eight years, still four years away from their destination.

"Whoosh." The wooden s.h.i.+p rapidly approached.

When traveling, Qin Yun, Goumang, Hou Yi also used all their means to stay alert, but they failed to detect the s.h.i.+p.

"Careful, an enemy is approaching." Kong Xuan wore his usual expression as he secretly sent a voice transmission.

"An enemy is approaching?" Qin Yun, Goumang, and Hou Yi were alarmed.

"The enemy"s covert arts are extremely impressive. Perhaps most detection means in the Three Realms would be useless against this enemy," said Kong Xuan via voice transmission. "If not for me being present, the three of you might only have detected the enemy when the protective array was struck. If that had happened, the three of you would probably not be able to react in time."

Hou Yi was secretly alarmed as he asked, "Where"s the enemy. What does he look like? Do you know anything about him?"

"A s.h.i.+p is approaching," said Kong Xuan. "An extremely sinister and dark power is lurking within the s.h.i.+p. As for the enemy, I can"t find him. He"s likely hidden somewhere in the s.h.i.+p."

"You can"t even find the enemy?" Qin Yun, Goumang, and Hou Yi felt their hearts tighten.

"Shall we go according to the plan?" said Qin Yun via a voice transmission.

"Yes. Both you and Hou Yi will hold back. You are our main offensive. Leave it to Goumang and me first," said Kong Xuan. How they dealt with enemies had long been decided in their planning.

To release all their strength instantly would only scare the enemy away.

"He"s here," said Kong Xuan. "He"s about to attack."

"Okay."

Qin Yun long had his Misty Rain Sword split into three flying swords which hid in his sleeves. He had already conjured the Misty Rain Array, but had its might converged. Furthermore, its range was kept small, making it envelop only a thousand feet around them, as though it was just a typical protective measure.

"Four prey huddling in a group!"

Laughter resounded above the rundown s.h.i.+p, but no one beyond it could hear it.

Sou!

Gray auras suddenly burst out from the rundown s.h.i.+p as the s.h.i.+p sped up. The might turned extremely terrifying as the aura released was finally detected by Qin Yun and company.

"Boom!" The rundown s.h.i.+p slammed over with terrifying might.

The most critical protective measure Qin Yun and company had was the Misty Rain Array. It only spanned a thousand feet.

Beyond that range, Kong Xuan and Hou Yi cast their protective array barriers, enveloping a region that spanned a hundred thousand feet, but it was relatively weaker than the Misty Rain Array.

"Oh?" Qin Yun and company were alarmed. The attacker was invisible to the naked eye, and invisible to many probing means. All they sensed was an eruption of a terrifying aura from afar, followed by a loud rumbling in the array barrier"s periphery before the barrier shattered. A large rundown s.h.i.+p made of black wood appeared. It was in shambles, like a s.h.i.+p that had been in disrepair for ages.

But at the moment the rundown s.h.i.+p crashed through the outermost array barrier, Qin Yun quickly enlarged the range of his Misty Rain Array.

When it spread to eighty thousand feet, the Misty Rain Array crashed into the s.h.i.+p, causing it come to a halt. Even the Misty Rain Array quaked, looking like it would crumble at any time. Clearly, Qin Yun was going according to the plan by deliberately hiding his strength.

"Haha, I nearly slammed the four of you to death? You sure are weak." A scoffing laughter sounded from the s.h.i.+p.

"This s.h.i.+p." Qin Yun and company found the sinister aura emitted by the s.h.i.+p extremely terrifying.

A total of nineteen gray chains flew out from the s.h.i.+p in the spatial tide. With a loud commotion, every chain became much bigger than the Misty Rain Array as they hurtled towards Qin Yun and company who were protected by the Misty Rain Array.

"Retract!"

Kong Xuan stood there as the Five-colored Divine Light flashed in the spatial tide.

The huge s.h.i.+p vanished into thin air the moment it was enveloped by the Five-colored Divine Light.

A huge s.h.i.+p? Gray chains? All of them vanished!

All that was left was a figure in the spatial tide—a white-dressed woman. She stood there in the spatial tide in a daze.

"What happened to my Nine Netherworld s.h.i.+p?" She was somewhat dumbfounded.