Dragon Boat Secret Realm 10: Daylight Island

On Daylight Island, Ye Mingshi, Ye Rong, and an old mule were desperately fleeing.

The Red Leaf Sect had three slots for the secret realm. Originally, their junior brother was to come, but he was too young and recovering from a serious illness, unfit for such an adventure. Thus, the slot went to the old mule.

Though the mule looked unremarkable, scrawny and bony, its cultivation surpassed Ye Mingshi’s. It was at the peak of Qi Refining, while Ye Mingshi was only at the third layer and Ye Rong, her senior brother, at the fourth.

The old mule, Old Black, was their lifeline.

Right now, the trio looked battered. Old Black’s sparse fur was patchy, clearly shaved off by some sharp weapon during pursuit. Already self-conscious about its coat, the mule was in a foul mood, its long face drooping in dejection.

Ye Mingshi and Ye Rong were no better—clothes tattered, Ye Rong’s arm hastily bandaged with a rag, and Ye Mingshi’s face smeared with blood, sweat, and dirt, scratched from battle. She wiped her face carelessly with her sleeve, eyes scanning their surroundings warily.

Clearly, they’d just escaped a chaotic fight or chase.

“Old Black,” Ye Mingshi patted the mule, “is anyone still following us?”

Old Black twitched its lips and flicked its tail, uncertain.

Ye Mingshi pursed her lips. Their pursuers’ cultivation likely exceeded Old Black’s, and if they hid their presence, the mule wouldn’t sense them.

Ye Rong, ever optimistic, said, “Don’t worry, junior sister. We’ve fled across a dozen islands without taking or doing anything. Why would those evil cultivators keep chasing us?”

Ye Mingshi lowered her voice. “Senior brother, they *saw*.”

“You mean…?” Ye Rong’s heart skipped, then he pressed urgently, “When did you use that secret technique? Didn’t Master say overusing it could make you lose your mind? Do you want to turn into a mad mule?”

Ye Mingshi punched him, frustrated. “You think I *wanted* to? When those evil cultivators attacked, I thought we were dead. To survive, I didn’t care about going mad. Who knew we’d run into Yanyi Sect’s people!”

Their luck was rotten. After entering the secret realm, they landed on a calm, resource-scarce island. After a month, they moved to a larger, richer island teeming with earth-attributed spiritual energy, ideal for spiritual plants and cultivation.

Everything was perfect—except they didn’t know it was Earth Breath Island, one of the Five Elements Islands.

Ye Mingshi, sharp and observant, deduced within days from the island’s plant growth that it held a spiritual core. Despite the risks, with Old Black’s protection, they ventured to investigate. As predicted, Earth Breath Island had a treasure—the Earth Spirit Pearl—but it was guarded by five evil cultivators, all late Qi Refining, with one at early Foundation Establishment.

Terrified, Ye Mingshi and Ye Rong froze as the evil cultivators’ attacks loomed. Old Black, decisive, hoisted the reckless pair onto its back and bolted.

Four legs outran two. But the Foundation Establishment cultivator was relentless, wielding a massive Binding Immortal Rope studded with barbs. If caught, they’d be done for.

As the rope closed in, Ye Mingshi, in desperation, activated her bloodline secret technique. Just as it took effect, a group of Yanyi Sect disciples landed on the island.
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Their leader, a female cultivator at Qi Refining Layer Nine, wielded a powerful treasure. Though no match for Foundation Establishment, the thirty-plus Yanyi disciples, all mid-to-late Qi Refining and armed with sect treasures, could handle five evil cultivators.

Both groups aimed for the Earth Spirit Pearl, and a battle erupted.

Old Black seized the chance, breaking through with Ye Mingshi and Ye Rong. They fled across a dozen islands, only stopping at Daylight Island when exhaustion and depleted spiritual energy halted them.

Yet Ye Mingshi felt uneasy. The evil cultivator’s eyes had gleamed with genuine malice and joy upon seeing her—she didn’t believe they’d let her go easily.

Jumping off Old Black, she said to Ye Rong, “We split up. They’re definitely after *me*.”

Old Black stomped anxiously, urging her back. Ye Rong refused. “I’m your senior brother—I protect you, not the other way around. No way I’m letting you lure them off!”

“You staying only drags us down,” Ye Mingshi argued. “Alone, I might escape.”

“No way!” Ye Rong leapt off, grabbing her. “With your secret technique, you think you’re noble? If we die, we die together—makes it easier for Master to collect our bodies.”

As they argued, a voice cut through. “Your bond is touching.”

A chill ran through them.

It was the early Foundation Establishment evil cultivator. Escaping Yanyi Sect’s siege, she’d shed her mortal disguise, revealing her true form.

Her face was obscured by a secret technique, but a vivid thorn flower tattoo glowed on her pale cheek. Known as Blood Thorn Flower, her Binding Immortal Rope was legendary—one strike drew blood, felling even immortals.

Shrouded in black mist, her hooked, blade-like nails glinted. Seeing Ye Mingshi’s wary glare, she laughed, her tone venomous. “I hate your sanctimonious act. You ruined my plans—you all die here!”

Her voice, hoarse and disguised, was unforgettable. She’d caught up so fast!

Ye Mingshi fumed inwardly: Were Yanyi Sect’s disciples useless? So many couldn’t stop one evil cultivator?

She knew the truth—the cultivator, seeing the Earth Spirit Pearl lost, had turned to pursue her. Killing Yanyi Sect was hard, but escaping was easy.

“You’re used to your own hypocrisy, so you see it in everyone,” Ye Mingshi sneered. “You lost to Yanyi Sect, yet blame us? If you’re going to bully the weak, just say it. No need for righteous excuses—you’re not orthodox.”

Blood Thorn Flower didn’t anger, instead praising, “Young, but sharp-tongued.”

Her words were gentle, but her hands moved like lightning. In a blink, her Binding Immortal Rope burst from the ground like a serpent, its barbed spikes aiming for Ye Mingshi’s face.

She’d used Ye Mingshi’s taunts to set an ambush, intending to take them all.

But Ye Mingshi had planned similarly. While provoking, she activated her bloodline.

“Oh, I’m no match for your twisted logic,” she smiled, as crimson light flared from her body like burning flames. Red dragon scales covered her, forming armor that gleamed coldly in the sunlight. As her demonic bone awakened, her spiritual energy turned to demonic qi, her eyes glowing red, her face half-covered in scales. In moments, her cultivation surged from Qi Refining Layer Three to Nine—a half-realm leap.

The Binding Immortal Rope was now like a tickle. She grabbed it with her scaled hand, locking into a stalemate with Blood Thorn Flower.

The rope stretched taut, on the verge of snapping.

Ye Mingshi had never felt such power. The demonic bone’s malevolent energy invaded her mind but fed her boundless demonic qi.

Blood Thorn Flower, unfazed, stared with blazing eyes. “Not bad—I was right. Heavenly Demon Bone. What lineage let you fall to the mortal world? A gift from heaven. Once I take your bone, Golden Core is within reach!”

“Be good, come with me, and I’ll forgive your interference with the Earth Spirit Pearl. I’ll spare your brother and this donkey too. Deal?”

Ye Rong, about to retort, was cut off by Old Black’s furious bray: It wasn’t a donkey!

Ye Mingshi raised a brow. “You think I’m stupid? Do I look selfless?”

The rope reached its limit. Blood Thorn Flower let go, and it rebounded like it had eyes, unleashing thousands of poison needles toward Ye Mingshi. Caught off guard, she couldn’t dodge, but her dragon scales held firm, blocking the needles.

She steadied, smirking. “Is that all?”

“Is it?” Blood Thorn Flower drawled. “Look closer.”

When Ye Mingshi grabbed the rope, its surface had split into countless hair-thin strands, worming into her scales, some burrowing into her skin. Where they touched, her spiritual energy drained rapidly. Horrified, she thought: *What is this?*

Old Black, dragging Ye Rong by his collar, dodged the needles. Ye Rong, using his Leaf Control technique, turned nearby leaves into swords, aiming for Blood Thorn Flower’s eyes.

His weak cultivation was nothing to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Her counter sent his leaf swords back with greater force, snapping branches.

Ye Rong dodged clumsily. With Old Black at peak Qi Refining and Ye Mingshi at Layer Nine, he was the weakest. Determined not to hinder, he shouted, “Listen, my Master is a Spirit Transformation cultivator! Harm my junior sister, and he’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth!”

His Master was actually stuck at peak Nascent Soul, but inflating it by two realms sounded better.

“You’re right,” Blood Thorn Flower mused. “I’ll need to be thorough.”

“We’ve got Master’s Thousand Thread Trace!” Ye Rong bluffed. “Kill us, and he’ll know. Stop now, and we’ll let you go. Our Master’s Spirit Transformation!”

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As he distracted her, Ye Mingshi unleashed a blazing fireball—dragon flame, fueled by wind, burning without fuel, akin to second-tier earth fire. Her strongest move.

Old Black roared, sending three sonic waves to propel the flames.

Ye Rong slammed his palms to the ground, channeling all his spiritual energy to sprout tough vines, anchoring Blood Thorn Flower’s lower body, forcing her to face the flames.

The dragon flame hit, burning fiercely, consuming the black mist around her. But, unbelievably, it stopped short, blocked by an invisible barrier.

Ye Mingshi realized instantly, “Her robe is at least third-tier!”

She and Ye Rong exchanged despairing glances.

How could they fight? They couldn’t scrape together two spirit stones, while this evil cultivator had Foundation Establishment cultivation and Golden Core-level gear.

Old Black’s hooves churned, knocking Ye Mingshi and Ye Rong far away, then flashed beneath them, catching them and sprinting off, braying loudly: *Help! We can’t hold on!*

Blood Thorn Flower pursued, her rope snapping to life. “Think you can escape?”

…

Su Qing’s plan was simple.

The gap between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment was vast. In her dorm, she and Tang Yueling, even at peak Qi Refining, couldn’t last half an incense stick against Tian Ning, even when he held back.

If the Hefeng Sect fused a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they were unbeatable.

So don’t fight. Lure the Foundation Establishment cultivator far away—ideally thousands of li. By the time they returned, Songtao Island’s group would’ve harvested the Nine Heavens Spirit Grass and vanished.

Tang Yu, impatient, spoke up. “I get the plan, but how do we lure them? With what? And thousands of li away? That’s too hard!”

The group buzzed with agreement.

“It’s no easier than beating a Foundation Establishment cultivator!”

“Might as well fight them—better odds.”

“Sounds nice, but not practical!”

The strongest on Songtao Island was Pei Feijie from Kaishan Helm, a seventh-layer Qi Refiner, lightning-fast and skilled in water, highly trusted. Wo Ziping from Medicine King Valley, at sixth-layer, was warm and popular but lost clout after the traitor incident, stepping back from leadership.

With Medicine King Valley out, the Sword Sect stepped up. Three of their members—Xie Ying, Ling Xiaorui, and Liang Ji—were sixth-layer, qualified to lead. Plus, they’d uncovered the traitor, earning more sway.

This influence seemed minor but mattered for team coordination and loot distribution, so capable individuals vied for it.

Su Qing wanted the Sword Sect to lead, so she spoke up.

Pei Feijie, arms crossed, frowned skeptically. “This is your plan? Too vague. Details?”

Kaishan Helm members echoed, “Anyone can make plans. How do you pull it off? Lure them thousands of li? Impossible.”

Xie Ying, allied with Su Qing, cut in. “Su Daoyou wouldn’t propose without a plan. Listen before rushing to judge.”

Pei Feijie scoffed. “The grass is almost mature. Who wouldn’t be impatient with such empty talk?”

He didn’t trust a fourth-layer Qi Refiner to have a good idea. They’d tried everything, and nothing worked. Why would she succeed?

Su Qing wasn’t fazed. As a newcomer, distrust was normal. The more they doubted now, the more favor she’d gain later, solidifying the Sword Sect’s leadership.

Perhaps her calm or Xie Ying’s words worked—the chatter died down, and eyes turned to her.

Only then did Su Qing slowly produce her prepared item, passing it around. “Look at this, and you’ll see if my plan’s feasible.”

…

The Hefeng Sect received a message from their Medicine King Valley mole.

The handwriting was scrawled, as if written in haste, reflecting urgency.

The message was shocking:
*Songtao Island leaked the Nine Heavens Spirit Grass news and called in a mid-Foundation Establishment Sword Sect cultivator!*

It detailed the ally’s arrival time, Songtao’s plans, and preparations.

Ji Xingjian, the highest-cultivated Hefeng Sect member on Biyun Island at seventeen and eighth-layer Qi Refining, was talented but arrogant. Known for hating evil and upholding justice, he was the default leader.

He wasn’t alarmed. By the time the ally arrived, the grass would be harvested, and they’d be gone. A mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator—or even late-stage—wouldn’t matter.

The Hefeng Sect team dismissed it, some mocking Songtao Island’s folly, eager to see them fail.

The mole was diligent, likely motivated by promised rewards, delivering timely updates. Over the next month, they reported every adjustment:
– The mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator was a swordmaster, capable of breaking all techniques with one strike.
– They were close to someone on the island, possibly planning a sword array.
– Though powerful, their stamina was weak—a potential weakness!

Useless details, but the constant “mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator” talk painted a vivid image: a swordmaster with poor endurance, possibly planning an array ambush.

Still, it didn’t matter—they’d be gone before the cultivator arrived.

On the eve of the grass’s maturation, Ji Xingjian, patrolling, heard a guard shout, “Trouble! The mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator’s here early, outside the island!”

As if on cue, a Foundation Establishment sword qi surged, shearing off half a hill. Debris rolled, crushing some nearly mature grass.

The qi was strong—Foundation Establishment—but not mid-stage, likely early.

Ji Xingjian’s eyes twitched. “We can’t fight on the island—it’ll damage the grass.”

With an ill-intentioned foe, he called seven mid-to-late Qi Refining disciples, leaving two to guard the field.

Mid-Foundation Establishment? He wasn’t fazed. Their fusion technique could match it, and the sword qi didn’t seem mid-stage—likely exaggerated.

Who would win was uncertain.

Before reaching their base, the night darkened, stars dimmed, and the wind stilled, hinting at an ambush. A disciple suggested, “Let’s transfer our cultivation to Xingjian now, to avoid being caught off guard.”

Reasonable. Ji Xingjian nodded.

They circled him, forming an array, channeling their shared cultivation through the Hefeng Sect’s unique fusion technique. With aligned heart and cultivation methods, their spiritual energy merged seamlessly.

As their cultivation flowed into Ji Xingjian, his power climbed past ninth-layer Qi Refining, peak Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, early Foundation Establishment, stopping at mid-stage.

His eyes opened, glowing with power.

Still stabilizing, a second Foundation Establishment sword qi shot from a rubble pile.

“Sword, come!” Ji Xingjian summoned his natal sword, countering the qi, confirming the foe was only early Foundation Establishment. The advantage was his.

“Playing tricks.”

He swung, unleashing a piercing sword light, its momentum undeniable—a flawless Foundation Establishment strike.

The swing felt exhilarating, his borrowed power flowing naturally. The sword qi shattered rubble, and a retreating figure’s sleeve rustled, as if fleeing. A shadow appeared, speeding away.

Ji Xingjian launched skyward, chasing like a meteor.

But a small object hurtled toward him. Frowning, he flicked spiritual energy at it, only for a black spatial rift to explode from it—a spatial treasure!

A trap.
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Ji Xingjian halted, ready to dodge, but figures emerged, attacking his back. Only late Qi Refining, they shouldn’t threaten him, yet celestial silk threads encircled him.

Tough and sharp, the silk could wound even Foundation Establishment cultivators. His borrowed power didn’t enhance his physical body to mid-stage levels.

Still, trapping him with this was naive.

Unfazed, he leapt upward—surrounded below, the sky was his escape. Child’s play. None were true Foundation Establishment; they didn’t even dare face him.

Once free, he’d make them pay.

But as he soared, he plunged into a black spatial rift above, perfectly timed.

In disbelief, he realized it was waiting. When had it been set?

A small wooden fish fell, thudding dully on the ground.

Ji Xingjian vanished. The watching Hefeng Sect disciples gasped.

Su Qing, using her Breath Concealment Technique, slipped from a tree. Her aim was spot-on, timing the wooden fish’s activation to Ji Xingjian’s leap, teleporting him away.

She picked up the fish, reading “Daylight Island”—the farthest of her seven wooden fish from Biyun Island. By the time he returned, the grass would be gone.

Perfect.

…

On Daylight Island, Ye Rong was bloodied, Old Black lay dying, and Ye Mingshi, face streaked with dried blood tears, stood firm. “You want my demonic bone? I’ll go with you, but one step closer, and I’ll destroy it—mutual ruin!”

Blood Thorn Flower advanced slowly, voice soft. “Too late for begging.”

At that moment, a spatial rift tore open above, and a mid-Foundation Establishment aura surged out.

Blood Thorn Flower tensed. “Who’s there?”

Hope flared in Ye Mingshi’s dim eyes.