On a flat section of deck at the very top of the steamship, Zhan Qingcheng and Feng Jiu’er sat facing the approaching formation.

Neither spoke; Feng Jiu’er didn’t press him with questions either, simply watching, unblinking, as the formation drew nearer.

The people on the deck below would glance up at the two of them from time to time, but no one dared say much.

If the difficulties ahead weren’t still unresolved, many would have liked to sit down and quietly admire the beautiful scene above.

Zhan Qingcheng, strikingly handsome, was tall and perfectly built, his long legs hanging naturally, making him look even more flawless and charming.

Feng Jiu’er, with her small, delicate, palm-sized face, fair skin, and petite figure, didn’t seem the least bit frail despite her small stature.

Qiao Mu, anxious, glanced upward once and immediately forgot all about the formation diagram entirely.

“Only this girl could possibly be worthy of my idol.” After a moment, she sighed and shook her head.

Needless to say, this term “idol” had been coined by Feng Jiu’er herself.

Suddenly, the ship lurched, and Qiao Mu immediately stood up, looking around.

“What’s going on?” She ran over to the bow, asking Zhao Yusheng.

“The situation is unclear right now.” Zhao Yusheng shook his head.

Long Shiyi, who had gone below to check, soon came back up.

“No obstacles.”

Suddenly, the visibility all around grew hazier, as if entering some kind of fairyland.

“This is the formation’s net. We’ve entered it.” Zhao Yusheng turned to look at everyone.

“Brothers, stay alert at all times. Once we’ve entered the formation’s net, there’s no turning back.”

“I can’t say exactly what we’ll encounter inside—everyone, be mentally prepared.”

The moment Zhao Yusheng finished speaking, the ship lurched again. The motion wasn’t large, but the force behind it was considerable.

Those able to board this ship were all skilled fighters, and a little shaking like this meant nothing to them.

The sky grew darker and darker, as if a storm were about to arrive.

The brothers hurriedly gathered up everything on deck and settled those who hadn’t yet fully recovered.

The wind grew fiercer, the waves more violent, slapping against the hull with sharp, rapid sounds.

The ship rocked more and more violently; those who had settled the injured gradually made their way back up to the deck.

A mere gale wasn’t enough to blow anyone into the Black Pool, but it was clear this was only the beginning.

“Brothers, spread out, don’t stand together.” Zhao Yusheng’s voice rang out.

“Long Yi and Long Shiyi, each take a team and guard the two sides at the rear of the ship.”

“Qiao Mu, Jian Yi, Brother Keyan, and I will each lead our own people to guard the four corners of the deck.”

“The wind and waves will only grow stronger, and a storm may be coming. If the ship becomes unstable, everyone use your internal energy to press down on the deck and try to weather this through.”

“Understood.”

“Yes.”

Long Yi and Long Shiyi nodded immediately and went to assign their tasks.

“General Mu, among everyone here, your internal power is the strongest. Will you hold the center position?” Zhao Yusheng said to Mu Mu in a low voice.

Mu Mu nodded and strode toward the center of the deck.

Soon, everyone stood at their assigned positions, waiting for conditions to worsen further.

The ship rocked more and more violently, yet not a trace of fear showed on the brothers’ faces.

The wind howled for a long while, and soon, heavy rain began pelting the ship, drenching everyone’s bodies, faces, and heads.

Catching a faint glimpse of the great waves approaching ahead, Zhao Yusheng’s deep, resonant voice rang out.

“Brothers, hold steady!”

“Yes!” The brothers responded in unison, immediately clenching their fists and bracing their stances.

The ship, which had been rocking more and more violently, steadied somewhat under everyone’s combined internal pressure.

But as the great waves drew closer, the ship began to rock once more.

Those facing forward watched ahead, those on the left watched left, those on the right watched right—every face wore a deeply serious expression.

Everyone understood well: if the ship capsized here, they might all perish together.

Wave after wave passed, and the ship grew less stable than before, but everyone held on.

“Brothers!” Zhao Yusheng’s voice rang out, heavy with strain.

Amid the raging storm, even Zhao Yusheng’s voice, loud as it was, couldn’t reach everyone on board.

“There’s a great whirlpool ahead. Everyone must hold firm—and of course, be careful not to fall overboard.”

“Yes!” The brothers’ response rang out loudly, determined to drown out even the sound of the storm itself.

The ship, which had been moving in a straight line, gradually began to change course, and everyone understood clearly: they were about to enter the whirlpool.

No one knew how powerful the whirlpool’s force might be, so no one dared to let their guard down.

The ship began to spin, starting slowly at first, then faster and faster.

No one spoke anymore; the only sounds were the wind and the waves slapping against the hull.

The great ship spun within the Black Pool for a long while before finally steadying.

Once the fierce wind and waves had passed, the ship sailed into a calm, peaceful stretch of water, and even the inky-black sky began to brighten.

Zhao Yusheng let out a soft sigh and turned to face everyone.

“Did we make it through?” Qiao Mu asked eagerly, looking at Zhao Yusheng.

“No.” Zhao Yusheng shook his head. “This is what people call the eve of the storm.”

“Brothers.” He raised his voice and continued. “Everyone rest where you are for now.”

“In about a quarter hour, we’ll be entering the true Black Dragon Weeping Phoenix Formation.”

His gaze settling on Mu Mu, Zhao Yusheng lowered his voice. “General Mu, I’m going to check on the cabin. Please keep watch out here in the meantime.”

“Mm.” Mu Mu nodded, saying nothing further.

Zhao Yusheng strode back inside, his pace somewhat urgent.

At a moment like this, the direction couldn’t afford to be wrong—if it were, the consequences would be unthinkable. He had to go check on the helmsman.

Amid the storm that had just passed, no one had noticed that Zhan Qingcheng and Feng Jiu’er had gone missing.

The two of them, before the commotion had even begun, had slipped into the single cabin at the highest point of the ship, sitting cross-legged facing each other on the floor, palms pressed together, channeling their energy.

Everything that had just happened on deck seemed to have had no effect on them whatsoever.

Another quarter hour later, when Zhan Qingcheng withdrew his hands, Feng Jiu’er withdrew hers as well, drew a deep breath, and slowly opened her eyes.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, do you really think this method will work?”

“It’s the only way.” Zhan Qingcheng stood up and extended his large hand to the one still seated on the floor.

Feng Jiu’er raised her small hand, and it was immediately taken in his warm, broad palm.

Drawn up by the man’s strength, Feng Jiu’er rose to her feet, and together they walked toward the deck.

When the two of them reappeared on deck, all around lay nothing but calm, clear skies—even the hazy, indistinct totem patterns had vanished entirely.

The girl, nearly nestled into Zhan Qingcheng’s embrace, let out a soft sigh. “It looks like we’re almost there,” she said quietly.

Withdrawing her gaze, she looked down at the brothers on the lower deck, all soaked through, and Feng Jiu’er’s expression darkened further.