The counter-accusation from this disciple of the Crimson Snow sect was logically sound. Immediately, it gained the support of hundreds of clamoring voices.

"That's right! It seems like you're the ones cheating here!"

"What an insidious strategy!"

"They should be penalized!"

Xuan Zi raised his hand once more to silence his sect as he turned toward the members of the Abyss Guild's team.

"Unless you can prove that your tracing technique works perfectly, your accusation appears too flimsy to be taken at face value. I'm sure Madam Yi wouldn't object, would you?"

His last sentence brought an enormous sense of invisible pressure, most of which was directed at Luo Yi. She slowly shook her head with a contemplative expression.

"Sect Master Zi is correct. The tracing method you've used is unique to your sect. I don't think any other competitor in this tournament has developed a technique specifically for this round, a technique that can trace this treasure so accurately. You have to prove that the technique isn't a gimmick meant to scam people."

"This technique isn't something we developed here. Our sect master formulated it long ago, and we learned its basics prior to the arrangement of this competition. It's natural that we'd use it to our advantage here, is it not?" replied the leader of Abyss Guild.

"Nice story, hah!" came a shout from the crowd.

"Prove the authenticity of the technique. How else would anyone believe you?" Xuan Zi told her.

"If you're worried about leaking its secrets to outsiders, Madam Yi can work as the mediator. One of my disciples would represent the Crimson Snow Sect while you explain the basics of the technique to Madam Yi. If it convinces both of them, I'll accept the loss and the penalty for cheating as well. Sounds good?"

The girl still hesitated. Xuan Zi chuckled and added another sentence to relieve her.

"Child, did you manage to master the technique the first time your teacher explained its mechanism to you?"

She shook her head. "It took me a week to comprehend the basics."

"Well, then my disciples aren't going to master it by listening to your description once either."

That seemed to reassure her. She spoke to her teammates in a low voice for a moment before nodding at Xuan Zi and Luo Yi.

"Is there anyone here who'd like to volunteer as a representative of the sect?" Xuan Zi shouted to the crowd.

Tentatively, many hands rose in the air. Not all of them were confident in being able to evaluate the authenticity of the technique.

"Choose the weakest disciple here. Someone with a very low talent, but just the adequate amount of comprehension to understand my explanation," the girl suggested to Xuan Zi.

"You're quite the troublesome lass..." Xuan Zi said sourly. "How are we supposed to-"

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He stopped speaking, because he noticed a strange phenomenon among the disciples.

Almost a hundred of them were staring at one disciple in particular.

Han Xuhan's face was covered by his palm as he faced the knowing look of numerous acquaintances.

"Seems like someone fitting those requirements has already been found," the leader of the Abyss Guild's team said aloud.

*. *. *. *. *. *. *. *.

Han Xuhan and Luo Yi sat on the deck of Abyss Guild's cruise ship, patiently waiting for the presentation of the tracing technique to prepared and sent to them via a messenger who had just headed back to Abyss Guild.

The leader of the attacking team, who he learned was named Qing Ya, was not as patient as them. She constantly paced around the two of them, hands locked on her back which made her appear tense.

"This is such a waste of time. We could've moved on to another sect by now..."

This was the third time she had expressed that complaint. Han Xuhan's irritation finally kicked in.

He stood up from his seat and strode past her, heading for the door that led to the inner chamber of the ship.

Immediately, three of her teammates jumped in front of him to bar his way.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Go back. Sit where you're told to."

Han Xuhan barked out a laugh. "You lot are wasting my time. I could've finished my business in the assembly and attacked a sect by now. Why would I want to sit here and wait for your convenience?"

That got them fuming, especially the team leader who had just spoken the same words.

Qing Ya appeared behind him like a silent phantom and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

"Don't attempt to make a scene. It's not like your sect is the victim here. Unreasonableness will be met with unreasonableness."

Han Xuhan leaned close to her face and whispered, "Young lady, you better not take that tone with your future brother-in-law."

From this vantage point, he could see her eyes behind the glassy goggles flashing with confusion for a brief second before her pupils suddenly constricted.

Face rigid, she took a step back.

"Mu Ran doesn't have a brother. So you are...his martial brother in the sect?"

"Yes. Now where is my special treatment? You can't welcome an in-law without a proper banquet! Bring out the food! Show me around! You don't want to leave a negative impression in my heart!"

His jubilant tone didn't quite rouse the spirit of Abyss Guild's disciples. In fact, most of them sent scathing looks at him, not that he minded.

From the back, Luo Yi called out in a lazy tone, "I fully support this young man's point of view. You should never treat your in-laws with disrespect, especially when the relationship is still new! Do your best to make us feel welcomed here."

Han Xuhan sent her a quizzical look. She could deduce so much from from just that one conversation? She didn't even seem surprised at the fact that a disciple from the Abyss Guild was in a relationship with a disciple from the Crimson Snow Sect.

The hand Qing Ya had placed on his shoulder to exude pressure on him slackened. Instead, she grabbed ahold of his arm and dragged him gently in the direction he had originally intended to go.

"Sister Wen, pick something up for Madam Yi from the kitchen. We'll be having a conversation in the meantime," she muttered as her two teammates guarding the door to the inner chamber stepped aside, letting them in.

Han Xuhan's pupils were like two rubber balls jumping around the moment he stepped inside the belly of the ship. He didn't want to miss anything!

Two marble walls formed a long corridor, both sporting numerous wooden doors which presumably led to cabins. The non-participant disciples inside the ship whom he had seen from outside were probably occupying these cabins.

The corridor was lit brightly by what appeared to be narrow tubes of white light running across the polished floor and roof. For a moment, the uncanny resemblance to a modern building infrastructure made Han Xuhan falter in his steps.

The doors didn't have doorknobs. Han Xuhan casually kicked on one while he was being forcibly guided towards the other end of the corridor. The door didn't budge, which made him suspect that these doors were operated by magical techniques.

So extravagant!

He tore his gaze away from it and focused on their apparent destination, a half-open door that led to a narrow staircase spiraling upward.

"Taking me to the Captain's quarters? Nice! Finally feeling like I'm on my sister-in-law's turf!" Han Xuhan flashed her an approving smile, which she didn't return.

Ordinarily, he'd have been scared shitless by their stone-cold, antagonistic attitude. But they were still on the Crimson Snow Sect's territory. Xuan Zi, Kong Ye, Mu Ran– all three of his golden thighs were waiting fifty feet below the ship. The Abyss Guild wouldn't have the balls to try anything funny right now. He felt completely at ease, safe and sound with the halo of Crimson Snow sect protecting him.

This was what it felt like to be a part of a powerful faction! Even facing one of the most powerful sect in the planet, Han Xuhan could crack his usual collection of infuriating jokes.

The staircase took them to a spacious chamber, answering his question. This was indeed the captain's room.

A woman garbed in a humongous traditional royal attire was sitting on...something. It was probably a throne, but her attire was so flamboyant and spacious that it occupied one-third of the space in the chamber, hiding everything behind her.

Golden Cross collars nearly dwarfed her head, two black sashes were not only wrapped around her waist but also strung across the chamber to be tied up to four levers in the four corners of the room.

Her colorfully embroidered sleeves were so wide that if she raised her hands up, she would resemble a black and white butterfly chained inside this chamber.

However, these weren't the most eye-catching details in the chamber. Han Xuhan's mind was more preoccupied with the observation that this lady had tentacles coming out of her dress where her legs were supposed to be.

Suddenly, he didn't feel so safe anymore.