The second day of the boat journey began with volcanic ash falling on the boat since early morning. The boat crew promptly cleaned it, though they wondered about the source of the eruption. Only Orion knew which volcano had erupted, despite it being hundreds of kilometers away; the ash had been carried to them by the wind. Throughout the day, ash continued to fall, prompting Orion to restrict Wang Lingxin's time on deck. Orion also ensured she wore a bandana that Orion had created to cover her nose and mouth. Additionally, Orion wet the bandana with water to provide some additional protection by trapping particles in the moisture.

While the rest of the crew and passengers remained unperturbed by the ash, carrying on with their usual activities, Orion advised them to also cover their nose with wet cloth for protection. However, they shrugged it off, continuing with their normal routines. Meanwhile, Orion and Wang Lingxin spent most of their time in their cabin. Orion took this opportunity to educate Wang Lingxin about volcanoes and geology using the tablet accompanied by interactive animations, aiming to enhance her understanding. Orion also showed her footage of the erupting volcano responsible for the ashfall. By the next day, the ashfall had ceased, but some of the crew and passengers started coughing and feeling sick because of the volcanic ash for several days, fortunately, it was not severe.

As the last night on the boat approached, with their destination nearing, Orion and Wang Lingxin stood on the deck, gazing at the night sky.

"Master, can you fetch those stars for me?" Wang Lingxin asked, her voice filled with wonder.

"I'm afraid not, why would you want it anyway?" Orion replied gently.

"Well, they look pretty. I want to have some and make it into a necklace. It will be beautiful. Moreover, during the night, it will light up and twinkle. He he he, some of the neighbor aunties around my house only have gold or silver necklaces, and they look so proud of them. Mine will be twinkling with light. Won't it be great, Master?" Wang Lingxin exclaimed excitedly.

"Well, that would be something indeed," Orion remarked, surprised. "But sorry to tell you this, stars, even though they look small as we can see, are actually very big. Even bigger than this planet (world), they are actually just like the sun, but because they are very far away, they look so small," Orion explained.

"What? Really? Wow!" Wang Lingxin exclaimed in amazement.

"Stars and the sun are just like balls of fire that are very big and very hot. Now, how are you going to make it into a necklace?" Orion inquired, turning to Wang Lingxin.

"Uh... ugh..." Wang Lingxin stammered, momentarily at a loss for words. A ball of fire that is bigger than the world? she thought to herself, internally puzzled.

"Aw... my necklace..." Wang Lingxin sighed, her disappointment evident, her wish to make a beautiful necklace of stars dashed. She leaned on the deck's edge, looking at the river below, where she could see a figure of a fish swimming alongside the boat.

"Don't be dispirited. Maybe it's possible to do such a thing," Orion said, trying to cheer her up. But what Orion said was without a reason. In this cultivation world filled with many unexplainable mysteries and phenomena, perhaps such a thing is possible.

"Mmmm... Master, can you tell me more about stars and the sun?" Wang Lingxin asked, her disappointment lingering from her dashed dream of the star necklace.

"Sure. The sun is actually also a star, but it's just named as the sun. It's a big fiery ball, and just like in this world where we live, there is a sun. That means in the other stars, there are also possibilities of worlds just like ours, and that star becomes their sun. The sun is also... " Orion continued the explanation.

Orion and Wang Lingxin stood at a quiet corner on the deck, engrossed in their discussion. Around them, the other passengers and crew members ate, drank, laughed, bantered, and sang merrily. Despite the bustling activity and the loud voices from the crew and passengers, Wang Lingxin was fully immersed in Orion's explanation. A bird perched on top of the mast, resting, opened its eyes and looking towards Orion and Wang Lingxin, as if also listening to their discussion.

"Wow..." Wang Lingxin exclaimed, her arms folded as she rested on the railing of the deck's corner, gazing up at the night sky. Wang Lingxin wondered about the multitude of stars in the sky and the possibility of worlds like hers among them.

"C'mon, time for you to go to bed," Orion said.

Wang Lingxin, still lost in thought from the explanation, walked alongside Orion as they made their way back to their cabin.

The next morning, as the boat neared its destination with its sails billowing, the passengers were busy preparing to disembark when suddenly, commotion erupted on the deck. Orion and Wang Lingxin emerged from their cabin to witness a horrifying scene unfolding before them. Another boat not far behind came under attack from something lurking beneath the water. The violent rocking of the boat soon caused it to split in two, sending many passengers tumbling into the water below.

Amidst the chaos, a massive black crocodile emerged from the depths – a Black Armor Crocodile, a Rank-2 Spirit Beast. It opened its enormous mouth and began to devour the helpless individuals floundering in the water. The remaining survivors struggled to swim away amidst the wreckage, their desperate screams filled the air. Some of the passengers were cultivators, attempting to fend off the Spirit Beast. However, being only at the Qi Condensation realm, they were too weak against the Rank-2 Spirit Beast. Their efforts proved futile against its thick, armored skin, especially with the disadvantage of being surrounded by water. Unable to walk on water or take flight due to their cultivation level, they could only stand on the debris and fight the Spirit Beast. Despite their struggle, they were gradually eaten one by one. As time passed, more and more survivors fell victim to the ferocious beast, staining the water crimson with blood.

While attacks by Spirit Beasts on riverboats were not uncommon, it was rather rare for a Rank-2 Spirit Beast to appear in this part of the river. With many boats traveling the river and contributing significantly to the economy, ensuring safe passage had become vital for the Jiulong Province and Zhenyu Kingdom. Therefore, every year, the army was sent to clear the river of dangerous Spirit Beasts. Many Spirit Beasts fled upstream, where there was still minimal human activity. Although there were still some Rank-1 Spirit Beasts that occasionally attack boats, they posed little threat to boats, as they were typically dealt with by cultivator guards and passengers, some of whom were also cultivators. It was very rare for a Rank-2 Spirit Beast to appear and attack boats in these busy waterways.

The passengers and crew aboard Orion's boat panicked upon witnessing the situation. It was too late to help the survivors from the sinking boat, as there was no longer any movement around the wreckage, and the water had turned crimson. The huge crocodile Spirit Beast was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, a dark figure was spotted underwater, moving toward Orion's boat, causing fear among the passengers and crew as they recognized the imminent danger. The other boats in the area, which were still rather far away, upon witnessing the scene, immediately turned around and attempted to move as far away as possible.

"Damn it, a Black Armor Crocodile! Men, draw weapons! Prepare for battle!" exclaimed the Liu Family caravan's guard leader named Liu Yu, his nerves on edge. Then, he looked towards the man with the metallic helmet near him and gained calm.

The guards from the Liu Family caravan drew their weapons, ready to defend against the approaching threat. Amidst the chaos, the passengers on the boat moved around in panic. However, amidst the commotion, only two figures remained calm, standing at the edge of the deck. A little girl held a skewer of candied fruit in her right hand, enjoying the sweet treat as she watched the events unfold. Standing beside her was a man with a metallic helmet, his arms crossed over his chest.

Previously, Wang Lingxin was in the cabin with Orion, enjoying a candied fruit skewer and tea when the commotion on deck broke out. As Orion and Wang Lingxin emerged onto the deck and witnessed the terrible scene unfolding, Wang Lingxin felt pity for those people, but as for fear? There was none. With her master beside her, how could there be any danger? She was confident that her master could deal with any danger easily.

"Uhmm... Mr. Orion What should we do?" Liu Yu approached Orion. He had been told that Orion was someone with an extraordinary background and high cultivation. For such a figure, surely a mere Black Armor Crocodile wouldn't be a problem, he thought.

"I can kill it easily, but it will be hard if it keeps hiding in the water. For now, let's try to keep our distance. Starboard turn, head to shallower water, hoist the sails to full, and increase speed to maximum, let it chase us" Orion replied calmly.

"Starboard turn, head to shallower water! Hoist the sails to full! Increase speed to maximum! Uhh... let it chase us" Liu Yu then shouted to the boat captain. He had been ordered by his superior that if something were to happen, he needed to listen to the armored man's orders.

"Rudder right!" the boat captain immediately followed the order, directing the helmsman to maneuver the boat while commanding his crew. Despite his experience and knowledge of sailing, the captain was just a mere mortal and didn't know how to deal with the crocodile Spirit Beast. Nevertheless, he trusted the armored man, who seemed to have a plan. The crew swiftly assumed their positions, attempting to steer the vessel away from the impending danger.

Meanwhile, Orion observed the dark figure approaching underwater and retrieved information about the crocodile Spirit Beast from its database. Orion had acquired extensive knowledge about Spirit Beasts through the numerous books and scrolls it had read.

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Black Armor Crocodile, a Rank-2 Spirit Beast, possesses tough and thick skin resembling armor, particularly on its back. However, its underside is relatively weak. Another vulnerability is its eyes. They utilize their strong jaws and tail for combat, they also... Orion continued, reading more details about the Spirit Beast.

Hm... a rather strong Spirit Beast, but it's no longer a problem for me. The only concern is the environment. Orion internally calculated and prepared a plan to deal with the crocodile.

The biggest problem is that they are currently on the river, and Orion cannot swim, meanwhile the crocodile have total advantage in the water. Confronting the crocodile will be challenging. However, the good news is that the Black Armor Crocodile is just a Rank-2 Spirit Beast, so the crocodile's strong and thick skin is not a problem for Orion who can use any of the high-quality weapons given by Luo Fengwei to kill the crocodile, without even needing to use the Chainsaw Qi Sword. In less than a second, Orion formulated a plan.

There were several options available. Orion could attempt to keep the crocodile at bay by using wooden barrels filled with explosives, throwing them towards the crocodile. However, this would likely only cause slight damage due to the crocodile's tough and hard armor-like skin. Alternatively, Orion could improvise by attaching extra weights to the wooden barrels, causing them to sink into the water before exploding. This tactic, akin to a depth charge, could potentially cause more significant damage if Orion could make the barrels explode beneath the crocodile.

The explosion would generate rapidly expanding gas bubbles, which would create a shockwave expanding in all directions. Then the gas bubble’s collapse produces both destructive upthrust and a secondary shockwave. Hopefully, this would be enough to scare away or deter the crocodile or even killed it. If the crocodile persisted, then there would be no choice but to engage in close combat, for which Orion was also prepared.

Orion retrieved a life vest from the storage ring for Wang Lingxin to use as a precaution before executing the plan to fight the crocodile. Orion then headed to the stern of the boat, followed by Wang Lingxin and Liu Yu. On the stern stood Orion, Wang Lingxin, the boat captain, helmsman, and Liu Yu. As the boat moved towards shallower waters, the crocodile Spirit Beast drew closer.

"Um... sir, we won't be able to outrun the crocodile Spirit Beast. What should we do next?" the boat captain asked, his tone filled with worry.

"Don't worry, just navigate the boat into the shallower waters along the riverbank," Orion reassured him.

"Ugh... Yes, sir," the boat captain replied, his anxiety evident.

Orion then retrieved many wooden barrels from the storage ring. Observing the numerous wooden barrels, the others on the stern looked puzzled, wondering what Orion intended to do with them. Orion also retrieved several steel chains with iron balls at one end, usually used to restrain Spirit Beasts. These chains were among the many items Orion had obtained in Yanjing City.

"Get your men to tie the chains to the big wooden barrels," Orion instructed.

"Right away, sir," Liu Yu responded promptly, issuing orders to his men to carry out Orion's instructions.

"How deep are we now?" Orion inquired.

"Around 7 meters, sir," the boat captain replied, his familiarity with the river evident.

"Keep sailing at this depth," Orion instructed the boat captain, who nodded in acknowledgment. "Now, get your men to pour the small wooden barrels slowly," Orion directed Liu Yu.

"Yes, sir! Come on, you heard Mr. Orion. Do as he says," Liu Yu commanded his men, ensuring they followed Orion's orders without delay.

Then Liu Yu's subordinates began as instructed, grabbing the small wooden barrels and opening the lids before pouring out their contents, a dark liquid, ink. The ink, intended for writing, spilled into the water, turning it murky. As the boat moved forward, the ink diffused, leaving a trail of obscured water behind it, and the crocodile Spirit Beast chasing the boat entered the murky black water.

What is he trying to do? Using ink to murky the water, obscure the crocodile's vision, and escape? Rather smart, but it won't be enough, the boat captain thought to himself. "Sigh, I thought he would have a better plan," he muttered under his breath.

"Good. Now, toss the big wooden barrels one by one on my command, and before tossing them, light the fuse first," Orion commanded.

"Men! Prepare to toss the big wooden barrels and light them before tossing!" Liu Yu ordered.

Then, one by one, the big wooden barrels were tossed from the back of the boat. Due to the weight of the steel chains and iron balls, the barrels sank beneath the surface. Meanwhile, Liu Yu's other subordinates continued pouring the ink. As the barrels sank, the iron balls reached the bottom of the riverbed, while the wooden barrels remained suspended a few meters above the bottom, held by the steel chains.

Because of the murky water, the crocodile Spirit Beast, which relied solely on sight, couldn't see. Moreover, the shallow water prevented it from diving deeper to avoid the murky water while chasing the boat. Consequently, it decided to surface. Seeing the huge head of the crocodile Spirit Beast, everyone else on the deck became rather terrified.

"Mr. Orion, what should we do next?" Liu Yu asked, panic evident in his voice.

"Don't worry. Everything is going according to plan," Orion reassured calmly as it retrieved a Grade-3 Bow and quiver. Taking an arrow, Orion aimed at the crocodile.

Swish.

The arrow flew through the air, striking and sticking to the crocodile's head. As the arrow was only a Rank-1 weapon, it didn't penetrate deeply but merely hit and stuck to the skin. After recalculating its aim, Orion shot another arrow.

Swish.

This time, the arrow hit the crocodile's left eye. The crocodile roared and thrashed violently before diving back underwater. Orion took another arrow and prepared to shoot the crocodile's remaining eye if it decided to resurface again, feeling satisfied that everything went according to plan. Meanwhile, the other passengers continued to panic, and some of Liu Yu's subordinates lost hope and their trust in Orion. They were disappointed with the plan and didn't understand Orion's real intention. They thought they had failed to escape the crocodile by using the ink and still didn't know the purpose of the barrels thrown into the river.

The boat sailed at top speed, trailing murky dark water behind it, with wooden barrels still thrown overboard. The crocodile continued to chase from behind, slowly closing in. Swimming fast underwater amidst the murky black water, the crocodile didn't notice the wooden barrels just a few meters beneath it as it swam past. More and more wooden barrels appeared in front and around the crocodile. The fuse used on the barrels is a waterproof Visco fuse created by Orion, and it continued to burn underwater. After a while, they reached the wooden barrels.

Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!

The series of loud explosions underwater created ripples and shockwaves on the water surface, catching the attention of those on the boat. The explosions echoed through the depths, sending shockwaves rippling through the murky waters and causing turbulent bursts of water to surge to the surface.

Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!

The explosions continued behind the boats, and amidst the murky black water, there was also a hint of red color. The crocodile thrashed violently on the water's surface and roared loudly before swimming away from the boat, leaving a trail of red behind. It was apparent that the crocodile was badly injured.

You are lucky I don't have heavy torpedoes, or else you would be a goner, Orion thought internally as it observed the fleeing crocodile. "Stop throwing the wooden barrels," Orion commanded.

Liu Yu's subordinates ceased their actions, watching as the remaining wooden barrels underwater exploded. They observed the massive figure of the crocodile swimming away into the distance. After a while, cheers erupted from the passengers, boat crew, and guards. They had successfully fended off the crocodile Spirit Beast.

"Done," Orion remarked, storing the bow and quiver back into the storage ring. Orion then glanced at the remaining wooden barrels. I will need to buy more of these later, Orion thought internally, realizing that almost half of the explosives that Orion had were used. Orion still had more wooden barrels filled with explosives stored in the storage rings, some with fuses initially intended for use with the drone, while others were just wooden barrels with no fuse. Orion proceeded to store the remaining wooden barrels back into the storage ring.

"Mr. Orion we did it! We managed to drive away the Spirit Beast!" Liu Yu exclaimed, brimming with excitement.

"It's not a big deal, really," Orion replied modestly. "There's no danger anymore. Can you handle the rest? Just continue sailing normally," Orion instructed the boat captain.

"Y-yes, sir," the boat captain stammered, impressed by the effectiveness of Orion's method. You can fight against crocodile Spirit Beasts this way? the boat captain wondered internally, having never seen such a method before. He considered adopting the strategy for dealing with Spirit Beasts in the river in the future, planning to procure wooden barrels filled with explosives and ink.

"I'll return to my cabin. If something happens again, just inform me," Orion stated calmly.

"Definitely, Mr. Orion," Liu Yu replied with a bright smile, his respect for Orion growing even more.

What's so special about that stupid crocodile? Just a mere crocodile, and they got so scared, Wang Lingxin thought to herself. As expected, Master is really awesome. He doesn't even need to attack personally to deal with that stupid crocodile. Compared to others, she never worried about the crocodile. She then followed Orion back to the cabin.

The plan was a complete success; the improvised depth charges were able to drive away the crocodile. Previously Orion ordered the boat to navigate to shallower waters because it couldn't control the depth of the wooden barrels' explosion. Preferring to use shallow water, the wooden barrels would explode close beneath the diving crocodile. The purpose of the ink was not to provide cover to mask their trail for escape, but rather to conceal the wooden barrels in the water. From the description of the crocodile Spirit Beast in the books and scrolls, it possessed some level of intelligence and might be wary of the wooden barrels. Thus, Orion used the ink to hide them, making the crocodile swim closer to the wooden barrels.

The boat continued its journey and would arrive at its destination in just a few hours. Everyone on board was no longer anxious and returned to their lively state. They discussed the incident and praised the brilliant strategy to drive away the Spirit Beast. Finally, they reached their destination—a bustling riverside village. The boat docked, and its cargo was unloaded. The passengers disembarked, and the Liu Family caravan began looking for an inn as sunset approached. They planned to rest in the village for the night. The next day, with only a half-day journey ahead, they would reach Fengxian.

...

In the stillness of the remote small river, a tributary of the Anliu Baihe River, a massive black crocodile floated on the surface, its left eye impaled by an arrow, emitting low growls of pain. A trail of red stained the water, its abdomen was badly injured. Suddenly, a powerful water jet erupted from the river, piercing the crocodile's body and eliciting a loud scream as it thrashed violently. Another water jet appeared and swiftly slashed the crocodile in two, its blood staining the water a dark red as its lifeless body floated.

As the crocodile's remains drifted, a large, shadowy figure appeared underwater, swiftly approaching the carcass. With a violent tug, the creature dragged the crocodile beneath the water, disappearing from sight as if devoured. The shadowy figure then swam away to the riverside.

After a moment, the silhouette of a colossal, elongated creature emerged from the water, revealing its body covered with scales, having four limbs, and two horns. Meanwhile, another magnificent being approached from above, descending gracefully to land on the riverbank. It was a giant bird with fiery bright red-orange feathers, resembling flames. Majestic and elegant, the bird exuded an aura of beauty. Both creatures locked eyes, looking at each other.