Dual cultivation makes you stronger, everyone else is a prodigy, and I'm the only one slacking

Looking at the blue sea and sky, Yu Luoning had no idea where she had traveled through the air.

The sound of the waves crashing against my ears seemed to carry something else within it.

She jumped onto the tall reef, came to the other side, and saw a crowd gathered below the pile of rocks.

Several men carried a four- or five-meter-long flower boat, stepping on the beach and walking towards the sea.

Yu Luoning then realized that the strange sound was actually crying from the flower boat.

A dozen or so boys and girls sat in the flower boat, their expressions filled with fear, dressed in festive red clothes as if they had been dressed up in their finest attire.

Their parents followed behind, crying out in anguish, but were stopped and not allowed to get close.

"Why are you crying? The child has spiritual roots, and it's their blessing to be able to cultivate in the Sea Dragon Palace."

The gaunt old man shouted loudly. He stood in the middle of the crowd, his clothes completely different from those of the islanders around him.

She wore a jade hairpin in her hair, and the fabric was of the finest quality; she was clearly not an ordinary person.

The other islanders bowed their heads and hunched their necks, appearing quite respectful towards this person.

Yu Luoning frowned slightly. Based on her past experience reading novels, this was probably some kind of ceremony.

Rituals like the Dragon King's wedding or the Sea God's sacrifice may seem mysterious on the surface, but they are often the result of inhumane human sacrifice.

Yu Luoning felt a tickle in her heart, a little curious, but dared not make any rash moves.

Behind this scene, there must be a whole host of interest groups involved, something a mere alchemist like her can't get involved in.

Sometimes, it's not that she wants trouble, but trouble comes knocking on her door.

The group continued on their way, and the leader immediately spotted Yu Luoning and Xing Qi.

The man was slightly surprised at first, and a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes.

In this sea area spanning hundreds of miles, he had never seen a man or woman with such outstanding appearance.

He glanced at Yu Luoning; she was at the fourth level of Qi Refining, not a high level of cultivation. Then he looked at Xing Qi, who was gentle and kind, like an innocent young man who seemed easy to bully.

Suddenly, the flower boat stopped, and the surrounding gongs and drums also stopped.

Just now, while the other party was sizing up Yu Luoning, Yu Luoning was also sizing up the other party.

Besides a group of fishermen following behind, the leader was a Qi Refining cultivator, and there were four other cultivators standing on either side of the leader, two of whom had lower cultivation levels than her.

With Yu Luoning's current cultivation level, she can only see those at the same or lower level than herself; she cannot see those one level higher for the time being.

The air seemed to quiet down for a moment, leaving only the sound of waves crashing against the rocks.

Before the other party could speak, Yu Luoning smiled and said, "Greetings, fellow Daoists. We are just passing by this island. Are you engaged in a ritual? A ritual cannot be delayed, please proceed."

The leader nodded and waved for the group to continue moving forward, but he was already making plans in his mind.

He winked at a monk on his right, who immediately understood and quietly left the crowd.

Just then, something completely unexpected happened.

The child sitting in the flower boat took advantage of the pause to quietly slip off the boat and run quickly towards Yu Luoning.

"Sister, please save us! We don't want to die!"

The little girl was plump and chubby, with her hair tied in two buns with red ribbons. The red dress she wore made her look especially pitiful.

"Clerk, come back quickly."

Someone on the shore shouted urgently, "Do you want Master Fang to take his anger out on our entire Big Island Village?"

The clerk clung to Yu Luoning's dress, refusing to let go. "Sister, they eat people. None of the children who went to sacrifice to the Dragon King have returned."

"Stop talking nonsense! If you didn't possess spiritual roots, why would we send you to the Sea Dragon Palace to cultivate? This trip is clearly an opportunity of immense fortune."

The gaunt old man cursed angrily, then turned to Yu Luoning, his expression changing completely:

"You two are newcomers here and are probably unfamiliar with the rules. Hundred Islands Bay has 108 islands, a gathering place for sea monsters, and danger lurks everywhere. These islanders are able to survive here entirely thanks to the protection of the Sea Dragon Palace. We cultivators suffer losses every year, which is why we select children with spiritual roots from among the islanders to enter the palace for cultivation—truly a win-win situation."

Yu Luoning didn't speak, but she knew this ritual was not simple.

Xingqi blinked her eyelashes slightly, as if she was thinking about something.

The clerk clenched his hands tightly, his eyes pleading.

Seeing that Yu Luoning remained unmoved, he turned his gaze to Xing Qi.

"Brother, please save us."

Xing Qi's gaze fell on Yu Luoning. Having learned from his previous experience, he no longer acted rashly. He was more interested in knowing what Ningning would do.

Yu Luoning said calmly, "Little sister, go back with them."

"Sister, no..."

When Yu Luoning first arrived in this world of cultivation, she set a rule for herself: not to meddle in other people's business.

Secondly, even if she wanted to get involved, her current cultivation level was still too low. There were quite a few people on the other side, and she didn't know what kind of forces were behind them. If she acted rashly at this time, she would not only fail to save anyone, but she might also get herself into trouble.

Just then, Xing Qi's voice came from the side.

He bent down to face the little girl, his tone earnest:

"Little sister, aren't you going to the Sea Dragon Palace to cultivate?"

"No, it wasn't the Dragon Palace at all, it was the belly of a giant snake. Last year during the sacrifice, I hid behind the rocks, and after everyone left, I clearly saw a giant snake eat them all."

"What color was that giant snake?"

The clerk paused for a moment, then whispered, "It's red, and it looks really ugly. It has lots of scales on its body, and it also has a pair of horns on its head."

Xing Qi stood up, turned his head and said to Yu Luoning.

"She sounds like she's describing a siren."

Yu Luoning's expression shifted slightly: "You know him?"

"Hmm, I remember that sea monster can be used to refine elixirs."

The amount of information conveyed in that sentence made Yu Luoning understand immediately.

The demonic beasts used for alchemy were fed with the flesh and blood of children.

This is absolutely inhuman!

Yu Luoning: "Xing'er, what do you want to do?"

Xing Qi glanced at him, then at the children on the pleasure boat, his brows furrowing slightly. He asked seriously, "What will Ningning do?"

He paused, looked at his hands, and said in a somewhat bewildered tone, "I don't know whether to act or not. But if I don't act, I feel a little uneasy."

Yu Luoning glanced at him, thought for a moment, and said, "If I were alone, I would turn around and run. I wouldn't risk my own safety to save someone. But now, with you here, I feel I can do whatever I want."

Xing Qi blinked, not quite understanding. "Why?"

"Because your fists are bigger."