Two months later, above a certain stretch of sea, a streak of azure light drifted leisurely through the low sky.
Suddenly, a beastly roar erupted from beneath the waves, followed by towering waves dozens of feet high. A pitch-black, horned monstrosity of a fish emerged from the water, its gaping maw filled with jagged teeth lunging toward the azure light, intent on swallowing it whole.
The azure radiance flared brilliantly, then abruptly spiraled away, vanishing from sight with a speed several times faster than before, only to reappear dozens of feet away in the blink of an eye.
The monstrous fish snapped at empty air but swiftly flicked its tail in the surging waves, preparing to turn and strike again.
At that moment, a clear, resonant sound rang out from the azure light, followed by dozens of azure threads shooting forth like lightning. They coiled lightly around the monstrous fish, and in an instant, the sizable sea beast was reduced to countless fragments, splattering into the sea along with a torrent of eerie green blood. The stench of blood quickly permeated the surrounding waters.
The azure threads retracted just as swiftly, and the azular streak resumed its original leisurely pace, continuing forward without haste.
Within the azure glow stood a young man in his twenties, motionless atop a massive azure sword several feet wide, his expression utterly calm. This was none other than Han Li, who had been searching the waters where the whale-like sea beast was said to appear for over ten days.
Though he hadn’t been in the area long, Han Li already felt that finding the legendary sea beast was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.
Over the past days, aside from slaying a few foolish sea beasts like the monstrous fish earlier, he had found no leads whatsoever.
Fortunately, the area was dotted with tiny islands, some as small as a mile across, others spanning dozens of miles. Thus, Han Li wasn’t worried about depleting his spiritual energy—he could simply find a spot to meditate and recover his magic power every few days.
Of course, Han Li wasn’t solely focused on searching for the sea beast. If one could peer into his body, they would see a golden and azure Spirit Infant several inches tall in his dantian, cradling a crystalline shield about an inch wide while continuously exhaling infant fire to refine it. Most of Han Li’s magic power was devoted to this task.
This was a shield he had crafted on his way here, using over a hundred shimmering scales and other materials harvested from the corpse of the monstrous moth. Though the crafting process wasn’t overly complex, the shield’s unique materials made it exceptionally sturdy and even inherited the moth’s ability to distort most spells and sword beams—a discovery that delighted Han Li.
After some hesitation, he decided to bind the treasure with his blood, making it a personal lifebound treasure.
Additionally, Han Li had also crafted three hundred and sixty razor-sharp flying daggers from the moth’s massive wings, each capable of slicing through ordinary armor and shields with ease.
Unfortunately, the moth’s demon core, which Han Li had hoped to study, had been shattered beyond repair. Otherwise, he might have uncovered the secret behind the moth’s roar, which could boil a cultivator’s blood—a phenomenon far beyond ordinary sonic attacks. The thought unsettled him slightly.
Who knew if his Twelve Awakening Transformations technique had some unknown weakness? What if he encountered a similar ability and suffered the same fate?
Lost in thought, Han Li’s gaze wandered aimlessly as he periodically released his spiritual sense to scan the sea and its depths.
According to Qing Xiao and her companion, the whale-like sea beast had been frequenting these waters for nearly a century. With enough time, he should eventually encounter it. The real challenge lay in its mastery of an incredibly potent water escape technique, making it exceedingly difficult to kill.
(Note: “水遁术” is transliterated as “water遁术” since it appears to be a specialized term, possibly referring to a water-based escape or evasion technique. If a more accurate translation is preferred, additional context about the term would be helpful.)
But since Han Li had come prepared, he was confident he had an eighty to ninety percent chance of success.
After sweeping his gaze across the endless sea, Han Li’s brow furrowed slightly.
With low-level sea beasts like the monstrous fish lurking nearby, it was unlikely the whale-like beast would be in the area.
With that thought, azure light flashed beneath his feet, and the azure streak accelerated, shooting toward the distant horizon.
Days turned into months.
Han Li would rest and meditate on a small island every few weeks, replenishing his magic power before resuming his search.
Naturally, the more formidable sea beasts in the area suffered the consequences. Those that attacked him were swiftly dispatched, while the more intelligent ones that fled were spared once Han Li confirmed they weren’t his target.
Though he hadn’t found the beast yet, he had stumbled upon traces of its presence several times. Once, he even discovered a massive shed skin in an underwater cave—an incredibly tough material perfect for crafting.
Instead of using it for armor, Han Li turned the hide into talismans, including a set of “Nine Palaces Heavenly Qian Talismans,” several “Armor Origin Talismans,” and “Great Unity Ethereal Talismans.”
Of the talismans recorded on the golden jade slip fragment, only the “Heavenly Halberd Talisman” remained beyond his reach. However, since advancing to the Void Refinement stage and gaining control over heaven and earth’s spiritual energy, Han Li had felt a faint inspiration regarding its crafting—though mastering it would undoubtedly take years.
Time flew by, and before he knew it, Han Li had wandered these waters for several years.
He wasn’t in a hurry. Having recently advanced to the Void Refinement stage, there was much he needed to ponder and comprehend. Though he hadn’t focused on cultivating magic power, his understanding of techniques and divine abilities had deepened significantly.
One day, as Han Li drifted lazily over the sea, lost in thought, an unfamiliar, bizarre cry echoed from far ahead.
His expression brightened, and his eyes glowed blue as he peered into the distance.
Moments later, a mix of surprise and excitement flickered across his face.
“Finally found it. But what’s fighting it?” Han Li muttered. His azure streak flared and transformed into a thread of light, shooting forward.
After a few flashes, the azure streak vanished from sight, only to reappear hundreds of feet away before disappearing again.
Several hundred miles away, near a small island, dark clouds loomed and waves churned as two colossal creatures faced off. One was a two-hundred-foot-long, crimson-armored giant shrimp, half-crouched on a massive reef. The other, floating in the sea, was an even larger whale-like beast—though its head was covered in scales, adorned with golden horns and long tendrils, resembling that of a flood dragon.
The two beasts locked eyes from a distance.
The giant shrimp roared incessantly, stirring up storms and waves, while the whale-like beast drifted silently, its eerie white eyes fixed on the shrimp with an almost human-like greed.
One raged, the other remained still—yet the shrimp seemed dwarfed in presence, gradually suppressed by its opponent.
Suddenly, the whale-like beast’s eyes flickered, and it glanced warily at the sky.
Moments later, a barely visible azure thread shot toward them at an impossible speed, stopping nearby without any attempt to conceal itself.
Both beasts tensed, their gazes snapping toward the intruder.
The azure light dissipated, revealing Han Li hovering between them, his expression cold as he surveyed the scene.
“No mistake, it’s the one. And a Bloodflame Shrimp too? Excellent. This trip won’t be wasted,” Han Li murmured excitedly before flicking both sleeves.
From one sleeve, dozens of azure swords shot toward the whale-like beast, vanishing into thin air. From the other, a black speck soared into the air, transforming into a massive mountain that crashed down onto the shrimp.
Simultaneously, Han Li formed hand seals, and golden light erupted from his body as a three-headed, six-armed golden Dharma Form materialized. With a wave of its six arms, six golden beams shot forth—three toward the shrimp, three toward the whale-like beast.
Han Li had launched a full-force assault on both beasts without hesitation.
Under the full power of the Vajra Arts, the golden beams arrived in an instant.
The beasts reacted—one spat out a blue orb, while the other enveloped itself in a thick crimson flame.
Three golden beams shattered the blue orb effortlessly before piercing the whale-like beast’s body, leaving three gaping wounds that gushed blood uncontrollably. The beast let out a piercing shriek.
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