In the vast ocean.
A giant ship was sailing at full speed.
Unlike the perilous, turbulent journey on the way here.
At this moment…
The sea was a rare expanse of clear skies, calm and peaceful.
Of course, there were still waves, but the three to five zhang high swells were mere drizzle compared to before.
A gentle breeze, carrying a faint salty taste, brushed against them, not unpleasant but with a unique charm.
The deck was a scene of tranquility and harmony.
Bai Zihe and Zhuge Sheng and others were tallying the spoils from their trip to Dragon Island.
The four divine artifacts, eight scrolls, and the gifts from the five divine beasts were, of course, kept by Bai Zihe and not included in the count.
The rest.
There were weapons, treasures, elixirs, and secret manuals…
Bai Zihe briefly scanned them, having little need for most of these items.
Weapons, he now possessed the four divine artifacts and needed no others.
Treasures, for the same reason.
Elixirs, he could refine them himself.
It was the secret manuals that piqued Bai Zihe's interest. He casually picked one named "Tai Xuan Jing" for himself.
After a brief perusal, Bai Zihe found the cultivation methods within rather complex, so he decided to keep it.
As for the remainder, he distributed them among the others.
Everyone was quite satisfied.
Factions like the Dark Empire and White Reaper, before their arrival, had at most just surpassed the Grandmaster realm, which was the initial stage of the Yuan Dan realm.
Among the elixirs distributed to them, some could instantly elevate a Grandmaster to the Yuan Dan realm, and there were quite a few of them.
This meant.
Although they seemed to have suffered significant losses of peak Grandmaster and early Yuan Dan realm members, in reality, they could cultivate more Yuan Dan realm experts.
Therefore, it was a guaranteed profit.
And this was just the elixirs.
With the cultivation manuals, the strength of these experts would further improve.
Not to mention the accompanying treasures and weapons.
"Hmm?"
Bai Zihe suddenly recalled something.
He looked around at everyone, a slight smile on his face, "You all chat for a while, I'm going into the sea to handle something."
Into the sea?
Everyone was slightly taken aback.
Although they had encountered no storms since departing Dragon Island,
Was Bai Zihe's rash entry into the vast ocean not a bit too hasty?
The ocean was vast and boundless.
Humans had only explored about five percent of it so far.
For example, the giant sharks and the colossal octopuses were terrifying, beyond the resistance of ordinary people.
Wait.
Giant octopus?
Thinking of this, many understood.
Bai Zihe intended to go down and slay that creature, to avenge the Xuan Tian Pavilion experts who had died on the shore!
"Brother Bai, have you thought this through?"
Zhuge Sheng looked at Bai Zihe, his expression tinged with solemnity.
Indeed.
Their strength had greatly improved after surviving Dragon Island.
But, at least in Zhuge Sheng's opinion, he still might not be a match for that octopus, likely to be easily overpowered.
"Of course."
A cold glint flashed in Bai Zihe's eyes. "So many people died protecting me back then. If I return today and cannot slay this creature, how can I face them?"
A vow made must be kept!
"Then… be careful!"
Seeing his resolve, and given that Bai Zihe's current strength was something he could no longer comprehend, Zhuge Sheng could only utter one word: decisive.
Thus, he did not try to dissuade him further.
"Just watch!"
Bai Zihe smiled faintly, then leaped into the seawater.
"Plop…"
A ripple appeared on the sea's surface, then quickly vanished.
Zhuge Sheng watched the subsiding ripples and said to the captain, "Slow down, wait for Brother Bai to return."
That octopus…
Even now, Zhuge Sheng felt a lingering fear.
Therefore, they could not be too close, lest they be caught in the crossfire of the battle, but they also couldn't be too far, lest Bai Zihe be left behind.
The giant ship's speed indeed gradually decreased.
Bai Zihe quickly submerged himself in the seawater.
Perhaps for others, the water would impede their abilities.
But for Bai Zihe, who had glimpsed the rudiments of the Five Elements, both the sea and lava would enhance his strength.
After reaching a certain depth, Bai Zihe ceased his aimless wandering.
In the vast ocean, searching for an octopus, even a very large one, was akin to finding a needle in a haystack, yielding minimal results for maximum effort.
Bai Zihe had long since devised a countermeasure.
"Swish…"
The next moment, a drop of his vital blood condensed on his fingertip.
This was no ordinary blood.
It was the Blood of Hell, capable of drawing octopuses like moths to a flame!
"Splash…"
"Splash…"
Bai Zihe's ears twitched slightly, and he soon heard a tremendous commotion.
Not only that.
He felt the currents surging around him, clearly caused by something approaching, creating disturbances in the waves.
"Come on."
A cold light flashed in Bai Zihe's eyes.
"Swish!"
The next moment.
A gaping maw, as large as a house, suddenly attacked from behind, intending to swallow Bai Zihe whole.
"Seeking death!"
Bai Zihe sensed the movement behind him, let out a cold snort, and easily dodged the attack.
Water was his element; his true essence, condensed into a water form, allowed him to move with exceptional agility within it, more at home than any fish in its element, or even more so than a fish in water!
"It's actually…"
But as Bai Zihe turned, he couldn't help but freeze.
The attacker was a giant shark.
Almost identical to the one he had slain before.
"What's going on?"
Bai Zihe's brow furrowed, various thoughts flashing through his mind.
Previously.
The shark school had only one leader.
The remaining sharks were vastly inferior to the leader in size and speed.
It had only been a few days, and now a new shark leader had appeared. This was highly unusual and perplexing.
Or perhaps…
Was it the leader of another shark school?
The giant shark gave Bai Zihe no time to ponder.
Its attack missed, and with a flick of its tail, it lunged again from another angle.
"Regardless of the reason."
Bai Zihe's expression turned cold. "Since you've appeared, then die!"
"Swish!"
The next moment, as the giant shark lunged with its maw, a sinister smile played on Bai Zihe's lips, and he allowed himself to be swallowed.
"Gulp…"
"Splash…"
"Swish swish…"
Just as the shark was about to swallow Bai Zihe.
A cold glint flashed in Bai Zihe's eyes, and he unleashed a punch within its mouth.
This punch…
Radiated intense heat, a torrent of flames!
Giant sharks lived in the water year-round and were naturally of the water element.
Therefore, Bai Zihe's fiery onslaught was fitting, and its power was extraordinary.
"Rumble…"
The next moment, endless flames erupted within the giant shark's mouth.
"Wail…"
The giant shark let out a pained cry, its enormous body thrashing in the seawater, blood overflowing from its mouth, instantly dyeing the ocean red.
Strike while the iron is hot!
Bai Zihe immediately unleashed two more punches.
One infused with icy cold, the other with burning fire. He directly smashed the giant shark's head into pieces.
"Wail…"
After these two heavy blows.
The giant shark's head was obliterated.
It continued to roll and convulse in the seawater, its movements gradually ceasing, its life fading.
"Swish…"
Just then.
A massive tentacle extended, and in the blink of an eye, it coiled around the dead shark's body, preparing to drag it away.
It was the giant octopus!