fantasy novels Chapter 126 Sea Monster Tide
Chapter 126 Sea Monster Tide
Chapter 125 Sea Monster Tide
In the early morning in Bibo City, the sea breeze carries a unique salty and fishy smell.
When Liang Cheng arrived at the dock, more than ten people had already gathered by Ye Zhi Qiu's boat.
Xiao Qingxue was also there, along with some young masters from prominent families in Bibo City. Each of them possessed a strong aura, with the lowest level being True Qi Realm cultivation.
Upon seeing Liang Cheng, everyone greeted him with clasped hands, displaying the utmost politeness.
"Brother Liang."
"Senior Brother Liang."
Liang Cheng returned the greeting with clasped hands, his expression calm.
Ye Zhi Qiu patted Liang Cheng on the shoulder with a smile, and whispered as they boarded the ship, "They're all afraid of what you did yesterday. Now everyone in Bibo City knows that Liang Cheng from the main hospital has a violent temper and is not to be trifled with."
Liang Cheng shook his head. If Chen Xuanfeng hadn't been humiliated yesterday, he wouldn't have shown his sharp edge. If he hadn't fought back then, he would have been looked down upon.
If we wait for Ye Zhi Qiu to resolve the issue, the complex family relationships within the city will make it far simpler to handle it ourselves.
At this moment, Xiao Qingxue stood at the bow of the ship, her white clothes fluttering slightly in the sea breeze. She nodded to Liang Cheng as a greeting.
After everyone boarded the ship, the boat slowly left the shore.
"Beyond this area lies the high seas."
Ye Zhi Qiu stood beside Liang Cheng, pointing to the distant sea.
"high seas?"
Liang Cheng was somewhat surprised.
"The Four Islands Alliance is protected by a barrier set up by the Penglai Sect. There are no ferocious beasts in the ordinary seas, so it is extremely safe."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "But Bibo City is a bit special. There is a short section of open sea passage outside the city, where ferocious beasts occasionally venture in. But it is precisely because of its danger that strange fish and spiritual creatures are more likely to appear."
"But this time it's just to broaden your horizons. We'll only stay on the edge and won't venture into international waters."
Ye Zhi Qiu said with a serious expression, "After all, even if I am now at the True Qi Realm, I would not dare to venture into a place like the deep sea."
"Thank you, senior brother."
The boat was moving at a considerable speed. About an hour later, the surrounding seawater gradually darkened, and several isolated islands could be vaguely seen in the distance.
"arrive."
Ye Zhi Qiu steered the boat toward one of the islands.
The island is small, with jagged rocks and reefs along the shore. Fish can be vaguely seen swimming in the shallows.
After everyone disembarked, Ye Zhi Qiu said, "Go about your own business. We'll meet back here in two hours. Remember, don't go any deeper into the area. If anything seems amiss, signal us immediately."
Xiao Qingxue was the first to leap towards the west side of the island, disappearing behind the rocks in a few leaps.
The rest of the disciples also dispersed, some in groups and some alone.
Liang Cheng was quite interested in the monsters and beasts in the sea, but he was even more eager to see the so-called "strange fish and spirit creatures".
He walked slowly along the coastline, his gaze sweeping over the crevices of the rocks and the shallow puddles.
After walking about a hundred paces, in a shady rocky depression ahead, the water was a deep blue with a faint shimmering silver light.
Liang Cheng approached for a closer look. The depression was not large, and deep inside lay a small fish, about a foot long, with a single horn on its head and a golden-white body. It was swimming slowly in the water, emanating a faint spiritual aura.
"A golden-horned spirit fish?"
Liang Cheng recalled the records in the Sutra Repository Notes that this fish was born in water where spiritual energy gathered, and its flesh was delicious. It could also nourish the meridians and was beneficial to martial artists above the True Qi Realm.
He held his breath, slowly squatted down, and held his right hand with his fingers together like a sword, his true energy condensed at his fingertips.
The golden-horned spirit fish seemed to sense something and suddenly swung its tail, trying to dive into the deep crevice of the rock.
But Liang Cheng was even faster!
True essence shot out from his fingertips like silk threads, precisely piercing three inches into the fish's body, instantly sealing off its blood and qi flow. The golden-horned spirit fish froze and floated to the surface.
Liang Cheng retrieved it and put it into his personal jade box.
The first battle was won.
He searched the vicinity for a while longer and found several relatively old spiritual seaweed plants, which he carefully collected. Seeing that it was getting late and more than half an hour had passed, he turned around and headed back.
When they returned to the meeting point, five or six people had already arrived and each had made some gains, but most of them were just ordinary seafood, with the occasional low-grade spiritual herb.
Xiao Qingxue also returned, carrying a bright red lobster, which was also a spiritual creature.
"Miss Xiao is quite capable."
Someone praised it.
Xiao Qingxue nodded lightly and threw the red lobster into the water tank on the boat.
When Ye Zhi Qiu returned last, he was carrying a striped sea snake as thick as an arm. The snake's head had been cut off, and its gall bladder was slightly bulging, clearly containing spiritual energy.
"A spotted black water snake, quite lucky."
Ye Zhi Qiu smiled.
After everyone finished taking stock of their spoils, the atmosphere became relaxed.
Half an hour later, everyone returned to port.
The ship sailed away from the island and headed back towards Bibo City.
As dusk fell, a thin mist rose from the sea.
Ye Zhiqiu stood at the bow, steering the ship; Liang Cheng sat in the cabin, meditating; and Xiao Qingxue stood at the stern, sword in hand, her gaze sweeping across the sea.
Suddenly, her eyes narrowed.
There's something underwater.
Before he could finish speaking, the ship suddenly jolted!
boom!
A huge black shadow slammed into the bottom of the ship, causing the boat to shake violently. The sound of planks cracking and breaking was deafening, and a hole was actually smashed into the hull!
Seawater surged in!
"Hold on!"
Ye Zhi Qiu shouted sharply, unleashing his true energy to forcefully stabilize the boat, while simultaneously slapping the water's surface with his palm.
Bang!
Water splashed several meters high, and a huge creature leaped halfway out of the water.
It was a giant fish, entirely black, nearly three zhang long, with a mouth full of sharp teeth like short swords, scarlet eyes, and exuding a violent and ferocious aura.
"A fourth-tier ferocious beast, the Iron-Toothed Black Shark!"
Ye Zhi Qiu's expression changed. "How could this thing appear on the edge of international waters?!"
The Iron-Toothed Black Shark, its scarlet eyes locking onto the sea vessel, swung its massive tail and rammed into it once more!
The ship rocked violently, and several disciples at the True Qi Realm lost their footing and nearly fell into the sea.
"Let's do it!"
A young man in blue shouted, and seven or eight disciples quickly gathered together, their true energy forming a single strand to barely protect the ship.
Xiao Qingxue drew her sword, its light as white as snow, and a sharp sword aura slashed towards the black shark's head.
clang!
The sword energy struck the fish scales, leaving only a white mark.
In pain, the black shark went berserk, opened its huge mouth, and shot a foul-smelling jet of water straight at Xiao Qingxue!
Xiao Qingxue dodged quickly, the water arrow grazing past her and striking the ship's deck, where it corroded the deck and emitted hissing white smoke.
"Watch out, the water jets are poisonous!"
Ye Zhi Qiu had already leaped into the air, his true energy transforming into a streak of azure sword light, piercing straight into the black shark's right eye.
The black shark suddenly sank into the water, the sword rainbow missed its target, and a huge wave exploded on the sea surface.
The next moment, the bottom of the ship was hit again!
Click—!
The ship broke in half!
Everyone fell into the water.
The moment Liang Cheng fell into the water, he took a deep breath, circulated his true energy, stepped on a piece of driftwood and leaped up, his eyes fixed on the dark figure underwater.
"It will defeat them one by one!"
Ye Zhi Qiu floated on the water's surface and shouted sternly, "Don't scatter! Stay together!"
However, the black shark was extremely fast. A black shadow shot towards a lone True Qi Realm disciple like an arrow. The disciple of the great clan was horrified and desperately swung his sword, unleashing his True Qi and slashing into the water.
puff!
Blood burst forth.
It wasn't the black shark's blood; it was the disciple's right leg that had been bitten off!
The screams stopped abruptly as the black shark dragged him into the water, quickly turning the sea red.
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
"brute!"
Ye Zhi Qiu's eyes were bloodshot, and he unleashed his full inner energy, shooting his body into the water like an arrow. The water immediately churned and boiled, with surging waves.
Liang Cheng knew he couldn't wait any longer, and he shouted to Xiao Qingxue, "Junior Sister Xiao, cover me!"
Without hesitation, Xiao Qingxue unleashed a barrage of sword light, each strike of sword energy shooting into the water in front of Liang Cheng, attempting to force out the black shark.
Liang Cheng closed his eyes and concentrated, sensing the spread of his senses along the water flow.
There it is!
He suddenly opened his eyes, took a deep breath, protected his body with his true energy, and plunged into the water like a swimming dragon.
It was dark underwater, but Liang Cheng focused his true energy into his eyes and could barely see what was happening underwater.
Ye Zhi Qiu was locked in a fierce battle with the black shark, his True Qi Sword Rainbow constantly slashing at the fish scales, sparks flying everywhere, and he had gained the upper hand.
However, the black shark was enormous, and it had the advantage, especially in the water. As its massive tail swept across, Ye Zhi Qiu unleashed his true energy and met the challenge head-on.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Liang Cheng closed in, his right hand forming a sword shape with his fingers together. The Xuan Yin sword energy condensed into a line and pierced straight into a slightly shallow gap in the scales on the black shark's abdomen.
That's an old wound from Ye Zhi Qiu's attack earlier!
puff!
The sword energy penetrated three inches into the body!
The black shark roared in agony, its giant tail whipping back at Liang Cheng.
Liang Cheng neither dodged nor evaded, but directly chose to withstand the attack with his Hunyuan Gang Body!
boom!
A tremendous force struck, and Liang Cheng felt a sweet taste in his throat. However, he used the momentum to retreat quickly, and at the same time, the short sword in his left sleeve shot out and accurately pierced the black shark's right eye!
"roar--!"
The black shark went completely berserk, thrashing about in the water, its blood staining a large area of the sea red.
Ye Zhi Qiu seized the opportunity, and his True Qi Sword Rainbow shot out like a rainbow piercing the sun, directly into the black shark's gaping maw and out through its brain!
The black shark suddenly froze, its scarlet eyes dimmed, and its massive body slowly went still as the sea gradually calmed down.
Ye Zhi Qiu broke through his body with his true energy, found the demon core, nodded to Liang Cheng, and surfaced. Liang Cheng also jumped onto another piece of driftwood, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes remained sharp.
Xiao Qingxue and the others swam over and counted the number of people, but one person was missing, the disciple who had been dragged away first.
The atmosphere became heavy for a moment.
"Go back to the ship first—no, go back to the wreckage."
Ye Zhi Qiu gritted his teeth and led the group to the stern of the ship, which was not yet completely submerged. After barely climbing aboard, he took out a communication jade talisman and infused it with his true energy.
Fifteen minutes later, the Ye family's rescue boat arrived.
The group boarded the rescue ship and collapsed on the deck, still shaken.
Ye Zhi Qiu frowned as he watched the black shark's corpse sink into the water.
"How could a fourth-tier ferocious beast appear on the edge of international waters?"
He wiped the seawater off his face, his voice heavy.
"This sea area has always been safe. The city lord's mansion has a patrol team that patrols regularly. There shouldn't be such a ferocious beast breaking in."
The atmosphere became tense as the rescue needle was applied.
The young man from the same clan who had been dragged away was deathly pale. He stared intently at the sea, his fists clenched so tightly they turned white, and he couldn't utter a single word.
By the time the wreckage of the ship was towed back to the docks of Azure Wave City, it was already completely dark.
But the dock lights remained on.
As soon as the group landed, a squad of guards from the city lord's mansion, clad in black armor, had been waiting for them for some time.
Leading the group was a middle-aged man with a stern face and a deep, composed aura; he was also at the True Qi Realm cultivation level.
"Young Master Ye."
A middle-aged man clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.
"The city lord has ordered that all the wells come with me to find out the details of today's attack."
Ye Zhi Qiu recognized the other person as Zhou Meng, the commander of the city lord's guards.
He nodded: "Commander Zhou, this matter is indeed strange, and we will certainly cooperate."
The group was led to a side hall of the city lord's mansion.
Several people were already seated in the hall. The main person on the table was an elderly man with a white face and no beard, dressed in a brocade robe. He was none other than Zhou Xinghe, the city lord of Bibo City.
"sit."
Zhou Xinghe's voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp.
First, they listened to Yue Yezhiqiu and Yue Zhengdi recount the attack, and then they inquired about the details from each of the members of the prominent family.
The appearance of the fourth-tier ferocious beast, the Iron-Toothed Black Shark, on the edge of the high seas was very strange, and Zhou Xinghe frowned deeply.
"Zhou Meng, has the patrol team reported any unusual activity today?"
Zhou Meng bowed and reported, "Reporting to the City Lord, the patrol team did not report any abnormalities today, but—"
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Half an hour ago, there was also a report from the South Wharf that a ferocious beast had attacked Fish Needle. It was a third-tier Ironback Turtle, which has already been killed by the city guards."
The hall was immediately filled with a sense of unease.
Ye Zhi Qiu's expression changed: "We weren't the only ones who encountered ferocious sea beasts?"
Zhou Xinghe did not answer directly. He looked outside the hall and ordered, "Bring him in."
Two guards carried in a corpse covered with a white sheet. When the sheet was lifted, it revealed the corpse of a monster that was half human and half fish, with a mouth full of sharp teeth, and its scales shimmered with a dark blue luster.
"Sea Yaksha, a third-tier ferocious beast."
Zhou Xinghe slowly said, "This was discovered on the east coast this morning, and more than 30 fishermen have already been killed."
I stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the dark sea.
"Half an hour ago, an urgent report came from the West Wharf that several second-tier ferocious beasts, the Sawtooth Fish, had attacked the wharf's defenses. Although they were repelled, seventeen guards were injured in the process."
Zhou Xinghe turned around and glanced at everyone in the hall: "In less than half an hour, the three ferocious beasts attacked. The beasts ranged in rank from second to fourth and appeared in completely random locations."
Arden paused, then said, slowly and deliberately, "This is very likely not an accident."
Ye Zhi Qiu suddenly stood up and exclaimed in surprise, "A sea monster tide?!"
The moment the word "three sons" was uttered, the faces of all the scions of prominent families in the hall turned deathly pale.
Sea monster tide.
When the boundary of the high seas passage fluctuates periodically, the ferocious beasts of the deep sea, driven by various forces, cause massive disasters that impact coastal towns.
The last time Bibo City encountered a beast tide was thirty years ago. On that occasion, the city's defenses were breached, and more than 10,000 people were killed or injured.
"It hasn't been confirmed yet, but it's highly likely."
Zhou Xinghe's voice was heavy. "The city lord has urgently sent a message to the alliance and notified the main hospital. At the same time, he has ordered the entire city to be on high alert, and all sea vessels to be halted and requisitioned by the city lord's mansion for the transfer of supplies and support of the defense line."
He looked at Ye Zhi Qiu and said, "Third Young Master Ye, the Ye family's fleet also needs to be requisitioned."
Ye Zhi Qiu took a deep breath: "The Ye family has an inescapable duty to fulfill this responsibility."
"it is good."
Zhou Xinghe nodded, then looked at his disciples, "Zhu Jing, please return to your respective families as soon as possible, inform your family heads of this matter, and assist in the city's defense arrangements."
The disciples all rose and left, their relaxed demeanor from when they arrived completely gone.
On the way back to the Ye family, Ye Zhi Qiu's face was grim.
"A sea monster tide? Why now?" he murmured. "The barrier fluctuation cycle should still be at least five years away."
Liang Cheng didn't know much about the sea monster tide, but judging from the reactions of the crowd, this matter was definitely no small thing.
After returning to the Ye family, Ye Zhi Qiu hurriedly went to see Old Master Ye.
Just as Liang Cheng was about to return to Tingtao Courtyard, Ye Zhiqiu stopped him, took out the black mermaid core from his bosom, and stuffed it into Liang Cheng's hand.
"Junior brother, keep this demon core. If the sea beast tide really breaks out, Bibo City will probably be in chaos for a while. Tomorrow morning, I will arrange for someone to send you back to the main academy. The better."
Liang Cheng took the demon core; it felt heavy in his hand and exuded a rich, water-attribute spiritual energy.
He nodded: "I'll leave it to you as you see fit, senior brother. Take care."
However, the next morning, just as Liang Cheng had finished packing, Ye Zhi Qiu pushed open the door and entered, his face even more unpleasant than the day before.
Behind him, Old Master Ye walked in slowly, leaning on his cane, his aged face filled with solemnity.
"Young Master Liang, you can't leave now."
Old Master Ye said in a deep voice: "From midnight last night to this morning, a total of sixteen ferocious beast attacks have occurred along the coast, with the highest level reaching the peak of the fourth rank."
"The Four Islands Alliance deacon has confirmed that there are abnormal fluctuations in the barrier of the high seas passage, and the sea monster tide is inevitable."
He looked at Liang Cheng with a solemn expression.
"The City Lord's Mansion ordered the blockade of all sea routes early this morning, and mobilized all the martial artists in the city to assist in the defense. The sea route to Yunhai City has been closed, and all passenger ships have been requisitioned."
Upon hearing this, Liang Cheng frowned.
Ye Zhi Qiu said with a wry smile, "Not only the sea route, but the land route to the nearby city is also blocked. During the beast tide, ferocious beasts roam outside the city. The city lord's mansion has also blocked the land route and advised all outside martial artists to stay in the city temporarily to assist in the defense."
Old Master Ye looked at Liang Cheng, his tone apologetic: "Young Master Liang, this matter came suddenly, and I was caught off guard. I can only ask that you stay at the Ye family for the time being. Once the beast tide has subsided, the Ye family will personally escort you back to the main hospital."
Liang Cheng remained silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Grandpa, you flatter me. Since this has happened, I will naturally cooperate. But I wonder how long this beast tide usually lasts?"
"The journey by boat takes half a month, or several months if the journey is long."
Old Master Ye sighed, "However, young master need not worry too much. Bibo City has a protective array, strong city walls, and alliance stewards overseeing it. As long as no ferocious beasts of the sixth rank or above appear, the city's defenses should be secure."
These words were spoken lightly, but Liang Cheng could hear the comforting meaning in them.
If the marine mammal tide is really as terrible as rumored, how can it be summarized by the four words "there is no need to worry"?
After seeing the old master off, Ye Zhi Qiu turned back to Liang Cheng and whispered, "Don't believe everything Grandfather says. Once the beast tide breaks out, there will be tens of thousands of ferocious beasts, and among them, there will surely be high-level beasts."
"Thirty years ago, a sixth-tier ferocious beast, the Deep Sea Demon Octopus, appeared and almost killed the city lord and breached the east city wall."
At this moment, he patted Liang Cheng on the shoulder and said, "But don't worry, the Ye family has a strong foundation here and will definitely do everything in its power to protect you."
"These next few days, you should rest peacefully at Tingtao Courtyard and try not to go out. The city will probably descend into chaos soon."
Liang Cheng nodded, then suddenly asked, "How exactly was the high seas barrier broken?"
Ye Zhi Qiu was taken aback and shook his head: "I don't understand either. The barrier is directly controlled by the Penglai Sect, and ordinary people can't even touch it. But in history, there are only two possibilities for abnormal barriers: either the natural fluctuation cycle is brought forward, or someone has tampered with it."
However, the person capable of such manipulation must be a powerful being above the mortal realm.
When Ye Zhi Qiu finished speaking, his voice was extremely low, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Liang Cheng did not ask any further questions.
After Ye Zhi Qiu left, Liang Cheng walked into the courtyard and looked towards the distant horizon where the sea and sky met.
Bibo City is nestled between mountains and the sea, with towering city walls. At this moment, one can already see figures moving about on the city walls, and the protective barrier of the city is fluctuating, appearing and disappearing intermittently.
Sea monster tide!