Undercurrents Rise on the Return Journey

An hour later, the fleet began its return journey, towing the massive demon corpse through a noticeably heavier atmosphere.

They had set out sharp and eager, but now, despite the victory over the beast, a shadow of doubt hung over them.

The thick fog hadn't fully dissipated, only thinned to a gauzy veil over the sea, leaving distant shapes still hazy and indistinct.

County Lieutenant Gao Mingyuan stood at the prow, his face grim, eyes sweeping the surrounding waters with sharp vigilance, as if searching for any trace of a clue.

Hall Master Zhao Canghai sat with eyes closed in meditation, yet his intangible authority still weighed on the entire ship, keeping everyone subdued.

Chen Yuan quietly regulated his breath as the medicinal power of the Nourishing Spirit Pill slowly spread, soothing his mental exhaustion and trauma.

As he recovered, he carefully replayed the heart-pounding battle, especially the moment he had risked interfering with the giant beast's perception.

"That feeling... it wasn't control. More like... amplifying the 'concealing intent' of the Mist Barrier itself."

Chen Yuan looked inward at the ice-blue Rune of his supernatural power within his Sea of Consciousness, a thought stirring.

"'Mist Manipulation'... maybe it's not just about 'creating fog.' The fog itself is just one surface application..."

This realization made his heart warm. If true, the potential of this power was far greater than he had imagined.

"I need more practice and insight..." He suppressed his excitement and focused on recovery.

Before long, the fleet finally sailed out of that unsettling mist zone and into familiar coastal waters.

When sunlight fell unobstructed onto the deck once more, everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, as if freed from some invisible oppression.

The outline of Lin Hai County's dock grew clear.

News had already arrived, and a dense crowd had gathered on the pier—county yamen officials, representatives of major families, and more common folk and martial artists who had come to watch.

As the fleet slowly docked, especially when the enormous, split-open corpse of the Unicorn Evil Squid, covered in thick ice, was dragged into the shallows, the entire pier erupted.

"Heavens! Such a huge sea demon!"

"They really killed it! Must have been Hall Master Zhao and County Lieutenant Gao!"

"Blackwater Martial Arts School is mighty!"

"Lin Hai County is safe now!"

Gasps, cheers, and chatter rose like a tidal wave. Countless eyes fixed on Zhao Canghai and Gao Mingyuan, filled with awe, gratitude, and fervor.

"But I never heard of a Unicorn Evil Squid being able to create and control fog on such a scale..." someone in the crowd muttered, though the words were quickly drowned out by the louder cheers.

After all, a Bone Forging Realm expert slaying such a terrifying sea beast—ordinary people might never see such a sight in a lifetime.

The County Magistrate, a gaunt middle-aged man, personally came forward and bowed deeply to Zhao Canghai and Gao Mingyuan. "Hall Master Zhao, County Lieutenant Gao, you have worked hard. You have rid the people of a scourge and brought honor to Lin Hai County. On behalf of all the county's citizens, I thank you both."

"Magistrate, you flatter us. It was our duty." Zhao Canghai returned the bow lightly.

Gao Mingyuan clasped his fists. "We were fortunate not to fail our mission."

After a few formal pleasantries, everyone's attention quickly shifted to the massive demon corpse.

The old pharmacist from Hundred Herbs Hall, the manager from Sihai Shipping Company, the master smith from Hundred Refinements Iron Shop, and others gathered around, marveling and assessing the corpse's value.

"The horn is intact! That's prime material for forging an Obstacle-Breaking Artifact!"

"This hide—though split, the remaining part is still incredibly tough. It could make excellent inner armor!"

"The tentacle suckers and Bone Spikes are valuable too."

"The blood is frozen and well-preserved, its medicinal properties intact..."

Soon, behind-the-scenes negotiations and jockeying began over how to divide and process the corpse.

This was undoubtedly the most tangible and tempting prize of the entire operation.

Chen Yuan and the other disciples stood behind Zhao Canghai, silently watching it all.

Wang Meng stared at the giant corpse, eyes gleaming. "Damn, how much silver is that worth..."

But Chen Yuan's gaze didn't linger on the corpse for long.

His attention was more on the surviving county yamen constables.

Most were injured, and their expressions held not just relief at surviving, but also a barely concealed fear and... confusion.

He quietly edged closer, straining to catch their low murmurs.

"...That fog came up too eerily. In the blink of an eye, you couldn't see anything..."

"...It wasn't like any ordinary sea beast! It was like someone was directing it, targeting our hulls specifically!"

"...Captain Liu died horribly. A tentacle just shot out of the fog and dragged him away..."

These fragmented words deepened the suspicion in Chen Yuan's heart.

Just then, the County Magistrate was asking Gao Mingyuan for a detailed account.

Gao Mingyuan's face was grave. "Magistrate, this investigation raised many doubts. That fog appeared unnaturally—definitely not natural. It seemed to contain some power that interfered with perception."

"The sea beast attacks were also highly organized. Especially that final Unicorn Evil Squid—it had reached the Bone Forging Realm and even mutated the ability to control fog. That's not something born from ordinary waters."

He paused, then continued, "Though we were fortunate to kill it, its very appearance suggests that the County East Sea Area may have undergone changes we don't yet understand. This matter must be thoroughly investigated!"

The Magistrate's brow furrowed deeply, worry etched on his face. "Is that so... County Lieutenant Gao, Hall Master Zhao, what do you two suggest we do?"

Zhao Canghai spoke slowly, his voice steady: "Though the demon beast is eliminated, the root cause remains unclear. The priority now is to strengthen coastal patrols and warn fishermen not to venture deep into those waters."

"At the same time, we need to send capable hands to investigate from other directions in secret, gathering more clues. A sea demon of this size must have anomalies near its lair."

"The Martial Hall Master speaks truly!" the county magistrate nodded repeatedly. "I'll arrange the patrols immediately. As for the secret investigation..." His gaze shifted to Gao Mingyuan.

Gao Mingyuan mused, "This requires careful planning. We must select true experts and act with caution."

The group discussed subsequent arrangements as the dock remained abuzz with noise.

In the end, the corpse of the Unicorn Evil Squid was jointly taken over by the County yamen and the martial arts school. How it would be divided required further negotiation.

The crowd on the dock gradually dispersed, but the discussions about this incident would linger for a long time.

The Blackwater Martial Arts School members returned to the school first.

Back at the Listening Tide Courtyard, Chen Yuan dismissed his attendants and sat alone in silence, carefully sorting through everything he had seen and heard today.

The eerie fog, the organized Sea Beast attacks, the abnormally powerful Bone Forging Realm sea demon, the casualties among the County yamen personnel...

All of this, combined with the information he had obtained during the Ebbing Tide, still led him to treat the Chishui Bandits as his hypothetical enemy.

Perhaps the Chishui Bandits had already detected the authorities' intent to probe that sea area.

Then, without hesitation, they used unconventional means to warn and obstruct—but could they actually drive or even spawn a Bone Forging Realm sea demon?

"They must have used a smokescreen, tossing a giant squid into the open," Chen Yuan's eyes glinted coldly.

"If I hadn't blocked that giant squid for a moment, we might not have taken it down, and then we'd have missed the situation behind it... but now."

"After this, the County yamen and the martial arts school's investigations will surely become more cautious and covert, while the Chishui Bandits will likely grow more vigilant and hide deeper..."

"Still, there must be something in that sea area that the Chishui Bandits want to conceal. What could it be..." Chen Yuan's eyes flickered with thought.

The situation seemed to have fallen into a brief stalemate.

But Chen Yuan believed this was only the calm before the storm. Both sides were quietly gathering strength, waiting for the next moment to strike.

At that moment, the Tidal Stele in his Sea of Consciousness stirred slightly.

Realm: Skin Grinding Realm - Minor Accomplishment (45/100)

Tide Luck: 60/100 (Aided in slaying demon, situation becoming clearer +20)

"Hmm?" Chen Yuan's eyes showed confusion. Was his intervention this time worth its weight in gold? Or was it his analysis that was correct? Why had his Tide Luck Points increased so much?

"Regardless, my strength is still far from enough..." Chen Yuan clenched his fists.

If not for his master's thunderous strike today, combined with his own risky gamble, the outcome might have been unsatisfactory.

But facing a conflict at this level, the cultivation of the Skin Grinding Realm still seemed feeble.

He had to improve himself faster!

Without further hesitation, Chen Yuan took out the rewards from this mission—two bottles of Muscle and Skin Jade Ointment Pills.

He pulled out the cork, and a rich medicinal fragrance immediately filled the air.

He poured out a pill the size of a longan, Lustrous White in color, and swallowed it without a second thought.

As the pill entered his stomach, it transformed into a vast but not violent surge of heat, rapidly spreading through his limbs and bones, penetrating deep into his flesh and skin!

Compared to the Skin Tempering Ointment, this medicinal power was far more profound.

Chen Yuan immediately activated the Mysterious Vortex Skin Grinding Method, guiding this potent medicinal force to begin a new round of tempering.

Intense sensations of soreness, numbness, swelling, and pain came from all over his body, as if countless fine steel needles were repeatedly piercing and grinding.

But he held his mind steady, his will like iron, frantically absorbing and refining the medicinal power, guiding the Spiral Force to cooperate with it, scouring and hammering the skin membrane of his entire body over and over!

He knew that only by enduring this pain of Moulting and Bone Changing could he gain the strength to stand firm in the surging undercurrents about to come.

Within the Listening Tide Courtyard, the sound of surging blood and qi echoed like the tide, unceasing for a long time.

(If you have any opinions or suggestions, please feel free to share them—I will seriously consider everyone's thoughts!)