An hour later, the fleet began its return voyage, dragging the enormous demon corpse behind it in a somewhat somber atmosphere.
They had set out brimming with sharp spirits. Though they returned bearing the victory of slaying the demon, a layer of doubtful shadow had settled over them.
The dense fog had not completely dispersed. It had merely thinned considerably, veiling the sea like gauze and leaving the distant scenery hazy and indistinct.
County Lieutenant Gao Mingyuan stood at the bow, his expression solemn as his sharp gaze swept across the surrounding waters, as though searching for any possible trace.
Hall Master Zhao kept his eyes closed and rested, yet that invisible majesty still blanketed the entire ship, keeping everyone from making a racket.
Chen Yuan silently regulated his breathing as the medicinal power of the Spirit-Nurturing Pill gradually dissolved, soothing the exhaustion and wounds in his spirit.
As he recovered, he carefully savored the heart-stopping battle from earlier, especially the process of risking himself to interfere with the giant demon's perception.
" That feeling... wasn't control. It was more like... amplifying the veiling intent of the 'Mist Barrier' itself."
Chen Yuan looked inward at the ice-blue divine ability rune in his Sea of Consciousness, deep in thought.
"Perhaps the 'Mist Manipulation' divine ability isn't only capable of 'creating mist.' The mist is merely one manifestation of its use..."
This discovery warmed his heart. If that was truly the case, this divine ability's potential was far greater than he had imagined.
"I still need more practice and comprehension..." Chen Yuan suppressed his excitement and continued focusing on recovery.
Before long, the fleet finally sailed out of that unsettling fog-shrouded region and reached the familiar offshore waters.
When sunlight once again spilled unobstructed across the deck, everyone involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief, as if breaking free from some invisible oppression.
The outline of Lin Hai County's docks gradually came into view.
The docks had received the news long ago, and a huge crowd had gathered there, dark and dense. There were officials from the county yamen, representatives of the various Houses, and even more commoners and martial artists who had come after hearing the news.
When the fleet slowly drew alongside the shore—especially when the enormous corpse of the Unicorn Evil Squid, split open down the middle and covered in a thick layer of ice, was dragged into the shallows—the entire dock erupted.
"Good heavens! What a huge sea demon!"
"They really slew it! It must have been Hall Master Zhao and County Commandant Gao who struck the killing blow!"
"The Blackwater Martial Arts Hall is mighty!"
"Linhai County is safe now!"
Cries of alarm, praise, and discussion rose like a sea tide. Countless gazes focused on Zhao Canghai and Gao Mingyuan, filled with awe, gratitude, and fervor.
"Still, I don't think I've ever heard that a one-horned giant squid could create and control mist over such a wide area..." someone in the crowd seemed to say, but the words were immediately drowned out by the increasingly raucous cheers.
After all, a Bone Forging Realm expert had taken action to slay such a terrifying sea demon. An ordinary person might not witness a scene like this even once in a lifetime.
The County Magistrate was a thin-faced, refined-looking middle-aged man. He personally came forward and bowed deeply to Zhao Canghai and Gao Mingyuan. "Hall Master Zhao, County Lieutenant Gao, thanks for the effort. The two of you have rid the people of a menace and raised Lin Hai County's prestige. On behalf of the people of the entire county, I thank you both."
"County Magistrate, you flatter me. It was simply my duty." Zhao Canghai returned the courtesy with a faint smile.
Gao Mingyuan also clasped his hands. "Fortunately, we did not fail in our mission."
After a few simple formalities, everyone's attention was quickly drawn to the enormous demon corpse.
The old apothecary from Hundred Herbs Hall, the manager of Sihai Shipping Company, the master smith from Hundred Refinements Iron Shop, and others all crowded around, clicking their tongues in wonder as they assessed the corpse's value.
"The unicorn is intact. This is a primary material for refining an Obstacle-Breaking Artifact!"
"The hide was split open, but the remaining portion is still incredibly tough—more than enough to make a fine inner armor!"
"The tentacle suckers and bone spines are good stuff too."
"The blood froze intact, and its medicinal properties haven't been lost..."
Soon, the various parties began a secret struggle and negotiation over how to divide up and process the demon corpse.
This was undoubtedly the most tangible—and most tempting—spoils of the operation.
Chen Yuan and the other disciples followed behind Zhao Canghai, silently watching everything unfold.
Wang Meng stared at the enormous demon corpse, his eyes shining. He whispered, "Good heavens, how much silver must this be worth..."
Chen Yuan's gaze did not linger on the demon corpse for long.
Most of his attention was focused on the surviving constables from the county yamen.
Most of them were injured. Alongside the relief of surviving the calamity, their expressions also held an unmistakable trace of lingering fear and... doubt.
He quietly moved closer and concentrated on listening to their hushed conversation.
"...That fog rose far too strangely. In the blink of an eye, we couldn't see a thing..."
"...It absolutely wasn't an ordinary sea beast! It was like someone was directing it, making a point of gnawing at the bottoms of our ships!"
"...Head Liu died horribly. A tentacle suddenly drilled out of the fog and swept him away..."
Those scattered words reached Chen Yuan's ears, making the doubt in his heart grow heavier.
At that moment, the County Magistrate was asking Gao Mingyuan for the details of what had happened.
Gao Mingyuan's expression was grave as he said in a deep voice, "County Magistrate, there were many suspicious points in this investigation. The fog appeared strangely and was absolutely not formed naturally. It seemed to contain some kind of power capable of interfering with perception."
"The sea beast attacks were also highly organized. In particular, that final Unicorn Evil Squid had already reached the Bone Forging Realm and had even mutated the ability to manipulate mist. It was no ordinary sea region that could give birth to such a creature."
He paused before continuing, "Though we were fortunate enough to kill it, its very appearance means that an unknown change may have occurred in the County East Sea Area. This matter must be investigated to the end!"
Hearing this, the County Magistrate knitted his brows tightly, deep worry showing on his face. "Such a thing actually happened... County Lieutenant Gao, Hall Master Zhao, what do you think we should do?"
Zhao Canghai slowly spoke, his voice steady. "Though the demon has been eliminated, its root remains unknown. The urgent task is to strengthen coastal patrols and warn the fishermen not to venture lightly into that sea region."
"At the same time, we must dispatch capable personnel to conduct a covert investigation from other directions and gather more clues. With a sea demon of such size, there must be something unusual near its lair."
"What the Hall Master said is exactly right!" The County Magistrate nodded repeatedly. "I will arrange the patrols at once. As for the covert investigation..." His gaze turned toward Gao Mingyuan.
Gao Mingyuan pondered. "We must make long-term plans, select truly capable hands, and proceed cautiously."
The group discussed the follow-up arrangements while the docks remained full of clamoring voices.
In the end, the corpse of the Unicorn Evil Squid was jointly taken over by the county yamen and the martial hall. The specific distribution would require further negotiation.
The crowd at the docks gradually dispersed, but the discussion surrounding the matter would surely continue for a long time.
The people of Blackwater Martial Arts School returned to the martial hall first.
Back at Listening Tide Courtyard, Chen Yuan dismissed everyone around him and sat alone in meditation, carefully sorting through everything he had seen and heard that day.
The strange fog, the organized sea beast attack, the abnormally powerful Bone Forging Realm sea demon, and the casualties among the county yamen personnel...
Combining all this with the information he had obtained during the Ebbing Tide, he still took the Chishui Bandits as his hypothetical enemy.
The Chishui Bandits might have already noticed the authorities' intention to investigate that sea region.
They had then used unconventional means without hesitation to issue a warning and block the investigation. But could they actually drive—or even induce—the birth of a Bone Forging Realm sea demon?
"They must have wanted to use a smokescreen, throwing a giant squid into plain sight." A cold glint flickered in Chen Yuan's eyes.
"If I hadn't held that giant squid back for a moment, perhaps we wouldn't have been able to take it down, and we certainly wouldn't have noticed what lay behind it... But now."
"After this incident, the county yamen and the martial hall will inevitably conduct their investigation more cautiously and covertly, while the Chishui Bandits will surely become even more vigilant and hide themselves more deeply..."
"However, there must be something in that sea region that the Chishui Bandits want to conceal. What could it be..." Thought flickered through Chen Yuan's eyes.
The situation seemed to have fallen into a brief stalemate.
But Chen Yuan believed this was merely the calm before the storm. Both sides were secretly building their strength, waiting for the next opportunity to strike.
At that moment, the Tidal Stele in his Sea of Consciousness stirred slightly.
Realm: Skin Tempering Realm, Minor Accomplishment (45/100) Tide Fortune: 60/100 (assisted in slaying the demon; the situation is becoming clearer +20)
"Hm?" Confusion flashed through Chen Yuan's eyes. Was his contribution this time worth a fortune in gold? Or had his analysis been correct? Why had the Tide Fortune Points increased so much?
"Whatever the reason, my strength is still far from enough..." Chen Yuan clenched his fists.
If not for his master's thunderous strike today, along with his own desperate gamble, the consequences would likely have been far from satisfactory.
Yet when facing a struggle on this level, the cultivation of the Skin Grinding Realm still seemed frail.
He had to grow stronger faster!
Without further hesitation, Chen Yuan took out the rewards he had obtained from this mission: two bottles of Muscle and Skin Jade Ointment Pills.
He pulled out a stopper, and a rich medicinal fragrance immediately spread through the air.
He poured out a pill the size of a longan, its color lustrous white, and swallowed it without hesitation.
The pill entered his stomach and instantly transformed into a vast yet nonviolent current of heat. It rapidly surged toward his four limbs and hundreds of bones, permeating deep into his flesh and skin!
Compared with the Skin Tempering Ointment, this medicinal power was deeper and more substantial.
Chen Yuan immediately circulated the Mysterious Vortex Skin Grinding Method, guiding the powerful medicinal force as he began a new round of tempering.
A fierce sensation of soreness, numbness, swelling, and pain spread from every part of his body, as if countless tiny steel needles were repeatedly piercing and grinding him.
But he guarded his mind tightly, his will ironclad. He frantically absorbed and refined the medicinal power, guiding the Spiral Force to work with it as it washed over and hammered every inch of his skin again and again!
He knew that only by enduring this pain, like Moulting and Bone Changing, could he gain the strength to stand firm amid the surging hidden currents that were soon to arrive.
Within Listening Tide Courtyard, the sound of surging qi and blood rang out like the tides, continuing without end.
Before you continue