Deep Sea Octopus King

The atmosphere in the cabin was a little strange.

It was hard to say what was wrong, but something definitely was.

Gu Qingshan sat by the window, rolling a Blue Silver Leaf between his fingers again and again, but never quite putting it in his mouth.

Bibi Dong sat opposite him, resting her chin on her hand. Her gaze was fixed on the sea outside the window, unfocused.

After a long while, Gu Qingshan finally put the Blue Silver Leaf in his mouth and took a bite.

"Teacher, aren't you going to absorb the Soul Bone dropped by the Monkey King?"

Bibi Dong drew her gaze back from the sea and looked at Gu Qingshan, pausing for a moment.

"It's a Right Arm Soul Bone. I've already fused a right arm bone, so I can't fuse another."

She paused. "You've fused a right arm bone too, so there's no room for it. We'll just hold on to it for now."

Gu Qingshan's eyes darted around. "Perhaps we could give it to Elder Chrysanthemum. His abilities mostly inflict damage over time, and he lacks burst power. A Right Arm Soul Bone would suit him perfectly."

Bibi Dong tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

"Fine. Yue Guan has always worked hard without complaint, and he's been loyal to Spirit Hall. He's already Level 96 and doesn't even have a single Soul Bone. It really is a little hard to justify."

Gu Qingshan's lips curled up when he heard that.

"Then I'll thank you on Elder Chrysanthemum's behalf, Teacher."

Bibi Dong looked at his faintly smiling face. "It seems you get along well."

"Hehe, Elder Chrysanthemum's a good guy!"

Bibi Dong said nothing more. She rested her chin on her hand and stared fixedly at Gu Qingshan.

For some reason, she thought his face looked even better than usual today. She couldn't help sneaking a few extra glances. The longer she looked, the more her eyes grew moist.

Qingshan really was becoming more and more handsome, more and more masculine.

Bibi Dong was surprised by the change in herself.

She wasn't some girl in her teens. She'd lived through more than half her life. What kind of man hadn't she seen?

She had never before felt this way about any man, as though she just couldn't take her eyes off him.

It was as if she'd returned to her girlhood, her heart forever fluttering like a startled fawn.

Bibi Dong's face felt a little hot, and her ears were burning.

She pulled her gaze away from Gu Qingshan's face and looked out at the sea again. Watching the ripples of light on the water, she was lost in thought.

Those monkeys were to blame!

She wasn't sure if it was because her desires had been released, but the negative emotions in her heart had lessened considerably. Even the Rakshasa inheritance's suppression of Bibi Dong had weakened. Now she could wield the power of a Level 98.

After the ship had sailed for more than an hour, the sea began to change.

Fog welled up from the sea, black as ink dropped into water. It spread through the waves, then rose from the surface and drifted through the air.

Bibi Dong immediately grew wary. She had developed a fear of fog.

The fog surged in from all directions, enveloping the ship.

Visibility dropped from several hundred zhang to several dozen, then from several dozen to only a few. Their vision was severely obstructed.

The two went to the bow and looked out. Apart from the black fog, they couldn't see a thing.

Bibi Dong's perception swept through the fog. She sensed an enormous creature rapidly approaching beneath the water.

It was big. Extremely big.

"Qingshan, be careful. A Soul Beast is approaching."

As soon as she spoke, the surface of the water exploded.

Two tentacles burst out of the sea, each as thick as a barrel and extending several zhang above the surface.

Their surfaces were covered in terrifying suckers, each as large as a bowl. They looked horrifying.

"Diamond Fist!"

Bibi Dong unleashed the Soul Skill she had just obtained from the Monkey King. A gigantic fist condensed from Soul Power shot out and smashed the two attacking tentacles to pieces.

Blue blood gushed out and splattered across the surface, staining the surrounding water a bizarre shade of blue.

A low, muffled growl came from beneath the water. The sea began to boil.

More tentacles burst from the water.

Four, six, eight... Tentacles swept toward the ship from all directions, like countless giant serpents opening their jaws to swallow the whole vessel and crush it to pieces.

"Teacher, let me handle this. I love it when they gang up on me."

Gu Qingshan stepped forward, shielding Bibi Dong behind him. The Thorn Shield took shape before his left arm, its thorn patterns glowing dark red.

"Copper Wall and Iron Bastion."

A translucent, dark golden barrier formed around his body in layer upon layer, like composite armor woven from countless small shields.

"Defensive Stance."

The Thorn Shield instantly expanded several times over, covering his entire body.

The moment the first tentacle struck the shield, the counterattack force traveled along its surface and into its body. The tentacle burst from within, blue blood and chunks of flesh exploding through the air like fireworks.

The second, the third... Every tentacle that touched the shield exploded on impact. Shreds of tentacle and blue blood flew through the air as a downpour of blue rained over them.

Bibi Dong raised a hand. Soul Power surged from her palm, forming a purple-black dome above their heads that enclosed both her and Gu Qingshan.

Blue blood and chunks of flesh landed on the barrier with a sizzling hiss and ran down its surface.

The muffled growl beneath the water turned into a scream, so shrill it pierced the ears. The waves on the surface burst apart under the force of the sound.

A huge black shadow rose from beneath the water.

Its body was outrageously enormous, shaped like a cone, broadest at the bottom and tapering to a point at the top, like a small mountain turned upside down on the sea.

Its body was deep blue, almost black, and covered in patterns like scales.

Countless tentacles extended from beneath its head, writhing endlessly.

The tentacles Gu Qingshan had severed had already grown back. Its regenerative ability was astonishing.

Bibi Dong looked at the hulking beast, worried about Gu Qingshan.

"Qingshan, this is the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Deep Sea Octopus King. Its attack power isn't impressive, but its vitality is incredibly tenacious. It won't be easy to kill it for good."

She paused.

"Let me handle it."

Gu Qingshan obediently stepped behind Bibi Dong, just in time to see how strong his teacher was.

Bibi Dong raised her left hand and spread her fingers.

The Death Domain expanded outward from her. Purple-black smoke poured from her palm, rolling and spreading through the air. It drove away the black fog and stained the sea purple-black.

The instant the Deep Sea Octopus King was enveloped by the Death Domain, its body began to change. Gray-white spots appeared on the surfaces of its tentacles, and the blue scale patterns covering its body grew blurry, as if something were corroding them.

The Octopus King's blood-red eyes blazed with savagery. A thick column of water burst from its mouth, carrying a nauseating stench as it hurtled toward Bibi Dong and Gu Qingshan.

"Eternal Wound."

Bibi Dong's arms transformed into enormous scythes of jade, which crossed as she slashed out a huge green, cross-shaped wave.

The Octopus King's body jolted violently. It began splitting down the middle, the wound stretching from its head all the way to the base of its tentacles.

Blue blood gushed from the wound like a broken dam, staining a vast stretch of sea blue.