Above the East Sea, Strange Beasts and the Azure Dragon

Xiao Teng and Er Wa flew in one direction. They were not moving particularly fast, as Er Wa needed time to inspect everything within a thousand-li radius.

The area Xiao Teng and Er Wa were responsible for was also the largest, so their task was far from easy.

"Father, something seems to be rapidly approaching from ahead," Er Wa's crisp voice called out.

"Can you make out what it is?"

Hearing this, Xiao Teng remained exceedingly calm as he gazed ahead.

Before long, a strange-looking beast gradually came into view.

The beast was covered from head to toe in hard scales, each one as large as Er Wa's body.

Its appearance was incomparably ferocious, its blood-basin maw packed with interlocking fangs that seemed capable of easily tearing apart all things beneath heaven.

At that moment, the strange beast bared its fangs and brandished its claws as it surged toward them.

It looked somewhat like a turtle, but possessed far greater savagery and brutality.

The strange beast reached the space beneath Xiao Teng, then suddenly shot upward. It opened its huge mouth, seemingly intending to devour Xiao Teng.

"Monster! Do not harm my father!"

Er Wa shouted angrily and charged out at high speed.

His small body drew an arc through the air as he kicked the strange beast beneath its jaw.

The strange beast was struck hard by the sudden, overwhelming force, and its enormous body tilted uncontrollably backward. With a thunderous boom, as if a small mountain had collapsed, it crashed heavily into the waters below, sending up a thousand layers of spray.

Wracked with pain, the strange beast understood that it was no match for the two before it. Without another thought, it tried to dive into the water and flee.

"Trying to run? It won't be that easy!"

Seeing this, Er Wa was about to plunge into the water and continue the pursuit.

"Er Wa, do not be hasty. Let me handle this."

Xiao Teng lightly flicked his wrist, and a dim glimmer flashed as the God-Striking Whip appeared in his hand.

Holding the God-Striking Whip, Xiao Teng gave it a light swing.

The God-Striking Whip instantly stretched out like a spirit serpent leaving its lair and shot directly into the water.

"Got you!"

Xiao Teng suddenly exerted force. The strange beast in the water was tightly bound by the God-Striking Whip, and with another hard pull, Xiao Teng forcibly dragged its enormous body out of the water.

"Spare me! Spare me!" the strange beast cried out in terror, continuously begging for mercy.

It had merely been searching for food in these waters, never expecting to run into two Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal-level experts like Xiao Teng and Er Wa today.

"You wretched beast, you actually dared to try to eat us. Naturally, I cannot spare you so easily today. However, I will ask you a question. If you answer truthfully, I will spare your life," Xiao Teng said, his expression cold and stern, his voice low and imposing.

"Please speak, Exalted One!" The strange beast's body trembled as it hurriedly replied.

"Are there any enormous islands in the sea?"

"Yes, there are, of course. There are quite a few of them," the strange beast answered cautiously.

"Mm. Then do you know in which directions those islands lie?" Xiao Teng pressed on.

"This... I roughly know the directions, but this little one truly cannot tell you their exact locations." The strange beast looked troubled, its eyes filled with fear.

"Then you will lead us to search for them. Once we find what we need, I will naturally let you go."

Flying all this way had truly been exhausting. With this strange beast as a means of travel, it would surely be much easier.

No wonder all those great deities were so fond of finding mounts. Today, he had experienced the benefits for himself.

Xiao Teng and Er Wa sat together atop the strange beast's back and continued searching for the Three Immortal Isles.

The strange beast swam with all its might through the water. It was extremely fast, no slower than Xiao Teng and Er Wa flying together.

After traveling for some distance, an island appeared in their field of vision.

Xiao Teng and Er Wa looked closely and discovered that the island was extremely desolate, with only faint fluctuations of spiritual energy.

It was clearly not the Three Immortal Isles they sought.

"Change direction and continue onward."

Xiao Teng lightly patted the strange beast's back and gave the order.

Upon hearing this, the strange beast slowly turned around and sped off in another direction.

As they continued deeper, they gradually entered the heart of the East Sea.

Just then, dark clouds suddenly blanketed the sky. Immediately afterward, raindrops as large as beans fell like pearls from a broken string, pattering against the sea and kicking up layer upon layer of mist.

Seeing this, Xiao Teng slightly raised his hand, and a gentle glow appeared in his palm. Like an invisible umbrella, the light slowly spread outward, steadily enveloping both him and Er Wa.

The rain struck the glow, splashing into crystalline droplets.

"This rain is quite strange. I fear it was not naturally formed," Xiao Teng said.

"This should be the Dragon Clan's doing. They have always enjoyed stirring up wind and waves," the strange beast said.

Although the Dragon Clan no longer possessed the splendor and prosperity of its former days, its strength still could not be underestimated. Across this vast, boundless East Sea, they remained the undisputed overlords.

Xiao Teng knew the Dragon Clan's power and had no intention of provoking such a formidable force. After all, it was better to avoid trouble than invite it; once he formed a grudge with the Dragon Clan, endless trouble would surely follow.

However, the affairs of the world were hard to predict. Though he had no wish to provoke them, the Dragon Clan came looking for him on their own.

The clouds churned in the sky as a massive Azure Dragon darted through them like a streak of azure lightning.

The Azure Dragon was enormous, and the scales covering its body glimmered with a dark azure radiance beneath the clouds.

The moment the Azure Dragon spotted Xiao Teng and the others, greed and viciousness flashed through its eyes. Without hesitation, it dove toward them, clearly regarding them as a delicious meal.

"You people of the East Sea, do you all bite the moment you see someone?" Xiao Teng asked.

Xiao Teng snorted coldly, and the God-Striking Whip in his hand lashed out at once.

Like nimble ropes, the God-Striking Whip instantly coiled around the Azure Dragon. It continued extending along the Azure Dragon's body and, in the blink of an eye, tightly bound it.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the Azure Dragon felt an immense force restraining his body. He struggled desperately, but it was to no avail, and his enormous form fell uncontrollably toward the water below.

With a thunderous boom, the Azure Dragon crashed heavily into the water, and the waves it raised surged outward in all directions.

Seeing this, Xiao Teng calmly stretched out his hand and lightly waved it forward. A transparent barrier instantly appeared before them, steadily blocking the surging seawater.

The Azure Dragon was utterly dazed, his heart filled with shock. He had always run rampant and unrestrained across the East Sea, yet today, this man had subdued him so easily.

"Do you know this is the East Sea? If you offend me, great disaster will surely befall you! So release me at once!" the Azure Dragon roared furiously, his voice full of threats and intimidation.

"Hmph! Shut your mouth!"

Xiao Teng's expression darkened. He yanked hard on the God-Striking Whip in his hand, and it instantly tightened, coiling tightly around the Azure Dragon.