(First update)
Gales howled relentlessly across the sea, and heavy rain poured from the sky. Waves dozens of feet high crashed onto the beach, sea and sky churning wildly as though the end of the world had come.
Mother Li leaned against the trunk of a large tree, a shimmering green light barrier shielding her from the wind and rain. She gazed out toward the distant sea, her face full of anxiety.
The sea had not calmed since morning. Although her magic power and divine sense were sealed, her experience told her that somewhere offshore, cultivators were locked in a battle that shook heaven and earth. The only people nearby capable of such a battle were Li Xiaoya and his companions. How could she not worry at the sight of such upheaval?
"Ah! It's been so long. I wonder how Yaya and the others are doing?" Finally unable to bear it any longer, Mother Li muttered to herself and made to step out of the formation.
"Huh?" Just as she was about to move, however, she let out a surprised murmur. A tiny black dot had suddenly appeared on the sea dozens of miles away, making her stop.
In the blink of an eye, that black dot drew closer at astonishing speed, trailing a huge spray of water. Only then did she realize how enormous it was: a hideous, terrifying demon beast was racing toward her island.
"Th-that's the legendary Whale-Swallowing Beast? It's enormous! Could it be a ninth-rank demon beast?" Once Mother Li saw its appearance clearly, she cried out in alarm and hurried behind the tree.
The creature approaching Mother Li was indeed the Whale-Swallowing Beast. It had already returned to its immense original size, half its body riding against the surface while five pairs of enormous fleshy