Dark clouds blanketed the night sky above Dragon Island, and the moon and stars had vanished from sight.
The entire island seemed submerged in darkness. Only when rolling thunder rumbled across the horizon did the world briefly flash with light.
A massive storm was about to descend!
Within a dense primeval forest, Bearded Face Guan Qiang led his men in relentless pursuit of Bai He.
It was worth noting that the number of surviving sailors had plummeted from over twenty at the start to fewer than ten.
Guan Qiang could not help but feel heartbroken. These were all his men!
If he had been just a little more cautious back then and had not coveted the generous reward these people offered, who knew which tavern he would be drinking and making merry in now?
How could he have ended up like this, practically with his head tied to his belt, never knowing when he might die a violent death—and without even leaving a corpse behind...
He had known it! Those ruthless disciples of the demon sects were more cunning and treacherous than the last. How could they suddenly become so generous? This job was deadly!
While sailing through the Forbidden Sea, before they had even approached the island, they encountered the ancient monster said to exist only in legend—the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon!
Not only had they nearly suffered shipwreck and death, but after barely escaping disaster and reaching the island, they discovered that it was filled with Primordial Mythical Beasts said to have existed only in the ancient barbaric age.
These were all murderous beasts!
If he still had that Giant Ship, the only vessel that had survived, these people might have treated him and his sailors more respectfully for the sake of leaving the island.
But now that the ship was gone, not only were they being forced to hunt down an enemy, they were also being made the vanguard and used as human bait!
Liu Yue had never been a good person in any true sense. Although the Undying Saint Gate always called itself a holy sect, the outside world unanimously called it a demon sect!
Even in hunting down Bai He, she was not truly doing so to avenge Lu Jun. She merely wanted to give an explanation to Lu Jun's father, an inner elder of the Undying Saint Gate!
Ruthlessness, cruelty, and cold-bloodedness were standard traits for disciples of demon sects. People unlike that found it difficult to survive in such sects and were often devoured without even bones left behind.
Unless, first, one possessed exceptional talent and was noticed by the higher-ups of the Undying Saint Gate, then taken in and carefully taught as a disciple; or second, one had a powerful relative within the sect as a backer, like Lu Jun.
When Bai He led them before the first Beast King—the Three-Eyed Divine Wolf—Liu Yue instantly understood his plan.
It was nothing more than a scheme to make tigers and wolves fight each other!
But Liu Yue did not panic. After calmly considering matters, she directly drove the surviving sailors ahead of her to draw the enemy's fire.
She herself stayed one step behind to ensure her own safety. No matter what, her own life was more important!
She indeed had to give Lu Jun's father an explanation, but she could not risk her own life for it.
Thus, the sailors were now trapped between advancing and retreating!
If they advanced, Bai He would lead them into the territories of the Beast Kings in the Primeval Forest. They would face the Beast Kings' wrath and might suffer devastating casualties.
But if they retreated, Liu Yue behind them would likely kill them. They did not believe the sword at the demoness's waist was merely for decoration.
After weighing their options, the sailors ultimately chose to continue forward in silence and hunt down Bai He.
After all, no matter how powerful these Beast Kings were, they were still beasts. As long as they escaped their territories, they would be safe. The beasts could not possibly leave their territories to pursue them.
But if they retreated and fled, whoever took the lead would undoubtedly be killed on the spot. Even if they managed to escape amid the chaos, no one dared claim they could evade Liu Yue's pursuit.
She was a powerful martial artist in the Transcendent Mortal realm, at Five Treasures Perfection. Her true qi regenerated on its own, she was swift and agile, and her strength was formidable!
They did not dare gamble, nor did they dare pin their hopes of survival on whether Liu Yue would spare them.
Since their chances of survival were greater if they pressed forward than if they fled, they could only grit their teeth and charge through the Beast Kings' territories.
As for whoever died while passing through, that could only be considered bad luck. People still had to look ahead...
After paying the price of nearly two-thirds of their number in dead and wounded, the dense primeval forest finally no longer lay ahead. At last, they no longer had to worry about being led into another trap.
After passing through a dense patch of low woodland, the view ahead suddenly opened up. Damp, salty sea winds blew toward them, and a cliff came into sight.
Bai He stood at the cliff's edge, coldly watching the people slowly approach him. His silver eyes reflected the faint light around them, gleaming brightly in the darkness.
"Little brother Bai He, stop running. Come back with elder sister. I promise I won't hurt you. And since you can take on such a form, could you possess one of those legendary special bloodlines? Why not join our Undying Saint Sect instead? What do you say?"
Swaying her slender waist, Liu Yue walked gracefully past the sailors before her and arrived in front of Bai He. Her red lips parted as she attempted to persuade Bai He into surrendering.
Looking at the seductive and beautiful woman before him, Bai He could not help curling his lips into a mocking smile.
She actually wanted to play word games with him? Every sentence revolved around herself without involving anyone else. It sounded utterly sincere, but anyone who believed it would be a fool!
Even if you won't hurt me, can you guarantee that no one else will?
Besides, Bai He did not believe a word she said, much less trust her integrity. So what did it matter whether she was lying? He had never planned to listen in the first place.
Scholar Lu Jun had given Liu Yue his whole heart. To help her tame Little Pegasus, he had even given her the treasure he had kept hidden away for years.
Yet after Bai He killed Lu Jun, Liu Yue could still treat him like this. Clearly, she had not taken Lu Jun's death to heart. Otherwise, she would never have tried to persuade him to surrender; she would have immediately called for his death.
Even Bai He, her enemy, could not help feeling a little sorry for Lu Jun. Was this what they meant by loving the wrong person?
Watching Liu Yue try to persuade him, Bai He gave her the middle finger—no, the middle claw—then turned and leaped into the sea.
Although Liu Yue did not know what Bai He's gesture meant, her instincts told her it certainly was not anything good.
Watching Bai He leap into the sea, Liu Yue's face turned livid, but she did not dare follow him into the water.
Although she already knew an Eight-Armed Evil Dragon was resting on the island's beach, who could guarantee there were no other Eight-Armed Evil Dragons or powerful ferocious beasts in the sea?
Liu Yue therefore turned her gaze toward the sailors standing behind her. In her eyes, they too had become unstable factors.
With Lu Jun dead and Wang Zifeng injured, she was not sure whether she could still keep these sailors under control.
The Giant Ship had already been destroyed by the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon, so these sailors were useless now. To prevent them from causing trouble after they returned, Liu Yue decided to make use of them one last time.
"You all, go down there!"
Liu Yue directly drew the sword at her waist and coldly addressed the sailors.
"Demoness! Are you trying to fight us to the death?"
Watching Liu Yue press them relentlessly, Guan Qiang finally could no longer suppress his resentment.
Making them enter the sea at a time like this—she wanted them dead!
"Heh heh, I don't know whether the net will break, but you fish are definitely going to die!"
"Make your choice! Do you want a slim chance of survival, or do you want me to send you to see Yan right now?"
Liu Yue gave a cold laugh, stroking the sword in her hand as she spoke to herself.
"You!"
Guan Qiang clenched his fists in fury. But weakness was weakness. If they fought to the death, Liu Yue might not come away unscathed, but almost none of them would survive either.
He did not know whether he would be among those who lived. In the end, Guan Qiang still chose the thin thread of hope before him.
Watching Guan Qiang slowly jump into the sea, the other sailors eventually followed. Like dumplings dropped into a pot, they splashed into the water one after another.
After giving the sea one last glance, Liu Yue slowly turned around, took a few steps, then leaped into the air and gradually vanished into the dense forest.
After jumping into the sea, Bai He was surprised to discover that the seawater was not as freezing and biting as he had imagined. On the contrary, it was somewhat warm.
After observing his surroundings, Bai He decided to swim along the coastal cliffs, hoping to quickly find a place where he could come ashore, such as a beach.
Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. With a tremendous clap of thunder, raindrops as large as beans began falling from the sky, and fierce winds rose around him. This was bad!
Bai He's dragonified state was not permanent. Although devouring the dragon egg had given him some dragon bloodline, it was still far too thin. His dragonification depended on the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon Soul within him.
If the power of the dragon soul in his body ran dry, Bai He would revert from his dragonified state to human form. Without the warmth provided by the scales of his dragonified form, exposed directly to the wind and rain, Bai He would very likely die of hypothermia!
He had to quickly find somewhere sheltered from the wind and rain!
But before him stretched a boundless sea, while steep cliffs surrounded him. He could not climb them at all, so Bai He could only swim faster and place his hopes in the distant unknown.
As an ancient monster said to rival the Sea God, the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon was rumored to possess mighty divine abilities capable of Summoning Wind and Rain and Overturning Rivers and Seas. Bai He had indeed seen the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon use its ability to Summon Wind and Rain on Dragon Island.
Then it should also be able to Overturn Rivers and Seas, right? Bai He thought.
The Eight-Armed Evil Dragon was precisely the creature he dragonified into. He did not ask for the ability to overturn rivers and seas; as long as it could make him swim faster and find shelter sooner, that would be enough!
As Bai He swam, he slowly closed his eyes and began silently sensing the rhythm of the seawater, attempting to awaken the innate divine ability hidden within his dragonified body.
After an unknown amount of time, Bai He vaguely felt as though he had merged into one with the seawater. The seawater was him, and he was the seawater. Everything in the sea became impossible to conceal from his sight.
Suddenly, a powerful pulse of life came from afar. A figure more than thirty meters long swam beneath Bai He, its shape somewhat resembling a prehistoric dinosaur from Earth's ancient age, like a Liopleurodon.
Could there be other dragons in the Forbidden Sea besides the Eight-Armed Evil Dragon?
Bai He watched the enormous figure slowly swim beneath him and could not help thinking so.
"Ah!"
A shrill scream rang out from behind him. A savage head burst from the sea, directly biting one of the sailors following Bai He into two halves before swallowing him.
Bai He opened his eyes, and the sight before him filled him with shock.
It was an extremely savage-looking beast, covered in dark-blue scales. It had four fins but no legs, a serpentine neck, a crocodilian tail, and the head of a shark filled with sharp teeth. A long, sharp dark-blue horn thrust straight toward the sky.
Shark Tooth Dragon!
For some reason, this name suddenly surfaced in Bai He's mind. Compared with the other parts of the beast's body, that savage shark head had undoubtedly left the deepest impression on him.
"Roar!"
The enormous and savage Shark Tooth Dragon let out a strange dragon roar, then plunged into the sea. Accompanied by the shrill screams echoing behind him, Bai He knew the sailors were finished!
He did not know whether it was because he was lucky or because the dragon aura radiating from his dragonified body had made the Shark Tooth Dragon abandon the idea of treating him as prey.
But for now, he undoubtedly needed to leave this place as quickly as possible. Who knew whether the Shark Tooth Dragon would target him after it finished hunting the sailors?
Bai He had no intention of testing his guess, because doing so could very well cost him his life!
Looking at the hellish scene behind him, Bai He took a deep breath and activated his weakened version of the divine ability Overturning Rivers and Seas. In an instant, he transformed into a streak of silver light and swam into the distance at incredible speed.
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