124: Chapter 124 Sea Beast Attack

The night was deep.

Lin Xuan sat cross-legged in the cave for an hour, his Spiritual Qi slowly circulating through his Meridians, accumulating bit by bit.

The efficiency was indeed low.

Back at Emerald Bamboo Peak, an hour of Cultivation could accumulate quite a bit of Spiritual Qi, but now... it was probably only seventy percent of what it used to be.

However, his mindset remained steady.

Seventy percent is seventy percent; it's better than nothing. Once I find a place rich in Thunder Spiritual Energy, I'll figure out a way to make up for it.

He opened his eyes, stood up, and stretched his somewhat stiff legs.

Outside the cave, the sound of waves came in waves, "whoosh—whoosh—", like someone repeatedly pouring water beside his ears.

The moonlight was faint, mostly obscured by clouds, letting through only a hazy glimmer of white.

The beach was pitch black, making it impossible to see anything; he could only hear the sound of waves crashing against the shore and the wailing of the sea breeze sweeping through the bushes.

Lin Xuan walked to the cave entrance, crouched down, took out a few Low-Grade Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch, and set up several warning Restrictions around the entrance.

It wasn't any profound Formation; he just buried the Spirit Stones in key locations and connected them with lines of Spiritual Qi to form a simple detection circle. As long as something crossed this line, he would immediately notice.

After setting up the Restrictions, he released the Herb-Seeking Mouse.

The little guy had just been sleeping groggily in the space; it was still rubbing its eyes when it was pulled out.

"Keep watch." Lin Xuan placed it on a rock at the side of the cave entrance. "Call me if there is any movement."

The Herb-Seeking Mouse squeaked, shook its fur, pricked up its ears, and crouched motionless on the rock, its eyes darting around.

Although it was timid, it could still handle keeping watch.

After all, [Spirit Energy Tracking] was not just for show; if any living creature approached within a radius of sixty zhang, it would be the first to know.

Lin Xuan then contacted the Pangolin through their contract.

The Pangolin poked half its head out of the ground and tilted its head to look at him.

"Go underground and sense the movement nearby. Ground, underground, sea surface—tell me immediately if there is anything unusual."

The Pangolin nodded, retracted its head back into the soil, and disappeared.

It could sense the geological structure and Spiritual Qi fluctuations within a range of one hundred and fifty zhang. With it watching from below, at least he didn't have to worry about something burrowing up from underground to launch a sneak attack.

Everything was ready.

Lin Xuan returned to the cave, sat down against the stone wall, and continued to Cultivate.

Time passed bit by bit.

The sound of the waves remained.

The sound of the wind remained.

The Herb-Seeking Mouse did not sound an alarm.

The Pangolin did not report anything unusual either.

Everything was very calm.

It was so calm that Lin Xuan felt this night might just pass like this.

However, just after the Hour of the Rat—

The Pangolin sent an urgent telepathic wave—

"Something is here! Coming from the sea! Very fast! Huge size! There is a strong reaction of Thunder Spiritual Energy on its body!"

Lin Xuan grabbed the Herb-Seeking Mouse, stuffed it into his bosom, and rushed out of the cave!

Under the moonlight, something was rapidly approaching on the sea surface.

Waves surged, and a dark purple light flickered beneath the water, like a glowing snake, carving a zigzagging trail of light in the pitch-black seawater.

The target was very clear—it was the island where he was.

No, it was his direction.

Lin Xuan's heart sank.

This thing was coming for him.

Why?

Was there something on him that attracted it?

Or did the Yao Beasts in this sea area have a special sense for human Cultivators?

There was no time to think about it.

The thing had already rushed onto the beach.

Water splashed everywhere, sand and mud churned, and a huge black shadow darted out from the waves, landing on the beach and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Lin Xuan took a few steps back to put some distance between them and finally saw its true form—

An eel.

An incredibly huge eel.

It was two zhang long, its body as thick as an adult's thigh, pitch-black all over, its skin as smooth as if coated in oil, reflecting cold light under the faint moonlight.

The most striking features were the two patterns along the sides of its body—extending from its head to its tail, purple-gold, like two glowing ribbons, currently crackling with fine electric sparks.

Its head was flat, its mouth round like a large suction cup, filled with dense, long, sharp teeth arranged in circles, enough to make one's scalp tingle.

No eyes.

Or rather, its eyes had degenerated into two tiny black dots buried in the skin on both sides of its head, impossible to notice without careful inspection.

Lin Xuan took a deep breath, suppressed the tension in his heart, and used the Earth Listening Technique to sense its cultivation.

The result of his sensing made his heart shudder—

First-Order High Grade.

Equivalent to a human Cultivator at Qi Refining Stage 7 to 9.

It was one to three minor Realms higher than him.

Lin Xuan's hand pressed on the startling thunder whip, but he did not move.

He was quickly evaluating.

First-Order High Grade, could he beat it?

In terms of cultivation alone, he was at the Late Stage of Qi Refining Level 6, a difference of at least one level.

But combat was never just about comparing cultivation levels.

He had High Grade Magical Artifacts, Talismans, Spirit Beast cooperation, and the high-level Cultivation Technique, Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art.

It wasn't that he couldn't fight.

But he had to fight carefully.

Second-Order Talismans? Don't use them.

The few Second-Order Talismans in his hand were for saving his life; they couldn't be wasted unless it was a life-or-death moment.

A First-Order High Grade Yao Beast; he felt he should be able to hold his own relying on his Magical Artifacts and Spells.

Fight first and see.

If he couldn't win, he would run.

Lin Xuan thought, and the earth fiend bell appeared in response.

A dark yellow bell shadow enveloped his whole body, protecting him firmly.

The patterns on the bell glowed slightly, and a faint, deep bell toll echoed in the air.

Then, he flicked his right hand, and the startling thunder whip unsheathed.

The whip was one zhang two feet long, dark purple, with fine thunder patterns on its surface, currently crackling with electric light.

Lin Xuan gripped the whip handle, channeling Thunder Spiritual Energy into it. The thunder patterns on the whip suddenly lit up, and the entire whip became like a living thunder snake, lashing out a blinding arc of light in the air.

"Come."

He said softly.

He didn't know if he was saying it to the Electric Eel or to himself.

The Electric Eel did not stand on ceremony.

It seemed to have sensed the Thunder Spiritual Energy on Lin Xuan. It lifted its head slightly, its round mouth opening and closing, revealing the dense, sharp teeth inside.

Then, it opened its mouth.

Not to bite.

But to spray.

A beam of thunder light as thick as an arm shot out from its mouth, blasting straight toward Lin Xuan!

The speed of the thunder beam was extremely fast; it was in front of him almost the instant it was sprayed!

Lin Xuan had been prepared, and he activated the Thunder Flash Step!

His figure flashed, leaving a pale purple afterimage in place, while he himself had shifted two zhang away.

The thunder beam blasted onto a large rock behind him, exploding with a "boom", sending shattered stones flying and filling the air with dust.

Lin Xuan glanced at it from the corner of his eye—that millstone-sized rock had been shattered directly.

The power was not small.

Much stronger than his Palm Thunder.

The Electric Eel missed its strike, twisted its body, and swept its huge tail over with the force of a thousand jun!

It was also fast!

Lin Xuan had no time to dodge again and could only take it head-on.

He crossed his arms to protect his chest, the shadow of the earth fiend bell suddenly condensed, and the dark yellow halo thickened a bit.

"Bang!"

The tail lashed onto the bell shadow, emitting a dull, loud noise.

Lin Xuan felt as if he had been hit by a speeding carriage; his whole body flew into the air, traveling more than a zhang away before crashing heavily into the stone wall behind him.

"Cough—"

His throat tasted sweet, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

The shadow of the earth fiend bell vibrated violently a few times, but it did not shatter.

Lin Xuan slid down the stone wall, knelt on one knee, and quickly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Not bad.

He could hold it.

A full-force strike from a First-Order High Grade, the earth fiend bell could withstand it, but the recoil force would still be transmitted to his body.