122: Chapter 122 Xuanwu
Arctic Ocean.
In the depths of the dark ocean.
Amidst the swirling silt and murky shadows, a struggle was unfolding.
A massive sea turtle extended its hideous head, striking like lightning to snap a multi-meter-long walrus in two.
This sea turtle was a full five meters in size.
Even the most adorable and cute creature would become terrifying if magnified several times over.
This sea turtle was no exception.
Yet, no one knew that half a year ago, this sea turtle had been no larger than a basketball.
The massive sea turtle twisted its body, extending its head to devour the remains of the walrus.
It ate continuously.
After a while.
Once the walrus had been completely consumed, the sea turtle swayed its body and slowly swam toward its lair.
That was a small volcanic crater.
Through the crater, one could constantly see bubbling lava.
As it neared the volcano, the seafloor temperature began to rise sharply.
The temperature near the crater, in particular, was likely four or five hundred degrees.
Yet, even this terrifying heat did not stop the giant sea turtle from descending.
Paddling its limbs slowly, its massive body landed on the volcanic crater.
The immense, terrifying heat gathered on the sea turtle's body, yet it only made the creature more comfortable.
It kicked its legs, found a comfortable position, and slowly closed its eyes.
The deep, terrifying ocean fell silent in an instant.
It was a silence that instilled fear.
Crackle!
Suddenly, a faint sound drifted over.
It came from nowhere else but the sea turtle itself.
At this very moment, a shocking scene unfolded.
As the sea turtle slept, its back began to undergo slow changes.
Its shell grew thicker, and clusters of short spikes appeared upon it, resembling the ridges of an alligator snapping turtle.
Its claws grew longer and sturdier.
Its neck extended, serpentine in nature.
Even its massive head began to change slowly.
Its nostrils piled up, becoming grotesque, and its slender teeth began to thicken.
As for its size.
It grew a full size larger.
A terrifying behemoth!
A terrifying behemoth, six meters in length.
Only a moment passed.
Three days later, the drastically changed behemoth opened its eyes, starving.
It shook its head, familiarizing itself with its powerful body.
It was used to this!
Every time it slumbered, it became stronger and larger.
Roar!
A low roar echoed far and wide.
Its sturdy, unfamiliar hind legs pushed off with a sudden thrust; like a giant truck, the behemoth shot forward.
The hunt could not stop.
One year later.
Arctic Ocean.
Seaside.
A fair-skinned, long-limbed Russian beauty twisted and turned in the water like a nimble fish.
She surged from the sea, her Internal Energy erupting, her slender body—clad in a bikini—spinning as she leaped into the air.
Crystal-clear water droplets sprayed from her long hair and her glowing, fair skin as she spun.
Leaping into the air, her momentum spent, her body began to fall toward the surface below.
But at that moment, she nimbly flipped, her feet—infused with Internal Energy—tapping the surface, and using the tension of the water, she leaped into the air once more.
Spinning and leaping, she kept her eyes closed.
The golden sunlight struck her fair skin, making her shine like a sprite.
After leaping off the surface three times, she opened her eyes and dove headfirst into the sea.
When she surfaced again, she was already thirty meters away.
She raised her head, flicking her beautiful long hair from her chest to her back, creating a rainbow with the crystalline water droplets.
"Peng! Come quickly, come catch fish!"
She waved excitedly toward the giant rock on the shore.
"Alright!"
"Alright!"
"I'm coming!"
Peng Peng stood on the boulder by the shore, rubbing his body as he lit a fire.
The Arctic Ocean was truly cold.
Even with his ample Internal Energy, it was still very cold.
One had to admit, the constitution of these Russian bear-folk was truly fierce.
Combined with their Cultivation of Internal Energy, it was as if they had maxed out their cold-resistance stats.
The icy seawater had become their playground for winter swimming.
He reached out a foot to test the water temperature.
Peng Peng immediately felt a chill and couldn't help but shiver.
He had just taken two steps back and hadn't even steadied himself when a fair-skinned figure broke through the water in front of him.
So beautiful!
Peng Peng stared blankly at the scene before him.
The next moment, he was grabbed by the figure.
"Haha, jump in and you won't be cold anymore!"
Ivanova cheered, grabbing Peng Peng's arms and leaning back, pulling him down toward the sea.
The moment they hit the water, the cold came rushing in, and Peng Peng instinctively wrapped his arms tightly around her fair waist.
The smooth, boneless waist made Peng Peng instantly infatuated.
He almost forgot he was in the water.
Ivanova felt ticklish and twisted her body to break free.
After this commotion, Peng Peng's blood was pumping, and he was instantly no longer cold.
The two cheered and frolicked in the water.
Holding hands, they dove into the deep ocean and danced among a school of fish.
The two even unleashed their Internal Energy to chase down a seal, teased it for a while, and then let it go.
When they had finished playing, they held each other, floating on their backs on the surface of the sea.
Swaying gently with the seawater, they enjoyed an indescribable warmth.
Time was fleeting.
Soon, the sun set.
The golden sunlight began to turn crimson, and fiery clouds appeared on the horizon.
This was a rare weather phenomenon.
It could only be seen for half a month out of the year.
Peng Peng held Ivanova restlessly; the touch of her body was cool, like jade.
He looked at the fiery clouds in the distance, his heart filled with a rare tranquility.
Having left the Land of Huaxia for two years, at this moment, he no longer thought of revenge.
He only wanted to hold the beauty in his arms quietly and enjoy the moment.
The fiery clouds layered upon one another, reflecting against the deep blue sea, creating a breathtaking sight.
Just then, a huge figure in the distance suddenly broke through the water.
Its body leaped out of the water, tracing a perfect arc before falling back toward the sea.
"Look!"
"What a huge walrus!"
Ivanova extended her finger, pointing happily into the distance.
"That walrus jumped so high! I've never seen something that big jump so high before!"
Peng Peng strained his eyes to look.
With the aid of his Internal Energy, the skin of the seal four hundred meters away was clearly visible.
Just as he was about to agree with Ivanova, he suddenly saw a blurred shadow appear beneath the walrus.
The shadow grew rapidly.
"Hmm!?"
Peng Peng looked over in surprise.
The next moment.
"Boom!"
An unimaginable behemoth leaped out of the sea, and the calm water instantly exploded.
It splashed dozens of meters high.
The hideous, terrifying behemoth breached the surface, its bloody maw wide open, and in a display of unimaginable horror, it swallowed the walrus in one bite.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
"Boom!"
Amidst the thundering roar on the sea surface, the behemoth sank back into the water.
Along with the huge walrus, it vanished, leaving behind only a patch of crimson.
Peng Peng trembled all over.
Terror flooded his heart.
Not only him, but Ivanova in his arms was terrified, her expression changing drastically as she dragged Peng Peng, shouting, and swam toward the shore.
Peng Peng looked back from time to time, gazing at the sea.
The image of the massive behemoth breaching the water played repeatedly in his mind.
The hideous Dragon head, the massive, hard shell, and that pale golden serpentine neck.
Although he hadn't seen the full picture.
He felt that the behemoth was incredibly familiar.
Until the very end.
He shuddered violently, as if struck by lightning.
In an instant, the name that surfaced in his mind made him cry out uncontrollably.
"Xuanwu?!"
"That is Xuanwu?!"