Inside the Violent Wave Hall, the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.
"Useless! A bunch of good-for-nothings!"
On the Dragon Throne in the main hall, a burly man, clad in gilded armor, wielding an Eight-Cloud Trident, and with various scars covering his chest and face, roared like thunder.
"The Sea Race's ultimate treasure, the star tear flower, was stolen by a thief! How can you still have the face to stand here? All of you, scram to the Fissure Abyss and be confined for twenty years!"
The person speaking was none other than the Sea Race's Old Ancestor, Kun Jing!
"Old Ancestor, please calm your anger!" Ao Lie, the current Clan Chief of the Sea Race, quickly bowed and advised, "Old Ancestor, please listen to me."
"Through the Xuanbing Mirror's retrospection, the person who stole the treasure this time is the Demon Realm's Emperor from ten thousand years ago, the Illusion Devil King Xuan Xiao! Although he only has a wisp of his remnant soul left, his illusionary techniques are cunning and impossible to guard against."
Ao Lie paused, then continued:
"Ten thousand years ago, during the Immortal-Devil War, Old Ancestor, you personally experienced it, so you must know his power. Even though he only has a remnant soul now, he still possesses the strength of a half-step Heavenly Venerate Realm!"
"Currently, our North Sea Region is plagued by internal and external troubles, with spies lurking in the East Sea Region, and Old Ancestor Ji Ju is also about to awaken. A great war is imminent. At this time, it would be unwise to go to great lengths to pursue the Illusion Devil King."
"In my opinion, it would be better to endure for now. Once Old Ancestor, you officially emerge from your seclusion, taking back the star tear flower will be as easy as turning over your hand!"
"..." Old Ancestor Kun Jing fell into contemplation, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes.
"What little Dragon said... is not without reason. That old bastard Ji Ju is indeed a threat; this Venerate needs to recover his strength as soon as possible."
Then, with a flash of golden light, Old Ancestor Kun Jing's figure vanished from the Dragon Throne, leaving only a majestic voice: "Pass down the order, recall the pursuers, and strictly guard the East Sea Region!"
Although Ao Lie was over three thousand years old, being called "little Dragon" made him feel quite helpless, but he dared not show any of it. He quickly responded, "I respectfully obey Old Ancestor's decree!"
He waved his large hand, his voice like a great bell: "Long Ming! Quickly go and inform Long Tao to return and defend the West Dragon Gate!"
"Long Ming obeys!" A seemingly delicate young man knelt on one knee, yet his eyes gleamed with sharp light.
The boundless vast sea, at the Lingtian position.
The weather changed abruptly, and the furious sea churned. It had just been clear and sunny, but now dark clouds covered the sky, and the space between heaven and water was dim.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Towering waves rose from the sea, crushing down like mountains, as if to devour everything.
Suddenly, earth-shattering roars came from all directions, like Dragon roars and tiger growls, echoing through the sky.
"This is..." Ling Tian's pupils contracted sharply, and a strong sense of unease surged in his heart.
The giant waves approached, and at a distance of dozens of feet from Ling Tian, they suddenly rose high, like a giant Dragon raising its head, soaring straight into the sky.
A hundred zhang!
A thousand zhang!
The giant waves continuously climbed, finally forming four towering water walls that trapped Ling Tian within them, their Aura magnificent and heart-stopping.
"Drawing the sea as a prison?!" Ling Tian gasped, "This is a Formation! Who wants to use a tsunami against me?"
"You thief! Quickly hand over my Sea Race's ultimate treasure! I will leave your corpse intact!" A furious roar, like muffled thunder, exploded in Ling Tian's ears, making his eardrums hum.
"Sea Race? Could it be that legendary race?" Ling Tian wondered, looking up.
He saw that on the newly surging giant waves ahead, figures stood densely packed.
No, they were not Human, but half-Human, half-fish creatures!
They had the torsos and limbs of Human, but retained the characteristics of marine life: shark heads, crab claws, blue scales... varying in form, ferocious and terrifying.
"When did I steal your treasure?" Ling Tian sharply questioned, already understanding that this was a misunderstanding.
"Bastard! The Human Race are indeed all hypocrites, daring to do but not daring to admit!"
The leading Sea Race strongman, clad in golden fish-scale armor and wielding a huge mountain-splitting saber, glared with wide eyes, his voice like a great bell.
He had a Human face, dark skin, and short brown hair, appearing particularly rugged.
"My actions, Ling Tian, are open and aboveboard; I never do anything underhanded!" Ling Tian proudly stated.
"Less nonsense! Take this saber!" The strongman roared, and his great saber suddenly slashed down.
The fierce wind howled, and a giant wave over twenty meters long appeared out of thin air, sweeping towards Ling Tian with terrifying power.
"Swish!"
Ling Tian brandished the jade dragon sword in his hand, and the Sword Qi, like a rainbow, instantly split the giant wave in two.
"Still daring to quibble! If you weren't here to steal things, why would you appear in my Sea Race's territory?" The strongman glared, then slashed down with his saber again.
"I..." Ling Tian was momentarily speechless.
"You truly anger me!"
Ling Tian roared, lightly tapping the sea surface with his toes, his figure flashing like a ghost, dodging one sharp Saber Qi after another.
The jade dragon sword in his hand unleashed brilliant Sword light, fiercely colliding with the strongman's great saber.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The sound of metal clashing was incessant, and circles of energy fluctuations spread in all directions. The sea surface was dented, forming a huge whirlpool.
"Break for me!"
A cold glint flashed in Ling Tian's eyes, and with a twist of his sword, two streams of Saber and Sword Qi intertwined and coiled, twisting upwards.
"Crack!"
The strongman's great saber was actually twisted and shattered!
"Are you Sea Race always so unreasonable?" Ling Tian angrily said, true anger already ignited in his heart.
"Hmph! Against you treasure thieves, why bother with reason!"
The strongman roared, his figure flashing, instantly appearing beside Ling Tian and throwing a punch. This punch carried immense power, as if it could shatter space itself.
Ling Tian only felt a huge force Attack, and his body involuntarily flew backwards.
"Such powerful strength!"
Ling Tian slid dozens of feet across the sea surface before barely stabilizing his figure, his sword-wielding hand trembling slightly.
"Damn treasure thief! How dare you come when I'm slacking off, and even use illusionary techniques on me, making me almost unable to wake up!"
The strongman cursed, his figure like a shadow, closing in on Ling Tian again and slashing down with his saber.
"Clang!"
Ling Tian raised his sword to block, but was sent flying again.
"Why did you steal nothing else, but precisely steal my Sea Race's Legacy treasure, the star tear flower? Do you know your crime!"
The strongman was relentless, his figure constantly flashing, batting Ling Tian around like a ball.
"Damn it! What did this salted fish eat to grow up so strong!" Ling Tian cursed inwardly, but could only parry exhaustedly.
Looking at the great saber sweeping towards him again, Ling Tian let out a low growl, his left hand forming a seal like lightning, and his right foot stomping hard on the sea surface.
With a "whoosh," his entire body mysteriously disappeared into the sea, as if merging with the seawater. Immediately after, with a "pfft," Ling Tian emerged from the water dozens of meters away.
The strongman, unable to stop his momentum, almost strained his waist. He looked at Ling Tian in the distance with surprise and uncertainty: "What kind of strange move is that?"
Ling Tian gently exhaled, switched the jade dragon sword to his left hand, and shook his numb right hand.
"Damn treasure thief! Quickly hand over the star tear flower! Otherwise, if I get angry, even I'll be afraid!" The strongman roared again, his voice making the sea surface tremble slightly.
"Enough!" Ling Tian finally lost his patience, "I'll say it again, I didn't steal your things!"
"It seems you're determined not to admit it!" The strongman sneered, his killing intent growing stronger in his eyes.
"Idiot!" Ling Tian retorted angrily, "The ones who stole your 'flower' were those three, one male and two females! The male has silver hair! It wasn't me! If you want to find them, go find them, don't bother me!"
From the strongman's incessant curses, Ling Tian had already deduced that the ones who stole the treasure were likely the silver-haired youth trio he had encountered earlier.
"Bastard! Still daring to quibble! It was clearly you!" The strongman was furious, and his great saber suddenly slashed down.
A sharp Saber Qi tore through the seawater, heading straight for Ling Tian, with towering waves rising on both sides.
"Boom!"
Ling Tian thrust his sword, and the Sword light and Saber Qi collided with a roar, sending up dozens of meters high spray, which rained down like a downpour.
The strongman roared, then his figure suddenly disappeared. The next moment, he appeared beside Ling Tian like a ghost, sweeping his great saber horizontally, then lifting it upwards, finally leaping up and splitting down with overwhelming force!
"Such fast speed!" A sharp glint flashed in Ling Tian's eyes, but he found it difficult to capture the strongman's movements, only able to perceive them through subtle changes in the surrounding airflow.
In a flash, Ling Tian raised his sword to block. The jade dragon sword and the strongman's great saber collided with a "clang," sending sparks flying.
A huge force came, making Ling Tian's arm numb.
Immediately after, a fierce gust of wind attacked from below, as if to split him in half.
Ling Tian tapped his foot, and his figure, as if gliding on the water, drifted back ten meters, while simultaneously swinging a sword to disperse the incoming Saber Qi.
However, this was just the beginning.
In the sky, a giant saber shadow appeared out of thin air, rapidly spinning. Centered around it, a terrifying Sea Tornado actually formed!
A vast water-element true essence fluctuation emanated from the tornado, and the sea surface churned violently. Ling Tian felt difficulty breathing, as if he were in the eye of a storm.
"Such powerful water-element true essence!" Ling Tian's expression changed slightly, and his left hand formed a seal again, his toes lightly tapping the sea surface.
His entire body instantly escaped dozens of meters, yet the Sea Tornado followed him like a shadow, relentlessly pursuing!
"Rumble!"
A hundreds-of-meters-high Sea Tornado, carrying Saber Qi and killing intent, swept towards Ling Tian with an alarming momentum.
"Bang!"
Ling Tian was hit by a giant wave, and his entire body flew backwards, his face pale, his throat sweet, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood with a "pfft."
"The power of this Sea Tornado is actually so terrifying! Even though I used Water Escape to merge into the sea, I was still sent flying and my internal organs were injured!"
Ling Tian quickly swallowed a Medicinal Pill, his figure flashing across the turbulent sea surface, rapidly moving away from the strongman who was charging at him again.
"Hmph, you actually survived my Sea Tornado and aren't dead, little thief, your life is truly tough!" The strongman looked at Ling Tian, a hundred meters away, and sneered.
"It seems you're not planning to let me go." Ling Tian said coldly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Let you go? Haha!" The strongman burst into laughter, "You stole my Sea Race's ultimate treasure and still want to leave?! That's simply wishful thinking! Surrender obediently, hand over the ultimate treasure, and I, your grandpa, will leave your corpse intact. Otherwise, I will surely tear you to pieces!"
"It seems there's no reasoning with you!" Ling Tian sneered, killing intent rising in his eyes.
"Hahahaha! Little thief! Do you think you can contend with me just because you can take a few of my moves?" The strongman's laughter was full of disdain, "Today, I'll let you witness the true strength of 'Sea Shark General' Long Tao!"
"Dragon Transformation Art! Dragon God Transformation!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
As his voice fell, Long Tao's figure began to change drastically!
His entire body's muscles bulged and swelled, and on his originally smooth forehead, two ferocious Dragon horns actually condensed!
A deep blue halo spread from his body. Centered around him, circles of giant waves rolled outwards, his Aura astonishing, and the weather changed!
"What kind of power is this?" Ling Tian felt the continuously rising true essence fluctuations from Long Tao's body, his expression grave, and he tightly gripped the jade dragon sword in his hand.
"Ignorant little thief, you think you can look down on everything just because you have a bit of skill!" Long Tao laughed wildly, slowly solidifying the energy within his body, forming a crystal armor-like covering on his body surface.
"Whale Pattern Battle Armor! Condense!" Long Tao roared!
He was clad in blue crystal armor, wielding a Profound Sea Battle Blade, like a Sea God descended!
Long Tao stomped his foot, and an invisible true essence fluctuation spread out. The originally turbulent sea surface instantly became calm!
"His strength has actually skyrocketed to the Golden Core Realm! I can't drag this out any longer; I must strike first!" A hint of determination flashed in Ling Tian's heart, and killing intent was fully revealed in his eyes.