Chapter 102: Azure Wave City

Lin Yang’s top speed was truly astonishing. If Ouyang Shou, who stood in front of him, had not been protected by Lin Yang, he would have been blown away instantly. This extreme velocity significantly shortened their travel time, allowing them to carve a straight path forward. Like a streak of golden light skimming across the ocean surface, their passage stirred up immense waves wherever they went.

After traveling for about half a day across a calm stretch of sea, Ouyang Shou suddenly spoke up. "Senior, we are only a few dozen nautical miles away from the territory where the demon beasts gather. The strongest among them reach the level of Grade 8 demon beasts. I suggest we avoid passing through that area." Ouyang Shou pointed ahead as he turned to Lin Yang.

Lin Yang was curious about what cultivation stage a Grade 8 demon beast corresponded to, but he reasoned it couldn't possibly exceed the Core Formation stage to reach the Nascent Soul level. "It’s fine. We’ll meet force with force and water with earth. With me here, you have nothing to fear." As Lin Yang spoke, he continued to forge ahead at high speed, deliberately causing a massive commotion. Ouyang Shou nervously clutched the talisman hidden inside his clothes.

"What are you afraid of? Even if we encounter something we can't beat, we can still run. It’s not like I’m going to abandon you," Lin Yang said, glancing at the nervous Ouyang Shou before accelerating again, intentionally creating an even greater disturbance.

Internally, Ouyang Shou was cursing up a storm. He was terrified that if they encountered a demon beast, Lin Yang would be unable to defeat it and would simply leave him behind. *Sigh, I just have to hope this senior is reliable. What if he decides not to fight and I get shredded on the spot?* Ouyang Shou thought with forced nonchalance, though his hand remained tightly gripped around his talisman.

Lin Yang continued his high-speed advance, even producing sonic booms. The tremendous commotion attracted a multitude of demon beasts to rise from the depths. However, the weaker ones hadn't even reacted before Lin Yang had already surged past their territory.

Twenty nautical miles later, a giant octopus nearly a hundred zhang in length suddenly appeared in their path. Even with only half its head above the water, it already spanned nearly a hundred zhang. This octopus was immense, its body covered in grotesque patterns, and, strangely, it had two horns growing from its head. Though these horns were only a few zhang in size—not small by any means—they looked bizarre, even cute, atop its massive hundred-zhang head.

The octopus blocked their path. After observing it, Lin Yang determined that its cultivation was approaching the peak of the Core Formation stage. Realizing it might take some time to finish, he put away his long sword and said to Ouyang Shou, "Wait here." With that, he charged forward, weaving a sword flourish that unleashed a sword aura several dozen zhang long.

Ouyang Shou hurriedly retreated upon hearing this, flying nearly a nautical mile away before he dared to look back. "I wonder if Senior can hunt down this Grade 8 demon beast. It is rumored that this beast possesses the bloodline of the dragon race." Ouyang Shou watched the spectacular battle from afar, filled with curiosity but too afraid to approach for a closer look.

At that moment, Lin Yang struck the giant octopus with a beam of sword aura. The creature raised its hundred-zhang-long tentacles in a desperate attempt to block the attack. Unfortunately, artifacts of extreme sharpness are not easily parried, especially by soft-bodied creatures like octopuses. The long sword sliced through the tentacles, severing them at the waist; half were cut clean off, while the others hung limply over the ocean. The sword aura, its momentum undiminished, carved a wound several dozen meters deep into the giant octopus's head.

The octopus let out a painful howl and sprayed a massive cloud of ink. Lin Yang dodged it, and as the ink hit the seawater, it produced a hissing sound of corrosion, killing countless seaweeds in the area. The surface of the sea was stained black for nearly four or five miles. As Lin Yang dodged, the octopus’s tentacles began to regenerate, and the deep wound on its head started to knit shut, leaving only a small scar.

"Damn, this thing is actually quite tough," Lin Yang muttered while dodging the flailing tentacles, searching for a solution. "Its recovery rate is too high. If I keep wearing it down with the long sword, it’s going to take too much time." He thought of the magic blade in his possession. Though he was somewhat reluctant to use it, he brought it out to end the fight quickly. Lin Yang had kept the blade on his person rather than in his storage bag, as the weapon had a habit of slicing through the bag, causing him to lose many pills before he realized it.

He summoned the magic blade, which turned into a streak of black light from behind him, darting through the surrounding space.

The octopus, at the peak of the Core Formation stage, possessed a degree of intelligence. The moment the magic blade appeared, it sensed an immense threat and attempted to flee. However, just as it turned to escape, the magic blade pierced through its brain. Though the blade was tiny and left only a ten-centimeter entry wound, one cannot judge its lethality by its size. The magic blade churned the octopus’s sea of consciousness into fragments, crushing its core essence until it dissipated into the void.

The magic blade then began to absorb the octopus's life essence. Moments later, nothing remained of the massive creature but a shell floating on the surface. Lin Yang retrieved its inner core, which was the size of a fist. It contained a vast amount of energy; no wonder it was used to refine high-grade pills. Lin Yang stowed the item away, summoned Ouyang Shou back, and resumed their journey toward Bibo Island.

When Ouyang Shou returned to the Wuji sword, he was filled with astonishment and awe. *This senior was able to dispatch the hegemon of this sea area so quickly. He might even be a Nascent Soul cultivator.* Ouyang Shou’s experience was limited, and he did not understand the true power of a Nascent Soul practitioner, leading him to believe that Lin Yang, whose cultivation he could not fathom, must have reached that level.

Having witnessed Lin Yang’s strength firsthand, Ouyang Shou began to monitor his own words and actions with extreme caution, terrified of offending him. Lin Yang noticed his constrained behavior but said nothing, continuing onward and even picking up the pace.

Another day passed, and by the next morning, they arrived at a massive island—or rather, a small continent. This island was the size of a province in the Yue Kingdom, with a population of over ten million. It was filled with many cities and satellite towns. At the center lay the legendary Bibo City. It was named "Bibo" (Clear Wave) entirely because the largest clan in the city bore the surname Shui (Water).

This clan possessed a Nascent Soul cultivator, making them the true masters of Bibo City. The reason for the name was that members of the Shui clan loved living in blue-tiled houses, making their entire estate resemble a wave of the sea. This aesthetic trend was adopted by surrounding clans, until the entire city was adorned in the color of blue waves, leading everyone to name it Bibo City.