Chapter 435: A Small Boat Capsizes in an Instant
The moment the ten-thousand-year Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel appeared, it behaved with extreme caution. Although it surfaced, it kept nearly fifty meters of distance from Qi Han and refused to move any closer, instead constantly transmitting information to the other members of its kind using their species' unique method of communication.
Though Qi Han had no idea what it was saying, judging from how the other Azure-Scaled Dragon Eels began firing water jets even more frantically—like they had been injected with chicken blood—it was obvious that it hadn't said anything pleasant.
Qi Han cursed inwardly. Now that the ten-thousand-year Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel had finally shown itself, there was no way he intended to keep tangling with the rest. The ideal plan was to kill this one with a single slash, then have Pururu use Mist Flash to get him out of there immediately.
But the ten-thousand-year Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel was far too cautious. Fifty meters was already close to the very limit of Qi Han's effective attack range, and he had no confidence that he could kill it at that distance with a fully fused four-skill slash.
He needed to find a way to close the distance—close enough to unleash his invincible one-shot slash.
While firmly locking onto the target's position and simultaneously diverting part of his attention to deal with the water jets blasting in from all directions, Qi Han's expression grew increasingly troubled.
Any Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel that had survived to the ten-thousand-year level was a veteran of cowardice. From its behavior since appearing, it was clear that if Qi Han were to slaughter the other dragon eels and reveal strength sufficient to threaten its life, this creature might not seek revenge for its kin at all—it would more likely flee without hesitation.
That was why, despite his strong urge to kill the Azure-Scaled Dragon Eels constantly attacking him, Qi Han forcibly suppressed his killing intent.
This was not the time to alert the enemy.
Chi—
Caught off guard, Qi Han was struck in the left shoulder by a water jet. Beneath the shredded fabric, a fresh gash instantly appeared, blood seeping out.
"Hiss…" He sucked in a sharp breath. The intense pain caused his movements to falter for a split second, and several more water jets grazed past him, carving additional bloody marks into his body.
The more injuries he sustained, the slower his movements became—and the slower he became, the easier it was to get injured again.
He couldn't drag this out any longer.
Qi Han shot a fierce glare at the distant ten-thousand-year Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel. After seeing him injured, that creature had merely advanced from fifty meters to about forty meters away. Even at that distance, killing it would still be extremely difficult.
"Pururu!"
Qi Han suddenly shouted. Pururu responded from his chest, immediately activating Mist Flash.
The forty-meter gap vanished in an instant.
With Pururu's assistance, Qi Han appeared directly above the ten-thousand-year Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel. Before the stunned beast could react, Qi Han brought his Knife down in a devastating strike.
At the moment the Knife swung, all four Spirit Rings flared simultaneously. A crimson blade arc tore through the air, its heat blazing like a miniature sun. Before it even touched the sea, massive clouds of steam billowed up from the water's surface, and faintly, one could hear the panicked, distorted cries of the Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel.
"Go!"
Qi Han didn't bother to check the result of his slash. Still suspended in midair and facing yet another wave of water jets that seemed determined to turn him into a sieve, he clenched his teeth and shouted.
Pururu, who had long been prepared, softly called out again. Mist swirled around its body, and in an instant, Qi Han was brought back to the raft's position, leaving the water jets to strike nothing but empty air.
"Hoo…"
After this round of attacks, perhaps intimidated by the might of that single slash, the water jets around him finally stopped. The Azure-Scaled Dragon Eels that had previously been rallied by the ten-thousand-year one now seemed to realize the vast gap in strength between them. One after another, they scattered in panic, finally giving Qi Han a moment to catch his breath.
A three-skill fused slash could carve a gully dozens of meters long in the Extreme Northern Snowfields, yet the even more powerful four-skill fusion produced a noticeably smaller impact in this boundless ocean.
As the rising steam gradually dissipated, a spherical barrier formed from condensed seawater—its surface riddled with cracks—came into Qi Han's view.
He couldn't help but let out a bitter smile. His luck really was terrible.
After reaching the ten-thousand-year level, an Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel had a certain chance to awaken another innate ability called Boundless Water Guard. By rapidly drawing in surrounding water to form a defensive shield, it could withstand powerful attacks, with the shield's strength directly tied to the concentration of water-element energy.
In the ocean, the defensive power of this ability was hardly inferior to an Invincible Golden Body, because seawater here was truly endless.
He never imagined that the one ten-thousand-year Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel he finally encountered would happen to have awakened this talent.
The power of his four-skill fused slash was indeed formidable. Even in an environment that heavily suppressed him, it still relied on heat comparable to extreme flames to forcibly overturn the elemental disadvantage, cleaving straight through Boundless Water Guard. However, by the time the blade energy penetrated the barrier, its remaining power had been weakened far too much.
As the shield slowly dispersed, the Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel hidden within writhed in agony, rolling beneath the sea's surface. Though it hadn't suffered a fatal wound, a deep slash marred its body, surrounded by extensive burn marks. The flesh on the surface had been directly carbonized by the terrifying high temperature.
Such injuries were already enough to affect its mobility.
Pain overwhelmed the ten-thousand-year Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel's reason. Its naturally timid disposition was completely suppressed at this moment, replaced by a frenzy of hatred and revenge. Driven by that madness, the wounded beast charged straight toward Qi Han without hesitation, raising its head and unleashing another water jet.
That water jet was completely different from the finger-thick streams spat out by the other Azure-Scaled Dragon Eels. This one, as thick as the mouth of a bowl, arrived almost instantaneously, its terrifying force making Qi Han's expression change at once.
He raised his blade and barely managed to cleave the water jet apart with a slash. Qi Han then rapidly repositioned on the three-to-four-meter-long raft, dodging the follow-up attacks that came in quick succession.
After several failed water-jet attacks, the Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel had already rushed right up to Qi Han. Seeing all its attacks evaded only drove it into greater fury. Its body dipped slightly, and in the next instant, its tail lashed violently against the raft.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, the heavy raft was flipped over outright by the ten-thousand-year Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel. Qi Han, who had been standing on it, never expected the beast to have such a move. His face changed drastically, and before he could react, he lost his balance and fell straight into the sea.
Splash!
Qi Han quickly stabilized himself underwater. He placed the panicking Pururu on top of his head, wiped the seawater from his face, and grimaced as the wounds on his body were soaked by the salty water. The pain instantly intensified, making his face twitch sharply. Yet in the face of this life-and-death crisis, he still forced himself to endure it, maintaining control of his body so he could respond to the Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel's next attack and look for a chance to get back onto the raft.
Fortunately, the other Azure-Scaled Dragon Eels had already fled. Otherwise, falling into the water would have meant facing the rampage of countless Dragon Eels at once.
The ten-thousand-year Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel, after flipping the raft with a single tail strike, didn't even spare Qi Han a glance. It lashed out again, and right before Qi Han's stunned eyes, the raft was smashed into pieces in an instant.
After all, the raft was nothing more than logs bound together—it simply couldn't withstand the blows of a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast.
With that, Qi Han's plan to quickly return to the raft was completely shattered.
I seriously underestimated the intelligence of Spirit Beasts…
Grinding his teeth, Qi Han steeled himself and charged straight at the Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel.
And the ten-thousand-year Azure-Scaled Dragon Eel, having destroyed the raft, likewise surged forward with savage killing intent, rushing directly toward Qi Han.
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