Once everyone was swept apart, no one had time to worry about anyone else — each could only look out for themselves!
But that black shadow that had shot straight up from the seabed caught everyone’s attention regardless — no matter where the waves tossed them, they could all see it!
It was long, thick — everyone’s first thought, Ziqing included, was: sea serpent!
But there were only four sea serpents in the entire world, and all four had already been sealed away in Xiong Xiaobao’s Cosmic Poison Pouch. There was absolutely no way there could be another one here!
So what was this thing?
Ziqing clutched Xiong Xiaobao and kept retreating — the unknown could only be avoided, never approached, not while she had a child in her arms. Having him with her stripped away her capacity to take risks.
In the dim, chaotic waters, fighting against the surging waves, she couldn’t make out where the creature’s head was, nor its tail — only a portion of its body was visible!
That was what made it truly dangerous.
At this moment, in this entire stretch of ocean, the only safe place was wherever Madam Helian stood!
They had to escape this madly surging water and capture Madam Helian!
That was what Ziqing was thinking. But Jun Beiyue, at this moment, cared about only one thing — finding his wife and son — and was weaving desperately through the waves in search of them.
Several times he came close to the round, bulky body of the black monster, but each time only dodged past it without attacking.
Provoking this beast right now would only invite disaster!
As long as he found his wife and child first, even if this were a flood dragon, he’d dare turn back and slaughter it!
Soon, Jun Beiyue spotted Ziqing. He fought against the current and shot toward her, shouting again and again in a voice pitched only for her ears, “Ziqing, I’m behind you!”
He called several times before she finally heard him.
Her heart leapt with joy. She spun around at once, clutching Xiong Bao, and the moment she saw Jun Beiyue swimming toward her, the anxious knot in her chest finally loosened.
She immediately handed Xiong Bao over to Jun Beiyue — on the Dream Clan’s island she hadn’t dared reveal her identity and poison the sea serpents, but here it was different!
“Watch me poison this thing to death!” Ziqing said in a low voice meant only for him. She might not be as skilled as Xiong Bao or Baili Weisheng, but her poison arts were no worse than theirs.
Jun Beiyue caught her arm. “Leave it to Baili Weisheng. We’re going after Madam Helian.”
That reminded Ziqing — right, there was still that foul-mouthed scholar!
Whatever else he was, he was still a jiaoren — he could handle himself in these waters far better than they could.
The couple exchanged a glance and were about to take their obediently protected little Xiong Xiaobao and leave — but just then, a massive, gaping maw suddenly surged up from beneath their very feet, swallowing all three of them — the whole family — into its fanged jaws!
A moray eel!
A giant sea moray — a species of fish notorious for its violent, savage temperament!
The moment it had them in its mouth, it immediately snapped its jaws shut — luckily, Jun Beiyue was fast enough. With Xiong Bao in one arm and Ziqing’s hand in the other, he shot forward violently against the current, breaking free.
But unexpectedly, despite its massive bulk, the creature moved with astonishing agility. The instant Jun Beiyue fled, it gave chase!
And it chased with its massive jaws wide open, forcing Jun Beiyue into pure flight — there was no chance to turn and attack, not even a moment to change direction!
The slightest lapse in attention, and in an instant they’d become a meal in this damned eel’s stomach!
Ziqing helped Jun Beiyue fight the current as they fled. Every time his parents were in danger, Xiong Xiaobao — usually so mischievous — became unusually well-behaved, held obediently in Jun Beiyue’s arms, not daring to move at all. He got into trouble often, but he would never be the one to drag his parents down!
Human strength has its limits, especially when holding one’s breath — the strength required to keep moving through raging waves was beyond imagining. In short, both Jun Beiyue and Ziqing, still fleeing without pause, had gone deathly pale, their hearts pounding erratically.
Their speed was, without their realizing it, beginning to slow.
But the moray eel was nothing like them — this beast was the very cause of the monstrous waves, and it moved with total ease, bearing down on Jun Beiyue. Just as it was about to catch him, its jaws snapped shut — but missed, by the narrowest margin!
That narrow miss only made the already impatient creature more furious, and it lunged forward with even greater speed!
There was no denying it — Jun Beiyue and Ziqing couldn’t hold out much longer.
“Ziqing, take our son, quickly!” Jun Beiyue said coldly — this was the rhythm of a man about to send his wife and son away to safety!
But to everyone’s surprise, the moment Ziqing took Xiong Xiaobao from him, she abruptly flung him away with all her strength. “Son, look after yourself!”
“You—!” Jun Beiyue snarled furiously, moving to shove Ziqing away as well — but just then, the moray eel’s massive fanged jaws lunged forward, snapping down right at Jun Beiyue and Ziqing!
“Daddy! Mommy!” Xiong Xiaobao cried out in alarm, about to rush forward — but at that very moment, Baili Weisheng suddenly appeared right above the moray eel’s head!
Baili Xiaosheng and Meng Wanyue were still nowhere to be seen.
The instant Baili Weisheng appeared, he swung his blade down — but the eel was extraordinarily perceptive, sensing the danger immediately, and jerked its huge head aside to dodge. In that same instant, Jun Beiyue and Ziqing seized the chance to break free from danger, both of them instinctively looking toward Xiong Xiaobao in the distance, quietly letting out a breath of relief!
That had just been genuinely dangerous!
Baili Weisheng dropped down at once, panting. “This beast is smarter than the sea serpents — I can’t lay a hand on it at all!”
“Idiot! Get out of the way!”
But Jun Beiyue, furious, was about to shove him aside — too late, once again!
The moray eel came surging back, faster than before, forcing Jun Beiyue, Ziqing, and Baili Weisheng to abandon any hope of splitting up — they could only flee together in the same direction!
Baili Weisheng — this idiot never should have gotten close to them!
If everyone had scattered in different directions, they at least could have divided the eel’s attention and bought time to think of something!
Now that was completely impossible.
The eel’s speed had already grown terrifyingly fast, and it was still accelerating, its cavernous mouth chasing right at the heels of the three of them, closing in tight — the next instant, it could very well snap down on them!
Xiong Xiaobao stared, unblinking, watching his father, mother, and scholar-uncle fleeing for their lives in the opposite direction from him, watching them grow more distant, watching death close in on them step by step.
Without realizing it, he had clenched both his small fists, his eyes slowly turning crimson, fixed unwaveringly on the sea beast surging relentlessly forward. Had he not been holding his breath, this child would surely have bared blood-red fangs.
He was desperate. He was even more furious.
He would absolutely not allow — not anyone, not any beast — to bully his father and mother like this!
He would not allow it!
He couldn’t cry out, or he’d choke instantly on seawater, but his fury had grown beyond his control, his crimson eyes filled entirely with the huge head of the eel.
Suddenly, a beam of purple light shot out from his body — it was the Cosmic Poison Pouch, as if sensing its master’s call, rising up into the water and instantly gaping its mouth wide open.
But that was all — for a long moment, nothing else happened.
Xiong Xiaobao clenched his fists even tighter, and gradually his entire body began to swell, like an inflating rubber ball, his small frame expanding.
He slowly raised his head to look at the Cosmic Poison Pouch, and roared in his heart: “For me… seal it away!”