Xu Qi’an waved his hand, and the female merfolk corpse bobbing in the blue-white foam rose into the air, hovering before them.

“No clear, distinct tooth marks. The attacker must have been extremely large, biting through in a single bite…”

Xu Qi’an examined the wound at the merfolk’s “severed waist” and concluded:

“It encountered a large predator.”

The Nine-Tailed Fox waited for him to finish, then continued in a calm tone:

“As far as I know, there are no large predators dwelling in this area. If this merfolk wasn’t one of the Merfolk Queen’s guards but an ordinary merfolk, it might have encountered a predator that accidentally strayed into merfolk waters.

“As for now, Merfolk Island likely has a problem. Because the queen’s guards never leave the Merfolk Queen’s side.”

Xu Qi’an nodded:

“So if the guard encountered a predator, it means the queen encountered a predator. And though the Merfolk Queen is a Transcendent expert, her guard was still killed…”

The conclusion was obvious—the enemy was also a Transcendent.

“Are there so many Transcendent experts overseas? We encounter two just after setting sail?” Xu Qi’an was full of surprise.

Places like Merfolk Island where races dwelled for generations were similar to small factions, factions composed of divine and demon descendants. Having a Transcendent expert presiding was understandable, another example being Silkworm Island where the Netherworld Silkworms dwelled.

But encountering Transcendents so casually was still somewhat exaggerated.

The silver-haired demon beauty pursed her lips:

“On my last sea voyage, besides the experts at fixed dwelling places, I rarely encountered Transcendent-realm divine and demon descendants during the journey.”

The implication was that this situation was a low-probability event.

Perhaps the merfolk had provoked some powerful enemy, or divine and demon descendants from elsewhere happened to wander here.

Xu Qi’an continued observing the corpse, then suddenly frowned and said:

“Perhaps we’re the ones in trouble!”

The Nine-Tailed Fox looked at him, making a questioning “hmm” sound.

“This merfolk corpse has been in the water for over ten hours, but the merfolk haven’t retrieved their companion’s body, and there are no signs of fish or shrimp feeding on the corpse,” Xu Qi’an smiled:

“What does this suggest?”

The silver-haired demon beauty was quick-witted; with just a hint, she immediately understood.

She frowned and said:

“That powerful predator is still prowling nearby waters!”

So the merfolk dared not leave the island, and the creatures in nearby waters had either been eaten or scared away, which was why this corpse remained relatively intact, without being eaten by fish and shrimp.

The blue waves rippled as the ship maintained steady progress, gently rising and falling with the waves.

For the rest of the journey, Xu Qi’an and the Nine-Tailed Fox silently waited for something.

The sun shone brilliantly in the blue sky as the salty sea breeze lifted their hair and clothes. Suddenly, Xu Qi’an’s ears twitched as he heard massive undercurrents surge not far below, with an enormous monster swimming in the water.

Simultaneously, a warrior’s danger sense began warning him.

Raw killing intent and malice, completely undisguised… Xu Qi’an glanced at the silver-haired demon beauty. The fox spirit walked to the ship’s rail, her long legs powerful and graceful.

Her slim waist twisted slightly as one fluffy fox tail suddenly rose, piercing into the sea surface.

The other eight tails raised, slowly fanning like a peacock’s display, ready to strike.

Xu Qi’an concentrated on listening, hearing only the “swoosh” of surging waters as the undercurrents below the surface suddenly intensified a thousandfold.

It’s caught… he said silently to himself.

At this moment, the Nine-Tailed Fox’s firm, athletic long legs suddenly tensed, her knees slightly bending as the eight tails behind her straightened in an instant.

Her waist twisted and pulled like an angler setting the hook.

The next moment, the sea surface rose as water sprayed up.

“Splash!”

White foam and blue waves shot up dozens of zhang high. In the “torrential rain,” a massive shadow leaped from the sea surface, appearing before Xu Qi’an and the Nine-Tailed Fox.

It was a flood dragon, its body completely covered in pitch-black scales, its head fierce and ugly, with a row of bone spikes along its back and a spear-like horn on its forehead.

Unlike ordinary flood dragons, its four limbs were extremely thick, with thick webbing between its claws.

Its overall appearance looked more like a lizard.

Moreover, its body was covered in twisted, chaotic patterns that made one dizzy and nauseous just by looking at it.

Seems to be mid-Third-Rank, with thick vital energy and strong power… Xu Qi’an took one look and estimated its cultivation level.

This wasn’t because his eye was particularly discerning, but because the flood dragon hadn’t concealed its aura, freely flaunting its fierce energy.

Its eyes were completely red, full of violence, lacking sufficient rationality.

The flood dragon’s body was bound by the fluffy fox tail. Seeing it couldn’t break free from the fox’s tail, it let out a deep roar and charged headfirst toward them.

“Hmph!”

The silver-haired demon beauty’s beautiful red lips curled as her eight ready-to-strike tails behind her shot out like iron chains, respectively catching the flood dragon’s neck, four limbs, tail, and waist.

“Rip, rip…”

In the spine-chilling sound of flesh separating, the flood dragon’s body was torn apart section by section, scarlet blood spraying.

Xu Qi’an collected the blood before it could fall to the sea surface, condensing it in his palm.

The flood dragon, segmented into pieces, still hadn’t died. The severed ends of flesh wriggled, trying to regenerate.

But it failed. The Nine-Tailed Fox was well-versed in dealing with Third-Rank divine and demon descendants (warriors)—slice them up, the more scattered the better.

Then control the dismembered parts, preventing them from gathering together.

This way, although they wouldn’t die immediately due to their strong vitality, the life force in the dismembered parts wasn’t sufficient to regenerate a completely new body.

Just like now, each segment of the flood dragon’s body was trying to “regenerate,” but their blood essence was limited, making it impossible to grow into a new individual.

“Its spiritual intelligence seems to have problems, unable to communicate…”

The Nine-Tailed Fox examined the flood dragon for a moment before making her judgment.

“What could make a Transcendent-realm flood dragon’s mind malfunction?”

Xu Qi’an spoke while flicking his finger.

With a “pop,” the flood dragon’s skull cap was lifted off, bone fragments and brain tissue splattering everywhere.

Simultaneously, an ethereal flood dragon separated from the physical body—this was its primordial spirit.

The flood dragon’s primordial spirit was intact, but its violence and ferocity hadn’t improved despite what happened to its physical body. After coiling once in the air, it dove toward the two at the bow again.

It’s completely lost its rationality… In this case, even the Daoist art of “spirit questioning” wouldn’t yield useful information. Oh, I forgot, I’m just a crude warrior; I don’t know Daoist arts… Xu Qi’an opened his mouth and inhaled forcefully.

Like an abyssal giant mouth, he sucked the flood dragon’s primordial spirit into his mouth.

At Xu Qi’an’s nape, the Seven Extinction Gu stretched his skin, revealing clear contours, its head slightly wriggling as if chewing something.

After a moment, Xu Qi’an said:

“Put it back together.”

The Nine-Tailed Fox released her restraints, bringing the segments of her body and limbs together. They wriggled on their own to reconnect, quickly restoring into a fierce and powerful flood dragon.

The flood dragon hung silently in the air, motionless.

Xu Qi’an opened his mouth and spat out the dragon’s soul. The dragon’s soul no longer showed its previous ferocity, but its expression was blank, its form increasingly ethereal, and its head was no longer the fierce flood dragon head but a triangular insect head.

Its consciousness had been erased, and its celestial soul among the three souls had been devoured by the Seven Extinction Gu.

This was the ability of the “Corpse Gu” after entering the Transcendent realm—devouring part of the puppet’s souls, then fusing the remaining fragmentary soul with the child gu.

In other words, the dragon soul was now the child gu.

The dragon’s soul returned to the flood dragon’s physical body, and its eyes regained some spirituality, though still somewhat blank compared to normal creatures.

Seeing this, the Nine-Tailed Fox withdrew her tails, letting the flood dragon fall into the water.

The flood dragon docilely circled the ship, like a loyal guard.

“Tsk tsk, gu arts are indeed useful! Just like that, you’ve subjugated a Transcendent-realm divine and demon descendant.”

The Nine-Tailed Fox’s words were full of envy.

Well, though it’s just mosquito meat, the Third-Rank life essence is still very nourishing for me. If this sea voyage doesn’t yield any Second-Rank or even First-Rank divine and demon descendants to hunt, collecting some Third-Ranks isn’t bad. It’s better than returning empty-handed… Xu Qi’an was fairly satisfied.

Having gains made his heart more at ease.

The Nine-Tailed Fox seized the opportunity to seek benefits, saying coquettishly:

“Silver Constable Xu, finders should be sharers!”

At this moment, the flood dragon’s head emerged from the sea surface and spoke in human language, complaining:

“What’s wrong, sir? Keeping such a busybody woman by your side—sleep with her, then kick her into the sea, mate!”

The silver-haired demon beauty’s face darkened like water as she glared at Xu Qi’an.

What does what it said have to do with me… Xu Qi’an smiled broadly.

Ignoring the fox spirit’s displeasure, Xu Qi’an concentrated on sensing the flood dragon’s talents, immediately frowning. He opened his eyes and said with surprise:

“This flood dragon has issues!”

The silver-haired demon beauty sneered:

“Is it the dragon that has issues, or you?”

Xu Qi’an wasn’t joking. The flood dragon’s innate divine abilities were unusually chaotic, with elemental abilities including water, fire, lightning, earth, and others, plus various other miscellaneous divine abilities.

This was problematic.

He stopped the ship while telling the Nine-Tailed Fox about his discovery.

The silver-haired demon beauty listened with furrowed brows and said:

“Impossible!”

She seemed to remember something. Two fox tails extended into the water and, amid the “swoosh” of surging waves, “grabbed” the flood dragon out, letting it hover in mid-air.

“Beast clan’s innate divine abilities usually concentrate in the inner core. As for divine and demon descendants, judging by blood dilution—those with pure divine and demon bloodlines have them imprinted in their flesh and body surface. Those with diluted bloodlines have them imprinted in their inner core.”

The Nine-Tailed Fox said.

Xu Qi’an said:

“These patterns on the flood dragon’s body are innate divine abilities, right?”

Bright beautiful eyes staring at those twisted patterns, the silver-haired demon beauty nodded while speaking:

“I probably know the reason… These patterns disturb the primordial spirit, which is why I didn’t examine them carefully earlier. Look, they’re chaotic.”

Xu Qi’an nodded.

The Nine-Tailed Fox continued:

“Moreover, these patterns representing innate divine abilities are all different. And each pattern is incomplete. It’s like an amalgamation of incomplete innate divine abilities.

“I think this is why you sensed such chaotic innate divine abilities.”

Xu Qi’an pondered for a moment, staring at the demon beauty’s stunning face, and said:

“What’s going on here?”

Best to consult an expert on professional matters.

“How should I know?”

She gave a coquettish eye roll, and then her expression grew serious:

“Innate divine abilities are present from birth, existing within the bloodline. Some are single-system, some are dual-system, but this kind of situation shouldn’t be possible. Just the incomplete nature of the innate divine abilities is enough to indicate a problem.”

Xu Qi’an said carefully:

“Could its descent into rage and loss of rationality be related to these strange patterns on its body? Perhaps it went mad precisely because of these chaotic divine abilities.”

The Nine-Tailed Fox made an “mm” sound, “I suspect the same, but its mind is gone—where it went before, what it encountered, we have no way of knowing.”

She looked quite regretful!

But Xu Qi’an smiled and said:

“We don’t know, but the Merfolk Queen might know. Let’s first visit Merfolk Island and investigate the situation. We helped her eliminate a powerful enemy; asking for some information shouldn’t be too much, right?”

Besides this, there was information about various divine and demon descendant settlements and powerful creature habitats.

Hmm, and incidentally meet the famously beautiful Merfolk Queen.

At this moment, a head emerged from the sea surface not far away—a remarkably beautiful person with dark green hair, gold-flecked pupils, and pointed ears.

Both curious and timid, she observed Xu Qi’an and the Nine-Tailed Fox at the bow.

Perfect timing… Xu Qi’an muttered inwardly as he extended his hand, his five fingers grasping forcefully.