Chapter 1389: Emergency Ingenuity

Having just encountered Tao Wu, one of the legendary Four Fiends, whose malevolent aura permeated the entire mountain and whose power was comparable to a Demon Emperor, they now faced a colossal sea monster at the Heaven's Soul (Tianchong Po) realm. The gap between the Heaven's Soul and Earth Immortal realms was not vast, and here, with the home-field advantage, even Tao Wu would likely struggle against this creature.

Zu An thought his luck was truly exceptional, simultaneously growing suspicious about this particular unknown land. While previously encountered unknown lands he'd visited were dangerous, they never contained so many terrifyingly powerful entities. He now felt as if a new player had accidentally wandered into a maximum-level dungeon.

At that moment, the tentacles of the large octopus-like sea monster swept towards them. Yun Jianyue snorted, immediately summoning her Crescent Wheel and slashing at the nearest tentacle. Having recovered seventy percent of her combat strength thanks to the spiritual spring at the mountaintop, her confidence had grown considerably. To her astonishment, with a mere flick of its tentacle, the creature sent her Crescent Wheel flying. It was a Heaven-grade weapon, not a divine artifact, but normally it could effortlessly cut through metal and jade. Yet, it couldn't sever the flesh and blood of this massive octopus?

“Watch out!” Zu An urgently warned, as many more tentacles coiled towards her. Though he had seen tentacle-themed works in his previous life, witnessing his close companion ensnared by them was a completely different sensation. Yun Jianyue reacted swiftly, however. Tapping her toes, she executed a backflip like a mermaid, evading the encroaching tentacles. Before she could even catch her breath, more tentacles enveloped her. She recalled her Crescent Wheel to her side. Her long, flowing hair fanned out around her, her expression was grim, and her eyes blazed with murderous intent. The area around her turned a blood-red hue, clearly indicating she had activated her domain, holding nothing back. She successfully fended off tentacles from all directions, but escaping proved difficult.

On the other side, the temperature plummeted, and a patch of the azure seawater turned white, clearly frozen. Yan Xuehen, wielding her Flying Snow Sword, agilely deflected the fierce attacks from the surrounding tentacles, one by one. Zu An noticed that each time her sword touched a tentacle, a layer of white frost would appear on its surface, though it didn't actually freeze solid. It was well-known how potent Yan Xuehen's Snowflake Divine Sword was; when combined with her domain, it could turn even a Grandmaster human cultivator into an ice sculpture. Yet, these giant octopus tentacles merely developed a layer of white frost.

In contrast, Yu Yanluo was in much greater peril. Her cultivation was not as strong as the other two women's, and she was quickly ensnared by a tentacle. Her movement faltered, too slow to evade, as many more tentacles simultaneously wrapped tightly around her. Zu An was alarmed and about to rush to her aid when Yu Yanluo's figure suddenly appeared several yards away. The tentacles that had ensnared her loosened; it turned out they had only wrapped around a painted scroll, which was now completely shredded.

Zu An quickly used Grand Wind to reach Yu Yanluo's side. She was pale, gazing at the giant octopus's tentacles with lingering fear. “After seeing the Paper Bride’s methods last time,” she explained, “I also learned to create a few substitutes.” Being skilled in painting, and with paintings being on paper, she found many similarities with the Paper Bride's abilities, making it easy to adapt and utilize them.

Zu An had no time to praise her, as many more tentacles coiled towards both of them. He immediately drew his Poison Dagger, thinking he would soon show the giant octopus the true meaning of suffering. The Poison Dagger, a weapon that inherently embodied fundamental principles, meant that as long as it could inflict a wound, this giant octopus was doomed, even as a terrifying Heaven's Soul entity. If it were another Heaven's Soul cultivator, he might not be able to land a hit, but this octopus was enormous. It was also arrogantly waving its massive tentacles right at him; if he couldn't even hit this, he might as well be a national football team striker.

Concerned about its high defense, Zu An immediately activated the Shattered Star Arcane Seal, boosting his attack power tenfold for that instant strike, and stabbed directly into the incoming tentacle.

Thud!

Zu An’s heart surged with joy—he’d hit it! But his expression immediately changed. The sensation was wrong; it was too slippery, causing the dagger's tip to slide off at an angle when he thrust it in. The giant octopus seemed startled, and all its tentacles instantly recoiled. A sky-shaking roar erupted. It was clearly enraged by almost being killed by an "ant" just moments ago.

Rage value from the North Sea Kraken +999 +999 +999...

Zu An was startled. So this creature was a North Sea Kraken? With the tentacles recoiled, Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue finally freed themselves and joined him. The group tacitly turned and fled, knowing full well that even together, they were no match for this Heaven's Soul sea monster. It was fortunate that each of them possessed considerable cultivation, allowing them to hold their breath underwater for an extended period. However, in high-intensity combat, they certainly wouldn't be able to sustain it for long. Moreover, underwater, both attack speed and the consumption of vital energy were several times more challenging than on land.

“What, you didn't hit it?” Yun Jianyue hurriedly asked as they fled. Having cooperated to kill the Scaly Deathworm previously, they were well aware of how potent Zu An's Poison Dagger was. Zu An raised the dagger, showing it to the women. Looking at the layer of pink slime on it, he said with a strange expression, “This creature’s tentacles have a thick layer of slime. It not only offers extremely strong defense but also made my attack slide off to the side, causing the stab to miss its mark.” The Poison Dagger, after all, had limited length, so it hadn't pierced the sea monster’s main body. Having learned this lesson, the sea monster would certainly not give him a second chance.

“Oh no, the sea monster is catching up! It’s much faster than us, we can’t escape,” Yu Yanluo exclaimed, glancing back. She saw the giant octopus waving countless tentacles, encompassing them like a vast net, and her face turned incredibly pale. Women naturally found tentacle-like things extremely repulsive and sickening. The thought of being ensnared by such a creature made even Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen, who typically viewed life and death with indifference, feel their hearts tremble.

Zu An also knew it wouldn't be long before they were caught. Yu Yanluo’s face showed a hint of resolve. Just then, Yan Xuehen stopped her. “Don’t try,” she warned. “The difference in our cultivation is too great. Even if you push it to the limit, you won’t be able to petrify it. You’ll only exhaust your life force and die on the spot.” Having personally experienced the highest level of her Medusa's Eye, Yan Xuehen spoke with authority. At that moment, her hair began to float up, gradually emitting a faint white glow. On the other side, Yun Jianyue also produced the Changxin Palace Lantern, her expression resolute.

Zu An quickly grabbed her hand. “Don’t act impulsively, both of you,” he urged. “I have a plan.” In the Brightmoon City secret realm, Zu An had personally witnessed Chu Chuyan unleash a forbidden art to destroy the seemingly unbeatable Qilin Devourer, almost dying in the process. This forbidden art was clearly taught by Yan Xuehen, and her current state was almost identical to Chu Chuyan’s back then. Though he wasn't sure about Yun Jianyue’s situation, he presumed she intended a similar method. Both women were still recovering from their injuries. Forcibly activating such forbidden arts against such a powerful enemy could result in their immediate annihilation, leaving no time for rescue.

“Are you planning to use that 'Jian Lai' move again? That would also be a death sentence for you,” Yan Xuehen said with a frown. “This sea monster is at the Heaven’s Soul realm and has cultivated a Yin Soul. This entire sea area is under its control; even if you use Jian Lai to move tens of miles away, you won’t escape its perception.” If he were to directly use Jian Lai against this sea monster, the power gap was so immense that he would likely die before the creature.

“No…” Zu An had no time to explain. He immediately retrieved the previously collected Scaly Deathworm corpse from his Glazed Pearl and hurled it towards the giant octopus behind them, then pulled the three women, rapidly sinking towards the seabed.