The Evil Spirit Orca King had to move fast a chance like this might not come again. He had planned on leading his clan in the annual assault on the Demonic Whale Pod. Those stupid whales never learned; after thousands of years, they should have.
Xiu Hu certainly felt he could never be that stupid. Every year, they would take this route for mating, which was also their most vulnerable time. His own clan could attack them with little worry during this period. Rather the greatest worry of their Lord becomes a non-factor. So long as his clan stayed away from the 100,-year kin that was.
Of course, those would remain within the inner territory of that Overlord. Xiu Hu didn't know why, he felt it was safer not knowing, but that Overlord tended to be unpredictable during this time period. Sometimes he would just stay in his territory, other times he would go on a rampage. He knew one of the human cities had been annihilated by him during that time once.
Xiu Hu however was smart. He knew that the only things that would send that Overlord into rampages were the Sea God, and the death of his 100, -year kin. Even the latter might not attract his wrath even depending on his mood. So Xiu Hu never targeted the 100, year kind always staying on the edge.
This pod was stronger though a beast over 90, years of age, and many ten-thousand-year kin. His own clan would feast greatly today at least that was his thought on the matter. They would hunt as many as they could before the whales fled. Their cultivation always benefited immensely from these hunts, his flock had grown to nearly 300 strong as a result.
Yet now something had changed their target had been attacked by another. The other had killed the entire pod to the last. It showed the others' strength, but they must have also paid a price. He felt that others' power had been halved in the act. It was a tantalizing prospect to Xiu Hu that he could not resist.
An entire dead pod of such powerful whales alone could greatly strengthen his flock. That other was weakened as well Xiu Hu could kill and devour him. The prospect was tantalizing to him the benefit to his cultivation. He could directly advance at least 50,-years or maybe even 70, years. If that happened he could advance to 200, years.
Xiu Hu sped up at the thought the though of advancing so much. He was confident in surviving his second tribulation when it came. He could absolutely crush that fledgling, Xiao Bai next time they fought. How much stronger would he be after devouring her as well? Then he could crush his rival flocks adding the defeat to his own numbers.
Under his lust for power and prideful dreams, Xiu Hu charged into battle at full speed. He knew this other was strong at least a human Titled Douluo, more likely a level 95 perhaps stronger than that Sea Dragon Douluo. Yet he was likely weakened from killing the entire pod himself. Once more it was not as if the other was someone like Bo Saxi.
So Xiu Hu charged emerging from the water as he prepared his Orca Evil Spirit Axe, he'd kill the other in one blow. He emerged jumping from the surf at high speed like a speeding arrow. His body twisted around in circles as his tail glowed red ready to take the fool's head. The fool didn't even notice his approach was a perfect occurrence. He could practically taste the flesh of the man in his teeth.
Then Xiu Hu felt his Orca Evil Spirit Axe was halted by something. Xiu Hu pressed his Evil Axe with greater force to cleave through the obstruction. For a moment it seems to give only to instead impact with greater force. Xiu Hu felt it as he rebounded from the obstruction, and he was sent flying.
Tang Chen watched as the creature was sent crashing back into the water. Though its axe strike was not bad his hammer was not so easily bested. Still a 100-year-old beast this would be a good warm-up for him.
Xiu Hu quickly righted it's thirty meter body to look at what had countered him. Another human with nine spirit rings Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black, and Red. The red one especially caught his interest he would need to be wary of this one. Especially considering he sent him flying like that.
Xiu Hu felt its mind clearing from its blood thirsty haze. He turned towards the other weakened human..only to be shocked by the sight. Eight Black, and a Ninth Red ring what was that configuration? He would almost question if Bo Saxi was disguised. He had made a mistake an assumption every spirit beast might make. Did humanity have more than one Limit Douluo?
Xiu Hu felt the question might be the case. He couldn't see through the man with that configuration. Once more he couldn't see through the other human either. A Limit Douluo and a Level 97 he felt his luck was horrible. Xiu Hu knew he needed to escape this fight before the Limit Douluo recovered. If he needed to recover a part of his mind whispered.
Xiu Hu did not turn around to do so that was asking to be struck down. He needed to fight until his flock arrived, his mind burning with ruthlessness. In order to escape he would need to sacrifice a portion of them. So he began spinning to build up momentum and then "Orca Fang Buster." A great many red blood-like slashes shot at Tang Chen from his tail.
Tang Chen watches as the beast begins to panic he could practically see it. His opponent's red eyes became more and more frantic. Perhaps realizing what type of situation he found himself in. Tang Chen hefted his hammer to meet the red slashes rushing at him. Using the Disorder Wind Splitting Hammer he counters all of them and lands on the water.
Xiu Hu notices how easily his enemy counters his move. Using the momentum of his spin he fires more and more Fang Busters. Then he uses the moment to fling himself at his enemy. He would hit him with a full-power Evil Spirit Axe his strongest attack. Either the blow will wound his enemy, or the effect will send him hurtling. Either way in the distraction he would escape the battle.
Tang Chen stood upon the water using water walking. "Yes this is better, much more stable." he counters all of the slashes with the Disorder Splitting Hammer. This time he could build momentum far more easily. He swings his hammer for the 15th time as he counters his foe's axe-like tail.
Xiu Hu found that there was much more force in his enemies' blow this time. His tail was making not a single bit of progress in cleaving through the hammer. Then he felt the exchange turn not even a moment after it started. Suddenly Xiu Hu found himself not in the sea, but in the air.
"Not good, dammit." he could only say that, then screams of pain were extracted from his mouth. He counted three or was it more each felt crushing. Xiu Hu found himself crashing back into the water at high speed. He coughed in pain, feeling as if most of the bones in his body were broken.
Tang Chen watched his broken enemy who was still alive. He could really get a good footing in the air. Though his water walking eliminated that problem on the water. Still, he supposes he should finish this "time to end you now little fish."
Xiu Hu found breathing difficult now barely maintaining his consciousness. "You monster how are you human?" This bastard didn't even use soul skills in the fight. No not a fight a one-sided beat down lasting less than two minutes. With the last of his consciousness, Xiu Hu prepared to ready his final act.
Tang Chen felt the gathering of energy this one was going to self-destruct. Though he was quite slow his head wasn't Clear enough. Tang Chen simply swung his hammer at full force crushing the Orca again and again. Eventually, his punching bag stopped gathering energy as the red ring emerged from its body.
"That was a good warm-up after all." Tang Chen said with not even a slight sweat, or loss of breath. It was rare that he could enjoy a battle so he would take what he couldn't get. He turned his gaze to the body of his foe directing his focus onto it. He senses the gathering of energy in its tail "There it is."
Tang Chen used his power to rip the Spirit Bone from the body. A left leg bone is the least sought of all Spirit Bones. Still, it was a 100,-year-old spirit bone likey that axe of the beast. Hm, it was a rather powerful ability even if the user was sub-par.
Tang Chen directed his attention to the beast's head now. After all other sea beasts had it so this one might. Tang Chen did not hold much hope, but was pleasantly surprised as he levitated a Whale Glue from the body. Interesting perhaps they were of a similar tree if removed from the others.
Qian Daoliu moved over to his friend having finished his own examination. He saw the Spirit Bone in his hand though he showed little reaction to it.
While to most at Titled Douluo and below they were bloody treasures worth rivers in blood. That was only a normal Titled Douluo. To Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu, who both had more than an entire set between them. This bone was just a treasure if a desirable one still.
Qian Daoliu looked at the bone with little interest. His own left leg bone was only 90, years old, but its compatibility with him made it far more valuable. He knew Golden Crocodile also had a full set, and the other Worships all had left leg bones. "I have no real need for it you can have it. Though I am interested in the beasts Whale Glue, is it still Whale Glue?"
Tang Chen twitched at that admission a wry smile on his face. Honestly, he couldn't absorb this either if it were the right leg. Well, then he might exchange the bones, but his left was already a 100, year-old bone. Though his friend seemed a bit too quick to dismiss the bone. He could only ask with a knowing expression "How many exactly appeared for you?"
Qian Daoliu did not try to act ignorant of his meaning. "A little more than ten of them, about 11 out of one hundred and six. Especially the 90, head bone from the leader," he said as if talking about the weather in how casual he was.
Tang Chen was not especially surprised at that. There were quite a number of spirits beast killed this time around. Not to mention the normal fortune of a Limit Douluo. "I will give you the 100, glue for the 90, year Whale Glue." The two of them began negotiating on the spot.
Meanwhile the captain of the ship Ash could only look on the two of them from a distance. He knew they were strong, but now he wondered what type of monsters they were. Even still he had his men begin work on the whale corpses. "Men get to work these beauties are worth quite a lot. Work until the ship is full, or our employers are done!!!" he says boisterously already seeing mountains of gold in the future.
Tang Yuan was meditating calmly on the events of the past few days. He felt he needed to digest all the events of the last three weeks. It had been five days since the duo had left on the fishing trip. He wondered how they were doing now likely sailing along killing whales as they went.
Tang Yuan remembers all the questions he got asked by them. He hoped that the information would help them. They would be fine so long as they avoided Sea Gods Island, or the Whale King. Perhaps the worst part otherwise would be finding the whales to hunt. He could only imagine how long it might take to travel the distance.
Then again the both of them were Limit Douluo they could probably sense the whales far off. Perhaps discover a place to hunt a few of them. He would see what they did when they returned he supposed.
Tang Yuan refocused on his meditation as he focused his mind. Making use of the slight mental trigger he had used many times. Then he found himself in another room, finding himself back in his Mental Palace. This place was his ultimate safe haven the place he alone should walk. At least it should have been that, and yet it had been intruded upon by another.
Cheng Tao, who was the one who infiltrated his mindscape. Even though the form had been repaired since then scars remained. Perhaps they weren't physical, but mental residue a reminder of the event. The discomfort he felt at such an invasion of the most sacred of places.
Tang Yuan despite the anger and hatred he felt toward Cheng Tao. Well, he felt he actually owed the bastard if only for a reminder. His Spiritual Sea was not a mental fortress, and his Mental Palace was not perfect. He could see paths to its improvement as he gained more spirituality.
There was also the technique to consider if he could obtain it. Then he might very well be able to evolve his technique to the next step. He doubted he could obtain it now though. Something so valuable would be difficult to negotiate for without something to trade. The most obvious thing was a whole other matter, yet one that must always be considered.
"The Immortal Herbs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and one of the greatest Heavenly Opportunities in this world." Tang Yuan spoke those words with a measure of certainty. He had always intended to target those herbs that were too valuable not to. Every canon story and fanfiction story involves those herbs at some point.
To go after those herbs though require preparation. Tang Yuan lacked the knowledge to do so properly. The breaking clan had an incomplete record of herbs, but Tang Yuan now knew more than that. The trick was likely Chrysantheum who likely possesses the most complete knowledge. Either that or he would have to guess, or wait for Tang San to appear.
Besides he hoped that Chrysantheum or Spirit Hall had knowledge of that plant. It was a critical part of his future plans in more ways than one. If he could obtain it his hammer could obtain that power, and the bloodline it possessed. Though those were matters for the future days a few years into the future.
Tang Yuan could not try to avoid the matter anymore. He walks to a certain section of his Mental Palace. Looking down at the wooden floor he uses the power of his mind to move the wood. Revealing the hole that had been hiding beneath, even merely looking gave him bad feelings.
He realized it quickly once he first entered his Mental Palace. He wasn't always able to choose what he wanted to remember. The bad things often stay with you and his technique made them clearer. So he originally hid them here in a bid not to have to face them. But he always knew it wasn't healthy or perhaps even safe.
In many cultivation stories memories like this could not only impede cultivation. They could become far worse the so-called heart demons. Trauma, fears, grudges, obsessions, and the like could all perhaps be called as such. They could cause a cultivator to suffer major problems if allowed to persist.
Tang Yuan remembering that had begun to force himself to meditate on them. He knew overcoming them would not be so easy, but he needed to try. With a sigh, he called the least difficult first the battle in which he killed Sickle. It was a battle of self-defense kill or be killed making it far easier for him to deal with.
Tang Yuan began his mediation on the event. Each time he did this it became slightly easier to deal with. He spent only a few minutes on this remembrance. He acknowledged that had he not killed Sickle he would have died. He remembers the sadistic nature the man showed. The amount of blood that might have been on his hands.
He feels as if the memory in the form of a broken sickle is less impactful. No more as if he had better untied this knot in his heart. He felt slightly lighter and felt that his mind was clearer and stronger. He let out an exhale after finishing with the memory for now.
Tang Yuan got up from his focus preparing to return the memory to the hole. Yet he stops before he does so instead he returns the wood to cover the hole. He brings the sickle to a table placing it down for now. He could acknowledge this memory this fight someday.
Then he prepared himself to change his mental landscape further. He had waited too long to do this he felt the time to advance his Mental Palace was now. Tang Yuan let his mental avatar take a more omniscient view of his Spiritual Sea. He still had a sizable amount of mental power left he would use some now.
His Mental Palace was only a single room at the moment albeit a large one. Now the time had come to expand upon that further. Tang Yuan what he could do "that guy got in through breaking down the door. Maybe I should add a separate entrance hall that would add a buffer."
"If I do that I would have more time if they went through the doors." Yet in saying that out loud he immediately saw the issue. Would someone trying to get in always go with the door? Why not just bust through the wall instead, making that buffer useless at that point?
Tang Yuan considered the matter for a bit. "I had never really considered someone infiltrating my mind. Save for mental battles with remnants of soul rings. Now someone did, and saw my Mental Palace as well." That was another thing he had to consider.
Cheng Tao hadn't had long to look into the room, but he did catch a large eyeful. Not to mention the outside was also different from normal. Tang Yuan had to consider these facts at least partially in his consideration.
Tang Yuan decided to start by taking a page out of his bad memory vault. He used the power he held over his mind to begin his alterations. Forcing the single-room house to sink into the ground like an area. Altering the building as he did into stone properly now without a door. Stopping when it was about halfway submerged, and hidden.
Tang Yuan let out a sigh that was some mental effort right there. Next, he summoned the mental energy to begin properly. Transforming the energy into stone surrounding the half-buried house. Quickly the house was completely hidden from view by the addition of the stone.
Tang Yuan materialized steps as he climbed onto the stone base structure. He would build a new structure on this foundation of stone. If anyone ever infiltrated his mind again they would target that structure unknowing of what hidd beneath. The stone would hide and defend the core of his Mental Palace from here on.
Feeling the strain of his exertion Tang Yuan emerged from his Spiritual Realm. Letting out a slight sigh at the slightest haze in his brain. He had done a lot he supposed even if it didn't seem like it. He felt like taking a small nap before doing something else.
Tang Yuan got up from his meditative stance stretching as he did so. He felt as if his body was slightly stiff, and wondered how long he had been in his mind. This slight haze and stretching distracted him greatly from what was around him. As a result, he didn't notice until it was too late.
Two hands tapped his shoulders suddenly causing a slight chill down his body. As he turned to face the hands they retreated. Only for them to be brought together into a loud clap right in his face. As the hand owners screamed "Rarra." at him.
Tang Yuan jumped back in fright at the shock of the sudden appearance. It was practically out of nowhere, and that made it shocking. Only a part of him realized how fairly small and dainty the hands were. The second clue came as childish laughter filled the air.
Tang Chen sat as the two of them found themselves back in the cabin. All the Whale Glue spread out on the table. A total of one hundred and six Demonic Whales had been in the pod. Leaving them with the same amount of Whale Glues.
One at 90, years of age that was Tang Chen's in return for the 100,-year-old. There were six between 60, and 70, years old that would be heavily debated. Eleven of them were above fifty thousand years the second most debated. Both of them would be ideal targets that could greatly strengthen the consumer.
Tang Chen thought that if he had either one he might have a second Red ring. If so he could have shortened his cultivation time by at least five years. Those were treasures that could lead to Soul Douluos, or even Titled Douluos if given to the right person.
Twenty Seven 20, to 30, year old pieces, 32 above ten thousand years of age. Finally, the rest were thousand-year-old pieces below ten thousand years of age. It was truly a treasure trove of Whale Glue that would be more than worth its weight in gold, even if only as aphrodisac. That wasn't even getting into the Spirit Bones coming from so many beasts.
"So how should we divide things?" Qian Daoliu asked somewhat at a loss. He really wanted the oldest pieces of the Whale Glue. Yet he could not ignore the younger piece either. They could be used to nurture an incredibly powerful upcoming group of disciples.
"I want two of the best pieces, six of the fifty-thousand-year pieces. As well as a number of the other pieces from the younger pieces. Finally the fifty-thousand-year-old head bone." Tang Chen listed his wants from the pile particularly. Choosing more of the second best rather than the first.
Qian Daoliu twitched his lips he supposed that made this easy enough. He would have 4 of the highest grade, then 5 of the fifty thousand years old. He could see many good uses for those things. "Very well I can agree with that matter. I suppose the soul bone is also acceptable."
That was the hardest part of the negotiations handled. Now came the lower-level pieces that made up the greater percentage. They would be used to strengthen a number of core disciples potentially for years to come. Qian Daoliu planned to entrust them to his son for advanced resources.
As their negotiations faded out the Whale Glues were stored away. The ship was packed full of goods from the Whales to the captain's joy. Unfortunately, the two of them could not simply leave the ship. That hundred-thousand-year-old beast likely had subordinates who might take vengeance. Yet the ship was moving at top speed to the closest port.
The two of them decided to enjoy the time they had. Considering what they would do with the items they had obtained. They would need to be used carefully.
Qian Daoliu knew he would give the 100, year glue to his son. Yet would about the others now in his possession. Should he give them to the Worships hoping for a breakthrough? Even one would be worth the pieces of the highest quality. He could also give them to the lower-ranking elders so that the Worship Hall could grow in number.
Unbeknownst to the Limit Douluo on their way to land, the sea would change because of their actions. The flock of the slain Orca King had arrived though not at full force. The number was only a hundred strong, the rest guarding their territory and young. These hungry creatures paused only for moments at the sight of their dead king before their bloodthirsty nature took hold.
The swarm of beasts flocked around their dead king first blood drifting into the water. Teeth buried into flesh in a cannibalistic rush of hunger. They tore the flesh apart in a frenzy of blood and gore. Many could not fit in the swarm eating the body. Yet under the instinct of frenzy, they attacked their comrades for blood.
More dead comrades filled the sea with blood as they were consumed. The smart ones though, wandered over to the other near corpses. Quickly more blood filled the water as they too are their fill. Each beast made use of their Devour ability converting the energy consumed. Their cultivation would greatly increase from this veritable feast.
Some of the whale corpses had parts missing as did the dead king's corpse. Yet the Orcas cared little for such matters flesh was flesh after all. Though one or two noticed that eating the heads didn't have the same impact. They would simply eat more to compensate.
An unmistakable matter was that the king was dead, and their flock was weakened. Yet none truly cared for that matter, after all a new king could simply be born from blood. Three members of the flock in particular, felt that matter. The strongest three of this part of the group are present.
Amongst them, the strongest was the first to bite upon the king's corpse. He was also the first to consume whale flesh sensing more blood. Latching onto the oldest and strongest of the whale's corpses consuming the head. He was over 90, already and possesses a high intelligence as well. He had expected to die by the king's jaws soon to prevent his rise. Now he would consume a great deal of flesh.
The other two were weaker though not by an especially large amount. They both went on a frenzy eating as much of the whale as they could. To fuel their cultivation and advance to the 100, years if possible. Then one of them could become king of the flock.
Unknown to the two Limit Douluo this event would have ramifications far into the future. In fact, most of the sea would remain ignorant of the effects of this day. Three new, weaker Orca Kings would emerge from this single flock in a fragile relationship. Leading to a most dangerous battle though that would be years from the current day.