With one sword strike!
The giant whale, over five hundred meters long and having reached the ninth level of Stellar rank, met its end at Han Jue's hands.
Han Jue expertly extracted the valuable 'Sea Beast Gel' from the creature's massive body while conversing with Rimuru through their mental link.
"Hong has already broken through to Stellar rank? And Lei Shen is still behind him?" Han Jue's surprise was evident in his tone. He hadn't expected Hong to surpass Lei Shen in reaching this milestone.
It seemed even the Thunder Dojo founder's vaunted physical cultivation talent had its limits.
"They'll probably be leaving Earth soon," Han Jue observed, his blade cutting precisely through the whale's hide.
"Indeed," Rimuru confirmed, the slime's form bobbing gently in the water current.
The AI's nodding motion looked somewhat comical despite the situation, causing Han Jue to chuckle softly.
"Luo Feng's wife is almost two months pregnant now. Master, when are you planning to find a partner?" Rimuru asked, demonstrating his deep understanding of human customs despite being an artificial intelligence.
Han Jue's laughter died immediately.
"When fate brings the right person, it will happen naturally. There's no point forcing what isn't meant to be," Han Jue replied sternly, his expression growing serious. "Besides, with my genetic level being five times that of baseline humanity, it would be difficult for ordinary humans to conceive children with me anyway. We can discuss this matter later."
"There are many resources available throughout the universe that can help with fertility issues between genetically divergent partners," Rimuru mentioned matter-of-factly.
Han Jue's eye twitched in mild annoyance.
"Let's change the subject, Rimuru. Are there any Cosmic-level sea beasts nearby? These Stellar-level creatures no longer pose any challenge."
"Affirmative," Rimuru responded immediately, scanning the surrounding waters with his advanced detection capabilities. "Eleven kilometers away, there's a Cosmic-level third-rank Desert Sea Octopus heading in our direction. It seems to have been attracted by the scent of the giant whale's blood dispersing through the water."
"Perfect. I'll use it for combat practice," Han Jue said with satisfaction, tightening his grip on the Cloud Sea Sword's hilt.
Within the Dry Sea Secret Realm, the most powerful sea beasts reached Cosmic-level eighth-rank. Once they approached ninth-rank, with even the slightest possibility of advancing to Territory Lord level, they were eliminated by the realm's guardians.
The bald Territory Lord from earlier was one such staff member responsible for maintaining the secret realm's balance.
Even if a Territory Lord-level sea beast somehow emerged, it wouldn't survive for long under such vigilant supervision.
"Brother Diaman!"
Xie Peng's excited shout echoed through the water.
Diaman's expression changed drastically as he spun around to look behind Xie Peng.
A massive swarm of white figures was pursuing Xie Peng and his companions at breakneck speed. Despite the group pushing themselves to their absolute limits, the white creatures continued closing the distance with terrifying efficiency.
Diaman's face drained of color. Without hesitation, he turned and fled in the opposite direction.
Are you kidding me!
Cloud Sharks. In this secret realm, they had another name: the 'White Devils.'
Generally speaking, Cloud Sharks rarely reached Cosmic-level individually, and their strength ranked mid-to-low tier among sea beasts of equivalent cultivation, making them relatively easy to handle in single combat.
The problem was that Cloud Sharks never traveled alone.
Most Cloud Sharks reached Planetary level upon maturity, making the breakthrough to Stellar level virtually effortless. When they gathered in swarms, which they invariably did, even Cosmic-level sea beasts became their prey!
"Damn it!" Diaman cursed Xie Peng's recklessness internally as he propelled himself through the water with desperate speed.
He didn't want to waste his emergency distress beacon just yet. That lifeline needed to be preserved for truly dire circumstances.
The Cloud Sharks pursued relentlessly, their forms like white shadows cutting through the azure depths. The four cultivators could feel the churning turbulence and predatory hunger closing in from behind.
"It seems there's only one option left," Xifuwei said grimly, his face darkening with resolve.
Had it finally come to this?
"Whoa!"
A spaceship materialized out of thin air before the fleeing group!
"You actually have a spatial ring large enough to store a vessel this size? Your family's resources are truly impressive!" Gushan exclaimed in amazement, his four arms gesturing wildly.
"Stop wasting time talking, get inside!" Xifuwei barked, already entering the craft.
The other two followed immediately.
Xie Peng lagged behind slightly, desperately waving for Diaman to join them.
Diaman didn't hesitate. While this situation was primarily Xie Peng's fault, they were supposed to be brothers. Besides, with the Cloud Shark swarm nearly upon them, there was no time for grudges. He quickly dove through the hatch.
The entrance sealed shut with a heavy thunk.
"Hello, Brother Xifuwei! Thank you so much for the rescue!" Xie Peng said breathlessly, still shaken from their close call.
"Who is this?" Gushan asked curiously, studying the newcomer.
"This is Prince Diaman, the Second Prince of the Cuimu Empire and my sworn brother," Xie Peng introduced enthusiastically, having regained some of his characteristic energy.
Diaman proceeded to greet each person individually with appropriate courtesy.
Xifuwei took a deep breath, visibly calming himself now that they were safe. "Don't worry. This spaceship is constructed from C9-grade alloy. Even ordinary Territory Lords can't destroy it."
He paused, then continued with obvious pride. "I spent tens of millions of Qianwu coins acquiring this vessel. The equipment inside is all top-tier. Feel free to explore, make yourselves comfortable."
Having escaped immediate danger, Xifuwei couldn't resist the urge to boast about his prized possession.
"As expected of Brother Xifuwei!" Xie Peng exclaimed excitedly, while Gushan nodded appreciatively, his four arms crossing in a gesture of respect.
"Look!" Mu Yuanli, who had been staring intently at one of the external viewing screens, suddenly shouted.
"Isn't that... a Dry Sea Crystal Source?"
Mu Yuanli's voice trembled slightly with barely contained excitement.
Upon hearing this, the three others immediately turned their attention to where Mu Yuanli was pointing.
Among the Cloud Shark swarm, a particularly robust grayish-white shark with three pairs of fins protruding from its back was staring directly at the spaceship with fierce, predatory eyes. It seemed to be analyzing the vessel, considering where best to bite.
The three pairs of fins marked it as a rare Cosmic-level Cloud Shark, but that wasn't what captured everyone's attention.
The crucial detail was the fist-sized black crystal embedded prominently in the creature's forehead!
"The Dry Sea Crystal Source only appears during the 'sea exchange', when the Sky Sea and Underground Sea switch positions," Mu Yuanli murmured, reciting what she knew. "It's usually found and consumed by sea beasts. No one has discovered the exact pattern of its formation, though some theorize it's created from the collision and fusion of Dry Sea Crystals and Dry Sea Origin during the water transition period."
Her voice dropped to a whisper as she stated the most important fact, "One Dry Sea Crystal Source is worth 100 million Universe Coins!"
Greed flashed in everyone's eyes simultaneously. They exchanged meaningful glances, each silently gauging the others' intentions.
"But that's a Cloud Shark swarm led by a Cosmic-level alpha," Diaman interjected, his voice serving as cold water on their rising enthusiasm. "There are at least a hundred Stellar-level Cloud Sharks accompanying it, not counting the lesser ranks."
His words brought them back to reality somewhat.
"What do you all think?" Xie Peng asked, looking around at the group. "Should we make an attempt?"
"We take it!" Xifuwei declared through gritted teeth, his decision made.
Even without advanced weaponry, the spaceship's defensive capabilities alone made them virtually invincible within the secret realm. They could afford to be bold.
However, recklessness would be foolish.
They needed to plan carefully and strategically.
"This creature is far more formidable than the Octopus Beast King," Han Jue observed, taking a cautious step backward as he studied his opponent intently.
The Desert Sea Octopus before him was enormous. Each of its tentacles exceeded a kilometer in length, it could truly be described as a behemoth of the deep.
Whether in the Sky Sea or the Underground Sea, this Desert Sea Octopus was an apex predator. Mature adults of this species possessed Cosmic-level bloodlines, making them virtually without natural enemies within this secret realm.
First Form of the Cloud Sea Sword Technique: Waves!
Han Jue swung his blade, instantly cleaving through the surrounding seawater. Threads of the fundamental Origin Law of Water were embedded within the sword technique itself. Pale blue energy filaments clung to the blade's edge as it slashed toward the Desert Sea Octopus.
The octopus's massive body shifted, extending two tentacles to intercept the attack, but Han Jue's strike severed both appendages cleanly.
"Its defense isn't particularly high, but its regenerative capabilities are exceptional, and its water manipulation is outstanding," Han Jue analyzed calmly, dodging the retaliatory strikes from the remaining tentacles. "It seems to have barely grasped the threshold of forming a proper Domain."
Not overwhelmingly strong.
But definitely troublesome!
Before Han Jue had mastered the third form of the Ice Wasteland Sword Technique, Waves had been his most powerful killing move. It approached the potency of Ice Freeze in terms of raw power, and it suited his combat style better, allowing him to unleash even greater effectiveness.
Furthermore, with the combined bonuses from Han Jue's genetic multiplier, his comprehension of the Origin Laws, his sevenfold Domain amplification, and the Cloud Sea Sword's inherent properties...
An ordinary Cosmic-level being would be unable to withstand this strike!
However, to the Desert Sea Octopus, Han Jue's attack had inflicted minimal lasting damage.
The two tentacles he'd just severed had already fully regenerated.
Han Jue prepared to strike again, but the Desert Sea Octopus suddenly used all eight tentacles to churn the surrounding water into massive vortexes.
The swirling currents created a barrier between Han Jue and his target. Then the octopus contracted its entire body before launching itself away at incredible speed.
Whoosh!
"Trying to escape?"
Watching the Desert Sea Octopus's retreat, Han Jue's eyes narrowed with determination.
It won't be that easy!
His body exploded with power, Han Jue's speed increasing dramatically as he pushed his cultivation to its limits.
Breaking through the turbulent water flows with sheer force, he burst forward with explosive velocity. His mastery of the Myriad Avatars technique allowed him to split into three incarnations, effectively cutting off the octopus's escape routes!
Each avatar pursued from a different angle, surrounding the fleeing creature and closing in with lethal intent.
The hunt was far from over.