Chapter 2426: Sea Encounter

**Chapter 2387: An Unexpected Encounter at Sea**

Half a day later, the great city where Biying and others resided became the epicenter of a world-shaking battle that raged for almost a full day and night.

The aftermath of the battle reduced everything within tens of thousands of miles of the city to ashes.

Several days later, news that stunned the entire Blood Heaven Continent began to circulate.

All the Mahayana stage cultivators from several major sects, spearheaded by the Bloodbone Gate, had reportedly fallen in the demon-extermination war.

Only Madam Lingyun of Ten Thousand Gu Mountain managed to escape, but she was gravely injured, nearly falling out of the Mahayana realm entirely.

As soon as this powerful Mahayana cultivator retreated to her stronghold at Ten Thousand Gu Mountain, she immediately activated all defensive formations and declared the mountain closed for ten thousand years, vowing to remain uninvolved in any continental affairs.

The entire Blood Heaven Continent was gripped by unease, and other major powers and remaining Mahayana stage cultivators likewise fell silent.

Soon after, news circulated that a medium-sized human nation, along with several nearby minor sects, had been sacrificed in a blood ritual.

Han Li, however, remained completely oblivious to these events.

By then, he had already used a teleportation array to reach an island quite distant from the Blood Heaven Continent. From there, he, along with Zhu Guo'er and Old Ancestor Huashi, boarded the Ink Spirit Holy Boat, leaving the island behind and venturing deep into the vast ocean.

The ocean teemed with powerful sea beasts, far more numerous than the savage beasts on land. Some of these formidable creatures possessed such immense divine abilities that even Mahayana stage cultivators would give them a wide berth.

Nevertheless, with the numerous powerful puppets deployed from the Ink Spirit Holy Boat, most ordinary sea beasts that encountered it were likely to meet their end.

On the rare occasions they encountered exceptionally powerful marine entities, Han Li's personal display of his divine abilities swiftly startled them into retreat.

Half a year quickly passed, and the colossal boat had journeyed an immeasurable distance deep into the ocean without encountering any trouble.

However, on this particular day, as the colossal boat cut through the waves at low altitude, earth-shattering explosions and violent tremors surged towards them from the distance.

Old Ancestor Huashi, who was standing at the bow directing the puppets piloting the boat, instantly changed expression upon sensing the intensity of these tremors. He transformed into a streak of light and shot back into the cabin.

Moments later, Han Li, Zhu Guo'er, and Old Ancestor Huashi calmly emerged from the cabin.

"Are there Mahayana stage cultivators fighting up ahead? Hmm, the intensity of these fluctuations certainly indicates a battle beyond the Mahayana stage. Steer the Holy Boat closer and see what's happening." Han Li squinted at the distant sea before issuing the command without hesitation.

"Yes, Master Han!" Old Ancestor Huashi replied, immediately urging the puppets piloting the flying boat.

The Ink Spirit Holy Boat trembled, adjusted its course, and then shot forward with its speed increasing severalfold.

As the colossal boat sped forward like lightning, the explosions and tremors from ahead grew even more intense.

When a small island faintly appeared ahead of the colossal boat, they could finally discern shimmering light clusters and terrifying fluctuations above it. These forces seemed to press down the surrounding sea surface by dozens of feet.

The small island itself was already severely battered, its surface stripped bare of all protruding features, as if swept clean by some immense power.

The entire island now appeared unusually flat.

Standing at the bow, Han Li narrowed his eyes and immediately grasped the situation unfolding before them.

Within the swirling clusters of explosive light, three colossal and ferocious sea beasts were clearly besieging a silver flood dragon.

One sea beast was a colossal seahorse, magnified a hundredfold; another was a giant emerald green turtle; and the last was a dark blue octopus, resembling a small mountain.

The three sea beasts exuded an exceptionally wild aura. They either spat out bolts of lightning and fire, charged headlong with their hardened bodies, or wildly flailed their tentacles, launching a relentless assault on the silver flood dragon.

These three powerful sea beasts, whose strength approached that of ordinary Mahayana cultivators, were already heavily wounded.

The green turtle's shell had several large cracks, from which green blood oozed.

The giant octopus was scorched black all over, and several of its tentacles were missing.

Only the seahorse, despite its seemingly intact body, had half its form bound by a dazzling golden ring, making its movements noticeably more sluggish than the other two beasts.

The silver flood dragon, besieged by the three beasts, was in an even more pathetic state. Not only were its tail and one foreclaw missing, but most of its silver scales had also fallen off, and both its eyes were inexplicably spurting blood.

Yet, even in this condition, as the flood dragon flew and circled, silver light still flashed wildly around it, emitting astonishing roars as it barely resisted the fierce onslaught of the three giant beasts.

Han Li's gaze flickered and landed on a specific spot on the silver flood dragon's abdomen.

There, a small purple beast was curled into a ball, its two paws tightly gripping a silver scale on the silver flood dragon's abdomen. Its body, however, was completely motionless, appearing either dead or unconscious.

The moment Han Li saw the small purple beast, his pupils contracted slightly. He felt an unusual sense of familiarity and began to ponder.

Given the Ink Spirit Holy Boat's immense size and its unmasked, high-speed approach, it was naturally impossible to escape the notice of the three sea beasts and the silver flood dragon.

Yet, at this critical life-or-death moment in their battle, even though they knew outsiders were approaching, they found themselves unable to stop. Instead, the conflict grew even more perilous, intensifying into a bloody struggle.

The silver flood dragon, fighting three adversaries, was clearly at a significant disadvantage despite the extraordinary profundity of its silver light, and its situation became exceedingly precarious.

Just as the colossal boat, after a few blinks, was about to plunge into the heart of the battle, Han Li calmly stated, "Stop."

Han Li's voice wasn't loud, but the moment it reached the ears of the four beasts, it struck them like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky.

The four beasts' bodies trembled. They simultaneously retracted their divine abilities and staggered backward, pushing away from one another.

The three sea beasts, on the verge of victory only to be interrupted, were naturally enraged. They simultaneously glared fiercely at Han Li, and three terrifying auras converged, pressing down on the colossal boat like three immense mountains.

Seeing this, Han Li snorted. He formed a hand seal, and a golden light flashed behind him, instantly manifesting a thousand-zhang-tall, three-headed, six-armed Dharma Idol.

The moment this god-like golden Dharma Idol opened its six eyes, a terrifying spiritual pressure, several times stronger than the combined auras of his opponents, immediately erupted from Han Li.

With a few resounding "booms,"

As the four auras clashed, the three colossal sea beasts were instantly sent flying backward, unable to even utter a sound. They tumbled for over a hundred zhang before finally regaining their footing, their faces etched with terror.

"Who are you, and why are you meddling in our affairs? We are elders of the Zhenhai Palace. If you offend our palace, even if your magic power is immense, you will find it difficult to move an inch in the sea from now on." The seahorse, after its eyes flickered several times, spoke in human tongue.

Its words carried a clear undertone of threat towards Han Li.

"Zhenhai Palace? Never heard of it. Get lost, or I won't mind collecting the hides and bones of three powerful sea beasts to use as refining materials," Han Li stated coldly, his face devoid of expression.

The three sea beasts, though naturally enraged and alarmed by his words, faced Han Li's overwhelming spiritual pressure. After exchanging glances, they reluctantly turned and vanished into the sea below.

"My name is Tuyue, and I thank you for your timely assistance, Fellow Daoist." The silver flood dragon rolled once, transforming into a pale-faced man in silver robes, streaks of blood still visible in his eyes. Beside him, a little girl in purple clothing stood. The man bowed slightly to Han Li from a distance.

Although the silver flood dragon was incredibly proud, after witnessing Han Li's displayed divine abilities, it was secretly astonished and dared not show the slightest disrespect.

"Tuyue, I was right; it really is you, Fellow Daoist."

"Oh, I also find you somewhat familiar. Have we met before, Fellow Daoist?" The silver-robed man, transformed from the flood dragon, was startled by this. After carefully observing Han Li, he couldn't help but feel a sense of hesitation.

Logically, given the formidable strength the other party had just displayed, if he had truly met him before, he would have remembered it vividly. How could the impression be so faint?

"Father, he's that person! He's the 'big brother' with mommy's aura whom I met at the auction when I was kidnapped by bad people," the purple-clad girl beside him suddenly blurted out, grabbing the silver-robed man's sleeve after twitching her nose twice.

This man was precisely the Mahayana stage Human-Faced Flood Dragon who had caused a major disturbance at the Yuncheng auction years ago, and the girl was the small beast, his direct descendant, who had been abducted and brought to that same auction.

"You, girl, recognized me immediately," Han Li said with a light chuckle, looking at the purple-clad girl.

"What, it's you!" Upon hearing this, the Human-Faced Flood Dragon finally connected the Void Refinement cultivator he had briefly encountered years ago with the unfathomably powerful Han Li standing before him. An expression of profound shock spread across his face.

"I, Han, also didn't expect to unexpectedly encounter Fellow Daoist Tuyue here. Although we only met once, we can certainly be considered old acquaintances. However, given your status, how did you end up in such a sorry state? Regardless of your grievances with Zhenhai Palace, those three sea beasts, while formidable, haven't truly reached the Mahayana realm. Logically, they shouldn't have been able to harm you, should they?" Han Li's smile faded as he slowly inquired.

"If I were in perfect condition, I naturally wouldn't pay any mind to mere Zhenhai Palace elders. However, during a previous escape, I was ambushed by a formidable enemy. Now, I can no longer utilize divine abilities beyond the Mahayana stage; I can only rely on my innate divine abilities and physical body to contend with foes." The Human-Faced Flood Dragon sighed, replacing his surprised expression with a bitter smile.

"I see. If Fellow Daoist doesn't mind, would you allow me to examine your current internal condition?" Han Li nodded, then suddenly posed the question.

"Well..." The Human-Faced Flood Dragon hesitated upon hearing this.

"Haha, my apologies, my words just now were a bit presumptuous. However, Fellow Daoist, while you may still have time to slowly find a solution to your own problems, I fear your beloved daughter may not be able to hold on much longer." Han Li said impassively, his gaze briefly sweeping over the purple-clad girl beside them, uttering words that deeply startled the Human-Faced Flood Dragon.