Chapter 823: Body Outside the Self

Indeed, just as that person had said.

Along the way, Qin Sang encountered several patrols. Feeling the danger, he proceeded with extreme caution, bypassing them and finally exiting the Riftswind Islands. He remained cautious until he was clear of the Southwest Sea region, then he released the two-headed Qiongqi.

Blue sea, blue sky. It was noon, and the scorching sun hung high in the sky. The sky was clear and cloudless, and there wasn't a breath of wind on the sea, making it extremely muggy.

A large ship with a dragon-head prow sailed alone. At its bow, tamed sea beasts were tethered by ropes. Though not demon beasts, they were enormous and very powerful. They cut through the water, pulling the large ship forward at high speed. Compared to the vast ocean, the dragon-head ship seemed tiny.

The ship was laden with cargo, and human crew members busied themselves on deck. The sea was calm, and the crew complained to each other about the muggy weather, but no one dared speak loudly. Their eyes occasionally darted towards the cabin with reverence.

Everything seemed very calm.

Suddenly, the large ship lurched violently. The crew cried out in alarm, staggering. They saw that one of the sea beasts pulling the ship was thrashing wildly for some unknown reason, trying to break free from its ropes. The sea beast was several *zhang* long and immensely powerful, causing the large ship to shake erratically.

These sea beasts had been tamed since childhood and had rendered great service, never causing trouble before. But for some unknown reason, today... The crew, bewildered, grabbed onto nearby objects. Seeing the ship's cargo also swaying violently, they immediately shouted loudly.

Just then, the ship's owner rushed out of the cabin and yelled, "Quick! Go see what's happening! Quickly blow the conch to calm them!"

The crew rushed to the bow. One of them took out a conch and blew it with all his might. The conch was a tool for taming beasts; in the past, when the sea beasts became agitated, they would calm down upon hearing its sound. But this time, it was ineffective. The sea beasts seemed not to hear the conch's sound and simultaneously let out earth-shattering roars, tinged with panic. Not only that, but the other sea beasts also began showing signs of agitation. It looked like complete chaos was about to erupt.

Just as the ship owner was in a state of extreme anxiety, several streaks of light shot out from the cabin, flying to the bow and revealing five figures of extraordinary bearing.

"Esteemed Immortal Masters," the ship owner said, seeing his saviors, "the sea beasts are agitated. Could you please help tame them?" He rushed to the Immortal Masters, but was surprised to find all five of them looking grave, staring at the empty sea surface as if searching for something. He followed their gaze but saw nothing.

Suddenly, the eldest Immortal Master, a middle-aged man, shouted sharply, "Cut the ropes!"

The ship owner didn't understand why, but when his eyes met the Immortal Master's gaze, his heart skipped a beat. Realizing something drastic might be happening, he immediately ordered the crew, "Quick! Do as the Immortal Master says!"

'Bang, bang, bang...'

One by one, the ropes were severed. The sea beasts were frantic; the taut ropes snapped with loud bangs as they were cut. Finally free, the beasts scattered in all directions. The ship owner's heart bled. But soon, he had no time for his distress; instead, his face filled with terror.

He saw the fastest-fleeing sea beast dart only a short distance before a cluster of dense bubbles erupted on the water ahead of it. Immediately, the sea beast was violently dragged underwater by an immense force and vanished. The next moment, bright red blood welled up from beneath the surface, dyeing a large patch of the sea a gruesome red. Then, another vanished.

Such large sea beasts were being devoured alive consecutively by a terrifying creature without even a splash, and they hadn't even seen their attacker. The people on board were utterly terrified.

The middle-aged cultivator's gaze darkened. He exclaimed in alarm, "It's a demon beast, a Bluefin Shark! Turn back, quickly! Head back!"

The ship owner turned pale with shock, "A demon beast... How can there be such a powerful demon beast here..."

The large ship turned around to flee. Behind them, none of the sea beasts survived; they were hunted down one by one. The Bluefin Shark never surfaced throughout, but the entire sea surface was dyed red, a horrific spectacle.

But before they could feel any relief, they saw dense bubbles appearing behind them, rapidly approaching their ship. Everyone, including the cultivators, fell into a panic. Only the middle-aged cultivator remained relatively calm. He shouted, "Don't panic! We can't just wait to die! Quickly, coordinate with me to form a formation!"

The other four, looking uneasy and flustered, barely managed to form a battle formation. Everyone summoned their magic artifacts, waiting for the middle-aged cultivator's command. Upon hearing the single word 'Attack!', they desperately unleashed their artifacts. Immediately, several streaks of light, varying in color, shot simultaneously into the water, hitting precisely where the bubbles were densest. They hoped the demon beast would be killed or retreat, deterred by the difficulty.

But contrary to their hopes, the bubbles grew even denser, and a terrifying black shadow slowly rose from the seabed. To everyone's horror, the Bluefin Shark appeared. It had a few wounds on its body, but they were superficial and not fatal. Instead, they seemed to drive it into a frenzy.

"No! Get down!" the middle-aged cultivator yelled, but it was too late.

The Bluefin Shark opened its mouth wide, spraying out a column of water that transformed into countless water arrows, shooting rapidly towards the people at the bow. The middle-aged cultivator used his magic artifact to protect himself, but the other four were a bit slow in their movements. One young man reacted too slowly and was struck in the abdomen by a water arrow, instantly creating a large hole. He fell into the sea and vanished without a sound.

"Xiao Ning!" The others cried out in sorrow, falling into despair.

Meanwhile, in the distance, a young man was swiftly riding a two-headed demon beast. The young man sat on the beast's back, holding spirit stones, his eyes closed, seemingly cultivating. This person was none other than Qin Sang, who had traveled a long distance.

At this moment, he sensed the disturbance in the distance, awoke from his meditative state, and muttered to himself, "This area is not far from Tianxing Island, and the islands are dense. It's arguably the most prosperous human territory. Major demon beasts are either cleared out or driven to other remote sea areas, but some inevitably slip through. It seems someone has died. Conveniently, the Demon Seed has finished maturing; I can now find a suitable body and refine my external incarnation..."

Qin Sang's heart stirred. He patted the two-headed Qiongqi, ordering it to change direction. He had traveled far to the Riftswind Islands, having left Tianxing Island several years ago. The Demon Seed had been incubating within him and had finally matured recently, preparing him to begin refining his external incarnation. The requirements for the physical body were not high; a low-level cultivator would suffice. The cultivation speed of the external incarnation was related to the main body.

Soon, Qin Sang saw a dilapidated large ship being hunted by a Bluefin Shark. Only two low-level cultivators were still desperately holding on, but they were in grave danger. The Bluefin Shark was clearly much stronger than them; it was merely toying with its prey. Over a dozen corpses floated on the sea surface, which it didn't even spare a glance.

Qin Sang found the corpse of a cultivator; it was a young man. He recalled the two-headed Qiongqi, then stealthily swept onto the Bluefin Shark's back. With a gentle press of his palm, the Bluefin Shark struggled weakly before being forced underwater to the seabed.

After killing the Bluefin Shark, Qin Sang approached the young man. Only after confirming he had died did he transfer the Demon Seed into his body.