Chapter 2465: 蓬门今始为君开

The three soon arrived on the deck, finally understanding why the ship was shaking so violently.

There, a colossal octopus monster was wrapped around the crystal boat, its countless dark red tentacles encasing the hull. The suckers on its tentacles resembled a multitude of eyes, a sight that would be a nightmare for anyone with trypophobia.

"Ugh, how disgusting!" the Peacock Princess exclaimed, unable to bear the sight, and instinctively hid behind Zu An.

Zu An observed it closely, noticing that this octopus monster's tentacles lacked the pinkish mucus characteristic of the Beihai Kraken he had encountered previously with Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue.

He even felt a slight pang of nostalgia for the Beihai Kraken, as the mucus on its tentacles was a rare medicinal ingredient. Not to be misunderstood, it wasn't only useful for that specific kind of medicine; it had applications in many other fields as well. Zu An had recently gained considerable expertise in array formations, spiritual cuisine, and alchemy, and had several blueprints in mind that could potentially utilize such a substance.

As a member of the Merfolk race, the Mermaid Queen had encountered various octopus creatures. She furrowed her brow slightly. "Hmm, the Crystal Boat is the Dragon King's personal conveyance. It carries unique formations and an aura that usually deters marine monsters. Why would this octopus monster dare to attack it proactively?"

At that moment, the octopus monster seemed to sense their presence, and two thick tentacles swiftly coiled towards them.

Zu An snorted coldly. Without any discernible movement from him, the two massive tentacles instantly severed in the middle.

The colossal octopus monster appeared startled, instantly retracting all its tentacles while emitting a shrill, explosive cry. Almost in the blink of an eye, the tentacles returned, lashing out at the trio from all directions, a veritable deluge. Each of these enormous tentacles, nearly a hundred meters long, created sonic boom clouds as they lashed out. If struck, even a large ship would likely be severed in half, let alone a mere flesh-and-blood body.

Zu An's expression grew cold. "Insolent beast!"

Sword energy crisscrossed the surrounding space, and swiftly, all of the colossal octopus monster's tentacles were severed, leaving only its massive head floating in the air. It seemed his sword energy was too swift; the colossal octopus monster only registered the pain and shrieked, falling back into the water, after its massive tentacles had already dropped onto the deck. Soon, blood stained the surrounding sea crimson.

Observing the massive octopus tentacles still unconsciously writhing on the deck, both the Peacock Princess and the Mermaid Queen took a step back. Clearly, women harbored a natural aversion and disgust for such creatures.

Zu An promptly stored the enormous tentacles into the Glazed Pearl's spatial artifact. Noticing the strange looks from the two women, he chuckled, "These will make for incredibly springy and chewy iron plate squid tentacles in the future."

Both women couldn't help but roll their eyes, silently wondering how many people such massive tentacles could feed.

Just then, an indignant voice suddenly boomed, "How dare you hurt my Little Darling so badly!"

The group turned to look, seeing a young boy treading the waves. Simultaneously, the head of the colossal octopus monster, which had been lurking half-dead beneath the surface, suddenly reappeared. It had shrunk to the size of a basketball and was nuzzling against the boy, its woebegone expression as if it were lodging a complaint.

"Little Darling?" Zu An and the other two exchanged peculiar glances. It was clear to them that the colossal octopus monster was, in all likelihood, the boy's pet. However, they found it utterly impossible to reconcile such an adorable name with the enormous, repulsive creature they had just encountered.

"I asked you a question!" The boy, who was quite fair-skinned and handsome with his hair tied in twin buns, truly looked like a carved jade figurine. However, his sidelong glances and impudent tone were undeniably off-putting.

"How dare you speak like that, little boy? That monster actively attacked us! If we hadn't possessed some ability, we'd likely be its meal by now. In fact, you should be compensating us for our distress!" The Peacock Princess, still with a youthful temperament, could not tolerate his words and immediately retorted.

The boy was taken aback, clearly not expecting to encounter such a sharp-tongued individual, and remained speechless for a considerable time.

The Mermaid Queen secretly gave the Peacock Princess a thumbs-up. The young girl was full of spirit, unlike herself, who, having weathered too many storms, had become overly cautious.

"Hmph, Little Darling was merely playing a prank on you! Who knew you'd be so heavy-handed?" the boy finally retorted. "You're so heartless! All its tentacles are severed; I don't even know if it will survive. Little Darling grew up with me; I've always treated him as family. You must compensate me for my Little Darling, compensate me for my Little Darling!"

Zu An calmly asked, "Oh, and how exactly do you propose we compensate you?"

The boy's eyes darted around before he pointed at the crystal boat they stood on. "Your boat seems tolerable. Since Little Darling wrapped itself around it, it clearly likes this vessel. If you compensate it with this boat, that will settle the matter."

The small octopus head in his arms nodded frantically, clearly in agreement with the proposal.

The Mermaid Queen, too, found it hard to remain silent. "Do you even know what kind of vessel this is? Even if we dared to give it to you, I doubt you'd dare to accept it."

"Isn't it merely the Crystal Boat of the East Sea Dragon King? What is there for me not to dare to take?" the boy sneered.

The three couldn't help but be startled. They had initially assumed he was just a mischievous brat, but his recognition of the Crystal Boat suddenly complicated matters.

"What is your name?" Zu An asked, now intrigued. Although the boy was not weak, he was still young, so his power couldn't be extraordinary. Yet, for such a remarkably knowledgeable child to appear suddenly in the middle of the vast ocean suggested an unusual background.

"Do you wish to know this great master's esteemed name? Then you'd best listen closely, for this great master is..." The boy puffed out his chest, just about to speak, when a distant, ethereal voice suddenly echoed.

"Stop your antics. Honored guests have arrived; bring them in." A vast, ancient voice resonated as if from the very fabric of the world.

The Mermaid Queen and the Peacock Princess's expressions changed instantly. Merely hearing the voice, they sensed the immense power of its owner, who was at least stronger than the Four Sea Dragon Kings.

Only Zu An remained serene, gazing in the direction of the voice. What had been an endless expanse of ocean now seemed to open an invisible gate as the voice resounded. Beyond it was no longer the boundless sea, but an island that appeared not far away. The island was shrouded in mist, bathed in brilliant light, and immortal cranes and mythical luan birds could occasionally be seen soaring through the clouds, truly resembling a celestial realm.

"Hmm?" Zu An secretly messaged the Mermaid Queen, "Is this Purple Ganoderma Cliff?"

The Mermaid Queen shook her head slightly. "It's still about a day's journey from the location I recall, and the bearing also seems incorrect."

At this, the boy reluctantly snorted. "Consider yourselves fortunate. My master hasn't received outsiders in many years. Come with me."