That tentacle clearly belonged to a giant deep-sea octopus. After its initial strike, it had inexplicably vanished, as if it had merely stopped by to say hello and politely retreated when its host showed no welcome.
But why would a giant deep-sea octopus be idly wandering the surface during the day? It wasn't as if it was genuinely there to greet King Wu Tianzhen.
However, it wasn't long before the group understood its purpose.
With a sudden explosion, the previously calm sea surface erupted in a massive wave!
Several enormous octopus tentacles broke through the waves, standing on the surface like a bizarrely shaped ancient tree suddenly growing from the seabed.
The tentacles shot out like lightning, their target being the fireworm that had been lying on the surface, feigning death!
It had come to hunt this colossal prey!
Although the fireworm had been thwarted by the Qilin blood, it was not a pushover that anyone could simply bully. Seeing that even common creatures dared to attack them, it was furious!
The scattered individual fireworms instantly re-aggregated. Its massive tubular body stood upright, and countless steel-like tendrils shot towards the octopus tentacles!
Tentacles and tendrils collided, creating a deafening roar. The seawater churned and roared from the battle between these two behemoths, mingling with the thunder, creating a soul-stirring spectacle!
The sound was like a thousand cavalry charging, their momentum sweeping over ten thousand mountains!
In the midst of this battle, their small boat seemed as insignificant as a leaf in the vast ocean, merely bobbing violently with the waves, tossed up and down by the hands of the sea.
"Damn it!" Fatty hastily grabbed a tentacle that was almost thrown out, grumbling, "These two defeated foes still dare to cause trouble here. At least this Octopus Bro gave a leg as a toll for passing by, what right does that fireworm have?!"
"Octopus Bro, beat it! Let it know the immensity of heaven and earth!"
It was unclear if Octopus Bro could hear Fatty's cheers from the sidelines, but the situation on the field was indeed turning in its favor!
After all, the fireworm was an aggregate. Once dispersed, it took a long time to re-gather. Within a few exchanges, many deserters abandoned their organization and fled on their own.
The remaining main body of the fireworm wanted to curse loudly, but unfortunately, it lacked a mouth with such complete functionality. It could only rage impotently and was soon bound by several octopus tentacles and lifted high!
Just then, time had passed, and dawn was about to break. A sliver of light struggled through the thunderclouds and shone directly onto Octopus Bro, which was holding the fireworm aloft!
In the vast ocean, the extended octopus held a struggling fireworm, as large as a pipe, aloft. With purple lightning swirling overhead and a beam of light shining down, it momentarily looked as if it were rebelling against the heavenly court's rule, intending to emulate the Great Sage Equalling Heaven and shake the heavens with its staff!!
The few individuals were immensely impressed. They lined up on the rocking boat to applaud it, then quickly returned to the cabin and steered the boat further away.
...As expected, the Octopus Bro suffered heavenly retribution as soon as the boat moved away.
Raising a pipe on a flat sea under a thunderstorm, who knew what it was thinking.
Oh, it had no brain? Then never mind.
In any case, the heavenly court soon reacted. Seeing this arrogant display, countless bolts of purple lightning expressed their willingness to personally punish Octopus Bro. Several thick bolts of lightning changed course in mid-air, converging into a single beam by the time they struck the fireworm's pipe!
Like a purple pillar instantly erected between heaven and earth, the fireworm and Octopus Bro were momentarily submerged in the lightning!
They had fled quite far. The strong current was significantly blocked by the resistance in the seawater, and by the time it reached them, there was very little left.
However, the innocent fish swimming beneath Octopus Bro's body were unlucky. They all floated to the surface belly-up, quickly turning into charcoal and emitting a strange aroma of roasted fish mixed with the stench of burning.
"No—!!! Octopus Bro!!!!"
Fatty stretched out his hand and called out with deep sorrow.
But Octopus Bro could no longer respond to him. When the lightning dissipated, Octopus Bro had turned completely black, floating lifelessly on the sea surface.
As for the fireworm, it had already turned to ash. This was the consequence of fighting without paying a toll.
Fatty felt a pang of sadness as he saw Octopus Bro had completely passed away.
He directly went onto the deck, tossed the broken tentacle into the sea, and then returned to the cabin, leaning next to Zhang Qiling, who was at the helm.
"...Little Brother, do you want to eat roasted octopus?"
Zhang Qiling: ...
Despite everything, Octopus Bro was indeed delicious.
The group stopped their boat next to the dead Octopus Bro. This octopus was thick-skinned and large. Although its outer layer was charred by electricity, it was still tender and fresh when cut open.
One bite, and it was plump, tender, and juicy, melting in the mouth. The lightning had cooked it perfectly, preserving Octopus Bro's original fresh flavor while infusing it with a hint of charred aroma.
Eaten without seasoning, it was like warm snow melting in the mouth. After the initial refreshing sweetness, there was a subtle aftertaste, similar to hairy crab, lingering on the lips and teeth, leaving an endless aftertaste.
For those who preferred stronger flavors, a sprinkle of cumin and chili powder made the taste absolutely divine.
Zhang Qiling didn't eat much. He diligently used his Black Gold Ancient Saber to cut the octopus, but the bowl in front of him was already piled high.
This octopus was thick, and without the Black Gold Ancient Saber, it was truly difficult to handle. Fatty and Wu Tianzhen wanted to help, but neither could lift the saber, so they gave up and turned to feeding Little Zhang.
Zhang Qiling passively opened his mouth to accept a few bites of food, then blocked a piece of octopus from Fatty.
"No wasabi."
Hei Yanjing then scooped up another tentacle, shouldering it like some fisherman. Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but click his tongue.
"Spoiled, too spoiled!"
"So what? We like it!" Wu Tianzhen retorted defiantly.
Ever since Hei Yanjing had repeatedly startled him earlier, Wu Tianzhen now found Hei Yanjing utterly irritating, coupled with a hint of fear. To bolster his courage, he shoved another piece of meat into the innocent Little Zhang.
The piece of meat was a bit too large, and Little Zhang almost couldn't swallow it. After finally finishing, he wanted to say something, but seeing Wu Tianzhen's bristling demeanor, he held back.
...It had to be said, his current state was quite amusing.
Wu Tianzhen, completely unaware that his steadfast and reliable support, Little Zhang, had defected, was currently being watched by him as he put on a show of being agitated, despite his expressionless face.
The Black Gold Ancient Saber swiftly and efficiently dealt with the newly arrived Octopus Bro. Fatty quickly took it to his plate to sprinkle seasonings.
...Actually, when they decided to use the Black Gold Ancient Saber, they had hesitated. After all, this saber could cut anything, be it corpses or ghosts, and it felt a bit strange to eat from it.
But then they remembered Zhang Qiling using it to cut his palm from time to time...
Although it pained them, they figured the Qilin blood had long been sterilized, so they were reassured and completely trusted the Black Gold Ancient Saber's purity.
For a moment, the boat was filled with a harmonious atmosphere, except for the Black Gold Ancient Saber.
It seemed to dislike being treated as a kitchen knife and was now emitting a low, aggrieved hum.