Chapter 112: Twenty Thousand Miles of Lihai Sea

Whether human or demon, the Golden Core is the essence condensed over a lifetime. For cultivators, obtaining a Golden Core is akin to an ordinary person holding a mountain of gold—its value is immeasurable! Cultivators in the Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stages often swallow the core directly, refining it to significantly boost their cultivation. Those at the Nascent Soul stage or higher use it as material to craft even more valuable, exquisite elixirs tailored to their needs. In short, the Golden Core is a treasure fiercely contested everywhere, even in the Four Seas where demon cultivators abound.

After pocketing the Golden Core along with Mao Cong’s “Sea-Churning Order,” Lin Feng slipped away from the Stone Gorge unnoticed. Under Yi Fan’s guidance, he soared on his sword toward the Black Shark Stronghold at breakneck speed. Mao Cong, suspicious by nature and living alone in the trench, had unwittingly sown the seeds of his own demise.

“Shang Rong’s Ice Silver Needles are indeed formidable, but regrettably, they’re consumables. Only two of them must be reserved for crucial moments,” Lin Feng pondered silently.

Yi Fan also silently calculated in his heart. Mao Cong’s instant death had put immense pressure on him; only by winning Lin Feng’s favor could he hope to survive. Though this human was terrifying, the mysterious figures within the Immortal Mansion instilled even greater fear in him.

After a day of intermittent flight through the clouds, covering over a hundred thousand miles northward, they quietly descended from the mist. “Ahead lies the territory of Protector Bashak. Be extremely cautious,” Yi Fan warned.

“Not at the Black Shark Stronghold yet? Why stop?” Lin Feng asked in surprise.

Yi Fan waved off the question and dove into the deep sea. Seeing this, Lin Feng sensed there was a reason and quickly concealed his presence to follow closely.

Within less than a hundred miles, an imposing patrol squad appeared. They wore armor woven from vivid red lobster shells and dark crab shells, each wielding a crooked spear seemingly carved from fish ribs. Each soldier rode a gigantic seahorse, whose intricately interlaced bony armor parted the seawater, creating ripples of dark patterns.

“Stop! Show your Tide Order!” barked the tall, burly patrol captain, his enormous spear—likely made from a whole fish spine—commanding respect.

Yi Fan respectfully presented his Sea-Wandering Order. The captain glanced briefly, waved his hand, and warned, “Entering our Seven-Mile Sea, cause no trouble. Anger Protector Bashak, and no one will save you.”

“Yes, sir,” Yi Fan replied hastily with a forced smile, accepting the token.

After seeing them off, Yi Fan quietly wiped the sweat from his brow and whispered, “See? The Seven-Mile Sea patrols are even more arrogant than elsewhere. Wait till you look skyward.”

Lin Feng did not respond immediately. When Yi Fan glanced upward a moment later, his heart leapt to his throat. Three sinister-looking figures in black robes floated silently a few dozen feet away, their cold eyes fixed on Yi Fan for a long moment before they slipped away quietly.

“That was close, very close,” Yi Fan dared not speak further and swam straight along the route toward the Black Shark Stronghold.

In just two thousand miles of water, they encountered more than a dozen patrol interrogations. Hidden at a distance behind Yi Fan, Lin Feng witnessed a spectacular scene: hundreds of fully armed soldiers, each mounted on six-zhang-long giant flying fish, leapt high from the ocean surface, sending waves crashing down like a torrential storm. After disappearing into the clouds, they glided for miles before descending in perfect formation. The precision was breathtaking.

Only then did Lin Feng understand Yi Fan’s intention. Protector Bashak’s domain was nearly impenetrable; attempting to pass overhead on a flying sword was akin to walking into a trap.

“Yi Fan, let’s return to Yinque Palace first and make plans afterward,” Lin Feng resolved after careful thought—first improve his cultivation before anything else.

The Golden-Haired Turtle had long harbored this idea but dared not voice it.

Inside Yinque Palace, Lin Feng stared at the Golden Core in his palm, lost in thought, while Yi Fan beside him swallowed hard, his mouth watering.

“Months have passed; Master must have emerged from seclusion. My promise to Cai Yi has been broken; I’ll explain when I see her again. The grudge of the Nine Lords must be avenged. If I don’t clear their names, dozens in Jiajia Village have died in vain!” Lin Feng’s eyes flashed coldly as he swallowed the Golden Core.

Yi Fan’s mouth twitched sharply, sighing as he closed his eyes to cultivate.

As the Golden Core slid toward his dantian, the Flame Heart Fire surged dramatically, seizing it firmly and refining it with true fire. The blaze grew brighter and brighter, radiating white light like a miniature sun.

“How can this be? The Golden Core’s energy is entirely absorbed by it. Won’t my spiritual power stagnate in the dantian?” Lin Feng’s mind raced inside his consciousness.

“No, this is better. Concealing my strength means I can unleash it fully at the critical moment, striking with surprise and catching my opponent off guard!”

The liquid energy flowing from the Golden Core was rapidly absorbed by the expanding Flame Heart Fire, golden light radiating from Lin Feng’s body like the dawn breaking across the sky.

From afar, Shang Rong and the others watched quietly, not daring to disturb him.

As the Golden Core grew smaller, the Flame Heart Fire subtly changed. The flames split into two, then four, finally forming sixteen lotus-shaped white flames that hovered above the dantian, slowly rotating backward. At last, the sea urchin Golden Core was completely refined.

“What cultivation method are you using?” Shang Rong’s inquiry reached Lin Feng just as he opened his eyes.

“The Sky Expansion Technique. Is there a problem?” Lin Feng smiled.

A fiery gleam flashed in Shang Rong’s eyes before he nodded and smiled back, “I see. You didn’t obtain the Water Mirror Disc by chance. Work hard and don’t disappoint their hopes.”

“Them… who are they?” Lin Feng’s curiosity grew. Could the mysterious figure in the Sky Expansion imprint be related to the owner of this Immortal Mansion?

“No need to guess. When the time is right, you’ll know everything. For now, your cultivation is too low. Knowing too much would harm both you and them!” Shang Rong’s face turned cold and solemn. “If you can defeat me, you’ll learn half the secrets.”

“Deal!” Lin Feng’s eyes blazed as he grabbed Yi Fan without hesitation and dove into the Water Mirror Disc.

“Ah, what are you doing?” Yi Fan shouted in the sea, but quickly covered his mouth, eyes alertly scanning their surroundings.

“Killing Bashak, taking his Golden Core!” The cold words thrilled Yi Fan, first shocking then delighting him.

Under the rule of the Five Great Demon Kings, order in the ocean depths was absolute. Except for battles among major powers, demon cultivators were forbidden to kill indiscriminately. The Shark King’s subordinates only had chances to claim opponents’ Golden Cores during conflicts with the Overturning Sea Palace. Such cores were as precious as any rare treasure.

“Are you confident you can handle him? Bashak himself is a mid-stage Golden Core Great King Squid—rumored to be the godson of the Flower Squid King’s distant cousin’s brother-in-law,” Yi Fan said with a hint of joy. Killing more experts would surely benefit him in the future, so he planned to flatter Lin Feng repeatedly.

“Flower Squid King? Also a squid?” Lin Feng was surprised.

Yi Fan chuckled softly, whispering, “Of course, the Flower Squid King is a squid, the fiercest predator in the North Sea—the North Sea Flower Flag Squid. Rumor has it she’s involved with the Divine Whale King.”

“Huh? She’s a woman?” Lin Feng was greatly surprised by the presence of a female among the Twelve Demon Kings.

“Indeed. The Flower Squid King’s beauty has captivated countless men. If only the old turtle had been born a few centuries earlier, he’d have gone north to admire her,” Yi Fan sighed wistfully, hiding among a dense kelp patch.

“What’s so difficult about that? You can still go to the North Sea now,” Lin Feng said with a smile.

Yi Fan pouted, bitterness in his tone: “Passing through the Lihai Sea realm is impossible. Eight hundred years under the Shark King’s rule, dozens of battles between the Lihai and Danshai Seas—demon cultivators are far fewer now than a millennium ago. It’s a living hell…”

“No wonder the Black Shark Stronghold has only a few experts,” Lin Feng understood.

“Let’s go. Bashak’s cave is far more luxurious than Mao Cong’s, and heavily guarded. Be careful,” Yi Fan advised.

“By the way, can Mao Cong’s Sea-Churning Order come in handy?” Lin Feng asked.

“No.” Yi Fan rolled his eyes. “The three great protectors rarely interact, but the sentries will definitely recognize it. I think you’d better sneak in secretly and handle him like last time.”

Lin Feng nodded, but had other plans. The Ice Silver Needles were too precious to waste again.

Protector Bashak’s Blue Coral Cave lay beneath a massive blue coral reef. The cave entrance was heavily guarded, with patrolling seahorse soldiers and octopus guards everywhere. From outside, the cave was dark and oppressive, hiding some enormous monster within.

“It seems Mao Cong’s death has already attracted their attention. Reckless intrusion would only fall into their trap. Perhaps…” Lin Feng devised a plan and quietly withdrew.

Soon after, a loud alarm rang outside the Blue Coral Cave: “Cultivators spotted! Cultivators spotted!”

“Quick, over there! Hurry!” waves of patrols swarmed in, filling the area instantly.

“Where?” roared a red-faced man as Bashak the Protector and four blue-robed subordinates emerged.

“Whoosh!” A streak of light shot down from the cave’s lintel at incredible speed.

In an instant, no ordinary person could dodge it. Bashak sneered and evaded it, but another blue-robed man was cleaved in two by the sword light. Only then did the underwater currents churn violently, bubbles swirling, blood spreading widely.

A flash of dark light revealed a colossal twenty-zhang-long Great King Squid bursting forth, its ten massive tentacles lashing fiercely at the cave above. Boom! Half the coral reef collapsed, debris flying everywhere, soldiers scattering in panic.

“Come out and die!” Bashak’s yellow, date-seed-sized eyes filled with murderous intent, his torpedo-shaped body glowing faintly red. His ten tentacles danced nonstop, probing for threats. The Great King Squid’s reflexes ranked among the fastest in ocean life, even surpassing champion sailfish and tuna—a fact Lin Feng had not accounted for.

The decapitation attempt failed, forcing a direct fight. Fortunately, Bashak couldn’t locate Lin Feng’s position, giving him ample time to react. Last time, Lin Feng narrowly avoided Mao Cong’s thousands of piercing needles by hugging the ocean floor. This time, a tentacle slammed him hard, as if his internal organs were about to burst.

“He must sever his tentacles!” Lin Feng darted like lightning to Bashak’s side, slashing off the outermost tentacle with a single sword stroke.

Reacting instantly to the water’s subtle shifts, Bashak struck back with two pillar-like tentacles, smashing Lin Feng. The immense force shook his Flame Heart Fire and dantian slightly. Before blood could spurt from his mouth, two tentacles twisted, trapping him tightly.

“Hahaha! You can hide your form, but you can’t escape my grasp!” Bashak laughed wildly as more tentacles wrapped around Lin Feng, binding him so tightly not a gap remained.

Lin Feng helplessly watched his Mo Yan Sword fall into the sand, seized by two crab-armored soldiers. The cracking noises of his muscles and bones grew louder; if this continued, he would be squeezed to death alive.

“Break free!” he roared, flames blazing fiercely as golden light burst from within the layers of tentacles. The scorching smell filled the water, forcing Bashak to loosen his grip in pain.

Seizing the opportunity, a red glow flashed as four shadowy figures appeared underwater.

Bashak’s eyes widened in shock. Before he could react, Lin Feng shot like lightning toward the henchman wielding the Mo Yan Sword. The Heavenly Heart White Flame roasted them alive, and the sword was reclaimed by its rightful owner.

“Where do you think you’re going!” Bashak’s face twisted with fury.

Outmatched and pursued by numerous demon cultivators, Lin Feng gritted his teeth, soaring away on his sword as turbulent currents surged behind him.

“Chase!” Bashak’s body contracted, shooting forward five hundred zhang, blocking Lin Feng’s escape path. The Great King Squid’s speed was fully displayed.

Lin Feng cursed his ignorance of the enemy’s strength, forced to swallow the bitter fruit alone. Changing direction, he fled with all his might once more.

Bashak snorted coldly, chasing him like a cat after a mouse.

With sharp turns and sudden bursts, the endless ocean became their battleground. Bashak gained momentum, while Lin Feng felt his strength waning...

PS: Wishing everyone a joyful Mid-Autumn Festival!