Several days passed in a flash.
During these days, as the ship sailed on, Fang Yu did not see any traces of other humans. However, he became increasingly familiar with the Bohai Sea, encountered more sea demons, and had taken action several times.
Each time he made a move, he gained some materials from Bohai sea demons. Repeated battles also made Fang Yu more and more adept at fighting on the open sea.
Until this day.
At noon, the sunlight was scorching, and the sea breeze carried a wave of heat. Fang Yu, who had just finished cultivating, opened his eyes and looked into the distance, frowning slightly.
In the sky, a White-Winged Demon Bird was circling. It was about two meters long, with white feathers and azure eyes. At a glance, one might mistake it for a seagull.
What stood out the most was its astonishing beak, like a pair of massive iron pincers, it was easy to imagine the terrifying biting force it possessed.
At this moment, the sea was calm, as tranquil as a vast blue mirror. Yet in the sky, feathered demons appeared frequently.
The White-Winged Demon Bird was only one of them. In the distance, many small black dots could be seen, different types of feathered demons searching for prey at noon.
At this moment, the White-Winged Demon Bird circling above seemed to have set its sights on Fang Yu's group as prey. It intended to follow them, but it appeared to sense danger. After circling a few times, it prepared to leave.
Fang Yu looked up at the White-Winged Demon Bird, then down at the calm sea. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, but he chose not to act.
However, Lu Qing on the ship revealed a gleam of excitement in his eyes. Looking at Mu Ningxue, who had also noticed the scene in the sky, he called out with a smile:
"Ningxue, this White-Winged Demon Bird looks like it tastes pretty good. I'll bring it down for you, we'll have it for lunch."
"Not interested," Mu Ningxue replied calmly.
"Ningxue, I…"
"No need."
"I…"
"Be quiet. Don't disturb me." Mu Ningxue glanced at Lu Qing impatiently.
Lu Qing's face darkened. Gritting his teeth, he was inwardly furious, but upon seeing Mu Ningxue's beautiful face, he restrained himself.
Still, his intention to kill the White-Winged Demon Bird for food did not change.
Seeing Lu Qing preparing to act, Fang Yu gave a reminder, "The sea is too calm. Something feels off."
"Coward!" Lu Qing sneered upon hearing this. Raising his hands, he was about to cast magic to strike down the White-Winged Demon Bird.
But at that very moment, the White-Winged Demon Bird in the sky originally about to leave, seemed to sense Lu Qing's intent. It turned aggressive, made a sharp turn mid-air, and instead of leaving, suddenly accelerated like a meteor descending from the sky, whistling as it charged forward.
From afar, the airflow created by its speed produced bursts of sonic boom, its velocity was astonishing.
"Perfect timing!" Lu Qing laughed.
Fang Yu's expression changed as he sensed danger. He looked toward the sea beside the ship, where a stretch of water spanning dozens of meters suddenly began to churn violently as the White-Winged Demon Bird approached.
It was as if something beneath the sea was rapidly rushing toward the surface!
A cold glint flashed in Fang Yu's eyes. In an instant, his magic surged, forming a defensive stance.
And at the moment that stance formed, he saw a massive creature approaching from below at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it burst out from the depths and shattered the water's surface.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, the sea beside the ship erupted over dozens of meters.
A gigantic demon beast, pitch-black and bearing a crocodile-like massive head, burst out of the sea with unprecedented ferocity and savagery.
A stench spread instantly, waves surged violently, and the creature opened its enormous mouth, biting directly toward the incoming White-Winged Demon Bird!
Though the bird seemed large, compared to that gaping maw, it was nothing more than a snack. In an instant, it was completely swallowed. With a thunderous splash, the giant demon submerged back into the sea.
The waves it stirred rolled violently in all directions, crashing outward and causing the ship to sway like a pair of leaves on the ocean, nearly losing control.
It was a Crocodile Turtle!
Its body resembled a massive turtle, with powerful limbs. Its shell was covered in barnacles and countless tiny black spikes.
Fang Yu saw its true form clearly, one of the common predators of the sea.
Seeing this scene, Lu Qing's expression changed drastically, his face filled with shock.
The intense sense of danger from brushing past death left him drenched by seawater, his face pale as he hurriedly retreated back onto the ship. Yet his body still trembled uncontrollably.
It was as if he feared that if he retreated even a moment slower, that terrifying maw would reappear beneath the sea.
"That was a Crocodile Turtle!"
"How could such a powerful sea demon appear!"
Amid the crashing waves, Lu Qing, standing on the swaying ship, spoke with a trembling voice.
"Shut up. If you hadn't foolishly provoked the White-Winged Demon Bird, it would've flown away. Why would it have attacked?"
"The White-Winged Demon Bird is a favorite prey of the Crocodile Turtle. That creature was clearly drawn by the bird. If you hadn't acted recklessly, it would have followed it and left."
Mu Ningxue's expression was grim. Among sea predators, the Crocodile Turtle wasn't the strongest, but it was notorious for its brutality. Its massive body and formidable defense gave it a natural advantage, this situation was extremely dangerous.
Lu Qing wanted to argue, but when he opened his mouth, no words came out. In the end, he could only respond bitterly.
"Maybe it's gone…"
Fang Yu sensed movement. A sharp light flashed in his eyes as he said, "The Crocodile Turtle hasn't left. It's forty meters to the left!"
Mu Ningxue's composure was clearly far superior to Lu Qing's. Even though her emotions were unsettled, she immediately mobilized her cultivation, ready to act at any moment.
At the same time, strands of icy aura flowed down from her right hand, as if some trump card was about to be unleashed. She stared vigilantly at the sea.
Compared to the two of them, Fang Yu remained calm. He had already sensed something was wrong with this sea area earlier and had taken up a defensive stance.
Moreover, he knew the Crocodile Turtle had a certain habit, it disliked taking risks and would only act when it had absolute confidence.
Besides, Mu Hou, Chen Jingxi, and the other team leaders were already on guard. They were extremely powerful, even a sea demon of the Crocodile Turtle's level would be wary of them.
At this moment, massive waves surged and roared in, crashing down like the hands of a giant, striking the ship and pushing it farther away with each impact.
However, overall, the ship maintained excellent stability. It did not lose control but instead retreated in an orderly manner with the force of the waves.
The Crocodile Turtle twisted its body and paused beneath the sea, its crocodile-like head facing their direction.
Its cold gaze carried killing intent, locking onto the people aboard the ship, as if assessing the strength of its prey before launching an attack.
In the next instant, the Crocodile Turtle used its innate demon technique, its four limbs slamming into the water. Suddenly, it felt as though a massive lifeform was trembling beneath the ship. The entire area resonated with it, the sea began to boil, and moments later, a huge vortex formed, threatening to swallow the ship whole.
"Not good, take to the air!" Chen Jingxi's expression turned grave.
"Leave it to me!" A silver gleam flashed in Mu Hou's eyes. His cultivation erupted violently, forming ripples as dense silver light spread out, enveloping the ship.
Spatial power operated at full capacity. In an instant, the ship rose into the air, avoiding the vortex.
"This is only the beginning, and a Commander-Level demon has already appeared. Looks like this journey won't be peaceful," Mu Hou sighed.