Bam—! A massive water claw struck, and the ground beneath Xu Kai's feet trembled. He wavered, but he managed to slide under the gaps in the dragon's claws. Each one is bigger than him!
The moment Xu Kai reached the gate, he sensed a threat, tilted his head to his left and saw the massive dragon's head just a meter away from his head.
Some tattered parts of his clothing were already in the dragon's mouth!
His heart almost leaped out of his chest as he jumped into the ocean, transforming into a Skylark Shark.
In the depths of the ocean, the colossus, over three hundred feet long, chased after the small, 10-foot-long shark.
While swimming at his fastest speed, Xu Kai managed to evade a much larger predator.
'What's going on? Can't I leave?!'
Seeing that the claws were about to hit him, he transformed into his human form, flew out of the gaps between the claws, and swung his arms backward.
Bubbles left his lips.
The sea dragon halted and gazed into his eyes. "You dare intrude into the Shui family sacred ground!"
Xu Kai snorted. "We're in water, dumb dragon!"
He swiftly transformed into his beast form, heading for the surface of the sea with a determined gaze.
His eyes reflected the sun's golden rays scattered on the surface.
The moment he was about to leave the water, the sea dragon's head was already behind him. With a snicker, it opened its mouth and snapped its jaws.
Splash—! A shark flew out of a pool, transformed into Xu Kai and landed on the wooden floorboards, panting heavily.
'Why did I not see that creature last time?' He shuddered.
"Who dares steal from the Shui family?!" Elder Shui Ling's voice spread throughout the manor, causing a layer of goosebumps all over Xu Kai as he made his way out of the building.
At that moment, Shui Mei Er emerged at the end of the corridor and saw him crouching in the window's narrow space.
"Thief!" She conjured an ice spike that missed due to Xu Kai tilting to his right. His quick reaction and perception astonished Shui Mei.
By the time she arrived at the window, Xu Kai had vanished into the darkness.
"You can't escape!" Shui Mei spoke firmly, her teeth clenching.
While guards locked the gate and searched everywhere, Xu Kai hid inside the storage room he found empty earlier. Unexpectedly, he discovered a guard sleeping behind the grain bags.
After dealing with him, Xu Kai shut the window and watched the Shui manor guards search their guests. Some of the guards even used force against those who asserted their innocence.
Boom—!
Xu Kai turned to face the source of the commotion, and he saw Elder Cheng Wei blasting out of the main hall. Elder Shui Ling emerged from the hall, an exquisite wooden magic staff in her hand and her eyes fierce.
"Cheng Wei, I invited you to celebrate my grandkids but you decided to steal from me? How dare you?!"
Water coalesced into a long serpent, which lunged toward Elder Cheng Wei. The gray haired old man snorted, clenched his fist, and punched forth.
The sound of his bones, muscles, and tendons working together created thunder!
Not only did the water serpent dissolve, but his fist's sound caused everyone's ears to tremble.
"And why would I want to steal from you? You have two upcoming geniuses, but I still have Cheng Yu."
'Wow! The relationship between these families is so fragile. These herbs belong to everyone on the island, but they are kept and claimed! I'll have to take a break here until their battle is over.'
Just as he thought, Xu Kai slept and sneaked out during the dark hours of the morning. Swiftly, he walked past the destruction of the Elder's battle, leapt over the wall, and disappeared into the forest.
****
Xu Kai sat on top of a boulder, ignoring the dew. He opened his eyes in the soul sanctum. After he made sure the water lily was safe, he looked at the left wing, which had a barrier, and left the Sanctum.
"Good! Once I find the other one, I'll be able to hunt beasts for their pills. With that, I don't care if they don't want me training on the Emerald Island."
Hu~
He exhaled, got to his feet, and started practicing the "Raging Tide Technique" while imagining the sea's waves.
'Elder Cheng has mastered the first move, producing the sound of thunder. If he decides to kill me, I won't be able to resist. I need to train even harder!'
He stepped onto the boulder, sending blows into the air. As his fist tore through the air, his muscles would tremble. He withdrew his right hand, opened it, and balled his fist once more.
This time, Xu Kai closely observed his muscles bulging and the Spirit Qi in the air seeping into his pores.
His fist tore through the air once again. He kept training till the sun came out. He bathed before heading to the emerald mountain to avoid suspicion. Shui Mei Er and Shui Long Yan were not present, but he had expected it.
Days passed as Xu Kai trained in silence, waiting for the tension to die. With each passing day, his understanding grew deeper, and his punches began to unleash a sharp sound.
****
A week later, a youth sat cross-legged on a boulder. As he watched the sea in silence, his eyes were serene. His body was starting to regain its white tone, and he had gained extra flesh from catching fish, selling them, and consuming a significant portion of Fatty Tian's meals.
The jade mushroom caused him to undergo an astronomical transformation.
'The jade mushroom still has a small amount of energy. It should be enough for me to break through this threshold and enter the intermediate stage. Then, my body will remove any residual dirt from my organs and muscles.
He had been meditating since last night, and it would soon be noon. Right now, his state of mind is calm, like the vast sea.
Popping sounds rang as he got to his feet and stretched his arms. "It's time to hunt." His calm eyes flickered with excitement.
Excited to hunt, Xu Kai jumped down and walked into the sea. In mere moments, his figure disappeared into the blue sea.
In his place, a ferocious Skylark Shark!