Chapter 46: Raging Tides and Plunging into the Sea

The mermen fled in droves, and while combat continued elsewhere, fighting had ceased on a small scale around Luo Zhou.

As the battle ended, Luo Zhou couldn't help but gasp for breath.

Despite his powerful physique, this intense bout had left him feeling utterly exhausted.

He looked around; combat raged in the distance, but here, a temporary truce had taken hold.

More than a dozen cultivators who had charged in together had already fallen.

The survivors were either slumped on the ground or tending to their wounds.

A group of people ran over—hundreds of ordinary mortals, all young and able-bodied men.

They carried stretchers to carry away the fallen cultivators.

The dead were prepared for burial, while the living were treated immediately.

Someone handed Luo Zhou some water.

It was sweet honey water with a hint of saltiness, meant to replenish his strength.

If he felt hungry, large meat buns were sent to him immediately.

Luo Zhou ate three large meat buns in one go, stopping when he was only half-full; eating too much would hinder his performance in the upcoming fight.

Many of the able-bodied mortals began collecting the carcasses of the sea beasts on the ground.

They would deliver a finishing blow to those not quite dead, and immediately load the thoroughly dead onto horse carts.

These were seafood resources that could be exchanged for Spirit Fragments; the pensions for the deceased and the wages for the combatants all came from this.

At the very least, it was meat, preventing food shortages if the city remained besieged for too long.

This work was extremely dangerous. If a sea beast wasn't fully dead and suddenly made a death throe, two strong mortal men could instantly be decapitated.

Someone would step in to finish off the beast, but the dead mortals remained dead.

As Luo Zhou watched, Cheng Peng shouted

"Everyone, rest and regroup! The second wave of sea beasts is coming soon!

Don't go over there to help; you'll only cause more chaos!

Follow the city's commands. Battalion Commander Guo of the Coast Guard is a strategist; listen to him, and you won't go wrong..."

He had killed an opponent's Tier 2 merman without sustaining any injuries.

Luo Zhou's ability to slaughter so effectively was directly related to Cheng Peng's success in taking down that Tier 2 merman.

Under his command, the remaining combat-capable cultivators quickly organized themselves.

He walked up to Luo Zhou and said, "Young man, what is your name?"

"Luo Zhou!"

"You're impressive, a real fighter! Next time, we'll have to rely on you as our main force!"

Of the three Qi Refinement cultivators, Cheng Peng and Liu Jing were fine, but He Yongqi was injured. Although his spiritual energy had healed him, the scars on his body were still visible to the naked eye.

He wasn't reliable right now; they needed Luo Zhou.

"Our team lost seven men and had eleven incapacitated just now.

The survivors are all capable fighters, but if they come again, the pressure will be immense with our numbers reduced!"

A squad that originally had over sixty men had suddenly lost a third...

And this was only the first wave of the first day!

However, those remaining were all capable, and reinforcements would be arriving.

Luo Zhou nodded and said, "I've got this!"

"Good man! Once this is over, I'll make sure you get full credit!"

With that, Cheng Peng patted Luo Zhou on the shoulder and went to encourage the others.

Luo Zhou took the opportunity to check his Spirit Runes.

In a trance, he felt as if he had entered a dreamscape.

An eternal sea of fire.

Eighty-three Lifespans!

Wash!

Ten of the Lifespans transformed into flames, burning fiercely.

They turned into a type of spiritual fire that spread from the Spirit Runes on Luo Zhou's back to his entire body.

Luo Zhou silently underwent a full-body evolution.

Flesh, bone, the five senses, meridians, limbs, internal organs, spirit, and soul—everything was incrementally strengthened and enhanced by the infusion of Essence.

Once the first set was washed, the second set of ten Lifespans continued, then another ten...

In one breath, all eight sets were completed!

Simultaneously, Luo Zhou felt his body become incredibly hot, as if what flowed through his veins was not blood, but a surging, violent energy that instantly raced from his heart to his entire body.

For a moment, everything around him seemed to freeze; all motion became sluggish!

His ability, *Continuous Rapid Movement*, which had been repeatedly activated by his senior brother Cui Jian, evolved under this baptism into the Trait: *Superspeed*.

Activating this trait would put his body into a state of extreme velocity.

It was no longer just rapid movement, but an all-around increase in agility.

Compared to the original ability, the duration of *Superspeed* was doubled, while the physical stamina consumption was reduced to only a quarter of the original.

Luo Zhou let out a long breath; his strength had increased invisibly.

This was the profound utility of Spirit Runes; the "Great Flower Back" was no joke!

Under the baptism of Lifespans, the body evolved and spirituality was enhanced—this was called "Body Tempering and Spirit Condensation"!

In his trance, Luo Zhou silently felt the changes within himself.

He gritted his teeth, feeling a slight sense of regret. If he had accumulated enough for a full "Body Tempering and Spirit Condensation" cycle, perhaps *Rapid Movement* would have evolved into a Talent.

A Talent far surpassed a Trait!

That would have made him even stronger!

He had to accumulate more. He needed another hundred Lifespans to perform a massive "Body Tempering and Spirit Condensation" burn!

And it wouldn't just be *Rapid Movement*; he wanted to upgrade all his other abilities into Talents.

In truth, the one that most needed upgrading was his ability, *Reward Good and Punish Evil*.

But this process of Body Tempering and Spirit Condensation was entirely beyond his control.

Just then, someone shouted, "They're coming! They're coming!"

A new enemy had charged back.

The area immediately prepared for battle. Those with battle formations maintained them, while those without fought individually.

The sea beasts charging into the formation were led by seven Seahorse Knights.

Their lower bodies were those of seahorses, floating a foot above the ground, while their upper bodies were humanoid, clad in heavy armor and wielding lances!

Each carried several flags on their backs, shielding everything behind them.

The armor, the spears, and the flags were all made of Spirit Gold, shining brightly like silver.

This signified that they were not mere merman fodder, but true warriors of the great sea clans.

As the Seahorse Knights appeared, the East Gate opened, and three Spirit Boats surged out, heading straight for this location.

The Coast Guard warriors of Cuiling City were arriving on land-traveling boats to provide support.

Seahorse Knights were true warriors of the sea clans, not something ordinary cultivators like Cheng Peng could contend with; they required regular military forces to face them.

However, it would take time for them to arrive.

The seven Seahorse Knights raised their lances, formed a line, and charged!

Though there were only seven, they felt like a charge of a thousand cavalry.

With the reinforcements still far off and the enemy already charging, Cheng Peng let out a long sigh and said

"Everyone, face your fate!

Retreat is impossible; we cannot outrun Seahorse Knights. We will surely die if we run. We must fight!"

He was the first to charge, roaring

"We cultivators—what joy is there in life, and what fear is there in death? Kill!"

Seeing this, Luo Zhou also let out a roar and charged alongside him!

*Superspeed* activated, his speed skyrocketing, surpassing even Cheng Peng.

He even felt a sudden impulse to use the Dragon Slayer Thorn on his back.

While Luo Zhou hesitated, the Seahorse Knights suddenly shifted their formation, unexpectedly dodging him.

This instantly revealed the enemies hidden behind the knights' flags!

They were twelve Naga Sirens!

Naga Sirens were half-human, half-snake creatures inhabiting the deep-sea reefs. Most had the upper bodies of women, covered in scales, with serpentine tails.

Each held a bow and arrow, raining a frantic volley of shots toward Luo Zhou!

The charge of the Seahorse Knights had been a mere distraction to hide them.

They were the true killing blow, with a single objective: to kill Luo Zhou!

The sea clans possessed their own strategists, such as Merman Seers and Sea Beast Shamans.

They had calculated the threat Luo Zhou posed!

A youth who could stir the seas and oceans, a powerhouse, an inexplicable sense of dread...

So, they laid a trap to kill him directly!

They had intentionally avoided deploying Tier 2 sea beasts, fearing it would trigger Luo Zhou's danger perception and allow him to escape.

They arranged the Seahorse Knights because their speed could pursue Luo Zhou's companions, forcing him to act.

Then, the twelve Naga archers would unleash a collective volley to kill him in one strike.

It was a perfectly orchestrated, inescapable death trap!

The Naga archers fired frantically; nearly a hundred arrows flew toward him. Luo Zhou was surrounded—front, back, left, right, above, and below—by a wall of arrows.

These arrows were coated in the most potent sea venom; a single scratch would mean instant death.

Even a Qi Refinement cultivator's Qi Shield would struggle against such lethal toxicity.

At the moment of life and death, Luo Zhou's body moved on its own!

Transcending his conscious mind, his body acted instinctively.

With a sudden burst of *Superspeed*, he tripped his own feet, slamming into the ground!

Luo Zhou fell instantly, and due to his extreme speed, he began to tumble across the ground.

But the enemy had planned for everything; even a tumbling fall was within their range of attack.

However, Luo Zhou's tumble seemed to hit a spring, and he suddenly bounced upward.

Completely ignoring the constraints of space and time, he launched himself five zhang into the air, completely evading the rain of arrows.

In that instant, Luo Zhou understood!

This was the true essence of the *River-Flipping Step*.

He had been practicing the *River-Flipping Step* incorrectly; one shouldn't fight standing up. One had to tumble across the ground like this. The name itself contained the word "flip"—how could one flip a river without rolling?

With such tumbling, the profound mechanics of the distance used to kill the Green Prawn Monster were applied to his entire body, warping space, which allowed him to spring five zhang high in an instant!

However, the leader among the Nagas, who had been holding her fire, roared in fury upon seeing this

"Hit him!"

A massive bow unleashed a massive arrow!

The shot was both incredibly fast and precise, carrying boundless power toward Luo Zhou.

Luo Zhou was suspended in mid-air, with no way to dodge.

At that moment, his body moved again, plummeting with all its might!

He fell like a meteor; in the void, there was no resistance to accelerate his descent.

With a slight shift in trajectory, he evaded the giant arrow and slammed violently into the midst of the Naga group!

The technique was called *Treading the Sea*. Why "treading" and not "toppling"?

To tread, you must strike downward with force!

Combat is the best catalyst for growth!

The core of the *River-Flipping Movement* was rolling; the core of the *Sea-Treading Movement* was the crushing descent!

The "Demon Lord's Sacred Body" was not just a name!

In the face of danger, the body seeks survival!

The body leads the head!