Chapter 17: Guardian Spirit Huo Qubing, Sea Jiao Royalty?

It is said that adult Sea Jiao can even speak simple human language and communicate simply with humans.

And among them, the Sea Jiao King possesses wisdom no less than humans, and strength that has broken through the Spirit Marshal realm's limits.

In the eyes of Sea Jiao, Spirit Masters are more alluring than ordinary people; they are their favorite food.

Sea Jiao are licentious by nature; eligible handsome men and beautiful women are also an irresistible temptation to them.

At this moment, the Sea Jiao in the sea looked at Huo Zhongjue on the shore, a pair of eyes glowing with blue light, revealing undisguised desire.

Facing that hellish gaze, Huo Zhongjue's aged face showed not a trace of fear.

He knew that if he could not stop this Sea Jiao today, the innocent citizens of Black Sea City behind him would surely suffer.

The sea wind struck, and Huo Zhongjue's clothes flapped loudly.

But Huo Zhongjue's figure stood straight as a pine, a murderous aura unique to soldiers pervading the surroundings.

Huo Zhongjue understood that to kill this Sea Jiao, the main battlefield must be on land.

Only by luring the Sea Jiao ashore would he have a chance of victory.

Not allowing Huo Zhongjue to hesitate, he gritted his teeth and shouted at Huo Peiting, who was already pale with fright:

"Xiao Pei, run back; no matter what happens, no matter what you hear, do not look back!"

"Grandpa! No! I won't go! If we go, we go together!" Huo Peiting shook her head and cried out.

With Huo Zhongjue's tone like he was making final arrangements, how could she flee alone?

Time was pressing; battle could begin at any moment.

Huo Zhongjue set his face, feigning anger: "If you don't go, how can Grandpa fight with peace of mind, still having to divert attention to care for you? Do you want to harm Grandpa?"

"Grandpa!"

Hearing this, Huo Peiting's red lips moved slightly; in the end, she turned away with tears and ran off in large strides.

Yes, Grandpa was right.

She was just an ordinary person, without a Guardian Spirit.

Staying here would not only fail to help Grandpa, but would also add to his burden.

She could only silently pray in her heart: Heavens above, you must bless Grandpa to return safely.

The Sea Jiao watched this scene on the shore, its pair of dull fish eyes flashing a trace of human-like expression.

This Sea Jiao's intelligence was not low, far surpassing ordinary Sea Jiao.

If one observed carefully, one would discover the scales at its neck shimmering with golden light.

This represented that this Sea Jiao possessed royal bloodline.

Huff.

The Sea Jiao opened its bloody mouth, seawater gathered, and one water arrow after another condensed, shooting toward the fleeing Huo Peiting, as if determined to kill her.

"Not good!"

Seeing this, Huo Zhongjue thought inwardly that things were bad; he hurriedly summoned his Guardian Spirit: "Huo Family Ancestor, please aid me!"

An ancient general clad in armor, holding a Xuan Iron bow and arrows, appeared behind Huo Zhongjue.

It was precisely Huo Zhongjue's D-rank Human-type Guardian Spirit — General Who Sealed the Wolf, Huo Qubing!

A military strategist during Emperor Wu of Han's era, he served as Grand Marshal and General of Chariots and Cavalry, excelled at mounted archery, and was skilled in long-distance raids.

In history, Huo Qubing led armies against the Xiongnu multiple times.

Under his leadership, the Xiongnu were defeated step by step by the Han army, and Huo Qubing thus left the celebrated tale of "Sealing the Wolf at Juxu."

The moment Huo Qubing was summoned, he fired several arrows in succession, all striking the water arrows the Sea Jiao had shot.

Piercing a willow at a hundred paces, every arrow finds its mark!

And after the Sea Jiao fired the water arrows, it immediately dove into the water; when it surfaced again, it was already at the shore, lunging straight at Huo Zhongjue.

The distance between the one person and one Jiao was less than two meters.

"Feinting east, striking west — this beast's intelligence is so high."

Huo Zhongjue's heart shook; the Sea Jiao clearly knew Huo Peiting was his weak point, and deliberately attacked Huo Peiting to draw his attention and firepower.

Feeling the sea wind mixed with a nauseating fishy stench, memories deep in his mind seemed to awaken, and his body couldn't help but tremble.

The cold poison in his body actually went wildly active at this moment, flaring up!

The roof leaks just as the rain pours all night; weakness meets a beauty — could it be Heaven wants to do me in?

In the sea, this Sea Jiao's strength far surpasses a First-Rank Spirit Marshal; on land, it has at least the combat power of a Ninth-Rank Grand Spirit Master at peak.

Huo Zhongjue's cultivation is only Ninth-Rank Grand Spirit Master; with the cold poison flaring, he has almost no chance of victory.

He's already old; the things and people he wanted to do, he's done them all; dying holds no regrets.

Only the lives of the citizens and his granddaughter worry him.

A Sea Jiao in a blood frenzy, once ashore, will not easily retreat back into the sea.

"All-out punch!"

"Barrage!"

Cold light gathered in Huo Zhongjue's eyes; he gathered power and blasted out a punch.

Guardian Spirit Huo Qubing attacked simultaneously; the long bow drew into a half-moon, arrows filling the sky shooting at the Sea Jiao.

One person, one spirit; the moment they moved, it was with full force.

Boom!

Huo Peiting ran backward with all her strength.

Even hearing intense battle sounds from behind, she dared not look back; her legs ached from exhaustion, yet she still dared not stop for a moment.

There are many horrifying rumors about Sea Jiao; she had heard quite a few.

Grandpa has had old ailments these years; he's long since not the young man who could bend his bow and shoot great eagles seven times in one night without getting winded.

Grandfather's situation is critical; she must call the police for help immediately and evacuate the nearby residents.

Mid-run, she suddenly recalled something; her eyes flicked hurriedly to the distance, where a youth still sat perched on a giant boulder, spirit-fishing.

One person, one rod, sitting alone by the sea, as if everything around him were of no concern.

"Damn it! Didn't you hear such a huge commotion? Are you deaf? At a time like this you don't run — you're still there spirit-fishing! Dumbass!"

Huo Peiting was furious; if she weren't in a rush to leave, she would have charged over and beaten Li Qingran senseless.

Her grandfather is fighting for his life to save people.

Yet some people, for money, would throw away their own lives.

On the other side, Huo Zhongjue kept retreating.

As he anticipated, the sea shark-man refused to let its nearly-secured meal slip away; its thick tail lashed out, propelling it straight up from the seawater.

The originally blue-black tail transformed into a pair of scale-covered feet, landing firmly on the ground.

The sea shark-man's build was burly; even on land it remained a giant over two meters tall, towering over Huo Zhongjue.

Huo Zhongjue's face was pale, frost crystallizing on his brows; after channeling spiritual power, the cold poison within him spread even faster.

Huff!

Once ashore, the sea shark-man's speed, though inferior to in water, was still swift as the wind; in a flash it reached Huo Zhongjue and struck with a palm.

Guardian spirit Huo Qubing swung the Black Iron Great Bow to meet it.

Whack!

With a dull thud, Huo Qubing staggered back several steps and crashed into a reef.

Hiss!

When the guardian spirit is injured, the spirit master suffers as well.

On top of the uncontrollable cold poison, Huo Zhongjue could endure no longer; he felt a sweetness in his throat and spat a mouthful of fresh blood.

His whole body slumped powerlessly to the ground, shaking violently from cold.

His expression was desolate — he had still overestimated himself; a single exchange and he was routed.

He turned his head slightly; Huo Peiting had only managed to run that short distance.

If he fell here, Huo Peiting would likely meet a grim fate.

"Ah, Grandpa never should've let you bring me out spirit-fishing..."

Huo Zhongjue gazed at the ferocious shark-man baring a mouthful of teeth; bitterness welled in his heart, regret beyond measure — but what use is regret?

The sea shark-man closed in step by step...