Chapter 9

He could feel that his strength had risen another step.

"Burp…"

He let out a satisfied burp; though this wasn't a physiological phenomenon, he truly felt bloated.

The continuous hunting and consumption had also left him weary.

He found a hidden underwater cave, coiled up inside, and began to rest and digest.

Tomorrow, continue.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed leisurely.

Over these three days, Brother Ning Chuan became an endless hunter, stirring up a "storm of blood and gore" across this stretch of sea.

He relentlessly hunted powerful predatory sea creatures, continuously devouring and strengthening himself.

His body had grown from its original three meters to a terrifying length nearing six meters!

His waist thick as a water barrel, his entire body covered in thick, resilient black scales, each gleaming with a cold, dark luster.

Moreover, his appearance had undergone subtle yet significant changes.

His head was no longer the flat, cold shape of an ordinary snake, but slightly raised, appearing more majestic—less sinister, more commanding.

Above his forehead, two small protrusions faintly formed, as if something were about to burst forth.

His eyes, once purely cold and dark, now held a hint of ineffable liveliness and intimidation.

Subtly, he was beginning to show signs of evolving toward the legendary "Jiao Dragon"!

Yet Brother Ning Chuan also noticed that, as time went on, the growth rate from mere flesh consumption began to slow.

After reaching six meters, devouring sea fish of the same level brought barely any improvement.

He understood: perhaps he had hit a bottleneck.

To continue growing strong rapidly, he would likely need higher-quality energy—or… a true Xiulianfa.

Over these three days, besides hunting, Brother Ning Chuan gradually learned the environment he was in.

The distant island shrouded in mist was undoubtedly the Daoist stronghold of Huang Yaoshi—Taohuadao.

He occasionally saw faint human figures moving along the island's edge.

Those people were likely disciples or servants of Taohuadao.

They seemed to possess formidable Wu Gong, walking across cliffs and precipices as if on flat ground.

Brother Ning Chuan merely watched from afar, daring not to approach.

Though Snake Breathing Technique was wondrous, he couldn't be certain he could evade the perception of an ultimate expert like Huang Yaoshi at close range.

"How can I safely approach Taohuadao?"

Brother Ning Chuan coiled behind a reef, his massive serpent head resting on his body, his cold serpent eyes glinting with thought.

"Barging in directly? Impossible—that's suicide."

"Sneaking in? Too risky. If caught, Huang Laoxie might just stab me dead with his flute—what a waste."

As he pondered, he unconsciously swished his tail, stirring faint undercurrents in the sea.

Unaware, he had drifted again into the waters near Taohuadao.

Today's weather was unusually gloomy.

Dark clouds hung low, like lead weights pressing down on the sea, making it hard to breathe.

Wild winds roared, hurling waves tens of zhang high that slammed against the coastal rocks with deafening roars.

Large raindrops began falling sparsely, soon merging into a curtain of rain.

"Boom!"

A bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the dim sea in blinding white.

At that moment, an unusual thudding sound, mixed with faint cries and sharp shouts, reached Brother Ning Chuan's ears in intermittent bursts.

The sound seemed to come from the sea nearby.

Brother Ning Chuan's heart stirred.

On such weather, ordinary fishing boats would never dare to sail.

Could it be… people from Taohuadao?

Without hesitation, his massive body turned silently in the sea and swiftly swam toward the source of the sound.

The raging winds and towering waves were like daily fare to him, offering little resistance.

He crept close to the sea surface, revealing only half his head, flickering in and out of the turbulent waves.

Soon, he saw the scene ahead.

A small wooden boat was violently tossed in the storm, like a leaf caught in the maelstrom, ready to capsize at any moment.

Its sail had long been torn apart; its mast was broken halfway.

On deck, shadowy figures moved, but he couldn't make them out clearly.

"Crash!"

Another massive wave slammed into the boat's hull.

The wooden vessel groaned under the strain and lurched sharply to one side.

"Ah!"

A clear cry came from the boat.

Brother Ning Chuan's pupils contracted.

He saw a slender figure slide off the tilted deck and plunge into the cold, raging sea!

It was a girl!

Though only a fleeting glimpse, Brother Ning Chuan was stunned by the girl's breathtaking beauty in that instant.

Her skin was fairer than snow, her brows and eyes like a painting; though her hair was now disheveled and her clothes soaked, making her look somewhat wretched, her peerless beauty remained impossible to conceal.

After falling into the water, the young girl was clearly panicked, but after thrashing a few times, she managed to steady her body.

She seemed to know some swimming techniques and even possessed Wu Gong; with both palms striking the water, she tried to use the force to swim toward the broken boat that was on the verge of falling apart.

However, the sea waves at this moment were truly too ferocious.

One massive wave after another constantly battered her slender body, sweeping her further and further away.

Her stamina was being consumed at a rapid pace.

Brother Ning Chuan could clearly perceive that the young girl's breath was becoming chaotic.

What tightened his heart even more was that his sharp perception captured a fierce aura, quietly lurking and approaching from the seabed not far behind the young girl!

It was a huge gray shark!

At least seven or eight meters long, its blood-filled maw bristling with grim, sharp teeth, it was attracted by the commotion of the young girl's struggle in the water and the possible scent of blood.

Brother Ning Chuan's gaze fell once again upon the struggling young girl.

She wore a pale green silk robe; though soaked through, one could still vaguely see that the cut was well-fitted and the material extraordinary.

Her movement technique, though appearing somewhat clumsy amidst the massive waves, still revealed a few familiar traces to Brother Ning Chuan, thanks to his eyesight far surpassing that of ordinary people.

Those light and agile footprints of movement, the subtle cleverness contained within the Palm Technique as she struck the water...

"This movement technique... this aura..."

A thought suddenly flashed through Brother Ning Chuan's mind, a thought that made his heart skip a beat.

"Could it be... could it be that this young girl is Huang Rong?!"