"If the Tung Wood boat gets sucked into the depths of the vortex, that would be trouble; this is the only boat I have!" Teng Qingshan peered intently below, his dark vision clearly discerning a thick, long column of water spiraling in the depths ahead. A thought sparked, and Teng Qingshan made his decision.

Whoosh!

He burst straight out of the water, circulating his Innate True Essence and unleashing the 'Horizon Strider' lightness skill, stomping hard upon the surface.

"Swish!"

Like an arrow piercing the void, he leaped twice across the water's surface before landing neatly on the deck of the Tung Wood boat.

"Whoosh—" Teng Qingshan threw open the cabin hatch and bolted inside like lightning.

The cabin shook incessantly; boxes, clothing, pots, and pans were scattered everywhere. Fortunately, the cooking utensils were iron and unlikely to break easily.

"Brother Teng, what's happening outside?" Li Jun, inside the cabin, asked with some worry. Teng Qingshan grabbed the Black Flame Cudgel from within the cabin and chuckled, "Nothing major, just a big whirlpool! I'll sort it out in a moment!" Holding the Black Flame Cudgel, Teng Qingshan swiftly exited through the hatch again and closed it.

Standing on the deck, he felt the hull shudder.

"Just a whirlpool?" Teng Qingshan leaped—leaped off the Tung Wood boat and plunged into the chaotic sea.

The seawater at this moment was dark and turbulent, like a roaring beast. While the spinning force was strong, for a powerhouse like Teng Qingshan, it was insufficient to restrain his movements. Holding the Black Flame Cudgel, Teng Qingshan dove directly into the deep water.

The surface was wild, but the depths beneath were comparatively calm. Teng Qingshan could see with his naked eye that spiraling column connecting to the surface!

"Break it!" Teng Qingshan kicked his legs, swimming rapidly toward it.

As he approached the column, Teng Qingshan faintly sensed the rotational, suctioning force. "Hmph!" Teng Qingshan plunged directly into the column. Upon entering the vortex column, "Swish-swish~~" the violently rotating force left Teng Qingshan's ears ringing only with the sound of sheer chaos.

"Stop!" Teng Qingshan's Innate True Essence vibrated against his skin, forcing him to hold steady.

"Turn for me!"

With a low shout, Teng Qingshan began to move the Black Flame Cudgel downward, completely reversing the vortex's direction! Swinging the Black Flame Cudgel in reverse inside the water column was incredibly difficult, but Teng Qingshan managed it.

"Whoosh, whoosh!" The Black Flame Cudgel spun.

"Not enough power!"

Teng Qingshan's face flushed slightly. His arms swelled suddenly, pushing up his sleeves. The previously moving Black Flame Cudgel began to spin so fast that if it were visible to the naked eye, its speed and rotation were utterly indiscernible. This frantic reverse spin immediately caused the original vortex to heave and shake.

The underwater vortex remained locked in a stalemate with Teng Qingshan. The powerful suction from the seabed was disrupted before it reached him.

Naturally, the vortex column above Teng Qingshan dissipated.

...

Inside the Tung Wood boat's cabin, Li Jun clung to the bulkhead, struggling to remain upright.

"It's steadying!" Li Jun also noticed that the amplitude of the cabin's shaking gradually diminished, soon becoming almost nonexistent.

"Did Brother Teng settle things?" Li Jun opened the hatch and walked onto the deck.

The sea at night was dark, like a man-devouring monster.

However, the whirlpool had now vanished, leaving only minor undulations on the surface.

"Where is Brother Teng?" Li Jun searched the surroundings carefully. The sea was still churning, but there was no sign of Teng Qingshan anywhere.

...

In the sea, Teng Qingshan was swimming downward, simultaneously disrupting the vortex.

Teng Qingshan actually had two choices: one was to continuously destroy the vortex, allowing the Tung Wood boat to drift away from the area—a method that would take a long time. The second was to rush straight to the vortex's root, temporarily incapacitate it, and then safely sail away. Unquestionably, Teng Qingshan chose the second method!

"I wonder what caused this whirlpool," Teng Qingshan mused internally.

In just a moment, Teng Qingshan reached the seabed.

"What is this?"

Teng Qingshan looked at the colossal, dull gray creature lying on the seafloor, faintly shimmering with flecks of crushed gold. Large columns of water were being sucked into its mouth, then forcefully ejected from areas resembling gills. This behemoth, at roughly twenty-odd zhang in length, was significantly larger than the Thunder Whale he had seen before.

"Sucking in water currents? What is it doing?" Teng Qingshan watched, perplexed. "Twenty-odd zhang long, probably weighing several hundred thousand jin!"

"Crushed gold on its surface, it looks somewhat similar to a Thunder Whale! But—this demonic beast has a sharp, dagger-like single horn! I'll temporarily call it... the Horned Thunder Whale Beast."

Teng Qingshan observed that the monster had an abundance of teeth in its mouth, perhaps five full rows, interlocking. Stones, wood, and other debris sucked in with the seawater were immediately blocked by these teeth.

"Hey, fellow!" Teng Qingshan boomed.

The colossal creature turned its pair of golden eyes, each as large as a carriage wheel, toward Teng Qingshan. Its mouth suddenly snapped shut, ceasing its suction.

"That’s better!" Teng Qingshan smiled and began swimming upward.

The massive creature suddenly opened its maw wide.

"Boom!"

A jet of water, like lightning, shot violently toward Teng Qingshan.

Teng Qingshan, who had been ascending, immediately spun his body. His right leg whipped out like a gale-force rotor, carrying over a million jin of immense force, churning the water, and smashing directly into the water column.

"Pang!"

The water jet exploded from the impact of the kick, causing the seabed currents to violently surge outward.

"Roar~~" The Horned Thunder Whale Beast swiftly whipped its tail and darted in front of Teng Qingshan, simultaneously letting out an angry roar. Its golden-yellow eyes burned with the fury of being provoked! It was the king of this sea region; no other demonic beast dared to challenge it.

How dare a mere human provoke it?

Teng Qingshan looked at the Horned Thunder Whale Beast and shook his head helplessly. "Big fellow, I only wanted you to stop so I could sail away. Although I wouldn't mind a great battle with you, I don't want to bully a demonic beast!" Teng Qingshan had encountered Void Realm demonic beasts several times before. Void Realm beasts were entirely different from Innate Golden Core demonic beasts.

Void Realm beasts could cause fluctuations in the power of heaven and earth with every move; a mere glance could project absolute pressure. Teng Qingshan clearly remembered the tremor he felt when encountering the Dragon Demon 'Zi Xi'.

To Teng Qingshan's estimation, this 'Horned Thunder Whale Beast' was, at best, an Innate Golden Core! Void Realm demonic beasts were exceedingly rare, difficult even to encounter. Having mastered the second stage of the Earth Element Fist, Teng Qingshan was absolutely confident in fighting an Innate Golden Core level beast.

Teng Qingshan did not wish to bully an Innate Golden Core demonic beast.

"Roar~~" The Horned Thunder Whale Beast possessed high intelligence and sensed Teng Qingshan's attitude.

This only enraged it further.

"Boom!" Its tail fin swung violently, and the Horned Thunder Whale Beast flashed forward toward Teng Qingshan, opening its terrifying maw! Each tooth in that huge mouth was likely larger than a human head and extremely sharp, arranged in five rows—even looking at them suggested their lethality.

Teng Qingshan directly swung the Black Flame Cudgel in his hand.

"Pang!" It struck the creature's skull, but the surface skin was too tough; it only managed to slightly break the skin, drawing blood.

"Whoa!" A terrifying suction force erupted from the Horned Thunder Whale Beast's mouth as its gaping jaws lunged toward Teng Qingshan.

"Not good!" At the edge of the beast’s mouth, Teng Qingshan truly grasped how terrifying the suction was. He was being pulled uncontrollably toward its mouth, his expression shifting slightly. "If the skull is this hard, the teeth must be even harder!" He estimated that if he were drawn inside, he would be instantly crushed!

To a demonic beast, sharp claws and teeth were divine weapons. A bite and a chew could grind even a divine weapon into scrap metal.

"Hmph!" Teng Qingshan swung the Black Flame Cudgel again, smashing against a tooth. The powerful recoil allowed him to drag himself away from the suctioning pull.

"Roooar~~~" The Horned Thunder Whale Beast hovered near the seabed, staring at Teng Qingshan.

Teng Qingshan held the Black Flame Cudgel, looking at the colossal creature, and a faint smile played on his lips. "I really didn't intend to fight you, but since you are so interested!" Teng Qingshan instantly transformed into an afterimage, darting toward the Horned Thunder Whale Beast, simultaneously retracting his Innate True Essence and covering his entire body with Inner Strength Gang Qi!

His power fully unleashed!

"Roooar~~~" The Horned Thunder Whale Beast, whose dominance hadn't been challenged in many years, roared back and charged. In the deep seabed, one man and one beast began their confrontation! The beast believed it was provoked, and the human was inherently warlike. The two naturally engaged in a fierce battle.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Teng Qingshan's Black Flame Cudgel struck with crushing weight, and when serious, his defense was nearly flawless.

"Whoosh whoosh~~~" Swirling currents appeared around Teng Qingshan as he struck, forcing the Horned Thunder Whale Beast to roar repeatedly. Its massive body sustained several wounds, but due to its sheer size, they were all minor injuries.

Suddenly—

"Chhh chhh~~" Blue-gold electric light permeated the entire body of the Horned Thunder Whale Beast, all the light frantically surging toward the dagger-like horn atop its head! Seeing this, Teng Qingshan’s expression changed drastically. "Is this monster actually a Thunder Whale?" The name Horned Thunder Whale Beast was just what Teng Qingshan had called it. He didn't know the species; after all, the true Thunder Whale lacked a horn, and its coloration was different.

In the depths, the pure gold light gathered on the colossal creature's horn. The Horned Thunder Whale Beast fixed its pair of carriage-wheel-sized eyes upon Teng Qingshan with chilling intensity.

"Swoosh!"

Golden electric light shot out from the horn. Teng Qingshan's body was already enveloped in a layer of Innate True Essence light shield.

"Too fast!" Teng Qingshan had no time to dodge; the golden light struck him instantly.

Thwack!

The Innate True Essence light shield instantly shattered, then immediately impacted Teng Qingshan's body. The intense current caused all his muscle fibers and bones to spasm violently. However, the Inner Strength Gang Qi, dormant in every cell of his body, immediately surged out, dispelling the electricity. Even Teng Qingshan's long hair flickered with an earthen-yellow glow.

At this moment, Teng Qingshan...

His body shimmered simultaneously with golden electric light and earthen-yellow radiance.

The Horned Thunder Whale Beast also watched this scene with astonishment. This human had not died!