The sea was azure, its waves rippling.
The Arctic Ocean was vast and boundless, stretching as far as the eye could see, its expanse immeasurable.
The sea wind howled, carrying a bone-chilling cold, while simultaneously whipping up countless waves that crashed heavily against the shore rocks, creating earth-shattering roars.
Across the vast, empty sea surface, colossal sea monsters could be seen frolicking.
And monstrous sea sirens occasionally surfaced, their gazes cold and fixed on the land, emitting shrill cries.
Along the long, slender western coastline, dark red currents frequently washed ashore the corpses of numerous deep-sea creatures.
The air was filled with a pungent, fishy stench.
Gathered on the shore were a large number of cultivators, eagerly salvaging the valuable remains.
These deep-sea creatures were usually difficult to capture, even a glimpse of them was rare. Now, they lay scattered across the beach; it was truly a windfall.
Fights and brawls, often bloody, erupted frequently over the contention for some precious corpses.
The world was indeed cruel, where lives could be lost at any moment for trivial gains.
Among the crowd, many powerful Heavenly Immortals in uniform patrolled. However, they did not intervene in these disputes. Instead, they constantly monitored the movements in the sea, their expressions grave.
Er Lengzi, piloting his flying boat, dropped Ji Mo and Boniu off at the western coast of the Arctic Ocean and then wisely returned to the Void Sword Sect.
He felt that his ancestor was bringing a new companion to meet an old flame, and who knew what kind of drama might unfold. It could turn into a major love triangle, and it was best not to get involved.
Ji Mo mingled with the crowd, listening to the surrounding conversations, intending to first understand the situation in the Arctic Ocean before deciding on his next move.
"Lately, the Arctic Ocean has been quite turbulent. I heard the Mermaid clan has brutally slaughtered many sea creatures, staining a vast expanse of the ocean red with their blood."
"Indeed, the Mermaids are ambitious. They have allied with several powerful factions, unscrupulously eliminating dissenters, aiming to dominate the Arctic Ocean. There are even rumors that their ambition extends beyond this, potentially reaching onto land."
"It seems a chaotic era is indeed upon us. Not long ago, a major incident occurred on the Bliss Plateau, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of lives. Now, the Arctic Ocean is also unsettled."
"Who can say otherwise? If the Mermaid clan attacks the land, it will likely unleash a torrent of bloodshed, and who knows how many will die. After all, the Mermaids are notoriously bloodthirsty and cruel, treating life as nothing more than grass. They will surely go on a killing spree."
Nearby, many cultivators were discussing the situation, their expressions visibly solemn.
The Arctic Ocean was in complete chaos, and the conflict was highly likely to spill over onto land, with a great disaster potentially imminent.
However, most people remained optimistic.
They had immense faith in the western coastal defense line, which, for countless ages, had stood like an unshakeable bastion, firmly repelling the incursions of the Arctic Ocean's sea monsters.
After learning this, Ji Mo pondered, realizing that things were not as simple as he had initially thought. He couldn't rush; he needed to strategize before acting.
Boniu landed on a shallow beach, feeling the damp sand and the salty sea breeze. She gazed into the deep ocean, her eyes red and large tears welling up.
She missed her home, her parents.
But her underwater home was destroyed, and her parents were gone.
"Ah!"
"The sea, oh, the sea, is full of water."
"Ah!"
"Crabs, oh, crabs, have eight legs..."
Seeing her state, Ji Mo walked over to Boniu and deliberately recited poetry in an exaggerated tone, trying to cheer her up.
Boniu glared at Ji Mo with her clear, large eyes.
This fellow was truly something. If you can't write poetry, don't pretend to be cultured. And to recite it so loudly, didn't he feel ashamed?
However, Ji Mo's antics did lighten her mood somewhat, and she felt less melancholic.
"Utter nonsense, utter nonsense. Where did this bumpkin come from? He probably doesn't even know a few characters. What is this he's reciting?"
A cold laugh echoed, and someone sneered, "Even if I wrote poetry with my toes, it would be a million times better than this. You, with your level of skill, trying to write poetry? You're an embarrassment."
A young master in luxurious attire, with a pale, beardless face, emerged from the crowd, mocking Ji Mo mercilessly.
He was clearly a person of considerable status, with forty to fifty attendants and maids following him, exuding an air of importance.
Ji Mo paid no attention to him. His gaze involuntarily fell upon the woman beside the young master, his eyes filled with curiosity.
This was no ordinary woman; she was a蚌女 (bàng nǚ - clam maiden).
She carried two large, heavy shells on her back. Her appearance was similar to a human woman, but her skin was supple and fair, so dewy that it seemed she could exude water with a gentle squeeze.
Even more striking was her incredibly revealing attire. Clothes woven from seaweed covered only a small portion of her skin, perfectly accentuating her proud figure.
As the sea breeze blew, the seaweed swayed, revealing large expanses of snow-white skin, causing the males in the vicinity to feel their noses heat up, and those with strong libidos even started bleeding from their noses.
Boniu, seeing someone mock Ji Mo, immediately became indignant. She could criticize Ji Mo, but she wouldn't allow others to bully him.
Just as she was about to step forward to defend Ji Mo, she noticed Ji Hanhan staring intently at the 蚌女, and her anger flared.
"As expected, men are all the same. They can't move their eyes when they see a beautiful woman."
Boniu was furious.
She had thought Ji Mo was different from other men, but it turned out they were all the same, just old perverts.
"Are you done looking?"
Boniu pouted, unable to bear it, feeling quite jealous.
What was so special about a 蚌女? Her figure and appearance were far inferior to her own. She just had a bit more flesh in certain places, was it really worth staring so intently?
"Not yet, I need to get a good look."
Ji Hanhan was truly憨 (hān - simple-minded). He was completely oblivious to Boniu's displeasure and even took a couple of steps closer to examine her from a distance.
The surrounding people were stunned. Although everyone had similar thoughts, they wouldn't dare to act on them. This young man was incredibly audacious.
"You bastard, you shameless thing."
Boniu bared her fangs and bit down hard on Ji Mo's finger.
Ji Mo sighed helplessly and finally withdrew his gaze, a hint of confusion in his pupils.
He wasn't trying to take liberties in public; rather, he sensed something unusual about the 蚌女. There was a peculiar aura within her, one that felt vaguely familiar.
"You scoundrel, you're seeking death! Believe it or not, I'll gouge your eyeballs out."
The young master in fine clothes flew into a rage. He didn't even dare to look at the 蚌女 beside him like this, yet a country bumpkin was staring incessantly.
Furthermore, the 蚌女's identity was not simple. He was taking this opportunity to show off, hoping to win her favor.
"It's fine. It's rare for someone to appreciate me so much."
The 蚌女 smiled sweetly, seemingly unfazed.
She could tell that Ji Mo's gaze held no ill intentions; in fact, there was a trace of aversion in it.
This puzzled her greatly. Had this young man seen something?