Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

The two people and the turtle had only traveled a few miles along the coast when they suddenly heard heavy breathing and a dull thud of something heavy hitting the ground coming from the beach ahead. The sound of the waves seemed particularly abrupt.

Lin Yan raised his hand to signal Azhu to stop. The spirit turtle perched on Azhu's shoulder immediately poked its head out, its eyes warily looking toward the source of the sound. A faint blue spiritual light flickered on its shell, a warning that there was a powerful blood aura ahead, not an evil aura.

Rounding a cluster of jagged rocks, the view suddenly opened up. On the flat white sand stood a towering, muscular man. He was probably in his early twenties, nearly ten feet tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back. His bronze skin, roughened by the sea wind and sun, was rugged and thick, his bulging muscles hard and defined, concealing explosive power. His hair was disheveled like wild grass, and his beard was thick and bushy. His large, round eyes, initially giving him a fierce and menacing appearance, were actually dressed in a coarse cloth short jacket with many patches and worn-out straw sandals, making him look remarkably simple and unassuming.

At this moment, he was punching the waist-high reef with his bare hands. Each punch sent sand and gravel flying, and the surface of the reef was already covered with fist dents of varying depths, with small pieces of rock falling down. With each punch, he let out a loud shout, his voice as booming as a bell, which actually drowned out the sound of the waves crashing around him.

"Hey! Ha!"

"If I train harder, I can protect Mother if she gets into trouble in the future!"

Beside the burly man lay a broken iron fork, a fishing net with a large hole cut by a sharp object, and a small basket of freshly caught fish, which he probably intended to take home to nourish his elderly mother.

Lin Yan recognized him at a glance as Chen Dagang, a notorious brute from the fishing village.

Chen Dagang lost his father at a young age and lived with his elderly mother. He was impulsive and straightforward, possessing immense strength, and was known throughout the village as a hothead. He earned a living by fishing and carrying heavy loads for the villagers, giving all his earnings to his mother. He was devoted to his mother and placed filial piety above all else. Although he was hot-tempered and competitive, he was kind-hearted and never bullied the weak. A few days ago, when Jiang Hu and his henchmen were terrorizing the fishing village, Chen Dagang, relying on his brute strength, fought several times with Jiang Hu's men to protect the village's elderly and children, showing no fear whatsoever.

"That's Brother Da Gang. Why is he breaking rocks here?" Yi Azhu timidly hid behind Lin Yan, peeking out half her head and whispering. Although she was usually afraid of Chen Da Gang's fierce appearance, she knew that he was a filial and kind-hearted person who often shared the small fish and shrimp he caught with the elderly living alone in the village.

Chen Dagang had extremely sensitive hearing and instantly heard the sound behind him. He abruptly pulled back his fist and turned around, his large, round eyes sweeping over. Seeing that it was Lin Yan and Yi Azhu, his fierce aura softened slightly, but his voice remained loud and clear, making one's ears tremble slightly: "Lin Yan, you brat? Azhu, you little girl? Why aren't you in the village? What are you doing on this remote beach?"

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously swept over the basket of fresh fish beside him, presumably because he was thinking of his elderly mother waiting at home for fish, and was eager to finish his boxing practice and go home.

Lin Yan stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked in a deep voice, "Brother Da Gang, Miss Yunxi went missing last night. We are searching for her by following the trail. You were practicing your boxing here, did you see her or hear anything unusual at the beach last night?"

"Yunxi has gone missing?!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Dagang's eyes widened suddenly, and he abruptly withdrew his fist, causing the pebbles beneath his feet to shift slightly. He scratched his disheveled hair and, in a rough voice, carefully recalled the events, his tone becoming more urgent: "Last night, in the latter half of the night, I was casting my net in a nearby rocky cave, hoping to catch more fresh fish to make soup for my mother. I vaguely heard a hissing sound of sword energy coming from the sea, but it was too dark to see any figures clearly. Then a strange wind blew by, chilly and cold, and after that, there was no more sound."

"When I came to collect the nets this morning, I found that my tools of the trade—the fishing net and the pitchfork—were all cut to pieces, so I couldn't fish. I was afraid my mother would worry, and I was also angry at the person who did this in secret, so I smashed stones here to vent my anger and also to build up my strength so that I can protect my mother and the people in the village in the future."

Having said that, he gently kicked away the broken fork beside him, reducing the force slightly, afraid that the noise would startle those far away and delay his return home. He had completely lost his previous ferocity, and was only concerned about his elderly mother.

The spirit turtle slowly climbed down from Ah Zhu's shoulder, ran to Chen Dagang's feet with its short legs, sniffed around him and the pebbles on the ground, and suddenly looked up towards the eastern sea, making short "cooing" sounds. The blue light on its shell flashed several times, clearly indicating the direction of Yun Xi's aura.

"The spirit turtle is saying that Sister Yunxi's whereabouts have gone east," Azhu said softly. She was born with a water spirit body and had a faint spiritual connection with the spirit turtle that was close to her, so she instantly understood what the spirit turtle meant.

Chen Dagang stared wide-eyed at the intelligent little turtle that could even guide him, his face filled with astonishment. He murmured, "This little turtle is so intelligent, it's truly amazing."

Lin Yan frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "To the east is a chaotic reef beach, where there are many hidden currents, reefs, and low-level sea monsters. It is extremely dangerous."

"A chaotic reef beach?!" Chen Dagang's eyes widened, his thick eyebrows instantly furrowing. Having made a living by the sea for more than ten years, he naturally knew the dangers of that place. Thinking of Yunxi, a young girl, alone in danger, and also thinking of Lin Yan and Azhu, one weak and one small, he immediately patted his thick chest, making a muffled "thump" sound.

"I know that place very well. I know exactly where the reefs are and where the sheltered caves are! Yunxi has helped the village a lot in the past, so I can't just stand by and do nothing. Besides, it's too dangerous for the two of you to go there!"

As he spoke, he quickly carried the fish basket behind a nearby reef and hid it. He then picked up a short-handled fishing axe tucked into his waistband, a tool he had kept specifically to protect himself in case of danger and to ensure his safe return home to see his elderly mother. Having done this, he looked at Lin Yan, his tone still rough, yet revealing genuine righteousness: "My mother is being looked after by neighbors at home; she'll be fine for the time being. I'll go with you! I'm strong; I can clear a path and withstand danger. I can even hold off sea monsters. More people means more protection."

Hearing him say this, Yi Azhu's eyes were full of gratitude, and she whispered, "Brother Dagang, thank you. I'm sorry to have kept you from taking care of Auntie."

Chen Dagang scratched his head, his face, beneath his thick beard, unusually flushed, and said in a gruff voice, "It's nothing. My mother always taught me that one should be grateful and repay kindness. Yunxi and Lin Yan have both helped my son and me, so I have to help them out!"

Having said that, he strode towards the chaotic reefs to the east, his steps extremely long.

Looking at this seemingly reckless man with a filial and righteous heart, Lin Yan felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Although Chen Dagang had no cultivation, he possessed immense strength, was familiar with the coastal terrain, and had a kind heart. His presence on this journey undoubtedly provided a great guarantee for the search for his missing person.

"Then I'll have to trouble Brother Dagang to lead the way." Lin Yan pulled Ah Zhu along and quickly followed.

The tortoise nimbly climbed back onto Ah Zhu's shoulder, its little head always facing east, occasionally letting out a soft chirp to accurately guide the way.

The morning light grew increasingly intense, casting long shadows of the three people and the turtle. The sea breeze whistled past their ears, and the jagged reefs ahead were faintly visible.