First, surface.
Underwater, Yuchimura thought about his plan to circle around the other's body.
He was six meters below, to the right of the pectoral fin. He could circle around its body from the side, five meters away. Given its massive size, it would be difficult for it to attack him.
So, Yuchimura stabilized his downward trajectory. He pushed off with his legs, shooting diagonally upwards, intending to swim past Xia Qiu's body and ascend.
Xia Qiu indeed didn't attack immediately, continuing his charge forward.
Seeing this, a look of relief spread across Yuchimura's face. He continued to maneuver around Xia Qiu, planning to dive deeper.
But just as he leaped over the other's body, he found its tail swinging towards him.
This...
Although Xia Qiu was charging forward, he angled downwards to the left, twisting his body and swinging his tail upwards and to the right.
As Yuchimura cleared his body, Xia Qiu's tail swept diagonally from bottom to top, striking his flank.
Bang.
Yuchimura was directly hit by Xia Qiu's tail, and with a gasp, the air was expelled from his lungs.
However, he curled his body, using the force of the strike to propel himself upwards.
He was already close to the surface, and this surge sent him bursting out of the water, gasping for air.
Xia Qiu submerged his head, circled around, and then propelled himself upwards, charging towards the Yuchimura on the surface.
Just as Xia Qiu was about to reach Yuchimura, he had already taken another breath, held it, and dived back into the sea. He pushed off with his legs, shooting away into the distance.
Boom.
The next moment, Xia Qiu's head broke the surface, his entire head appearing above the water.
At this moment, Yuchimura pushed off again with his legs, gripping his long sword, and thrust it towards Xia Qiu's side.
Charging Fountain.
The long sword sliced through the water, stabbing towards Xia Qiu.
But at this moment, Xia Qiu's massive head swung down towards Yuchimura's direction.
Thwack.
The long sword pierced Xia Qiu's scales, then continued to penetrate, going in a full inch before being stopped.
"Didn't even hit bone?"
Yuchimura realized his blade had broken through the scales but was halted by muscle.
Its body was too tough.
Yuchimura's expression turned grim. Having thrust his blade to its limit, he dared not apply more force. He withdrew his sword and dodged downwards.
Boom.
The next moment, Xia Qiu's head smashed down, hitting the water's surface. The force dissipated slightly before continuing to press downwards.
Bang.
Yuchimura blocked with his left hand, bracing himself. His arm ached as if it were broken, and his body accelerated downwards.
Xia Qiu attempted to pursue Yuchimura, but Yuchimura stayed tightly pressed to Xia Qiu's side, gripping his long sword and thrusting it towards the area above Xia Qiu's pectoral fin.
Swallow Strike.
The long sword again pierced Xia Qiu's body, but it was still blocked by muscle.
At the same time, Xia Qiu's tentacles lashed out towards Yuchimura.
Useless.
The instant the tentacles struck, Yuchimura raised his leg and stomped on them several times in rapid succession.
Soru.
This was one of the Six Powers, and the only technique Yuchimura had mastered.
Soru referred to striking the ground ten times with one's feet in an instant, within 0.36 seconds, generating immense explosive power for high-speed movement.
In the water, Yuchimura couldn't perform Soru, but he could still stomp seven times in one second.
Using the explosive force from those seven stomps, Yuchimura retreated, instantly creating distance, while Xia Qiu's tentacles were repelled.
This kind of technique.
Xia Qiu frowned slightly, but didn't attack immediately. Instead, he adjusted his posture, slowly creating distance and facing Yuchimura.
Difficult.
His slashes were not weak. While they wouldn't threaten him, they could still inflict damage.
Secondly, his speed and reaction time were fast.
His swimming speed in the water couldn't match his own, but his body was twenty times smaller. As long as he could position himself correctly and dodge his attacks, he could avoid taking major damage.
Difficult.
The difficulty referred to eating him, not leaving.
If he wanted to leave, he could do so anytime.
But if he were to eat it, the stronger it was, the more intense his desire to devour it would become.
Xia Qiu turned and created some distance, while Yuchimura slowly surfaced, taking deep breaths before diving back down.
He looked at the enormous black Sea Fish.
Yuchimura also found it quite difficult.
His attacks had little effect on it, and its immense power posed a significant threat to him.
Yuchimura didn't want to fight it, but he had already entered the water, and it refused to leave, so he had to continue.
*BOOM.*
Xia Qiu transformed into a black shadow and charged towards Yuchimura.
"Here it comes."
Yuchimura stared intently at Xia Qiu. As it approached, he pushed off the water with his feet and darted to the side.
But just as he turned, Xia Qiu also turned, tilting its head in his direction. In an instant, it was close, opening its massive maw to bite him.
Facing the sharp teeth, Yuchimura drew his long sword. He placed his left hand on the blade's spine and gripped the hilt with his right, slashing forward.
*CLANG.*
Teeth met the long sword, and the immense force made the blade tremble, sending shockwaves through Yuchimura.
*WHOOSH.*
Yuchimura used the momentum to retreat, creating distance. He instantly pulled far away, only to feel his arms go numb.
*BOOM.*
Xia Qiu charged again, lunging to bite Yuchimura.
Yuchimura seized an opportunity and instantly sank down. Sensing Yuchimura's movement, Xia Qiu's abdomen protruded.
Seeing this, Yuchimura held his breath, gripped his sword with both hands, and slashed forward.
If your abdomen has tentacles, I'll cut them off before attacking you.
*Eagle Strike Counter.*
Yuchimura's sword seemed to transform into the wings of a soaring eagle as he slashed forward.
*CHOP, CHOP.*
One of Xia Qiu's tentacles was severed directly. Another tentacle was less than half cut through because it struck a claw.
Even so, the claw was also severed.
The power is immense.
Although the first tentacle had been struck before and couldn't be actively controlled for retraction, only the base could be swung, keeping it in a stretched state, the fact that he could sever a tentacle shows his strength is considerable.
But after he swung his long sword, Xia Qiu's body descended, controlling its other tentacles to attack.
Yuchimura was about to swing his sword again, but Xia Qiu's body plummeted, pressing down on Yuchimura.
Xia Qiu's body was now forty-two meters long, weighing nearly three hundred tons. With such weight crashing down, Yuchimura couldn't resist.
So he curled his body, inverted himself, and then pushed off Xia Qiu's abdomen with his feet.
*THUMP.*
Yuchimura stomped eight times in one second, launching himself forward and diving underwater, slashing his long sword horizontally.
*SLICE, SLICE.*
Two tentacles were struck, but two others closed in on Yuchimura.
Yuchimura was fast, but he couldn't escape the assault of the twelve-meter-long tentacles. His lower body was engulfed and tightly wrapped.
*STAB, STAB.*
Claws dug into his skin along with the tightening tentacles, sinking in slowly.
It hurts.
Yuchimura felt the tentacles sinking into his skin and muscle. He immediately raised his sword and slashed at a tentacle.
A gash was opened in the tentacle, and the constricting force lessened slightly, but another tentacle remained.
Just as Yuchimura was about to swing his sword for a second strike, Xia Qiu suddenly lunged forward.
*BOOM.*
Yuchimura's body lurched forward, his grip on the sword unstable, preventing him from completing the strike.
He struggled to steady himself, only to realize something.
This Sea Fish wasn't just charging forward; it was also diving downwards.
This is bad.
Yuchimura saw this and immediately drew his long saber, slashing at the tentacle.
After being struck by the saber, the tentacle slowly loosened its grip.
Yuchimura seized this opportunity, pushing off with his legs, but felt an unbearable pain in them, greatly weakening his strength.
He gritted his teeth and charged diagonally backward, evading Xia Qiu's pectoral fin and reaching Xia Qiu's side.
However, he discovered that the opponent hadn't continued his dive but had instead turned and was swimming upward, heading toward the surface.
What is this?
Xia Qiu coiled near the surface, keeping his head aimed at Yuchimura, his massive maw opening to reveal sharp teeth, as if mocking him.
Feeling the pain in his left arm and legs, and the suffocating pressure in his lungs, Yuchimura's face contorted in despair.
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