'Right, I can try to create an octopus avatar,' Li Yang thought to himself.
The octopus is one of the overlords of the sea. Aside from a few creatures like whales and great white sharks, it has very few rivals.
All eight of its tentacles can be used as weapons, and if a tentacle is severed, it has the ability to regenerate!
If he could create an octopus the size of the one he just saw, he could do as he pleased on the ocean floor, as long as he was a little careful.
Even if it got eaten by other ferocious sea creatures, he could just create another one with the World Tree. He didn't have to worry about death at all.
'I've decided. I'm creating the octopus!'
After a moment of thought, Li Yang quickly made his decision.
He had also considered creating a giant whale or a great white shark, but to create a life form, he first needed to encounter it and obtain a piece of its skin or blood. At his current level, if Li Yang ran into one of those, he would probably turn and flee.
Even if he had a chance to get a sample on shore, it would certainly take some time.
More importantly, his father only had a few months left. Even if the World Tree created a giant whale or a great white shark, the creature would still be in its infancy after a few months. By the time it was combat-ready, those months would have already passed.
Therefore, the octopus was undoubtedly Li Yang's best choice right now. He didn't have to spend any time or energy looking for it, and the octopus was already a force to be reckoned with in the ocean.
Putting his thoughts into action, Li Yang quickly moved forward, used his dagger to cut off a piece of the octopus, and placed it before the World Tree.
BUZZ…
The World Tree pulsed faintly, emitting a soft glow that enveloped the piece of octopus skin.
When the white light faded, the skin fragment had vanished.
Li Yang could sense a strange transformation occurring within the World Tree's creation space. The aura of a new life was slowly forming.
'The creation has begun! I feel like it should take a few hours.'
To his surprise, Li Yang suddenly felt a third consciousness appear!
The first was his own, in his main body. The second was on the World Tree. Now, the third was inside the World Tree's creation space!
Having experienced so much in such a short time, Li Yang felt a little dazed.
'It's only a few hours. I'll just wait.'
Li Yang didn't rush back to cultivate. He simply stayed on the ocean floor.
The main problem was what to do with this strange World Tree. He couldn't just take it back with him, could he?
The World Tree was a meter tall. If he carried it in his arms, people would definitely get suspicious.
After some thought, he decided it was better to leave it where it was.
Crucially, it had remained here at the bottom of the sea for so long without anyone noticing. If he actually carried it back, someone might spot it.
Possessing the power of creation was even more fantastical than any Cultivation Technique, compelling Li Yang to be cautious.
...
Time flew by. One hour... two hours...
Soon, four hours had passed.
'The creation is complete!'
Li Yang, who had been monitoring the World Tree's status, felt his eyes light up.
A gap appeared on the trunk of the white tree, and a palm-sized creature swam out.
It was a miniature octopus. It swam over to Li Yang and looked at him curiously.
'It really worked!'
Seeing this, Li Yang's eyes filled with utter astonishment.
In just four hours, a tiny piece of octopus skin had given birth to a young octopus. It completely defied imagination.
In that moment, the entire Cosmos seemed even more mysterious and profound to Li Yang.
'So hungry.'
The young octopus's consciousness was now completely Li Yang's—or more accurately, its soul was Li Yang's. It felt an overwhelming hunger.
The hunger grew even stronger, especially upon seeing the small fish and shrimp swimming nearby.
'Even though the octopus has my soul, it still has its own bodily instincts,' Li Yang mused, feeling the sensation.
He himself had no desire to eat the small fish and shrimp, but his octopus avatar had a strong urge to do so.
SWOOSH!
The little octopus was fast. It shot next to a small fish, its eight tentacles flailing as it tried to grab it, but the fish was faster. The little octopus's attempt failed.
'What a strange feeling.'
Li Yang felt as if he had become the octopus itself. Its eight tentacles were like his own arms, and he could control them with ease.
After failing once, the little octopus avatar stayed in one spot, waiting quietly. When a small fish swam near, it suddenly struck!
This time, it caught the fish. The little octopus waved its tentacles, bringing the fish to its mouth.
'Delicious.'
Eating the small fish raw, Li Yang's octopus avatar actually found it quite tasty.
After catching and eating two more, the little octopus was full. It swam about cheerfully on the ocean floor.
Li Yang did a little experiment, having the octopus swim far away. Even though he wasn't there himself, he could see everything the octopus avatar saw.
'It really works! The little octopus's consciousness is my consciousness. It's my eyes under the sea. No matter where I am, even if I'm sleeping at home, I can see everything in the ocean through the octopus avatar,' Li Yang thought, extremely excited.
His theory was correct. This meant his plan could be put into action!
'And I just sold that Dragon Palace Slit Shell. I have seven million in hand!'
Thinking excitedly, Li Yang prepared to go ashore.
He glanced at the World Tree beside him.
'What should I do with this World Tree?' Li Yang felt a bit troubled.
The tree hadn't been harmed before, likely because of the protective membrane around it. But now the membrane was gone. What if a big fish came along and ate the World Tree?
As for taking it home, it would be impossible to go unnoticed.
Comparatively, leaving the World Tree at the bottom of the sea was actually the better option.
After a moment of thought, Li Yang used his dagger to quickly dig a hole in the seabed. He soon had a two-meter-deep pit. Then, the tree, as if it were a fish, actually swam directly into the pit.
The World Tree wasn't like an ordinary tree; it didn't need to take root. It merely had the shape of a tree and wouldn't die even without roots.
Once it was in the pit, Li Yang buried it completely.
Soon, the pit blended in with the normal seabed, looking no different from its surroundings.
'Done! Now, unless someone happens to dig in this exact spot, they'll never find the World Tree!'
Having done all this, Li Yang finally felt at ease.
It was already quite safe on the ocean floor, and now he had buried it, providing a double layer of security. If it was still discovered after all that, then there was nothing more he could do.
SWOOSH!
From a distance, a small octopus swam over quickly and circled Li Yang a few times.
'Time to go. I won't be coming back to the ocean floor myself from now on. I'll leave everything down here to the little octopus!'
Taking a deep breath, Li Yang watched the little octopus swim swiftly away, then turned and left.
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