Chapter 160: Octopus Emperor

The Octopus Emperor lashed out with its eight massive tentacles, piercing through the void and driving them straight through the continent below.

Behind it, hordes of octopus monsters surged forward, flooding the sky before anyone could react.

The Octopus Emperor sneered, “Tens of thousands of years have passed, yet this continent has reappeared in the Cosmic Void. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Our alien race will soon rise to power. Soon, we’ll rule the Sword God Domain and enslave all the humans across the myriad worlds.”

“Here, in the Cosmic Void, we aliens are the true gods! Humans, give it up. You no longer have the strength you once did.”

“After thousands of years of recuperation, we alien outsiders have undergone a true transformation. To resist us now is pure arrogance—there’s only one outcome: death!”

As its words fell, the Octopus Emperor erupted with the aura of a lower Saint in the alien realm.

The weaker humans present were killed instantly by the pressure. Most were left writhing on the ground in agony, gravely injured.

“You beast, you’re courting death!” Gu Qingyi’s gaze turned icy cold as his figure vanished in an instant.

The next moment, he appeared before the Octopus Emperor, sword flashing in his hand.

A razor-sharp blade aura howled out, slashing straight at the Octopus Emperor.

“Oh? A human dares challenge me? Let’s see what you’re made of!”

The Octopus Emperor grinned wickedly, raising a tentacle and swinging it toward the charging Gu Qingyi.

Sword and tentacle collided, sending sparks flying and filling the air with a screeching noise.

“Damn, this hide is tough! My sword can’t cut through at all!” Gu Qingyi gritted his teeth, stepping back a few paces and frowning deeply.

The Octopus Emperor roared with laughter, “This is the secret to my people’s survival after thousands of years of evolution! How could a lowly human like you ever understand?”

“Minions, kill them! Take this place and make it our foothold!” With a wild swing, the Octopus Emperor sent its tentacles whipping through the air.

The octopus monsters, which had been motionless until now, began to rain down like a torrential downpour, landing one after another.

Off to the side, Zhuge Xingyun waved the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and stepped forward. In the blink of an eye, every octopus monster that touched the ground was reduced to powder.

Zhuge Xingyun grinned, “You really don’t take me seriously, do you? I feel downright ignored—but that’s fine!”

“Because today, not one of you will get away!”

“Pioneers of the Human Race, it’s time to stretch your limbs! Hear my command—souls, emerge!”

Before the Octopus Emperor could even register his shock, Zhuge Xingyun raised the Ten Thousand Souls Banner high.

Dense black mist surged from the banner, and in a heartbeat, countless dark shadows burst from within, tearing through tens of thousands of octopus monsters in an instant.

“Damn you humans! How dare you slaughter my kin so casually—I’ll gut you myself!” The Octopus Emperor swung a tentacle at Zhuge Xingyun in rage.

“Your opponent is me, beast!” Gu Qingyi stepped in, sword raised.

Bang—

Sword and tentacle clashed again, two powerful auras blasting outward.

“This ends now! Divine Sword Technique—Star-Slashing Strike!” Gu Qingyi’s eyes turned to steel as he tightened his grip on his sword.

A sweeping flood of golden light shot toward Gu Qingyi’s Skydome Sword from every direction, gathering in a surge.

With a flick of his wrist, Gu Qingyi unleashed a slash—the sword stoked with boundless, dazzling gold light aimed straight for the Octopus Emperor’s head.

The Octopus Emperor’s entire body trembled as every cell screamed with terror. A single thought flashed across its mind: retreat or die.

“No… don’t!” The Octopus Emperor tried to flee, panic-wracked.

But that sword light, brimming with divine gold thunder, fell like a bolt from the heavens, cleaving across the massive creature’s form.

A tortured scream echoed as the Octopus Emperor’s huge body exploded in a shower of fragments.

The other octopus monsters, lurking in the darkness and lying in wait, scattered in panic at the sight.

Even Zhuge Xingyun was shocked into swallowing several times as he watched Gu Qingyi dispatch his foe with a casual swing.

He never imagined that when Gu Qingyi had fought him, he hadn’t even gone all out.

Otherwise, he’d have been the one getting skinned alive today.

Suddenly Zhuge Xingyun burst out laughing, “Gu, you really are beyond my wildest expectations! The more I think about it, the more I want to collect your soul into my Ten Thousand Souls Banner!”

With that, Zhuge Xingyun came over and draped his arm around Gu Qingyi’s shoulders like an old friend.

“Back off. I have zero interest in joining your creepy banner!” Gu Qingyi said, batting Zhuge Xingyun’s hand away.

Gu Qingyi ignored Zhuge Xingyun’s nonstop chatter, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of Nangong Lin and the others.

It didn’t take long to spot them, tucked away in a large courtyard not far off.

Right now, Nangong Lin, Liu Ruyan, Wang Wan, and Murong Qingxue were dispatching the last few octopus monsters with casual strikes.

Gu Qingyi’s form flickered again, vanishing and reappearing by their side.

His sword seemed to blossom, slashing through the monsters around them like a whirlwind of petals.

All anyone could see was a streak of golden lightning weaving through the last of the octopus horde.

“Wait, what? They’re all gone already? Just who are you, exactly?” Liu Ruyan asked, baffled.

“What, you all forgot me already?” Gu Qingyi sheathed the Skydome Sword with a grin.

“Oh, it’s you—Young Master Gu.” Wang Wan let out a sigh and set down her staff.

“Are you all right? Is anyone hurt?” Gu Qingyi asked with concern.

“We’re fine. But, big brother Gu, why are you here all of a sudden?” Nangong Lin replied.

“We can talk later; this place isn’t safe. Let’s get out of here.” Gu Qingyi urged.

But as Gu Qingyi started to move, the scent of grilled octopus wafted from behind, stopping him in his tracks.

Turning around, he found a small fire pit next to the group, loaded with skewers of octopus tentacles roasting over crackling flames.

He stared in disbelief, “Um… what exactly are you girls doing?”

“Come try one, Brother Gu—just finished grilling. Should be about ready!” Nangong Lin offered him a freshly roasted tentacle.

Liu Ruyan chimed in, “These things were so strange, we had no idea if they were edible.

“We only gave it a shot when the smell from roasting got so good we couldn’t resist.”

“And turns out, it’s delicious! A flavor none of us has ever had before—so light too. With some seasoning, it’d be even better.”

Gu Qingyi looked down at the red-gold grilled tentacle Nangong Lin gave him.

Thinking it looked just like barbecue octopus, he took a bite. That first taste flooded his mouth with nostalgia.

It was the same flavor as the grilled octopus from the barbeque stalls he’d eaten at before. There really wasn’t all that much difference in how they roasted it.

But these fresh, wild octopus monsters tasted even better—so tender they practically melted on the tongue.

Not only was the meat sweet and juicy, there was plenty of it to go around.