The next day, Harry was back at the beach, in an eager mood. It had been a long week, but he obtained 23 Beast Cores. Two more, and he could get the Purple Qi Fruits.

Between the fruits, the Body Nourishing Pills, and the Qi Gathering Pills he won, he was confident he could get to the 8th level. And when he did, his strength would increase again, and he could work towards getting the Beast Flames quicker.

'I'll go after dinner,' he decided. He didn't want to attack the 8th meridian on an empty stomach. The pain of opening the 7th meridian was still fresh in his mind – after all, it happened just a week ago. He was in no hurry to experience that again.

'Am I cultivating too quickly?' Harry wondered. The Exalted Cat had spoken about getting accustomed to one's strength before breaking through the next level. But he reasoned he was probably fine.

His 7th meridian reached Perfect Opening three days ago – even though he didn't do anything. His Qi naturally wound through his meridians, and somehow, that was enough.

He always assumed his blazing fast progress with his meridians was due to some special affinity with the technique. But that was clearly not true. Now, he wondered if it was a positive side effect of the Fetal Crippling Poison. He felt it was unlikely, but he had no clue what else it could be.

'I reached Perfect Opening many days ago, and I've been circulating Qi through my 7th meridian ever since. It should be fine.'

As he relaxed on the beach, yet another wave of beasts rushed out the water. He'd grown used to the sight of hundreds of Earth Grade beasts appearing at once, so it no longer shocked him so much. After all, the cultivation world was one of constant danger. Humans always had to fight to survive.

The waves of beasts were getting larger and larger as time passed. 100 grindylows emerged out the water, hissing and leaping onto the beach. Following them was a swarm of sea snakes, more than he could count.

Harry learned there were mainly two species of snakes in the Swan Sea – Venomous Coral Serpents and Ruby Ringed Sea Snakes. The Venomous Coral Serpents lived deep under the water, near the bottom of the Swan Sea, and rarely left their home. In fact, Harry had yet to see any in this Beast Surge. But the rumor was there existed many nests that housed tens of thousands of those serpents, including dozens of Heaven Grade beasts, around 20 miles out into the sea. As for whether that rumor was true, well, nobody was stupid enough to confirm it.

The Ruby Ringed Sea Snakes lived closer to the shore, and were participating in this Beast Surge in huge numbers. They were easily identifiable by the red rings along their body. They grew a ring as their cultivation level increased, then shed their skin as they advanced to the next realm. The beasts exiting the water now were giant creatures, twice as thick as Harry's leg, with three, four, or even five red rings along their long bodies.

The majority of resting Inner Disciples had no choice but to join in the fight, using their abilities to drive these beasts back into the sea. The main issue was the snakes. They were too heavily armored to kill, so the only strategy was to push them back.

Whenever Harry saw snakes, he thought of his ability to talk to them, and the warning the cat left him. He didn't know how, but the cat had branded that warning into his memories. Even now, he could clearly remember the way the cat glared at him, how the atmosphere changed, and how he felt danger and even death. It was like a command rooted in his subconscious. Clearly, mentioning this ability was a big taboo.

He eventually tore his gaze away, and looked back at the crocodiles… where – he rubbed his eyes – a group of people were stealthily creeping towards them. And not just any people, their robes gave them away as Outer Disciples. Five of them were wiggling across the sand like snakes, inching towards the sun basking crocodiles.

'What are they doing… fuck, they can't be…' Harry shot up to his feet. His location was between the crocodiles and the main battlefield. He wouldn't be able to reach them in time.

"Stop!" he yelled as he ran over. "Get back here!"

But it was too late. The crocodiles were sensitive to the movements in the sand, and once the disciples got too close, they were noticed. The nearest couple crocodiles got up, and ran towards the creeping disciples for a quick meal.

Together, the five Outer Disciples leapt to their feet. They all wore eager expressions on their faces, no doubt thinking they'd obtain a Beast Core. They drew their weapons, and simultaneously attacked the crocodile leading the charge.

'Idiots!' Harry wanted to scold them.

Five swords smashed into the beast – and five swords bounced right off the hide. Their attacks were like tossing eggs at a wall. The crocodile didn't even seem to notice them.

Immediately, their expressions of anticipation turned into expressions of horror.

Perhaps if the five of them banded together, and if there was only one crocodile, they could have defeated the beast. But when they realized how tough it was, they panicked. And when they realized how many crocodiles were charging at them, all thoughts of fighting left their minds.

In that moment, the outcome was already set.

"Run!" one of them yelled. The five of them turned to flee, but one was too slow. The crocodile opened its mouth, and with a violent chomp, the man's leg disappeared down its throat.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," a scream rang across the beach, alerting the Elders and Inner Disciples.

'You fucking idiot,' Harry cursed. That scream didn't just alert the Elders – it also alerted all the crocodiles. At once, hundreds of them opened their eyes, observing the unfolding scene.

It wasn't just the scream, but also the smell. The smell of blood, especially human blood, drove these Magic Beasts into a frenzy. Whenever Harry killed a crocodile, though he spilled blood, it was crocodile blood. It wasn't enough to alert the full pack, and definitely not enough to alert the Earth Grade beasts.

But these carnivorous beasts loved the smell of human blood. As soon as the disciple's leg was ripped off, every single crocodile was alerted.

Seeing the hundreds of rising crocodiles, the other Outer Disciples turned tail and fled for their lives. As for the legless man – he was left on the beach, rolling and screaming in pain. He frantically half-crawled, half-hopped away, but there was no escape.

"Help! Help!" he screamed. Fear was written all over his face. He shouted for his companions to save him, but they were busy fleeing. None of them even spared him a backwards glance.

Another beast latched onto his remaining leg and tore it off.

Harry arrived immediately after.

Burning Blood!

With a mighty kick, his foot connected with that beast, sending it tumbling over the rest of the pack. He grabbed the Outer Disciple, just narrowly dodging a pair of snapping jaws, and used his free hand to slap it away. He bolted and ran for his life.

Right on his heels was an unending pack of crocodiles.

He risked a glance behind him, and the sight made his blood run cold. He was never chased by more than a few dozen of the beasts. Seeing hundreds of them after him was a terrifying sight. There was no way he would be able to survive these beasts if they caught up.

One of the nearest Earth Grade beasts, a monster the size of three of its smaller kin put together, was racing across the beach, making huge strides with every leap. It crushed Ordinary Grade crocodiles under its massive feet, and stared at Harry with a predatory hunger in its eyes.

'Fuck, I can't die here!' Harry swore. Was he really going to die saving this idiot disciple?

He didn't know why he leapt into action to save these disciples. He didn't know them, and they didn't have any friendly relationships to him. If they really were to die here, it would have nothing to do with him. From a rational point of view, it was actually silly of him to save them. He would just be joining them in death.

But just as he thought it was hopeless, two Elders shot past him, and positioned themselves between the fleeing Harry and charging beasts. They were originally monitoring the main battle, but with their cultivation, it didn't take long for them to traverse the length of the beach. They simultaneously pushed out with their palms.

Bzzzzzz!

Two whirlwinds materialized, which shot forwards and slammed into the charging crocodiles. In mere moments, beasts were blown far away, some of the weaker ones were even directly smashed apart. That incoming Earth Grade crocodile roared angrily as it was caught in the storm, before being shredded into bits.

The storm showed no signs of stopping, and continued its rampage through the swath of beasts.

That was simply the difference in cultivation. What took all of Harry's strength to do was easily surpassed in just one of the Elders' attacks. Even Earth Grade beasts couldn't resist their power.

During ordinary circumstances, the Elders wouldn't kill the beasts. But because there were so many of them charging at once, they had no choice to but use a heavy-handed method. A light attack wouldn't be able to stop them. Their attacks tore through the beasts and painted the beach with crocodile guts and blood.

Wide-eyed and speechless, Harry stared at the carnage even as he sprinted towards the tents.

'Too strong!' he thought in shock. So, this was the power of Core Formation?

He was right next to the attack, and got a close and personal look. The attack was actually formed from hundreds of little blades of Qi, any single one of them enough to tear through his body. These sharp blades spun together, twisting and combining into a deadly storm that could cut through even Earth Grade beasts like paper.

The remaining crocodiles turned tail and fled, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

But wait… if the Elders joined the battle and killed beasts… didn't that mean…

Just as Harry swiveled his neck to look towards the Swan Sea, a few miles away, the previously tranquil Swan Sea bubbled and frothed, and then erupted.

There was just no other word for it. It was like a volcano erupting, but instead of lava, water. An enormous waterspout erupted into the sky, forming a pillar of water that cascaded down to reveal the biggest creature Harry had ever seen in his life.

'What the fuck,' Harry exclaimed. He almost dropped the man he was holding in his arms.

A huge, bright red, fleshy ball was suspended above the water. It took a while for Harry to realize it was the head of a massive octopus, since it was so large. Just the two eyes on the side of its head were larger than he was.

His first day here, the Inner Disciples told Harry there was an octopus lurking nearby, the size of two houses. Evidently, they weren't referring to the Outer Dorms. They must have been referring to the Inner Disciples' residences, because the beast was at least five times the size of his home.

Magic Beasts didn't just grow larger as they cultivated. Some beasts, including this one, could grow additional body parts. And in the case of this species of octopus, they could grow more arms. This one had nearly 100 tentacles, each well over 10 meters long and as thick as a fully-grown man.

"Fuck, the octopus appeared!"

"Retreat, retreat!"

"Call the reinforcements!"

Screams rang out across the beach, along with the loud sound of a bugle horn. Right after, the Inner Disciples began running towards the tents, and the rest of the Elders stepped forward to battle.

In a flash, the tide of the battle changed. The beasts and Inner Disciples were originally evenly matched, but once the Elders stepped in, beast after beast was crushed under their attacks. Once the beasts realized the Elders were battling, they turned tailed and fled.

The Elders didn't pursue them, and instead stared at the incoming Heaven Grade beast with solemn expressions. Worry and nervousness could be seen in their eyes.

Meanwhile, Harry finally reached the medical area, and dropped the legless Outer Disciple there. The unfortunate man had already fainted after losing so much blood. The Healers immediately went to work on him, and Harry turned to look back at the battle.

With just a glance, he could tell the situation was not good.

The Elders were standing on the beach, launching long range attacks at the octopus. But it was too far away, and too large. The few attacks that reached it were easily swatted away by one of its many tentacles.

Those long, thick tentacles formed an impenetrable defense. They could intercept every incoming attack, without suffering any damage. The Elders' attacks, which could kill multiple Earth Grade beasts in one move, were actually incapable of even scratching a tentacle.

Each Elder had different attacking moves and styles, but they were all useless. Some had long range weapons, others used elemental attacks, others used attacks that were beyond Harry's understanding, and just looked like rays of light shooting across the Swan Sea. But none of them were able to do any damage.

The attacks were all powerful, but the problem was that the octopus was too far away. Once the attack traveled a mile across the sea, it was considerably weakened. The Elders weren't able to display even a quarter of their full strength from such a far distance.

The same couldn't be said about the octopus' attacks. Harry watched with disbelief as the beast created balls of energy in the air, each one of them bigger than himself, then launched them like cannonballs. Harry assumed they were made of Qi. They landed all over the beach, raising up huge waves of sand.

'At the Core Formation Realm, one can attack like that?' Harry was beyond startled. Seeing Heaven Grade attacks was an eye-opening experience, making him realize the disparity in strength. They were less like balls of Qi, and more like meteors smashing into the Earth.

It was very difficult to defend against this attack. It was too fast, and too powerful. Not even five seconds passed between the time an attack launched and the time it hit the beach. The Elders could at best deflect the attacks, and do their best to evacuate the disciples.

Yet, even as Harry watched, one of the balls clipped an Elder, smashing through his shield and arm like paper. His right arm was almost blown off, and blood splashed everywhere.

The Elder loudly cursed, then retreated and took out a vial of pills.

There was a sound from behind, and Harry turned to see eight more Elders appear out of the Swan Sea Sect. They all hurriedly joined in the battle. Harry had a scare when he realized all of them were Core Formation experts. He never realized the Swan Sea Sect had such a powerful background.

One helped the fallen Elder heal his wounds, while the rest joined in on defense. Together, they formed a dynamic wall of Qi with their palms, strengthening it wherever necessary. Under this defense, the beach became safe again.

Unfortunately, that was all they could do.

Attacking the beast was out of the question. It was too far out, and none of them could get across the water. They were just stalling for time, until either the beast left, or more reinforcements came.

Bang! Bang!

Missile after missile shot towards the beach, smashing into the shield, which held steady. Every once in a while, an erratic missile would land in the sand, destroying everything nearby. But the ones that aimed towards the cultivators were mostly deflected, by the Elders working together to strengthen an area of the shield.

But it wouldn't last forever. The Elders were already weakening. Even as he watched, another Elder got hit.

"How are they going to stop the beast?" Harry asked one of the Inner Disciples from a safe vantage point.

"Probably just like this," that disciple nervously replied. "What can we do against a Heaven Grade beast? It's going to be a battle of attrition."

"Last time, the octopus went away after half an hour. It did a lot of damage – but the Elders are more prepared this time. I know this looks bad, but it was way worse last week. Hopefully it'll stop attacking after realizing it can't get through the shield, and then withdraw."

But it didn't seem like the beast would withdraw anytime soon.

More and more Qi missiles were formed and chucked towards the beach. The Elders were gradually backing up and closing ranks, and the shield of Qi was also closing in, slowly becoming a smaller and thicker wall.

The sand on the beach became covered in hundreds of massive pits. Each crater was deeper than Harry was tall, and wide enough for 30 people to jump in. This level of power was too frightening.

Finally, the Elders were backed up against each other, straining to hold their shield that protected the fleeing disciples and the sect behind them. If the shield collapsed, dozens of disciples could die in mere seconds.

Then Harry heard a sonic boom above his head, a whistling noise, the kind an arrow would make while shooting through the air. Something shot out of the Swan Sea Sect, heading directly towards octopus at an unbelievable speed.

As it flew over his head, Harry got a good look at the object. It was actually a massive sword, over three meters long and more than a meter wide. If not for the pointed edges, Harry would have thought it was a flying metal table. The blade was made of a blue metal that shined brightly in the sunlight, matching the color of the sea. The flat edge was parallel to the surface of the sea, and on the other edge, a woman stood perched.

She was standing gracefully on the sword, perfectly balanced, and looked towards the attacking beast with a calm expression. Not a hint of panic could be seen on her face.

As if sensing a strong enemy, the octopus changed targets and launched attacks at the incoming woman.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three large blasts of Qi shot towards her. In response, the sword underneath her feet dipped, then veered towards the left, and then shot up towards the clouds. The three blasts were cleanly dodged, and harmlessly smashed onto the beach.

Everybody watched that display with shock. Harry saw how fast those attacks traveled, and knew how difficult they were to avoid. The slightest delay or mistake would mean serious injury, if not death. Yet, this woman dodged them effortlessly, on top of a flying sword. Her control of her Qi must have been at a whole other level.

Seeing its attacks avoided, and the woman closing in, the octopus switched to physical attacks. It raised all its tentacles towards the woman, whipping them through the air to strike the tiny target.

The woman raised her hand into the air, and pointed towards the sky. Around her body, eight more large swords appeared, and began revolving in a pointed circle.

"Soaring Swan Nine Cuts!"