Most Commander-tier monsters had the intelligence of an adolescent human being, while Lord-tier monsters were usually as intelligent as an adult human being .

---

"Let it go," said Gao Peng to Da Zi .

Da Zi loosened its mandibles around its captive . For a moment, the Land Camoshrimp didn't understand what was going on . It lay p.r.o.ne on the ground, warily looking at the monsters before it .

A few moments later, the feelers on its head swished gently, its gleaming black eyes swiveling in their sockets .

The Land Camoshrimp then proceeded to take a few steps forward and lazily stretch . As it stretched, its eyes were fixed firmly on Gao Peng and the others to see if they had noticed what it was doing .

Seeing that the three monsters didn't seem to notice what it just had, the Land Camoshrimp's little heart skipped a beat . It stealthily took two more steps forward .

Flamy suddenly threw a glance at it . Startled, the Land Camoshrimp's body went limp as if it was pretending to be dead .

There was a bored look on Flamy's face . It wouldn't have deigned to even look at the puny little shrimp if Gao Peng hadn't ordered it to do so .

Only proper Elite-tier meat would be fitting for a crane such as itself!

Flamy spread its wings out and took off into the sky with Gao Peng on its back . On the other hand, Da Zi slunk into the depths of the jungle on the other side of the run-down village .

The Land Camoshrimp still couldn't wrap its little crustacean mind around what had just happened . Why was it suddenly being held hostage by a huge centipede? Why didn't they just eat it? After working its brain for 100 nanoseconds, the shrimp finally gave up and staggered back towards the sea .

In the air, Flamy's eyes were locked on the Land Shrimp as it flew circles around it .

The Land Camoshrimp was completely oblivious to the black dot in the sky that was Flamy and Gao Peng .

It scuttled towards the sea at top speed, leaving a trail of disturbed gra.s.s in its wake, then it crawled around a hill up ahead and slipped into the water behind the hill .

Flamy continued soaring across the sky in pursuit of the faint presence that it could still feel beneath the waves .

When the Land Camoshrimp had crawled at least 18 miles across the seabed, dry land had become nothing more than a black bulge on the horizon behind Gao Peng .

Flamy blinked . It had suddenly lost track of the Land Camoshrimp's presence .

It was as if someone, or something, had simply snuffed it out like a candle .

The undercurrents roiled violently beneath the waves .

The Land Camoshrimp had been crushed by extremely high water pressure . The last flicker of light in its transparent sh.e.l.l was extinguished in the depths of the ocean .

"Idiot . It must have walked straight into an enemy's trap . . . " muttered Gao Peng .

The ocean surface was calm like a mirror . A breeze blew gentle ripples across it at that moment .

"Gao Peng, the scent that I left on the shrimp is gone," said Flamy, sounding troubled .

"It's all right . A Commander-tier monster must have picked up your scent on the shrimp's body . Whoever or whatever is behind this probably isn't far away . They could very well be hiding beneath us," said Gao Peng, gazing down at the calm stretch of water beneath them .

Flamy began lowering its alt.i.tude in order to get a better look of the ocean below it .

For some reason, Gao Peng suddenly had a bad feeling about this as the ocean slowly came up towards them . He quickly patted Flamy's head . "Stop flying any lower . Go back up a bit . "

Flamy obediently nodded and began flying upward .

Boom! Suddenly, the water beneath them exploded .

A huge, ravenous mouth pierced through the calm surface of the ocean and rose into the air . Rows of densely packed teeth lined the mouth's interior .

The monster opened its mouth, revealing the dark, bottomless pit that was its throat .

It spread its huge black and white wings on both sides and whipped a powerful gust of wind across the ocean's surface . At that moment, waves rose and met with each other to form water pillars that danced across the behemoth's body like watery dragons .

Whoosh~

Flamy could feel a powerful suction pulling on it, causing it to come to a halt in the air . The huge mouth was getting closer and closer towards them . . . Flamy began flapping its wings in a panic . Flames now swirled around it and Gao Peng in the air . Gao Peng looked down at the gaping mouth beneath them . Why are you trying to attack it with your fire? There's no way you could make such a thick-skinned monster feel anything . . .

Gao Peng wrinkled his nose in disgust . A blast of putrid stench had hit him from the depths of the monster's mouth .

"Motherf—!"

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning came out of nowhere, one that sounded oddly like a speeding motorcycle . . .

Da Zi was wreathed in a violent display of electricity . The centipede had transformed into a bolt of lightning in the truest sense of the word . It left a long purple arc in its wake as it hurtled across the ocean's surface towards its master's a.s.sailant .

Da Zi viciously collided with the huge sea monster .

The sea monster staggered for a moment . Da Zi's attack had ripped a huge chunk of its thick scales off its body, revealing an even thicker layer of flesh beneath them . . .

The sea monster let out a deafening roar, scaring away the birds that were flying too close to its mouth .

Its huge mouth had barely grazed past Gao Peng and Flamy .

The sea monster's wings only allowed it to temporarily suspend itself in the air and reduce resistance from the water in the ocean . It couldn't actually fly like Flamy or Da Zi .

"How dare you try to eat Gao Peng?! I'll electrocute you, you b*stard!" shouted Da Zi . There was a vicious gleam in its eyes . It was now madly slas.h.i.+ng at the sea monster's exposed flesh, carving long red lines across it . The centipede's electricity pierced through the sea monster's wounds, electrocuting it internally . The flesh around the creature's wounds was scorched black .

The sea monster reluctantly let itself fall back into the water and swung the water pillars around its body at Da Zi, hoping to bring the centipede down with it . However, Da Zi's electricity easily tore through the water pillars, allowing it to escape unscathed .

Whoosh~

The sea monster fell into the ocean like a single ma.s.sive drop of water . It didn't even make a huge splash when it hit the water like Gao Peng had thought it would .

Da Zi flew up towards Flamy and spat, "The nerve of some people, trying to eat my Gao Peng . . . Don't let me catch you again, or I swear I'll really let you have it!"

Gao Peng, who just had a close brush with death, looked at Da Zi tenderly and patted its head . "Thank you . "

Da Zi raised its head and puffed its chest up triumphantly . "Hmph!"

Gao Peng then turned his attention towards Flamy . "Next time, don't just flap your wings without looking at where you're going . Some monsters may not be able to fly, but they can still jump high enough to catch you in the air . "

Flamy nodded apologetically .

Gao Peng gazed back down at the calm ocean . A worried look crossed his face .

[Monster Name]: Gloaming Oceanic Manta Ray

[Monster Level]: Level 46 (Lord-tier)

[Monster Grade]: Excellent

[Monster Attribute]: Water

[Monster Ability]: Water Mastery Level 3, Hardened Skin Level 2, Stealth Skin Level 1, Strengthened Lungs Level 1

[Monster Status]: Mild Injury (Enraged)

[Description]: Its wingspan can reach up to 160 feet . Despite its size, it can move nimbly in the water . It can swallow its prey up with its pocket-like mouth .

An oceanic manta ray! Gao Peng now realized why the monster looked so familiar .

Even before the Cataclysm, the oceanic manta ray had been known for its huge size . An adult's wingspan could reach at least 26 feet . It resembled a huge disk with a pair of wings on both sides and a slender tail attached to its back . In front of the disk was a mouth that could split open like a coin purse .

The ocean truly is a mysterious place . Guess I shouldn't be too surprised to have seen a Lord-tier monster out here so soon, thought Gao Peng .

Most Commander-tier monsters had the intelligence of an adolescent human being, while Lord-tier monsters were usually as intelligent as an adult human being . --- Let it go, said Gao Peng to Da Zi . Da Zi loosened its mandibles around its captive . For a moment, the Land Camoshrimp didnt understand what was going on . It lay p.r.o.ne on the ground, warily looking at the monsters before it . A few moments later, the feelers on its head swished gently, its gleaming black eyes swiveling in their sockets . The Land Camoshrimp then proceeded to take a few steps forward and lazily stretch . As it stretched, its eyes were fixed firmly on Gao Peng and the others to see if they had noticed what it was doing . Seeing that the three monsters didnt seem to notice what it just had, the Land Camoshrimps little heart skipped a beat . It stealthily took two more steps forward . Flamy suddenly threw a glance at it . Startled, the Land Camoshrimps body went limp as if it was pretending to be dead . There was a bored look on Flamys face . It wouldnt have deigned to even look at the puny little shrimp if Gao Peng hadnt ordered it to do so . Only proper Elite-tier meat would be fitting for a crane such as itself! Flamy spread its wings out and took off into the sky with Gao Peng on its back . On the other hand, Da Zi slunk into the depths of the jungle on the other side of the run-down village . The Land Camoshrimp still couldnt wrap its little crustacean mind around what had just happened . Why was it suddenly being held hostage by a huge centipede? Why didnt they just eat it? After working its brain for 100 nanoseconds, the shrimp finally gave up and staggered back towards the sea . In the air, Flamys eyes were locked on the Land Shrimp as it flew circles around it . The Land Camoshrimp was completely oblivious to the black dot in the sky that was Flamy and Gao Peng . It scuttled towards the sea at top speed, leaving a trail of disturbed gra.s.s in its wake, then it crawled around a hill up ahead and slipped into the water behind the hill . Flamy continued soaring across the sky in pursuit of the faint presence that it could still feel beneath the waves . When the Land Camoshrimp had crawled at least 18 miles across the seabed, dry land had become nothing more than a black bulge on the horizon behind Gao Peng . Flamy blinked . It had suddenly lost track of the Land Camoshrimps presence . It was as if someone, or something, had simply snuffed it out like a candle . The undercurrents roiled violently beneath the waves . The Land Camoshrimp had been crushed by extremely high water pressure . The last flicker of light in its transparent sh.e.l.l was extinguished in the depths of the ocean . Idiot . It must have walked straight into an enemys trap . muttered Gao Peng . The ocean surface was calm like a mirror . A breeze blew gentle ripples across it at that moment Gao Peng, the scent that I left on the shrimp is gone, said Flamy, sounding troubled . Its all right . A Commander-tier monster must have picked up your scent on the shrimps body . Whoever or whatever is behind this probably isnt far away . They could very well be hiding beneath us, said Gao Peng, gazing down at the calm stretch of water beneath them . Flamy began lowering its alt.i.tude in order to get a better look of the ocean below it . For some reason, Gao Peng suddenly had a bad feeling about this as the ocean slowly came up towards them . He quickly patted Flamys head . Stop flying any lower . Go back up a bit . Flamy obediently nodded and began flying upward . Boom! Suddenly, the water beneath them exploded . A huge, ravenous mouth pierced through the calm surface of the ocean and rose into the air . Rows of densely packed teeth lined the mouths interior . The monster opened its mouth, revealing the dark, bottomless pit that was its throat . It spread its huge black and white wings on both sides and whipped a powerful gust of wind across the oceans surface . At that moment, waves rose and met with each other to form water pillars that danced across the behemoths body like watery dragons . Whoosh~ Flamy could feel a powerful suction pulling on it, causing it to come to a halt in the air . The huge mouth was getting closer and closer towards them . Flamy began flapping its wings in a panic . Flames now swirled around it and Gao Peng in the air . Gao Peng looked down at the gaping mouth beneath them . Why are you trying to attack it with your fire? Theres no way you could make such a thick-skinned monster feel anything . Gao Peng wrinkled his nose in disgust . A blast of putrid stench had hit him from the depths of the monsters mouth . Motherf—! Suddenly, a bolt of lightning came out of nowhere, one that sounded oddly like a speeding motorcycle . Da Zi was wreathed in a violent display of electricity . The centipede had transformed into a bolt of lightning in the truest sense of the word . It left a long purple arc in its wake as it hurtled across the oceans surface towards its masters a.s.sailant . Da Zi viciously collided with the huge sea monster . The sea monster staggered for a moment . Da Zis attack had ripped a huge chunk of its thick scales off its body, revealing an even thicker layer of flesh beneath them . The sea monster let out a deafening roar, scaring away the birds that were flying too close to its mouth . Its huge mouth had barely grazed past Gao Peng and Flamy . The sea monsters wings only allowed it to temporarily suspend itself in the air and reduce resistance from the water in the ocean . It couldnt actually fly like Flamy or Da Zi . How dare you try to eat Gao Peng?! Ill electrocute you, you b*stard! shouted Da Zi . There was a vicious gleam in its eyes . It was now madly slas.h.i.+ng at the sea monsters exposed flesh, carving long red lines across it . The centipedes electricity pierced through the sea monsters wounds, electrocuting it internally . The flesh around the creatures wounds was scorched black . The sea monster reluctantly let itself fall back into the water and swung the water pillars around its body at Da Zi, hoping to bring the centipede down with it . However, Da Zis electricity easily tore through the water pillars, allowing it to escape unscathed . Whoosh~ The sea monster fell into the ocean like a single ma.s.sive drop of water . It didnt even make a huge splash when it hit the water like Gao Peng had thought it would . Da Zi flew up towards Flamy and spat, The nerve of some people, trying to eat my Gao Peng . Dont let me catch you again, or I swear Ill really let you have it! Gao Peng, who just had a close brush with death, looked at Da Zi tenderly and patted its head . Thank you . Da Zi raised its head and puffed its chest up triumphantly . Hmph! Gao Peng then turned his attention towards Flamy . Next time, dont just flap your wings without looking at where youre going . Some monsters may not be able to fly, but they can still jump high enough to catch you in the air . Flamy nodded apologetically . Gao Peng gazed back down at the calm ocean . A worried look crossed his face . [Monster Name]: Gloaming Oceanic Manta Ray [Monster Level]: Level 46 (Lord-tier) [Monster Grade]: Excellent [Monster Attribute]: Water [Monster Ability]: Water Mastery Level 3, Hardened Skin Level 2, Stealth Skin Level 1, Strengthened Lungs Level 1 [Monster Status]: Mild Injury (Enraged) [Description]: Its wingspan can reach up to 160 feet . Despite its size, it can move nimbly in the water . It can swallow its prey up with its pocket-like mouth . An oceanic manta ray! Gao Peng now realized why the monster looked so familiar . Even before the Cataclysm, the oceanic manta ray had been known for its huge size . An adults wingspan could reach at least 26 feet . It resembled a huge disk with a pair of wings on both sides and a slender tail attached to its back . In front of the disk was a mouth that could split open like a coin purse . The ocean truly is a mysterious place . Guess I shouldnt be too surprised to have seen a Lord-tier monster out here so soon, thought Gao Peng .