Chapter 124: The Arrival of the Orca

Soon, Lin Qiu arrived at the Steel Great Wall’s Zone 53. Under the guidance of the men sent by Xu Bancheng, he reached the top of the Great Wall in that area.

Opposite Zone 53 stretched a vast ocean. Within these waters, a pod of orcas roamed restlessly, continuously wreaking havoc around the Great Wall.

“You finally came. There are about fifty orcas in the ocean here. Since early this morning, they’ve been persistently damaging Zone 53. It seems they’ve awakened some kind of ability. We’ve tried various approaches, but none could get close to them. It’s as if an invisible barrier surrounds their bodies,” Xu Bancheng explained immediately upon seeing Lin Qiu’s arrival.

After hearing Xu’s report, Lin Qiu’s expression turned grave. He gazed down at the orcas below.

The Steel Great Wall project was undeniably vital for humanity at this stage. The sudden appearance of these orcas was hard to interpret without suspicion.

“Order your people to stay away from here. I’ll dive down and see what these orcas are up to,” Lin Qiu commanded without hesitation, instructing Xu Bancheng to have all construction and security personnel on the Wall retreat to avoid collateral damage during any potential conflict.

Xu Bancheng nodded, and soon all workers and guards evacuated the area atop the Wall.

Only then did Lin Qiu plunge into the sea, his body transforming into the form of a dragon whale. From him radiated a suppressive aura that exerted dominance over the orca clan.

One by one, the more than fifty orcas bowed their heads in submission. The people left on the Steel Great Wall stared in astonishment. Lin Qiu appeared as the sovereign of the ocean, a lord reigning supreme, while the once arrogant orca pod showed no trace of defiance before him.

“Why have you come to deliberately destroy human constructions?” Lin Qiu asked the orca pod.

From among them, a robust orca emerged, replying, “We don’t want to. We were driven here by someone. If we disobey his orders, we’ll die.”

Lin Qiu frowned deeply at their words, then said, “Take me to that person now.”

Though marine life was constantly embroiled in conflict, it was rare to see a species driven to attack humans under another’s command.

Unless... it was the awakening of the slumbering Ocean Royalty.

From what Lin Qiu knew, only the Ocean Royalty harbored such deep hostility toward humans. Long ago, they were the rulers of this planet. But the problem was, weren’t the Ocean Royalty supposed to awaken only days from now?

“He’s very strong! You probably can’t defeat him!” The leader of the orca pod showed reluctance, as if unwilling to lead Lin Qiu to that individual.

“If you don’t take me to him, I will have no choice but to annihilate your entire clan!” Lin Qiu arched an eyebrow, unleashing his aura. The power of his dragon whale bloodline pressed down upon the orcas, suffocating them into submission. They had no choice but to agree.

After a brief discussion with Xu Bancheng, Lin Qiu led the orca pod toward a nearby small island.

“He’s a turtle! A very powerful turtle!” During their swim, the orca leader explained the identity of the species that had driven them to attack humans.

Lin Qiu fell silent, harboring a gloomy suspicion. Among the Ocean Royalty, was there not a turtle clan?

Due to the looming threat from the Ocean Royalty, Lin Qiu had spent considerable time researching them. If they truly had awakened prematurely, the situation would be dire.

“You insignificant pests, how dare you disobey my orders and bring a helper! Do you think this mere third-tier creature can challenge me?” A deep, muffled voice rumbled as they approached the island.

Suddenly, the island surged upward, breaking through the ocean’s surface.

Beneath the island lay a colossal turtle. Its eyes were enormous and unlike human eyes with pupils and sclera; they gleamed with a crystalline azure light.

Upon seeing those distinctive eyes, Lin Qiu immediately understood the turtle’s identity.

The Ocean Royalty—Deep Blue Mystic Turtle.

A species endowed with immense power in the ocean, the most advanced among them could freeze an entire sea in an instant.

“Everyone, stay back. What happens next is none of your concern,” Lin Qiu warned, fully aware that the orca pod was powerless against the Ocean Royalty.

“You little creature, your bloodline is quite intriguing,” the Mystic Turtle fixed its gaze on Lin Qiu, curiosity evident in its tone. Clearly, it sensed the presence of true dragon blood within Lin Qiu.

“Has the Ocean Royalty awakened early?” Lin Qiu asked directly, revealing the turtle’s background.

“Yes and no. Only my soul has broken free ahead of time. But that is enough to deal with you,” the Mystic Turtle replied nonchalantly. Then, with a glance from its eyes, the surrounding seawater around Lin Qiu began to freeze, threatening to encase him in ice.

“Hmph!”

Seeing the Mystic Turtle launch an attack first, Lin Qiu ceased holding back and immediately employed the Water Division technique, manipulating the ocean currents to strike back. The freezing ice was shattered by the surging seawater.

“Bang!”

The crashing water waves slammed into the Mystic Turtle with tremendous force, though the creature appeared unfazed.

“Extreme Ice Vortex!” the Mystic Turtle growled angrily, clearly offended by the challenge to its dignity as Ocean Royalty. Swirling vortices formed around Lin Qiu, exerting powerful suction to draw him toward their centers. Simultaneously, icy arrows shot forth, aiming to pierce him.

“Damn, so this is the power of the Ocean Royalty?” Lin Qiu muttered, momentarily overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught. He struggled to counter using his Water Division technique.

It was his first direct confrontation with the Ocean Royalty, and he had not anticipated their tactics to be so varied and complex. This forced Lin Qiu into a passive, defensive stance, unable to advance his plans.