"Uncle De."
Since Ao Jiangyue was flying in the air, her reaction was the fastest.
She immediately soared upwards, swinging her sword towards the sharp claws extending from the Dragon Gate.
The Old Dragon King also reacted extremely quickly, flashing to the side of the Dragon Gate stone tablet and reaching out to press it, preparing to close the gate.
But the monster that had emerged from the Dragon Gate had already revealed half of its body.
Its two forelimbs resembled those of a cockroach, covered in sharp barbs, like two razor-sharp saws. However, these saws were incredibly long and massive, easily a hundred zhang, their might suffocating.
Moreover, the half of its body that had emerged was also peculiar, appearing eagle-like, its entire body covered in thick fur, with a curved and sharp beak, its eyes emitting a purple glow.
As soon as its head emerged, it immediately lunged forward and pecked at the giant turtle's corpse, which it had split in two, swallowing half and letting the other half fall into the sea, creating colossal waves.
"What kind of monster is this?" Ao Haichao looked up at the sky, filled with amazement, but not much fear.
"Hurry up and help Little Yue!" Dragon King Ao Xingyun commanded.
He could have been angered to death by this eldest son, who was still in a daze at this moment. However, his daughter-in-law had already leaped forward, helping Ao Jiangyue to fend off the enemy.
"Oh," Ao Haichao finally reacted.
However, he did not move, instead saying, "Father, you don't need to worry. Little Yue and Caiwei are enough to handle it, and Hai Ping is also observing from the side."
"This monster is no simple thing," Dragon King Ao Xingyun said with a serious expression.
By this time, he had already closed the Dragon Gate, but the monster had still forcibly squeezed its way out and was now wreaking havoc on the sea surface.
The aquatic creatures that had fallen into the sea from the River of Void were scattering in all directions.
Because the bird-like monster seemed to regard them as insects within its reach, every time it lowered its head, it would devour an aquatic being.
Ao Jiangyue wielded her sword, her sword energy slicing across a hundred zhang, creating deep furrows on the sea surface under the immense pressure.
This time was completely different from before; she was fighting with her full strength, determined to kill the bird-like monster.
Although Steward De was merely the steward of their Ao family, he had taken good care of them over the past few hundred years. Especially when Ao Xingyun found it inconvenient to see Ao Jiangyue, he would have Steward De make a trip. Steward De was steady in his demeanor, kind to others, and a very good elder. Over time, Ao Jiangyue had also come to respect him greatly.
And now, he had died without a complete corpse before her eyes, his body even being consumed. How could she not be enraged?
However, Ao Jiangyue's sword energy seemed to have little effect on the monster. Although it produced tremendous collision sounds, even igniting flames, the monster appeared to be unharmed.
Its pair of wings were as flexible as its hands, and with each swing, they formed massive wind dragons, sucking in seawater to create two giant water columns. The clouds in the sky began to gather slowly, and all the aquatic creatures fled far away, hiding at the bottom of the sea, trembling.
The dense, dark clouds seemed like the sky was collapsing, yet at the site of the battle, a beam of light rose, illuminating the surroundings.
It was the light emanating from Lu Caiwei's head, soft and gentle like the halo around a Bodhisattva's head. The aquatic beings in the sea, upon being swept by the light, had their panicked hearts immediately settled.
"What exactly is this monster? It's so powerful," Ao Haichao murmured.
"How should I know?" Dragon King Ao Xingyun frowned.
"You don't know either, Father?" Ao Haichao looked back at him with some surprise.
But the Old Dragon King's attention was no longer on this. His gaze was fixed on the monster in the sky, lost in thought.
Seeing Ao Xingyun not reply, Ao Haichao continued, "Why would such a monster appear within the Dragon Gate? Is it Feng Zhirun?"
Hearing this, the Old Dragon King turned and glanced at him, his expression somewhat complex, then continued to gaze at the sky, paying attention to Ao Jiangyue's battle.
Seeing Ao Xingyun remain silent, Ao Haichao asked again, "Do you need me to step in?"
"No, it should be over soon," Ao Xingyun replied.
Ao Haichao was somewhat confused, as Ao Jiangyue's sword was clearly not doing any damage to the monster.
As if sensing Ao Haichao's confusion, Ao Xingyun chuckled, "Because this is at sea."
As soon as he finished speaking, the previously overcast, turbulent sea surface suddenly calmed down, and a bright moon appeared in the sky.
The sea, like a mirror, reflected the moon in the sky, creating a spectacular scene of two moons vying for brilliance.
Under the moonlight, the monster's body cast a massive shadow on the sea surface, covering a large expanse of water.
Moreover, the world was utterly silent; the sounds of wind, waves, and clashing sword energy had all vanished.
It felt as if the world had been muted, causing discomfort, and Ao Jiangyue's figure had also disappeared without a trace.
The bird-like monster seemed to sense danger, let out a long cry towards the sky, but no sound was transmitted.
"Moon Shadow Follows."
Suddenly, a woman's gentle voice broke the silent world.
The bright moon in the sea suddenly moved, transforming into an incredibly sharp weapon, splitting open the shadow the monster had cast on the sea surface, just as the monster had split the giant turtle before.
The monster's shadow was split in two, but the damage was inflicted upon the monster itself.
The monster, suspended in the air, like its shadow, was cleaved in two along its beak. Numerous streams of blood gushed out, dyeing the entire sea area red. Its massive corpse fell from the sky, creating huge waves, and Ao Jiangyue, who had just disappeared, reappeared in the air, sword in hand.
"Little Yue is that powerful?" Ao Haichao was somewhat astonished.
"Among the three of you, your strength is the weakest," Dragon King Ao Xingyun said unceremoniously.
Ao Haichao froze for a moment, his lips moving for a long time before he finally said, "Caiwei is very strong."
Ao Xingyun looked at his "unimpressive" son and shook his head helplessly.
"Go and retrieve the corpse."
On the sea surface, countless aquatic beings began to scramble for and devour the monster's corpse, sucking the blood that had fallen into the sea.
Whether it was the blood or the corpse, they contained immense spiritual energy, and eating some was not harmful.
Unfortunately, the monster's corpse was soon salvaged by Ao Haichao and his brother, and placed before the Old Dragon King Ao Xingyun.
The Old Dragon King squatted down, carefully examining the monster before him, his brows furrowed even tighter.
"Father, what kind of monster is this?" Ao Haiping asked.
Ao Xingyun shook his head, though he had some suspicions in his heart.
"Is it Feng Zhirun's doing?" Ao Haiping suppressed his anger.
They had just recovered the Dragon Gate, and this was the first time they ascended it, so it was likely related to Feng Zhirun.
"Probably not, but he should know something. I need to see him again," Ao Xingyun said, standing up.
Ao Haichao and the others exchanged glances. They all sensed that the Old Dragon King likely knew something.
However, if the Old Dragon King didn't say anything, they couldn't do anything.
"Father, I'll accompany you," Ao Haiping said.
Ao Jiangyue also silently took a step forward.
"I'm going too," Ao Haichao said, then gestured to Lu Caiwei, who had been silent, to help speak up.
Lu Caiwei frowned slightly, and before she could speak, she heard Ao Xingyun say, "Then let's all go. I have something to ask him, and if it's true, I'll have to tell you sooner or later."
"So, is this ascension of the Dragon Gate over just like that?" Ao Jiangyue asked.
Ao Xingyun's expression became troubled at the question, but he still said, "Let's see after meeting Feng Zhirun."
Saying this, he reached towards the ground, and the monster's massive forelimbs detached from its body, which he then captured in his hand.