Chapter 32: The Onslaught of the Colossal Beast

"You have never witnessed the true might of Priest Shen—I saw it with my own eyes," the old man began, immediately capturing the attention of everyone around. Seeing the crowd’s eyes fixed on him, he grew even more animated.

"I still remember, it was more than thirty years ago, when a colossal planet hurtled toward our world!" The old man recounted how that planet had collided with several others in the Celestial Sphere System in a matter of moments, before charging straight toward Celestial Sphere.

"At the time, that planet blotted out the sky and sun. Everyone believed the end had come," the old man's voice dropped, pulling his listeners into the terror of that moment.

"But Priest Shen remained calm and untroubled!" The old man’s tone shifted as he took a sip of water to moisten his throat, then continued, "Just as the planet was about to strike Celestial Sphere, Priest Shen appeared."

He gestured vividly, stoking the excitement of those around him.

"He stood in the air and, with a wave of his hand, summoned a black hole!"

"I may be an uneducated old man, but I know the stars in the sky well enough—that was a black hole, I tell you!"

"With a single blow, Priest Shen reduced that planet to dust, dispersing it into the cosmos!"

His storytelling was so lively that the crowd listened, utterly spellbound.

Suddenly, someone questioned, "But I heard the planet shattered into dozens of pieces, not dust!"

The old man scowled, replying with irritation, "What do you know? I was in the Temple District at the time—I saw it with my own eyes. Would I lie?"

His conviction left the skeptic speechless.

The old man went on, "I’ll never forget the sight of Priest Shen’s heroic figure."

"He was not only our savior, but also personally appointed as High Priest by the Star Father himself!"

"Lord Shen Xing is nearly a hundred years old now, yet he still thinks of humanity’s future."

Around him, the passengers nodded, their reverence for Shen Xing clear on their faces.

"He took on six disciples and taught them divine arts, all so that humanity could defend itself against future threats."

"Yes, Lord Shen Xing is our guardian deity!"

"So long as Priest Shen is with us, humanity has hope!"

Their voices overlapped, admiration for Shen Xing welling up within them.

Still, some grew uneasy, speaking with a tinge of sorrow, "Priest Shen is already advanced in age—who knows how much longer he can protect us?"

"Nonsense! Lord Shen Xing is chosen by the gods—how could we possibly guess the length of his life?"

"His students will inherit his will and continue to protect us in the future!"

"That’s right! Even if this old man dies, Priest Shen will never die!" the old man spat, bristling as he refuted the worry.

The others nodded, affirming the old man’s words, though some muttered quietly:

"But we haven’t seen Lord Shen Xing’s students do anything significant, have we?"

"Lord Shen Xing’s students have their own missions—those aren’t things ordinary people like us could understand."

The conversation swelled with speculation, but whatever was said, Shen Xing’s status remained unshakable in their hearts.

As she listened to their praise for her teacher, Ye Lian suddenly sensed a disturbance beneath the water.

As a newly appointed Starlight Divine Attendant, her senses had become extraordinarily sharp.

The commotion was caused by a vast creature, speeding through the deep sea and racing directly toward the Leviathan.

Though still several kilometers away, it closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

The deep sea was home to mighty beasts, but gentle whales could never move with such speed.

Given the magnitude of the disturbance, whales were ruled out, leaving only one possibility: a shark.

Yet sharks rarely attacked steel leviathans, except for certain frenzied giants.

Considering everything, there could only be one answer—a megalodon.

Ye Lian focused, listening to the turmoil beneath the waves, her body tense and ready to face whatever crisis might arise.

Meanwhile, the passengers in the tent cabins on deck continued their idle chatter, oblivious to the looming danger.

"Will Priest Shen’s disciples ever accomplish anything great?"

"Priest Shen is a once-in-a-millennium child of the gods; compared to him, his disciples are quite ordinary."

In the midst of their debate, a thunderous crash erupted on the surface, sending water spraying high into the air.

A massive shadow burst through the waves, trailing a towering plume, and slammed violently into the Leviathan’s hull.

The ship rocked violently, passengers shrieking in terror and stumbling over one another.

Another strike followed, the shaking growing even more violent.

"A megalodon, it’s a megalodon!" someone screamed as they caught sight of the true assailant.

Chaos erupted, with passengers screaming and scattering in panic.

But in the midst of the turmoil, Ye Lian remained calm.

She knew this was her moment to show her strength and protect the innocent.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for the coming challenge.

Her gaze was resolute, silently recalling Shen Xing’s teachings and her duty as a Divine Attendant.

In her mind’s eye, the outline of the megalodon became ever clearer.

She could sense the immense power of this deep-sea beast, but she was unafraid.

This would be her first true test as a Starlight Divine Attendant—and her chance to reveal her power.

Panic spread rapidly among the passengers.

Against the megalodon, the undisputed ruler of the deep, their terror was not misplaced.

These beasts grew over thirty meters long and weighed dozens of tons, dominating the ocean with their incredible agility and ferocious hunting habits.

Though rare in the vast sea, once a megalodon selected its prey, almost nothing could escape.

Freighters, carrying few people, rarely attracted their interest.

But passenger ships were a different matter—an encounter was fraught with peril.

Megalodons were renowned for their intelligence and savage hunting strategies. They would hurl their massive bodies at the hull, seeking to capsize the vessel.

Should the ship overturn and people fall into the water, the megalodon would hunt them down, one by one.

The pounding continued, the megalodon battering the Leviathan’s side with its bulk.

The list of the ship grew ever steeper, capsizing imminent, and despair began to sweep through the crowd.

"Star Father, save us! Star Father, save us!"

Countless voices prayed in desperation, pleading for divine intervention.

Yet Ye Lian’s expression remained as calm as still water, her heart steady and unmoved by the panic around her.

Since becoming a Starlight Divine Attendant, she had prepared herself for any challenge.

As the blows intensified, the deck tents were torn apart and the ship’s smokestacks ceased to billow.

Ye Lian calmly tossed her backpack aside, knowing it was time to reveal her abilities and protect the innocent.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, feeling the newfound divine power coursing within.

When she opened her eyes again, they gleamed with resolve and unwavering determination.

Her figure darted swiftly across the deck, her steps sure and nimble, moving as if the slanting boards were level ground.

Reaching the ship’s edge, she leapt without hesitation into the sea, slicing through the water like a graceful fish.

"Someone fell overboard!"