The "floating corpse" washed ashore suddenly had its chest heaving violently.
The next second, water that had been stuck in its throat gushed out of the "floating corpse's" mouth.
"Haa---haa---cough cough---haa..."
The "floating corpse" abruptly opened its eyes. Filled with lingering fear, it gasped for air, coughing out the remaining seawater.
"I'm not dead... Hahaha... I'm not dead."
Lin Tian's face was etched with relief. Great fortune follows great disaster, he mused, a smile forming.
In this world, there were always struggling underdogs, and Lin Tian was one such person, toiling in obscurity with no hope in sight.
Orphaned, he lived a life where one person eating meant no one went hungry.
He simply enjoyed night swimming; it was one of the few pastimes he could indulge in without spending money.
The heavens were not in his favor, and a sudden leg cramp had sent him plunging into the sea in despair.
Perhaps only those who had faced death could truly appreciate that nothing was better than being alive.
He had once lamented that he might as well be dead, but looking back, how foolish he had been then.
Death meant the end of everything.
Suddenly, a faint golden light, carried by the tide, drifted towards Lin Tian.
"What is this?"
Lin Tian picked up the faintly glowing bead with curiosity and examined it closely.
"Great fortune after great disaster, and the sea bestows a trinket?"
Lin Tian forced a bitter smile. It was just a bead emitting a faint glow. He held it in his hand and hurled it forcefully into the sea.
However, a sudden wave crashed directly at him, sweeping the bead back and striking him.
"Hiss, holy hell!"
Lin Tian was dazed by the bead's impact. Clutching his forehead, he only realized he had bled when he saw the blood on his hand.
"What kind of rotten luck is this? Is today my dark day?"
Lin Tian felt so unlucky that he could choke on his own spit. He picked up the bead, refusing to believe it, and tossed it into the sea again.
"Is a bead trying to bully me too?"
"Go to hell, I don't believe it."
But when he saw the waves, which seemed to rise without wind, surging towards him with the bead, Lin Tian, terrified, scrambled backward.
"Ouch! What are you doing!"
The back of Lin Tian's head was struck directly by the bead. Dazed, he was pushed by a wave, slipped, and fell to the ground.
The bead, absorbing his blood, turned into a streak of light and entered his mind.
When Lin Tian woke up, he found the bead he had thrown away twice now residing within his mind.
"Holy hell, what's going on?"
Lin Tian couldn't comprehend why such a bizarre event was happening to him.
Subsequently, the bead sent him a message.
Only then did Lin Tian learn that this was no ordinary bead, but the Sea God Bead.
The Sea God Bead would continuously improve his body, gradually adapting him to the sea.
Ultimately, he would be able to transform into the sea itself; as long as the sea existed, so would he, immortal and indestructible.
However, in the initial stages, he could only exert simple control over the sea and live freely within it.
Most importantly, he could communicate with marine life.
Lin Tian felt as if destiny had chosen him. With such a powerful ability, this invincible strength would make him supreme in the entire world.
Seven-tenths of this world was ocean. He would rule the entire ocean, becoming its master.
My fate is mine to decide, not heaven's. He would certainly not let go of those who had bullied and humiliated him.
Suddenly empowered, Lin Tian now looked down on everyone in the world.
"Hahaha—great fortune follows great disaster."
Amidst his laughter, Lin Tian plunged into the sea with a splash, accompanied by the waves.
In the sea, Lin Tian opened his eyes freely. He felt even more at ease and relaxed in the water than on land.
Lin Tian had no idea where he was swimming, but he felt an inexplicable connection to the sea.
This feeling of closeness was so comforting that he was reluctant to leave.
However, why did he sense a wave of sadness ahead? Lin Tian, perplexed, changed direction and swam towards the source of the sorrow.
Upon arrival, Lin Tian discovered a massive net indiscriminately scooping up fish.
The fish, emanating sorrow, were the ones being caught.
The school of fish seemed to sense goodwill from Lin Tian and implored him for help.
"Save me, save me."
"Ah—why can't I hate this human? Never mind, hurry and save me."
"This net is hurting me so much."
"Wait for me, I'll save you right now."
Lin Tian's emotions were stirred, a nameless melancholy pervading his heart. He decided to save them.
"Giant Wave."
Lin Tian had no knife to cut the net, but he could control the sea. Even with his current meager strength, it was enough to capsize the ship.
At sea, he was the emperor.
The medium-sized fishing boat on the surface bore the insignia of "Dragon Palace Marine Company." The sudden, colossal wave capsized it.
Fortunately, the fishing boat's emergency measures were comprehensive, and its crew members fled in all directions.
The fishing boat tilted precariously before falling onto the sea's surface, slowly sinking.
The surrounding water churned into a massive vortex, spinning relentlessly, as if to swallow those fleeing to safety.
"Hurry, damn it! How could such a giant wave appear? I've been doing this for decades, and I've never encountered anything so strange."
"Who knows? Did you send a distress signal to the company?"
"Sent, sent! Hurry and leave the vortex zone, don't get caught in it."
These men, clad in the uniform Dragon Palace Marine employees' attire, shouted their warnings.
This disaster was too sudden. Even seasoned sailors had capsized.
Lin Tian paid no mind to what was happening on the ship. After opening the fishing net and releasing the fish, their gratitude filled him with satisfaction.
"Hurry and go. Don't be foolish enough to swim into fishing nets again."
"Go far away from here. This is a fishing ground. Live somewhere else."
Lin Tian waved at the still-swishing fish, thanking him, urging them to leave this dangerous place.
Human hearts are unfathomable, but the thoughts of marine creatures are the purest.
Lin Tian sighed deeply and continued his exploration of the ocean.
Suddenly, Lin Tian spotted a gold ring on the seabed. Holding it and examining it, he suddenly thought of the countless treasures that lay hidden in the sea.
These treasures could make him rich, elevating him above others. Everything in the sea was his.
"I'm rich."
With his ability to communicate with fish, Lin Tian swam westward. There, from a shark, he learned the whereabouts of a sunken ship.
...
The capsizing incident did not cause Li Mingyi excessive concern. After issuing compensation, he granted the affected individuals a leave of absence.
However, over the next three days, as Li Mingyi reviewed the documents presented by his secretary, his face grew increasingly grim.
Someone was definitely targeting him; it couldn't possibly be a coincidence of giant waves.
In just three days, the number of capsized vessels had exceeded twenty, causing widespread panic in the company. Employees were afraid to go out to sea.
"This time, I'll go myself."
Li Mingyi refused to believe it. He was determined to find the culprit behind this.