Chapter 395: Hundred Thousand Year Devil Spirit Great White Shark
Meanwhile, at Sea God Island, the Ring Sea.
This was an inland lake located behind Sea God Mountain; it was connected to the ocean yet formed a world of its own.
The lake water was a deep ink-blue; when calm, it looked like a massive sapphire embedded in the center of the island. However, a closer look revealed undercurrents surging beneath the surface, as if countless invisible behemoths were prowling in the depths.
The name Ring Sea came from its shape.
It was a nearly perfect ring with a small island in the center. Standing on that island was a pure white Sacred Pillar, and floating atop it was a fist-sized pearl emitting a soft, milky-white glow. That was the finish line of the second trial: the Sacred Pillar guarded by the Devil Spirit Great White Shark.
The lake's surface spanned over ten li in diameter, and its deepest point was said to reach a thousand zhang.
The outer perimeter of the Ring Sea consisted of steep rocky cliffs, with only a few gaps for entry and exit.
It was currently early morning, and a thin mist draped over the lake like a light veil. Sunlight refracted through the mist into a seven-colored halo, making the waters look like a fairyland.
But Tang Chuan knew that beneath this fairyland lay a hidden, fatal killing intent.
The High Priestess stood on a reef at the edge of the Ring Sea, her red robes flapping loudly in the sea breeze. Her gaze swept over Tang Chuan and the other four before finally landing on the lake's surface as she said calmly:
"The second Sea God trial: traverse the Ring Sea, reach the central Sacred Pillar, and touch the pearl on the pillar to pass."
"The rules are simple—you must not harm any Sea Spirit Beasts. No matter what method you use, as long as you do not kill or heavily injure any Sea Spirit Beast within the Ring Sea, you will be in compliance. But if you violate this..."
Her voice suddenly turned cold.
"The trial will immediately fail, and you will lose the qualification to participate in the Sea God trials forever."
Ning Rongrong muttered in a low voice:
"How are we supposed to pass this... if we don't harm them, what if they harm us?"
The High Priestess heard her but only gave a slight smile: "That will depend on your own abilities."
She stepped back, yielding the lakeshore: "Begin."
The five stood by the shore, looking at the calm yet mysterious waters, falling into silence for a moment.
The Ring Sea contained a wide variety of Sea Spirit Beasts, ranging from the lowest-level Starfish and Sea Urchins to ten-thousand-year and hundred-thousand-year overlords.
And the true ruler of these waters was a Hundred Thousand Year Devil Spirit Great White Shark.
The Devil Spirit Great White Shark was once one of the Sea God Poseidon's mounts, and its strength was unfathomable.
It wasn't an ordinary Sea Spirit Beast but a guardian bound by a contract with Sea God Island. It possessed high intelligence and could even communicate with humans. Its duty was to guard the Sacred Pillar in the center of the Ring Sea and test every Soul Master participating in the Sea God trials.
"We can't harm the Sea Spirit Beasts, yet we have to break through their blockade..." Dugu Yan frowned. "Unless we can swim across silently without being discovered."
"Impossible." Xiao Rui'er shook her head, her golden eyes fixed on the lake. "I can feel that the number of Sea Spirit Beasts in the lake is terrifyingly high. Moreover, that great white shark... its perception covers the entire Ring Sea. Any creature entering the water will be immediately detected by it."
Ye Lengleng said softly, "Then can we... negotiate with it?"
"Negotiate?" Ning Rongrong blinked and laughed. "Negotiate with a shark?"
"It's no ordinary shark," Tang Chuan spoke up, his gaze deep. "A Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast has intelligence no less than a human's. And having guarded the Sacred Pillar for so many years, it must have seen countless challengers. Perhaps..."
He paused and looked toward the High Priestess, lost in thought.
There seemed to be some leeway in what the High Priestess had just said.
She said they must not harm any Sea Spirit Beasts, but she didn't say they couldn't use other means.
If it were just about not being discovered, it would be too simple.
The trials set by the Sea God would never be so shallow.
"Observe first," Tang Chuan decided, speaking seriously. "Lengleng, use the Life Perception of your Nine Heart Begonia to scout the distribution of the Sea Spirit Beasts in the lake. Rongrong, use the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's amplification to help Lengleng expand her perception range. Yan Zi, release some poison mist onto the lake surface to see how the Sea Spirit Beasts react. Rui'er, come into the water with me to test the depths."
"Into the water?" Xiao Rui'er raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"Can't you breathe underwater?" Tang Chuan smiled slightly, using Voice Transmission: "A Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast in human form should have at least this much ability, right?"
Xiao Rui'er's lips curled into a smirk: "Of course."
The five divided the tasks and acted quickly.
Ye Lengleng sat cross-legged, her Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul emerging as emerald light spread toward the lake like ripples. Ning Rongrong stood behind her, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda shining brightly as four rays of amplification light fell upon Ye Lengleng.
With Ning Rongrong's support, Ye Lengleng's Life Perception range expanded by a full three times!
Her consciousness was like an invisible net, covering the entire Ring Sea, feeding back the distribution, number, and strength levels of the Sea Spirit Beasts in the lake one by one.
"So many..." Ye Lengleng's face turned pale as she said worriedly, "The number of Sea Spirit Beasts in the lake exceeds a hundred thousand. There are over a thousand just at the ten-thousand-year level or above. In the deepest part... there is an extremely powerful life fluctuation; that should be the Devil Spirit Great White Shark."
"What about the distribution?" Tang Chuan pressed.
"Circular distribution," Ye Lengleng replied with her eyes closed, her brow slightly furrowed.
"The outer ring has the most, mostly small Sea Spirit Beasts of the hundred and thousand-year levels. The middle ring consists of ten-thousand-year Sea Spirit Beasts; the density is lower, but individual strength is higher. The inner ring... has almost no Sea Spirit Beasts, only that great white shark and the central Sacred Pillar."
"In other words, as long as we break through the blockade of the outer and middle rings and enter the inner ring, we only need to face one enemy: the great white shark," Dugu Yan analyzed.
Xiao Rui'er frowned. "But the problem is how to break through. The Sea Spirit Beasts in the outer ring are packed so tightly there's almost no gap. And their perception is very strong; any unusual movement will alert them. Once alerted, the ten-thousand-year Sea Spirit Beasts in the middle ring will swarm over. When that happens..."
She didn't continue, but everyone understood the consequences.
A hundred thousand Sea Spirit Beasts, over a thousand ten-thousand-year ones, plus a Hundred Thousand Year Devil Spirit Great White Shark—this was simply not something that could be forced through by human power alone.
Even if Tang Chuan had a level ninety-six cultivation.
It would be impossible to break through without harming them.
"Try the poison mist," Tang Chuan told Dugu Yan.
Dugu Yan nodded and waved her hand. A faint purple poison mist drifted from her palm, slowly floating toward the lake. The concentration of the mist was very low and wouldn't harm the Sea Spirit Beasts, but it was enough to provoke a reaction.
The moment the poison mist touched the lake surface.
"Splash—!!!"
The originally calm lake surface suddenly boiled!
Countless Sea Spirit Beasts surged out from underwater, so many they seemed to blot out the sky!
There were Deep-sea Rays with sharp teeth, schools of Sea Urchins covered in spikes, and giant octopuses with tentacles like snakes... They lunged frantically at the poison mist as if driving out an intruder!
"Hiss—!" Ning Rongrong gasped.
Just a wisp of poison mist had triggered such a violent reaction.
If a person went into the water...
The poison mist was quickly dispersed by the collective attacks of the Sea Spirit Beasts, and the lake surface returned to calm. However, those Sea Spirit Beasts did not scatter; they prowled underwater, staring warily at the shore.
Dugu Yan frowned. "Their alertness is very high. Moreover, they are extremely sensitive to unusual auras. Trying to cross silently... is nearly impossible."
Tang Chuan didn't speak immediately. Instead, he walked to the lakeside, crouched down, and reached his hand into the water.
The lake water was icy and carried a hint of saltiness. On his forehead, the mark of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud glowed faintly, and a faint sense of affinity spread from his palm, creating a resonance with the lake water.
As the Sea God's successor, he was naturally close to the ocean.
He closed his eyes, sensing everything in the water—the auras of the Sea Spirit Beasts, the trajectory of the currents, the hidden reefs at the bottom... Gradually, a vague idea emerged in his mind.
Perhaps, a Breakthrough wasn't needed at all.
"I have an idea," Tang Chuan stood up and said to the four.
"What idea?" the four women asked in unison.
Tang Chuan didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked toward the High Priestess and called out:
"High Priestess, may I ask if 'not harming any Sea Spirit Beasts' includes letting them fall into a deep sleep?"
The High Priestess was taken aback, then shook her head. "It does not. As long as no substantial physical damage is caused, any control-type Soul skills can be used."
The corner of Tang Chuan's mouth curled up. "Then it'll be easy to handle."
He turned to Dugu Yan:
"Yan Zi, does your Bi Lin Snake Poison have a variant that can induce unconsciousness without being fatal?"
Dugu Yan's eyes lit up. "Yes! I have a move called Jade Phosphor Miasma that can release a hallucinogenic poison mist, putting creatures into a brief deep sleep. The toxicity is very light and won't cause any harm, but the duration isn't long—at most fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen minutes is enough." Tang Chuan nodded.
He then looked at Ye Lengleng:
"Lengleng, can your Nine Heart Begonia enhance a creature's resistance in a short time? I don't want to weaken them, but rather... make them sleep better."
Ye Lengleng was stunned for a moment, then understood his meaning:
"You want to... make them sleep voluntarily?"
"Not voluntarily, but harmlessly soothed," Tang Chuan said. "Since we can't harm them, we'll let them willingly let us pass. Lengleng will use the Nine Heart Begonia to release life energy to soothe the Sea Spirit Beasts' emotions. Yan Zi will release a low concentration of miasma to put them into a light sleep. Combining the two should be able to temporarily paralyze the Sea Spirit Beasts in the outer and middle rings."
"What about the great white shark in the inner ring?" Xiao Rui'er asked.
A sharp light flashed in Tang Chuan's eyes. "The great white shark... I'll deal with it. It's not an ordinary Soul Beast; it has intelligence and can communicate. I'll go talk to it."
Ning Rongrong's eyes widened in disbelief. "Talk? Negotiate with a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast?"
"My status as the Sea God's successor should be of some use." Tang Chuan touched the trident brand on his forehead. "Besides, I have something it's interested in."
He didn't say what it was, but the four women vaguely guessed—the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. As the Sea God's Divine Artifact, it possessed a natural affinity and deterrence for the Soul Beasts guarding Sea God Island.
"Fine," Xiao Rui'er was the first to speak up. "I'll go into the water with you. In case the negotiations break down, I can still help you block for a bit."
Dugu Yan said:
"I'll go too. My poison mist needs to be released at close range for precise control."
"I... I'll just cheer for you guys from the shore," Ning Rongrong shrunk her neck and said softly. "I'd just be a burden in the water."
Ye Lengleng gave a gentle smile. "I'll stay on the shore to maintain the Nine Heart Begonia's soothing range, trying to cover as much of the middle ring as possible. Rongrong, help me with the amplification."
"It's settled then," Tang Chuan decided.
Once prepared, the four acted immediately.
Ye Lengleng sat cross-legged on the shore, her Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul fully activated as emerald life energy spread toward the lake like ripples.
Ning Rongrong stood behind her, all four amplification rays of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda focused on her, extending the coverage of the life energy to its maximum.
Wherever the emerald light passed, the Sea Spirit Beasts in the lake water quieted down one after another.
They instinctively sensed the goodwill and life force contained within this aura, and their violent emotions were slowly smoothed over.
Dugu Yan stood by the lakeside, her hands forming seals. Wisps of faint purple miasma drifted from her palms and merged into the lake water.
The concentration of the miasma was extremely low, almost invisible to the naked eye, but every wisp accurately drifted toward those Sea Spirit Beasts that had already been soothed, turning their alertness into drowsiness, and from drowsiness into deep sleep.
The Sea Spirit Beasts in the outer ring began to sink to the bottom of the lake in large numbers, falling into a peaceful sleep.
"Go!" Tang Chuan barked and leaped into the lake!
Xiao Rui'er followed closely behind, golden light enveloping her body like a sharp sword piercing through the lake water. Dugu Yan rode on a phantom of a venomous snake condensed from Bi Lin Snake Poison, following silently behind.
The three moved extremely fast, yet they barely kicked up any spray.
Tang Chuan's Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud mark glowed faintly, blending the trio's aura with the lake water so that those Sea Spirit Beasts that hadn't completely fallen asleep could not detect them.
The middle ring, the gathering place of ten-thousand-year Sea Spirit Beasts.
The Sea Spirit Beasts here were larger, stronger, and had more resilient wills.
Ye Lengleng's life energy had already weakened by the time it reached here, and Dugu Yan's miasma would take longer to take effect.
Just then, a ten-thousand-year Tiger-striped Shark prowled in front of the three, its massive body like a small boat. Its eyes were half-open and half-closed, clearly already affected by the miasma but not yet fully asleep.
Seeing this, Xiao Rui'er gripped the golden dragon spear, ready to strike at any moment.
"Don't move," Tang Chuan held her hand and transmitted: "Let me."
In the next second, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud mark on his forehead shone brilliantly!
A pressure belonging to the Sea God radiated from him, enveloping that Tiger-striped Shark.
The Tiger-striped Shark's whole body jolted, its massive eyes suddenly snapping open to stare intently at Tang Chuan!
But soon, the wariness in its eyes turned into awe.
It sensed the aura from Tang Chuan that shared the same source as the Sea God—it was the presence of the Lord of the Ocean, the supreme majesty to which all Sea Spirit Beasts must submit.
The Tiger-striped Shark lowered its head and slowly sank to the bottom of the lake, voluntarily yielding the path.
Tang Chuan's group of three continued forward.
Along the way, they encountered over a hundred ten-thousand-year Sea Spirit Beasts, each of which took the initiative to move aside after sensing Tang Chuan's Sea God aura. The cooperation between Ye Lengleng and Dugu Yan also became increasingly seamless, with life energy and miasma intertwining to send all the Sea Spirit Beasts along the way into dreamland.
In less than fifteen minutes, the three broke through the middle ring and entered the inner ring.
In the inner ring, the lake water was as calm as a mirror, with not a single Sea Spirit Beast in sight.
There was only one fish.
A giant shark, silver-white all over and over thirty meters long, suspended in the center of the lake, facing that Sacred Pillar. Its body lines were smooth and elegant, every scale emitting a metallic luster, and its massive eyes were like two black pearls—deep and wise.
The Hundred Thousand Year Devil Spirit Great White Shark.
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