Soul Strangulation from the Seabed

Under the moonlight, a dark glint flashed, and the Steel Feathers slashed towards the enemy's spine.

But before the Kagune touched Bixu, his body suddenly transformed into a humanoid mass of seawater.

Then, under the immense force of the slash, it disintegrated and scattered in all directions, the splashing water carrying a faint fishy smell.

Immediately afterwards, the seawater gathered behind and to the side of Shisui, and at the same time, an extremely long weapon appeared.

Primarily composed of spears with horizontal blades on the sides, it resembles a halberd.

The moment the halberd appeared, it pierced directly at Shisui, who was still lunging forward due to inertia.

On the tip of the halberd, Psychic Energy at the Fourth-Realm Peak of the Earth Realm condensed and overlapped, pointing directly at the back of Shisui's neck.

"Clang!"

The Owl Wing Ukaku beneath Shisui fluttered slightly, allowing him to spin and attack in mid-air.

The Steel Feathers above flicked upwards, directly deflecting the halberd's thrust.

Then, Shisui touched the ground with his toes and quickly retreated to create distance, raining down Feather Bullets to block Bixu's pursuit.

Shisui wanted to adjust the rhythm of the battle, but Bixu naturally wouldn't allow it.

His water-like body instantly disintegrated under the Feather Bullets, and a thick fog rose as he disappeared into the mist.

Immediately afterwards, he reappeared behind Shisui.

However, before he could even launch an attack, Bikaku had already swept across the battlefield.

Before Bixu could disintegrate, the Blade Scales, gleaming with Spatial Energy, slashed him open at the waist.

The vibrant blood red flashed by in an instant, then disappeared into the increasingly thick gray fog.

Shisui could smell that the fishy smell in the moisture had become stronger, mixed with a barely perceptible kiwi scent.

Before the pale moonlight was obscured by the moisture, something in the fog reflected a fleeting, metallic glint.

Shisui narrowly won, and Bixu immediately became more cautious in his fighting style.

For a time, the two sides were locked in a stalemate.

On the other side, after the water vapor enveloped Qing Wufei, Bixu immediately transferred him back to the Laboratory located on the seabed.

It's worth mentioning that he used a one-time-use spatial teleportation device, an expensive magical artifact he used to save his life.

"Hmm? Only A0005 returned. Where is Lord Bixu?"

"We just received news that Bixu seems to have encountered the wanted criminal we discussed earlier."

Which one? The White Owl or the Eight-Tailed Owl?

"Eight-Tailed Owl."

The researcher nodded and didn't pursue the matter further.

Please, why should I, a research assistant who doesn't even own Earth Realm, bother with a big shot who's Earth Realm Fourth Realm?

Am I worthy? I am not worthy.

Let's take a look at this precious experimental subject who's almost succumbing to the effects of spatial teleportation!

"Notify the operating room and logistics: Body A0005 is about to die and requires an urgent replacement."

"Soak it in a vitamin solution first. The new body still needs treatment, so surgery can't be done right away."

"Okay, give me a hand and move him to the stretcher."

"Gently! Gently! Support his head and spine, and don't let your hands shake!"

The top-secret Laboratory of the Sea Race First Research Institute was like a huge and sophisticated instrument, operating at full speed.

Let's return to the two sides facing off on the shore.

Amidst the mist, Shisui stood quietly, his only enemies being the Earth Realm Fourth Realm.

Although the Psychic Energy was great, it lacked the oppressive feeling of the Fifth Realm.

He guessed that the other party's advancement to the Earth Realm Fourth Realm was probably the result of their cultivation aptitude and the accumulation of a large number of Heavenly Earthly Spirit Treasures.

Lacking practical experience and being hesitant and timid, they were unable to break through the minor bottleneck of the Earth Realm Fifth Realm.

"Click... click... click--"

Suddenly, a dense friction sound filled the air, Bixu suddenly appeared in the distance.

Tiny, purplish-red crystals grew from all over his body, forcibly fixing his flesh in place and rendering him unable to move.

Rc Cells relentlessly devoured his flesh and blood, but Bixu was filled with excitement.

"This... is not a cell I've ever seen in any of the creatures from Ruolan Star."

"A new species! I've discovered a new species!"

"Moreover, they are intelligent, higher animals!"

"Well, congratulations, goodbye."

The crystalline "trees" made from Feather Powder took root and sprouted instantly under the nourishment of flesh and blood, engulfing the crazed Bixu.

The splattered blood landed on the corner of Shisui's mouth, and he gently rolled the bright red into his mouth.

"Hmm, it's a kiwi. What a pity, it smells so strongly of the sea."

As the mist dissipated, moonlight shone down once more, leaving only scattered Feather Powder dancing in the crimson sky above the ground.

Bixu's body was enveloped in dark purple crystals and was being slowly digested by the Rc Cells.

Shisui took out the [Spirit Dream Recall] and, taking advantage of Bixu's recent death and the fact that his soul had not yet dissipated, began to read his memories.

The souls in the Earth Realm are more powerful and stable than those in the Profound Realm and Yellow Realms, and therefore their memories are relatively complete.

Furthermore, since his physical body was already dead and his consciousness was on the verge of collapse, the reading process went quite smoothly.

"Sea Race, Dragon Spirits, Dragon Palace, Three Dragons Vie for the Crown Prince..."

Interesting. It looks like there will be a bloodbath. I'll go play there after I collect some Flesh Crystals in Mao City.

Fortunately, once it Flesh Crystals, it lost its fishy smell; otherwise, it would have been a real loss.

"Huh? You actually found it?"

From this vast and complex sea of memories, a recent one has surfaced.

A Bound Captive was on the verge of death was recently escorted back to the Sea Race First Research Institute.

That familiar blindfolded appearance was none other than that of the Earth Realm Fifth Realm, the place that had been severely injured Shisui in front of the library.

Shisui would certainly not let go of his prey, so the research institute was now a must-visit "scenic spot".

Just as Shisui was about to read further about his research, a sudden change occurred.

Bixu's soul suddenly fluctuated violently, as if it had sensed the arrival of something terrifying.

His Shisui consciousness was instantly and forcibly ejected, and then, a needle-like pain surged from the depths of his soul.

He ignored the stinging pain and immediately severed the connection between [Spirit Dream Recall] and Bixu's soul.

The Rc Cells crystals that enveloped Bixu instantly began to turn black and wither.

Shisui did not actively contact these cells, but only confirmed their status through weak perception of Rc Cells.

A powerful force remotely killed the living thing that dared to touch the core secrets.

Thus, the Rc Cells that directly killed Bixu and shared the same aura as Shisui became the scapegoats.

They shielded Shisui from the soul-level strangulation, directly blocking most of the damage.

Although the [Spirit Dream Recall] that was probing memories severed the connection in time, it also suffered considerable damage as a result.

Fortunately, Rc Cells and the Shisui stood in its way, so its injuries did not reach its core.

Otherwise, it would have died on the spot, as it was merely a vessel for the talents of an ordinary Profound Realm cultivator.

Shisui placed it back into the Snow Spirit to nurture it, watching as the pile of crystals in front of him was rapidly corroded, carbonized, and then dissolved into the air.

He memorized the scent—a scent that was scalding, burning, and had a strong, fishy smell.