Deep Sea Explorer

Jiang Zhen gazed toward the nearly ink-colored waters in the depths of the Deep Sea Trench.

Dealing with the Ink Scale Eel had merely been a warm-up. If he only used Soul Power to probe from the surface, he would never be able to grasp the full layout of the underwater Reef Cluster.

Those high-year Sea Soul Beasts were most likely hiding in the gaps deep within the reefs, perhaps even using the protection of the currents to evade Soul Power detection from the surface.

"It looks like I'll have to go underwater."

Jiang Zhen muttered under his breath, his gaze settling on the deep sea before him.

For an ordinary Spirit Master to operate in the deep sea, they either needed the support of a Spirit Skill or specialized Underwater Equipment.

With a thought, Jiang Zhen closed his eyes and focused his attention completely on "Water Element."

The Soul Power Inside the Body flowed along his Meridians. In the end, it gathered at the surface of his body, and a faint Water-Blue Halo quietly emerged, as if wrapping him in a thin veil.

At first, he tried to make this layer of Soul Power directly isolate the seawater. But when he lifted his foot and stepped into the Shallow Beach, seawater still seeped in. A chill spread against his skin. This layer of Soul Power was too loose and could not block the seawater's penetration at all.

"No good. Looks like I need to compress it further."

Jiang Zhen frowned and readjusted the rhythm of his Soul Power's circulation.

This time, he no longer let the Soul Power spread evenly across his body. Instead, he condensed it into a semitransparent "membrane."

He used Soul Power to compress the Water Element, making the membrane's density far exceed that of ordinary seawater.

As Soul Power continued pouring in, the Water-Blue Halo on his body gradually solidified. He could even see fine ripples of water flowing across the membrane's surface.

Jiang Zhen drew a deep breath and walked straight toward the deep-water region.

The instant his foot entered the seawater, he suddenly paused.

This was his first time truly entering the deep sea. The water temperature was gentler than he had imagined. It lacked the bone-chilling cold of the Shallow Beach, with its grains of sand mixed in. Instead, it felt like silk soaked in a clear spring, lightly brushing against his skin along the edges of the Soul Power Membrane.

The underwater world was extraordinarily quiet. The wind and waves on the surface were completely cut off, leaving only his own breathing whispering beside his ears. Even the soft rustle of the currents sliding across the Soul Power Membrane sounded excessively clear.

A strange yet novel sensation traveled lightly up his spine.

When the seawater reached his knees, he clearly felt the Soul Power Membrane bulge slightly, as if it were alive, firmly keeping the seawater outside. Not a trace seeped in, and even his trouser cuffs remained dry.

He tried walking deeper until the seawater reached his chest. The Soul Power Membrane remained firm.

He raised a hand and touched the seawater outside. The cold dampness he felt at his Fingertips was still that of seawater, but it did not seep in.

The surrounding seawater also flowed gently along the curve of the Soul Power Membrane, reducing the resistance to his advance considerably.

"It worked!"

Jiang Zhen opened his eyes, and a trace of delight flashed in his Eyes.

This Water Repelling Barrier could not only isolate seawater, but also use his control over the Water Element to resonate with the surrounding seawater. It was practically tailor-made for a Deep Sea Explorer.

He no longer hesitated. With a slight exertion of his legs, his body moved like an agile fish, swimming straight toward the depths of the Deep Sea Trench.

The deeper he went, the darker the light became.

The sunlight above the water was no longer the dazzling brightness found on land. Instead, it transformed into countless thin golden threads that hung straight down from the surface, swaying gently with the currents.

When he had swum half a zhang, the golden threads gradually grew sparse. In the end, only scattered Light Spots fell onto the reefs, illuminating the moss on their surfaces with a faint green glow.

Jiang Zhen had never seen light like this before. It was soft and yielding, landing on the back of his hand like the wing of a firefly.

The underwater reefs were denser than he had imagined. Some resembled sharp Fangs pointing straight upward, while others were enormous rocks stretching across his path.

Unknown small creatures hid in the gaps. At the slightest disturbance, they quickly shrank back, leaving behind only a few swaying strands of seaweed.

Jiang Zhen spread out his Soul Power, forming a Detection Net with a radius of ten zhang around himself.

Because he was close to the Water Element, his Soul Power traveled extremely quickly through the seawater. Every bit of information returned when a strand of Soul Power touched an object was crystal clear.

Whether it was the outline of a reef, a swimming fish, or a hidden Soul Beast, he could distinguish it instantly.

Along the way, he encountered several Soul Beasts.

A thousand-year-old grouper was hiding behind a reef, the patterns on its body almost blending into the rock.

If his Soul Power had not detected the Water Attribute Energy inside its body, it would have been nearly impossible to find.

There was also a 4000-Year Ink Tentacle Octopus, its ten tentacles swaying gently in the seawater. It tried to use its ink to interfere with his detection.

But Jiang Zhen merely stirred the seawater lightly with his Soul Power, dispersing the ink. Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, the octopus immediately burrowed into a reef gap and fled.

After swimming for an unknown length of time, the surrounding seawater gradually grew colder, and the currents became more turbulent.

Jiang Zhen could feel that the Water Element Energy here was several times denser than before, and purer as well.

This meant that a high-year Soul Beast had to be nearby!

He slowed down and tightened the Detection Net, carefully circling around a massive reef.

Just then, the Detection Net suddenly touched an abnormal energy.

That energy was not violent like the energy of other Soul Beasts. Instead, it carried a gentle fluctuation, so faint it seemed almost nonexistent.

It was like a tranquil deep sea concealing boundless power beneath its surface.

Jiang Zhen's heart stirred, and he swam toward the direction from which the energy came.

After circling around the reef, the scene before him left him slightly stunned.

Ahead was a relatively open stretch of water. Seaweed grew abundantly.

A faint luminescence also shimmered above the seaweed, and its source was a jellyfish suspended in the center.

The jellyfish was several times larger than an ordinary jellyfish. Its bell was a full several zhang in diameter, and its entire body was Pale Cyan. Silver Patterns covered its surface, making it look remarkably like a galaxy in the night sky.

Dozens of slender tentacles hung beneath its bell. Each tentacle was dotted with tiny Silver Light, swaying gently with the currents and tracing streaks of flowing light through the dim seawater.

Even stranger, the seawater around it seemed unusually clear. Even the turbulent currents became gentle when they reached this place, as if they had been assimilated by the energy surrounding it.

Jiang Zhen held his breath and cautiously extended his Soul Power toward the jellyfish.

Its age was approximately 9,400 years, right within the range of his target.

Generally speaking, jellyfish consumed very little energy. Moreover, this jellyfish seemed capable of altering the energy of the currents around itself.

The Soul Skill it granted should be quite good!

Jiang Zhen clenched his fist as the Soul Power Inside the Body began to quietly gather.

He knew that this jellyfish was absolutely not as gentle as it appeared.

To become the ruler of a stretch of water in the Deep Sea Trench, it must possess formidable self-preservation abilities.

He did not attack immediately. Instead, he remained where he was and carefully observed the jellyfish's movements.

The jellyfish continued floating in place, its tentacles swaying gently, the Silver Patterns occasionally flashing.

The surrounding Silver Light brightened and dimmed along with it, as if the creature were breathing.

It's this one.

A trace of resolve flashed in Jiang Zhen's eyes as he slowly swam toward the Pale Cyan Jellyfish.