Evil Spirit Orca

Jiang Zhen's heart settled slightly, but he still didn't dare relax in the slightest.

Wounded Ferocious Beasts were often even more violent. A Forty-Five Hundred Year Evil Spirit Orca, even in poor condition, possessed biting force and strength far beyond those of ordinary Soul Beasts.

He took a deep breath. The Profound Water Clear Mind Art within him circulated to its limit, and pale-blue Soul Power condensed into an even sharper Water Blade in his palm. Fine ripples of water even coiled around its edge.

Seeing that its attack had missed, the little Evil Spirit Orca's dark red eyes gleamed with even greater ferocity as it swung its tail again.

This time, however, it didn't charge straight at him. Instead, it opened its enormous mouth, and a murky Water Arrow shot out, accompanied by a sharp whistle as it flew directly toward Jiang Zhen's face.

Jiang Zhen's eyes narrowed. His body deftly shifted sideways through the water as he simultaneously hurled the condensed Water Blade.

This time, he didn't attack its torso. Instead, he aimed for the unhealed wound.

The pale-blue Water Blade cut through the seawater and flew toward the little Evil Spirit Orca's wound.

The little Evil Spirit Orca seemed to sense the threat as well. Its body twisted violently, causing the Water Blade to skim past its skin. It only opened a shallower gash, but it still made the beast let out an even more furious roar.

In the open waters, the confrontation between man and beast suddenly intensified.

Looking at the agitated little Evil Spirit Orca before him, Jiang Zhen knew clearly that if he wanted to rise safely to the surface, he probably couldn't avoid this battle.

Jiang Zhen took a deep breath. The Profound Water Clear Mind Art within him circulated to its limit, and pale-blue Soul Power condensed into an even sharper Water Blade in his palm. Fine ripples of water even coiled around its edge.

His gaze locked firmly onto the little Evil Spirit Orca before him, while his mind rapidly recalled the original work's records about this top predator.

They possessed a Ripple Detection Ability spanning ten li and were renowned for living in groups and their bloodlust. Even their young were far from ordinary.

"First Spirit Skill, Moisten All Directions!"

Jiang Zhen shouted softly, and the First Spirit Ring suddenly lit up. A pale-blue halo rapidly spread outward from him.

The 200% boost to all attributes instantly made his muscles taut as iron, while the speed at which his Soul Power circulated doubled as well.

"Second Spirit Skill, Azure Glow Source!"

At the same time, the Second Spirit Ring, Azure Glow Source, activated in sync, and the miniature energy vortex core within his body began to operate.

Soul Power recovery speed increased by 50%, all Spirit Skill consumption decreased by 30%, and all attributes increased by 100%!

The little Evil Spirit Orca clearly sensed the threat. Its dark red eyes filled with an even more savage gleam.

Its thick tail fin whipped fiercely, and the murky seawater before it condensed into a Water Arrow fully two meters in diameter. With a sharp whistle, it shot straight toward Jiang Zhen's face.

The power of this attack far exceeded that of an ordinary Soul Beast. Even the surrounding seawater was compressed until it emitted a piercing shriek.

Jiang Zhen's eyes narrowed, and his body deftly shifted sideways through the water.

The Water Arrow skimmed past his shoulder and shattered the coral reef behind him.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, he hurled the condensed Water Blade, aiming directly at the unhealed wound beneath the little Evil Spirit Orca's left abdominal fin.

The pale-blue Water Blade cut through the seawater, but just before it struck, the beast twisted aside violently and evaded the attack. It only left a shallow mark on its rough hide.

"Roar—!"

The little Evil Spirit Orca let out an enraged roar, and the seawater around its body suddenly surged violently.

Jiang Zhen sharply sensed that this was the Evil Spirit Orca's unique Ripple Detection Ability locking onto his position.

He didn't dare hesitate. His Soul Power surged forth like a flood released from its gates, condensing in his palm into a Water Dragon more than ten meters long.

"Profound Water Dragon Soar!"

Under Jiang Zhen's control, the Water Dragon let out a Dragon Roar and charged toward the little Evil Spirit Orca, carrying immense Water Element Energy.

Wherever the Water Dragon passed, the seawater compressed into a transparent tunnel. Even the light warped under the force of that overwhelming energy.

The little Evil Spirit Orca clearly realized the danger. It tried to swing its tail fin and evade the attack, but its wounded body made its movements sluggish.

The Water Dragon struck its wound with pinpoint accuracy, and pale-blue energy instantly enveloped its entire body.

With a muffled boom, the Water Dragon's impact directly tore the little Evil Spirit Orca's body in half, and dark red blood rapidly spread through the seawater.

Jiang Zhen slowly withdrew his power. Looking at the corpse before him, now reduced to an empty shell, he fell into thought.

He quickly swam to the little Evil Spirit Orca's corpse and reached out to search its head.

According to the original work, Whale Rubber was a special substance produced in the brains of whale-type Soul Beasts. It greatly strengthened a Spirit Master's physique.

Sure enough, inside the little Evil Spirit Orca's skull, he felt a deep-yellow gelatinous substance. It was the legendary Whale Rubber.

"Deep yellow, with an age of around four thousand years." Jiang Zhen muttered to himself, a trace of hesitation flashing through his eyes.

He had already consumed a large amount of Body Tempering Pills, and his physical qualities had long surpassed those of ordinary Spirit Masters. He didn't know whether this Thousand-Year Whale Rubber could still have any effect.

But thinking of Whale Rubber's effects, he still decided to store it in his Storage Ring.

"I'll put it away for now and decide later."

With a thought from Jiang Zhen, the little Evil Spirit Orca's corpse and the Whale Rubber vanished into the Storage Ring on his finger.

After finishing all this, Jiang Zhen raised his head and looked toward the surface.

At this moment, the seawater above had already revealed a hazy glow. Shimmering light spilled down from above, clearly indicating that the surface was no more than several dozen meters away.

He took a deep breath and circulated his Soul Power. The Water Condensation Shield covering his body glowed pale blue. With the aid of the Flight Spirit Bone Skill, his body shot toward the surface like an arrow released from a bow.

His figure moved faster and faster through the water, soon vanishing into the dim seawater.

When Jiang Zhen finally broke through the surface and stood upon the water, the afterglow of the setting sun was spilling across the sea, dyeing the entire stretch of ocean golden.

He looked around and discovered a lush little island not far away. Strange rocks covered the island, but there were no signs of human activity.

"Let's go there and rest for a while."

Jiang Zhen muttered to himself and flew toward the island.

His body was already utterly exhausted from the continuous battles, and he had expended nearly 70% of his Soul Power.

At this moment, he needed a safe place to recover his strength and digest the gains from this battle.

After landing on the island, Jiang Zhen found a wind-sheltered rock and sat down.

He took out the Whale Rubber from his Storage Ring and examined it carefully.

The deep-yellow gelatinous substance gleamed with a warm luster beneath the setting sun. He could vaguely see energy flowing within it.

He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately stored the Whale Rubber back in his Storage Ring. Although he wasn't certain how effective it would be, keeping it was better than throwing it away.

Jiang Zhen closed his eyes and began circulating the Profound Water Clear Mind Art to recover his Soul Power.

A pale-blue halo flowed around his body as the surrounding Water Element Energy continuously surged into him, replenishing his expended Soul Power.

As time passed, his breathing gradually steadied...

When the moon rose, Jiang Zhen finally opened his eyes.

He felt that his Soul Power had recovered by seventy to eighty percent, and his physical strength had also mostly recovered.

He stood up and stretched his limbs. He could feel his body brimming with strength, while his Soul Power was even more substantial than before.

"It's time to go back..." Jiang Zhen said softly, turning his gaze toward the direction of Vast Sea City.