Returning to the Sea

Time slipped away, and the years passed like a shuttle.

Eight months quietly passed amid cultivation and companionship.

The small courtyard was no longer as desolate as it had been at first.

The stone table was piled with books purchased from the various bookstores and libraries in Vast Sea City:

"Comprehensive Compendium of Spirit Master Basic Theory," "Spirit Beast Illustrated Guide of Star Dou Great Forest (Abridged Edition)," "General History of the Continent," "Strange Tales of Geography"...

Jiang Zhen knew that Ah Yin lacked knowledge inherited after taking human form, so these books became her window into understanding the world.

Every morning, Jiang Zhen accompanied Ah Yin in morning exercises in the courtyard or answered the various innocent and bizarre questions she came up with while reading.

The afternoons were reserved for unwavering Soul Power cultivation. The two often sat facing each other in meditation.

At night, Jiang Zhen usually replaced sleep with deep meditation, and his Soul Power grew increasingly profound.

After taking three bottles, totaling nine Soul Nurturing Pills, he could clearly feel that his Spiritual Power had become incomparably solid and resilient.

His Sea of Consciousness had expanded countless times over, his perception range had multiplied several times, and his thoughts had become swifter and clearer.

He was confident he could withstand the mental impact of a Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring.

A few days ago, he had finally broken through to Level 30.

Over the past two days, he had spent some quality time playing with Ah Yin, resting and restoring himself to peak condition.

Today, he was preparing to venture into the sea again!

He carefully instructed Ah Yin, "Ah Yin, I need to go out for a few days to obtain my Third Spirit Ring from the deep sea. Stay home and familiarize yourself with your Spirit Skills and read your books. Don't go out on your own."

Although Ah Yin was reluctant to part with him, she obediently nodded. "Brother A Zhen, don't worry. I'll be very good and wait for you to come back!"

After comforting Ah Yin a few more times, Jiang Zhen set off alone and flew once again toward the boundless Vast Sea.

After arriving at a remote, uninhabited stretch of coastal reefs, Jiang Zhen took a deep breath, and the "Profound Water Clear Mind Art" began circulating inside his body.

A layer of clear, flowing Water Film emerged over his body, rapidly covering him completely and forming a perfect "shield."

He stepped into the sea one step at a time. Whenever the seawater touched the shield, it naturally slid away, unable to seep inside in the slightest.

He was like a bubble, slowly sinking into the azure depths.

The farther down he went, the scarcer the light became. His surroundings sank into an eternal, dusky blue silence.

The pressure increased sharply, but for Jiang Zhen, whose physical constitution far surpassed those of the same rank and who was protected by the Water Film, it remained within what he could endure.

He circulated his Soul Power, and a trace of blue light flashed through his eyes. His perception of the Ultimate Water spread through the deep sea as he searched for suitable prey.

The deep sea was not lifeless. Countless strange-looking Sea Soul Beasts prowled through the darkness.

Jiang Zhen carefully avoided those enormous groups traveling together and searched purposefully for powerful solitary individuals with unusually strong Spiritual Power.

Two and a half hours of searching passed.

At last, in a vast underwater coral forest, he sensed a subtle and twisted Mental Fluctuation.

He quietly approached and saw a massive Soul Beast resembling an octopus. Yet it had a huge Single Eye occupying half its head, shimmering with mesmerizing colors. It was clinging to a coral that emitted a faint fluorescent glow.

Its skin constantly changed color with each breath, almost blending completely into its surroundings.

"About Twenty-Five Thousand Years... a Thousand Illusions Demonic Octopus!" Jiang Zhen's heart tightened as he recognized the rare Soul Beast renowned for creating lifelike illusions and possessing powerful Spiritual Power.

This was precisely his ideal target!

Without hesitation, Jiang Zhen launched his attack.

"First Spirit Skill, Moisten All Directions!"

"Second Spirit Skill, Azure Glow Source!"

The two enhancement Spirit Skills activated simultaneously. A majestic sense of power instantly filled his entire body, and the speed of his Soul Power circulation surged.

"Profound Water Dragon Soar!"

With a lift of his hand, the Water Element in the deep sea frenziedly gathered, transforming into a ferocious, roaring azure Water Dragon. Carrying terrifying impact force, it charged straight toward the Thousand Illusions Demonic Octopus's enormous demonic eye!

Struck by the attack, the Thousand Illusions Demonic Octopus let out a silent, shrill howl. Its enormous Single Eye suddenly brightened, and a distorted halo instantly spread outward!

Jiang Zhen felt the scene before his eyes change drastically. The deep sea was gone, replaced by the Star Dou Great Forest, where countless Soul Beasts roared and pounced toward him!

He even sensed Ah Yin calling out to him anxiously!

"An illusion? A mere parlor trick!"

Jiang Zhen let out a cold snort. The "Profound Water Clear Mind Art" circulated at full power, while the Spiritual Power tempered by the Soul Nurturing Pills guarded his true mind in his Sea of Consciousness like an immovable boulder.

At the same time, his Ultimate Water Martial Soul's absolute perception of the water environment told him that the seawater flowing around him had not changed!

"Break!" he shouted in a low voice. His Spiritual Power thrust out like a needle, and the illusion before him shattered like glass, restoring the scene of the deep sea.

The Thousand Illusions Demonic Octopus was waving its tentacles and fleeing in panic.

"Water Blade: Severing Flow!"

Jiang Zhen held his fingers together like a blade. A high-pressure Water Blade, condensed to the extreme, thin as a cicada's wing yet incomparably sharp, shot out and precisely sliced through the Thousand Illusions Demonic Octopus's enormous eye stalk!

Sizzle! A thick stream of ink-colored blood spurted out, and the enormous demonic eye instantly dimmed.

The Thousand Illusions Demonic Octopus's Life Aura rapidly weakened. A deep black Spirit Ring slowly condensed from its corpse, light flowing across it as it contained powerful Mental Fluctuation.

Jiang Zhen looked around. After confirming that it was safe, he quickly swam closer.

He sat cross-legged on a reef and used his Soul Power to draw over the Twenty-Five-Thousand-Year black Spirit Ring, beginning the absorption!

Vast energy instantly poured into his body, accompanied by a cold, twisted mental impact that attempted to create an illusion.

However, Jiang Zhen had prepared long ago. He guarded his mind while the "Profound Water Clear Mind Art" guided the tremendous energy through his Meridians. At the same time, his resilient Spiritual Power completely crushed the demonic octopus's remaining mental will.

Just as the absorption was halfway complete and everything had begun to stabilize, a sudden change occurred.

A consciousness far more vast, ancient, and indistinct than anything before seemed to be drawn by the energy disturbance in the deep sea and the unique aura on Jiang Zhen that touched the Origin of Water. It quietly descended.

This consciousness had no clear intent. It was merely like a curious infant gently "touching" Jiang Zhen, who was merging with the deep sea and the Spirit Ring's energy.

Immediately afterward, a faint trace of energy was unconsciously injected by that hazy consciousness into Jiang Zhen's Soul Power circulation. Then, that consciousness withdrew like the tide and vanished without a trace.

Jiang Zhen was in the midst of deep cultivation. In a daze, he merely felt that his Soul Power seemed to circulate slightly more smoothly and that his perception of the surrounding seawater had inexplicably become a little clearer. He did not notice anything else unusual.

All his attention was focused on resisting the Spirit Ring's energy and guiding it to merge with his Martial Soul.

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Zhen suddenly opened his eyes on the seafloor!

A powerful Soul Power fluctuation spread outward from him, pushing the surrounding small corals and sea sand aside in a ring.

Level 34! Not only had he successfully broken through, but his Soul Power had also grown more stable.

But the greatest change was not his Soul Power Level.

With a thought, he activated his newly acquired black Third Spirit Ring.

In an instant, he felt a faint swelling pain and a chill at the center of his brows, as though something were about to break out of its shell!