Open the Third Eye?

Was it an eye?

The eye's sclera was a deep, profound blue, while its pupil resembled a miniature deep-sea whirlpool slowly rotating. It radiated a cold, mysterious light that pierced through all falsehoods.

Dark purple patterns coiled around the eye's edges, adding an eerie majesty.

Third Spirit Skill: Deep Sea's Eye!

The instant the eye opened, the world in Jiang Zhen's eyes changed completely!

It was no longer the dusky deep sea visible to the naked eye.

What he saw was an incomparably clear and dazzling world of energy: countless pale-blue Water Elements filled the surroundings like lively spirits, drifting slowly with the currents;

In the distance, he could faintly see the weak glow and core nodes of Soul Power circulating inside several thousand-year Sea Soul Beasts swimming nearby;

He could even "see" the subtle differences in seawater pressure distribution and the paths of surging undercurrents.

Everything related to water became clearer and more intuitive than ever under this eye!

With a thought, he tried circulating his Soul Power and discovered that communicating with the surrounding Water Elements had become incomparably smooth, as though a single thought could make them obey his every command.

He casually condensed a "Water Arrow."

Whoosh!

The Water Arrow left his hand at an astonishing speed. It encountered almost no resistance as it pierced through the seawater, striking a reef in the distance and boring straight through it!

Its speed, density, and power had all increased by more than thirty percent compared with before!

Yet its Soul Power consumption had clearly decreased by nearly twenty percent!

"This... this Spirit Skill..."

Even Jiang Zhen, whose temperament was usually steady, was deeply shocked by the powerful effects of this Third Spirit Skill.

It had far exceeded the scope of an ordinary Spirit Skill. It was more like a permanent status enhancer and a tool for comprehending laws!

As long as he activated this "Deep Sea's Eye," his control over the Water Element would rise by an entire level. Whether cultivating, fighting, or exploring, he would gain enormous advantages unlike anything else!

He even had a vague yet intense premonition. If he could maintain this perspective of the "Deep Sea's Eye" for a long time and comprehend it deeply, he might be able to grasp something even more profound.

The "pressure" of water, the essence of water's "flow"... That would be a path touching upon laws.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he withdrew the Spirit Skill.

The eye on his forehead slowly closed and eventually vanished, leaving behind only an extremely faint vertical mark that was nearly impossible to notice without looking closely.

"I should head back. Ah Yin must be getting anxious waiting for me."

Feeling his surging thirty-fourth-level Soul Power and the boundless potential of his new Spirit Skill, Jiang Zhen's heart filled with joy.

This trip into the deep sea had yielded far more than expected.

With a movement of his body, the "barrier" around him began to circulate, and he prepared to rise.

But when his gaze swept across this resource-rich stretch of deep sea, a new idea came to him.

"Since I'm already here, I might as well bring some 'specialties' back. Ah Yin is growing and needs more nourishment!"

Once he made up his mind, he did not immediately return to the surface. Instead, he activated the "Deep Sea's Eye" once more.

A dark-blue Vertical Pupil appeared on his forehead, and the energy patterns of the deep-sea world became clear again.

Like the most skilled hunter, he swept his gaze across the area, leaving nowhere for those Soul Beasts with abundant Soul Power and essence-rich flesh to hide.

He first targeted a group of Soul Beasts called "Jade Shrimp."

Their numbers were enormous, but their ages were not high.

There were very few that had lived for around a thousand years; most were ten- or hundred-year Soul Beasts.

These Soul Beasts were not large and had weak offensive capabilities, but their flesh was exceptionally tender and sweet. They also contained pure Water Element energy, which was highly beneficial for nourishing a Spirit Master's body.

Jiang Zhen moved like lightning and plunged into the shrimp swarm. His hands moved like the wind as he caught dozens of the most robust and energy-rich ones, each around a hundred years old, binding them with ropes condensed from the Water Element.

Once he surfaced, he would put them in a box and store them in his Storage Ring.

Next, he began searching for another important target of this trip—whale-type Soul Beasts that had lived for more than ten thousand years!

With the assistance of the "Deep Sea's Eye," he avoided those giant Sea Soul Beasts that lived in groups and had especially violent temperaments, searching specifically for lone ten-thousand-year-old whales.

Soon, a "Unicorn Demon Whale" entered his field of vision. It was more than twenty meters long, grayish-black all over, with a single horn on its head and a ferocious aura radiating from its body.

Judging from the strength of its Soul Power, it was approximately fifteen to eighteen thousand years old.

"It's you!"

Jiang Zhen launched an attack without hesitation.

"First Spirit Skill: Moisten All Directions!"

"Second Spirit Skill: Azure Glow Source!"

The two enhancement Spirit Skills activated again. The might of the Ultimate Water was released without restraint, suppressing the ten-thousand-year demon whale's ferocity to a certain extent.

"Profound Water Dragon Soar!"

A dark-blue water dragon roared out and struck directly at the demon whale's relatively vulnerable eye.

The demon whale cried out in muffled pain. Its enormous tail swept across with tremendous force, churning the seafloor into a murky mess.

However, Jiang Zhen had activated the "Deep Sea's Eye." Before the attack arrived, he had already predicted its trajectory through the subtle changes in the currents and the points where the opponent's Soul Power gathered.

He easily avoided it and nimbly circled around to the demon whale's flank.

"Water Blade: Severing Flow!"

The extremely sharp high-pressure water blade no longer cut blindly. Guided by the "Deep Sea's Eye," it struck precisely at a weak point in the demon whale's Soul Power circulation—the place where its gills connected to its body!

Slash—!

A huge wound split open, and blood gushed out.

The demon whale's movements instantly became sluggish.

Jiang Zhen seized the opportunity and launched an unending barrage. Water Arrows and Water Spears shot precisely into the wound, destroying it from within.

In less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, the powerful ten-thousand-year Unicorn Demon Whale let out a mournful cry. Its enormous body lost all signs of life, and a deep black Spirit Ring emerged.

Jiang Zhen had no interest in the Spirit Ring. He went to the demon whale's head and used his hand as a blade to break through its tough skull. After searching for a while, he finally found a fist-sized gelatinous substance that was dark yellow all over, radiating rich energy and a strange fragrance.

"Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Jelly! And of excellent quality!"

Jiang Zhen happily stored the priceless treasure in his Storage Ring.

Using the same method, he cautiously hunted two more whale-type Soul Beasts with cultivation bases of around twenty thousand years. Unfortunately, neither produced any more Whale Rubber, but he did take some high-quality whale meat filled with abundant energy.

Having reaped a plentiful harvest, Jiang Zhen did not linger. The water barrier around him circulated as he shot upward like an arrow.

Splash! He broke through the surface and breathed fresh air once more.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sea golden-red, and the waves shimmered.

Feeling the warmth of the sunlight and recalling the deep-sea hunt from moments ago, he felt as though he had passed through another lifetime.

He found a small island and first processed the shrimp he had caught.

Afterward, he took flight again.

But he did not return directly to the small house in the outskirts. Instead, he went to Vast Sea City first.

At the city's most famous pastry shop, he bought several delicately shaped pastries and candies with a rich, sweet fragrance—the kind girls loved to eat. He wrapped them in oiled paper and stored them in his Storage Ring.

His body turned into a blurred blue shadow as he sped toward home.

From far away, he could already see that quiet little courtyard.

Under the setting sun, no cooking smoke rose from the roof. It seemed Ah Yin had not lit a fire to cook for herself. She had probably spent another entire day reading, or perhaps cultivating.