Healing

The Water-Condensing Pearl's gentle glow was like a mother's hand, softly soothing Jingtian's wounded soul and body.

He coiled beside the pearl, his eight tentacles—now only seven—gently rising and falling at an arcane rhythm. Coordinating with the energy pulses emitted by the pearl, he guided the chaotic Soul Power and Poison Source within him back into place. The numb, itchy sensation at the severed tentacle grew increasingly intense. A new tentacle bud was growing at a visible pace—slowly, but steadily.

The healing process was painful and long.

The backlash from the Soul Bone core's poison power was not merely an energy shock; it carried erosion on the level of laws. Like the most meticulous craftsman, he had to strip away the foreign poison power fragments that had seeped into his meridians and even the depths of his soul, refining or expelling them bit by bit. The process was like scraping poison from bone, accompanied by unrelenting agony and weakness.

Although the transformation of the Poison Source itself had brought a qualitative leap, its current injury was like cracks appearing in newly fired porcelain. It needed careful nurturing and repair before it could stabilize and truly display the power it had gained through transformation.

Time passed soundlessly through the silence of the Deep Sea.

One day, two days... Jingtian did not know how much time had passed. He only knew that the Water-Condensing Pearl's halo had flickered countless times.

At last, when the final stubborn trace of foreign poison power had been expelled and refined, when the cracks in the Poison Source core had gradually been smoothed over by nurturing energy, and when the newly grown tentacle had reached one-third of its original length and gained rudimentary mobility, Jingtian slowly "opened" his eyes—his senses were completely clear once more.

The feeling of weakness remained, and his Soul Power had recovered only around seventy percent. The new tentacle was still fragile. But the most dangerous period had passed. His fundamental injuries had basically stabilized, and what remained was merely a slow recovery.

He slowly stretched his remaining seven tentacles. The newly grown one also tried to twitch slightly, bringing an unfamiliar, faintly stinging sensation of control. The dark blue rings on his body had stabilized in color, becoming a deep, dusky blue. The violet hue flowing within them was more restrained now, yet it carried a chilling majesty.

It was time to examine what he had gained from this venture.

With a slight movement of his mind, Jingtian did not draw upon much Soul Power. He merely stirred a trace of the transformed Poison Source.

Buzz—

Centered on his body, the seawater within ten meters seemed to darken instantly. An invisible field carrying a heavy sense of sluggishness and spiritual oppression quietly unfolded. This was the embryonic form of the Poison Domain he had newly comprehended. Within this domain, he felt his control over poison power had reached an unprecedented level of precision. He could easily adjust its type, concentration, and distribution. Once enemies were caught within it, their movements, perception, and even the circulation of their Soul Power would be suppressed and eroded from every direction. Its range was still small, and its consumption was not low, but it was undoubtedly a powerful battlefield-control and enhancement skill.

He withdrew the Poison Domain and tried condensing a Poison Seal. Focusing his thoughts, he separated an extremely faint thread of poison power, nearly impossible to detect, from the Poison Source. It vibrated and compressed at a peculiar frequency, ultimately forming an invisible mark no larger than a grain of rice. He attached it to a nearby reef. The mark lay dormant, merging with the reef itself. Unless it was scanned with exceptionally precise Soul Power or Mental Power, it was impossible to notice. Jingtian could sense its existence at any time and set activation conditions—for example, when a living being whose Soul Power fluctuations exceeded a certain intensity came into contact with it.

The Poison Seal erupted silently and without warning. A deep pit was instantly corroded into the reef's surface, its walls smooth, while the lingering toxicity continued to seep slowly inward. Its power might not match directly spraying venom, but its concealment and suddenness would prove remarkably effective in certain situations.

Finally, he recalled the fleeting insight into the Law of Poison Erosion that he had felt when touching the Soul Bone core. It was a higher level of understanding—toxin was not merely something that harmed life. It was also a dissolver of energy, a destroyer of structures, and a force that warped rules. He tried to fuse that understanding into a strand of his poison power.

He released an ordinary neurotoxin at another reef. The venom eroded the reef's surface, leaving behind corrosion marks.

Immediately afterward, he released another stream of poison power infused with the concept of "Poison Erosion." This time, upon touching the reef, the poison power did not immediately corrode it violently. Instead, it swiftly seeped inside like a living thing, and then... began dismantling the reef's structure from within! No obvious damage appeared on the reef's surface, but the crystalline mineral connections within it rapidly collapsed. In just a few breaths, the entire reef became brittle beyond measure, crumbling into powder at the lightest touch!

Jingtian was shaken. This was only the most rudimentary application. It could not even be called a law—merely the infusion of a trace of understanding had produced such a qualitative change. If he could deepen this concept in the future and integrate it into all his poison arts, its power would be unimaginable!

The transformation of the Poison Source, mastery of new skills, and a deeper understanding of poison's essence... Though this journey into the crack had cost him a tentacle and left him gravely injured, the gains had far exceeded his expectations.

"With my current poison arts, even though my Soul Power has only recovered to seventy percent and my new tentacle has not fully grown, my true combat strength is probably no weaker than at my peak—perhaps... even stronger." Jingtian silently assessed. "The Poison Domain and Poison Erosion properties in particular are enough to give me a chance to turn the tide against opponents with cultivation higher than mine."

He looked at the new tentacle that was slowly growing, then sensed the Soul Power within him that had yet to fully recover. His injuries had not healed, so it was unwise to make any major moves. But there were things he could begin preparing.

First was testing the effects of his new abilities in actual combat and adapting to fighting with one tentacle missing—for now. As for targets... those restless Soul Beasts near his nest, or newly migrated ones with cultivation of a few hundred years, would be perfect.

Second, he needed to scout the surrounding waters in greater detail, especially to confirm whether the human Soul Masters who had hunted the Silver-Veined Thunder Eel were still active, as well as any other potential threats.

Lastly, and most importantly, he needed to formulate his next hunting and devouring plan. The Poison Source required more and stronger "nutrients" to consolidate and improve itself, and his cultivation needed to keep up as well. His targets could no longer be limited to Soul Beasts only a few hundred years old. He needed more challenging prey with richer energy. Perhaps... he could begin watching for Soul Beasts approaching a thousand years in cultivation, or those with special bloodlines and abilities.

His thoughts gradually became clear.

Jingtian slowly entered a cultivation state, continuing to absorb the Water-Condensing Pearl's energy while guiding his Soul Power to accelerate his tentacle's regeneration. Under the pearl's soft glow, his dark blue rings appeared mysterious and dangerous.

The dangers and opportunities deep within the crack had allowed him to complete a crucial transformation.

And now, armed with new poisonous fangs and an even colder resolve, this Blue-Ringed Octopus once again turned his gaze toward that Deep Sea where the strong preyed upon the weak.

The hunt was about to begin again—more efficient, more deadly than before.