The Whale Pod

When Jingtian returned to the temporary cavern with his newly recruited whales—Tieshan, an eighty-three-thousand-year Demon Whale, Huiban, a sixty-thousand-year Demon Whale, Yinyi, a seventy-thousand-year female whale, and the calf—the sixty-thousand-year Demon Whale left guarding the cavern hummed with delight. Deep inside, that powerful, weighty soul fluctuation rippled outward once more.

It was Mo Yuan. Under the continuous nourishment of energy, this Deep Sea Demon Whale elder, nearly a hundred thousand years old, had regained considerable awareness and mobility despite his grievous injuries. He raised his head and looked at his returning kin, his gaze complex.

"Benefactor... Mo Yuan... thanks you... on behalf of our kind..." His thought transmission was weak but sincere.

Jingtian conveyed only, "Rest and recover in peace," before immediately allocating energy and dealing with the gains. He settled at the cavern entrance, assessing and planning for this fledgling force.

Core: Jingtian (Poison Lord, middle ninety-thousand-year rank), Mo Yuan (nearly a hundred thousand years, gravely injured, highly intelligent, soul link coordinator).

Battle commander: Tieshan (eighty-three thousand years, gravely injured, strongest combatant).

Mainstays: Huiban (sixty thousand years, guide), Yinyi (seventy thousand years, recovering).

Injured/potential: Lanxi (fifty thousand years, gravely injured), the calf, and weaker Demon Whales who might answer Mo Yuan's call.

The framework had taken shape, but it was far too weak. It urgently needed consolidation and expansion.

"Mo Yuan." Jingtian first directed his thoughts toward the elder. "Continue using your methods to sense, screen, and guide our scattered kin—the weakest, the most easily overlooked, but also the easiest to rescue. Your targets are clear: individuals over ten thousand but under fifty thousand years old, being pursued by scattered low-ranking enemies—small teams led by Soul Emperors or Soul Saints—with relatively safe rescue routes. Save them, bring them here, and strengthen the pod's lower ranks. Remember, concealment first, safety first. Better to miss an opportunity than expose ourselves."

Mo Yuan dipped his enormous head. "Understood! I will not fail your trust!" He immediately concentrated his mind, sending faint guiding fluctuations into the dark depths in a more concealed, more selective manner. This was his greatest strength, and the task that offered the clearest returns with the least risk to their fragile pod—secretly recruiting lower-ranking members to expand their numbers and intelligence network.

Next, Jingtian turned his thoughts toward Tieshan. The dark gold Demon Whale was grievously injured, but his ferocious aura still struck like a wave.

"Tieshan," Jingtian's thought transmission was direct and clear. "From this moment on, you are this whale pod's deputy leader. In my absence, you have full authority over battle command, training, and routine security and defense. Your first task, while recovering, is to familiarize yourself with Huiban's and Yinyi's combat characteristics. Then, taking our enemies' characteristics into account—Sea God Island, the Demon Soul Great White Sharks' coordination, speed, purification, and long-range attacks—devise and practice the simplest coordinated offensive and defensive tactics. Everything involving combat is yours to decide."

Deputy leader! Full authority over battle command!

The appointment sent a faint tremor through every Demon Whale in the cavern. Understanding flashed in Mo Yuan's eyes, followed by even deeper admiration. Their benefactor knew how to recognize talent and put it to use. Tieshan truly was the best fit for the position: brave, direct, and devoted to strength, with enough presence to command and intimidate the fighters. Delegating battle command entirely also showed their benefactor's absolute trust in Tieshan and absolute confidence in his own authority.

Tieshan's enormous body shuddered violently, and his fierce eyes turned toward Jingtian in disbelief. He had never imagined that a hot-tempered brute like himself, only just rescued, still gravely injured, and barely given time to express his loyalty, would be entrusted with such immense responsibility! An indescribable surge of emotion—the excitement of being recognized, the weight of responsibility, and the exhilaration of being trusted absolutely—instantly swept away the last trace of awkward resentment that being rescued had left in his heart.

"Roar!" Tieshan unleashed a low, powerful soul roar. There was no complex message, only the most fundamental, resolute thought-symbol: I obey! I will serve to the death!

He bowed his enormous head deeply, a gesture of submission more profound and complete than before. Then he abruptly raised it, sweeping his fierce gaze over Huiban and Yinyi. With his distinctive soul pulses, carrying an unmistakable air of command, he conveyed simple tactical instructions and began forcing them to practice the most basic formation movements together. His methods were rough, but highly efficient.

"Huiban, you are responsible for reconnaissance, scouting routes, finding resources, and doing everything you can to care for Lanxi. Yinyi, recover as quickly as possible, protect the calf, and cooperate with Tieshan's drills."

With duties assigned and authority clearly defined, the whale pod began operating efficiently.

Over the next few days, the pod displayed astonishing potential.

Mo Yuan's secret soul technique proved remarkably effective. On the third day, he sensed a young Demon Whale with roughly thirty thousand years of cultivation, being pursued by three ten-thousand-year Demon Soul Great White Sharks two thousand li away. The target's strength was suitable, the enemies were weak, and the route was safe. Mo Yuan relayed the precise intelligence to Jingtian.

Jingtian did not hesitate. He ordered Tieshan to oversee the cavern's security and training, then entered Guixu Assimilation once again and sped toward the coordinates.

By the time he arrived, the young Demon Whale—later named Lijia by Tieshan—was hanging by a thread. From concealment, Jingtian used his Ninth Tentacle as the foundation for three swift, silent Dan-Devour strikes, hitting all three demon sharks with precision and ending the battle instantly. He then injected a gentle strand of guiding energy and turned to leave.

Having escaped death, Lijia followed the guidance and reached the cavern several days later. After a stern interrogation by Tieshan in his capacity as deputy leader, Lijia was accepted and immediately assigned to training. With rough but effective methods, Tieshan quickly familiarized Lijia with the basic coordination commands.

On the sixth day, Mo Yuan picked up another cry for help—a forty-five-thousand-year Demon Whale being pursued by a Soul Saint leading four Demon Soul Great White Sharks. Jingtian set out again, sniped the pursuers from afar, and left guidance behind. This Demon Whale, named Wojiao, also quickly integrated under Tieshan's rigorous training.

In just seven days, beyond consolidating their existing strength, the pod secretly recruited two mainstay Demon Whales through Mo Yuan's intelligence and Jingtian's precision kills: Lijia, thirty thousand years old, and Wojiao, forty-five thousand years old. Their lower and middle ranks received solid reinforcements, and their intelligence network expanded. Under Tieshan's command, the whales' simple coordination was already taking shape.

Through constant vigilance, energy expenditure, tactical observation, personal cultivation, and these two efficient long-range precision rescue operations, Jingtian's own cultivation steadily advanced toward the upper ninety-thousand-year rank. His use of Dan-Devour—extreme-range, concealed, low-cost targeted kills—grew increasingly refined. His delicate control over the Poison Domain also became more exquisite.

Yet late on the seventh night, just as Wojiao completed another coordination drill, the pod was feeling somewhat heartened by its reinforcements and initial cohesion, and Jingtian had just stabilized his upper ninety-thousand-year cultivation—

Mo Yuan, who had been using his secret soul technique to maintain a faint awareness of the vast surrounding waters, suddenly went rigid! His enormous eyes snapped open, filled with unprecedented horror and despair!

"Benefactor! Deputy leader! Disaster is upon us!" Mo Yuan's thought transmission was shrill and trembling as he relayed it to both Jingtian and Tieshan. "It's... the Demon Soul Great White Shark King! She has come herself! With... at least two of her kin whose vicious auras are no weaker than mine! And... several powerful, pure strands of the Sea God's Power! They have locked onto the strong traces left by our previous battles and are following the 'threads' of soul power and blood, tracking toward us at tremendous speed!"

"They're too fast! Their distance... one day at most! Perhaps even less! We've been discovered! Our earlier battles left traces that exposed us!"

Xiao Bai herself! At least two deputies nearly a hundred thousand years old! Titled Douluo experts from Sea God Island supporting them!

Following the blood and soul power straight toward their lair!

Within a day, utter annihilation!

The faint excitement that had just kindled in the cavern instantly froze! Ferocity blazed in Tieshan's eyes, but more than anything, they held the gravity and resolve of facing an overwhelmingly powerful enemy. Yinyi drew close around the calf. Huiban looked toward Lanxi, eyes full of anxiety. The newcomers, Lijia and Wojiao, were frightened nearly out of their souls. Mo Yuan's eyes brimmed with self-reproach.

An eerie light flared in Jingtian's eyes, and his icy thoughts swept through the cavern. Fighting head-on meant death. Fleeing? With dependents and wounded in tow, how could they escape the pursuit of the deep sea's greatest hunters?

A dead end. But he had to decide.

"Mo Yuan, sever all soul sensing immediately. Go completely silent!" Jingtian's thoughts were ice. "Tieshan, hear my command!"

"Here!" Tieshan jerked his enormous head up. All stray thoughts vanished from his eyes, leaving only a deputy leader's absolute obedience on the eve of battle.

"I order you to take Yinyi, Lijia, and Wojiao, protect the calf, and evacuate immediately! Use physical strength alone. Do not leak even a trace of soul power. Your destination—the Soul-Devouring Undercurrent waters! Mo Yuan knows the route. He will guide you and help you avoid danger. Once there, find a safe place to hide and await my signal or arrival!"

"Yes!" Without the slightest hesitation, Tieshan turned to Yinyi and the others, issuing short, forceful soul commands as he began organizing the evacuation.

"Benefactor! What about you? And Huiban and Lanxi..." Mo Yuan asked urgently.

"I will stay and prepare our final measures. Huiban, bring Lanxi and stay with me." Jingtian's thoughts were decisive as hammered iron. "Carry out your orders. Tieshan, take them away now!"

Tieshan gave Jingtian a long, deep look and let out a low roar mingling worry, obedience, and resolve. Without another word, he urged Yinyi and the others onward. Suppressing their fear and injuries, they swam swiftly out of the cavern using only their bodies. Mo Yuan looked back at Jingtian one last time, conveyed "Take care," and immediately followed the group to guide them.

In moments, only Jingtian, Huiban, and the still-unconscious Lanxi remained in the cavern.

"Huiban, take Lanxi to that natural crevice in the deepest part of the cavern. Conceal your auras as much as possible," Jingtian ordered. At the same time, he worked at tremendous speed, using his own origin poison power and the surrounding materials to frantically lay an exceedingly complex Fatal Poison Formation at the cavern entrance and key points within. It combined concealment, illusions, multiple triggered poison blasts, and a final remotely detonated explosion. He would turn this temporary lair into a lethal trap, a grand "funeral" prepared for their pursuers, and one final barrier for Huiban and his mate—one that might let them slip free like a golden cicada shedding its shell.

"Benefactor, you..." Huiban watched Jingtian lay the formation at a pace that nearly overdrew his origin, tears filling his eyes.

"Carry out your orders." Jingtian's thoughts were cold and brooked no argument. "Once the formation is complete, I will leave and rendezvous with Tieshan. This poison formation is your last chance. Remember, whatever happens, unless I return personally or the formation is fully triggered, you must not come out or make a sound."

Huiban said no more. Carrying Lanxi, he slipped into the narrow crevice deep inside the cavern and suppressed their auras with all his strength.

Jingtian moved faster and faster, his Ninth Tentacle becoming a phantom as it traced countless intricate, lethal patterns of poison power. His aura grew slightly unsteady from the rapid expenditure, but his gaze—his thoughts—remained as cold as ten-thousand-year profound ice.

The killing intent of the deep sea surged madly toward them like the darkest ink.

And he, the Deep Sea Poison Lord, had to use these final moments before the enemy arrived to lay the most treacherous trap, arrange every sacrificial piece and contingency, then catch up with his whale pod and lead them into deeper darkness and chaos, gambling for that slender chance... to survive and unleash Poison Devours the World.