Pearls and Poison Fangs

Jingtian clung to the rock wall above the cave entrance like a true reef stone. His sensory tendrils carefully passed through the gaps between the anemone's hanging tentacles, locking onto the one Sea Star and one beast inside the cave.

The Blue Crystal Starfish still maintained its cultivation posture. Its five crystalline arms rose and fell slightly, resonating harmoniously with the gentle blue glow emitted by the Water-Condensing Pearl above it. Strands of pure water-aspect energy were drawn in by the pearl, refined, and then absorbed by the Sea Star. Its Soul Power fluctuations were steady and dense; it had clearly benefited greatly from the pearl's aid.

Time passed in silence. Jingtian was extremely patient. Like a lifeless stone, he had completely withdrawn even the faintest Soul Power fluctuations. He needed to confirm the Sea Star's cultivation rhythm and find the moment when it was most vulnerable—such as an interval in its energy circulation, or when its awareness of the outside world was at its blurriest.

After observing for nearly half a shichen, Jingtian noticed a pattern. The Blue Crystal Starfish's cultivation seemed to have a brief "breathing" cycle. Roughly every incense stick's worth of time, its absorption of the pearl's energy paused ever so slightly, while the glow on its surface dimmed for an instant, as if it were adjusting the flow of energy within its body. The pause was extremely brief, barely lasting a breath, and the intervals were not entirely fixed, but it did exist.

Now!

The instant another "breathing" interval was about to arrive, Jingtian moved!

He did not drop his disguise and launch a sudden attack. That would have been too easy to notice. He chose a more concealed method, one better suited to the current environment.

One tentacle pressed against the rock wall, its color and texture completely blending into the reef stone, raised its tip with a movement too slight for the naked eye to detect. At the tip of that tentacle, a droplet of venom compressed to the extreme, nearly indistinguishable from seawater, had long been poised to strike.

At the very instant the Blue Crystal Starfish's surface light was at its dimmest and its energy absorption showed that slightest delay—

Whoosh!

There was no sound, only the faint disturbance created as the venom pierced through the seawater.

The venom was not aimed at the Blue Crystal Starfish's relatively well-defended central disk, nor at any of its five flexible, swaying arms. It targeted the joint where one of its arms connected to the central disk! That was a node for power transmission and nerve concentration, relatively fragile, and damage there would affect the movement of the entire arm!

The venom flashed like lightning and struck its target with perfect accuracy!

Before the sluggish sensation from its cultivation had fully faded, the Blue Crystal Starfish suddenly felt a sharp, icy agony filled with destructive intent erupt from the base of its arm!

Hiss—!!!

A silent mental shriek exploded through the cave! It was not a sound, but a psychic impact that struck directly at the soul! The Blue Crystal Starfish, a soul beast with a mental affinity, instinctively unleashed its strongest attack at the instant it suffered intense pain!

Jingtian had been prepared! The moment the venom was fired, he had already concentrated his consciousness to the utmost, becoming like the hardest reef stone as he forcibly endured the mental impact! Pain and dizziness stabbed through his mind as though he had been struck by a heavy hammer, but thanks to the unique nature of his transmigrator's soul and his own careful precautions against mental attacks—after all, octopuses were highly intelligent creatures—he did not lose consciousness or his ability to move.

At the same time, his disguised body abruptly "peeled" away from the rock wall. All eight tentacles paddled at once, and he shot toward the Blue Crystal Starfish at the center of the cave like an arrow released from its bow! His disguise fell away, and the dark-blue rings on his body suddenly lit up in the dim cave, carrying cold killing intent.

The Blue Crystal Starfish was fully awake! Shocked and enraged, it flung open its five arms—one of which, the poisoned one, was already twitching uncontrollably—like a blooming blue crystal flower. Violent mental fluctuations erupted from its central disk as it tried to gather an even stronger psychic attack, while its arms lashed and coiled toward the charging Jingtian!

However, the Neurotoxin had already taken effect! The poison rapidly spread along the connection between the arm and the central disk, numbing its nerves and corroding its energy channels. The poisoned arm was visibly distorted and sluggish in motion, even affecting the coordination of its entire body.

That instant of delay and vulnerability was enough!

Jingtian had no intention of competing with it in mental strength or tentacle power. He had only one goal—end this quickly!

Halfway through his charge, he suddenly opened his mouth—the maw at the base of his tentacles. Rather than biting, he spewed out a massive cloud of thick, rapidly spreading dark-blue poisonous mist! This was a new application of venom mist he had developed. Though its toxicity against a single target was reduced, it covered a broad area and was highly disruptive, making it especially suitable for relatively enclosed spaces like this!

The poisonous mist instantly filled half the cave, engulfing the Blue Crystal Starfish. When the blue light on the Sea Star's body came into contact with the mist, it gave off faint sizzling sounds, and its glow rapidly dimmed. More deadly still, the mist obstructed sight and mental perception, causing the Sea Star's originally precise psychic lock to deviate.

Under the cover of the poisonous mist, Jingtian twisted his body in an uncanny motion, evading the strikes of two arms. At the same time, two of his other tentacles shot out like venomous snakes, accurately wrapping around the poisoned arm that had been rendered sluggish by the toxin!

Sizzle! Sizzle!

At the tips of his tentacles, even more concentrated venom shot out like sharp needles and viciously pierced several key nodes on that arm!

Hiss!!! An even more shrill and agonized mental shriek erupted, this time mixed with chaotic Soul Power fluctuations.

The Blue Crystal Starfish completely panicked. Its strongest mental attack had been endured and disrupted by its opponent, while its close-combat arms were restrained by poison. Even its survival-defining defense—its crystalline body surface—seemed ineffective against the opponent's bizarre, highly penetrating venom. Instinctively, it tried to retract its arms and retreat deeper into the cave, while attempting to draw on the Water-Condensing Pearl's power for defense or a counterattack.

But how could Jingtian give it that chance?

Having gained the upper hand, he pressed on without pause! Like a disease clinging to the bone, he stayed tightly attached to the Sea Star. His eight tentacles stabbed and entangled, every attack aimed at weak points such as joints and energy nodes, injecting more Neurotoxin into its body. The poisonous mist continued to corrode and interfere as well.

The Blue Crystal Starfish's struggles grew weaker and weaker. Its psychic attacks became scattered and feeble, its arms moved ever more slowly, and the blue light on its surface rapidly faded. It wanted to detonate its Soul Power or core and perish alongside its enemy, but under the erosion of the neurotoxin, it was rapidly losing even the ability to gather energy.

After barely a dozen breaths, this Blue Crystal Starfish with two hundred and thirty years of cultivation, which had dominated this part of the Reef Zone with the Water-Condensing Pearl's aid, had its life force completely extinguished amid boundless resentment and hatred. Its five arms slumped weakly onto the sandy ground, all luster gone from its body as it turned dull and gray.

The battle had ended cleanly and decisively.

Jingtian did not immediately touch the floating Water-Condensing Pearl. He cautiously extended his senses around the area again, confirming that no other threats had been drawn by the disturbance of the battle. At the same time, he was still somewhat dizzy from enduring that initial mental impact and needed time to recover.

Only after a while did he swim over to the Blue Crystal Starfish's corpse and begin devouring its life essence and Soul Power. A soul beast with two hundred and thirty years of cultivation possessed energy far purer and more abundant than the hundred-year soul beasts he had consumed before. As the energy poured into him, his internal Soul Power began to grow rapidly, and the two-hundred-year bottleneck that had long since loosened began to shake violently under the impact of such plentiful energy.

Yet he forcibly suppressed the urge to break through immediately, temporarily storing and compressing most of the energy. This was not the right time or environment for a breakthrough.

After finishing the devouring, he finally turned his attention to the Water-Condensing Pearl still floating there and radiating a gentle blue glow.

The pearl was about the size of a fist, perfectly round and deep ocean-blue. It seemed as though water currents slowly swirled within it, releasing pure water-aspect energy fluctuations that refreshed the mind.

Jingtian extended a tentacle and carefully wrapped it around the pearl, taking it down. The pearl felt warm and smooth in his grasp. Its energy slowly flowed into his body through his wrist—tentacle—and resonated comfortably with both his Soul Power and even his Origin Spirit Energy.

As expected, it's a good thing! Jingtian was delighted. This pearl could not only speed up the cultivation of water-aspect Soul Power, but also seemed exceptionally effective at calming the mind and nourishing mental strength. It was just what he needed to compensate for his weakness when dealing with mental attacks.

He did not dare linger here. After carefully putting the pearl away—temporarily wrapping it in a thin layer of mucus that blocked its aura and hiding it near his maw—he quickly cleaned up the battlefield, erasing the obvious traces he had left behind, mainly the venom. Then he quietly left the Reef Zone and swiftly returned toward his nest.

On the way back, he remained highly vigilant, constantly changing routes and avoiding any possible watchers.

After safely returning to his nest fortress and activating every warning and defensive arrangement, Jingtian finally truly relaxed. He placed the Water-Condensing Pearl near the Rift entrance—energy was relatively active there, perhaps allowing the pearl to be nourished more effectively. At the same time, the stable energy released by the pearl could neutralize some of the violent ancient aura from the Rift, creating a better cultivation environment.

Then, he began fully digesting the rewards of this expedition.

The Blue Crystal Starfish's immense Soul Power was gradually absorbed and converted. The two-hundred-year bottleneck was pierced as easily as paper! Jingtian's Soul Power cultivation officially entered the two-hundred-year level! His body grew once more, his tentacles becoming thicker, longer, and more powerful. His suckers could now easily grip huge boulders, while his ability to mimic colors further improved, allowing him to simulate even more complex environmental textures.

More importantly, after devouring a mental-affinity soul beast like the Blue Crystal Starfish, his Poison Source seemed to undergo a subtle change. Its venom remained deadly, but beyond its pure numbing and destructive properties, it now seemed to possess a faint ability to disrupt mental perception. It was still very weak, but this was an encouraging direction.

The effects of the Water-Condensing Pearl were even more immediate. When he placed it at his cultivation spot, Jingtian found the circulation of his Soul Power much smoother, while his efficiency at absorbing external energy increased by more than twenty percent! His mind also became exceptionally tranquil, and the mental fatigue left behind by the previous battle quickly faded. Wearing it for a long time or cultivating near it would greatly benefit the stabilization of his realm and the nourishment of his soul.

"A perfect hunt." Jingtian assessed the gains and losses of the operation. The risks had been manageable, and the rewards enormous. Not only had his cultivation broken through and yielded a treasure, but his poison affinity had also unexpectedly expanded.

In the days that followed, he became even more steady and composed. After his cultivation breakthrough, he did not act rashly. Instead, he continued consolidating his realm while using the Water-Condensing Pearl and the Rift Aura to steadily improve his Soul Power and Spirit Energy.

The hunting continued, but he chose his targets more carefully. He no longer casually entered complex areas like the Reef Zone, where unknown treasures might exist. Instead, he focused on hunting soul beasts below two hundred and fifty years of cultivation within the familiar "safe zone," where they posed little threat to him. His disguise, ambushes, and one-hit kills in the style of a Hunter in the Stone grew increasingly refined.

His cultivation steadily and firmly climbed from the two-hundred-year foundation. Two hundred and ten years, two hundred and thirty years, two hundred and fifty years...

The Water-Condensing Pearl greatly accelerated the process. Meanwhile, the continued nourishment of the ancient aura at the Rift allowed his Origin Spirit Energy and Poison Source to steadily strengthen while making their foundations ever more solid.

Before he realized it, several more years had passed—time in the Deep Sea was vague.

Jingtian's Soul Power cultivation had quietly broken through the three-hundred-year mark. He was larger, stronger, and held deeper control over the waters surrounding his nest. Like a spider weaving a web, he gradually turned the area spanning hundreds of li around his nest into his hunting ground. Most hundred-year soul beasts active within that range either became his prey or learned to stay far away from his "territory."

His hunting techniques also became increasingly varied. Beyond the classic method of disguised ambushes and sniping, he began experimenting with more complicated hunts. For example, he used poisonous mist to drive prey into predetermined trap zones, or deployed several Delayed Poison Sacs at once, detonating them in sequence when prey gathered or passed by to inflict group casualties.

He even tried making simple Venom Mines—sealing highly concentrated venom inside the shells or glands of certain small soul beasts and using a target's curiosity or aggression to trigger them. The results were ordinary, but this expansion of his thinking made his use of poison more flexible.

As his cultivation rose and his hunting range expanded, some "neighbors" began to notice the changes in these waters.

That day, Jingtian was at the edge of a relatively open gravel plain, disguised as a heavily weathered rock as he watched several hundred-year soul beasts fighting over a small patch of Soul Power Moss. He intended to wait until they had both suffered losses before reaping the benefits.

Suddenly, the edge of his perception caught several unfamiliar Soul Power fluctuations. They were approaching from the other side of the plain at an unhurried pace. The fluctuations were mixed and varied in strength, but their purpose was clear, carrying an air of scrutiny and probing.

Jingtian immediately heightened his vigilance, pushing his disguise to the utmost. Even his breathing—the exchange of water currents—became extremely slow and faint.

There were three soul beasts approaching.

At their head was a Red-Armored Spike Turtle with roughly three hundred and fifty years of Soul Power. It was enormous, with sharp crimson bone spikes covering its back. Its shell was thick and heavy, its limbs short and stout, and it swam slowly, but its defensive power was astonishing. A crafty light flickered in its pair of small eyes.

Following on its left was a Variegated Arrow-Poison Jellyfish with roughly two hundred and eighty years of Soul Power. Its bell was nearly two meters across and semi-transparent, with multicolored venom flowing through its body. Dozens of tentacles bearing barbs and poison sacs drifted slowly in the water, beautiful and deadly.

On the right was a Steel-Beak Iron-Bone Fish with around two hundred and sixty years of Soul Power. It was three meters long, its streamlined body covered in metallic-sheen scales. A sharp half-meter bone spike extended from the front of its head. It swam swiftly and was clearly the vanguard of their offense.

These three soul beasts were clearly not a temporary group. They maintained a formation, with the Red-Armored Spike Turtle slightly ahead in the center, while the Variegated Jellyfish and Iron-Bone Fish stayed behind on either side. Their Soul Power faintly echoed between them, showing that they had formed some sort of loose alliance.

They swam directly toward the several hundred-year soul beasts fighting on the plain, making no effort to conceal their auras.

The hundred-year soul beasts sensed the danger and immediately stopped fighting, scattering in terrified flight.

The Red-Armored Spike Turtle did not pursue them. It stopped in the center of the plain and slowly turned its head, its small eyes sweeping across the surroundings. It lingered for a moment over the area containing the "weathered rock" Jingtian had become.

It noticed something... Jingtian understood. His frequent activity over this period, especially his almost "clear-the-field" style of hunting, had clearly drawn the vigilance of the original local powers in these waters. This Red-Armored Spike Turtle was likely one of the overlords of a nearby area, and it had come to investigate with its "allies."

They might not have known exactly who was responsible, but they certainly knew this area had changed. A powerful hunter skilled in concealment had appeared here.

The Red-Armored Spike Turtle remained where it was for a while. Seemingly finding nothing unusual—Jingtian's disguise and aura concealment were nearly perfect—it led the jellyfish and Iron-Bone Fish in a slow patrol around the plain and its surrounding areas, as though marking territory or demonstrating their strength.

They even deliberately released powerful Soul Power fluctuations, driving away and startling every soul beast they encountered, including several potential targets Jingtian had originally favored, each close to two hundred years of cultivation.

Jingtian remained quietly dormant and did not act rashly.

There were three of them, and none was weaker than him in cultivation—the Red-Armored Spike Turtle was even stronger. They also knew how to coordinate. In a direct clash, he had no guarantee of victory, and the risk was too great. His venom might deal with one or two of them, but the remaining one, especially the absurdly well-defended Red-Armored Spike Turtle, could pose a fatal threat.

Besides, he did not want to reveal all his strength and hunting methods too early.

After patrolling for nearly half a shichen, leaving behind obvious traces of activity and intimidating auras, the Red-Armored Spike Turtle's group finally swaggered away. They headed northwest, where there seemed to be a more complex underwater mountain range that might be their lair.

Only after they had completely vanished from his perception did Jingtian slowly release his disguise. His gaze—his perception—turned toward the direction they had gone, while his dark-blue rings glimmered with cold light in the gloom.

Trouble has arrived. He realized it.

His previous "safe zone" hunting method would likely have to come to an end. His existence and activities had already provoked a reaction from the original order of these waters. From now on, it might no longer be a simple relationship between hunter and prey, but friction between territories and forces.

He needed to reassess the situation.

Should he retreat, temporarily shrink the scope of his activities, and avoid the sharp edge of these local tyrants?

Or... should he find a way to eliminate these potential competitors, perhaps even replace them?

Jingtian pondered for a moment before slowly swimming toward his nest.

Retreating meant a smaller hunting ground, slower resource acquisition, and a slower path to becoming stronger.

Confrontation meant risk, but it could also bring greater rewards—such as the Red-Armored Spike Turtle's heavy shell and life essence, or the jellyfish's unusual venom. Both would make fine "materials."

He needed intelligence. He needed to understand the specific strength, habits, weaknesses, and relationship of these three "neighbors"—whether their alliance was truly solid.

At the same time, his nest fortress needed stronger defenses. Who knew whether those creatures might come knocking one day?

In the Deep Sea, beneath waters that appeared calm, undercurrents began to stir.

After steadily expanding his power, the three-hundred-year Blue-Ringed Octopus had finally touched the edge of the original order in these waters.

Would he continue lurking and accumulating strength?

Or... bare his poison fangs and tear open a new territory for himself?

The choice stood before him.