This was actually a gathering place for blood-cell monsters. Countless caves formed from condensed cell walls were densely scattered across the deep-sea cliffs, stretching farther than the eye could see. There were probably trillions of them.
There was only one blood vessel, but after becoming a microscopic world, it was as vast as the cosmos. It was truly astonishing.
This underwater cave region stretched farther than the eye could see, and most of the caves were empty.
Lin Tian took a look inside. The caves were all quite spacious and clean, more comfortable than the villas above ground.
It turned out the monsters in the Blood Sea didn't just wander around aimlessly. They had their own homes and order, too.
With guidance from a little blood-cell monster that had stayed by his side for a long time—and that he hadn't eaten—Lin Tian was assigned a cave of his own.
He could now officially be considered a resident of the Blood Sea World.
After settling in, Lin Tian still secretly devoured his own kind every day. But while devouring them, he also packed a portion in his belly to bring to the little octopus, helping the Blue-Ringed Octopus improve its cultivation.
Living alone really was lonely. Having a subordinate to raise was pretty nice, anyway. He had plenty of time.
One day in the real world was a year in the Blood Sea World.
Ever since he'd become a starfish living in the Blood Sea, he'd grown more patient and no longer cared at all about the passage of time.
It was true: everyone's pace changed after they moved to a new environment.
He was a starfish, he'd picked up an octopus, and he was planning to raise a sponge, too.
He wondered if Douluo Continent had any Sponge Soul Beasts. If it did, then he could establish a Bikini Bottom here in the Blood Sea. They'd be its three great generals: Patrick Star, Squidward, and SpongeBob.
After staying in the gathering area for a long time, Lin Tian became too lazy to go out. All he did each day was devour blood-cell monsters.
But as time passed, his cultivation grew stronger and stronger, while the energy provided by the blood-cell monsters dwindled. His cultivation also advanced more slowly.
By his calculations, he'd been in this blood-monster territory for quite a while. His cultivation had only risen from fifteen hundred years to two thousand years—a mere five hundred years of growth. His bloodline evolution hadn't even shown a trace.
The only good thing was that his accumulated mental power hadn't decreased. His Spiritual Detection range had now grown from one hundred and fifty meters to five hundred meters.
That day, Lin Tian was resting as usual in his cave. But not long after he closed his eyes, he suddenly felt dizzy.
He wasn't afraid. On the contrary, his heart leaped with joy. It's finally happening?
He'd endured this dull life in the Blood Sea World for so long just to wait for this day.
Back when he discovered that his soul had descended into the Blood Sea, he could return to his body simply by silently thinking about going back.
But when his soul descended into the Starfish Martial Soul and took control of the starfish, he couldn't silently will himself back. All he could do was wait—and now he'd finally gotten his chance.
He felt his consciousness separate. The next moment, his soul left the starfish's body.
The scene before him abruptly changed. When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the dim cave of the Blood Sea, but was staring at the familiar ceiling of his room.
He moved his fingers and clearly felt his original body. All his injuries had healed, too.
Joy immediately spread across his face. I'm finally back!
Lin Tian's thoughts stirred. Then he turned to look beside the bed, where Leng Yulai was keeping watch.
When she saw him wake, delight instantly appeared on her face. She hurried over and asked, "You're awake? How are you feeling?"
"I'm all right. How long was I unconscious?"
Lin Tian sat up, his voice a little hoarse. He was eager to know how much time had passed in the real world.
"Just one day."
Leng Yulai looked at him in confusion. "Why are you suddenly asking that?
"You passed out after absorbing too much blood. It's good that you're awake now. Get some more rest; we still have plenty of time."
One day?
If one day had passed in the real world, then he'd spent only a year in the Blood Sea.
Could a single year really feel that long?
Still, to go from an ordinary starfish with no cultivation to one at the two-thousand-year level in just a year was astonishing.
The two Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones had been a godsend—super, invincible experience pills!
With this rate of cultivation, what was there to fear about becoming the overlord of the ocean?
After his excitement, Lin Tian quickly gathered his thoughts and showed no sign that anything was amiss—especially not in front of other people, and especially not in front of an Evil Soul Master. This was his greatest trump card, and he absolutely couldn't let anyone find out.
Then he looked up at Leng Yulai. Surely no woman disliked being called "big sister," he thought, and said, "Sister Leng, did my passing out this time delay anything?"
Although a year had passed, he still remembered Leng Yulai's original plan. It seemed she'd intended to have the Spirit Pagoda put on a show here. Surely nothing major could have happened in a single day.
Hearing this, Leng Yulai laughed. "Oh, aren't you a smooth talker?"
She flicked him on the forehead. "You just woke up, and that's what you're worried about?
"Don't worry, nothing happened."
She withdrew her hand and looked at him again, a hint of amazement in her eyes. "Nothing's happened on my end, but you... You really are a freak.
"After your Martial Soul turned evil, you passed out for a day and then somehow mutated again, developing a Mental Attribute.
"What exactly is going on with you?"
A Mental Attribute?
A mutation?
Hadn't his Martial Soul already mutated?
Listening to Leng Yulai, Lin Tian felt baffled. But at the thought of his Martial Soul mutating into a Mental Martial Soul, his heart skipped a beat.
Before Leng Yulai could say more, he directly summoned his Martial Soul.
Pale blue light surged out and appeared in front of him.
The instant he saw his Martial Soul, his breath caught. This was no longer the ordinary Starfish Martial Soul he'd had before!
His Starfish Martial Soul had originally been the most useless kind: an ordinary pink starfish with no attributes or abilities. It had no attack power, defense, or healing ability—the standard "three useless traits." So he'd had no Innate Soul Power, and neither had his parents.
But now, fine blue veins covered his ordinary starfish from head to toe. The patterns seemed almost alive, shimmering with a blue glow.
Most important of all, a blue gemstone was embedded in the starfish's chest—the very gem representing the Mental Attribute!
A Blue-Veined Starfish?
This was actually the Blue-Veined Starfish he'd evolved into in the Blood Sea!
That was right. This was the Soul Beast he'd controlled in the Blood Sea. He knew it well because he'd evolved its bloodline himself.
But now his Martial Soul had turned into a Blue-Veined Starfish?
Did that mean his Martial Soul became a Soul Beast after entering the Blood Sea, then turned back into a Martial Soul when he returned to the real world?
And whatever form it took in the Blood Sea would be the form his Martial Soul manifested in on Douluo Continent?
Holy crap!
Lin Tian clenched his fists, his eyes shining and the corners of his mouth lifting. He was invincible now!
This was practically another top-tier cheat, on par with the Blood Sea Martial Soul. He even began to wonder if he was the chosen one of this world.