Trying Battle with Deep-Sea Soul Beasts! Over Five Hundred Pounds of Whale Rubber!

The deep sea.

Dark Golden Dragon Eyes gazed out the window, past layer upon layer of rooftops, settling on that patch of deep blue in the distance.

The waters beyond Vast Sea City were home to countless sea soul beasts.

Among them were many that had lived for ten thousand years, and even some for a hundred thousand years.

Although Dugu Bo did not currently need to hunt soul beasts, there was no harm in seeing the strength of sea soul beasts for himself.

Besides, sea soul beasts could also possess soul bones.

What if he got lucky and found a suitable soul bone?

The corners of Dugu Bo's mouth lifted slightly. He pushed open the window and leaped out.

Purplish-black Nether Qi supported his body as he flew toward the sea.

Beyond Vast Sea City, the sea stretched as far as the eye could see.

The deep-blue water shimmered beneath the sunlight, while the sea breeze carried a salty, fishy scent straight at him.

Dugu Bo hovered a hundred meters above the surface, his Dark Golden Dragon Eyes sweeping over the waters below.

His spiritual power extended into the sea, sensing the fluctuations of life beneath the waves.

There were far more sea soul beasts than land soul beasts.

However, the farther one traveled into the open sea, the higher the soul beasts' cultivation levels became.

The coastal waters mostly contained little creatures that were only decades or centuries old.

Dugu Bo had no interest in them.

He continued flying toward the open sea.

After flying for roughly half a shichen, the coastline had become a thin white line.

The water below shifted from light blue to deep blue, then to an inky blue.

It was at least a thousand meters deep.

The sea soul beasts here were clearly far older.

Dugu Bo's spiritual power caught several auras belonging to ten-thousand-year soul beasts.

There were shark-like creatures, whale-like creatures, and some strange beings whose names he did not know.

But he did not make a move.

He had not come to hunt soul beasts.

He was only here to take a look.

And to get a sense of the differences between sea soul beasts and land soul beasts.

Dugu Bo hovered above the sea, closed his eyes, and spread his spiritual power to its greatest range.

Everything within ten li of the surrounding waters was reflected in his senses.

Sea soul beasts were generally larger than land soul beasts.

Among soul beasts of the same level, sea soul beasts possessed denser Soul Power, but their intelligence was generally lower.

Perhaps because the marine environment was harsher and the pressure of survival greater, their strength grew quickly while their intelligence evolved slowly.

For hunters, that was a good thing.

Lower intelligence meant weaker spiritual resentment.

Absorbing the soul rings of sea soul beasts was safer than absorbing those of land soul beasts.

Dugu Bo committed this discovery to memory.

Perhaps in the future, when Yan Yan or his son and daughter-in-law needed to hunt soul rings, they could consider coming to Vast Sea City.

"Roar!!!!"

A deep roar came from beneath the water, interrupting Dugu Bo's thoughts.

He looked down and saw a massive black shadow rapidly rising beneath the surface.

The outline of the shadow gradually became clear.

It was a giant whale.

It was over thirty meters long, entirely black, with an enormous head. When it opened its mouth, it could swallow a small boat whole.

Dugu Bo's spiritual power instantly locked onto it.

A ten-thousand-year sea soul beast.

It was roughly twenty thousand years old.

This giant whale seemed to have mistaken Dugu Bo for prey.

It burst out of the water, opened its massive jaws, and bit toward Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo did not move an inch.

His Dark Golden Dragon Eyes coldly watched those enormous jaws draw closer and closer.

Just as the giant whale was about to close its mouth.

Dugu Bo moved.

He raised his right hand, palm facing down.

Purplish-black Nether Qi surged from his palm, transforming into an enormous dragon claw that slammed viciously into the giant whale's head.

"Boom!!!"

Cracks appeared in the giant whale's skull from that blow.

It let out a pained wail as its massive body was slapped back into the sea, sending water spraying dozens of meters into the air.

The seawater churned as the giant whale struggled violently at the surface.

Dugu Bo hovered above it without pursuing.

He had not come to hunt soul beasts.

Besides, a twenty-thousand-year soul ring meant nothing to him.

His weakest soul rings were already black ten-thousand-year rings, while his strongest had reached the red hundred-thousand-year level.

Absorbing a twenty-thousand-year soul ring would only waste a slot.

"Get lost."

Dugu Bo calmly uttered a single word.

Sound waves mixed with the Dragon Might of the Nine Nether Divine Dragon spread downward.

The giant whale's body abruptly stiffened.

It had felt that pressure.

That was Dragon Might.

And it was Dragon Might carrying the aura of the netherworld.

In the ocean, dragon-kind were likewise apex predators.

Though the giant whale was not very intelligent, its instincts told it one thing.

This creature was not to be provoked.

It stopped struggling, turned, and dove into the deep sea, disappearing into the darkness.

Dugu Bo withdrew his gaze and turned toward Vast Sea City.

The sea breeze stirred his Profound Black Robe. Against the blue sky and sea, that figure appeared especially solitary and proud.

This trip to Vast Sea City had yielded quite a lot.

The more than three hundred pounds of Whale Rubber were only the beginning.

The second batch in seven days should only be larger.

More importantly, he had confirmed the situation with sea soul beasts.

If he needed to hunt sea soul beasts in the future, this would be a good choice.

Dugu Bo returned to the inn in the afternoon.

After eating something simple, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began cultivating the Nine Nether Divine Dragon Art.

Seven days could not be wasted.

Before the second batch of Whale Rubber arrived, he needed to raise his strength as much as possible.

Rank ninety-three.

He still had some way to go before rank ninety-four.

But he walked this road without haste or impatience.

The Soul Power Refining Chapter of the Nine Nether Divine Dragon Art operated automatically every day, accumulating bit by bit.

The Body Refining Chapter and Soul Refining Chapter required active cultivation.

As for the Nether Refining Chapter, comprehension of Nine Nether Power had to be gradually gained through battle or quiet contemplation.

Dugu Bo closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into his body.

The Nine Nether Divine Dragon slumbered within the Martial Soul's origin as purplish-black Nether Qi slowly circulated.

Cultivation began.

Seven days later.

Dugu Bo returned to Boss Qian's trading house.

This time, the round-faced fat man's smile was even brighter than before.

"Honored guest, you've finally come!" Boss Qian hurried over, rubbing his hands together. "Over these past seven days, several of us visited every fishing village and independent fisherman around Vast Sea City. We collected another two hundred-plus pounds for you!"

Over two hundred pounds.

Together with the first batch of more than three hundred pounds, it totaled over five hundred pounds.

Dugu Bo nodded in satisfaction. As usual, he paid and stored the goods in the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch.

"Honored guest, shall we continue collecting?" Boss Qian asked tentatively. "There may still be some in the fishing villages outside the city, but they're farther away. A round trip would take more than ten days..."

"Collect it." Dugu Bo cut him off. "I'll come pick it up in twenty days. The price remains unchanged."

Boss Qian was overjoyed and repeatedly bowed.

Dugu Bo did not linger. After leaving the trading house, he leaped into the sky.

Purplish-black Nether Qi supported his body as he flew toward Sunset Forest.

He would return in twenty days.

But for now, it was time to go back.

He had been away from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes for more than ten days. Although he had left enough dry rations and water for Yan Yan, and Dugu Xin and Lin Wan'er did not need to eat, he still worried about them.

After all, that family of three had only just reunited.

And as their grandfather, he should be there.

Dugu Bo increased his speed, his figure streaking across the sky like a black bolt of lightning.

The sea breeze gradually faded behind him, replaced by the warm winds of the continent.

Inside the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch, more than five hundred pounds of Whale Rubber lay quietly.

To others, these worthless things were priceless treasures in Dugu Bo's eyes.

When the day came that they were needed, they would serve a great purpose.