Something beneath the seabed was calling me. Should I go?
Su Zhan looked down at his chest.
The golden Totem, about the size of a thumbnail, was glowing faintly.
A warm sensation emanated from the Totem, vaguely pointing in a direction—directly ahead, about twenty degrees south.
"The Key given by the core is pointing the way."
Su Zhan's feet were on the edge of the black sea.
The soles of the shoes touched the surface of the black seawater.
It didn't sink.
The black water surface formed a shallow indentation beneath his feet, but it supported his weight, as if he were standing on a highly elastic membrane.
"I can walk."
Su Zhan tentatively took a step forward.
He also managed to stand firm on the second step.
The black sea rippled slightly beneath his feet, the waves spreading out in all directions.
He took the third step.
Then a deep, continuous hum came from beneath my feet.
The buzzing sound didn't come from the seawater.
It came from very, very deep below the surface of the sea.
Something sensed the Totem on his chest.
In response.
The buzzing sound continued for six or seven breaths before stopping.
Su Zhan stood on the black sea and looked down.
He couldn't see anything. The black water was like an opaque mirror, reflecting only his own image.
How deep is it down there?
[Shadow Thousand Silk Lock]: The thread signal is completely lost after passing through the black water. Depth unknown.
[Nine Heavens Divine Lightning]: I used thunder waves to conduct a sonar probe, but after sending out the pulse signal, I did not receive any reflected echo. There are two possibilities: either the depth is so great that the echo cannot be transmitted back, or the material on the seabed absorbs all energy fluctuations.
Su Zhan touched the Totem on his chest.
The golden warmth lingered. The directional guidance was clear—forward, downward.
"Then go down."
[Nine Heavens Divine Lightning]: To dive into an unknown sea that devours all means of perception without any knowledge of the underwater environment?
"You're right, it sounds stupid." Su Zhan squatted down. "But the Key is pointing downwards. The Heaven-Mending Stone is below. The Sealing Formation won't last more than a few months."
"No time to take a detour."
His right hand reached into the black sea.
The finger pierced the water's surface.
A strange sensation came over me—neither cold nor hot. It was a kind of "heaviness," as if my entire hand was filled with lead.
"Water has an extremely high density. It's at least twenty times heavier than normal seawater, "Su Zhan assessed.
[Immovable Wisdom King Wall]: The water pressure generated by this density of water is equivalent to the pressure of diving 2,000 feet in normal sea conditions for every 100 feet of depth. My defenses can withstand it, but your movement speed will be severely limited.
Su Zhan withdrew his hand. Black water droplets clung to his fingers. The droplets remained suspended in the air for two breaths before dripping—their viscosity far exceeded that of Ordinary Grade water.
"Old poisoner, analyze the composition of this water."
The purple qi of the Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon enveloped the remaining water stains on Su Zhan's fingers.
[The Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon]: Contains no toxins, but contains a remnant of a very ancient Principle. It does not belong to any of the Five Elements. If it must be categorized, it is closest to a mixture of the "Gravity Principle" and the "Spatial Principle."
"Naturally formed?"
[The Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon]: It doesn't seem like it. It's more like it's man-made. Someone injected special Principle energy into the water of this sea area, transforming Ordinary Grade seawater into this state.
Man-made.
Is it related to the builder of the Mustard Seed Grotto-Heaven?
Su Zhan stood up.
"Get ready. Everyone in the water."
He activated the Wisdom King Armor Skin of the Immovable Wisdom King Wall to its maximum power. Dark golden scales covered his entire body from head to toe, including his face and the top of his head, leaving only his eyes and nose exposed.
The protective membrane of the Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon is an additional layer on the outside of the armor—mainly to protect against unknown toxins and the erosion of Principle.
Arcs of lightning from the Nine Heavens Divine Lightning lay dormant on his body, ready to be unleashed at any moment should an attack occur.
Jump.
Su Zhan's feet left the black sea surface, and he sank straight down.
The moment the black water reached above my head--
The world fell silent.
It wasn't just Ordinary Grade quiet; it was absolute, complete silence.
Even his own heartbeat had disappeared.
The humming sound from the Immovable Wisdom King Wall, the crackling of the Nine Heavens Divine Lightning, and the flowing purple qi from the Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon —all were absorbed by this black body of water.