Ao Yin let out a miserable cry and abruptly retreated.
The dragon claw he had extended had already withered.
The scales on it had lost their luster, as if a great deal of vital essence had been drained away.
The Dragon Clan members' expressions changed drastically.
No one had expected the Blackwater remnant soul beneath the altar to be so bizarre.
Ao Yin was at the Supreme Unity Golden Immortal Peak.
He was only one step away from the Great Luo.
Yet in a single instant, half his magical power had been devoured.
If he had reacted even a little slower, his entire arm might have been consumed.
Lin Yue's gaze darkened at the sight.
"A beast remnant soul."
"And one that possesses devouring power."
Feng Li slowly retreated half a step, a Frost Phoenix phantom appearing behind her.
"This thing is dangerous."
Ao Yin's expression was ugly.
He glanced at his withered dragon claw, his eyes filled with rage.
"Pretending to be mysterious."
"I'd like to see just how much more you can devour!"
He opened his mouth and spat out a stream of Blackwater dragon breath.
The dragon breath transformed into a black dragon that charged straight toward the altar.
The Blackwater remnant soul did not dodge.
Instead, it opened its huge mouth and swallowed the black dragon whole.
The next instant, its aura actually rose another notch.
Ao Yin's face instantly turned livid.
Han Jue's eyelids twitched.
"This thing can even eat dragon breath?"
Ao Lie said in a deep voice, "Devouring-type beast remnant souls are the greatest counter to pure magical power techniques."
"That idiot Ao Yin just handed it a tonic."
Han Jue could not help glancing at him.
"You sound quite natural insulting a Dragon Clan elder."
Ao Lie sneered.
"He was an idiot to begin with."
Ancestor Xuan Jia leaned on his cane and watched the Blackwater remnant soul.
"Do not attack rashly."
"Its devouring power suppresses both magical power and the radiance of spiritual treasures."
Lan Shuang nodded.
The Book of Cause and Effect in her hand kept flipping.
Strands of black-and-white radiance attempted to illuminate the origins of the Blackwater remnant soul.
A moment later, two blurred words appeared on the Book of Cause and Effect.
Sea Devourer.
Several fragmented lines of information appeared beside them.
"Remnant soul from the Beast Tribulation."
"Once devoured the Northern Sea water veins."
"Its body was shattered by an ancient Black Tortoise."
"Remnant soul sealed within the Northern Dark Water Palace."
Lan Shuang's heart shook violently when she saw this.
Its body was shattered by an ancient Black Tortoise?
Could it have been referring to the Emperor?
She forcibly steadied herself and did not immediately reveal this information.
The experts of all three clans were gathered here.
Information concerning the Emperor could not be exposed lightly.
Yet the Blackwater remnant soul seemed to have noticed the Book of Cause and Effect probing it.
Its crimson eye suddenly turned toward Lan Shuang.
"A treasure of cause and effect?"
"You carry that old turtle's aura."
"You are from Abyss."
Lan Shuang's heart tightened.
Han Jue and Ao Lie stepped forward at the same time, shielding Lan Shuang.
Ancestor Xuan Jia also raised his cane, and profound tortoise-shell light emerged behind him.
The Blackwater remnant soul let out a strange laugh.
"Don't be nervous."
"You are too weak."
"So weak that I cannot even be bothered to eat you."
Han Jue's gaze turned cold.
That was an infuriating thing to say.
However, he knew this thing was difficult to deal with, so he did not act impulsively.
Ao Yin, however, could not endure it.
As a dignified Dragon Clan elder, he had just suffered a huge loss and was now being scorned by a mere remnant soul. His fury could no longer be restrained.
"Dragon Clan, heed my command!"
"Form the Black Water Spirit-Binding Array!"
The Dragon Clan elites immediately moved.
Dozens of Dragon Clan cultivators spread out, blackwater chains flying from their hands and wrapping around the Sea Devourer remnant soul.
This formation was specifically designed to target remnant souls and spirit bodies.
Ao Yin clearly intended to forcibly bind Sea Devourer with the formation, then seize the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl.
It was a good idea.
But he had underestimated the Sea Devourer remnant soul.
Just as the blackwater chains approached, the Baleful Fiendish Aura around the Sea Devourer remnant soul violently exploded.
It opened its mouth and inhaled.
The blackwater chains were swallowed along with the formation's spiritual light.
More than a dozen Dragon Clan cultivators spat blood simultaneously, their Primordial Spirits suffering backlash.
The Sea Devourer remnant soul lunged forward.
A Golden Immortal dragon general failed to dodge in time and was directly bitten across half his body.
"Save me!"
The dragon general cried out in terror.
Ao Yin wanted to save him, but it was already too late.
The Sea Devourer remnant soul bit down, instantly draining away most of the dragon general's magical power, flesh, blood, and Primordial Spirit essence.
Had Ao Yin not struck him away in time with his halberd, the man would likely have perished on the spot.
The Dragon Clan camp descended into chaos.
Seeing the Dragon Clan suffer losses, Lin Yue's eyes flickered.
He did not immediately help.
Instead, he led the Qilin Clan experts around to the other side of the altar, intending to seize the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl while the Sea Devourer remnant soul was entangled with the Dragon Clan.
However, the moment he approached the altar, the blackwater beneath his feet suddenly churned.
Several black tentacles burst from the water and wrapped around two Qilin Clan cultivators.
The two cultivators roared as they unleashed Qilin True Fire.
But the flames had barely ignited before they were absorbed by the tentacles.
Lin Yue's expression changed. The Water Qilin phantom behind him charged forth and crushed the tentacles beneath one hoof.
But the auras of those two Qilin Clan cultivators had already weakened, their Primordial Spirits nearly drained dry.
The Sea Devourer remnant soul mocked, "The Qilin Clan is just as foolish."
Lin Yue's face darkened.
Seeing the Dragon Clan and Qilin Clan suffer losses in succession, Feng Li did not act rashly.
Leading the Frost Phoenix Lineage, she instead moved a little closer to the Abyss group.
Han Jue noticed this and raised a brow. "Is the Phoenix Clan following us too?"
Feng Li remained calm.
"Abyss seems to understand better how to deal with it."
Ao Lie gave a soft snort.
"Clever, at least."
Feng Li did not get angry and merely looked toward Lan Shuang.
"Fate Overseer Lan Shuang, if you have a solution, my Frost Phoenix Lineage is willing to lend Abyss a hand."
Lan Shuang did not immediately agree.
She looked once more at the Book of Cause and Effect.
The writing on the Book of Cause and Effect began to change.
Sea Devourer remnant soul.
Remnant intent of a beast.
Fears Abyss Power.
Fears Black Tortoise Origin.
Fears the light of purified cause and effect.
A flash of understanding passed through Lan Shuang's eyes.
No wonder the Sea Devourer remnant soul had not attacked them from the beginning.
Abyss Power restrained it.
The Emperor's aura made it even more wary.
But the problem was that they could not casually invoke the Emperor's name during this journey.
Lu Chen's decree had made it very clear.
Do not reveal his name.
Lan Shuang weighed the matter rapidly.
Not invoking the Emperor's name did not mean they could not borrow Abyss Power.
The Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl was extremely important to Abyss.
It would be a great pity to retreat entirely.
But if they launched a direct assault, casualties would be severe.
Then they would test it with Abyss Power.
Lan Shuang raised her hand, and the Book of Cause and Effect floated before her.
"Ao Lie, Ancestor Xuan Jia."
"Draw a thread of Abyss Water Aura from Dragon-Suppressing Pass into this place."
Ao Lie frowned slightly.
"Drawing water aura from so far away will consume a great deal."
Ancestor Xuan Jia slowly nodded.
"But we can try."
The two acted at the same time.
Ao Lie activated the Outer Gate of Dragon-Suppressing Pass formation seal that remained on his body.
Ancestor Xuan Jia, meanwhile, drew upon the Black-Armor Array Runes of the inner gate.
The two forces converged.
The Northern Sea-Calming Stele Fragment far away at Dragon-Suppressing Pass trembled slightly.
An exceedingly faint strand of Abyss Water Aura crossed the water veins and slowly descended into the core region of the Northern Dark Water Palace.
The moment this strand of water aura appeared, the Sea Devourer remnant soul's eye abruptly contracted.
Its enormous blackwater body instinctively shrank back.
"Abyss..."
"Damn Abyss..."
Lan Shuang's eyes lit up.
It worked.
Han Jue was immediately invigorated.
"It's good that it's afraid."
Lady Mingzhu immediately spoke as well.
"The water veins around the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl are being affected by the Abyss Water Aura."
"If we can draw the Abyss Water Aura into the altar, the Sea Swallower Remnant Soul will be suppressed."
Feng Li made a swift decision. "The Frost Phoenix Lineage can freeze the surrounding Blackwater and buy you time."
Lan Shuang looked at her. "We can."
Feng Li raised her hand.
The phantom of a Frost Phoenix spread its wings.
A layer of icy blue Frostflame fell around the altar, freezing the surging Blackwater for a moment.
Seeing this, Ao Yin and Lin Yue also realized that Abyss had found a solution.
Though Ao Yin was unwilling, he knew they could not keep fighting chaotically.
"Dragon Clan, suppress the tentacles on the left!"
Lin Yue said gravely, "Qilin Clan, take the right!"
The three clans and Abyss unexpectedly formed a brief cooperation at this moment.
Of course, this cooperation was extremely fragile.
Everyone stared at the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl.
Once the Sea Swallower Remnant Soul was suppressed, the struggle for it would inevitably erupt at once.
Lan Shuang understood this clearly.
So she did not let Han Jue charge in.
She merely had Ao Lie and Ancestor Xuan Jia continue guiding the Abyss Water Aura.
Black-and-white radiance from the Book of Cause and Effect fell upon the Abyss Water Aura, turning it into a thin stream of water that slowly pierced into the center of the altar.
The Sea Swallower Remnant Soul struggled madly.
"You dare!"
"I'll swallow all of you!"
It opened its mouth and inhaled.
It wanted to devour that strand of Abyss Water Aura.
But the instant the water aura entered its body, its entire remnant soul began trembling violently.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
Great clouds of black mist emerged from its body.
That was the sound of the Baleful Fiendish Remnant Cause being ground away by Abyss Power.
For the first time, the Sea Swallower Remnant Soul let out a pained roar.
Han Jue's eyes lit up.
"There's a chance!"
Lan Shuang immediately said, "Don't rush in recklessly!"
Han Jue halted mid-step.
He gritted his teeth and forcibly stopped himself.
Ao Lie glanced at him.
"You've improved quite a bit."
Han Jue snorted.
"Shut up."
Suppressed by the Abyss Water Aura, the Sea Swallower Remnant Soul's presence rapidly weakened.
Cracks also began appearing in the Blackwater barrier around the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl.
Ao Yin, Lin Yue, and Feng Li all began harboring thoughts of their own.
Everyone knew it.
The opportunity had arrived.
Just then, the Sea Swallower Remnant Soul suddenly stopped struggling.
Its scarlet eye fixed itself on Lan Shuang.
"You're that old turtle's people."
"He's not dead yet."
"Is he?"
Lan Shuang remained calm.
"The Emperor endures within Abyss."
The moment those words were spoken, the Sea Swallower Remnant Soul fell silent.
After a long while, it unexpectedly let out a low laugh.
"Endures within Abyss..."
"Good, very good."
"Back then, one turn of his body shattered my physical form."
"And now even his junior subordinates dare use Abyss Power to suppress me."
"That old bastard is still as detestable as ever."
Lan Shuang's heart shook violently.
One turn of his body had shattered its physical form?
Just how powerful had the Emperor been in the past?
The experts of the three clans around them had heard those words as well.
Ao Yin's expression changed slightly.
Lin Yue's pupils contracted.
A strange light flickered repeatedly in Feng Li's eyes.
The Abyss Black Tortoise had achieved such feats even during the Beast Tribulation?
The aftershock of a single turn had shattered Sea Devourer's physical form?
Just what era had that Mysterious Abyss Emperor survived from until now?
The Sea Swallower Remnant Soul suddenly looked toward the Black Tortoise Sea-Calming Pearl.
"Enough."
"I've guarded this pearl long enough."
"If you want it, take it."
"However, I have one condition."
Everyone immediately became wary.
The Sea Swallower Remnant Soul stared at Lan Shuang and said word by word, "Take me to Abyss."
"I want to see that old turtle."