Asura's Fifth Trial
The next morning, a cool sea breeze blew as the first rays of sunlight began to appear.
Li Xun and his group arrived at the shore of Sea God Island. Bo Saixi was already waiting there. Today, she had changed into a neat sea-blue outfit, her long hair tied up. She looked less dignified than Grand Worshipper and more capable of hunting at sea.
Golden Crocodile Douluo and Light Feather Douluo followed behind, both of them with solemn expressions.
A soul-guided speedboat belonging to Sea God Island was moored on the shore. It was a size larger than the Dragon Abyss Boat. The hull was made of Deep Sea Silver and engraved with layers of water-based soul-guided array patterns. A fist-sized sea-blue crystal core was embedded in the bow, which was a power source specifically used for ocean voyages.
"Two-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring isn't something you can just stumble upon anywhere," Bo Saixi said calmly as she boarded the ship first.
"The waters surrounding Sea God Island are vast, and the further out you go, the older the Sea Soul Beast become. In previous years, when I was patrolling the outer seas, I encountered a 200,000-year-old Silverback Devil Shark near a deep-sea trench, but that was more than a hundred years ago. Whether it's still in that area now depends on luck."
Li Xun nodded. "Then let's head towards that sea area first."
The group boarded the ship, the soul-guided engine hummed and started, the speedboat cut through the blue waves, left Sea God Island, and sped towards the outer sea.
The first day of the voyage was calm and peaceful.
The sea was vast and boundless, with the sky and water merging into one. Li Xun sat cross-legged at the bow of the ship, using the time of the voyage to regulate his Soul Power and stabilize his recently attained Soul Sage realm.
Golden Crocodile Douluo stretched his limbs on the deck, Light Feather Douluo sat on the ship's side with his eyes closed to rest, Bo Saixi stood at the stern, his gaze occasionally sweeping across the sea, sensing the aura of the Soul Beast in the surrounding waters.
On the second day of the voyage, the color of the sea began to deepen, changing from azure to dark blue, and the waves gradually grew larger.
Occasionally, Sea Soul Beast would surface to breathe, most of them being thousands or tens of thousands of years old. After sensing the vast auras on the ship, they would all dive into the deep water to avoid it.
"It's still early." Bo Saixi withdrew her sensory Soul Power, her tone flat. "Behemoths like the Silverback Devil Shark usually roam the deepest waters. These shallow-water creatures are far from it."
On the third day of the voyage, the sky darkened.
The leaden-gray clouds hung low, and the sea breeze, carrying a salty, fishy smell, rushed towards us, while waves crashed against the hull one after another.
The speedboat bobbed and swayed in the wind and waves. Golden Crocodile Douluo, holding onto the gunwale, cursed the damn weather. Light Feather Douluo used his Soul Power to create a protective shield around the hull, blocking the crashing waves.
Bo Saixi squinted at the gloomy sea ahead, then suddenly spoke, "It's just ahead. That deep-sea trench, the territory of the Silverback Devil Shark, is nearby."
As soon as he finished speaking, a faint yet menacing aura emanated from beneath the sea, deep and heavy, carrying the oppressive feeling unique to apex predators.
Bo Saixi raised his hand, signaling everyone to slow the ship, and whispered, "Be careful. If it's still in this area and senses our presence, it'll be fine if it comes out on its own. If it refuses to show itself, we'll have to lure it out."
Golden Crocodile Douluo cracked his knuckles and grinned, "How do we lure him?"
"Attack," Bo Saixi said succinctly. "Throw a few bursts of Soul Power into the sea to stir up the water. This kind of being has a very strong sense of territory; it won't sit idly by if something runs wild on its land."
Without saying a word, Golden Crocodile Douluo raised his hand and punched the sea surface. The powerful golden Soul Power crashed into the water, creating a giant wave tens of feet high.
The Light Feather Douluo also fired several beams of light, their silvery-white brilliance exploding in the deep sea and causing the water to surge and churn.
After waiting for a while, there was no movement on the sea.
Golden Crocodile Douluo threw a few more punches, and Light Feather Douluo's light feathers didn't stop either. After about half a cup of tea's time, the seawater below the speedboat suddenly darkened silently, and a large shadow slowly rose from the deep water. The sea surface didn't surge; instead, the waves strangely calmed down.
Bo Saixi's pupils contracted. "They're here."
The next moment, the sea exploded with a deafening roar. A massive, breathtakingly large, silver-gray figure burst from the water, its enormous tail sweeping across the surface, nearly capsizing the speedboat with the waves it created.
It was a giant shark over a hundred feet long, its entire body covered in silver-gray scales, its dorsal fin towering like a knife, and its dark blue vertical pupils coldly looking down at the people on the ship, its ferocious aura overwhelming.
A 200,000-year-old Sea Soul Beast, the Silverback Devil Shark.
The giant shark's vertical pupils swept over Bo Saixi, then over Golden Crocodile Douluo and Light Feather Douluo, and it let out a low, thunderous hiss, clearly extremely displeased with these uninvited guests who had trespassed into its territory.
Bo Saixi's azure Soul Power surged forth as he said in a deep voice, "Make your move. Don't let it have a chance to dive into the deep sea."
Golden Crocodile Douluo was the first to leap up, his golden Soul Power exploding outwards, and his Seventh Soul Ring suddenly lit up— Golden Crocodile True Body!
A phantom image of a giant golden crocodile, several meters long, covered the entire body. Its scales were as if forged from gold and iron, and the air exploded when its massive tail swept across.
With a powerful kick, Golden Crocodile Douluo sent a white wave crashing into the sea, propelling him into the air like a cannonball. His fifth Soul Skill, Golden Crocodile Wave-Breaking Fist, was unleashed! His fist, imbued with golden Soul Power, transformed into a phantom of a crocodile's head, slamming fiercely into the top of the Silverback Devil Shark's skull.
The Silverback Devil Shark roared and lashed its massive tail, its fin sweeping across like a knife. Golden Crocodile Douluo neither dodged nor evaded, unleashing his fourth Soul Skill — Golden Crocodile Tyrant Body! His body surged with golden light as he took the blow head-on. He was sent flying, but managed to take seven quick steps on the sea surface to regain his footing. Blood trickled from his mouth, but his ferocity only intensified. "Again!"
The Light Feather Douluo moved with agility, and his Sixth Soul Ring lit up— Lightbow Thousand Feathers! With a flick of his arms, hundreds of silver-white light feathers shot out, covering the sky like a torrential rain, specifically targeting the giant shark's gills, eye sockets, and gaps in its shell.
The giant shark, in pain, thrashed wildly in the sea, creating towering waves.
Ling Douluo's figure flickered, using the waves to dodge and weave. His fifth Soul Skill, Lightbow Flash, transformed into a streak of silver light, barely escaping the giant shark's biting fangs.
Bo Saixi stood on the sea surface, his hands forming a hand seal, and his Sixth Soul Ring lit up— the Sea God Chains! The azure Soul Power transformed into nine thick chains, breaking through the waves and Entanglement around the giant shark's body and tail fin.
The giant shark struggled desperately, the chains creaking under the strain. Bo Saixi's expression darkened slightly, and his Eighth Soul Ring lit up— the Sea God's Domain! The seawater within a hundred feet suddenly became viscous and heavy, and the giant shark, as if trapped in mud, visibly slowed down.
"Golden Crocodile, hold it down!" Bo Saixi shouted.
Golden Crocodile Douluo leaped through the air, his Ninth Soul Ring lighting up— Golden Crocodile Mountain-Shattering Strike! He brought his fists together, and golden Soul Power condensed into a roaring giant crocodile, slamming it hard into the base of the giant shark's dorsal fin.
The fist struck like thunder, shattering scales and spurting blood. The giant shark, in pain, lashed out with its massive tail, sending the Golden Crocodile Douluo flying once more.
Seizing the opportunity, the Light Feather Douluo activated his Seventh Soul Ring — the Lightbow Cloud-Piercing Arrow! Hundreds of light feathers condensed into a ten-foot-long silver-white arrow, its sharpness fully revealed, and it shot into the giant shark's right eye.
The giant shark let out a shrill, distorted roar, blood spurting from its right eye, and its massive body stiffened for a moment.
Bo Saixi pressed down with his fingertip, and all nine chains tightened simultaneously, the runes shining brightest.
Golden Crocodile Douluo crashed down from mid-air, his fist slamming into the giant shark's skull, a dull cracking sound echoing. The giant shark's struggles weakened, the ferocious light in its deep blue vertical pupils slowly dissipated, and its massive tail drooped limply onto the sea surface.
A red Soul Ring slowly rose from its body, and the vast aura unique to Two-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring spread out all around. The wind and waves on the sea suddenly subsided, and the air became as heavy as lead.
Li Xun stepped forward, unleashing his full Soul Power, and sat cross-legged to welcome the Soul Ring into his body.