For a moment, Ren Tao thought he was already dead.
The corrosion and crushing pressure had left his body burning with pain. His mind felt weak after going from extreme tension to sudden release. Worst of all, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's body had slammed into him, making him feel as though his soul had been knocked clean out of his body.
The surrounding sea was pitch-black. Ren Tao drifted with the currents, momentarily forgetting who he was.
Beside him lay the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's corpse. It had lost its blue-crystal luster and turned dark and lifeless, like a massive ship capsized on the sea.
An overlord of the seas had fallen. They had been mortal enemies only moments before, yet now Ren Tao felt an inexplicable pang of sorrow.
So this was the truth of the Douluo World: cruel, merciless, dark, and cold.
Even if I inherit the title of overlord of the seas, my life from now on will be filled with battles to the death. Not just for a day or two, either. Quite possibly every single day.
To survive, I have no choice but to grow stronger!
"Enough. Stop thinking about it. You don't have time to grieve!"
Ren Tao slapped his own face, struggling to pull himself together. The instant his strength recovered enough to unleash Orca Shattering Fang Slash, he cut open the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's skull.
An intensely rich, unusual fragrance suddenly spread through the depths.
The scent drifted for miles.
Two Demon Soul Great White Sharks prowling in the distance caught the scent and immediately grew excited, letting out cries of "Moo, moo!"
Without a doubt, Xiao Bai had sent these two Demon Soul Great White Sharks. But they feared the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's might, so they had kept swimming roughly twenty li outside the Demon Whale Sea, not daring to venture in.
However, Demon Soul Great White Sharks had an extraordinarily keen sense of smell. Drawn by the Whale Brain's unusual fragrance, they could no longer restrain themselves. They sent messages into the distance while cautiously swimming deeper into the Demon Whale Sea.
"Right. I'm out of time!"
Ren Tao had no intention of fighting these two Demon Soul Great White Sharks to the death. In his current condition, even victory would come at a considerable cost. Besides, who knew when Xiao Bai and Tang San might come charging over?
He therefore assumed the Evil Orca King's True Form and swallowed the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's golden Whale Brain in one gulp. Before he even had time to savor its intoxicating taste, he swung his body rapidly and left the Demon Whale Sea like a bolt of lightning.
All he left in the seawater was a faint wake and a lingering trace of fragrance.
"Aoo!"
A few minutes later, furious roars from Demon Soul Great White Sharks rang out across the Demon Whale Sea.
By then, however, Ren Tao had already swum dozens of li away. He looked back toward Sea God Island, a distinctly human smile spreading across his enormous whale face.
"Tang San, you couldn't kill me today, and you'll have plenty of headaches from now on! Hahaha!"
A length of amethyst-like bone still protruded from the corner of his mouth. It was the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's Soul Bone, which he had "picked up" just as he was leaving the Demon Whale Sea. It had probably fallen out of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's body after his death. Though it was of little use to a soul beast, there was no way he would leave it for Tang San.
Perhaps it might bring Ren Tao unexpected rewards in the near future.
"After him! Hurry and find out who stole the Whale Brain and Whale Pearl!"
"And the Soul Bone!!!"
An hour later, the Demon Whale Sea suddenly became busy. Wave after wave of Demon Soul Great White Sharks shot into it like arrows through water, then departed even faster.
They set out in groups of three to five, heading in different directions as they launched one pursuit after another.
"Report back the moment you find any trace of the enemy. And don't give the Evil Orca King time to devour the Whale Pearl! Even if you have to die, hold him there until Tang San and I arrive to surround and kill him!"
Xiao Bai barked her orders. Her agitation made her voice particularly shrill, with a faint rasp to it.
That came from anxiety and fear. If Tang San's suspicions were correct, and the Evil Orca King had survived and devoured the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's Whale Pearl, it would undoubtedly spell utter disaster for the Demon Soul Great White Sharks.
"Xiao Bai, you don't have to be so anxious. Perhaps the Evil Orca King is already dead?"
Seeing how worried Xiao Bai was, Oscar could not help offering some comfort. "What Little San said just now was only a guess!"
Was it?
Xiao Bai gave Oscar a doubtful glance, then turned her eyes toward Tang San. Among the Shrek Seven Devils, he was the only one she trusted without reservation.
Tang San did not look at her. He stared at the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's corpse, carefully examining every part of it. Only after a full ten minutes did he jump down from the body, an odd calm in his voice.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Evil Orca King seized the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring, killed the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, and took the Whale Brain and Whale Pearl!"
None of the Shrek Seven Devils spoke, including Xiao Wu, who had emerged from the Universe Bag. Silence blanketed the scene.
After fighting alongside Tang San for so many years, they had absolute faith in his judgment. However incredible it sounded that the Evil Orca King had seized the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring and slain the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, it could not shake their trust in Tang San.
But how could that be?
How could a mere hundred-thousand-year sea soul beast be so powerful?
And every part of his scheme had fitted together as tightly as interwoven threads, almost as though he had known Tang San and the others' arrangements from the start. How had he done it?
"The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King did indeed die from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring. Look at his internal organs. They've almost completely dissolved. That proves the enemy attacked from inside his body, and the Evil Orca King, whom the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King swallowed, is the only possible candidate."
Knowing his companions' doubts, Tang San laid out his deductions directly. "And there's one more thing, the most important point of all. Apart from Xiao Wu, you've all completed your fourth trials, haven't you?"
"Yes, we have!"
Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and Ma Hongjun all nodded. "Don't tell us you and Xiao Wu haven't completed yours?"
Everyone suddenly understood. Their fourth trials required them to kill a certain number of Evil Spirit Orcas, while Ning Rongrong's task was to keep Xiao Bai alive. Only Tang San had been tasked with killing the Evil Orca King, with Xiao Wu accompanying him.
Tang San raised his head, purple light flickering in his eyes. He gazed far into the distance and said evenly, "That's right! The task of killing the Evil Orca King remains incomplete. That proves he isn't dead. And he also
"killed the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King and seized the Whale Pearl... By the way, Xiao Bai, this is the first time I've heard you mention the Whale Pearl and Whale Brain. What extraordinary effects do they have?"
"I don't know their exact effects either. After all, no one has ever seen a million-year soul beast's Whale Pearl. But you can think of it as the essence of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's million years of cultivation. If... the Evil Orca King devours the Whale Pearl, he will no longer be merely a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. He could very well become something even more terrifying."
"Like the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent's inner core?"
Ma Hongjun could not help interjecting. After absorbing the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent's inner core, he had undergone a transformation almost as profound as being reborn. His martial soul had evolved directly into a seven-headed Fire Phoenix, with the potential to improve further as his soul power grew. "Wouldn't that make him the next Deep Sea Demonic Whale King?"
"Hiss..."
At those words, everyone sucked in a cold breath.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King had already been so powerful. If the Evil Orca King gained his strength, combined with his unfathomable cunning, who in these waters could possibly match him?
"It hasn't come to that yet. And I won't allow it to happen."
Tang San's voice was icy, the light in his eyes so piercing that no one dared meet his gaze. "Xiao Bai, send your people out on a full search. Follow the Whale Brain's scent. With the Demon Soul Great White Sharks' sense of smell, you'll certainly find the Evil Orca King. Fatty, have your Chen Xiang patrol the skies. The moment she spots any trace of the Evil Orca King, notify everyone. Remember, if you encounter him, don't take any risks. Wait until everyone has gathered, then kill him in a single strike. We must avoid unnecessary casualties!"
"This time, we must kill the Evil Orca King as quickly as possible. We cannot give him a chance to catch his breath!"
"Yes!"
Everyone moved at once. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing formed one team, while Oscar and Ning Rongrong also left with the Demon Soul Great White Sharks.
Tang San himself rose into the air with Ma Hongjun. He spread his vast spiritual power and began sweeping the sea below in a dragnet search.
Half an hour later, green fireworks suddenly rose from a stretch of sea to their southeast.
"Over there!"
Ma Hongjun perked up. Without waiting for Tang San to speak, he beat his wings and flew swiftly toward the place where the Signal Flare had risen.
I've received the contract and am going through the signing process. Fellow readers, feel free to invest with confidence!!
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