The last time Lin Yuan encountered the dark shadow, he had suffered quite a loss.
But things were different now.
Lin Yuan already knew that this huge creature could not physically enter Paradise anytime soon. It could only transmit its power from the Main Sea-the Invisible Chains Lin Yuan had sensed before.
This time was no different. The moment the dark shadow appeared, it summoned Invisible Chains to bind Lin Yuan.
To prevent Lin Yuan from severing his own limbs to escape as he had last time, the chains wrapped directly around his waist this time.
Then a tremendous force pulled at him, trying to drag him underwater.
"The same trick again? You haven't improved much."
Lin Yuan activated the Holy Hall Light Blade and slashed straight at the Invisible Chains.
Clang!
The unseen chains gave off the unmistakable sound of snapping metal.
Lin Yuan immediately felt the pressure around his waist ease.
"Trading for a supernatural weapon that can deal with intangible things ahead of time really paid off! Looking at it this way, your chains aren't all that sturdy."
Lin Yuan remained where he was, quietly watching the enormous dark shadow more than a hundred meters beneath his feet.
He had used only twenty percent of the Holy Hall Light Blade's output just now, yet he had severed the power it transmitted as easily as slicing vegetables.
That was certainly partly because the creature's power had been greatly diminished by the world separating them, but it also demonstrated the Holy Hall Light Blade's might.
If this weapon's side effects were not so severe, it would definitely have rated higher than E!
"If you have any other moves, bring them out."
Lin Yuan beckoned to the dark shadow, openly provoking it.
Roar!
Seemingly enraged by Lin Yuan's calm attitude, the dark shadow let out a muffled sound that echoed underwater.
Then four Invisible Chains appeared at once and bound Lin Yuan's hands and feet.
Clang! Clang!
Four crisp sounds rang out as Lin Yuan increased the light blade's output and severed all the chains in one go.
The dark shadow refused to give up, but it merely continued summoning chains, which Lin Yuan cut apart one by one.
"Is that your only trick?"
Before Lin Yuan had finished speaking, he saw a strange fish covered entirely in armor hurtling toward him underwater.
No, it was not swimming toward him. Judging by its trajectory, something seemed to have hurled it.
Thud!
The strange fish slammed into Lin Yuan, producing the dull sound of something striking a thick wooden plank.
The fish was taller than a person and covered in sharp bone spurs. It looked like a formidable creature underwater.
But after the dark shadow grabbed it and hurled it into Lin Yuan, the recoil knocked it unconscious on the spot.
Unbothered, Lin Yuan caught the strange fish and swept the light blade across its body. Sure enough, he severed an Invisible Chain.
"Using these fish as meteor hammers? A little originality in the move, but it's still the same thing underneath."
Now that he had upgraded his hull with inactive life wood, his Wooden Armor was a meter thick. Even a full-force hit from this strange fish had cost him a mere ten durability points.
It was the sort of injury that would heal on its own if he waited a little too long to treat it.
The dark shadow seemed to realize it could do little to Lin Yuan and stopped attacking, but it still lingered at the boundary between the Main Sea and the Shallow Sea, unwilling to leave.
It looked like a homeless man who had spotted food in a shop window but could not eat it, only gaze longingly through the glass.
Seeing that the dark shadow refused to leave, Lin Yuan thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained!"
He took out the Deep-Dive Shield Bubble Soap, used it on himself, and dove!
Of course, Lin Yuan was not so arrogant as to think he could actively hunt down the dark shadow.
This was a formidable creature capable of transmitting its power across the boundary between the Main Sea and the Shallow Sea.
It could do nothing to Lin Yuan now only because its true body could not enter the Paradise Sea yet.
But Lilia had also said that sooner or later, this creature would be able to enter in person.
So Lin Yuan needed to prepare in advance.
And so far, aside from knowing that it could use Invisible Chains, he knew practically nothing about the dark shadow.
Therefore, even if it meant taking some risks, Lin Yuan had to seize this chance while it was close to the Shallow Sea to uncover a little more useful information.
That would save him ten times the effort when making preparations in the future.
Lin Yuan did not descend very quickly. He alternated between diving and stopping, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.
He had also fed the strange fish he had just caught to the Shell Pump, which was now brimming with energy and ready to jet him away at any moment.
The strange fish seemed to have been a magical creature from quite far down in the Shallow Sea. After eating it, the Shell Pump's thrust had increased considerably.
That gave Lin Yuan much more confidence.
Twenty meters, thirty meters...
Fifty meters, eighty meters...
The dark shadow was truly patient. Even when Lin Yuan had crept right up close to it, it still did not attack.
After crossing the ninety-meter mark, Lin Yuan stopped.
Any farther down, and he would reach the depth of the Main Sea.
He had no desire to court death by testing whether he could cross the boundary between the Shallow Sea and the Main Sea himself.
Yet even at this depth, where he and the dark shadow should have been mere inches apart, it still looked indistinct.
It was as though frosted glass were obstructing the light.
Only the dark shadow's eyes, each as tall as a person, grew brighter and brighter.
Lin Yuan could even sense the greed and longing in those eyes.
Do you want to eat me that badly? Lin Yuan inwardly clicked his tongue.
Ever since his first encounter with the dark shadow, it had clung to him like a persistent disease, following close behind him no matter how he tried to shake it off.
Was he really that appetizing?
He reckoned that once the dark shadow's true body entered the Paradise Sea, its first order of business would be to hunt him down.
At that thought, Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes, then turned his wrist, and a black sphere appeared in his hand.
He wanted to test whether he could summon the Undead Legion on the Main Sea side of the Shallow Sea boundary and have them attack the dark shadow.
There was a subtle connection between him and the Undead Legion. Perhaps he could use that connection to discover the dark shadow's true appearance.
But before he could act, the dark shadow moved first!
Whoosh!
A sudden light flashed between the dark shadow's eyes. A brilliant white ray appeared and shot toward Lin Yuan from the Main Sea!
The light was astonishingly fast. By the time Lin Yuan reacted, it was already right in front of him.
It was a crystal-clear horn, about two or three people long, with waves of cold radiating around it.
The moment it reached Lin Yuan, the cold it carried froze a patch of seawater around him, immobilizing him.
Thud!
The enormous horn struck Lin Yuan hard in the stomach with a thunderous crash.
Then an Invisible Chain appeared, caught the ice imprisoning Lin Yuan, and began dragging it down!
At that critical moment, Lin Yuan could no longer worry about anything else. He poured health points into the Death Seed like mad, summoning dozens of skeletons beside him to slash at the Invisible Chain together.
The Undead Legion's weapons could damage intangible things. Though they were not particularly powerful, dozens of blades striking together still severed the Invisible Chain with a snap.
At the same time, Lin Yuan struggled hard, shattering the ice around him and regaining his freedom.
The Shell Pump activated its emergency jet, instantly putting distance between Lin Yuan and the dark shadow.
Seemingly sensing that it had no more chances, the dark shadow gave Lin Yuan one final, lingering look, then disappeared into the depths of the Main Sea.
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