The Hunt

Mu Tian'en paddled his feet.

He made his living from the sea, so he was naturally quite skilled at the basic art of swimming.

Not to mention that the Martial Soul Mu Tian'en had awakened was the Black Hole Whale.

It was a whale, after all.

Against such a small waterspout, if he were in his Martial Soul Avatar state, Mu Tian'en could have easily torn it apart without even moving, crushing the turtle to death in the process.

But now, Mu Tian'en was only at rank ten in Soul Power, and his Martial Soul could only achieve possession.

The formidable strength granted by Martial Soul Possession could only ensure that Mu Tian'en would not suffocate in the swift, treacherous current.

His body was still thrown off balance by the battering water.

Even so, Mu Tian'en did not turn around to ask Golden Crocodile Douluo, who was watching the battlefield, for help.

Before Mu Tian'en faced a life-or-death crisis, that Titled Douluo probably would not help.

Even if Mu Tian'en faced one peril after another under the current's relentless assault.

Mu Tian'en turned sideways, dodging the impact of the swiftly spinning current and the fierce tide of sand and stones around him. With quite a few wounds on his body, he slowly approached the turtle, which, even knowing he was coming, merely sent the surrounding sand and water to attack him.

Gnawing on sand and stones, the turtle gazed almost calmly at the fellow who gave off an ominous air from head to toe.

Ten steps, nine steps...

One step!

Just as Mu Tian'en thought he was about to reach the Sinking Sand Water Turtle, a beam of murky yellow light shot from its eyes, stabbing straight toward the space between his brows.

Under the dim yellow light, even Mu Tian'en's pupil dilated slightly from dizziness.

But that was only one eye.

At the same time, having confirmed that the beam it had aimed directly at Mu Tian'en had no effect, the Sinking Sand Water Turtle suddenly opened several holes in the surrounding ground, which it had gnawed full of cavities.

The currents that had been circling constantly around the turtle collapsed and contracted the instant those holes appeared.

An even larger whirlpool was forming.

As the turtle leisurely stretched out its claws to anchor itself firmly in the mire, Mu Tian'en's body swayed even more violently.

Even so, Mu Tian'en's almost unnatural eyes did not waver in the slightest.

Twelve pairs of eyes turned in constant alternation, helping Mu Tian'en dodge the spinning water blades hidden in the currents, which had become utterly unpredictable thanks to the trap the turtle had laid throughout the area.

Not only that, Mu Tian'en watched as the turtle slowly stretched its neck out until it reached him. After sniffing him, it decisively opened its mouth.

Facing that enormous mouth full of uneven teeth, each with its own unique purpose, Mu Tian'en raised one foot.

Gripping the ground tightly with his other foot to keep himself secure, he smashed straight through the resistance of the surrounding current and drove his full strength into the lower jaw of the Sinking Sand Water Turtle, which fancied it had already gotten him under control.

Only after watching the foul-smelling, saliva-filled mouth close in front of him did Mu Tian'en stretch out both hands and leap, making full use of the current that happened to reach him at that moment to propel himself onto the turtle, which was about the same size as he was.

His arms tightened!

Mu Tian'en chose to hold the great turtle in a near-stranglehold, feeling it struggle beneath him and its heartbeat gradually slow.

Bang~

It was the sound of Mu Tian'en's back colliding with the great turtle's shell.

In the dense water, the sound could not travel far at all.

But even so, Mu Tian'en felt a burning pain in his back, and blood surged up in his chest.

It spilled uncontrollably through the gaps between his teeth.

Mu Tian'en felt the turtle's head beneath him, trapped in the crook of his arm, strike like an iron hammer, smashing again and again into every hard object it could find in its struggle to survive.

Not only that, the turtle kept trying to spin its body, hoping to throw Mu Tian'en off.

But not only did Mu Tian'en remain in place, he tightened his grip even further.

At the same time, his two feet repeatedly lifted and slammed down, constantly affecting the breathing of the turtle, which could also breathe underwater, and throwing its breathing into disorder as well.

Bubbles!

With a gurgle, they emerged from both their mouths, carrying bloody froth as they drifted upward.

The faint scent of blood even drew other predators over once again.

But those creatures were immediately driven away by Golden Crocodile Douluo's presence.

In only a moment, the deadlock between the two was broken.

Sensing the turtle's struggles gradually fading beneath him, Mu Tian'en had no intention of pausing.

He opened his mouth slightly, revealing between his teeth the absolutely lethal weapon representing a black hole that he had once demonstrated before Golden Crocodile Douluo.

It was still just a tiny particle, but when that particle finally slipped free of Mu Tian'en's control and landed on the great turtle, the unrestrained power expanded in an instant.

The formidable defense the Sinking Sand Water Turtle had inherited as a turtle-type Soul Beast was shattered by the particle as though it were made of paper.

Then came the body's final struggle.

At that moment, Mu Tian'en pushed off the turtle's shell and moved away from the black hole's erupted, grinding force.

The terrifying black hole swallowed everything around it, temporarily creating a vacuum in the water.

Pop~

A crisp sound like a bursting bubble rang out, and Mu Tian'en realized that beneath the great turtle had been a sinking trap that had never had a chance to reveal itself.

An even more terrifying and unpredictable collapse of the current formed at that moment.

"Gurgle~"

Mu Tian'en released a string of bubbles, but could find nothing in the water to push against.

He could only watch as the sinking trap left behind by the Sinking Sand Water Turtle and the cavity created by his own black hole pulled him little by little toward the depths.

But in the next instant, just as Mu Tian'en was at a loss, Golden Crocodile Douluo finally moved at that hair's-breadth moment.

Granted, many of his Soul Rings strengthened his body and added more powerful light and strength attributes, but he was still an invincible existence in these waters.

His terrifyingly powerful body plunged straight into the cavity, where the currents were swift and ever-changing and whirlpools lurked everywhere.

Amid the raging currents, he planted himself firmly at the very center of the cavity like a divine needle that calmed the sea, gripping Mu Tian'en tightly.

Golden Crocodile Douluo laughed wildly amid the endless raging torrent.

He had not seen a fight like this in a long time.

A very, very long time!

His white hair and beard bristled and streamed through the water.

A moment later~

Golden Crocodile Douluo looked at the sandy sinking ground, now completely transformed, and at the Sinking Sand Water Turtle's corpse lying in the current, torn to pieces by the terrifying surge of water created by Mu Tian'en and the turtle's own unwitting joint efforts.

He looked at Mu Tian'en, who still appeared badly shaken.

"Kid, your First Soul Ring is right in front of you."

"A Soul Ring more than four hundred years old. Little fellow, do you dare absorb it?"