Chapter 405 - 373: Octagonal Clam
Chapter 405: Chapter 373: Octagonal Clam
The seawater was ice-cold. Even wrapped in his hydrokinetic current, Zhao Lin could still feel a slight chill.
By the time he had dived a dozen or so zhang, the light was already extremely faint. Ordinary cultivators could only rely on their Divine Sense to probe their surroundings.
Divine Sense decayed rapidly in water, its range typically cut in half. If there were obstacles, the detection distance became even shorter.
Fortunately, Zhao Lin could emit ultrasound. Not only did it not weaken in water, but it actually traveled faster and farther, reaching a distance of three hundred zhang.
The reason Zhao Lin dared to undertake this mission wasn’t primarily his master-level Water Manipulation Skill, but his echolocation ability.
This was a huge advantage compared to other cultivators.
Based on the feedback from his ultrasound, Zhao Lin quickly formed a picture of the seabed in his mind.
Densely swaying seagrass, schools of swimming fish, towering reefs, and sand and gravel blanketing the ocean floor...
’According to the Sea Map, there are about a dozen places where clams and shellfish gather. But there’s no hurry for now. These Clam Demons usually hide in the sand, making them difficult to find.’
’The best times to collect Spirit Pearls are dusk and dawn, as that’s when they’re most active. For now... I should find a place to lie in wait.’
After a moment of thought, Zhao Lin made up his mind and swam directly toward a cluster of reefs a dozen or so li away.
Yongdeng Ansha was rich with Spiritual Qi. Although the Spirit Vein was sealed, the leaking Spiritual Qi still attracted many sea creatures, especially Clam Demons and other shellfish-type demons that liked to absorb it.
As Zhao Lin swam, he occasionally encountered various strangely shaped deep-sea creatures—some were Demon Beasts, others just ordinary fish and shrimp.
Before Zhao Lin could get close, these creatures would steer clear of him from a great distance.
Just as he was about to reach the cluster of reefs, a large school of fish swam toward him.
The fish, both large and small, were swimming frantically, as if something was chasing them from behind.
Slightly startled, Zhao Lin quickly swam sideways, canceled his Water Manipulation Skill, and hid behind a large rock.
The moment he canceled the Water Manipulation Skill, seawater immediately poured in around his neck, and the pressure on his body increased sharply.
No matter how good a swimmer, an ordinary person could at best dive to a depth of ten zhang.
As the depth increased, so did the water pressure, which an ordinary person simply couldn’t withstand.
At depths exceeding thirty zhang, even Qi Refining Realm cultivators could only rely on Magic to resist it.
As a Martial Arts Grandmaster, Zhao Lin’s physical strength was naturally exceptional. He concealed his aura and remained perfectly still.
A short while later, a massive dark shadow passed before him.
The shadow was over three zhang long with a rounded body. It charged forward, its great maw open, devouring the fish that fell behind the school.
’So it’s a Fish Demon.’
Zhao Lin breathed a sigh of relief but still didn’t move.
Fish of this size were not uncommon in the sea. The reason Zhao Lin identified it as a Fish Demon was that he had sensed Mana fluctuations.
Yongdeng Ansha was relatively shallow and lacked particularly ferocious Demon Beasts. The greatest threat to cultivators here were the Fish Demons.
Fish Demons possessed a degree of intelligence and knew that cultivators were not to be trifled with, so they generally didn’t initiate attacks.
However, Zhao Lin felt it was better to be cautious. He had no desire to waste his Spiritual Power fighting a Fish Demon.
Only after the Fish Demon’s silhouette disappeared into the distance did Zhao Lin reactivate his Water Manipulation Skill and resume swimming in his original direction.
’This must be the place.’
Soon, Zhao Lin arrived at a cluster of reefs.
The underwater reefs were of various shapes, their surfaces covered with green algae. They were stacked one upon another, resembling a range of rolling artificial mountains.
Zhao Lin observed carefully for a while. After confirming there were no cultivators or Demon Beasts inside, he slowly swam in.
He found a reef with a hole in the middle, canceled his Water Manipulation Skill, and wedged his body inside, becoming one with the rock.
It was inconvenient to replenish Spiritual Power underwater, so Zhao Lin planned to act when the Clam Demons were most active. He would stay here during the day and, at the same time, avoid the conflicts happening outside.
Two hours passed. Zhao Lin made no movement, and a few small fish swam past him without even noticing.
Four hours, six hours...
As dusk approached, the sand and gravel beside the reef suddenly shifted.
RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE...
The sand and gravel trembled continuously, as if it were boiling water.
Zhao Lin looked over in surprise, but all he saw was a patch of darkness, unable to make anything out clearly.
He sent out his ultrasound and detected a flat, octagonal object, over a zhang in length, slowly emerging from the seabed.
’It’s an Eight-cornered Clam!’
Zhao Lin hadn’t expected there to be a Clam Demon right where he was hiding. It had been concealing its aura and was buried deep beneath the sand, which was why he hadn’t noticed it.
’What is it trying to do?’
Zhao Lin observed in silence, not taking immediate action.
The formation of a Spirit Pearl is similar to that of a regular pearl, the difference being that a Clam Demon absorbs Spiritual Qi, causing the Spirit Pearl to contain a large amount of it.
It’s difficult to tell if a Clam Demon is incubating a Spirit Pearl just by its appearance. The only way to know is to open it.
Like most Clam Demons, the Eight-cornered Clam’s defensive capabilities were extremely strong. Not only did it naturally possess a water-aspected defensive Magic, but its shell was also incredibly hard—unbreakable by ordinary magic treasures.
The Eight-cornered Clam could also exhale a toxic breath. A direct confrontation to subdue one would be an extremely difficult task.
Zhao Lin wasn’t sure if this Eight-cornered Clam contained a Spirit Pearl. If he went to all that trouble only to find nothing but clam meat inside, it wouldn’t be worth the effort.
After struggling for a moment, the Eight-cornered Clam’s true form was fully revealed. It was nearly two zhang long and, at its thickest point, was more than a man’s height.
Before long, the Eight-cornered Clam opened its shell, revealing a crack. It then became still, seemingly observing its surroundings.
Zhao Lin’s eyes narrowed. He glanced sideways and faintly saw a soft beam of light shining from within the shell.
’It really does have a Spirit Pearl!’
Joy surged in Zhao Lin’s heart, and his hands unconsciously began to form a Spell. However, he quickly calmed himself. ’Now is not the time to strike.’
Time passed slowly. The Eight-cornered Clam seemed to feel safe, and its shell opened wider and wider.
Although Zhao Lin couldn’t see the Spirit Pearl inside from his angle, judging by the radiance it emitted, the Spirit Pearl was definitely not small.
The Eight-cornered Clam was unaware of the danger lurking nearby. Its shell opened and closed as it began to slowly absorb Spiritual Qi.
As the shell opened and closed, the light flowed and flickered, now visible, now hidden.
Seeing that the time was right, Zhao Lin reached a hand into his storage pouch, grabbed the Sponge Sand, and formed a Spell with his other hand. The hydrokinetic current formed instantly.
"Water Manipulation Skill!"
A master-level Magic only took an eighth of a breath to cast. Like a swordfish, Zhao Lin shot forward and appeared in front of the Eight-cornered Clam.
Before it could react, he swung his arm and tossed out a handful of Sponge Sand!
SWISH!
Hundreds of grains of Sponge Sand flew between the two halves of the shell.
The Sponge Sand crazily absorbed the water, and the Eight-cornered Clam’s flesh instantly collapsed. Its volume shrank to less than half its original size, and its color changed from a vibrant red to a ghastly white.
At the same time, Zhao Lin saw what was inside the shell.
A pale blue Spirit Pearl, the size of a chicken’s egg, was shining brilliantly!