Chapter 407 - 375: Underwater Spell Battle
Chapter 407: Chapter 375: Underwater Spell Battle
There were three Spirit Pearls—one large and two small. The large one could be classified as Third Grade, while the two smaller ones could only be considered Fourth Grade.
"Not bad. Twenty merit points, one hundred and sixty Spirit Stones."
Zhao Lin nodded, placed the Spirit Pearls into his storage pouch, and continued searching the area, careful to avoid any potential Red-Mouthed Insects and Nine-gilled Centipedes.
After about an hour, he had collected two Third Grade Spirit Pearls, six Fourth Grade Spirit Pearls, and over a dozen Fifth Grade Spirit Pearls.
A rough calculation came to a total of ninety merit points and over eight hundred Spirit Stones.
The clam-type Demon Beasts were most active in the evening. Zhao Lin expanded his search radius, trying to gather more Spirit Pearls before his time was up.
As he approached the edge of the pearl beach, he suddenly noticed a humanoid figure drifting toward him in the distance.
’What is that?’
Zhao Lin’s heart tightened. He sent out a focused ultrasonic pulse.
The humanoid figure bobbed and swayed, rising and falling with the current. Strangely, it wasn’t upright, but floating face down in the water.
"Fellow Daoist Tao, come over here!"
Tao Yan happened to be nearby, and Zhao Lin sent the words via voice transmission.
"What is it?"
Tao Yan swam over slowly, asking with a hint of impatience.
"Someone’s coming."
Zhao Lin said calmly, pointing ahead.
"Who is it?"
Tao Yan was startled at first, then asked, "How come I didn’t notice anything?"
’I’m at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer and didn’t detect anything unusual. How could Zhao Lin possibly have a greater detection range than me?’
"You’ll know if you go and see."
Zhao Lin, of course, wasn’t going to explain that he could emit ultrasonic waves. With a flick of his body, he swam toward the humanoid figure.
Upon observation, Zhao Lin confirmed that the drifting object was a person, and they had been dead for some time.
According to the feedback from his ultrasound, the person had no pulse, and there was a faint scent of blood in the seawater.
Tao Yan had no choice but to follow.
When they got closer, Zhao Lin realized the dead man was Fu Dong!
"Senior Brother Fu!"
Tao Yan’s jaw dropped in surprise, his face a mask of disbelief.
Zhao Lin was also quite surprised. Fu Dong was at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer and this wasn’t his first time on this mission. In terms of both experience and strength, he was among the best of the group.
Fu Dong had two wounds. One was a cut on his back, about three feet long and bone-deep. However, the slash on his lower abdomen was the most fatal, piercing straight through his body.
Judging by the shape of the wound, it was made by an Earth Dark Sect Brow Blade.
"It’s the people from the Earth Dark Sect!"
Tao Yan’s voice trembled as he muttered, "How could this happen?"
Zhao Lin grunted in agreement and analyzed, "With Fu Dong’s steady personality, he wouldn’t have ventured deep into the waters controlled by the Earth Dark Sect. The most likely reason is that Earth Dark Sect cultivators have infiltrated our area."
Tao Yan looked around in panic. "Then what do we do?"
Zhao Lin glanced at him and thought, ’This guy is a Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivator, how can he be so timid?’
He glanced in the direction Fu Dong’s body had drifted from, thinking, ’The body was pushed here by the undercurrents. That means the place where the Earth Dark Sect cultivators ambushed him can’t be far.’
"I... I want to go somewhere else."
Tao Yan had clearly realized this as well and took the initiative to suggest leaving.
Zhao Lin didn’t try to stop him, only saying calmly, "As you wish, Brother Tao."
If the Earth Dark Sect cultivators really were roaming outside, staying on the pearl beach was actually safer. At the very least, it was protected by hidden traps and mechanisms.
"Alright. You be careful too."
Tao Yan spoke the platitude, then activated his Water Manipulation Skill and hurriedly swam off in the opposite direction.
「At that same moment, on a pearl beach under the jurisdiction of the Earth Dark Sect.」
"Where’s Cang Zhen? Weren’t we supposed to meet here?"
Four cultivators dressed in black robes with long sabers at their waists were gathered together, talking.
One of them, a stern-faced cultivator in his forties with a short mustache on his upper lip, spoke up.
"Cang Zhen went over to the Chenghua Sect’s side," said a younger cultivator standing opposite him.
"What? Didn’t I say not to go out on the first day, to finish harvesting the Spirit Pearls in our own territory first?"
The forty-year-old cultivator’s face darkened. "Why would he act alone without reporting it?"
"Cang Zhen said... the Chenghua Sect people wouldn’t be on guard the first day. To achieve the element of surprise, one must do the unexpected," the young cultivator replied, somewhat awkwardly.
"Hmph, always trying to take unorthodox routes!"
The forty-year-old cultivator’s eyebrows shot up. He said coldly, "When he gets back, he must be put in confinement for a few months!"
"Senior Brother Qingchi, Cang Zhen has already cultivated his Fubo Skill to the Proficient level, and he’s skilled in combat. He should be fine."
"Yeah, if he can’t win, he’ll just run. No one from the Chenghua Sect could possibly catch him."
The other two cultivators tried to smooth things over.
Qingchi’s expression softened slightly. He looked around at the others and said, "Let’s not worry about him for now. Finish harvesting the Spirit Pearls on the beach first."
...
After Tao Yan left, Zhao Lin had Kuimu Beach all to himself and collected quite a few Third and Fourth Grade Spirit Pearls.
Around nine in the evening, the various Clam Demons and other shellfish demons burrowed into the sand, leaving no trace behind.
’That’s enough for today!’
Zhao Lin took out a Fourth Grade Spirit Pearl, placed it over his Qi Sea, and quickly absorbed the Spiritual Qi from within.
Doing this would cause the Spirit Pearl to lose some of its Spiritual Qi, but as long as he didn’t absorb too much, it wouldn’t affect the pearl’s grade.
Zhao Lin was only at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, so he did his best to keep himself in peak condition.
At some point, Fu Dong’s body bobbed over.
Zhao Lin glanced at it, frowning as he thought, ’The Earth Dark Sect cultivators dare to cross the border on the very first day. They’re certainly bold.’
’If I were to encounter an Earth Dark Sect cultivator, what would my chances of winning be?’
As he was pondering this, two figures suddenly shot towards him at high speed!
The two figures were moving incredibly fast. Even without his ultrasound, Zhao Lin could sense the Mana fluctuations. It was clearly a Proficient-level Water Manipulation Skill being used at full power.
’Wait, something’s not right!’
Zhao Lin frowned. He realized the person in front was using a Proficient-level Water Manipulation Skill, but the person behind was even faster and had no swirling currents of water around them.
Upon closer inspection, the person in front was holding a Vajra Ring. It was Tao Yan, who had just left.
The person behind him was holding a long saber—an Earth Dark Sect cultivator!
An Array fluctuated. Zhao Lin glanced at his Spirit Cultivation Map. In the eighth square, two words appeared: Fubo Skill!
He instantly understood.
No wonder he was so fast!
The Water Manipulation Skill’s characteristic was that it provided some defensive capability while controlling water. The Fubo Skill, on the other hand, was a Magic specifically for stealthy movement in water. At the same level of mastery, the Fubo Skill was faster than the Water Manipulation Skill.
’Those who don’t listen to their elders suffer for it.’
Zhao Lin was in no mood to gloat, but for some reason, that phrase suddenly flashed through his mind.
"Brother Zhao, quick, come out and help!" Tao Yan shouted.
’It seems he’s out of options and came back for my help. Should I help him, or not?’
Zhao Lin’s mind raced, and for a moment he hesitated.
This Earth Dark Sect cultivator was likely the one who killed Fu Dong, and now he was hunting Tao Yan. His strength went without saying; Zhao Lin himself might not be his match.
’Saving someone is one thing, but my own survival comes first.’
Zhao Lin decided not to reveal himself for now, opting to observe for a while first.
He deactivated his Water Manipulation Skill, concealed his aura, and hid behind a reef, silently watching the chase unfold.
Tao Yan shouted a few more times, but Zhao Lin didn’t appear. He had no choice but to dash into the pearl beach, weaving quickly between the reefs, intentionally trying to lead the Earth Dark Sect cultivator into the hidden traps.
The Earth Dark Sect cultivator didn’t fall for it at all. He chose to slow his pursuit slightly but followed Tao Yan’s exact path.
"Brother Zhao, come out quick! I can’t hold on much longer!" Tao Yan yelled again.
"Trying to trick me!"
The Earth Dark Sect cultivator sneered and drew the long saber from his waist.
With his superior Fubo Skill, the distance between them had closed to within forty yards, putting him within range for his Magic.
"Water Moon Slash!"
With a flash of brilliant light, the Earth Dark Sect cultivator swung his long saber, parting the seawater as he sent a remote slash flying toward Tao Yan.
Tao Yan could only stop and fully activate his Water Manipulation Skill, adding a Spiritual Energy Shield inside it for good measure.
His heart was filled with regret. If he had known the mission was this dangerous, he never would have come...
"Ice Blade Skill!"
Just then, an ice blade cut through the water, shooting swiftly toward the Earth Dark Sect cultivator.
The one who acted was Zhao Lin. What made him decide to intervene was the enemy’s mastery of the Water Moon Slash.
The Water Moon Slash was actually the Water Blade Skill. The Earth Dark Sect had learned this Magic from the Chenghua Sect, but simply changed the name and claimed they’d developed it themselves.
Zhao Lin judged from the attack’s speed and the Mana fluctuations that this person’s mastery of the Water Moon Slash was at the Proficient level.
The Earth Dark Sect cultivator intended to kill Tao Yan and was in an unfamiliar pearl beach; he wouldn’t be holding back. Therefore, his overall strength could be roughly determined.
With his attack Magic only at the Proficient level, Zhao Lin was confident he could handle him.
"Senior Brother Zhao!"
Tao Yan cried out excitedly, as if he’d just seen his savior.
The Earth Dark Sect cultivator was shocked, not expecting someone else to be hiding in the shadows. But his slash was already launched and couldn’t be recalled. He could only form a hand seal for a Spell and cast a Dark Surge Skill.
The seawater immediately churned as a dark undercurrent surged.
The Dark Surge Skill had the power to amplify waves, but in underwater combat, it was quite useful for deflecting an enemy’s incoming Magic and artifacts.
"Split!"
Zhao Lin gave a low shout. The ice blade split in two, and the two new blades bypassed the undercurrent from the left and right, attacking the Earth Dark Sect cultivator from both flanks.
"Major Accomplishment-level Ice Blade Skill!"
The Earth Dark Sect cultivator’s face changed. He knew he’d run into a tough opponent. Abandoning even his Brow Blade, he gathered all his Mana to form a flying waterfall in front of him.
"Flying Waterfall Skill!"
The Flying Waterfall Skill could be used for both offense and defense.
On offense, the waterfall would shoot out horizontally, like countless water jets, possessing immense destructive power.
On defense, the waterfall would cascade from top to bottom, forming a sturdy water barrier in front of him.
Zhao Lin was secretly surprised. The Earth Dark Sect’s reputation for being skilled in Water Element Skills was well-deserved.
In such a short time, he had used four different Water Element Skills: Fubo Skill, Water Moon Slash, Dark Surge Skill, and Flying Waterfall Skill.
’Unfortunately, not a single one of them has been cultivated to the Major Accomplishment level.’
With a flicker of his Divine Sense, Zhao Lin directed the two ice blades to continuously strike the flying waterfall.
BANG! BANG! The ice blades shattered, and a gap was torn open in the flying waterfall.
"Have a taste of my Thunder Blade Skill!"
Since Zhao Lin had decided to act, he would absolutely not give his opponent a chance to escape. He formed a hand seal for a Spell, and a solid white ball of light shot from his fingertip.
Blue light swirled around the ball, crackling audibly.
"What..."
The Earth Dark Sect cultivator’s eyes went wide, almost unable to believe what he was seeing.
BOOM!
The lightning flashed, and the Flying Waterfall Skill was instantly obliterated.