Chapter 94 Perilous Situation, Aura Concealed

[Beneath the deep, dark sea, this is a forbidden zone for light.]

[In these waters of unknown depth, the surrounding seawater presses in, creating a suffocating pressure.]

[All around is a deathly silent darkness, with only the occasional flicker of bioluminescence in the far distance, flickering like ghost fires.]

[Your gaze pierces the darkness, locking onto the gap between two massive, interlocking black rocks thirty meters ahead.]

[There, a fist-sized "water-repelling jiaozhu" floats quietly.]

[It glows with a gentle pale-green halo, and around the pearl, rich water-elemental laws vibrate slightly.]

[Pushing the surrounding murky and heavy deep-sea water into visible transparent ripples.]

[Creating a strange vacuum zone.]

["The first one."]

[You hold your breath, and the Profound Water Spirit Body Origin within you quietly begins to circulate.]

[Merging as one with the surrounding currents.]

[Your fingertips tremble slightly as a nearly invisible thread of Yuanqi winds its way through the water.]

[Extending toward the jiaozhu.]

[However, just as your fingertips are less than three feet away from the jiaozhu...]

["Buzz—"]

[A hair-raising sense of crisis erupts without warning from the bottomless darkness ahead.]

[The previously calm deep-sea undercurrents suddenly turn violent.]

[A powerful, tyrannical, and heavily fishy-smelling aura of water waves...]

[...comes crushing toward you like an invisible high wall, instantly.]

[This isn't an ordinary current; it's the terrifying turbulence generated by the breathing of a deep-sea behemoth!]

["Not good!"]

[Your heart tightens, and you react instantly.]

[In this critical moment, you do not choose to retreat.]

[Fortune is found within danger!]

["Come to me!"]

[You suddenly activate your ability, blue light surging from your palm as you make a forceful grasping motion toward the water-repelling jiaozhu from a distance!]

[At this moment, the thread of Yuanqi wraps around the pearl like a spirit snake and pulls back sharply.]

["Swoosh!"]

[The pale-green light flashes by.]

[The jiaozhu instantly breaks free from its magnetic confinement, turning into a streak of light that dives into your palm.]

[It feels ice-cold to the touch, and a surge of pure, vast energy flows through your palm into your body.]

[Instantly soothing your previously tense Meridians.]

[But you have no time for a closer look; the moment you grab it, you kick off forcefully!]

[Nine Layers of Overlapping Waves: Blink Step!]

[The reef explodes beneath your feet.]

[You shoot forward like an arrow from a bow.]

[With a sharp whistling sound as you cut through the water, you swim rapidly toward the dense cluster of reefs to the right, where the terrain is most complex.]

[Almost at the exact second you turn around...]

["Boom!!!"]

[The darkness behind you completely shatters.]

[A low growl, muffled like thunder and making the entire sea area tremble, suddenly rings out.]

[The pitch-black water curtain is violently torn open as if by a pair of giant hands, and a terrifying black figure no less than thirty meters long...]

[...carrying a monstrous rage, suddenly emerges!]

[By the residual light of the jiaozhu, you catch a glimpse of its true form out of the corner of your eye.]

[It is a Blackwater Xuanjiao!]

[Its entire body is covered in scales as hard and heavy as ink jade, each the size of a fist.]

[It has no fins on its belly; instead, rows of hideous, hook-like tentacles grow there, dancing wildly in the water.]

[A pair of lantern-sized blood-red eyes stare intently at you, filled with brutality and greed.]

[Peak Tier 4 aquatic mutated beast! The absolute overlord of this sea area!]

["Roar!"]

[Seeing its companion spiritual item stolen, the Blackwater Xuanjiao's ferocity completely erupts.]

[It opens its maw, wide enough to swallow a car, and a high-pressure jet of water shoots out!]

["Bang!"]

[The giant reef you were standing on just a moment ago is instantly blasted into dust by the water jet.]

[Rubble and water mist surge through the deep sea.]

["What terrifying power!"]

[Your scalp tingles, and you dare not stay for a moment.]

[Behind you, the behemoth swings its thick, powerful caudal fin, creating a massive swirling vortex.]

[Like a speeding submarine, it chases fiercely in your direction.]

[The salty water vapor, mixed with tangible killing intent, instantly envelops your whole body.]

[In this deep sea, its speed is much faster than yours!]

["Confronting it head-on would be like an egg hitting a rock; I can only win by wit!"]

[You quickly calm down, your brain working at high speed.]

[You lower your body and push your Water-elemental Ability to its limit.]

[Covering your body with a thin, streamlined water film to minimize water resistance.]

["To the reef cluster! That's the only chance of survival!"]

[You bank sharply and dive into the jagged, interlocking rock formation ahead.]

[The reefs here are rugged and strange, with gaps of varying widths.]

[For the massive Xuanjiao, this is a natural speed bump.]

["Boom! Boom! Boom!"]

[The sounds of impact behind you are deafening.]

[The Xuanjiao's body is too large; its movements are immediately hindered upon entering the reef area.]

[It’s like a runaway bulldozer; every swing of its tail smashes countless rocks, churning up the surrounding water.]

[Though its speed has slowed, its brute strength makes the entire water area tremble.]

[Meanwhile, you use your advantage as a smaller human to weave through the labyrinthine reef cluster.]

[An extremely narrow rock crevice appears ahead, only wide enough for one person to pass through sideways.]

[The rock walls on both sides are covered with razor-sharp barnacles and tough seaweed.]

["This is it!"]

[You don't slow down; instead, you erupt with power again.]

[Turning sideways close to the rock, you activate your ability to condense a sharp Water Blade at your side.]

[With a few "swish-swish" sounds, you slice through the obstructing seaweed.]

[At the same time, you push off with your feet, sliding into the narrow gap like a slippery fish, narrowly avoiding disaster.]

["Thud!!!"]

[Almost the instant your heels pull in, an earth-shattering boom erupts behind you.]

[The Blackwater Xuanjiao's massive head slams violently into the entrance of the rock crevice.]

[The hard black rock is smashed to pieces, and the massive impact causes the surrounding seawater to surge violently.]

[Creating a strong shockwave that nearly knocks you off balance as you travel through the gap, almost sending you crashing into the stone wall.]

["Roar—!"]

[The Xuanjiao's angry roar echoes from behind.]

[Unable to enter, it can only frantically ram its head against the rock wall, trying to collapse the stone mountain.]

[Taking advantage of this brief respite, you quickly pass through the narrow gap and reach a circular reef area.]

[It's open in all directions, but that also means it's easier to be surrounded.]

[A thought strikes you, and you suddenly turn around, making a grasping motion with both hands.]

["Rise!"]

[The calm currents around the circular reef are instantly controlled by your ability.]

[Condensing into several thick, viscous water walls that block off several key entrances.]

[While this won't stop the Xuanjiao's ramming, it's enough to interfere with its vision and perception.]

[Seizing this brief window, you accelerate again, darting toward the deeper heart of the reefs.]

[At the same time, your Divine Thought extends backward, firmly locking onto the Xuanjiao's movements.]

["It's circling around!"]

[You sense the massive dark shadow trying to bypass the obstacles from above.]

["In your dreams!"]

[You see several sharp, protruding reef Peaks ahead.]

[Instead of taking a detour, you use the momentum to leap, your toes tapping lightly on the Peaks as if dancing on the edge of a blade.]

["Swish! Swish! Swish!"]

[The moment you leap, several thick tentacles sweep through the darkness below.]

[Carrying a nauseating fishy stench.]

[They miss, brushing against the soles of your shoes and smashing the rocks you just stepped on.]

[Those are the tentacles from the Xuanjiao's belly! They're not only barbed but also highly poisonous!]

[You move the water-repelling jiaozhu in your palm to protect your chest, using the force of the counter-shock...]

[...to perform an incredible refractive change of direction in the water, opening up another few dozen meters of distance.]

[The chase continues.]

[The Blackwater Xuanjiao is completely infuriated by your repeated trickery.]

[No longer caring about injury, it begins to frantically ram its body into all surrounding obstacles.]

[Rocks fly, and the water becomes extremely murky.]

[Its long tentacles act like a large net, constantly reaching into the reef crevices.]

[Trying to fish out you, the slippery little bug.]

[As you use the terrain to maintain distance, your brain works at high speed.]

["Something's not right."]

["Why is it that no matter how I change direction or use water walls to interfere with its vision, it always locks onto my position instantly?"]

["Is it predicting my path? No, it doesn't have that high of an IQ."]

[You look down at the faintly glowing water-repelling jiaozhu in your hand.]

[Then you sense your own blood and Qi boiling from the intense exercise.]

["It's the aura!"]

[You suddenly realize.]

[In water, energy fluctuations travel much faster and last longer than in air.]

["This jiaozhu is a spiritual item it values; it's tainted with its aura."]

["With me holding this thing, I must look like someone holding a torch in the dark to this big guy!"]

[Having figured this out, you immediately change your strategy.]

["I can't just keep running blindly. Even if my stamina recovers quickly in water, I can't withstand this constant exhaustion."]

["I must hide!"]

[Just as the Xuanjiao launches another violent impact, causing the entire reef area to shake violently and clouds of silt to rise...]

[...your gaze sharpens as you spot a perfect hiding place.]

[It's a hidden dark cave at the base of a massive rock, covered by thick seaweed.]

[The entrance is tiny, just enough for one person to squeeze through, but the internal space seems to extend downward.]

["Now's the time!"]

[Under the cover of the murky water, you don't hesitate at all, pulling in all your movements and sliding into the dark cave along with the undercurrent.]

[As soon as you enter the cave, you immediately turn around.]

[With a gentle motion of your hands, you quickly disperse and scramble the residual aura around the cave entrance.]

[Restoring the area to its natural state.]

[Then, you sit cross-legged and activate a secret technique.]

[Secret Technique: Hiding the Edge!]

[You reverse the surging blood and Qi in your body, taking those Origin Opening Realm energy fluctuations...]

[...and skillfully compressing them deep into your Dantian, sealing them within every pore.]

[At the same time, you press the water-repelling jiaozhu tightly against your chest, wrapping it in your own Profound Water Power.]

[Isolating it from all connection with the outside world.]

[Having done all this, you hold your breath, and your entire being seems to turn into a lifeless stone.]

[Floating in the water.]

[Completely merging into the darkness.]

["Thump... thump..."]

[You control your heartbeat, slowing it to an extremely low frequency.]

[A few seconds later.]

["Boom!"]

[A massive current slams into the rocks outside the cave entrance.]

[The Blackwater Xuanjiao has arrived!]

[It paces anxiously outside the cave, letting out low growls.]

[Its massive body brushes past the entrance, and the resulting undercurrents make the water in your hiding spot tremble violently.]

[At that moment, you can even feel its crimson eyes peering toward you through the thick rock wall.]

[Though it has temporarily lost its target, it knows its prey is nearby.]

["Hiss... hiss..."]

[Its heavy breathing is clearly audible, like the Grim Reaper sharpening his blade outside the door.]

[You remain motionless, your heartbeat gradually synchronizing with the frequency of the surrounding water's fluctuations.]

[This is a game that severely tests one's patience.]

[A full ten minutes pass.]

[The commotion outside finally subsides.]

[The suffocating pressure slowly recedes; the Xuanjiao seems to think you've escaped into the depths.]

[It lets out an unwilling roar, swings its tail, and swims elsewhere.]

[You don't move.]

[Another five minutes pass, and only after confirming the surroundings are completely safe do you slowly exhale a breath of murky air.]

["Phew..."]