180: Chapter 180 The Final Battle in the Abyss: The Crystal Cluster Beast and Clues to the Earth's Vein Cave

Investigation Assembly: Abyssal Hidden Force Inheritor and Ultra-High Pressure Equipment

Four weeks after the Global Martial Arts Academy received the report from the Technical Department regarding the "Mariana Trench Abyssal Zone Crystal Cluster Signal," the "Abyssal Investigation Team" assembled at the Guam Scientific Research Port.

On the deck of the Chuanwu Starship, the sea breeze carried a salty dampness. On the distant sea surface, the "Abyssal Qi Energy Buoys" deployed by the Technical Department were flickering with a faint red light, marking the approximate location of the ten-thousand-meter abyss.

"Those who dare to venture into the 'ten-thousand-meter abyss' are true warriors of traditional martial arts," a woman dressed in dark blue combat gear strode onto the deck. She held a flute made of "Abyssal Black Iron," carved with spiral abyssal runes. When played, it could cause the seawater on the deck to vibrate slightly.

"I am Lena, an inheritor of the Philippine Abyssal traditional martial arts. My Family has guarded the Western Pacific abyss for generations. I specialize in 'Abyssal Hidden Force'—which allows me to freely circulate Qi Energy in an ultra-high-pressure environment of ten thousand meters and communicate with abyssal bioluminescent creatures, using their light to illuminate the darkness."

Lena took a "Spirit-Devouring Crystal Cluster Sample" from her waterproof backpack. The sample was three times larger than those from the black smoker area, and the dark purple light flow on its surface was more turbulent. When it touched the deck metal, it left tiny corrosion marks.

"This is an 'Active Abyssal Crystal Cluster.' High pressure causes its combustion temperature to exceed 1000°C. Standard anti-crystal cluster equipment cannot last more than 3 minutes. Our equipment must be reinforced with an 'Abyssal Black Iron buffer layer' and use Abyssal Hidden Force to neutralize the pressure's suppression of our Qi Energy."

On the deck, the team members immediately began modifying their equipment: Xiao Kaya fused Cold Spring Condensation Force, Big Karim's Crystal Cluster Breaking Force, and Lena's Abyssal Hidden Force, injecting them into their "Ultra-High Pressure Qi Energy Diving Suits"—the pale cyan Cold Spring Condensation Force isolated methane, the light gray Crystal Cluster Breaking Force vibrated the crystal clusters, and the dark blue Abyssal Hidden Force formed a "high-pressure buffer layer" inside the suit, allowing Qi Energy to circulate even at 11,000 meters deep.

Sato's "Ninja Qi Thrusters" were upgraded to the "Abyssal Silent Type," with nozzles embedded with Abyssal Black Iron fragments, maintaining thrust under high pressure while avoiding alerting abyssal creatures.

Amina's Shamanic Martial Force totem staff was inlaid with "Abyssal Lantern Fish Lenses" at the tip; once pale brown Shamanic Martial Force was injected, it could establish a Qi Energy connection with abyssal bioluminescent creatures to obtain real-time environmental intelligence.

The new generation team's equipment upgrades were even more ingenious: Xiao Juan's Nature Qi gloves were sewn with "Abyssal Fluorescent Algae Fibers," capable of absorbing bioluminescence and converting it into Nature Qi to continuously glow in the dark.

Little Karim's Pyramid Force bracers were equipped with an "Abyssal Hidden Force Chip" gifted by Lena, capable of converting high pressure into the defensive power of the Pyramid Force, with the light patterns on his wrists adjusting their brightness according to the pressure.

Mei's Ninja Qi throwing stars were coated with Abyssal Black Iron powder and a Crystal Cluster Breaking Force coating, allowing them to penetrate the bodies of crystal cluster behemoths without triggering combustion.

Laila's Shamanic Martial Force belt carried "Abyssal Krill Egg Sacs," which would release a faint fluorescence after the young shrimp hatched, assisting in marking the weaknesses of the crystal clusters.

"According to the plan, after Lena leads us down to the ten-thousand-meter abyss," Chen Wu held the fusion jade, pointing to the abyss zone marked on the tactical map, "Xiao Kaya will use the three-force Fusion to stabilize the submersible; Big Karim will clear the crystal clusters along the way; Lena will communicate with the bioluminescent creatures to locate the Abyss Totem Stone; Sato and Mei will scout for traces of the crystal cluster behemoth; and Xiao Juan, Little Karim, and Laila will use Youth Guardian Energy to monitor crystal cluster activity and high-pressure changes—remember, there is no turning back in the ten-thousand-meter abyss. Every step must be supported by the original intent of traditional martial arts."

On the "Investigation Assembly" global broadcast, 380 billion viewers stared at the metal-corroding Abyssal Crystal Clusters and the new equipment. The chat was filled with exclamations like: "Abyssal Hidden Force can withstand ten-thousand-meter high pressure? That's outrageous!" "Lena's flute can control seawater; this martial technique is so mysterious!" "Little Karim's bracers can even change light; the details are so spot on!"

Technical Department data showed that global reservations for "Remote Qi Energy Support" exceeded 500 million, with martial arts fans from Pacific Rim countries like the Philippines, Japan, and the United States leaving comments like, "Finally, we can witness the miracle of traditional martial arts in the ten-thousand-meter abyss!"

Ten-Thousand-Meter Descent: Ultra-High Pressure and Dark Vortex Crisis

The Chuanwu Starship mini-submersible slowly descended. As the depth increased, the seawater temperature dropped to 0.5°C, and the pressure soared at a rate of 1 atmosphere per 10 meters—when they descended to 5,000 meters, tiny cracks appeared on the submersible's observation window.

Xiao Kaya immediately injected the three-force Fusion Qi Energy, and pale cyan, light gray, and dark blue light flowed within the window, instantly filling the cracks with Qi Energy.

Lena played the Abyssal flute, and dark blue Hidden Force spread along with the sound. A school of "Abyssal Lantern Fish" swarmed over, and the pale blue light emitted by their bodies illuminated the darkness ahead.

"Three thousand meters ahead is the 'Abyssal Dark Zone.' There is no natural light here; we rely entirely on bioluminescence for illumination," Lena warned through the communicator.

"What's more dangerous is the 'Abyssal Vortex'—formed by the turbulence of Leyline Qi Energy, it carries highly active crystal clusters and rubble. Once sucked in, the submersible will be shredded into pieces!"

No sooner had she spoken than the submersible was suddenly sucked in by a pitch-black vortex—the crystal clusters and rubble within the vortex rotated at high speed, colliding with the submersible's hull with a loud "thud-thud" sound. The "High-Pressure Index" on the dashboard instantly soared to the "limit," and the methane concentration alarm light flashed wildly.

"Use Abyssal Hidden Force to guide the direction of the vortex!" Lena shouted. Dark blue Hidden Force erupted from the bottom of the submersible, resonating with the Leyline Qi Energy in the vortex. The vortex seemed tamed, yielding a narrow passage ahead.

Big Karim seized the opportunity to inject Crystal Cluster Breaking Force, and the light gray vibrating force shattered the crystal clusters at the edge of the vortex, preventing them from hitting the submersible.

When they descended to 10,000 meters, the submersible's "Qi Energy Circulation System" suddenly malfunctioned—the high pressure caused the System pipes to rupture, and icy seawater seeped into the cabin.

Little Karim immediately used his Pyramid Force bracers to block the leak, and pale golden light formed a "Qi Energy patch" at the pipe: "My bracers can temporarily withstand the high pressure. Sister Lena, quickly use your Hidden Force to repair the pipe!"

Lena acted immediately, and her dark blue Hidden Force spread along the pipe, reshaping the metal at the rupture, and the System quickly returned to normal.

When the submersible arrived at the "Challenger Deep" at 11,000 meters, the scene before them shocked everyone—the seabed was covered with thick white sediment. On the distant "Abyssal Rock Wall," it was covered with pale blue bioluminescence. Beside the "Abyssal Vent" in the center of the rock wall, a faint golden light could be seen from an object—it was the Abyss Totem Stone.

"The Totem Stone is to the left of the vent, but the crystal cluster activity around it is abnormally high," Xiao Juan closed her eyes, and her Nature Qi spread along the searchlight. "I can sense it! There is a huge mass of highly active crystal clusters around the vent, like a 'crouching behemoth'!"

"Prepare to exit the cabin!" Chen Wu issued the command. "Lena, use Abyssal Hidden Force to lay a 'High-Pressure Protective Layer' around us; Big Karim, use Crystal Cluster Breaking Force to clear the crystal clusters under our feet; everyone else, follow me closely. Do not leave the range of the bioluminescence!"

The moment they exited the cabin, the ultra-high pressure squeezed their bodies like an invisible giant hand, but the three-force protection of the diving suits took effect immediately—Lena's Hidden Force allowed everyone to walk as if they were at normal pressure, and Xiao Juan's Nature Qi gloves absorbed the bioluminescence, forming a pale green "safe path" ahead.

On the "Ten-Thousand-Meter Descent" global broadcast, viewers watched with bated breath. The chat was filled with exclamations and cheers: "11,000 meters! Traditional martial artists can actually walk here!" "The vortex crisis was so scary, thank goodness for Lena's Hidden Force!" "Little Karim's bracers can actually patch pipes; the new generation is so reliable!"

Crisis Erupts: The Ultimate Attack of the Crystal Cluster Behemoth

Just as the group was approaching the Abyss Totem Stone along the safe path, the massive crystal cluster on the seabed suddenly "awakened"—it rapidly absorbed the surrounding crystal clusters and the Qi Energy from the abyssal vent, its size ballooning to 20 meters, forming an "Abyssal Spirit-Devouring Crystal Cluster Behemoth".

The behemoth's body was pieced together from black crystal clusters, its head was a massive crystal nucleus glowing with dark purple light, its limbs were sharp crystal cluster claws, and its back extended dozens of crystal cluster spikes, each capable of firing crystal cluster fireballs. Its body was also surrounded by a small crystal cluster vortex, guarding against any who approached.

"Its core is the massive crystal nucleus on its head! But there are three layers of crystal cluster protection outside the nucleus; ordinary attacks won't work!" Lena played her flute, her dark blue Hidden Force communicating with the surrounding lantern fish. The school of fish instantly dispersed, surrounding the behemoth, and the bioluminescence illuminated every detail of the behemoth. "And it can control the abyssal vortex; our movement will be restricted!"

The behemoth suddenly swung its crystal cluster claw, swatting towards little Laila—the Abyssal Krill Egg Sac on Laila's waist suddenly ruptured. After the young shrimp hatched, they released a pale blue fluorescence, forming a "fluorescent barrier." When the claw tip touched the barrier, the crystal clusters were instantly neutralized by the fluorescence and lost their activity.

Little Karim seized the opportunity to use his Pyramid Force bracers to release a "High-Pressure Counter-Attack Wave." The pale golden light hit the behemoth's claw, and crystal cluster fragments splattered, but they were quickly absorbed by the behemoth to repair itself with new crystal clusters.

"We cannot let it absorb the clusters!" Big Karim raised his short axe, injecting the light-gray Cluster-Breaking Force into the blade, and slashed towards the giant beast's cluster spikes—the blade collided with the cluster spikes, and the light-gray vibrating force caused the clusters on the spikes to tremble violently, unable to fire more fireballs; Sato and Mei circled behind the giant beast, Mei's Ninja Qi darts accurately pierced into the gaps of the giant beast's clusters, and Sato's Ninja Qi flowed into the gaps, instantly stiffening the giant beast's movements, leaving the cluster spikes on its back temporarily immobile.

The most troublesome part was the giant beast's "Cluster Fireball Rain" — the giant crystal core on its head suddenly lit up, and dozens of fireballs were fired at everyone. Xiao Kaya immediately injected the Three-Force Fusion Qi Energy, and light cyan, light gray, and dark blue lights formed a "Triple Protective Shield" in front of her. When the fireballs hit the shield surface, the Cold Spring Condensation Force froze the fireballs, the Cluster-Breaking Force shattered the crystal cores, and the Abyssal Hidden Force neutralized the explosions; the protective shield remained completely unscathed.

"Now is our chance! Attack its first layer of defense!" Chen Wu shouted, injecting the dual forces into the fusion jade. The light golden and light green Qi Energy formed a "Dual-Force Armor-Piercing Spear," which he thrust towards the giant beast's head crystal core—the spear tip hit the first layer of cluster defense, and the light golden light spread like a tide, causing a crack to appear in the protective layer.

"Xiao Juan! Use Nature Qi to stabilize the crack! Little Karim, reinforce the breaking force!" Chen Wu shouted. Xiao Juan immediately injected Nature Qi into the crack, and the light green light wrapped around it like vines, preventing the protective layer from repairing itself; Little Karim's Pyramid Force bracers resonated with Big Karim's short axe, and the light golden Qi Energy merged into the Cluster-Breaking Force. Big Karim swung his short axe and slashed at the crack—with a "bang," the first layer of defense was shattered, and the giant beast let out a deafening roar. The crystal core on its head was exposed, yet it still glowed with a dangerous dark purple light.

In the global live broadcast of the "Cluster Giant Beast Decisive Battle," the audience was thrilled, and the screen was filled with cheers like "The Triple Protective Shield is so cool! It actually blocked the Fireball Rain!" "Little Laila's krill are so awesome, the fluorescent barrier saved the day!" "The first layer of defense is broken! Keep it up!" Data from the Technical Department showed that at this moment, the real-time participation number of global "Remote Qi Energy Support" exceeded 480 million, and light golden Qi Energy gathered into the abyss through satellite signals, injecting extra power into everyone's martial arts techniques.

Section 4 Totem Activation: Global Resonance and Crystal Cave Clues

After dealing with the first layer of defense of the Cluster Giant Beast, everyone could finally focus on attacking the core—Lena suddenly played the Abyssal Flute, and the dark blue Abyssal Hidden Force communicated with the surrounding abyss creatures. A group of "Abyssal Squids" swam over and wrapped their tentacles around the giant beast's limbs, restricting its movement; Amina injected Shamanic Martial Force into the abyss rock wall, and the light brown Qi Energy spread along the rock wall. The bioluminescence on the rock wall lit up, forming a "Qi Energy Energy-Gathering Array," which gathered the surrounding Leyline Qi Energy onto the fusion jade in Chen Wu's hand.

"Dual Force - Abyssal Hidden Force - Cluster-Breaking Force Fusion Bomb!" Chen Wu shouted, condensing the dual forces, Lena's Abyssal Hidden Force, and Big Karim's Cluster-Breaking Force in his palm. The light golden, dark blue, and light gray three-colored Qi Energy formed a giant Qi bomb, which he fired towards the giant beast's crystal core—the moment the Qi bomb hit the crystal core, the three-colored light spread like an explosion, the dark purple Spirit-Devouring Energy was quickly purified, the crystal core gradually lost its activity, and the giant beast's body collapsed, turning into harmless ordinary clusters that merged into the abyss sediments.

After clearing away the giant beast, Big Karim used the Cluster-Breaking Force to clean off the remaining clusters on the totem stone—a translucent "Abyssal Totem Stone" was finally revealed. Dark blue Qi Energy flowed inside the stone body, and the surface was carved with runes originating from the same source as all previous totems. In the center of the runes, there was also a pattern of a "Crystal Cave Gate," which was clearly a key clue to the Leyline Crystal Cave.

"The Abyssal Totem requires 'Four-Force Fusion Resonance'," Lena injected the Abyssal Hidden Force into the bottom of the totem stone, and the dark blue Qi Energy spread along the runes, "My Abyssal Hidden Force is responsible for activating the Abyssal attribute, Big Karim's Cluster-Breaking Force cleans the cluster residues, Xiao Kaya's Cold Spring Condensation Force stabilizes the methane, and Chen Wu's dual forces provide the Origin energy. We cannot miss a single step."

Xiao Kaya, Big Karim, and Chen Wu attacked simultaneously—the light cyan Cold Spring Condensation Force, the light gray Cluster-Breaking Force, the light golden and light green dual forces, and the dark blue Abyssal Hidden Force intertwined. The runes on the totem stone lit up instantly, forming a four-colored light beam in the abyss that shot straight to the sea surface. "Finish it with Youth Guardian Energy!" Chen Wu shouted to the new generation team. Xiao Juan, Little Karim, Mei, and Laila immediately gathered around. The four-colored Qi Energy gathered in front of the totem stone to form a "Youth Guardian Light Orb"—the moment the light orb was injected, the light beam surged, creating a strong resonance with the global Leyline Guardian Array:

The purity of the Leyline Qi Energy in the Mariana Trench abyss area increased to 100%, and the Abyssal Spirit-Devourer residues were completely purified; the totem Qi Energy of the Antarctic Ice Soul, Mariana Whale Soul, Atlantic Hydrothermal, Indian Ocean Cold Spring, and Black Chimney areas lit up simultaneously. The "land and sea coverage" of the global Leyline Guardian Array exceeded 95%, with only the last 2 deep-sea nodes remaining (Java Trench Cold Spring area, Bermuda Triangle Cluster area).

The light of the totem stone projected a clear ancient image: ancient traditional martial artists wearing Abyssal martial arts gear activated 12 nodes in the ten-thousand-meter deep sea. The light beams of the nodes gathered at the "Abyssal Crystal Cave," and the Crystal Cave Gate slowly opened, with the light of the Leyline Heart glowing in light gold inside the gate; at the end of the image, a line of ancient text appeared: "On the day the Java and Bermuda nodes are activated, the Crystal Cave Gate shall open in the Mariana Abyss."

"We finally know the conditions for opening the Crystal Cave!" Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan excitedly recorded the text, "As long as we activate the last 2 nodes, we can open the Leyline Crystal Cave here and find the Leyline Heart!" Lena looked at the totem stone, her eyes filled with awe: "My Family has guarded the abyss for generations, yet we did not know we were guarding the key to the Crystal Cave. Now, we can finally complete our mission for global traditional martial arts!"

Beside the totem stone, the new generation team discovered a nest of "Abyssal Anglerfish fry"—they could release stable bioluminescence in the dark. Xiao Juan gently stroked them with Nature Qi, and the fry immediately swam around her palm, forming the "Deep Sea Guardian Five-Member Squad" with the previous Little Whale Spirit, Thermal Shrimp, Cold Spring Clam, and Cluster Shrimp, creating a colorful belt of light in the abyss.

Section 5 New Journey: The Sprint for the Last Two Nodes

When the exploration team was preparing to return, Lena invited everyone to visit the "traditional martial arts Symbiotic Zone" in the abyss area—the Abyssal Anglerfish here could provide stable lighting, the Abyssal Squids could assist with transportation, and even the abyss sediments, under the guidance of the Abyssal Hidden Force, could be converted into "Qi Energy Storage Bodies," which ancient traditional martial artists once used to store Leyline Qi Energy to deal with sudden crises.

"In the future, this will become the 'Mariana Abyss traditional martial arts Base'," Lena said to the global live broadcast camera, "We will cultivate practitioners of the Abyssal Hidden Force to provide high-pressure protective support for the subsequent opening of the Crystal Cave, making Abyssal traditional martial arts the final barrier to guard the Leyline Heart."

As the submersible left the Challenger Deep, the abyss creatures came to see them off one after another—the schools of Anglerfish formed light patterns of "traditional martial arts Guardian," the squids traced light blue trajectories with their tentacles, and the krill formed a fluorescent passage to escort the submersible upward; the bioluminescence on the abyss rock wall, under the resonance of the Three-Force Fusion Qi Energy, flickered with rhythmic light, as if seeing everyone off. Xiao Juan held the five deep-sea guardian larvae and waved in front of the submersible window: "We will be back soon! Next time we will activate the last 2 nodes and open the Crystal Cave Gate!"

The final image of the global live broadcast paused on the sea surface of the Guam scientific research port—on the deck of the Chuanwu Starship exploration vessel, the team members held a rubbing of the Abyssal Totem Stone and took a group photo with Lena; on the distant sea surface, the four-colored light beam of the abyss area connected in a line with the light beams of the Antarctic, Mariana Whale Soul, Hydrothermal area, Cold Spring area, and Black Chimney area, forming a "Deep Sea Guardian Light Belt" on the Earth's ocean, covering 95% of the ocean's leylines, like a colorful guardian necklace surrounding the blue planet.

In the barrage, 380 billion viewers simultaneously sent cheers: "The Abyssal Decisive Battle is a success! 95% coverage! We are getting closer and closer to the Crystal Cave Gate!" "Abyssal Hidden Force is so awesome, it's not even afraid of ten-thousand-meter high pressure!" "The Deep Sea Guardian Five-Member Squad is so cute, we must witness the Leyline Heart together next time!" Data from the Technical Department showed that the stability of the global Leyline Guardian Array increased to 99.98%, and the reservation volume for the "Deep Sea traditional martial arts Course" on the Chuanwu APP exceeded 350 million.

Chen Wu looked at the 12-node map in his hand, his fingertips sliding over the marks of the last 2 nodes—the Java Trench Cold Spring area was marked with "High-Concentration Cold Spring Spirit-Devourer," and the Bermuda Triangle Cluster area was marked with "Cluster Storm Risk." "Next stop, Java Trench Cold Spring area," Chen Wu said to the team members, "The Cold Spring Spirit-Devourer there is more complex than in the Indian Ocean, but as long as we carry our original intention of guarding, and carry the power of our deep-sea partners, there is no node we cannot conquer."