109: New Superpower
A few days ago, inside the Water Mansion's secret chamber.
Third Order Mid-Stage, it is finally accomplished.
As majestic power surged and circulated within his body, Gao De felt the all-around improvement brought by the leap in his life level.
It wasn't just the explosion in the total amount and purity of his Demonic Power, or the expansion of his Divine Thought range; more importantly, with the breaking of the Bottleneck, his stagnant Bloodline concentration had finally reached the 10% milestone as a matter of course!
The moment his Bloodline concentration reached 10%, a heavy and ancient intent—far more profound than any previous Awakening—erupted from the depths of his Bloodline like a slumbering giant beast waking up!
At the same time, the baxia carapace placed beside him seemed to receive an elemental summons. It vibrated violently as earthy yellow spiritual light flooded into Gao De's body, blending seamlessly with the newly awakened Bloodline Power!
“Roar—!”
A low Dragon roar, seeming to come from the ancient earth, escaped uncontrollably from Gao De's throat. It was not the cry of a Flood Dragon, but a heavy majesty that carried the weight of mountains and rivers, capable of suppressing the eight directions!
Amidst the Purple-Gold Lightning Astral Qi swirling around him, a solid earthy yellow light suddenly mixed in. This yellow light was not dazzling, yet it carried a heart-palpitating sense of weight, as if it could crush the Void Realm.
A piece of information regarding a brand-new Divine Ability appeared in his Sea of Consciousness like a brand—
Divine Ability: Suppressing Prison!
This Divine Ability was not a direct means of attack or defense, but a Domain-type power of suppression and binding!
Its inspiration originated from the ancient true intent of the Baxia carrying a stone monument to suppress Luck, and it had evolved through the mutation of Gao De's Purple Lightning Flood Dragon Bloodline.
When cast, it could draw upon the Qi of the earth veins and Water Element Power within a specific area around him—the effect being even better in water—forming an invisible "Gravity Mire" or "Spatial Shackle."
Within this Domain, an enemy's movements would be severely restricted, as if they were carrying a mountain on their back. Every step would be difficult, and their speed and agility would drop significantly.
Enemies with a lower cultivation than Gao De might even be directly suppressed to the point of being unable to move, as if pressed down by an invisible stone monument!
Even for opponents of the same stage or stronger, it could form effective restraint and interference, creating excellent opportunities for other offensive methods.
“Suppressing Prison... What a Suppressing Prison!” Gao De carefully experienced this new Divine Ability, his heart full of pleasant surprise.
This was the perfect auxiliary and control Divine Ability tailored for him! Combined with his already swift and violent Lightning Spells, the control and attack complemented each other perfectly.
Whether in a duel or a group battle, the value of this Divine Ability was immeasurable.
With a slight thought, he tried to activate it.
With him as the center, the waters within a ten-zhang radius instantly became as viscous as glue. The current almost stopped, and an invisible heavy pressure enveloped the surroundings, even causing the light to seem slightly distorted.
Several innocent fish within the range were directly pressed against the bottom of the pool, unable to move.
“The range and power change according to my will and Demonic Power output. It has infinite uses!” Gao De withdrew the Divine Ability with satisfaction.
Only after stabilizing his Realm and familiarizing himself with his newly acquired power did Gao De emerge from seclusion.
The increase in strength from this Breakthrough far exceeded expectations. In particular, the acquisition of the “Suppressing Prison” Divine Ability gave him much more confidence in dealing with risks that might arise in the future... Once all preparations were complete, he summoned Turtle Three Thousand.
Turtle Three Thousand felt the increasingly unfathomable aura on Gao De, which faintly carried a heavy sense of oppression. His heart grew even more reverent as he hurried to offer his congratulations.
Gao De waved his hand slightly and instructed directly, “My cultivation has improved slightly, and I need to travel abroad to verify my gains and seek out some Opportunities. All matters concerning the Water Mansion and Qianjiao Cliff will still be jointly managed by you and Crab Iron Wall. If you encounter something you cannot decide, you can contact me through the tianji mirror.”
“Rest assured, Master. Your subordinate will certainly do his utmost to guard our foundation,” Turtle Three Thousand responded solemnly, then asked, “May I ask where Master intends to go this time? Is there anything your subordinate needs to prepare in advance?”
Gao De cast his gaze beyond the deep pool waters, as if piercing through the endless curtain of water to look toward the vast and mysterious Yunmeng Great Marsh.
“The direction... This time I will go to the depths of the Yunmeng Marsh to investigate. After all, I have been at this Breakthrough for so many years and have yet to understand the specific situation of the Yunmeng Marsh.” His voice was calm, but carried a hint of inquiry. “As for preparations... just bring me the most detailed Map of the known areas of the Yunmeng Great Marsh from the treasury.”
His primary goal for this trip was to further explore the depths of the Dragon Palace Secret Passage, especially those areas previously set aside due to insufficient strength, hoping to find more clues about the “Monument-Carrying Dragon,” the “Ancient Contract,” and the decline of the Dragon Palace.
At the same time, he also intended to move around the outer areas of the Yunmeng Great Marsh a little, to personally experience the aura of these ancient waters and encounter any potential Opportunities or risks.
With the “Suppressing Prison” Divine Ability, as long as he didn't actively provoke those slumbering Fourth Order old monsters or barge into forbidden lands, he should be safe.
“Yes, Master!” Turtle Three Thousand immediately went to prepare.
Three days later, Gao De adjusted his condition to its Peak. Carrying the Map provided by Turtle Three Thousand, he once again transformed into his unremarkable Half-Jiaoren form and suppressed most of his Demonic Qi. Like an ordinary aquatic demon Cultivator, he quietly left the Dongting Lake waters he had managed for many years and headed toward the even vaster and more dangerous depths of the Yunmeng Great Marsh... After leaving the Dongting Lake waters, Gao De followed the Map's guidance and entered the vast and boundless outer areas of the Yunmeng Great Marsh.
Compared to the relatively “orderly” Dongting Lake, the Yunmeng Marsh appeared more primitive, wild, and fraught with danger.
The area was a dense network of water, with marshes, undercurrents, isolated islands, and mountain streams crisscrossing one another. Towering ancient trees grew out of the water, forming patches of unique water forests.
The air was filled with a thick mixture of water vapor and the scent of decaying vegetation. Although the Spiritual Qi was abundant, it carried a sense of wildness that was difficult to tame.
Gao De restrained his aura and hid his figure among the ripples and dense aquatic plants. Like a ghost, he traveled silently.
He did not head straight for the unknown areas marked on the Map that might pose greater risks. Instead, he first moved within the explored outer zones. On one hand, he was familiarizing himself with the environment; on the other, he was using this to consolidate his newly broken-through cultivation and hone his new “Suppressing Prison” Divine Ability.
During this time, he sensed the aura of Human Cultivators more than once.
Some were groups of three to five Foundation Establishment Cultivators, piloting Magical Artifacts and cautiously exploring some mountain stream, seemingly searching for some Spiritual Plant or mineral. There were also solitary Core Formation Cultivators with sharp auras, speeding toward a specific direction with clear goals.
Whenever he discovered these Cultivators, Gao De would immediately stop and use the aquatic environment and his Breath Concealment talent to stay far away. He would never approach them, let alone have any contact.
He knew well that the human heart was unpredictable. In such dangerous places, killing for treasure was the norm. Although he was not afraid, he did not want to invite trouble for no reason and delay his proper business. His goal was to explore Dragon Clan ruins and his own Opportunities, not to fight with Human Cultivators.
After traveling like this for over ten days, he gradually became familiar with the environment of the Yunmeng Marsh's outer areas, and the power of his new Realm was completely stabilized. The “Suppressing Prison” Divine Ability showed significant results in several small-scale combat exercises; with a single thought, he could suppress an opponent until they could hardly move, and then a single bolt of lightning astral qi could easily solve the problem.
On this day, he was following the Map, sneaking toward a waterway called “Ghost Cry Gorge.”
According to the Map's brief notes, the current in this gorge was rapid and filled with hidden reefs. There were often eerie sounds of wind like ghosts crying, hence the name. There were rumors that the depths of the gorge once contained an ancient Cultivator's Immortal Cave, but years of explorers had found nothing, and it had gradually become a place of little interest.
Gao De did not hold much hope for this rumor; he viewed it more as a landmark and a possible temporary resting point.
However, just as he approached the entrance to Ghost Cry Gorge, his brow furrowed slightly.
His powerful Divine Thought sensed two strong auras hidden in a reed marsh near the mouth of the gorge, both at the level of Third Order Early Stage!
Moreover, these two auras carried obvious fluctuations of Demonic Qi and were not Human Cultivators.
“Oh? There are other Demon Kings occupying this place? Or are they just passing through?” Gao De grew alert and immediately restrained his aura to the limit. Like a stone sinking to the bottom of the water, he quietly approached and hid behind a huge hidden reef to observe in secret.
In that dense reed marsh, the water rippled slightly, and two blurred, massive figures could be faintly seen.
One figure was slender, covered in blue-black scales with a unicorn horn on its head—it was clearly a One-Horned Green Python! The other figure was more burly, with a thick shell and huge claws—it was actually an Armored Giant Crab!
These two demonic beasts did not seem to be fighting; instead, they seemed to be... waiting for something?
Their auras were somewhat restless. They occasionally stirred the water impatiently, their gazes fixed on the depths of Ghost Cry Gorge.
Thoughts spun in Gao De's mind. Two Third Order water demons blocking the entrance to Ghost Cry Gorge—what were they planning?
Could there really be some treasure they were plotting for inside the gorge? Or was this itself a trap aimed at certain specific targets?
He had originally intended to pass through Ghost Cry Gorge quietly, but now it seemed there would be complications.
Should he take a detour to avoid trouble? Or... investigate secretly?
Gao De remained hidden in the shadows, a light of contemplation flashing in his jiao pupils.
With his current strength, even if he couldn't defeat two Third Order Early Stage demonic beasts, escaping would be no problem at all.
If there really was some Opportunity inside the gorge, it might be worth taking a small risk.
He decided to stay put for now and see exactly what these two demonic beasts were up to.