73: shad

A few days later, Turtle Three Thousand reported back that there had been no large-scale disturbances in the waters near the Thousand Reef Vortex recently, only some scattered low-level Yao Beast activity; it seemed no other forces had detected clues regarding the Hundred Beasts Sect Treasure Trove.

Gao De felt slightly more at ease, but he did not dare to be careless, knowing full well that for this kind of Opportunity, the fewer people who knew, the better.

He decided to head out alone.

He once again left the affairs of the Water Mansion to Turtle Three Thousand and Crab Eighteen, strictly ordering them to restrain their subordinates and not stray far from the Water Mansion's vicinity for the time being.

Subsequently, Gao De circulated the Water Origin Breath Concealment Technique. His entire aura merged with the vast lake water, transforming into an almost imperceptible undercurrent as he stealthily moved toward the dreaded "Thousand Reef Vortex" at the edge of the Yunmeng Great Marsh.

The closer he got to the Thousand Reef Vortex, the more treacherous the surrounding environment became.

The water currents became rapid and chaotic, with reefs as thick as forests and jagged rocks interlacing. Massive whirlpools were visible everywhere, generating terrifying suction.

The color of the water also turned murky, and a faint, cold, poisonous miasma with a fishy-sweet and corrosive scent permeated the water. Even with Gao De's flood dragon Physical Body, he felt his Demonic Power circulation become slightly sluggish, forcing him to divert a portion of his Purple Lightning Thunder Aura to protect his body and quietly annihilate the encroaching miasma.

Following the guidance of the fragmented map within the token, he navigated carefully through the maze-like reefs and whirlpools.

Relying on his powerful Divine Sense and the dragon talisman's subtle perception of water element fluctuations, he avoided several hidden water blades and collapsing undercurrents that were powerful enough to tear apart a third-rank Yao Beast.

Finally, after passing through a narrow, portal-like passage naturally formed by countless giant coral skeletons, the scene before him suddenly changed.

It was a relatively calm circular stretch of water, with a heavily damaged giant stone tablet suspended in the center. The tablet was engraved with the long-blurred Hundred Beasts Totem.

Behind the stone tablet was a deep cave entrance that seemed to lead directly to a subterranean abyss.

Set into the edges of the entrance were several giant stone beast head carvings that had long since lost their luster but still showed their extraordinary material, exuding an ancient and desolate aura.

"This is it!" Gao De's spirits lifted. He could feel a faint, indistinct wave of a Formation from deep within the cave that shared the same source as the token in his hand, as well as... an even purer Spiritual Qi that had been sealed for ages!

Holding the token, he was about to enter the cave when a sudden change occurred!

"Gulu-lu..."

A low, strange bubbling sound, seemingly from the ancient Great Desolation, rang out without warning from the pitch-black waters beside the cave.

That sound carried a sense of primitive Chaos and hunger, making Gao De's Divine Soul tremble.

The next moment, the seemingly empty water in front of him suddenly twisted and boiled! A colossal creature burst forth!

It was a... monster fish beyond description!

Its form was incredibly massive, comparable to a small mountain, and its entire body was covered in dark, rough, rock-like scales that seemed to have weathered eternal ages.

The fish's head was enormous and flat, with an extremely long snout like a giant mortar. It had no teeth in its mouth, but was instead filled with spiral-shaped, terrifying patterns that exuded a devouring force.

The strangest part was its eyes—they had no pupils, only two constantly rotating, murky gray whirlpools that seemed to connect to the void of unformed Chaos!

It did not emit any earth-shattering Demonic Qi, but its very existence carried a sense of wild, ancient, and extremely heavy pressure, as if the weight of the entire body of water was concentrated upon it!

"This is... a Great Desolation Remnant Species?!" Gao De's heart shook violently. In an instant, he identified the monster's Origin from the fragmented information in his Bloodline Legacy!

Xianfu Fish! Legend says they were born in the chaotic waters at the dawn of the world, one of the ancient personifications of the Water Origin, an existence akin to an Ancestral Shaman of Water!

Their intelligence was extremely low, bordering on ignorance, and they did not practice Divine Abilities or spells. However, their Physical Body was incredibly powerful, and they were born with the ability to manipulate part of the Water Origin's rules—especially the 'Guixu' power contained within its massive mouth, which could swallow and dissolve all things!

Such creatures that only existed in ancient legends should have long been extinct. He never expected that the Hundred Beasts Sect would have used unknown means to tame one to guard this secret vault!

No wonder no one had been able to discover and break into this place for a thousand years!

The Xianfu Fish's murky vortex eyes "stared" at Gao De, or rather, at the Hundred Beasts Sect token in his hand that was emitting special fluctuations.

Its massive, mortar-like mouth slowly opened, and the spiral patterns inside began to accelerate their rotation. An irresistible, terrifying suction instantly enveloped Gao De!

Rumble!

The surrounding water currents, and even those hard reef fragments, were uncontrollably pulled toward that giant mouth like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!

Gao De felt his whole body tighten, as if bound by countless invisible chains, sliding uncontrollably toward that giant mouth that seemed capable of devouring everything!

"Roar!"

Gao De let out a world-shaking dragon roar, his Purple Lightning Flood Dragon Bloodline erupting with full force!

The Purple Lightning Thunder Aura around him boomed, transforming into a violent lightning shield to forcibly resist that terrifying suction!

Simultaneously, he dug his four claws deep into the rocky bottom, and his dragon tail lashed wildly, stirring up heaven-reaching waves in an attempt to stabilize himself.

But the Xianfu Fish's devouring power was too overbearing; it was power nearly at the level of laws!

The thunder aura collided with it, producing a piercing sound of annihilation. It could only slow the speed of being devoured, not escape it completely!

His claws, dug into the rock layer, even plowed deep furrows into the hard stone, yet his body continued to slowly move forward!

He couldn't face it with brute force!

Gao De instantly assessed the situation. This Xianfu Fish's Physical Body and innate Divine Ability were too terrifying; fighting it head-on was definitely not a good strategy.

Its weakness was its low intelligence!

In the spark of a flint, Gao De's mind raced. He suddenly injected Demonic Power into the token in his hand while simultaneously circulating the Water Origin Breath Concealment Technique to its limit. He wasn't trying to hide completely, but rather to simulate his own aura to match the Hundred Beasts Sect's Seal power from the token, only making it "purer"!

Next, he made a bold move—instead of continuing to resist, he used the suction to propel himself like a bolt of lightning, actively shooting toward the Xianfu Fish's giant mouth!

But at the moment he was about to be devoured, he violently threw the token in his hand like a spear toward the relatively calm water beside the giant mouth, which was the direction of the cave entrance!

At the same time, he unleashed his Lightning Evasion with all his might!

Swish!

At the critical moment, his true body transformed into a bolt of distorted purple lightning, narrowly and dangerously evading the edge of the Xianfu Fish's giant mouth by a hair's breadth!

And that token, carrying the special fluctuations Gao De had simulated—resembling a "key returning to its lock"—accurately sank into an invisible Restriction node at the cave entrance!

"Buzz—!"

At the cave entrance, light flared brilliantly!

One after another, complex Beast-Pattern Restrictions lit up, swallowing and verifying the token.

And the Xianfu Fish's massive body suddenly stiffened, the devouring force coming to an abrupt halt.

Its chaotic vortex eyes turned confusedly toward the cave entrance, seemingly attracted by the sudden activation of the familiar Sect Restriction fluctuations, falling into a brief state of confusion and stagnation.

Now!

Gao De didn't hesitate. His Lightning Evasion activated again, and like a true bolt of lightning, he used the brief window while the Xianfu Fish was distracted by the Sect Restriction to zip into the deep cave with a whoosh!

Behind him came the muffled roar of the Xianfu Fish once it realized what had happened—a roar more furious than before, yet it seemed restricted by some rule and unable to enter the cave, shaking the entire body of water with its vibrations.

Gao De didn't have time for lingering fear and rushed deep into the cave. He knew that although the Xianfu Fish was temporarily confused, it would not stay away for long.

He had to find the core of the Treasure Trove as quickly as possible and get what he wanted!

The true hidden vault of the Hundred Beasts Sect was right before his eyes!

And outside the door was a guardian from the Great Desolation that could erupt again at any moment. Time had become more pressing than ever before!