The Blade-Wielding Legend

Chapter 1632 - 828: Deep Sea Secret Realm (2)

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and looked behind them, still feeling a lingering fear.

...

As mentioned before, once you pass through the vortex, it’s smooth sailing.

On this side, the sea suddenly became quiet, but the color grew deeper, like thick ink.

"Young Hero Li, it’s just ahead!"

The Guard Captain, previously thrown and slammed into a pillar, pointed forward with a bruised eye.

Everyone looked up, but they couldn’t see anything.

This Guard Captain, with a bitter expression, said: "Below is a deep trench in the sea, even the best swimmers among the Damen can’t withstand it."

I see...

Li Yan suddenly understood.

His proficiency in Water Escape wasn’t a secret, no wonder he was sought out.

"Everyone, wait here. I’ll go down and take a look."

With pirates watching, Li Yan wasted no words, went straight to the side of the ship, and activated a spell:

"Nuogao! Nature of Taisu, Ren and Gui Essence. Respond internally to the kidneys, externally to Mercury, I now transform, adapting to all forms..."

As the spell was chanted, his figure was enveloped in a water mist and vanished from sight.

......

As Li Yan submerged into the sea, outside the great vortex, the pirates had already gathered.

Their rampant actions at sea naturally included some extraordinary individuals.

The breathtaking "Power Assistance Ejection" of the "Sea Suppression" was witnessed by them as well.

"Putting life on the line only to find life, these Central Plains people have some courage!"

Samurai Long Cang gripped his Wodao tightly, with a tone tinged with a subtle admiration.

"Your Highness, should we pursue?"

Divine Gunman Andre polished his Flintlock Short Gun, eyes gleaming with greed, "That treasure ’Sea Stabilizing Night Light’ must be down there!"

He was inherently a greed-driven individual, or he wouldn’t have found himself deserted and defecting to the pirates.

Upon hearing of such a magical treasure, countless schemes had already formed in his mind.

Chao Shengwan cast a indifferent glance, then ordered sharply:

"Order all ships! Charge as they did! Whoever gets through first will be rewarded a thousand gold!"

Under great reward, there are always brave souls, especially among pirates who lick blood off the blade.

Amidst immense temptation and coercion, dozens of pirate ships spread around the vortex, including Fast Crabs, Bird Ships, and even some seized small Fuchuans and Southern Ocean Paddle and Sail Ships, all under the integration and coercion of the Sea Demon Group, swelled their tattered sails or rowed hard, charging fiercely towards where the "Sea Suppression" disappeared.

However, they lacked Wang Daoxuan’s Mysterious Compass that could penetrate the chaotic currents and lock onto the "Water Bridge" path, and had neither the daring nor the experience of Situ Hua, who placed life and death aside to accurately maneuver the ship using leverage.

All they could rely on were the shallow judgments accumulated by the old seadogs at the cost of their lives in ordinary tempests.

Disaster struck in an instant.

The leading few Fast Crab Ships attempted to mimic the "Sea Suppression’s" trajectory by cutting into a rising wave wall.

One helmsman was a heartbeat too slow, instantly snatched by a violent undercurrent.

"No—!"

The despairing wail was shredded by the fierce winds.

With a bone-chilling "crack," the wooden Fast Crab Ship was like it was seized by a giant invisible hand, with its keel snapping, the hull torqued and distorted in the high-speed spinning current, turning into flying fragments of wood, torn sails, and panic-stricken figures within moments, and was swallowed by the vortex.

Not even a decent wave was splashed.

Another slightly larger Fuchuan narrowly hit a hidden current the "Sea Suppression" had exploited before.

The vessel was flung upwards, seemingly about to be catapulted out.

However, the helmsman erred in the tumultuous jolting and fear, failing to align the bow in time with the "ejection" direction, and instead it rammed into the base of a high, arched water wall formed at the vortex center.

Bang!

Like a giant hammer smashing an egg, the sturdy Fuchuan’s prow shattered instantly, cold seawater inundating with an unstoppable force.

The cries, curses, and prayers of nearly a hundred pirates aboard were quickly drowned out by the sea.

The entire ship visibly stood upright, with the stern pointed skyward, before being mercilessly drawn into the abyssal darkness.

The grim losses didn’t deter all the desperados.

Still, a few ships, relying on luck and vague experience, either grazed past the vortex’s edge dangerously or were flung to relatively safer zones by chaotic currents.

Yet the only ones truly able to cross this Death Sea Area "unscathed" were those under special protection.

"Whirlpool!" Chao Shengwan growled at the roiling sea.

Splash!

The enormous squid head, covered with purple-black scales like a mountain, broke through the water surface, and several tentacles as thick as columns deftly reached out, accurately wrapping around Chao Shengwan, Yakimaru, Long Cang, Andre, and the merfolk "Scales" on that medium-sized hard sailboat.

As the tentacles tightened, they held the ships steadily above the turbulent sea, as if cradling a fragile toy.

"Whirlpool" emitted a deep, abyssal hum, moving its gigantic body through the violent swirling currents.

It adeptly sensed the gaps and rhythms of the water flow, maneuvering and twisting flexibly.

Sometimes diving underwater to avoid crashing waves, sometimes accelerating using the thrust at the edge of the whirlpool.

Under the protection of "Whirlpool," this vessel carrying the core of the Sea Demon Group eventually passed through the vortex’s central area without incident.

When "Whirlpool" released its tentacles and gently placed the ship back on the sea surface, Chao Shengwan surveyed the battlefield, his face as dark as water.

Initially, the grand pirate fleet consisted of dozens of ships; now only over twenty remain to reach this "safe water zone," most of them damaged.

This meant that more than a fifth of the ships and pirates were forever buried in the violent whirlpool graveyard.

However, the losses did not deter Chao Shengwan; instead, they stirred his ferocity.

His gaze swept towards the distant "Sea Suppression" like a poisonous snake.

"Surround them!" Chao Shengwan’s voice was icy and piercing, "Keep within cannon range! Release the small boats, send all water-skilled ’sea ghosts’ into the water! Harass them, don’t let them rest! Exhaust their gunpowder and energy!"

"Whirlpool, take us down! Head straight for the target!"

The orders were swiftly transmitted.

The remaining pirate fleet dispersed like hyenas smelling blood, forming a loose yet highly threatening encirclement, placing "Sea Suppression" in the center.

They cunningly stayed at the edge of cannon range, neither approaching for a strong attack nor allowing "Sea Suppression" any chance to rest.

Meanwhile, the massive body of "Whirlpool" submerged once again.

Chao Shengwan, Yakimaru, Long Cang, Andre, and the merfolk "Scales" were already prepared.

The giant beast "Whirlpool" let out a low hum, swallowing the small boats once more, diving towards the depths of the ocean trench...

......

Gurgle~

The light underwater was extraordinarily dim.

Li Yan not only excelled at Water Escape but also possessed the Dragon and Snake Card, allowing him to hold his breath for an hour without issue.

With a shake of his body, he swiftly dived underwater like a fish.

The deeper he went, the darker it became, as though sinking into solid ink.

The icy, bone-chilling seawater pressed down with immense pressure from all directions.

Fortunately, he was shielded by Mysterious Water Escape; an ordinary cultivator would have had their vital energies thrown into chaos by the water pressure.

The surroundings were deathly silent, with only the faint sounds of water brushing past his body and his pounding heartbeat audible.

He did not know how long he had been diving when a breath-taking abyss suddenly appeared below.

It wasn’t a typical ocean trench; its steep rocky walls seemed cleaved open by a giant axe, plunging into unfathomable darkness.

His speed was swift, quickly diving over a hundred meters into the trench.

Here, everything was already pitch black.

Underwater, Smell Superpower could not be used, but fortunately, Li Yan was prepared, retrieving a Treasure Bead from his pack.

Instantly, a cool glow illuminated the surroundings.

It was none other than Tang National Guardian Divine Artifact "Ruyi Treasure Pearl."

However, the moment he took out the Treasure Bead, Li Yan froze, his eyes wide with shock.

He saw the steep rocky walls of the trench coated with thick sediment and dead coral.

Some unbelievably large skeletal fossils were partially embedded within.

There were snake-necked dinosaur skeletons with dragon-like necks winding for dozens of meters, prehistoric giant turtle fossils with shells resembling moving mountains, and Canglong skulls with tusks as fierce as Tower Ships...

These relics of ancient ocean dominators, which should have been deeply buried in the earth, were all intertwined with coral.

More bizarre still, some areas of coral had traces of artificial excavation.

The design was very ancient, not in the Qin Han style but even older.

"This place... might not be simple."

Li Yan felt apprehensive, slowing his pace and cautiously continuing to dive along the steep trench wall.

His gaze swept over the giant fossils and strange surrounding terrain, and a name from an ancient legend suddenly struck his mind.

Could it be that this is the legendary "Ruins"...