Chapter 953: Who's on Top? |
...
"You said the Juntian Demon Shark would definitely be able to capture these three people, didn't you?"
The Third Prince backhanded a slap across Amphitrite's face:
"Now look, what do we do?
Once the Father God's trial begins, it cannot be stopped!
And the World Beasts we send up can only be stronger Sea World Beasts!
World Beasts over a hundred thousand years old are all important resources under my command,
They are also children of the Father God. Who do we send up now? Speak!"
"Your Highness, please calm your anger." Amphitrite hurriedly knelt, speaking respectfully, "I truly misjudged. I didn't expect that girl's strength to be so formidable."
Amphitrite lowered her head.
This time, she had indeed underestimated the enemy.
She thought sending one hundred and twenty thousand year old Juntian Demon Shark would solve all problems.
"I'll give you one more chance." The Third Prince narrowed his eyes, reaching out to hook Amphitrite's chin, "Strike while the iron is hot and finish them off. If they can still stand on the arena next time, then you... will go up personally!"
...
Meanwhile.
In the colosseum surrounded by seawater.
The three waited for a long time, but the retreating Sea World Beasts did not reappear.
Yet the trial had not ended.
Just as Chen Huaian was growing a bit impatient.
Whoosh—!
The seawater churned.
From the darkness of the depths, four points of light lit up.
"Husband, look!" Li Qingran pointed at the distant seawater, her eyes sparkling, "There are stars in the water!"
Chen Huaian narrowed his eyes.
He saw that in the pitch-black seawater, four points of light were constantly flickering. The light was cold white, tinged with a faint blue, like two pairs of cold stars that had fallen into the deep sea, flickering alone in the endless darkness.
But there shouldn't be stars in the Endless Sea.
The light was moving, approaching, gradually rising.
The light grew larger.
Brighter.
At first, it was just two pairs of fireflies.
Then four lanterns.
And then—
Chen Huaian saw it clearly first, saying softly, "That's probably not stars."
He paused, "Those are eyes."
Eve's pupils abruptly contracted.
She saw it clearly too.
Around the light, an outline was emerging.
First, the head.
Between the two points of light, the dark shadows were thickening, outlining a massive triangular head. That head was over a hundred zhang wide, flat like a hammer, with one eye on each side—
The diameter of those eyes alone was ten zhang.
Light shone from deep within the pupils, passing through layers of seawater, illuminating the surrounding sea.
Then the body.
The flat body extended backward from the head like a giant cloak.
The pectoral fins on both sides spread out like two black curtains, blotting out the sky and sun.
The tail fins were slender, trailing behind like two swimming giant pythons.
Two heads.
Identical behemoths.
One left, one right, slowly rising from the abyss.
Their massive bodies completely enveloped the colosseum in darkness.
Only those four eyes remained.
Four cold stars.
Gazing down coldly from above.
Eve gasped sharply, "It's the Dark Star Devil Ray... two hundred thousand year old Dark Star Devil Rays!
You can judge their age by the number of spiracle holes on a Dark Star Devil Ray's gills.
One spiracle hole equals twenty thousand years, and these two Dark Star Devil Rays have a full ten spiracle holes each!"
Hearing this, Li Qingran was momentarily stunned.
She had also heard a little about this legendary Sea World Beast.
Legend said the Dark Star Devil Ray King was the Sea God's mount.
This species usually lurks in the ten-thousand-zhang sea abyss, feeding on other World Beasts.
Their skin can become completely invisible in the pitch-black seawater, only revealing their signature cold-light eyes when they attack.
What's even more terrifying is—
Dark Star Devil Rays never appear alone.
Once they appear, it's always a pair.
One male, one female.
Faithful for life.
If one dies, the other will go completely berserk, fighting to the death.
Eve's expression turned grave.
Two hundred thousand year Sea World Beasts, two of them, and Dark Star Devil Rays at that.
This was no longer the Sea God's trial...
This was outright targeting! She didn't believe the Battle Masters who failed the trial outside had also faced these sea beasts, otherwise how could they have survived?
It seemed continuing to hide her identity was no longer possible.
Eve took a deep breath, already prepared to use her divine power. But before she could speak, Chen Huaian beside her had already spoken.
"Disciple." Chen Huaian looked at the two sky-blotting behemoths, his tone casual as if discussing what to choose for dinner, "One each, how about it?"
Li Qingran blinked, then smiled, "Alright."
She tilted her head to look at Chen Huaian, her eyes sparkling,
"Then—let's see who kills theirs faster?"
Chen Huaian raised an eyebrow.
He looked down at his disciple. The little girl was looking up at him, her eyes brimming with eager excitement, not a trace of fear at facing two hundred thousand year World Beasts.
Chen Huaian smiled.
He reached out and ruffled Li Qingran's head, leaning close to her ear, lowering his voice to say, "The one who loses—" his breath brushed her earlobe, "will be on the bottom tonight."
Li Qingran's ears flushed red instantly.
The blush spread from the tips of her ears all the way down her neck, making her whole body feel hot.
She bit her lower lip, glared at Chen Huaian, and muttered, "Master is so mean..."
Despite her words, there was no intention of refusal at all.
Instead... there was a bit of eagerness.
Li Qingran's figure blurred as she shot skyward.
Behind her, dark golden flames exploded with a roar. The phantom of the Vermilion Bird manifested within the flames, its eyes that looked down on all living things coldly locking onto the Dark Star Devil Ray on the left.
"Big flat fish!" Li Qingran's voice echoed through the seawater, "Come on, let's play!"
The cold white eyes of the left Dark Star Devil Ray abruptly contracted.
It felt it.
The aura within those flames made its very soul tremble.
Another aura rose at the same time.
That aura was faint, so faint it was almost non-existent.
But the moment this aura appeared.
The cold white eyes of the right Dark Star Devil Ray, stimulated by the killing intent, abruptly turned completely crimson. It violently twisted its head, fixing its gaze on the man standing at the edge of the colosseum, who hadn't even expanded his World Ring.
Danger!
A premonition of certain death stimulated its nerves.
Compared to the sky-filling sea of fire and the divine bird spreading its wings.
This seemingly ordinary man was actually more dangerous.
That man walked slowly.
Step by step, treading on the void, walking towards it.
With each step, the surrounding seawater trembled.
Not shaken apart by force, but—submitting.
It was a feeling more terrifying than bloodline suppression.
As if this heaven and earth, this stretch of sea,
everything in this Endless Sea, bowed its head in that instant.
The Dark Star Devil Ray let out a sharp screech.
The sound waves were like knives, carrying intimidation and deterrence.
But the man was completely unaffected.
The next second, he had already walked right up to it.
Chen Huaian stood before the giant beast's head, staring into its cold white eye that was ten zhang in diameter.
His figure was as insignificant as dust before the giant beast.
But the light in those eyes was fading.
Chen Huaian extended his hand. A mass of Sword Qi rose in his palm, and he gently tapped it on the giant beast's forehead.
"You're too noisy."
He said.
Then—
BOOM!!!
...
On the other side, a dark golden waterfall of fire had already cascaded down.
The Vermilion Bird behind Li Qingran spread its wings and let out a long cry. The all-consuming flames completely swallowed the entire Dark Star Devil Ray. The giant beast let out a shrill screech, its flat body thrashing wildly in the flames, its pectoral fins slapping the seawater, stirring up monstrous waves.
But the flames did not extinguish.
Li Qingran hovered above the sea of fire, the mark on her forehead glowing blindingly bright. She looked down at the giant beast struggling in the flames, her lips lightly pursed, her eyes utterly indifferent.
"Two hundred thousand years?" she said softly, "Not impressive enough."
The flames exploded with a roar.
The giant beast's screech abruptly ceased.
And on the other side.
Chen Huaian had already withdrawn his finger.
The Dark Star Devil Ray before him, its cold white eyes had completely dimmed.
Its massive, sky-blotting body was slowly sinking.
From between its brows, a crack was spreading.
The crack was thin.
So thin it was almost invisible.
But it ran through the giant beast's entire head,
through its two hundred thousand years of cultivation, through everything it was.
Boom—
The giant beast's body completely split apart.
Eve stood in the colosseum, looking up, her whole mind in a daze.
From the moment Chen Huaian and Li Qingran made their move until now.
Three breaths.
Three breaths of time.
Two two hundred thousand year old Dark Star Devil Rays—
One burned to charcoal.
One split in half.
And it was just... over? She hadn't even made a move yet?
She was about to use her divine power, you know!
It was supposed to be helping them pass the trial, but so far, it seemed like she hadn't done anything.
Eve opened her mouth, but her throat felt tight, unable to speak.
In the air, Li Qingran drifted down gracefully.
She landed beside Chen Huaian, tilting her little face up, her bright eyes looking at him.
"Master, I was faster than you."
Chen Huaian looked down at her, a half-smile playing on his lips, "Is that so?"
"Of course!" Li Qingran put her hands on her hips, "Your fish is still falling, mine is already burned to nothing!"
"Hmm." Chen Huaian nodded, "Then you win."
Li Qingran smiled triumphantly.
Then she heard Chen Huaian lean close, lowering his voice to say—
"Alright, then tonight, you'll be on top."
Li Qingran: "!?"
...
