Chapter 535 - 298: Returning to the Secret Sea

Chapter 535: Chapter 298: Returning to the Secret Sea

Kumironi: "Even if it might be a trap, you’re still going?"

Lu Cang was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."

"Since you’ve decided... let’s go."

An Su: "Kid, what did you see?"

"The terror of this sea isn’t as simple as you think. Are you just going to throw your life away like this?"

Lu Cang replied, "If I really run into a danger I can’t stop, I’ll have you help me."

Hearing Lu Cang’s confident response, An Su’s voice immediately grew quiet.

But at the same time, it was grumbling to itself. ’This little guy is usually so cautious... Why is he suddenly acting so crazy?’

’Could he be affected by this month again?’

’Whatever. It’s not a bad thing if he runs into trouble. When he’s faced with a danger he truly can’t handle, he’ll naturally ask for my help.’

’Then again, there aren’t many things in this world that can kill him anymore.’

Lu Cang heard An Su’s internal grumblings just as clearly.

"Let’s go..."

Lu Cang’s tone gradually matured.

Then, he looked back at Yelieya.

DING—

Lu Cang undid the Seal on Yelieya.

"You should be well aware that the matter of the Secret Sea has nothing to do with me anymore... Whether you go or stay is up to you."

After saying this, Lu Cang and Kumironi plunged headfirst into the seawater.

WHOOSH!

The two of them sank.

Those with Battle Professions generally no longer needed to breathe air for long periods starting from Level 3.

From Level 4, most had their own methods of breathing underwater.

The air in this world wasn’t pure oxygen but a substance called "life force." To sustain life, one had to maintain the flow of this force.

Normal people found it difficult to acquire this force in the sea.

But as one’s Professional Level increased, one could maintain the flow of life force from more sources.

Therefore, most could stay underwater for extended periods.

They re-entered the Secret Sea.

It was the same familiar seawater. A viscous sensation enveloped their bodies, as if they were not in water, but in a somewhat watery slime.

A faint barrier of light expanded from Lu Cang’s body.

This barrier kept the seawater at bay.

’Better not to touch the seawater this time.’

ROAR!

The moment the two entered the sea, Demons from all directions swarmed toward them like sharks that had smelled blood!

SWOOSH—

Light flashed!

A golden radiance erupted into a raging Flame, enveloping his body!

Lu Cang dealt only with the necessary Demons as he and Kumironi descended rapidly into the deep sea!

WHOOSH!

An endless stream of the aura of Death emanated from behind Lu Cang.

They sank toward the depths.

Meanwhile, the golden Flame surrounding them spread through the water, burning away any Demon that tried to approach.

Undead were continuously generated behind Lu Cang.

It was as if he were releasing balloons along the way; all the Demons he killed transformed into Undead, which then began to guard their descent.

"I hear it. A very strong calling," Kumironi said, her voice filled with shock.

"Something is calling me over."

The Secret Sea was profound and dark; light could not penetrate it, and neither could sight.

Places that normal Perception couldn’t see had to be located with the naked eye.

But in the sea, one’s eyes couldn’t see that far.

"This distance..."

Lu Cang was also checking the distance to their destination through his [Hidden Origin]. The place labeled "Earth" was indeed getting closer.

However, the deeper they descended, the more powerful the surrounding Demons became. At this moment, all the Demons around them were at least Tier Seven!

Each one was as powerful as the trees in the Tier Seven Dungeon.

There were even many powerful foes on par with the [Pure White Tree].

Suddenly, Lu Cang’s Perception detected a wall ahead!

’No...’

’It’s not a wall.’

Lu Cang felt the texture of scales and flesh on this "wall." It was a living creature blocking his Perception.

"Another Demon?"

From the moment the anomaly in the Secret Sea began until now... Lu Cang had remained in a combat state.

In other words, the Heaven-Ascending Realm of Perfection had been active the entire time.

At almost the same moment, Kumironi sent out a thought: "Lu Cang! I sense a very powerful life force!"

"I know."

BANG!

The seawater next to Kumironi exploded!

In a near instant, Lu Cang appeared before the colossal Demon.

As his body twisted, he brought forth a raging Holy Flame!

"Sin-Burning Stream—Second Form: Punishment for One Sin!"

BAM!

The sword struck the lifeform before him, which was as thick as a city wall!

The single strike slashed through!

A long, thin line of light appeared on its body. The next second, that line erupted into a Holy Flame!

[Sword of Purifying Fire and Judgment]

[This sword can sever anything below Tier Nine.]

[Its strikes can be imbued with an inextinguishable Holy Flame.]

[Its flame can burn all evil and purify all pain.]

[It amplifies all Light Combat Skills with its Purifying Fire and Judgment effect.]

This was the description of the Divine Artifact.

WHOOSH!

Its body was split in two, and the line of fire that had cut it apart burned upward and downward simultaneously!

At the same time, an Undead was generated behind Lu Cang.

[Silent Sea Wall]

This Demon was like a giant wall, with one side covered in tough scales and the other a mass of writhing flesh...

Its Tier was...

’Tier Seven, Third Shedding? It’s even stronger than the Pure White Tree.’

’A Tier Six, Fifth Shedding is a Tier Six Submerged Land Level Demon. So far, for Tier Seven Demons, I’ve only seen this Third Shedding one. I haven’t seen a Fourth or Fifth Shedding yet...’

’Even against a Demon like this now,’

’I can kill it in a single strike.’

[Heaven-Ascending Realm of Perfection—30 minutes]

My current physical strength is thirty thousand times my normal state!

In a single instant, I can cross tens of thousands of kilometers.

With this kind of power, plus the Divine Artifact in my hand,

I probably wouldn’t be easily defeated, even against a Level 8 Reincarnator.

"Let’s speed up," Lu Cang said to Kumironi, who had just caught up.

Kumironi: "Okay."

The golden Holy Flame burned the colossal Demon’s corpse, illuminating the seabed...

Kumironi followed Lu Cang as they continued to descend.

But as she glanced back, she seemed to hear the faint, illusory echo of crying. The echo wasn’t clear, and when she tried to focus on it, it vanished.

She couldn’t be sure if it was an auditory hallucination or a real sound.

The sensation was like humming a song in your head; though she wasn’t hearing any actual singing, a melody still played in her ears.

Kumironi looked at Lu Cang, but he didn’t seem to have heard anything.

"Lu Cang, did you hear... a crying sound?"

Lu Cang: "No, I didn’t."

Below them was still a bottomless darkness.

"Sister Kumironi, did you notice something unusual?"

Kumironi shook her head. "No, I think it was just my imagination."

"Your imagination..."

Lu Cang didn’t just dismiss it because Kumironi said it was her imagination.

Instead, he stopped.

"Where exactly did you hear it from?"

Kumironi looked back toward the spot where he had just slain the Demon.

Without a second thought, Lu Cang immediately turned back!

Demons continued to swarm them like a tide, and a new battlefield had long since formed in Lu Cang’s wake.

Lu Cang and Kumironi had been continuously descending into the deep sea.

But the Demons behind them were in hot pursuit.

These Demons were killed, turned into Undead, and as Undead, they then battled the pursuing Demons!

Ultimately, the path Lu Cang took became a restless battlefield.

The Demons slaughtered one another.

And because Lu Cang’s Undead were even stronger than they had been in life, and because they coordinated with each other,

Lu Cang’s army of Undead actually grew larger and larger.

The more he killed, the more he created.

Lu Cang returned to the spot where he had killed the Demon and asked, "Here?"

Kumironi: "Yes."

"It felt like it was here, but I can’t hear anything now."

"It might not be a real anomaly. Perhaps I was just reminded of what I went through recently... and naturally recalled those sounds."

Lu Cang swept his Perception over the surroundings.

He didn’t find anything unusual.

Then he used Divination, but still found nothing out of the ordinary.

"There’s definitely nothing here."

"Let’s keep going."

Kumironi: "Okay."

’As expected, Little Lu Cang is still so careful and cautious.’

Not long after they resumed their descent, they encountered a stretch of iridescent seawater... This wasn’t real seawater, but a special kind of Demon.

A Tier Seven, Fourth Shedding Demon.

[Sea of Parasites]

Its body wasn’t like a liquid, but more like pure color.

Its entire existence was that of a parasitic organism. The slightest touch would lead to being parasitized, assimilated as a part of it, or... simply devoured as food.

’Just how many more powerful Demons are in this sea?’

He had already seen more Tier Seven Demons in this area of the sea than he had in his entire life.

’Is Earth really down here?’

’Could it be that the Earth I was on... is actually surrounded by these terrifying things out in the universe?’