Chapter 84: Eerie Depths

A massively powerful life force followed, enveloping the area.

Lin Fanyun’s entire body went cold, and he didn’t dare move. He couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t drifted very far at all, the ordinary wood’s pace with the current was slow.

How had he ended up near such a monster?

Or perhaps, had the monster always been there, and he just hadn’t noticed?

His body was rigid, but his eyes could now vaguely see a colossal wall-like figure behind the mist. It was so massive that he could only see a portion of it, with twin sun-like eyes rotating and shining brilliantly through the fog.

A crisp, shattering sound rang out, spreading in all directions.

A sharp pain pierced Lin Fanyun’s ears, and two streams of blood trickled down as his eardrums ruptured. His head buzzed, and his eyes turned blood red.

The mere sound had injured Lin Fanyun all over.

The colossal creature swung its tail and left, causing towering waves and twisting tornadoes that distorted the space around them.

As the mist cleared, Lin Fanyun finally saw part of the monster’s body. 

Countless mountain-sized black-green spiked scales, and a tail fin as large as stars, though broken and uneven.

At that moment, Lin Fanyun realized that the monster wasn’t actually close. It was just so enormous that it seemed to be.

In awe, he watched the approaching waves and winds that covered the sky.

Lin Fanyun didn’t run. He mustered all his physical strength and divine abilities to protect himself.

How could an ant escape the oncoming waves of an ocean?

“Heh, what rotten luck I have!” 

With his final complaint, Lin Fanyun was engulfed by the colossal wave.

***

A few days later, in the underground space of the Shanshui Residence, Zhang Shen’s eyes slowly opened, his face pale.

“Phew, my physical strength was almost completely drained. Luckily, I managed to save the clone.”

To keep the body clone from being destroyed by the overwhelming, continuous force of the enormous waves, Zhang Shen had been channeling his physical strength to it. He was nearly exhausted, but finally, he managed to get Lin Fanyun out of the wave’s range.

“Even though there’s only a half-crippled head and a small section of spine left, as long as he’s alive, he can slowly recover.”

This experience gave Zhang Shen a deeper understanding of the dangers in the unexplored regions of the Abyssal Sea.

It was truly perilous, where unexpected disasters could strike at any moment.

Zhang Shen understood clearly that the colossal creature wasn’t even attacking anyone. It was merely moving its body. Even so, the resulting shockwaves almost obliterated Lin Fanyun.

There was simply no reasoning with such a force.

“After all, these monsters lack intelligence and don’t restrain their divine power like the powerful beings of various races. Their mere existence is a natural disaster.”

Reflecting on this, Zhang Shen felt even more convinced that staying cautious was the best strategy. The world outside the Great Wilderness was far too dangerous for him to venture out and play freely at this point.

“What exactly was that monster?”

Zhang Shen couldn’t help but be intrigued by such a powerful creature.

After searching through the main network and comparing the bit of the creature Lin Fanyun had glimpsed, he found the most likely match.

It was called a Yin Shadow.

“Born as a god, it prefers tranquility and sleep. It resembles a fish, with a body as vast as the stars. When it moves, the seas tilt, the skies collapse, and all life perishes.”

Having experienced its power firsthand, Zhang Shen felt that this description on the main network was entirely accurate. It was a natural-born calamity god.

As for thoughts of revenge?

That could wait for the future.

He took out a few spiritual fruits and pills, quickly consuming them to restore his physical strength.

His body clone was still waiting for Zhang Shen to transfer physical power to aid in its recovery.

Rely on itself?

The avatar was barely clinging to life, incapable of even consuming pills to recover. Trying to rely on itself would be an impossible task.

Once the avatar had regained a bit of strength, enough to conceal its remaining head, Zhang Shen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The next step would be to slowly restore the body before proceeding with anything else. Until then, he could only be cautious and hope not to be discovered or affected by other monsters in the unexplored region.

After ensuring the clone’s temporary safety, Zhang Shen left the underground space.

Outside the pavilion of the Shanshui Residence, Li Zhi, Zhang Xuenian, and Zhang Huiling were waiting.

Several years had passed, and Zhang Xuenian and Zhang Huiling had grown, though not yet fully mature. But the signs of their maturation were already visible.

Zhang Xuenian, with his square face, looked honest and sincere, much like his personality.

Zhang Huiling, on the other hand, was radiant and youthful, a budding beauty. Her lively eyes revealed her quick wit and intelligence.

Li Zhi still looked the same as ever.

However, over the years, she had heeded her master’s advice, focusing on building a strong foundation. Her demeanor had become increasingly composed, and her long-term leadership of the enforcement team had added to her growing aura of authority.

At this moment, she was pinching her disciple’s soft, delicate cheeks.

“Huiling, I’ve heard that you’ve been frequenting the commercial street, indulging in shopping and dressing up. Is that true?”

Zhang Huiling cursed inwardly, wondering who had snitched on her. On the surface, she looked tearful and pitiful.

“Master, I was just going for a walk to relax. I haven’t neglected my training.”

What could she say? The commercial street was fun and full of beautiful things, and the shopkeepers were charming. Once she entered, it was hard to leave.

But Li Zhi wasn’t buying her excuses.

“Going once or twice a year is fine, but any more than that, and I’ll break both your legs.”

Seeing her master’s stern expression, Zhang Huiling felt like crying but had no tears.

She had just gone shopping and bought a few things. Was it really such a big deal? But if her master truly broke her legs, there would be no one to turn to. Even Zhang Feng and Du Yin would likely clap and cheer, praising her master for a job well done.

The thought of only being able to visit the commercial street once or twice a year left Zhang Huiling with a tiny pang of sorrow.

Yes, just a tiny bit.

Although Li Zhi didn’t stay with her disciple every day, she knew everything about her.

Zhang Huiling had only just started to frequent the commercial street, showing signs of becoming a regular visitor. Li Zhi nipped this trend in the bud before it could develop further.

If Zhang Huiling were a hundred years old and had weathered many storms, Li Zhi wouldn’t interfere.

By then, Zhang Huiling would be able to control herself and not get lost in distractions.

Of course, if she were still indulging by then, it would mean she was a lost cause, and there would be no need to worry about her any further. She could be left to fend for herself.

At this moment, Zhang Huiling was only in her teens. Though she had, under the Ancient Covenant’s arrangements, killed villains and battled fierce beasts, gaining extraordinary maturity in some respects,

She hadn’t been taught how to resist temptations.

It wasn’t for lack of wanting to arrange such teachings. There just hadn’t been time.

In ordinary mortal forces, if a child had no martial talent, all their time before adulthood could be spent cultivating wisdom, willpower, and perspective.

But for disciples with martial talent, this wasn’t possible. Their time was mostly spent on cultivation.

Thus, developing their character would take longer.

“Until Huiling develops enough willpower, she must be strictly controlled to prevent her from getting lost in distractions!” 

As Li Zhi thought this, she continued to pinch Zhang Huiling’s cheeks. It felt surprisingly nice.

At that moment, the door opened, and Zhang Shen stepped out.

Li Zhi’s attention immediately shifted to him. Her pupils constricted, and a wave of emotion surged in her heart. She was about to speak but then remembered that Zhang Xuenian and Zhang Huiling were beside her. Instead, she opted for a telepathic message.

“Master, why is your face so pale?”

Li Zhi was deeply shocked. In her memory, her master had always been in the prime of life, brimming with vitality to an almost unreasonable extent.

How could he have become so pale in such a short time?

That frail and unstable aura moved her deeply.

Zhang Xuenian and Zhang Huiling didn’t sense this change. They only noticed that Zhang Shen looked a bit paler than usual.

“It’s nothing. I encountered a small problem during cultivation, but it’s resolved now,” Zhang Shen replied telepathically.

Indeed, it was a minor issue. He could recover fully by consuming rare treasures for a couple of days.

However, the paleness was problematic as it could cause concern among those close to him.

With a quick application of his Body Manipulation divine technique, his complexion returned to normal, looking as healthy as ever.

Li Zhi nodded, though she didn’t fully believe her master’s explanation. She knew it must involve levels of cultivation beyond her current understanding.

“Let’s go. Elder Ye must be getting impatient.”

Zhang Shen smiled.

With a wave of his hand, he used his powerful magic to carry Li Zhi, Zhang Xue, and Zhang Huiling into the distance.

Elder Ye was none other than Ye Ruohuo.

In the past, many of the senior innate experts of Hongyuan City had either died of old age or been secretly sealed by Zhang Shen to prolong their lives. Even his grandfather, Zhang Tianlong, now quietly lay in an underground chamber beneath the Shanshui Residence.

Zhang Tianlong practiced martial arts diligently, but it was too late. By the time Zhang Shen brought higher-level teachings, he no longer had enough time to reach a higher cultivation stage.

Among the older generation, only Elder Ye Ruohuo, who had the greatest talent, managed to touch the barrier of the True Core stage.

However, she grew up before Hongyuan City’s rise and didn’t have the benefit of Zhang Shen’s teachings from a young age as Li Zhi did.

She spent too much time in the early stages of cultivation and didn’t accumulate a solid enough foundation.

Later, when she tried to make up for it, there simply wasn’t enough time.

She was destined not to follow the path of Zhang Shen and Li Zhi, who could achieve deep understanding and forcefully comprehend two innate divine abilities through profound accumulation.

But she reached the barrier of the True Core stage and had the hope of breaking through. What more could she ask for?

Before Zhang Shen led Hongyuan City to prominence, Ye Ruohuo had never imagined she would even hope to reach the True Core stage.

Now that she had this hope, she was already very satisfied.

Zhang Shen’s visit served two purposes. To protect her during the breakthrough and to provide her with some treasures to increase her chances of success.

Ye Ruohuo’s decision not to pursue the optimal conditions for her breakthrough was the right choice for her, but it also meant her chances of success were lower. Without external assistance, it would be very difficult.

In a secluded area of the Ancient Covenant, rich with spiritual energy, Zhang Shen sat in front of Ye Ruohuo.

“This is an innate-grade supreme Bright Fire Lamp, which dispels confusion and stabilizes the mind. This is a True Core-grade Barrier-Breaking Pill, used to assist in breaking through to the True Core stage, capable of increasing the success rate by twenty percent. This is Hundred Flower Honey, which nourishes the body and prevents it from being overwhelmed by the immense spiritual energy during the breakthrough.”

One by one, Zhang Shen presented these treasures, each invaluable for aiding in breakthroughs.

These were the kinds of treasures typically only available to disciples of major powers during their breakthroughs.