Deep within the abyssal waters, visibility was poor, and even divine sense struggled to penetrate the gloom. By the time Ye Qin’s five Golden Core cultivators realized the extent of the sea beasts surrounding them, these creatures, lying in wait to feed, were already just a few li away.
“What is happening? Why are so many sea beasts gathered here?” Jin Zhongshan stared at the surrounding horde, astonishment etched on his face as he blurted the question to the other Golden Core cultivators.
Ye Qin seemed to grasp something, a flicker of surprise crossing his usually tranquil features as his expression shifted several times.
He had initially assumed that as long as they avoided disturbing the beetles beneath the sand, traversing this underwater desert would be uneventful. He hadn't expected to misjudge the situation so completely.
“This is a beast trap! This underwater desert is divided into two zones: the water surface area and the subterranean sand layer below. The surface water is the hunting ground for the sea beasts, while the earth beneath the sand is the domain of the Sand Vortex Beetles. These sea beasts hunt their prey in the water, and those Sand Vortex Beetles lie hidden in the surface sand, waiting for prey panicked by a sea beast chase to fall into their quicksand vortexes. The moment you enter their feeding territory, you’ll be attacked by them working in concert.”
A hint of helpless bitterness touched Ye Qin’s lips.
The other cultivators in the team froze for a moment, then quickly understood: they had walked into a trap, specifically a trap laid by monstrous beasts.
Such cooperative hunting traps set by demonic beasts were not uncommon in the cultivation world. He had encountered similar situations in the perilous depths of the Spirit Mist Mountain Range on the Central Continent, where flocks of aerial demonic birds controlled the sky, and ground-dwelling demonic beasts controlled the earth, working together seamlessly to slaughter any prey passing through their territories.
Ye Qin cursed inwardly. To think that due to a moment’s lapse in vigilance, his team of five Golden Core cultivators had been cornered in this underwater desert by a combination of Sand Vortex Beetles and sea beasts. It was frankly humiliating.
“If we stay in the water, we’re attacked by sea beasts. If we burrow into the sand to escape underground, we’ll be attacked by the Sand Vortex Beetles. Whether in the water or under the sand, we’ll be assaulted by these sea beasts. Damn it, these sea beasts are too cunning; they actually set up ambushes.”
Jin Zhongshan erupted in a torrent of curses.
The sea beast swarm had already formed a perimeter within a li radius, steadily closing in on the five Golden Core cultivators. They didn't have the leisure to waste breath cursing the beasts' treachery; they needed to figure out a way to fight back quickly.
Ye Qin made no move to flee.
Zhou Yao, Jin Zhongshan, Liao Xiaozui, Pan Lin, and the others stood alert, hands poised over their magic artifacts, refusing to retreat.
The vast majority of demonic beasts possessed a degree of intelligence. To survive in a brutal environment like the East Sea, they understood the principle of bullying the weak. They would actively avoid powerful enemies and exclusively target the smaller, more timid prey. The most fatal mistake a group of cultivators could make when facing a swarm was to turn tail and flee headlong.
The powerful aura emanating from the five Golden Core cultivators together instilled a degree of fear in the sea beasts; they were not a common swarm that could be easily annihilated. Their best strategy was to remain composed, wait for the right moment to act, thereby keeping the swarm wary of them. If they fled frantically, it would only embolden the beasts to attack them relentlessly from behind. All five were Golden Core cultivators with considerable experience fighting demonic beasts, so they understood this logic implicitly.
Perhaps because Ye Qin and the others remained calmly in place instead of immediately attempting escape, the sea beast swarm did not launch a full-scale assault right away. Instead, they circled, constantly moving, slowly tightening the noose, emitting sharp, grinding sounds of teeth gnashing together, applying pressure to force the cultivators to break formation and expose a vulnerability.
“Brother Ye, what should we do? There seem to be too many sea beasts. Should we fight or try to move away?” Zhou Yao, who rarely faced such vast numbers of sea beasts, her delicate face slightly pale, looked toward Ye Qin, the most composed figure in the group.
“Brother Ye, Sister Yao, I have several high-grade Water Escape Talismans left. The five of us could use water escape to teleport several li away. Perhaps we should leave this area first,” Jin Zhongshan said urgently, recalling the talismans stored in his storage bag.
Ye Qin ignored them both and instead turned to Liao Xiaozui. “Miss Liao, do you know what kind of sea beasts these are?”
“I’ve read the codices on East Sea sea beasts. These appear to be Deep Sea Sawtooth Demon Sharks. They are among the fastest and most bloodthirsty beasts in the East Sea, specializing in hunting other sea beasts in packs. Their sharp teeth can even rend the hard shell of a Thousand-Year Azure Sea Black Turtle. Their sense of smell is incredibly acute; they can detect scents within a hundred li radius, and their attack speed is ferocious. It will be extremely difficult for us to shake off this school of Deep Sea Demon Sharks in the deep ocean.”
Liao Xiaozui, the most knowledgeable among them, observed the gradually closing swarm, racking her memory, her expression grim. “There are about two to three hundred of these demon sharks, ranging in power from Third to Seventh Rank. There are three Seventh Rank, Golden Core level Deep Sea Demon Sharks. About thirty to forty Sixth Rank to Fourth Rank, Foundation Establishment level sharks, and the rest are mainly Third Rank Deep Sea Demon Sharks…”
“If the five of us Golden Core cultivators join forces and attack with full strength, we still have a decent chance of wiping out this school of demon sharks.”
Ye Qin nodded slightly, understanding. He swept the sea beast swarm with his Spirit Eye technique, quickly estimating the strength of the beasts surrounding them, arriving at a relatively optimistic conclusion.
“Brother Ye, that might be too risky. Even if we manage to kill all these demon sharks, our spiritual power will be utterly depleted. Who knows if there are other shark pods nearby? If we finish off this group and another swarm appears, we will all perish here today,” Jin Zhongshan exclaimed, agitation clear in his voice. “I have a small stack of high-grade Water Escape Talismans; let’s just get away first.”
“Flee? Of course, I want to flee and avoid the beasts. Among the five of us, aside from Miss Zhou and myself, the other three of you aren't proficient in water-based spells. How far can we get relying on just a few high-grade Water Escape Talismans? We absolutely cannot run out of this vast desert that seems to stretch endlessly, and we’ll only be caught by the demon shark pack eventually. Brother Jin, save your Water Escape Talismans for when it’s absolutely unavoidable.”
Ye Qin frowned at Jin Zhongshan’s suggestion.
“Brother Ye, Brother Jin, stop arguing! This school of sharks has surrounded us; they are only about ten li away. That distance will pass in the blink of an eye when the swarm charges. Brother Ye, should we fight or flee? Make a swift decision!” Zhou Yao called out anxiously.
All the cultivators in the team turned their urgent gazes to Ye Qin. Since everyone regarded him as the leader, he had to make the crucial decision now, otherwise, the team would descend into total chaos.
“Kill them!”
Ye Qin pondered for a moment and made a decisive choice, a rare glint of killing intent flashing through his eyes. He quickly began assigning tasks to the five members: “Miss Zhou, you will deploy the Grand Five Elements Sword Formation and establish a defensive perimeter right here. Brother Jin will assist. Miss Liao, you will provide support. Brother Pan, you must quickly eliminate the Sand Vortex Beetles underground; clear them out first. Also, prepare your Earth Escape Talismans. If we cannot hold off the shark swarm, we will directly burrow into the deep sand layer to evade the attack of these Deep Sea Demon Sharks. These water-based sharks, despite their speed in the water, absolutely cannot drill into the deep sand.”
Ye Qin was fully aware of the immense risk his decision entailed. However, he was unfamiliar with this entire underwater desert. Even if they managed to escape the shark swarm, they might easily stumble into the territory of another hostile beast group, and the outcome might not be better. Randomly navigating this seabed desert carried greater overall risk. The five Golden Core cultivators fighting together gave them a seventy percent chance of eliminating this school of Deep Sea Demon Sharks—it was the path with the least risk.
“Brother Ye, what about you?” Zhou Yao asked, noticing Ye Qin had assigned roles to the other four but had left himself unassigned.
“Me? This shark swarm is led by those three Golden Core level sharks. To disrupt the swarm, we must eliminate those three first. Without their leaders, the rest of the sharks will be nothing to worry about,” Ye Qin replied with a faint, cold smile.
He opened his mouth, releasing three rays of light: a golden flying sword, an azure flying sword, and a yellow flying sword, followed by a fiery red flying sword. These four small swords instantly transformed into four colossal blades, each over twenty zhang long, blazing with magnificent light and encircling Ye Qin.
Then, with his four Primordial Spirit flying swords protecting him and accompanied by the Golden Core Skeleton Demon, Ye Qin suddenly charged forward, transforming into a startling wave in the water as he rushed toward the approaching shark swarm, aiming directly for one of the Golden Core level sharks, which was over ten zhang in length.
“Gah-gah!”
That Golden Core Demon Shark displayed surprising dominance. Sensing the killing intent emanating from Ye Qin charging toward it, its emerald eyes widened, and its sharp teeth clicked with a piercing sound. It violently shook off the lower-rank sharks surrounding it and shot toward Ye Qin like lightning. As one of the leaders of the shark pack, its authority would not be challenged. Sharks were skilled not only in group combat but were also formidable solo hunters. Since the prey dared to challenge it alone, it would not hold back.
The remaining sharks, led by the other two Golden Core level beasts, continued to close in on Zhou Yao and the other cultivators to maintain the encirclement.
“He has four—four Primordial Spirit artifacts!”
Zhou Yao gasped in shock. She finally saw clearly that Ye Qin possessed four Primordial Spirit artifacts: Gold, Wood, Fire, and Earth—the artifacts recorded in the upper volume of the Purple Jade Ancient Scroll. He only lacked the final Water element Primordial Spirit sword to complete the true Grand Five Elements Sword Formation, which hadn't been seen in the Purple Sword Palace for millennia. Once formed, the incredibly powerful Grand Five Elements Sword Formation would make Ye Qin a near-unrivaled opponent among East Sea Golden Core cultivators, provided he advanced his cultivation further. If he could also gather the components for the lower volume’s Minor Three Wonders Sword Array, he could secure a place even among the Nascent Soul cultivators of the East Sea, far beyond the status of ordinary cultivators.
She opened her mouth, intending to dissuade Ye Qin from taking on a Golden Core shark alone, but ultimately swallowed the words. Ye Qin’s reckless charge into the beast horde to hunt the leaders seemed incredibly perilous. However, protected by four Primordial Spirit artifacts, no beast below the Golden Core level could approach within fifty zhang of him. Coupled with the support of the Golden Core Skeleton Demon, this Deep Sea Demon Shark pack might not be able to kill him.
Zhou Yao quickly set up the sword formation on the dune, coordinating with Jin Zhongshan and Liao Xiaozui to defend the formation. Meanwhile, Pan Lin threw out his Golden Flood Dragon Scissors artifact, which transformed into a magnificent, golden, shining flood dragon dozens of zhang long, plunging into the quicksand vortex on the ground to search for the Sand Vortex Beetles below. Even if Ye Qin’s attempt to kill the Golden Core sharks failed and they couldn't hold off the swarm, they still had a simple yet effective fallback plan—using Earth Escape Talismans to retreat deep into the sand, ensuring at least survival.
Of course, Ye Qin’s meticulously calculated plan, which accounted for maneuvering and retreat, would only work if no other contingencies arose. He never imagined that another team from the Heavenly Demon Alliance was tailing them, rendering his careful arrangements completely ineffective.