The dense scent of blood instantly diffused from that single point. However, under Chu Haozhou's control, the seawater, thick with this blood, parted around the group, managing not to stain a single person's body.

This was the power of the condensed Water Flower, allowing one to effortlessly manipulate the flow of water, even in the abyssal depths.

He Yiming watched with considerable envy, shaking his head slightly, knowing that without condensing his own Water Flower, achieving such flawless control would be incredibly difficult, perhaps impossible.

After the first two sharks were slain, the remaining ones did not charge forward again. Instead, they quickly retreated, gripping the corpses of their comrades in their jaws.

He Yiming observed their every move through the water, silently praising their cunning. These creatures possessed such profound intelligence; upon realizing they were outmatched, they immediately withdrew. Furthermore, in their retreat, they did not forget to reclaim and "bury" the remains of their fellows...

At this thought, He Yiming suddenly recalled: this was the seabed. How could one even bury a corpse here?

The surrounding water abruptly turned a shocking crimson. He Yiming looked ahead in surprise, his expression instantly turning grim.

Those sharks had not reclaimed the remains for burial, but for tearing apart and devouring.

Shark skin is notoriously thick; it’s difficult to slash even with blades, but their stark white teeth were even more terrifying. With a light bite and a single tear, the flesh was instantly ripped apart.

In mere moments, those two unfortunate sharks were shredded into pieces, disappearing into the bellies of their companions.

The muscles in He Yiming’s face twitched slightly. For some inexplicable reason, witnessing this sea of blood ignited a sudden, violent rage within him.

In that instant, he felt transported back to the Coagulation Sutra, immersed within that swirling vortex of blood, saturated with an overwhelming killing intent.

His body moved with sudden force, transforming into a massive merman, twisting his form and swimming forth with movements swifter and more agile than the sharks themselves.

The sharks had no time to react; they never expected to encounter such a terrifying god of slaughter in this place.

He Yiming's palms moved rapidly, complementing his swift, dexterous swimming, lightly tapping against the body of each shark.

Just one touch, a light, silent tap.

Yet, this seemingly effortlessness strike inflicted devastating damage.

The bodies of the sharks instantly stiffened. They floated motionless in the water for a moment before slowly sinking away. Seeing their rigid forms, it was clear they were utterly dead.

The surrounding sharks rapidly dispersed. These creatures were intelligent; the few survivors immediately turned, intending to flee.

However, at that moment, He Yiming flicked his fingers in quick succession. Each flick carried a massive surge of Ice Power. The sharks attempting escape were instantly encased in a layer of white frost.

He Yiming continued to undulate his body, gliding past those frosted sharks with mundane ease. Wherever he passed, the sharks grew rigid and eventually sank to the bottom.

Watching He Yiming commence his massacre, Chu Haozhou could only shake his head in resignation.

When He Yiming returned, Chu Haozhou had already focused his voice into a fine thread that reached his ear: "Brother He, devouring the bodies of fallen comrades is the inherent nature of sharks, a legacy passed down through countless years."

He Yiming paused slightly, and the full force of his murderous intent slowly began to dissipate.

He nodded to Chu Haozhou, then abruptly asked, "Brother, how did you know that was the reason for my sudden rampage?"

Chu Haozhou curled his lip. "When I first descended into the sea, I witnessed the exact same scene. I equally couldn't restrain myself, resulting in the slaughter of dozens of sharks."

He Yiming nodded lightly and casually inquired, "And then?"

A flicker of awkwardness crossed Chu Haozhou's face. "Then the shark blood attracted a swarm of Black Sharks. Seeing the situation turn dire, I fled immediately, barely clawing my way out of the sharks' jaws with my life intact."

He Yiming let out an involuntary laugh. This must have happened before Chu Haozhou advanced to the Venerable realm; had he been a Venerable then, he surely wouldn't have been chased so miserably by a few Black Sharks.

After this interruption, the surge of manic, bloody energy within He Yiming finally receded.

However, the event served as a stark warning: the ancient Demon General had ulterior motives in giving him the Coagulation Sutra. Gaining true, effortless mastery over the Coagulation Arts would clearly not be simple.

The group descended further. Although the pressure increased as they sank, it caused no effect whatsoever on those present.

The might of a Venerable inherently meant they did not fear such water pressure, and having survived the harsh environments of the Hundred and Eight Interlinked Universes, this minor obstacle was negligible.

Yet, after a quarter of an hour, the expressions of He Yiming and his companions grew strained.

Although they had annihilated one group of sharks, it was clear that this expanse of ocean was teeming with countless other schools.

Groups upon groups of sharks, varying in color, silently closed in. In the depths where visibility was poor, if He Yiming and the others were ordinary people, they likely wouldn't have even sensed the approach of the swarms.

While He Yiming and his group felt no fear, an excessive number of sharks meant excessive trouble, something they were keen to avoid while treasure hunting.

Suddenly, the surrounding shark swarms parted in an orderly fashion, making way for six massive sharks, visibly twice the size of the ordinary ones, to glide forward.

These colossal sharks were black as ink, appearing especially mysterious and terrifying in this environment.

Their slightly opened mouths revealed rows of sharp, blade-like teeth, sending a chill down the spine.

"Black Sharks?"

He Yiming sensed the powerful life auras radiating from the six beasts and immediately understood their strength was equivalent to six ordinary Xiantian realm experts.

In this region, though many shark species existed, the only ones reaching the standard of Spirit Beasts were the Black Sharks.

For an ordinary Xiantian expert, even one at the First Heaven stage, facing six Black Sharks simultaneously underwater, accompanied by an unknown number of other assorted sharks, the odds would heavily favor death.

But He Yiming and his companions were far from ordinary. Even He Yiming, the weakest in martial cultivation, was vastly superior to a common Venerable. Thus, facing these Black Sharks, they felt no apprehension.

He Yiming’s cold gaze fixed on the six Black Sharks. Just as he prepared to strike preemptively, Chu Haozhou put out a hand to stop him, transmitting a voice message through the water: "Brother He, these Black Sharks are subjects of the Black Shark King. It’s best not to initiate conflict; otherwise, they will certainly fight us to the death. If we genuinely provoke that Black Shark King, it will be a nuisance."

After a moment of deliberation, He Yiming nodded slightly.

However, their restraint did not mean the six Black Sharks intended to let them go.

With a slight flick of their massive tails, the six Black Sharks spread out from different directions, circling the group and slowly swimming tight patterns around them.

Chu Haozhou paused, then let out a long sigh. "They are seeking death; we cannot be blamed."

He Yiming smiled faintly. While they wished to avoid the Black Shark King, if the King or its kin actively delivered themselves to the fight, the group would not back down.

In an instant, the six Black Sharks charged forward at maximum speed, their mouths slightly agape, an aura of death leaking from their forms.

He Yiming sneered, about to attack, when his vision blurred. A white shadow swiftly sliced through the water.

Lightning, having endured long enough, could no longer hold back. Seeing that even He Yiming was ready to move, it had no reason to hesitate. It shot forward. Though it didn't tread upon the sea floor, it moved with a speed far exceeding He Yiming’s expectations across the surface of the water.

Its movements were exquisite. It first positioned itself beneath one Black Shark, lowering its body before darting underneath. Its single horn, sharpened to an extreme, pierced directly into the shark's underbelly. When it instantly pulled away, the Black Shark’s body was split in two, its internal organs spilling out.

Suffering such a wound, even a Spirit Beast with robust vitality was doomed.

The White Horse's speed, even submerged, was like a flash of lightning. In just a few rapid surges, it had swiftly dispatched five of the Black Sharks. All the sharks shared the same fate; even if they grasped Lightning’s intention, they were powerless to resist.

The final Black Shark was exceptionally cunning. The moment the White Horse struck down its first comrade, it had already turned to flee.

Lightning, having worked up a fervor in the slaughter, was about to give chase after eliminating the five Black Sharks, only to find the surrounding shark swarm suddenly surging with unrest.

Then, as if driven by some unseen force, they charged desperately toward the group.

At this point, there were at least several hundred sharks surrounding them. Though these were common specimens, when their numbers accumulated past a hundred, their collective combat strength became considerable.

Lightning angrily lifted its hooves and swiftly dispatched every aggressor.

It seemed to be enjoying this method of combat, using only the horn on its head to eliminate the entire shark horde from start to finish.

Without the need for He Yiming or the others to intervene, in just half an hour, the White Horse Lightning had completely concluded the battle.

It stood proudly in the sea, surrounded by crimson. Even the ocean itself was dyed red in that instant.

He Yiming felt a pang of sadness, but he understood this confrontation was unavoidable.

With a long sigh, Chu Haozhou took the lead to continue the descent. However, this time, they hadn't gone far before feeling an immense, seemingly insurmountable, supreme pressure bearing down on them.

Chu Haozhou’s expression shifted slightly, and he offered a wry smile. "We tried every way to avoid the Black Shark King, but unexpectedly, we’ve still attracted its attention."