The crowd was utterly perplexed. For a moment, the surrounding atmosphere grew heavy, almost oppressive.

“Strange! Utterly strange!”

After a considerable pause, Zhan Baisong frowned deeply, sighing under his breath. “No Nether Beast has ever shown signs of surviving in the ‘Nether Sea Fire Source.’ The seawater here is so peculiar that even a ninth-tier Nether Beast would succumb to the Poison of the Nether Fire within three days. Yet, the appearance of this fourth-tier beast, the ‘Black-Scaled Fish Fox,’ completely subverted everything we thought we knew.”

“Perhaps… perhaps this Black-Scaled Fish Fox was just thrown in?” Zhan Feihong offered. The moment the words left his mouth, even Zhan Feihong found the suggestion ludicrous.

The vast majority of Nether Beasts congregated within the ‘Ghost Domain.’ Which Black Spirit Master would bother capturing a ‘Black-Scaled Fish Fox’ only to bring it all the way here? Moreover, why wouldn’t the thrown beast immediately flee the water, but instead linger to ambush Nie Kong?

Indeed, hearing Zhan Feihong’s words, Zhan Baisong and the others couldn't help but let out stifled laughter.

“If that were the case…” Zhan Baisong’s brow furrowed even tighter after the laughter subsided, his gaze returning to the beast. “How then do we explain that none of us old fogeys even sensed the presence of this tiny fourth-tier Nether Beast beforehand?”

“……”

Zhan Baifeng, Zhan Feihong, and the others were struck dumb.

Zhan Baisong’s question was precisely what worried everyone most. If a Nether Beast had simply appeared in the Nether Sea, they would have been surprised, but not overly concerned. However, the fact that ninth-tier powerhouses failed to detect the presence of a mere fourth-tier beast was what truly unsettled them.

Such silent ambushes were incredibly difficult to guard against.

Just like moments ago, if the attacker hadn't been the fourth-tier ‘Black-Scaled Fish Fox,’ but rather a seventh or eighth-tier beast, Nie Kong would likely be in dire straits now, as they would have had no chance to rescue him in time.

Nie Kong’s expression was grave; he had certainly considered the same point.

“Since the ‘Black-Scaled Fish Fox’ has shown itself, perhaps there are other Nether Beasts lurking in the Nether Sea. Nie Kong, move into our center. We must proceed with extreme caution for the next stretch; not a single mistake can be afforded.” As he spoke, Zhan Baisong flicked his right hand, and the struggling ‘Black-Scaled Fish Fox’ instantly disintegrated into a pile of fine ash, scattering across the water’s surface.

Zhan Baifeng and Zhan Feihong, among others, nodded in agreement. This young fellow, Nie Kong, was the ‘Ultimate Treasure’ of the Zhan Clan. Any of the seven could afford an accident, but Nie Kong could not.

Nie Kong, keenly aware of his status as the ‘Treasure,’ accepted without hesitation and quickly moved to the center of the group. This uncertain situation in the Nether Sea was no time for heroics.

“Go!”

Zhan Baisong took a deep breath, sweeping his wide sleeve, and a dense ball of black energy enveloped Nie Kong’s body. Escorted by Zhan Baifeng and the others, they floated forward. Soon, the seven figures were swallowed by the churning black mist. Minutes later, several silhouettes appeared on the shore.

“……”

“I never expected Nether Beasts to inhabit the Nether Sea. Has the seawater here finally become suitable for them to survive?”

“It must have happened recently. Over ten years ago, people from the Star Luo Sect came here to harvest Fire Seeds; there was no mention of any Nether Beasts back then.”

“I wonder where that ‘Black-Scaled Fish Fox’ came from. From the sound of Zhan Baisong’s words, before the ‘Black-Scaled Fish Fox’ appeared, they hadn't even detected the small beast lurking right beneath their feet… We must report this to the Sect Master immediately!”

“……”

The voices faded, and the figures were obscured by the black mist of the Nether Sea. Subsequently, more individuals entered the sea, moving with much greater caution. Clearly, the anomaly of the Nether Beasts appearing in this area had instilled considerable apprehension in their hearts…

“Whoosh!”

A colossal sound erupted. The small patch of water at the center of Zhan Baisong’s group suddenly surged upward. Immediately, a gaping maw tore through the thick, viscous seawater, lunging lightning-fast towards Nie Kong above, its four sharp fangs gleaming with a chilling cold light.

“Up!”

Zhan Baisong roared. The black energy enshrouding Nie Kong lashed out like a silk ribbon, pulling him swiftly upward by more than ten meters, escaping the monstrous jaws. At the very same moment, Zhan Baifeng shot out his right palm, broad as a fan.

Amidst thunderous roars, the head that was sinking was smashed into pulp by the ferocious force. Subsequently, half of the beast’s body floated to the surface, thick, inky-black blood oozing from the gaping wounds and merging with the surrounding seawater.

“Sixth-tier Nether Beast, the Three-Eyed Bronze Armored Beast!”

“That makes nine!”

The group exchanged glances and pressed onward.

Nie Kong resettled among them, though he was internally astonished. While the previous eight fourth-tier beasts, including the ‘Black-Scaled Fish Fox,’ had caused little reaction upon death, this sixth-tier beast elicited a sudden cry from the little one housed within his Spiritual God Acupoint the moment it perished.

Lately, the little one had only made such sounds when encountering Nether Pills. In the past, Nie Kong hadn't understood why, but after twice refining the ‘White Snow Pill’ using the ‘Medicine Cauldron Illusion Body,’ Nie Kong had realized it: the little creature was drawn to Nether Pills because, at the instant of their condensation, they generated a trace of primal origin power.

Now, why was the little one interested in a Nether Beast?

“Could it be that Nether Beasts also contain origin power within their bodies?”

Nie Kong focused his spirit on the Spiritual God Acupoint, yet felt uncertain about this conjecture. “Ultimately, the little one’s sentience isn't strong enough. If its intelligence could reach the level of Qing Yue, such questions would cease to be issues.”

“Ah-ya-ya?”

Far from the corpse of the Fu Feng, the little creature tilted its small, flowery mouth, murmuring in confusion as it scampered within the acupoint. Nie Kong suppressed a smile. Perhaps it didn't need to reach Qing Yue's level; perhaps once it advanced to the sixth tier, its sentience would greatly increase.

The sixth tier was a massive watershed for the little one. Reaching that level meant a qualitative leap, allowing it to exist independently outside the Spiritual God Acupoint. Contemplating this, Nie Kong felt a stir of anticipation for the little creature’s future state.

“Poison!”

Suddenly, a column of black water shot vertically into the sky, accompanied by a deafening roar that startled the contemplative Nie Kong awake.

The group instantly halted.

“Another Nether Beast appeared. I wonder what tier this one is?” Nie Kong thought inwardly.

“Careful!” While Nie Kong, positioned in the center, felt little, Zhan Baisong and the others stared at the thick water pillar with gravely serious expressions. The beast had not yet revealed itself, but they had already sensed an extraordinarily powerful aura emanating from the column.

“Is that… a ninth-tier Nether Beast?” Zhan Feihong’s brow tightened.

“Indeed!” Zhan Baisong nodded slightly, his gaze sharpening intensely toward the water pillar.

Besides him, Zhan Baifeng and Zhan Baige were also ninth-tier Black Spirit Masters. Dealing with a single ninth-tier beast was not difficult, but killing one offered no guarantee against a second, or a third… They hadn't even completed half the journey through the Nether Sea. If they expended too much Nether Power dealing with ninth-tier beasts now, the remainder of the journey would become far more perilous!

Glancing at Zhan Baisong and the others, Nie Kong couldn't help but feel a trace of worry.

“Roar!”

Suddenly, a deep roar echoed from the seabed. Initially low, the sound escalated rapidly within seconds into a piercing shriek that cut through the water, blasting away the churning black fog above the surface.

“Roar!”

The second roar followed immediately after the first.

Accompanying these immense sound waves, the water pillar collapsed. Then, the sea surface abruptly swelled upwards by dozens of meters, water cascading outwards in all directions. In an instant, a massive, dark-red silhouette materialized within their sight.

What a colossal Nether Beast!

Nie Kong was startled. The portion of the beast that surfaced stretched over a hundred meters long—and that was only its back. If the entire creature were exposed, how terrifying would it be? Having been in this world for several years, Nie Kong had never witnessed anything so enormous.

“…Fu Feng…? This ‘Fu Feng’ must be at the peak of the ninth tier!”

Zhan Baisong and the others visibly paled.

The strength difference between a regular ninth-tier beast and one at the peak of the ninth tier was vast. Even the three ninth-tier Black Spirit Masters among them would have to exert themselves considerably to slay an ordinary peak ninth-tier beast, let alone one like the Fu Feng. A peak ninth-tier Fu Feng was undoubtedly the overlord of these seas!

“Roar!” Another bellow erupted from the depths. In an instant, the sea covering several hundred meters began to roil, and towering black waves, dozens of meters high, surged skyward. The dense fog billowed like a violent tide. In that moment, the sky above darkened considerably.

The group moved with practiced synchronicity, retreating a hundred meters with Nie Kong.

“Get ready, it’s about to emerge!” Having halted, Zhan Baisong commanded in a low voice. “Feihong, you protect Nie Kong!”

As he spoke, a surge of black energy pulsed from his palm, and Nie Kong was instantly transported in front of Zhan Feihong. Zhan Feihong showed no hesitation. Robust Death Qi spilled from his body, tightly enveloping Nie Kong from the neck down—a necessary precaution against an ambush from beneath.

Having made these arrangements, Zhan Feihong noticed Nie Kong’s mouth slightly agape, his eyes fixed blankly on the increasingly distinct, massive dark-red shape ahead. Thinking Nie Kong was frightened, he patted his shoulder and chuckled, “Little fellow, don’t worry. We have three ninth-tier Black Spirit Masters here. Even if this ‘Fu Feng’ possesses peak ninth-tier strength, it won’t be able to harm us!”

“Oh, oh!” Nie Kong snapped back to attention but failed to explain that his trance wasn't caused by fear of the peak ninth-tier beast, but sheer astonishment. The moment the Fu Feng revealed its back, the little creature inside him had cried out again—its tone unprecedentedly excited and urgent.

This time, the little one’s outcry was not an instinctual reaction. It had genuinely sensed the origin power contained within the Fu Feng’s body. Under the current circumstances, the only reason the little one’s actions transcended instinct to produce clear intent was that the quantity of origin power within the Fu Feng far exceeded anything it had sensed from the Nether Pills before!