The distance rapidly closed, and the figure's appearance sharpened—it was an extraordinarily handsome young man, one who sparked a strange sense of familiarity in Nie Kong.

Flashes of imagery streaked through Nie Kong's mind like lightning... quickly, the face of an acquaintance began to align with that of the young man before him.

"Ting Lei?"

Nie Kong’s heart gave a slight jump.

Last year, within the Dark Soul Palace of the "Hellfire Nether Spring" domain, Nie Kong had sparred with numerous young masters from the Heavenly Spirit Continent, one of whom was a Water Spirit Master named "Ting Lei." Not only did he possess the cultivation of the second rank of Spirit Control, but his manipulation of water elemental energy had reached the pinnacle of artistry. Later, while leaving the "Hellfire Nether Spring," Nie Kong had heard from Hua Mei that this Ting Lei likely hailed from the Fish Spirit Clan, one of the Five Great Spirit Clans.

Ting Lei... more accurately, Yu Ting Lei. He never expected the very first person he'd encounter upon returning to the Heavenly Spirit Continent would be him!

However, his sudden appearance here was unlikely to be a coincidence.

In a mere thought, the crimson tide covering his body receded, and Qing You returned to the Spirit Sealing Jade Bottle. A smile touched Nie Kong's lips as he looked at the young man and called out in a clear voice, "Brother Ting Lei, long time no see!"

"I never thought Brother Nie Kong would still remember me."

Yu Ting Lei let out a clear laugh, though a hint of confusion flickered in his eyes, seemingly bewildered by Nie Kong’s ridiculously towering physique. Hovering a few meters away on the sea surface before Nie Kong, Yu Ting Lei expressed his surprise, "Brother Nie, are you using the Heavenly Sect's 'Elephant Heaven Manifestation'?"

"No. This is a spiritual technique I learned in the Abyss of Fall."

Nie Kong smiled slightly, hiding nothing. When he and Mu Jinzhu traveled toward the Abyss entrance, their movements had been noticed by two members of the Fish Spirit Clan. Yu Ting Lei must have known his whereabouts long ago, and his appearance today was certainly connected to it; there was no need to conceal the answer to this question.

"So that's how it is."

Yu Ting Lei was greatly amazed.

When they fought in the "Hellfire Nether Spring" last year, Yu Ting Lei felt that the gap between himself and Nie Kong wasn't immense, despite his defeat. Yet, meeting again now, Yu Ting Lei suddenly realized Nie Kong had undergone a cataclysmic transformation. The man before him was now like the vast, surging sea beneath his feet—profound and boundless, impossible to truly fathom.

"The Abyss of Fall is accessible only upon entry, never exit; no one on the Heavenly Spirit Continent dares attempt to enter it. Brother Nie Kong, as the first Spirit Master to successfully return from the Abyss of Fall, your gains must be extraordinary," Yu Ting Lei remarked with deep feeling, though a note of probing suspicion laced his words.

"Oh, just the usual, the usual."

Nie Kong laughed it off, feigning nonchalance as he smiled, "Brother Ting Lei, you've come to Sword King Island for an important matter, I presume?"

Seeing Nie Kong change the subject, Yu Ting Lei felt a touch of helplessness. But since they had only met once and their acquaintance was shallow, it wasn't appropriate to press further with his curiosity. He suppressed his eagerness and playfully replied, "Indeed, I have a 'pressing matter,' though my 'pressing matter' is inviting Brother Nie Kong to be my guest at my home. By my count, I have been waiting for you for three full days now."

"Three days?"

Nie Kong was somewhat startled. The entrance to the Abyss offered no distinction between day and night; he felt he had only been inside for a day at most, never imagining it had been three.

Yu Ting Lei nodded and smiled, "Exactly. Brother Nie Kong must have already felt my sincerity and will surely not refuse my invitation."

"This..."

Nie Kong hesitated slightly. According to his plans, after leaving the trench, he needed to rush immediately to the Flower Butterfly Secret Realm. However, Yu Ting Lei's invitation could not be dismissed lightly, especially since Yu Ting Lei represented the Fish Spirit Clan, and was very possibly the future Fish King. The Five Great Spirit Clans of the Heavenly Spirit Continent each possessed unique characteristics, and the Fish Spirit Clan held no enmity toward Nie Kong. If he needed their favor in the future, refusing them now might prove troublesome.

Yu Ting Lei seemed to have divined Nie Kong's concern and smiled, "The sea expanse between Sword King Island and the mainland requires several days even for a Heavenly Spirit Master to traverse. But my home possesses a supreme treasure that can instantly transport Brother Nie Kong across the boundless ocean to the shore."

Nie Kong cast a surprised glance at Yu Ting Lei and smiled, "If that is the case, then I gratefully accept. Brother Ting Lei, in which direction lies the Fish Spirit Clan?"

"I didn't expect Brother Nie Kong to have seen through my identity." Seeing Nie Kong suddenly utter the words "Fish Spirit Clan," Yu Ting Lei paused, then let out a wry chuckle, "Actually, it wasn't me who invited Brother Nie Kong, but my mother, the current Fish King of the Fish Spirit Clan."

"The Fish King?"

Nie Kong expressed surprise, "She knows me?" He had assumed he was merely being invited by Yu Ting Lei, never dreaming the invitation originated from the Fish King herself.

Seeing Nie Kong’s astonished expression, Yu Ting Lei couldn't help but smile, "Three nights ago, when Brother Nie Kong exited the Abyss of Fall, you disturbed the seal, causing sword qi to pierce the heavens, alerting the sea for a thousand miles around. Such a massive disturbance naturally drew my mother's keen attention."

"..."

As they spoke, the two figures sank beneath the water, moving rapidly under the surface.

Initially, Yu Ting Lei intentionally slowed his pace, but upon noticing Nie Kong following with effortless ease, a spark of competitiveness was ignited within him, and he continuously increased his swimming speed. After a few minutes, Yu Ting Lei’s waist and leg movements became minimal, yet his speed reached its peak. His slender body shot forward like a sliver of cyan sword light, covering a hundred meters in an instant, as if the surrounding seawater offered no resistance whatsoever.

Several thousand meters later, Yu Ting Lei subtly glanced back, discovering Nie Kong trailing him silently, like a ghost, remaining only two or three meters behind. The water ahead didn't seem to touch Nie Kong; it simply slipped around him, and his white robe remained completely dry.

Nie Kong grinned, not sparing his praise, "Brother Ting Lei, I didn't realize you were not only fast but also possessed such a beautiful swimming form. I am truly impressed, truly impressed."

"..."

Yu Ting Lei managed a strained smile. When he turned his gaze forward again, the smile vanished, replaced by a profound sense of defeat washing over him.

As the future Fish King of the Fish Spirit Clan, Yu Ting Lei possessed outstanding natural talent, ranking among the elite of the younger generation across the entire Heavenly Spirit Continent. But compared to Nie Kong now, not only might his overall strength be inferior, but even in the aspect of submerged swimming, he found it difficult to maintain the lead.

This was especially vexing because, throughout history, the Fish Spirit Clan had always been the ocean's favored children.

In underwater combat, thanks to their astonishing comprehension of water elemental energy, the Fish Spirit Clan members’ power was at least double that on land. As for submerged travel, that was an innate instinct for the Fish Spirit Clan. Even the most ordinary Fish Spirit tribesman possessed aquatic skills far beyond those of land-based Spirit Masters. And Yu Ting Lei’s own water skill was considered exceptional even within the clan.

Yet, Nie Kong swam through the water with such apparent leisure, suggesting he could surpass Yu Ting Lei at any moment if he chose to.

"What kind of incredible fortune did Nie Kong encounter in the Abyss of Fall? And that white robe he wears is certainly no ordinary item." Yu Ting Lei frowned deeply in frustration, his mind racing with speculation, though his swimming speed did not diminish in the slightest.

Watching the agile figure ahead, Nie Kong chuckled inwardly. He understood perfectly the young man’s small thoughts; it was only natural for an excellent person to feel competitive when encountering someone demonstrably superior, and there was no need to dwell on it.

However, Nie Kong did feel a degree of admiration for Yu Ting Lei.

He could keep up mainly because he was still wearing the "Spiritual Rhino Battle Robe." Otherwise, even if his cultivation far surpassed Yu Ting Lei’s, maintaining such swift, smooth movement in the water for long would be impossible. In contrast, Yu Ting Lei relied solely on his physical body, without the aid of any external artifacts.

Especially when swimming, Yu Ting Lei seemed perfectly integrated with the surrounding seawater, his movements graceful and light, exceptionally beautiful. It was a shame he was a man; otherwise, the term "Mermaid" would seem tailor-made for him.

What struck Nie Kong most keenly was how the spirit beasts in the sea actively gave way when they spotted Yu Ting Lei; not a single one dared to provoke him. Notably, an eighth-rank peak spirit beast, whose power was extremely close to the ninth rank, had opened its massive jaws to tear at Nie Kong from behind. But upon catching sight of Yu Ting Lei ahead, it abandoned the 'feast' it was about to claim without a sound and simply turned to flee.

Sensing the shift in Nie Kong's expression, a faint hint of a smile finally appeared in Yu Ting Lei’s eyes.

"Could it be that all bloodlines of the Fish Spirit Clan possess the ability to make underwater spirit beasts retreat three steps?"

Nie Kong muttered to himself.

After traveling west for nearly an hour, a deep ocean trench finally came into Nie Kong’s view. Yu Ting Lei twisted his body and dove toward the bottom of the trench. Nie Kong followed without asking whether they had reached the Fish Spirit Clan territory or what the Fish King’s purpose was in inviting him.

The two figures descended further into the trench. The light filtering down from the surface grew increasingly dim, and darkness gradually engulfed the surrounding water.

Nie Kong focused his mind and unleashed the spiritual imprint from the "War God Star Seal."

Seeing the fleeting golden phantom—a projection identical to Nie Kong's own visage—flash and envelop him, Yu Ting Lei said nothing more, continuing to lead Nie Kong downward. About fifteen minutes later, Yu Ting Lei suddenly produced a thumb-sized, snow-white pearl in his hand.

As a thread of water spiritual energy flowed from Yu Ting Lei’s palm into the bead, the white orb burst forth with dazzling, turquoise brilliance. The blue light then seemed to integrate physically into the surroundings. In the blink of an eye, the boundless darkness was dispelled, and an entirely different panorama unfolded before Nie Kong.

The trench remained a trench, but along its deep, wide walls stood towering cliffs and bizarre rock formations, studded with various types of seaweed clinging to the stone faces. Colorful phosphorescence radiated from the stems and leaves of the flora, and countless beautiful small fish darted back and forth between the rock crevices and the seaweed, creating a dreamlike, illusory scene.

"How beautiful!" Nie Kong exclaimed involuntarily.

"Below us lies the Sea God Palace of our Fish Spirit Clan," Yu Ting Lei said with a broad smile, clearly pleased with the expression Nie Kong wore. Following Yu Ting Lei’s pointing finger, Nie Kong looked toward the hazy depths of the trench, where a sapphire-blue palace structure shimmered faintly...

... ...