On the shore, Yu Tao suddenly stood up, his expression flickering as he watched the changes in the Ice Sea. Finally, gritting his teeth, he jumped back into the sea.
In Dongyang City in the distance, a shrill alarm echoed throughout the entire city. The Soul Masters responsible for defending against Sea Soul Beasts ascended the city walls, preparing to meet the sudden attack of the Sea Soul Beasts.
And Wang Nan, the instigator of all these events, was currently feeling the aftereffects of that strike.
Each challenge to the rules of heaven and earth was a complete transformation for him. After unleashing that strike in the sea and facing the deep sea before him, he felt as if the pressure on his body had significantly lightened.
That strike penetrated to the seabed. Even with the seawater absorbing the impact, directly beneath the Coiling Dragon Staff, a deep pit had been smashed into the seabed.
The bottom of the pit looked as if it had split open, a grotesque crack appearing there, followed by a rich aura of coldness and darkness.
The few strange fish from before had long vanished, only some minced flesh dissipating into the seawater, and several black spirit rings floated around Wang Nan.
Only then did Wang Nan realize that those inconspicuous fish Spirit Beasts had all possessed ten-thousand-year cultivation.
It was only at this moment that Wang Nan recovered and looked at Long Aotian.
He was unconscious, a painful expression on his face, and his entire skin glowed with a silvery-white luster, looking like a silver statue carved from metal.
He looked at the graveyard ahead. Under that strike, countless bones, accumulated for who knows how long, surged out, some even emitting faint blue light, radiating spirit power fluctuations.
Wang Nan glanced at Long Aotian, seeing the rise and fall of his chest gradually weaken. After a quick look at the bones, he grabbed Long Aotian, and his left leg glowed with a blood-red light.
Accompanying a flash of silver light, he and Long Aotian appeared on the shore. Looking around, he didn't see Yu Tao, so Wang Nan had no choice but to place Long Aotian aside. After starting a bonfire and covering him with a piece of clothing, he slowly entered a meditative state.
"Cough, cough."
After an unknown period, Long Aotian's cough roused Wang Nan from his meditation.
"How are you?"
"Thank you, Senior, for saving me." Long Aotian sat up, put on his clothes, and returned Wang Nan's clothing.
"No need. Speaking of which, this is my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to endure such a risk."
"No." Long Aotian shook his head, clenching his right fist, the skin on his arm completely turned silvery-white, emitting a metallic luster.
"The cultivation of my Body Sect is inherently about seeking breakthroughs in extreme conditions. That I could achieve a breakthrough this time is also thanks to Senior."
Wang Nan thought about his insights from the seabed just now and for a moment didn't know who benefited more. "Forget it, you don't have to keep calling me Senior. I'm not much older than you."
If Wang Nan remembered correctly, Long Aotian should have participated in the next Soul Duel Tournament, so he was probably only fifteen or sixteen years old now.
"My surname is Wang, just call me Wang Nan."
"Wang Dage."
Wang Nan's brows twitched slightly at the words, but he nodded in acknowledgment.
"Oh, right." Long Aotian took out the several thousand-year Spirit Beasts from before. "Wang Dage must be entering the sea for cultivation for the first time. After refining your body in the deep sea, using these Physique-enhancing ingredients will have an even better effect."
Wang Nan did not refuse this time. As the Spirit Beast meat entered his mouth, a warm sensation spread through his limbs and bones.
"Our Body Sect's cultivation is slightly different from other Spirit Masters. We seek the power of the Spirit Master themselves. In our view, the power of a Spirit Master not only needs to come from external factors like spirit rings and Spirit Bones, but also from excavating the Spirit Master's own potential."
"Every Spirit Master is a huge treasure trove, and only by facing various dangers can they be stimulated."
Wang Nan ate and exchanged cultivation insights with Long Aotian. From Long Aotian, he learned a completely different cultivation philosophy.
He didn't know if the feeling he had underwater counted as developing his own power, but undoubtedly, under that immense pressure, his Physique was indeed becoming stronger.
When Yu Tao, having searched fruitlessly in the sea, broke the surface, what he saw was Wang Nan and Long Aotian sitting opposite each other around a bonfire, eating meat heartily.
Watching Long Aotian call him 'Dage' repeatedly, Yu Tao was momentarily stunned.
How did I become an outsider in such a short time?
The night passed quickly. At dawn, Long Aotian entered the Ice Sea as usual.
Wang Nan also came to the shore, looking at the Ice Sea before him.
A sound came from behind. Wang Nan looked back and saw Yu Tao quickly avert his gaze.
Without paying much attention, Wang Nan also leaped into the sea.
There were no reference points in the sea, making it difficult for anyone unfamiliar with the area to determine their exact location.
But in Wang Nan's perception, the Moon Mark left by his left leg bone on the shore was the best reference.
After entering the seawater, he only briefly confirmed his direction before Wang Nan quickly swam towards the graveyard.
He wasn't idle on the way, feeling the pressure of the seawater on his body. Wang Nan seemed to hear the voice within him again. The Spirit Bone in his chest emitted a golden light, and golden, vein-like lines appeared on Wang Nan's body.
He didn't use any spirit power, but instead, like Long Aotian, let golden blood flow throughout his body, resisting the surrounding pressure.
He didn't know if this was what Long Aotian called developing one's own power, but as his body constantly resisted the surrounding pressure, he felt his energy and blood becoming denser, and his heart beat more powerfully.
Although a night had passed, the effects Wang Nan had created had not completely dissipated. Swimming along, Wang Nan did not encounter a single Spirit Beast and quickly arrived at yesterday's graveyard.
Some fragile bones here had already shattered, but the greater change was the deep pit Wang Nan had left there.
The crack in the pit had grown considerably compared to before, and Wang Nan clearly felt the aura of life emanating from within.
A Spirit Beast lived inside, and it was no ordinary Spirit Beast.
Looking again at the surrounding bones, Wang Nan suddenly understood.
The bones left here were not from just one type of Spirit Beast, but various kinds. It would be too forced to say that Sea Soul Beasts of various races built a graveyard together.
This was not a dedicated graveyard at all, but rather a powerful Spirit Beast lived here, and these Spirit Beast bones were merely the remnants left after it fed.
Wang Nan's figure remained motionless.
A dark aura rhythmically surged from the crack, as if the Spirit Beast was breathing.