Fa and her group stood in the cave of the Abyss Secret Realm, facing Lantis, the Star Inheritance Bearer. Lantis, a massive sea turtle, had ancient runes etched across his shell, emanating a faint golden glow. His eyes were deep and wise, as if peering into everyone's hearts.
"Are you ready?" Lantis's voice was low and melodious, echoing through the cave.
Fa took a deep breath, gripping her short blade tightly, her gaze fixed firmly on Lantis. "We're ready." Her voice carried determination.
Yuyuer swam forward, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Master, I'm already part of Fa's team now. I want to join the trial too."
Lantis nodded slowly, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes. "In that case, join them."
At that moment, Salsa's soul form floated in the air, softly saying, "The Sand Sage tested us with one-tenth of his power before."
Lantis chuckled. "Then I'll use one-tenth as well, or else you'd say I'm bullying you." He waved his front claw, and the golden runes on his shell suddenly erupted in blazing light. He then transported them to a completely pitch-black underwater space. Fa felt the seawater beneath her feet surge suddenly, a powerful suction pulling everyone into a deep blue vortex. When she opened her eyes, all she saw was ink-like darkness; even the eerie glow from Yuyuer's staff was completely swallowed. A faint ancient ocean roar echoed in her ears, like a dirge from the deep sea.
"This is the 'Deep Sea Void Domain,'" Lantis's voice surged from all directions, carrying a tidal rhythm. "Here, I will test your sensory abilities in the darkness." Lantis's voice rang out in the dark, with a hint of challenge.
Battle Begins: First Wave of Assault in the Darkness
A sudden powerful current pushed like a giant hand, leaving everyone disoriented. Fa quickly widened her eyes, her right eye's star pupil lighting up again, barely piercing through the darkness to sense the water flow's direction. But the surroundings were too dark; she could only vaguely feel dangerous fluctuations gathering in the water, like countless hidden blades about to unsheathe.
"Everyone, be careful! Lantis is about to attack!" Fa shouted a warning. As soon as she spoke, countless water elements condensed in the darkness, each water molecule flashing with cold light, like bats in the night ready to pounce. Fa quickly slashed the ground with her short blade, summoning earth magic to raise three earthen walls around them. The next second, deep blue water blades crashed down, shattering the first wall instantly, spraying mud and seawater onto Tisk's face. He wiped his face, shaking sand from his beard, gripping his war hammer "Burning Vine" with both hands—the red and blue patterns on the hammer glowing. "Damn! How do we fight when we can't see anything? It's like mining in the dark!"
Before Tisk could finish, the seawater underfoot spun wildly, forming a massive vortex that threatened to suck everyone into the abyss. Arya quickly drew her Storm Bow, shooting a cyan tornado that collided head-on with the vortex. The two forces clashed with a boom, weakening the vortex's pull. Tisk seized the moment, raising his hammer and smashing it into the vortex's center; red and blue lights exploded, blasting the vortex apart with a thunderous roar. But the seawater quickly regrouped, and the enemy's assault showed no sign of stopping.
Salsa summoned a pack of shadow demon wolves and shadow wolf knights, who roared and charged toward Lantis in the darkness. But with a casual wave of his claw, Lantis created a sea tornado that instantly shredded the wolves and knights, leaving only a few ghostly green remnants vanishing into the water. Rex released dozens of small drones, their bodies flickering with faint light, trying to locate Lantis. But Lantis's figure flickered unpredictably in the dark; the drones' beams always missed, stirring only bubbles in the water.
Kayla's body glowed blue as she entered her second-stage transformation, her claws flashing with electricity and frost. She roared and lunged at Lantis, her claws slashing with electric light and ice blades, but they were blocked by a thick water wall. The electricity exploded on the wall, and the frost melted quickly, the backlash forcing her back a few steps. Yuyuer waved her staff, forming several small vortices in the surrounding water to disrupt Lantis's assault: "I'll control the water flow; you all attack while you can!" But Lantis merely sneered, summoning a massive wave that easily engulfed all the small vortices, dimming Yuyuer's staff light.
"Your coordination is good, but it's not enough." Lantis's voice echoed in the darkness, laced with mockery. Everyone felt the surrounding seawater growing heavier, their movements slowing as if pressed by invisible hands. Fa frowned tightly, her right eye's silver light flickering more frequently; she noticed that while Lantis's attack rhythm was fast, there was a brief fluctuation in the water flow before each powerful strike.
Tisk gripped his hammer, feeling waves of heat and cold in his palms—this was the special ability of the Burning Vine hammer, capable of unleashing dual ice-fire attacks. He nodded subtly to Arya; their battle synergy allowed communication without words. Arya's Storm Bow was drawn fully again, the cyan light brighter than before, while Tisk smashed his hammer into the seabed, stirring up a cloud of mud and sand. The murky sediment dispersed in the water, briefly illuminating the surroundings, and everyone finally caught a glimpse of Lantis's figure.
Assault of the Sea Beasts
The moment Lantis's figure appeared, countless sea beasts condensed from seawater materialized in the darkness—fierce sharks, massive octopuses, sturdy sea lions, dense swarms of small piranhas, thick-shelled giant crabs, agile sea snakes, and elegant but spiky seahorses. These water-constructed creatures exuded a chilling aura; though bloodless, they carried a tangible menace, as if each possessed destructive power.
Seeing the array, Fa remained calm, her past battle experiences allowing her to react swiftly. She commanded loudly: "Everyone, spread out and take one each! Don't let them surround us!" Her voice spread through the water with firmness and composure, snapping the team out of their brief shock; they each selected a target and engaged.
Fa's Battle: Water Shark
Fa faced the sleek water shark head-on. It had a long body and knife-sharp teeth, twisting agilely in the water, its ruthless gaze locked on Fa. Fa gripped her short blade with both hands, chanting softly as earth magic surged from her feet into the seabed mud. "Stone Spear Thrust!" With her shout, thick stone spears shot from the seabed, piercing toward the shark's body with immense force.
However, the spears easily passed through the shark, splashing water everywhere; the wounds healed instantly, and the shark seemed unaffected, instead enraged, lunging at Fa with its jaws wide. Fa's pupils contracted, a silver gleam flashing in her right eye: "Time Stop!" In an instant, everything around froze as if paused—the surging water solidified into crystalline sculptures, the shark's snarling pose suspended in mid-air.
Fa felt the heavy toll of the time magic, sweat beading on her forehead, but she dared not delay. She darted forward in the frozen time, circling behind the shark. Earth magic condensed intensely on her short blade, forming a hard rock layer around the edge. Gritting her teeth, she thrust the blade deep into the shark's heart—the faintly glowing blue magic core.
As time resumed, the shark let out a piercing shriek, its body trembling violently. Water leaked from the pierced core like a bursting dam, magic dissipating rapidly; the massive body gradually disintegrated, scattering into countless droplets vanishing into the vast seawater. Fa clutched her throbbing forehead, panting, her eyes still resolute, then turned to support her teammates.
Arya's Battle: Water Octopus
Arya held her Storm Bow, string drawn taut, her eyes reflecting the octopus waving its eight long tentacles. The tentacles twisted flexibly in the water, each slap carrying immense force, stirring the seawater wherever they went. Arya chanted softly, igniting flames on her arrow, the red glow standing out in the dark seabed.
"Boom!" The first fire-magic arrow pierced one tentacle, flames spreading rapidly across the water-body octopus. Heat caused the water to steam into white mist; the octopus screeched, its remaining tentacles flailing wildly to extinguish the fire. But the flames didn't quench in water—instead, they spread faster through conduction.
Arya smirked coldly, infusing wind magic into the bowstring, accelerating the arrows several times over. One after another, flame-tipped arrows streaked like meteors through the seabed, exploding on the octopus. Firelight illuminated her face, highlighting the determination in her eyes. The octopus's movements slowed, tentacles disintegrating one by one, until with a final wail, its body dissolved into countless droplets, leaving only drifting steam.
Tisk's Battle: Water Sea Lion
Tisk faced a massive water sea lion, its muscular form distinct, eyes glowing coldly. It roared and lunged like a solid entity, its impact rippling the water fiercely. Tisk gripped his hammer, magic surging; ice and fire intertwined on the hammer, forming blue-red light.
"Ice-Fire Blast!" Tisk bellowed, swinging the hammer heavily, sending surges of icy frost and crimson flames toward the sea lion. A massive explosion shattered the sea lion's body, water droplets splashing everywhere. Yet, the water form recovered astonishingly, fragments regrouping, though its aura weakened.
Seeing this, Tisk's eyes blazed with fury. "You think this can beat me?" Metal magic surged on the hammer, iron spikes gleaming sharply under enhancement. He stomped, rocketing forward like a cannonball, hammer whistling through the water, smashing into the sea lion's head. "Boom!" A muffled thud—the iron spikes embedded deep into the head core, metal magic poisoning and destroying the magic structure like venom.
The sea lion let out a low moan, body shaking, unable to reform, finally collapsing into a pool of seawater. Only Tisk's hammer trembled slightly in the water, evidence of the fierce battle.
Salsa's Battle: Water Piranha Swarm
Salsa faced countless small water piranhas, dense like a moving shadow, darting swiftly in the water, sharp teeth glinting coldly. Salsa's hands formed seals rapidly, shadow magic surging; dozens of black shadows erupted from her feet—her summoned shadow demon wolves and shadow wolf knights.
The shadow wolves were agile, claws gleaming eerily, rampaging through the swarm, each pounce tearing apart several piranhas; the wolf knights wielded lances atop wolves, scattering the swarm wherever the tips pointed. However, the piranhas' numbers were overwhelming, surging endlessly, pressuring Salsa gradually.
"This can't go on!" Salsa frowned, hands condensing shadow magic into a massive shadow bomb in her palm. She shouted and hurled it into the densest cluster. "Boom!" Shadow energy erupted like a black hole, devouring surrounding piranhas; the shockwave blasted the swarm to pieces. As the water calmed, Salsa noticed her hands trembling slightly, sweat on her forehead, but her eyes remained steadfast.
Rex's Battle: Water Giant Crab
Rex faced a massive water giant crab, its hard shell glowing coldly in the dark, massive pincers clacking as if they could crush anything. Rex's eyes showed calm light; with a wave of his arm, countless nano-drones and mechanical bugs surged from his body, like a silver cloud sea, encircling the crab.
The drones and bugs targeted the crab's joints, key to its movement. The crab swung its pincers, trying to swat the pests, but Rex's commands were precise as a computer; the drones dodged nimbly, attacking the joints relentlessly.
"It's over." Rex murmured, his arm transforming with mechanical whirs into a blue-glowing ion cannon. Energy gathered at the muzzle, forming a bright blue orb. "Boom!" The beam struck the crab's core, powerful energy instantly destroying its magic structure; the crab groaned muffledly, collapsing into countless droplets. Rex stood there, victory gleaming in his eyes.
Kayla's Battle: Water Sea Snake
Kayla faced a slender water sea snake, exuding cold aura, its tongue flicking dangerously. It slithered agilely in the water like a hidden assassin, waiting to strike. Kayla gripped her thunder claws, electricity dancing on the blades; frost magic surged from her feet, gradually freezing the surrounding water.
"Die!" Kayla bellowed, charging like lightning, thunder claws slashing with electric light and frost toward the snake's body. Frost quickly froze the snake, electricity surging through the ice, blasting it to pieces. The sounds of cracking ice and crackling electricity wove a victory symphony.
The snake wailed piercingly, shattering into countless ice shards and droplets, dissipating into the seawater. Kayla stood, the electricity on her claws fading, but her eyes remained sharp, ready for the next threat.
Yuyuer's Battle: Water Seahorse
Yuyuer faced an elegant yet dangerous water seahorse, its long form curved like a horse, moving dancer-like in the water but covered in spikes. Yuyuer gripped her staff, blue magic surging from the tip, summoning a sturdy sea beast—a giant creature condensed from seawater and magic, massive with hard scales.
The sea beast and seahorse clashed fiercely in the water. The seahorse struck with agile form, its tail sweeping powerfully; the sea beast countered with robust body and sharp teeth, entangling the foe. Yuyuer watched intently, waving her staff, blue light flashing to bolster the beast's power.
"Keep going!" Yuyuer whispered, pouring magic endlessly into the beast. Empowered, the beast roared, claws slashing together, striking the seahorse heavily. The seahorse moaned, weakening gradually, finally disintegrating under the assault into countless droplets. Yuyuer sighed in relief, wiping sweat from her forehead, a smile emerging.
Team Effort: Confronting the Sea Tornado
The group defeated the sea beasts successfully, but Lantis didn't stop. He waved his front claw again, stirring magic ripples in the water. The surrounding seawater boiled suddenly, converging into a dozens-of-meters-wide sea tornado. The vortex center whistled sharply like a deep-sea demon's horn; powerful suction lifted seabed gravel into the air, even causing rock layers to crumble.
"Everyone, group up!" Fa shouted. "We have to hold it off together!"
They gathered quickly; Fa anchored her short blade into a rock crevice, her silver pupils reflecting the surging flow. She pressed her hands to the ground, earth magic pulsing like a heartbeat; a two-meter-thick rock wall erupted from the seabed, spiked with crystalline thorns like a prehistoric beast's spine. Yet the sea tornado's suction slapped like a flyswatter; the wall trembled violently upon forming, cracks seeping water.
Arya's Storm Bow drew to a full moon, wind magic at the arrow tip forming a bronze dragon head: "Storm Cage!" Seven wind blades spiraled around the tornado, countering the vortex gravity with reverse airflow. The forces clashed in spherical turbulence, screeching like scraping glass; the tornado's outer flow was gouged with gaps.
Tisk smashed his Burning Vine hammer onto the rock wall to reinforce it; ice-fire blast magic boiled in his arm veins. He suddenly raised the hammer overhead, red-blue energy condensing into a rotating yin-yang totem on the head: "Extreme Cold Blaze · Dual Strike!" Two energy beams pierced the wall cracks, exploding ice and fire fireworks at the tornado's base; countless crystals and sparks drifted, briefly freezing parts of the flow.
Salsa turned into greenish smoke, infiltrating the tornado. She summoned shadow demon wolves and wolf knights from the mist, claws tearing water while scattering starry shadow seeds: "These are for you." The seeds burst into thorny vines upon contact, entangling the churning flow into a massive cocoon.
Rex's nano-drones formed a silver locust swarm, bypassing allies' defenses to drill into the tornado core. Mechanical bugs deployed laser blades, carving complex geometric arrays at the axis: "Found it! That blue glow is the magic source!" An ion cannon extended from his palm; the blue beam pierced the array center, hitting Lantis's projected magic core in the tornado.
Yuyuer waved her staff, summoning her sea beast to confront the tornado. The condensed seawater giant opened a whale-like maw, swallowing outer vortex flow, forcibly stripping thirty percent of the water from the tornado. Under the group's combined efforts, the sea tornado finally dispersed, dissolving into countless water splashes in the seawater.
Power Increase: 20% Challenge
Lantis watched their performance, a glint of approval in his eyes. "Your performance is good, so I'll increase to twenty percent power and fight you."
Before the words finished, dozens of crystal-blue rings surged around Lantis, each resonating with deep-sea currents. The distant sea surface cracked open suddenly; countless water pillars rose like dragons, converging into a sky-covering water wall under cloudy skies. The water transformed into raging tsunamis with Lantis's claw wave, each wave crest carrying island-crushing momentum, like a silver curtain cascading from the heavens, roaring toward the group.
Seeing this, Fa commanded swiftly: "Everyone, spread out and dodge the tsunami!"
They scattered immediately, each seeking cover from the impact. Fa relied on her agility, flashing behind a massive rock; the giant wave crashed against it with deafening roar. Arya used wind magic to leap airborne, evading the tsunami, her Storm Bow glowing in the sky.
Tisk swung his hammer, releasing metal magic to form a metal barrier blocking the tsunami. The barrier screeched under the waves' assault but held firm. Salsa's soul form passed through the tsunami, dodging; her mechanical cat shell shivered on the seabed.
Rex activated his mechanical arm's jets, flying airborne; his arm shifted to an ion cannon, attempting to blast the tsunami. However, the tsunami's power was overwhelming; the beam only created a small gap in the crest. Kayla used her three-stage transformation's agility to leap high, her thunder claws flashing in the dark.
Yuyuer waved her staff, forming a circulating water element shield before her. The blue barrier just formed when the first wave crest slammed— not mere water impact, but laced with offshore currents and vortices' destructive force; the shield rippled with web-like magic waves.
As the first tsunami's aftermath receded, before they could catch their breath, a muffled resonance came from the seabed—a threat worse than the tsunami. Lantis's pupils turned to shark-like slits; he pressed his hands to the rock bed, countless eerie blue patterns spreading outward from him. Fa felt a thousand-ton weight on her chest, a sweet taste in her throat, blood seeping from her lips—that was the Deep Sea Pressure Field, an advanced water magic compressing space molecules.
"It's the Deep Sea Domain!" Yuyuer's staff nearly slipped; the increased water density lagged her water shield noticeably. "Everyone, be careful—this pressure increases with depth; don't resist head-on!"
Fa gritted her teeth, trying to use Time Stop to escape the pressure. However, Lantis's magic was too powerful; even in stopped time, the pressure persisted, draining her magic rapidly.
Arya drew her Storm Bow, shooting a light-magic arrow to disrupt Lantis's array. But the arrow was blocked by an invisible force near Lantis, dissipating into light specks. Tisk swung his hammer, trying to charge Lantis, but each step was excruciating, like wading through mud.
Salsa summoned shadow demon wolves to attack Lantis, but they moved sluggishly under pressure, unable to approach. Rex released mechanical bugs to breach Lantis's defenses, but they burst under pressure, turning to fragments.
Kayla roared, charging Lantis; her thunder claws wove electricity and frost, but the pressure reduced her power, leaving only a shallow mark on the water barrier. Yuyuer waved her staff, trying water magic against Lantis's, but her strength was insignificant compared to his.
Lantis watched their struggles, a trace of regret in his eyes. "You're stronger than I expected... but your power isn't enough to withstand the deep sea's pressure."
He then waved his front claw, a powerful current assaulting them, hurling everyone against the cave walls with dull thuds. Fa struggled to stand, wiping blood from her lips, her gaze fixed resolutely on Lantis. "We haven't lost yet!"
Trial's Outcome
However, Lantis shook his head. "Your courage is commendable, but your strength is lacking. I originally planned to use only one-tenth power, but to test your limits, I used twenty percent. Now, the trial ends; you've failed."
The group looked dejected upon hearing this. They thought they couldn't pass, unable to obtain the star fragment and water magic. But Lantis continued: "However—, I used an extra 10% power, which counts as my violation. Per the agreement, I'll fulfill the promise: hand over the star fragment and teach Fa water magic."
Fa and her group showed surprised joy. They hadn't expected Lantis's generosity. Lantis removed a blue-glowing star fragment from his shell and gave it to Fa.
Fa took the fragment, feeling its immense power, a warmth surging in her heart. "Thank you, Lantis. This is the fourth we've collected; eight more to go." She bowed her head to examine it, the blue light reflecting on her face, a touch of emotion in her eyes.
Lantis nodded, then turned to Yuyuer. "Disciple, you performed well, but you still can't beat me."
Yuyuer scratched her head, a bit embarrassed. "Master, I know I have many shortcomings, but I'll keep working hard."
Lantis chuckled, gently tapping Yuyuer's head with his front claw. "One day, you'll surpass me."
Rest and Inheritance
Afterward, Lantis invited the group to rest for a day and prepared to teach Fa water magic. The group sat around the cave, but only Fa was called aside by Lantis for the lesson. He explained water magic's principles and applications in detail, guiding her on integrating it into short blade combat.
"The core of water magic lies in flow and change." Lantis's voice was low and steady. "Unlike earth magic's stability, it's flexible and adaptable to any environment." He waved his front claw, condensing water into a blade in the air, then turning it to mist, demonstrating water magic's versatility.
Fa listened attentively, asking questions occasionally; Lantis answered patiently. She closed her eyes, sensing her inner magic flow, trying to infuse water magic into her short blade. After a day's study, she mastered the basics; waving her blade summoned surging water, forming sharp water edges.
Lantis watched her progress, nodding satisfied. "With your star eye power, I believe you'll master water magic to its fullest soon."
Fa said gratefully: "Thank you for your guidance; I'll work hard."
Yuyuer watched from the side, filled with joy. She knew Fa's strength had risen another level; their adventure would be even more exciting.