The Somaculas were being eaten alive by the endless tide of Water Hounds, their scales ripped apart, flesh torn away piece by piece, and their insides dragged out with merciless fangs. Blood streamed heavily through the water like flowing cloth, spreading far and wide, staining this part of the ocean in crimson. Before long, the red tide rose upward, breaking through the surface, blooming across the waves like a dreadful paint of blood.
One after another, the Somaculas were dragged into this gruesome fate. They were attacked without pause, bitten from every side, overwhelmed by countless jaws until they could no longer resist. All of them were brought to the same inevitable end together, collapsing under the relentless assault of Yang Zhai's hounds.
Their roars, cries that should have travelled across the sky above, were drowned and crushed beneath the suffocating silence of the ocean.
Blood — it was everywhere. The water itself had become a sea of red. With each beast bitten apart, more blood poured endlessly into the ocean. At first, the vast swarm of hounds were the cause of it, spreading it across the currents, but as the slaughter dragged on, the blood grew thicker, heavier, mingling together until the very ocean seemed to reek of iron and death itself.
The Somaculas' states shifted as their agony deepened.
At first, they were restless, thrashing wildly, striking desperately at the hounds that clung to their bodies. Then madness took over, their eyes turning bloodshot, their minds overtaken as though by a spreading disease. They lashed out in all directions without aim, driven by pain and fear. Yet this frenzy weakened them further, leaving their movements sloppy and their strikes unfocused, far less effective than before.
At last, desperation consumed them. They struggled to flee, but it was useless. They were surrounded, pressed in on every side by thousands upon thousands of hounds, leaving no room, no path, no opening for escape.
In the end, their fate was sealed. They were shredded alive, torn apart until not even one was spared — except for the rank 7 Somacula.
When it saw the carnage around it, the bodies of its kin being eaten lifeless into the blood-soaked sea, terror gripped it. Its body trembled, fear piercing its heart, and without hesitation, it darted upward in a panic, breaking through the waters and soaring into the sky.
Yang Zhai predicted this as he himself showed everything to the Somacula deliberately in all these hounds. He had allowed it to witness the massacre, deliberately shattering its courage and breaking its will.
When it realized it was alone, surrounded by an ocean of beasts, it fled. Yang Zhai gave the order, and the water hounds parted, leaving an open path for the terrified Somacula to escape.
His goal had already been achieved. He had secured a safe passage. There was no need to waste more lives or time pursuing a rank 7 Somacula.
"There's no reason to drag this out any further. This much blood and flesh will only draw more beasts soon. I must move on quickly."
With that, he commanded the hounds to seize whatever they could and retreat into the inheritance space.
Soon, only Yang Zhai remained in the waters. He summoned Ina Ya and Yah Yan, ordering them to scout ahead and ensure that no stronger were in his path ahead.
As for himself, he rose briefly above the surface, drawing in deep breaths, before plunging back down to continue his advance.
He passed through the blood-soaked battlefield where the Somaculas had fallen, and at last, he broke through the ocean's surface once again.
There, Yang Zhai opened the inheritance gate.
A lot of water surged into the ocean from the massive gate in endless stream. He swam motionlessly, waiting in silence, his figure steady and unshaken. Hours slipped away as the sun rose above the horizon and into the sky, yet he remained watchful, patient, not reentering until the inheritance space had been drained fully.
Around him, fifty to a hundred Water Hounds stood guard on his orders, spread across the surroundings with senses sharp and ready to inform even the slightest disturbance. At his side, the rank 5 Water Hound waited, silent but ever vigilant.
At long last, after many hours of waiting, Yang Zhai finally stepped back into the inheritance space.
What greeted him inside was a grim sight — piles of corpses scattered everywhere, the aftermath of the brutal battle.
He instructed the rank 5 Water Hound to sense and report how many of the army still remained, how many had fallen, and how many were wounded.
Through Ophio Unila, the answer soon arrived.
"Oh… four hundred and twenty thousand gone. That's far beyond what I anticipated. I thought I'd lose no more than two hundred thousand. This is over a third of my army."
And all of that against only six hundred Somaculas.
They didn't even have a special ability made for underwater battles. If they had been another kind, specialized in water, the losses would have been far worse.
It was only because his hounds had fought in an organized formation, moving under his clear instructions, that they had endured so far.
"If they had charged in without my any instructions and fought messily, no doubt they would have been wiped out completely."
Yang Zhai's eyes calm as he reflected.
"But against rank 6 beasts, and even a rank 7, such losses… they are understandable."
He exhaled slowly, casting the weight of the matter aside. What was done was already done, nothing could be done now. He had carved his path through, and that was enough.
"It's time. I should advance to Rank 6. I've held myself back long enough."
If I remember correctly, there are two ways to advance to rank 6. The first is to break through as a false immortal, merging all the lines I have forged so far into a single entity, achieving a qualitative change. This would reshape my body, strengthen my foundation, and grant me the first physique.
The second was is simple, and that was to step into mortal Rank 6. All it requires is to give birth to another line, to advance naturally without any change.
"But this advancement will not give me what others gain. My physique will not evolve, only my strength and toughness will increase a bit like the previous ranks. Still… this is the road I have chosen."
Yang Zhai muttered, sitting down to cultivation.
But just as he began, Ina Ya's urgent voice rang out.
"Master… I sense interference. Someone is trying to form an air gap around the inheritance gate. They're attempting to seal you inside…"
Yang Zhai's eyes narrowed instantly, his expression darkening.
He quickly mirrored the outside view through the inheritance space.
The waters had been driven back, leaving behind a hollow air gap. And beyond its edge stood a woman, flanked by her companions.
His mind began churning with countless thoughts.
"Del Mo… How? How did she find me here? This ire that sealed the inheritance space inside was formed by a Destruction Rank cultivator. A mere rank 9 shouldn't be able to locate this space… No, this isn't good. If she seals me here with a rank 9 method, breaking free will be nearly impossible. In the end, I would starve to death. I must act quickly. I don't even know if Eleca would work inside this space that was formed by a Destruction Rank."
Yang Zhai did not act impulsively. He opened the gate to the inheritance ground, tossing the Last One Ring and the Ring of Truth inside.
Then, he opened the gate to the outside world—and stepped out.
Outside, beyond the inheritance space.
"Meng Bo, are you certain this is the place?" Del Mo's voice was calm, yet carried a sharp edge of authority.
Meng Bo, a man who looked to be in his early thirties, stood at her side. His youthful face was smooth and unlined, framed by short, jet-black hair. His eyes light brown. He wore a plain blue Hanfu, its wide sleeves swaying faintly in the air around him.
"Yes, Elder Mo," Meng Bo replied firmly. "This is the place. You sensed it yourself only moments ago."
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