Translator: CinderTL
Boom!!
A deafening roar erupted from the ocean as the dissipating Tidal Force unleashed its power.
The massive Great Sea Wall, once solidified like amber and stretching for tens of thousands of meters, crumbled relentlessly, shaking the entire seabed of Merman Bay.
"What's happening?"
"Did the Ocean Tide dissipate prematurely?"
Both the Merfolk and Lei Long were stunned, vividly feeling the violent tremors beneath their feet and witnessing the spectacle of colossal black reefs collapsing and shattering.
Whoosh!!
A colossal whale-like beast broke free from its confinement, miraculously alive, and let out a triumphant whale song.
The ocean in Merman Bay surged back to life as sea beasts scattered and regrouped.
Even the storm and lightning cluster beneath the cliff lost its suppression, regaining its full ferocity with thunderous roars and tornadoes spiraling skyward.
Boom!!
In that instant, the Holy Shield Colossus, still in its giant form, shattered the tornadoes and endured the lightning strikes.
Chen Feng couldn't spare time to fully process the chaotic scene. Instead, he focused entirely on absorbing the flood of intuitive information pouring into his mind from his newly acquired Sequence Talent.
"Ocean Gate."
"Ignore terrain and summon ocean tides across dimensions."
A peculiar glint flashed in Chen Feng's eyes as he finally understood the source of the ocean tides in this place.
Despite the absence of any visible Sea Eyes, the ability to create such immense disturbances was undeniable.
The power of the Ocean Tide itself needed no further elaboration.
Its capacity to forcibly seal off both the northern and southern ends of Merman Bay spoke volumes, and the Tidal Force contained within was utterly terrifying.
"So, summoning ocean tides on land is a pretty effective area-of-effect technique after all."
"And it can even transport living creatures across dimensions."
Chen Feng narrowed his eyes, a strange feeling stirring within him.
Boom!!
The water currents beneath the cliff surged violently, visible waves rapidly converging.
Behind him, a blue-glowing Ocean Gate, several meters in size, materialized in mere moments.
Within a few breaths, the gate swung wide open, as if preparing to unleash another surge of tidal energy.
Meanwhile, above the cliff...
"Sha!!"
Gata, perched atop the cliff, let out an eerie cry, startling Delia and the others.
Following their gaze, another Ocean Gate materialized before them, its shimmering surface resembling flowing water.
A single step would carry them through, but a powerful vortex of repulsive and attractive forces swirled within.
"What is this?" Delia and the others exchanged wary glances, their eyes filled with suspicion and awe.
But Gata was different.
"Sha!!"
With a triumphant cry, it heeded Chen Feng's command.
In the next instant...
Buzz!
Gata plunged headfirst into the Ocean Gate.
"Lord Gata!!" Lei Long shouted in alarm, desperate to stop him.
But before he could react, both the gate and Gata vanished without a trace.
At that very moment...
Buzz!!
The seawater at the base of the cliff churned violently as a colossal octopus, over twenty meters in length, suddenly materialized from the depths. Its wide, luminous blue eyes gazed curiously at its surroundings as dozens of tentacles stretched out in exploratory arcs.
Chen Feng's gaze sharpened. He immediately grasped the Ocean Gate's true potential.
"So, it's creating two Ocean Gates simultaneously," he mused. "One to draw in seawater and unleash a tidal surge, and another to transport living beings."
Drawing a conclusion, Chen Feng realized that the Ocean Gate shared some similarities with the Gate of Bones used by the Admiral of the Infernal Prison.
However, beyond that...
His expression turned serious as he sensed his stamina had been significantly depleted.
Maintaining the Ocean Gate required a substantial expenditure of stamina. The power and duration of the Tidal Force, as well as the strength and number of lifeforms he could teleport, were directly linked to his stamina reserves.
After a moment of reflection, Chen Feng understood that he likely couldn't easily replicate the violent tides that had harmed Envoy Rank beings, nor could he erect the magnificent Great Sea Wall that had spanned tens of thousands of meters.
There were also limitations to teleporting living beings. For Saint-level creatures like Gata, transporting even a few more would push him to his current maximum capacity.
"However..."
A thought struck him, and Chen Feng glanced at the Heart of Life mark on his chest. After breaking through to the Pseudo-Angel stage, the upper limit of this innate ability had been greatly enhanced, now capable of storing the Life Essence of Envoy Rank beings.
This led him to wonder:
Even if his stamina wasn't sufficient to maintain the Ocean Gate, what if he hunted Envoy Rank beings and completely filled the Heart of Life with their Life Essence?
Could the Ocean Gate endure longer and unleash even greater power?
Even more tantalizing...
Chen Feng's heart raced as he thought of Earth. If the Dead Crow Secret Realm was a real world, could he open the Ocean Gate on Earth and summon the Ocean Tide?
Thoughts flashed through his mind until a thunderous roar snapped him back to reality. He looked up.
Violent, towering waterspouts raged across the seabed, while the Holy Shield Colossus tirelessly withstood the relentless onslaught of Silver Serpent Lightning. With the Tidal Force's suppression gone, the lingering power of the Storm God surged anew.
The Colossus's energy was dwindling rapidly. Knowing time was short, Chen Feng shifted his gaze to the colossal reef pillar looming before him.
Jet-black and nearly a kilometer long, the monolithic structure was encased in silver-blue objects resembling shattered armor. These objects were studded with flickering blue lights—the last remnants of the Blue Heart Stones, as if they were integral components of the armor itself. Occasionally, fragments broke free and floated upward, only to be pulverized by the storm.
In that instant, Chen Feng knew he couldn't afford another second's delay.
Chen Feng immediately reached out and touched the silver-blue substance encasing the massive reef.
Buzz!
Steel Bones activated!
[Metal Essence +1!]
[Metal Essence +1!]
[Metal Essence +1!]
A series of notifications flashed across his vision as cracks visibly spread through the Blue Heart Stones.
One second, three seconds, five seconds...
The cracks widened continuously until, after about a dozen seconds...
Boom!!
The silver-blue material shattered like brittle armor, crumbling into dust.
All traces of silver-blue vanished. Chen Feng glanced at his frozen panel; his Steel Bone Talent had absorbed all the nutrients.
[ Steel Bone LV6: 35/100 ]
The progress remained stagnant, which didn't surprise him.
Only a few hundred Blue Heart Stones remained. Their combined effect was roughly equivalent to the Obsidian he had previously absorbed in the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm.
In total, it approximated the nourishment provided by a Peak Flying General.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, a glint caught his eye.
Chen Feng turned his gaze to the reef structure, now completely exposed.
The pitch-black structure emitted a constant crack-crack-crack sound.
As if the destruction of the Blue Heart Stones had triggered a butterfly effect, the horizontal reef itself was now steadily disintegrating.
"Could this really be the Sea God's severed arm?" Chen Feng wondered, recalling the legend Delia had told him—a fierce battle between the Storm God and the Sea God that had once raged in this very place.
The raging storm around him and the earlier Talent Light Orb seemed to corroborate the tale. He even suspected that the Sequence Talent left behind by a powerful Extraordinary One, as mentioned in the Light Orb's information, might refer to the Sea God himself.
The thought flashed through his mind.
The next instant—
Buzz!
A strange fluctuation rippled through the air, and Chen Feng's gaze sharpened. He could sense a trace of Evil God Power.
From within the crumbling, disintegrating reef column, wisps of black mist began to emerge, rapidly spreading as if to corrupt everything around them.
But almost immediately, the surrounding storm surged with renewed ferocity. Silver Serpent Lightning materialized out of thin air, erupting in a devastating display.
Boom!!
The spreading black mist vanished instantly.
Chen Feng felt the lightning's shockwave vibrate through his body. His Crimson Gold Steel Bones swiftly transformed into a shield, firmly protecting Gata, who was nearby.
"Sha!!" A terrified cry pierced the air as Gata scrambled backward, darting behind Chen Feng.
The giant octopus recoiled, its massive body curling into a tight ball. Its deep blue eyes, wide with terror, stared fixedly at the pulverized reef, now nothing more than swirling ashes shattered by the lightning strike.
"How could Evil God Power manifest here?" it wondered, its gaze darting around warily, suspicion stirring in its heart.
Chen Feng didn't rush to leave. Instead, he joined the octopus in staring at the spot where the storm and lightning had vanished.
The colossal reef pillar had been reduced to rubble, and wisps of black mist had dissipated without a trace.
He was certain: that had indeed been Evil God Power.
For a moment, his eyes flickered with thought.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the battle between the Storm God and the Sea God might be far more complex than it seemed. Perhaps there was a deeper reason why the storm had raged here for centuries.
His thoughts scattered, branching out in various directions.
Chen Feng temporarily suppressed his speculations, sweeping his gaze across the seabed once more—this supposed site of the Sea God's severed arm's fall.
His suppressed Perception Talent began to recover slightly as the lingering divine pressure gradually faded.
Dark sea mud, shattered fragments of dark reef...
He found nothing else of note, no sign of life whatsoever.
This inevitably left him somewhat disappointed.
"It seems there are no Divine Fragments here," Chen Feng said, shaking his head in disappointment. Given the involvement of two gods, he had expected to find some remnants. This led him to ponder once more the true origins of Divine Fragments.
Firming his resolve, he recalled the records in the Merfolk Clan's ancient texts. After one last scan to ensure nothing remained, he turned away.
Sha!!
The surging currents propelled Chen Feng and Gata away from the cliff base.
Boom!!
The Holy Shield Colossus withstood the raging storm's vortex, while Steel Bones transformed into golden shields to deflect lightning strikes.
Above on the cliff, Delia and the others had grown increasingly anxious. Lei Long, in particular, worried about Gata's sudden disappearance and possible misfortune.
Finally, the cliffside reefs trembled as the sea roared. Amidst the flickering storm's thunderous roars, the Platinum Colossus emerged from the depths like a colossal whale gliding upward.
"Master Feng Chen!" Lei Long rushed forward, eager to report the details. But when he saw Gata appear alongside Chen Feng, his jaw dropped in stunned silence.
Delia and the others waiting on the cliff also narrowed their eyes, their faces etched with astonishment.
Chen Feng offered no explanation.
With a casual wave, Chen Feng signaled for them to leave.
As they departed, he glanced back into the depths of the chasm. The lightning still crackled relentlessly, and the raging storm continued its relentless fury towards the heavens.
Yet, perhaps it was just his imagination, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the storm's power was gradually waning.
"Has the Ocean Tide dissipated ahead of schedule?"
"Why so suddenly?"
In the northern reaches of Merman Bay, a colossal rift, like a submerged canyon, tore through the seabed.
From within, countless pairs of eyes peered upward toward the surface, observing the collapse of the Great Sea Wall and the complete disappearance of the balanced vortex of repulsive and attractive forces.
"Send scouts to investigate. This is indeed unusual."
"I concur."
A deep, authoritative voice echoed from the canyon's depths, where a massive, pitch-black Sea Eye lay sealed by an unseen force, its darkness impenetrable.
"Now that the Tide has receded, we can safely proceed to the Southern Sea."
"What about the Merfolk Clan?"
"I'll lead the expedition," a colossal creature suddenly announced, its fins churning the water into waves as its massive shadow crept forward inch by inch.
"The envoy's sacrificial quota hasn't been met, and the Church's inspection team will soon arrive to check the seal."
"Since the Merfolk Clan refuses to cooperate, let's seize this opportunity to eliminate them entirely and fulfill the envoy's directive."
"An excellent idea!"
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the group as the gigantic creature began to transform into a humanoid form.
The enveloping shadow should have dissipated, but instead, countless smaller shadows surged upward, coalescing once more into a massive form.
Upon closer inspection, they realized it was the vast Merfolk Army.
And drifting upward once more, tendrils of black mist.
(End of the Chapter)
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