In the depths of the East Sea, the water glowed with a grayish-white, as if even light itself had been devoured. Ye Chenyu, Liyue Ying, Xuan Ye, and Xing Lan slowly descended beneath the waves, and before them appeared a stone formation filled with ancient stelae. Each stele stood at varying heights, its surface etched with fine cracks, seemingly inscribed with the names of those who had vanished in ancient times. Yet under the shifting currents, the names blurred, as if whispering silently, gently calling out to the souls of those who dared enter.
Xing Lan's eyes trembled slightly, her breathing shallow and rapid, fingertips quivering in the water. She murmured softly, as if responding to the faint calls between the stelae: "They… are all… here… in the abyss…" Her body unconsciously leaned forward, drawn by some invisible force. Ye Chenyu hastily reached out, firmly grasping her wrist, feeling her strength almost like the pull of the water itself, as if she were being drawn into the depths of the stone array.
At that moment, a massive whirlpool surged from the depths, and a dark shadow slowly rose. It was a colossal aberrant fish, roughly the size of a horse, but with a human-like face. Its eyes were deep and hollow, lips slightly parted to reveal sharp, irregular teeth. Its scales shimmered with a wet blue-black luster, and each sweep of its tail fin churned towering waves. As it approached, the surrounding water seemed manipulated by its will, stirring a low, hypnotic rhythm—as if the seabed itself whispered, lulling intruders' minds.
Ye Chenyu held his breath, feeling the creature's gaze pierce his mind, reflecting his deepest fears and doubts. He saw himself swallowed, fragmented silently by the water and the stelae, trapped in an endless, repeating illusion of death. Xing Lan's face instantly paled, her body stiffening, breath quickening, murmuring softly as if responding to the silent pressure of the aberrant fish.
Liyue Ying's voice cut through sharply: "Do not let its illusions consume you!" Her hands traced glowing, ghostly blue sigils, conjuring a barrier in the water that blocked the creature's advance. Xuan Ye positioned his hands, forming a rune array; the symbols trembled slightly in the water, creating invisible chains that temporarily restrained the aberrant fish. Ye Chenyu clenched the rune shard tightly, rapidly calculating the creature's movement patterns. He realized that brute force alone could not confront such an ancient being—they had to cooperate, using space and collective consciousness to restrain it.
The aberrant fish roared, the low-frequency waves it emitted shattering the water's calm, generating vibrations that seemed capable of ripping through the mind. Xing Lan fought to control her fear; her body's ghostly glow flashed fiercely, responding to the whispers of the water and the stelae. She carved a streak of light through the water, striking the creature's face, forcing it to recoil temporarily. Ye Chenyu seized the opportunity, maneuvering through the narrow gaps between the stelae to compel the fish backward, while using the rune shard to disrupt its movement.
Liyue Ying and Xuan Ye cast simultaneously, forming an interwoven underwater rune array, encircling the aberrant fish. The faint glow of the array flowed through the water, illuminating the creature's shimmering scales and hollow human-like face, enhancing its eerie, terrifying presence. The fish's eyes reflected the four of them, seemingly able to perceive their fear and determination. With a low, rumbling cry, it was gradually drawn downward by the rune array into the abyss between the stelae.
The sea returned to silence, though the oppressive atmosphere lingered. The stelae trembled faintly under the ghostly light, as if whispering silently. Ye Chenyu, Liyue Ying, Xuan Ye, and Xing Lan exchanged glances, understanding that this region of the sea not only housed deadly creatures but also held mysterious connections to the deeper wildlands of the spirit realm. The stelae's names, the aberrant fish's gaze, and Xing Lan's bloodline resonance with the sea all hinted that far deeper within the East Sea lay powers even more incomprehensible, and the wildlands would serve as the ultimate trial ground of the spirit realm.
The three adjusted their breathing. Xing Lan looked toward the distant abyss and whispered: "The wildlands… are not far… its power is… older than we imagine." Ye Chenyu nodded, clutching the rune shard tightly, a chill rising in his chest, accompanied by a faint yet stubborn resolve.