Chapter 96: The Sly Fisherman
Back once again on the vast and boundless sea, where sky and water met in a breathtaking expanse, Ye Wen marveled at the powerful and untamed beauty of the ocean stretching out in every direction.
After several days of interaction, Mishel had bonded with Ye Wen and Ah Yin, even developing a mutual understanding. Ye Wen proposed establishing a trading relationship with the mermaid race. While the Sea Maiden Douluo resided on Sea God Island, continental resources were still quite scarce for them.
Although the mermaids were half beast and half human, they were intelligent beings with material needs beyond basic survival. Unfortunately, relations with humans were generally poor among the mermaid race, which made cooperation even more difficult.
Thus, Ye Wen and Mishel struck a deal. He would serve as a liaison to secure resources from the continent, and in exchange, she would assist him in locating certain soul beasts. However, she would return to her people only after he achieved his seventh soul ring. Mishel's help was essential for this task.
Unlike the soul beasts on the continent, the creatures of the ocean were far more numerous, and among them were countless 100,000 year soul beasts and some truly dangerous creatures. However, these powerful beings lived deep in the ocean, where it was dark and perilous. Only someone familiar with the underwater terrain, like Mishel, could lead them to these beasts. Otherwise, even the best sea spirit masters would never find them.
Although Mishel's cultivation level wasn't high, her swimming speed was unmatched by most marine creatures. If not for being caught in the Canglong's attack that day, she would never have drifted up to the surface for Ye Wen to rescue.
"Ye Wen, I found a soul beast with a cultivation level of 200,000 years down below in this area," Mishel said hesitantly as she emerged from the depths.
Even among the mermaids, creatures with 200,000 years of cultivation held a fearsome reputation. Few dared to provoke them, as they had power comparable to a Super Douluo, perhaps at level ninety six or ninety seven. Mishel wasn't sure whether leading Ye Wen here would end in fortune or disaster, but she was willing to trust his strength. If he couldn't win, she reasoned, he could likely escape.
Ye Wen examined the waters around him. They had ventured into the true depths, where the ocean floor was likely two to three thousand meters down. Anyone with a fear of deep water would only see a world of bleak darkness down there.
"Mishel, you and Ah Yin should wait above," he instructed. "I'll see if I can lure this 200,000 year soul beast to the surface."
With that, Ye Wen took out several containers of shredded meat from his spirit storage, tossing them into the water. Soon, the deep blue of the ocean turned blood red.
The serene sea was now churning with activity as soul beasts of all shapes and sizes crowded the area, attracted by the scent.
"This density of sea soul beasts is unreal," Ye Wen muttered. "It's no wonder most human sea spirit masters don't venture into the deep ocean. You'd be swarmed by soul beasts after a single hunt, soul ring absorbed or not."
Even with his rank as a Soul Saint, Ye Wen felt a shiver run down his spine as he watched the blood crazed swarm.
As expected, the hungry creatures began attacking each other in a frenzy, all vying for the scraps he had scattered. Soul skills flickered across the water's surface, mixing with the spreading blood, creating a chaotic patchwork of vibrant and grotesque colors.
Despite the growing commotion, however, the 200,000 year old soul beast he was hunting showed no sign of surfacing. Ye Wen frowned, realizing it would take more to draw it out.
After a moment's thought, he reluctantly pulled out another item from his spirit storage a special bait he'd crafted from an evil scented devil yam. The pulped root released an intense aroma that would drive ordinary soul beasts wild with desire, as it could stimulate their potential for bloodline evolution.
Determined to avoid wasting this rare bait, Ye Wen's eyes flashed with resolve. "Sixth Soul Skill: Space Shock Super Resonance!"
(P.S. Inspired by Gojo Satoru's Reverse Cursed Technique, 'Red,' this attack creates an outward blast of powerful repulsive force. Ye Wen's version condenses high energy particle motion through the 'Air Barrier' skill, aligning all force vectors in a single direction.)
A transparent sphere of soul power formed in Ye Wen's hands. Instead of launching the attack immediately, he compressed the two spheres, shrinking them down from the size of bowling balls to just about the size of ping pong balls.
When he finally allowed them to collide, the resulting force was like a hammer blow on the sea below. The intense shockwave blasted downward, its path straight as an arrow, cutting a trench through the water thousands of meters deep.
Even though Ye Wen had restrained the impact through his Air Barrier, the immense power still shattered the barrier in an instant. He barely managed to activate his fourth soul skill, Inner Space, just in time to avoid taking damage.
The force of the attack sent a tidal wave surging thousands of meters high, leaving Ah Yin and Mishel, who were watching from above, stunned.
Mishel whispered in awe, "I... I've never seen anything like that. I believe Ye Wen really has the power to hunt that 200,000 year old beast. I don't think even our clan leader could handle that strike."
The surface, once turbulent, was now an eerie blue again, though the scent of blood still hung in the air.
After taking a moment to recover, Ye Wen began carefully spreading small portions of the devil yam bait into the water. His strategy was to draw out the hidden monster gradually, much like using breadcrumbs to attract a prized fish. The deep ocean was filled with formidable sea soul beasts; dropping the entire supply at once could be a costly mistake if any nearby sea soul beast happened to take the bait.
This technique, known as "chumming," involved releasing small amounts of bait to attract prey gradually. After all, as the saying goes, "The best fishing is done in murky waters."
Soon, the devil yam's powerful aroma began spreading through the water, slowly attracting the attention of the surrounding beasts.
The reaction was immediate. The sight was almost comical as each beast that swallowed the bait was, in turn, eaten by a larger predator. It reminded Ye Wen of those strange games where one devoured to grow bigger.
Ye Wen kept his distance, observing from a safe altitude along with Ah Yin.
Suddenly, the frenzy of soul beasts froze mid battle, the waters falling silent as all the creatures began to float lifelessly on the surface.
(End of Chapter)
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