Supreme of the Heavenly Realm
Chapter 365 - 362

Chapter 365: 362

"This journey to the Undersea Ancient Cave Mansion seems it won’t be simple."

Ye Xuan had yet to notice Sima Xin hiding in the shadows; as he observed the powerful adversaries gathering around, his expression grew solemn. It appeared that entry to the Undersea Ancient Cave Mansion would likely not go smoothly. These contenders were not to be underestimated.

"Every three days, this underwater vortex will fully open once; that will be our best opportunity to enter the Ancient Cave Mansion. There is at most half a day left before the vortex reaches its threshold."

Zi Yuqing looked down at the immense whirlpool below and glanced at Ye Xuan, saying.

"Then let’s wait a bit longer."

Ye Xuan surveyed the surroundings. At this time, aside from a few people attempting to break into the vortex, most people were still watching the changes quietly, not in a hurry to make a move—evidently, they were all waiting for the sea vortex to change.

Half a day passed in the blink of an eye.

Whoosh whoosh...

As time progressed, the vortex below gradually spread out, emitting an extremely ancient and rich Spiritual Energy that whipped up a fierce wind and caused the sea to rise up in towering waves.

"It’s open!"

Zi Yuqing’s beautiful eyes gleamed, and she swiftly gestured with her hand. Ye Xuan, Ao Wuchang, and the elders from the Black Market all focused their attention, their gaze unanimously fixed on the giant vortex that had opened upon the sea.

Within the whirlpool, a pathway had distinctly formed, unfathomably deep, leading straight to the seabed.

"Let’s go!"

The moment the pathway formed, the Netherworld Snake Crown Prince and Golden Rat Elder, riding a Four-winged Demon Python, took the lead and surged out, charging into the passage with their retinue.

On another side, the Heavenly Evil King and others were only a step behind and swept into it. With these people taking the lead, the other mighty figures originally remaining midair also began to move, filing one by one into the vortex pathway.

Old bursts of Spiritual Energy turned into storms, surging from within, among which were Gang Winds with considerable killing power that cut through the air like knives.

Ah!

The Gang Wind swept through, lifting some of the strong who had entered the passage into midair. In just the blink of an eye, those strong ones were torn to shreds, leaving only blood rain and fragmented flesh drifting down from the sky.

"It’s Gang Wind formed by berserk Spiritual Energy; everyone, be careful."

Zi Yuqing’s beautiful eyes held a hint of gravity, and after reminding everyone, her purple demonic power surged, and after driving the Black Wind Eagle, she entered the passage.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Upon entering the vortex passage, an urgent wind noise filled Ye Xuan’s ears. The Gang Wind inside the passage was even more ferocious than imagined. Even just blowing past the ears could cause a stinging pain, like being sliced with a knife.

Controlled by Zi Yuqing, the Black Wind Eagle rapidly dived within the vortex channel. Although they avoided the Gang Wind’s attack several times, after a few such incidents, the Black Wind Eagle was splattered with blood, evidently affected by the blows and the repercussions of the Gang Wind.

"Miss Zi, if you trust me, let me take control of the Black Wind Eagle."

Ye Xuan stepped forward. Though they hadn’t faced any threats yet, this way, the Black Wind Eagle would incur more and more damage. If it couldn’t hold on before reaching the Ancient Cave Mansion, that would be rather unfortunate.

"What? Hand it over to you, a stranger? How can we trust you? What if you do something against our interests, then won’t we have no chance even for regrets?"

Before Zi Yuqing could speak, Ao Wuchang interrupted, sneering coldly.

"Forget I said anything."

Just as Ye Xuan was about to step back, Zi Yuqing had already grabbed his sleeve, then said with a light smile, "Since I’ve invited Young Master Liu as a helper, we are companions. I won’t randomly doubt my own companion; if we can’t have at least this much trust, how can we cooperate and explore the Ancient Cave Mansion together?"

"Hmph, it’s not that I don’t trust the kid, but steering the Black Wind Eagle and dodging these Gang Winds isn’t easy. I’m just questioning whether this fellow has the ability; we can’t afford him putting us all in jeopardy," Ao Wuchang coldly retorted.

"I believe Young Master Liu wouldn’t attempt anything beyond his confidence."

Zi Yuqing took a few steps back, also wanting to seize this opportunity to gauge Ye Xuan’s capabilities. After all, she had never seen Ye Xuan take action; his real strength was, to her, only speculative without a definite answer.

Driving the Black Wind Eagle required not only keen perception but also strong control; these were both parts of strength, the deciding factors for victory or defeat in a fight.

"I appreciate your trust."

Ye Xuan gave a slight bow then stood at the forefront. Taking the reins of the Black Wind Eagle in hand, he watched the surroundings with a calm and undisturbed gaze.

Whish, whish!

The control of the Black Wind Eagle had just changed hands when a violent burst of Gang Wind gushed from the depths of the passageway. The wind was ferocious and swift, forming a tornado with a relatively calm center. However, wherever the tornado’s Gang Wind passed, the silhouettes of several Demon King experts could be seen evaporating into a mist of blood, without even a chance to scream.

"This is bad!"

Zi Yuqing’s pretty face underwent some changes, as even she would have difficulty coping with Gang Wind of such intensity. She then turned to the people behind her and commanded, "Get ready to take action, break open a gap to charge through."

When a burst of Gang Wind comes, it’s impossible for it to be evenly distributed with equal force in all areas—some parts are bound to be stronger than others. In such a situation, it’s extremely risky to force one’s way through; one misstep could mean suffering greatly under the assault of the Gang Wind. It was necessary to be prepared early on.

"No need."

Just as the atmosphere on the Black Wind Eagle grew tense, Ye Xuan waved his hand dismissively, then suddenly yanked on the reins. The Black Wind Eagle abruptly accelerated, charging straight towards the mouth of the wind.

"Boy, what are you doing? Are you trying to get us all killed?"

Ao Wuchang shouted angrily.

The eye of the tornado’s Gang Wind was very small, and it was impossible to accommodate a Black Wind Eagle even inside its core. In his view, Ye Xuan’s actions were the height of recklessness and utter stupidity.

However, Ye Xuan ignored his angry shouts. A sharp gleam suddenly flashed in his eyes. The Black Wind Eagle moved like a curved bolt of lightning, swooping through the center of the tornado and cutting across the sky.

Clang!

Ye Xuan drew the Spiritual Edge Sword, and Sword Qi extended from the tip of the blade, lengthening the sword from three feet to six, then from six to twelve, twenty-four, and eventually forty-eight feet. The sword stretched out on both sides, turning into a double-edged sword capable of slicing through the void.

Hiss, hiss...

Under the Black Wind Eagle’s breakneck sprint, the six-foot blade was incredibly sharp, managing to tear two openings in the Gang Wind. The Black Wind Eagle’s wings fit perfectly into those two openings, not missing by an inch nor a fraction.

The group passed through the perilous tornado of Gang Wind unscathed.

"What a sharp sword light, what terrifying control."

Zi Yuqing was amazed. She knew she could never achieve what he had; the scene just now was nothing short of miraculous craftsmanship.

"Young Master Liu is truly extraordinary. I am impressed," praised one of the elders on the Black Wind Eagle from the Black Market.

"Yes, Miss invited Young Master Liu to act, which truly was a wise decision," chimed in another.

After witnessing Ye Xuan’s display of skill, the several elders from the Black Market looked at him with newfound respect. They were not like Ao Wuchang, who found Ye Xuan disagreeable at every turn; having not seen Ye Xuan in action before, they inevitably harbored doubts. But now, those doubts had undoubtedly vanished like smoke.

"A blind cat running into a dead mouse, just taking a lucky shot," Ao Wuchang’s hatred for Ye Xuan deepened. Repeatedly humiliated by Ye Xuan, he felt he had lost all presence in the team, becoming nothing more than a laughingstock. Ever since departing from Mountain and Sea City with Ye Xuan, he had faced nothing but misfortune, all of which, in his eyes, was caused by Ye Xuan.

Swish!

Under Ye Xuan’s control, the Black Wind Eagle sped quickly and was mostly unthreatened by the Gang Wind. In less than ten minutes, the group had exited the passageway.

The area in their line of sight was now an expansive underwater world filled with corals, rock formations, and algae, almost devoid of any fish or Demon Beasts. The intense water pressure here alone was enough to cause many powerful beings headaches, requiring a significant expenditure of demonic power to resist the crushing force of the deep sea.

The seawater had a light red tint and was permeated with a faint scent of blood. On the sea bottom, there lay the corpses of several enormous Sea Beasts that, apparently, had foolishly attacked those who had entered and were subsequently slain.

"The entrance to the Undersea Ancient Cave Mansion should be around here."

As Zi Yuqing finished speaking, Ye Xuan and the others looked around and quickly spotted, in the northwest direction, a colossal underwater mountain. Covered with dense, ancient runes, a crevice in the center of the mountain revealed hints of light and color.

Numerous figures stood in front of the rune-engraved mountain wall.

Among the silhouettes, Ye Xuan spotted a familiar face.

"It’s Prince Shen Sha. I didn’t expect that the people from the Sea God Palace would arrive so quickly."

Zi Yuqing also saw the direction that Ye Xuan was looking at. She spotted a tall young man in a silver robe, his presence domineering—none other than Prince Shen Sha, the young overlord of the Sea God Palace.

Given the vast distance between the headquarters of the Sea God Palace and this uninhabited sea region, Zi Yuqing did not anticipate that Prince Shen Sha would arrive so soon. With the Sea God Palace’s involvement, the competition for the Undersea Ancient Cave Mansion was likely to be much fiercer than anticipated.

However, Ye Xuan’s gaze lingered on Prince Shen Sha for only a moment before moving to a black-robed elder standing beside him. Compared to Prince Shen Sha, the black-robed elder’s aura was well concealed, but it gave Ye Xuan an ominous feeling.

Among the Sea God Palace’s forces, it wasn’t Prince Shen Sha they had to beware of, but this black-robed elder.