Chapter 48: Journey into the Endless Sea

Lin Chuan turned to look at Zhou Hao and the others, who were frozen in place, a flicker of coldness passing through his eyes. In his mind, he spoke to the Purple Elder within the Blood Spirit Ring: “You may freely absorb the souls of these people.”

“Heh heh heh...” came the sinister laughter of the Purple Elder from within the ring, like a ravenous wolf spotting a flock of sheep. “Thank you for your generosity, Young Master!”

At that moment, the purple orb in Lin Chuan’s hand trembled violently, countless intricate runes appearing on its surface.

The invisible ripples transformed into visible purple waves, spreading out in concentric circles like water ripples, distorting the air wherever they passed.

“Soul Silence!” rasped the Purple Elder’s voice from the orb.

As the purple waves swept over Zhou Hao’s body, the half-step Earth Martial artist’s eyes bulged abruptly, mouth agape yet voiceless.

Threads of milky white light drifted from his seven orifices, drawn as if by invisible hands, swiftly pouring into the purple orb.

Then the second, the third...

Hundreds of martial artists from Wanyao Workshop fell like dominoes, each soul forcibly stripped away, becoming the purest form of spiritual energy devoured by the orb.

The entire process took only a dozen breaths.

When the last trace of soul energy was absorbed, the once noisy Endless Sea was left with only the dull thuds of bodies falling.

A breeze stirred, carrying a faint scent of blood, but not a single breath of life could be heard.

Though Zhang Lin and Li Yu had witnessed the Purple Elder’s methods before, they could not help but shudder now. Wang Tiezhu knelt on the ground, his face as pale as paper.

The eight warriors who chose to stay stood like statues, eyes filled with disbelief and horror.

“Is… is it over just like that?” trembled a burly man in mid Xuanwu Realm. He had never imagined hundreds of strong warriors could be harvested as easily as cutting wheat.

“Just one encounter… and they’re all dead?” a young woman instinctively stepped back half a pace, her gaze toward Lin Chuan filled with awe.

Lin Chuan withdrew the purple orb and turned to the eight, his face calm once more: “Since you have chosen to stay, from today on, you will be the core guards of Lingxiao Medicine Workshop.”

He took eight pieces of glowing parchment from the Blood Spirit Ring, each inscribed with complex soul runes.

“These are soul contracts. Once signed, we are one family.”

The eight exchanged glances, without hesitation, they stepped forward in unison to accept the contracts.

They cut their fingers with their nails, letting drops of blood fall onto the contracts, instantly feeling a faint but unmistakable binding deep within their souls.

“Good.”

Lin Chuan nodded with satisfaction. “You will accompany Zhang Yida back to Tianyun City to continue managing the workshop. I have other matters to attend to and will join you shortly.”

Zhang Yida wanted to speak but stopped, finally bowing deeply: “Take care.”

After watching Zhang Yida’s group depart, Lin Chuan turned to face the Endless Sea.

The blue sea glittered under the sunlight, seemingly calm on the surface but hiding countless secrets beneath.

“Little Fatty, Purple Elder, come out.”

Lin Chuan spoke softly.

The Blood Spirit Ring flashed twice, and the phantoms of Little Fatty and the Purple Elder appeared beside him.

Little Fatty maintained his carefree, mocking demeanor, while the Purple Elder looked sated, evidently greatly nourished by the soul feast.

“Chuan'er, where to next?”

Rubbing his hands excitedly, Little Fatty’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Lin Chuan pointed toward the Endless Sea. “Since we’re here, we can’t leave empty-handed. Ninety-nine percent of the Tianhai Secret Realm is ocean. The good stuff must be hidden on the seabed.”

Upon hearing this, the Purple Elder immediately flattered him: “Young Master is wise! I just gleaned from Zhou Hao’s memories that there are indeed many treasures in the Tianhai Secret Realm!”

Lin Chuan handed the purple orb to the Purple Elder. “You may absorb all the soul energy we just collected, but during the treasure hunt, do not absorb any energy without my permission.”

The Purple Elder nodded repeatedly, but his eyes kept darting toward Little Fatty beside him.

Seeing no objection from Little Fatty, he dared to take the orb and greedily absorb the pure soul energy inside.

Within moments, the soul energy of hundreds of martial artists was completely consumed. The Purple Elder’s soul form grew denser, his surface even shimmering faintly like metal.

“Delicious!” he licked his lips, reluctantly returning the orb to Lin Chuan.

Without a word, Lin Chuan tucked away the orb and plunged directly into the Endless Sea. Little Fatty and the Purple Elder followed closely behind—the three like sharp arrows swiftly diving into the deep ocean.

As they descended, the light dimmed and pressure increased. But with Little Fatty’s protective shield, Lin Chuan felt no discomfort.

“Little Fatty, how long can your shield hold?”

Lin Chuan asked curiously.

Little Fatty proudly lifted his head. “At this level? It can hold for a year or more without problem!”

The Purple Elder smiled obsequiously beside him: “Such pressure is nothing for someone of your master’s strength.”

Along the way, strange marine creatures swam past.

There were giant sea snakes tens of zhang long, deep-sea crabs covered in spikes, and schools of sharp-toothed piranhas. Yet without exception, these fierce beasts fled in panic when sensing the faint aura of pressure from Little Fatty.

“Chuan'er, how deep are we going?”

After diving about three thousand zhang, Little Fatty asked.

Lin Chuan looked at the Purple Elder, who hastily explained: “Young Master, according to Zhou Hao’s memories, most valuable treasures are concentrated between three to four thousand zhang deep. Though there are said to be more precious items deeper on the seabed, ...”

“But?”

Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow.

Lowering his voice, the Purple Elder said, “It’s said a god-level powerhouse is in seclusion at the core of the Tianhai Secret Realm. If we get too close, we might be detected.”

“A god-level powerhouse?” Lin Chuan’s pupils contracted.

In this world, god-level cultivators stood at the pinnacle of the cultivation hierarchy. Even though at his peak Little Fatty was like a mere ant to such beings, he was no longer at his peak.

Little Fatty’s expression also grew serious: “Chuan'er, if there really is a god-level warrior down there, we must be careful.”

Lin Chuan thought for a moment, then grinned broadly: “If a god-level is guarding it, that means there must be something good down there.”

A cunning gleam flashed in his eyes. “But we won’t provoke him for now. Let’s first clean out the treasures between three to four thousand zhang.”

Hearing this, the Purple Elder quickly spoke up: “Young Master, there are several spots in Zhou Hao’s memory where treasures might be found.”

“Lead the way!”

With a wave of his hand, Lin Chuan directed them, and the three swam toward the locations marked in Zhou Hao’s memories.

As they went deeper, the seawater turned a lighter blue, countless glowing plankton dotting the darkness like stars.

In the distance, a vast coral reef appeared—no ordinary red or white coral, but shimmering with rainbow hues, translucent like crystal.

“That’s it!”

The Purple Elder excitedly pointed to the center of the coral cluster. “The rarest ‘Seven-Color Coral Heart’ usually grows in the densest parts of the reef!”