Chapter 304: Section 92: Underwater Pursuit
In the deep sea.
The Fishman youth was diving with all his might.
The Sea Eye City behind him grew increasingly smaller, and ahead lay vast swathes of darkness.
Inhabitants of the Fishman settlement areas had plenty of glow coral, but in most of the ocean’s depths, it was pitch-black, devoid of any light.
“It seems they have chosen not to pursue me,” the young Barbarian Fishman sighed with slight relief.
This outcome was within his expectations.
...
His actions were not rash but contemplated deeply.
Firstly, the battle situation in Sea Eye City was tense, as the unexpected intervention of a second Golden Level warrior gave the Fishmen a slight edge.
Under these circumstances, if the Fishman youth did not act, he would inevitably watch the Fishmen secure victory and let the situation stabilize.
This was something the youth did not wish to see.
Because it was impossible for him to stay in Sea Eye City to continue the assassination attempts.
For one, there were fewer valuable assassination targets left. He had already killed many, and during the rampage of the five-headed sea snake in Sea Eye City, many had perished.
Secondly, there wasn’t much time left for him. The Sky Pillar Sea Eye was about to erupt again, and he needed to return to the Justice Pirate Group to take charge.
Therefore, he needed to strike publicly, to kill a strong member among the Fishmen to weaken them, to change the tide.
Next, he carefully selected his target from many options and settled on the Clan Leader of the White-eyed Tribe.
This choice was logical.
The two Golden Level warriors were too risky for the youth to consider assassinating. Having fought with Rou Cang and Golden Hook, with one win and one loss, the youth understood the power of a Golden Transcendent.
Don’t think that Fu Bai was weak; an attempt on her life would surely not succeed with one strike, and it might even result in her detaining him.
And as for the Human Race youth who was in good shape and possessed an unusually robust aura, that was even less likely.
“Acting publicly like this, I probably won’t have a second chance to strike,” holding this belief, the youth did not want to waste his last opportunity by randomly killing one or two Black Iron, which would be an imprudent use of his chance.
Man Ying might have been Silver Level, but his strength among all the Silver Level Fishmen was the least.
Xia Bai was the rising star of the White-eyed Tribe and had potential, but she was only a prospect for tomorrow, not today.
After weighing his options carefully, the youth finally decided to target the Clan Leader of the White-eyed Tribe.
He was a Silver Level Fishman and, furthermore, part of the Magic System.
Should the Clan Leader survive, and if the Justice Pirate Group were to charge towards the Sky Pillar, he would certainly pose a considerable threat.
Another point was that at that time, the Clan Leader had been relatively far from the other Fishmen and closest to Cheng Men.
So, the youth made his move.
Attacking a spellcaster of equal Cultivation came with risks.
But the rewards far outweighed the risks, making it a gamble worth taking.
The actual assassination went smoothly.
The Clan Leader’s attention was occupied by the sea snake’s distraction; perhaps he had never anticipated that a lurking killer would have the audacity to publicly attempt an assassination.
After the successful assassination, the youth immediately fled, leaving behind the body without so much as a glance at his magic equipment.
The body contained the bloodline of a Silver Level Magic System Fishman, which the youth also discarded.
He wouldn’t recklessly use a Blood Core.
The secret of the Blood Core must not be exposed!
In situations of any risk that might reveal the secret of the Blood Core, he would not utilize it.
He hoped his killing of the White-eyed Tribe Clan Leader would result in a substantial loss for the Fishmen, leading to their defeat by the five-headed sea beast, with Sea Eye City perishing as a consequence.
That would be the best outcome.
However, he also knew this possibility was small.
After all, even though the five-headed serpent was a Golden Level sea beast, it was irrational in its fury. Moreover, it had split into five Silver Level entities upon departure, which was quite a foolish move.
Conversely, among the Fishmen, Fu Bai still had the strength to force an attack, and that Human Race youth had some enigmatic qualities. Holding a Holy Domain Level harp, he must have a significant background.
“Once I get back to the ship, maybe I can contact the Empire to check on his identity,” the youth mused, confident in the Empire’s intelligence capabilities.
Surroundings plunged into complete darkness.
All was silent.
The water was cold, typically warmer in Sea Eye City compared to the Dark Sea Domain.
Nonetheless, in his Barbarian Fishman form, the youth was well-adapted.
His state of mind gradually calmed.
He was almost back to the Justice.
Suddenly, a ripple of magic came from behind.
The Fishman youth looked back and was momentarily stunned.
There were followers behind him; it was that Human Race youth!
“Damn, how did he catch up?” The Fishman youth immediately quickened his pace.
The Human Race youth chased relentlessly, also using magic to send a telepathic message: “You can’t escape; stop and face your death!”
The Fishman youth swam faster.
Soon, he realized that even at his top speed, he couldn’t outpace the Human Race youth’s pursuit.
“It’s a matter of endurance; I’ll be the final victor. But this guy is a Golden, using Mana to chase after me. In about five minutes, he’ll catch up to me.”
“How strange, how did he track me down?”
“I even had the Pearl Bubble for cover.”
The Fishman youth quickly assessed the strength of both enemies and allies.
His condition was intact, but his cultivation was only at the Silver Level. The opponent was a Gold powerhouse, who had expended some energy dealing with the five-headed sea snake, but also had a Holy Musical Instrument.
What the youth dreaded most was the aura of the Human Race youngster; his presence was incredibly imposing.
“Did he leave Sea Eye City? Could it be that the five-headed snake was quickly suppressed?”
The gap between the enemies and himself was still quite obvious.
Dealing with Golden Hook wasn’t just the youth’s effort alone. Moreover, Golden Hook was wounded at the time.
But unless absolutely necessary, the youth was reluctant to rely on his companions’ strength.
Because by doing so, it would expose the secret of his transformation into a Fishman. Hence, increasing the possibility of the Blood Core being exposed.
“How much energy did he just expend in battle? If possible… it’s best to take him out directly!”
With that thought, the Fishman youth gritted his teeth and turned to confront the Human Race youngster.
With a single breath, he shot several fish spines from his mouth.
The tips of these spines were dark purple, signifying deadly poison.
The Human Race youth’s pupils contracted as he swiftly dodged, “What’s this? Are you a Barbarian Fishman or a Poison Arrow Fishman?”
The Human Race youth was astonished.
The youth looked like a Barbarian Fishman, but the poison spines he shot were characteristic of the Poison Arrow Fishman’s craft.
The youth had killed quite a few Poison Arrow Fishmen, and although he couldn’t completely transform, the most refined part of their physiology could now mutate.
At this moment, the youth not only had the Barbarian Fishman’s robust physique but also the Poison Arrow Fishman’s Space Bag, as well as their ability to shoot toxic spines.
This kind of poison would usually incapacitate a Silver Level Transcendent, leaving them gravely injured and on the brink of death.
However, the Human Race youngster was agile, more so than the Fishman, and managed to dodge all the poisonous spines.
The Fishman youth seized the opportunity to dive deep, swimming straight into a dark, deep sea trench.
The Human Race youngster inwardly cursed, knowing the complex terrain and darkness of the trench would greatly hinder his pursuit.
He plunged in without hesitation.
In the very next instant, the Barbarian Fishman youth, who had been lying in ambush and had not fled, burst out.
His Black Iron Scimitar struck fiercely, impossibly fast.
Combat Skill—Crimson Scale Frenzy!
The Human Race youngster had no time for casting spells; in the heat of the moment, he could only fend off with his lyre.
The Black Iron Scimitar clanged against the lyre, releasing a bright white glow of rippling luminescence.
The miniature lyre was a Holy Domain Level instrument, made of high-grade materials, and it fully blocked the edge of the Barbarian Fishman youth’s blade.
Unperturbed, the Barbarian Fishman youth continued his onslaught.
The scimitar danced faster, its blade casting shadows and shimmering with the luster of Silver Fighting Spirit.
“What a fierce blade!” thought the Human Race youngster, shaken.
The combination of the Barbarian Fishman youth’s combat skills and the Silver Fighting Spirit left him powerless to retaliate for the time being.
After all, the miniature lyre wasn’t a conventional weapon or armor, just so small that a palm could lift it.
The blade’s shadow swept past the lyre and landed on the Human Race youngster’s body.
His body quickly accumulated wounds, blood diffusing rapidly through the seawater.
Boom!
The beleaguered Human Race youngster finally unleashed a spell.
An invisible force radiated from him, expanding in all directions.
It was so powerful that the Barbarian Fishman youth couldn’t withstand it and was forcibly pushed away.
Panting heavily, the Human Race youngster was covered in blade wounds, looking utterly disheveled.
He glared furiously at the youth, “Well done! I subdued the five-headed snake without much trouble, but you’ve caused me so much harm. You’re far more dangerous than that foolish snake. Now, die.”
He cradled the lyre in one hand, while his fingers stroked the strings rhythmically with the other.
The spell erupted with the music, and the Barbarian Fishman youth retreated without hesitation.
One spell after another exploded around him.
Yet the Barbarian Fishman youth was incredibly shrewd, zipping through the trench in all directions, once again increasing the distance between them.
“This Fishman is so cunning!” The Human Race youngster was startled, thinking the Fishmen of Sea Eye City to be the apex of intelligence in this world. He hadn’t expected this unidentified Fishman, likely an outsider, to be so slippery.
From the outset, when he realized he was being tracked, the Fishman youth promptly retreated.
After entering the trench, he feigned evasion and lay in ambush for a sneak attack.
The melee brought significant results, but he didn’t linger in combat, choosing instead to make a strategic retreat.
Even under the bombardment of spells, he remained composed, demonstrating remarkable insight that left the Human Race youngster astounded. He sustained minimal injury and took the opportunity to put distance between them.
The Human Race youngster’s ability to cast spells would be compromised if he stopped to attack. If he pursued, the potency of his spells would be reduced.
While he could cast spells on the move, his abilities were limited underwater.
He had to constantly maintain two spells, one against the pressure of the sea, the other to ensure he could breathe.
As such, his spirit and mana were in constant drain, and moving was not just swimming but an additional spell.
With the challenge of sustaining three spells simultaneously, the difficulty of casting spells while moving was infinitely greater underwater than on land.