C437 The Extraterrestrial Corpse
"Eh?"
Su Yan suddenly let out an exclamation while gazing through the Fallen Star Eyes, her face contorted into an indescribable expression of weirdness.
Luo Yiyi, Fei Yi, Du Huang, and the others remaining within the Fallen Star Eyes turned toward the entrance of the shadowy underwater cave with equally bizarre looks on their faces.
"Uh..."
Liu Ying was taken aback, pressing her palm against her forehead, at a loss for words.
Inside the Ethereal Vial, Qi Nandou's face was blank.
In front of the cold and dark cave entrance, Lin Yue, Chi Yin, and Hou Tianzhao from the Ruby Hand had approached but abruptly came to a halt.
Hou Tianzhao ceased his shouting, instead eyeing the cave's peculiar entrance with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
Yu Yuan had already slipped into the cave.
The cavern was so deep and dark that Hou Tianzhao could neither see Yu Yuan's figure nor catch his scent.
Yet, the odd fish that had departed the Fallen Star Eyes with Yu Yuan was now outside the cave!
Yu Yuan had explained that this island cave was the original home of the strange fish. He had left the Fallen Star Eyes specifically to allow the fish to enter and retrieve something.
Now that he had gone in, why was the strange fish stuck on the outside?
More comically, the fish, with its small eyes flickering with intelligence, kept slamming into an unseen wall repeatedly.
The fish appeared frantic and desperate, ramming against the barrier with all its might.
"Bang! Bang!"
From a distance, the cave, supported by the island below the sea, resembled a pitch-black giant beast, its mouth gaping like that of a snarling creature, instilling a sense of dread in onlookers.
Yet now, the entire underwater cave was shaking violently with each strike from the strange fish!
It was as if a slumbering giant beast was under siege by another alien beast.
But the size of the strange fish that Yu Yuan had brought along...
"No way?"
Du Huang of the Forgeroses, who had previously been unconcerned, was now so frightened he nearly lost his composure.
"That strange fish! My god!"
Du Huang began to yell, pointing at the Abyssal Leviathan within the Fallen Star Eyes, "I bet none of you can fathom the sheer ferocity of its impact!"
"The force of each collision is on par with the boiling blood might of an eighth-level archdemon," Liu Ying said, inhaling sharply.
Upon hearing Liu Ying's words, all the trial-takers on the Fallen Star Eyes erupted in astonishment.
"That strange fish, is it an eighth level sea demon?"
"Eighth level! Even Lord Dusk Raven from Shadow's Keep is merely at the eighth level!"
"It has been following Yu Yuan the whole time and obeying his every command?"
"Chi Yin and Lin Yue are truly clever! They must have recognized the extraordinary nature of the strange fish to offer Soul Crystals in exchange for it!"
"Why would it willingly follow Yu Yuan? And about the underwater cavern, Yu Yuan could enter in the blink of an eye. Yet, it's clearly an eighth level archdemon. Why can't it get inside?"
The chatter swelled around Liu Ying, giving her a headache.
In front of the shadowy cavern, the Abyssal Leviathan repeatedly slammed into the barrier. Unafraid to unleash its fearsome might, yet unable to breach the barrier, it was eventually forced to calm down.
It remained in its reduced form, hovering at the cave's entrance.
Hou Tianzhao, Lin Yue, and Chi Yin, who had intended to follow Yu Yuan and the Abyssal Leviathan inside, approached the cave mouth and settled down obediently.
The three exchanged awkward glances.
They weren't fools; by now, they understood the might of the Abyssal Leviathan. Fearing a rash entrance might provoke an attack, they opted to remain where they were.
"This... that..."
Hou Tianzhao, submerged in the sea, manipulated the dark arts of the Ruby Hand like a fiery orb. He raised his hand and called out to the Abyssal Leviathan, "My lord, please overlook my earlier disrespect. I was unaware of your formidable power."
He naturally assumed that the Abyssal Leviathan hailed from Shadow's Keep and was of equal or higher rank than the Dusk Raven, perhaps even a senior member of the evilkind.
To ingratiate himself with such a high-ranking archdemon was not beneath him.
The Abyssal Leviathan's eyes—one crimson, one luminous white—gave him a chilling glance.
A shiver ran down Hou Tianzhao's spine, and the words he'd planned to say were halted.
With an awkward smile, he nodded to Lin Yue and Chi Yin, "Please, proceed as you wish."
Reluctantly casting one last glance at the cave entrance, Hou Tianzhao turned and swam back to the Ethereal Vial. He settled down inside with a sigh, muttering, "That elder from the evilkind sure has a temper."
After Hou Tianzhao departed, Lin Yue and Chi Yin briefly hesitated before simultaneously bowing to the Abyssal Leviathan in a gesture of respect.
"Excuse us," Lin Yue said earnestly before turning to leave, with Chi Yin quickly following suit.
To their eyes, the Abyssal Leviathan, having displayed its formidable power, was undoubtedly of the eighth level or perhaps even a higher rank within the evilkind. It was very likely connected to Shadow's Keep and the enigmatic Dusk Raven.
In the northern reaches of the Land of Quiescence, the influence of sects like Ruby Hand, Colddeath, and Taintborn paled in comparison to Shadow's Keep. Encountering a dignitary from Shadow's Keep, it was both appropriate and customary to maintain a demeanor of humility and respect.
The Abyssal Leviathan stood sentinel at the mouth of the cave, its gaze upon Hou Tianzhao conveying a clear message — it would permit no one else entry.
As an archdemon, its wishes were not to be contravened by the younger members of Ruby Hand, Colddeath, or Taintborn, who had no choice but to retreat and wait quietly.
"Yu Yuan, since when has there been a connection between you and Shadow's Keep?" Su Yan inquired.
"Back in the Forgotten Ruins, he was already closely aligned with the Python Queen. And isn't the Python Queen from Shadow's Keep?" Liu Ying chimed in, though her attention remained fixed on the enigmatic Abyssal Leviathan guarding the entrance to the cavern. She pondered why Yu Yuan insisted on stopping here and what compelled him to venture deeper into the cave.
The others shared her curiosity, each lost in their own contemplations.
What could possibly lie within?
...
The cavern beneath the sea was vast beyond expectation.
Yu Yuan was astonished to discover the absence of seawater inside the cave.
Although visibility was poor in the dimly lit depths, he was utterly taken aback at the sight that greeted him.
A formidable alien beast, resembling a crocodile with a body as tough as refined iron and a forehead bristling with sharp spikes, lay prostrate to his left.
This crocodile-like creature, even when sprawled on the ground, stood nearly thirty feet tall, with a body length that might well exceed three hundred feet!
Standing before the crocodile-like alien beast, Yu Yuan felt incredibly insignificant. Merely observing the creature, he could sense that in life, it must have been extraordinarily fierce and ruthless.
The spikes on the crocodile's forehead glinted with a cold light in the shadowy cave, suggesting they could penetrate anything.
A dilapidated warship rested atop a crocodile's back. The design of the ship was clearly not the work of any beings from the Everlands; it bore the mark of an ancient Otherkin civilization from the depths of the Star River. This led to the conclusion that the massive crocodile was an extraterrestrial oddity akin to the Abyssal Leviathan!
In the corner, a radiant man clutched a Golden Trident, hovering close to the rock face. The glow emanating from his body originated from his skin and flesh. He was tall and dressed in an opulent short tunic. Despite being dead for many years, his muscles hadn't withered, still exuding an aura of liveliness. However, the luster of the Golden Trident in his grasp had faded, its might seemingly drained.
Below the waist, the man did not have ordinary legs but rather a fish's tail.
Yu Yuan surveyed the surroundings and spotted an alien beast that appeared to be crafted from crystal, with spiritual energy coursing through its body. He also encountered a variety of bizarre remains—some resembled giant apes, massive as mountains, while others were shorter than humans, with additional eyes protruding from the back of their heads.
These peculiar remains were predominantly unseen before, clearly originating from Otherkin beyond the Star River.
"Hmm?"
After his initial astonishment subsided, Yu Yuan's thoughts snapped back to the Abyssal Leviathan. He spun around to find it gazing at him with its odd little eyes from behind an unseen barrier.
Chi Yin and Lin Yue, who had departed with him, had already made their way back to the Fallen Star Eyes. Yu Yuan could see the Abyssal Leviathan, the Fallen Star Eyes, and the Ethereal Vial—he could see it all. Yet, the others appeared oblivious to his presence, their expressions rife with bewilderment.
Additionally, he noticed that Hou Tianzhao, Qi Nandou, and others were eyeing the Abyssal Leviathan with evident trepidation.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, the Abyssal Leviathan lunged forward, causing the seabed cavern to quiver gently. Dark energy waves undulated between Yu Yuan and the leviathan, seemingly neutralizing its impact and hindering its advance.
In that moment, Yu Yuan realized the truth. The previous minor vibrations had also been caused by the Abyssal Leviathan's collisions. He had been so captivated by the cavern's otherworldly wonders that he hadn't paid them much heed.
The Abyssal Leviathan found itself unable to step into the cave, thwarted by an invisible barrier that forced it to remain outside.
Attempting to connect through his heaven soul, he quickly discovered that his consciousness could not penetrate the unseen barrier, leaving him unable to establish contact with the Abyssal Leviathan.
"Where could the Crucible of Evil be?"
