Seven days swiftly elapsed, and once again, the Deep Sea Hermit trio set foot on the island--- Ijin Shinju, Kyohei Kondo, and Saiki Daioh.
Kondo Kyohei, the black-gold sharkfolk, inquired coldly, "Ijin Shinju, you're not seriously considering letting this stranger enter the Empress's Tomb, are you?"
Ijin Shinju displayed a disdainful expression. "Kondo-kun, must I personally respond to such a foolish question?"
"Don't think I'm unaware of what you two are contemplating. This mission is pivotal for both us and the organization. Even if you wish to make a move against her, it would be prudent to wait until the seal is open," Ijin Shinju remarked.
The sharkfolk and drake-folk Heroes exchanged glances. "No problem!" they both declared. "Let's first open the seal, and then we can strike when the opportunity arises!"
Both Heroes had excitement in their eyes. For them, this was a rare opportunity. A formidable Demon King! Dispatching her would undoubtedly significantly augment their strength. Would Ijin Shinju still dare to act so arrogantly in their presence at that point?
In reality, if it weren't for the constraints imposed by the organization, they would have already made a move against Ijin Shinju. Conversely, it was the same for her. Between Heroes and Demon Kings, establishing mutual trust was never an easy task. The two Heroes harbored ill intentions, and Ijin Shinju was not naive either; she held both wariness and murderous intent towards them.
The current harmony among the three was just a facade. Sooner or later, their true colors would be revealed, and each would show their fangs. Since they were bound to become enemies sooner or later, there was no way Ijin Shinju would willingly let a powerful Demon King help them grow in strength. It was better to strike first and eliminate the threat. However, before that, the Succubus Queen must die. She dared to threaten the Naga Queen? She shall pay the price for her insolence!
Not long after, Han Kexin and Zhang Nu arrived on the island.
Ijin Shinju asked, "Did you bring the sealing pearl?"
Han Kexin took out the magic orb and said, "Of course. What's the next step? I advise you not to play tricks. Otherwise, I have a way to prevent you from using this sealing pearl!"
Ijin Shinju reassured her, "Rest assured! This task is extremely important for us. The Succubus Queen is powerful and will be a great help to us."
As she spoke, she took out several teleportation stones and arranged a temporary teleportation formation. "The Calamity Trench is located in the southwest region of the Azure Water Federation, tens of thousands of miles away from here. We can directly reach it using this teleportation formation. Let's depart!"
Ijin Shinju first transformed into a beam of light and disappeared. Kondo Kyohei and Saiki Daioh did not move. "Queen, please go ahead!"
Han Kexin, without further ado, entered the magical formation with Zhang Nu. The two were instantly transported to the so-called Calamity Sea. Zhang Nu looked around, noting a stark difference from the scenery in Holy Tides City. The sea here had a deep blue, almost black color. While Holy Tides City had a climate reminiscent of tropical islands from his past life, the Calamity Sea had a much colder atmosphere, as if he had arrived in the oceans near the north and south poles.
He found himself on a black coral reef island, surrounded by five to six thousand elite Deep Sea Naga forces. Among them, eight leading Deep Sea Nagas emitted particularly powerful auras:
[Ancient Naga of Darkness] Level 5 overlord unit.
[Ancient Naga of Light] Level 5 overlord unit.
[Ancient Naga of Shadow] Level 5 overlord unit.
[Ancient Naga of Flame] Level 5 overlord unit.
[......]
Zhang Nu scanned the area, and these eight nagas represented different attributes: Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Light, Shadow, Thunder, and Death. Each naga was a top-tier Level 5 overlord, and when united, these eight Ancient Nagas could easily contend with or even suppress a Level 5 monarch-class unit.
Impressive! Each Demon King race had a different structure. While Ijin Shinju's Level 5 unit seemed to lack a monarch-class unit, it could summon eight Ancient Nagas of various attributes, which were no less powerful than a monarch-class unit and, in some cases, even more versatile.
Ijin Shinju, fearing misunderstanding from Han Kexin, promptly explained, "These are my elite forces. The waters near the Calamity Sea are teeming with various daemonic sea creatures. Relying solely on us not only makes it difficult to break through, but it also consumes too much energy."
Han Kexin remained unfazed and responded, "I understand. So, should we start taking action now?"
"There's no need to hurry," Ijin Shinju said. "The Calamity Sea has the Azure Water Federation's Mausoleum Guardian Army and Tomb Protector Army, two powerful forces. Once discovered, it will not only lead to a fierce battle but also alert the powerhouses of the Azure Water Federation."
"However, our organization has completed the deployment. We will create chaos to attract their attention, and with the cooperation of insiders, open a temporary defensive gap. Let's wait for the signal."
Further observation and understanding revealed that the Deep Sea Hermits' strength exceeded that of the Thunder Empire's Thunderous Society by a considerable margin. The Thunderous Society was merely a high-end Hero organization, while the Deep Sea Hermits not only had Heroes but also top-tier Demon Kings like Ijin Shinju. On one hand, the Thunderous Society relied on individual abilities, social connections, and controlled forces. On the other hand, the Deep Sea Hermits seemed to have existed before the arrival of Demon Kings and Heroes. Among them, not only were there Heroes and Demon Kings but also a powerful force that, for centuries, had been secretly plotting to overthrow the Azure Water Federation's rule. This operation was one of their attempts.
Zhang Nu and Han Kexin waited until midnight. A beam of light suddenly shot up from the distant sea surface, disappearing into the clouds.
Ijin Shinju, Kondo Kyohei, and Saiki Daioh were delighted upon seeing the signal. "We can move now. The signal marks the area, and the stationed troops have temporarily left. We have at most two or three hours to reach the seal."
"Let's go!"
The group descended into the frigid, pitch-black seawater. However, the water could not reach Zhang Nu's body. A bubble-like barrier appeared around the two Great Demon Kings. Sea water could not enter this bubble, thanks to the effect of waterproof items, essentially enchantments or equipment that had a waterproofing spell cast on them. Waterproof spells were specialized defense spells against water-based magic. This magic could repel water elements to form a magical shield. The higher the level of the waterproof spell, the higher the level of water magic it could defend against. The current waterproof spell could resist C-rank water magic.
In this silent and tranquil world, thousands of nagas swam through the sea, like thousands of sea phantoms moving rapidly. These high-level marine creatures experienced a massive power boost in the ocean.
"We are about to enter the deep-sea area! The number of monsters here will be extremely high."
"Don't get entangled by them! We can't kill them all!" Ijin Shinju, by controlling the sea currents, transmitted her voice to the two, not only covering a great distance but also ensuring clear communication.
The seas of this world were incredibly deep. In the previous world, the Mariana Trench, the deepest point globally, had been only 6-11 kilometers deep. In this world, oceans several tens or hundreds of kilometers deep were commonplace, and there were even seas that were thousands or tens of thousands of kilometers deep. It was said that in the Azure Water Federation, there were seas several hundred thousand kilometers deep.
In essence, the oceanic world and the terrestrial world were two entirely different realms. This distinction was even greater than that between the surface world and the underworld. The ocean was three-dimensional, layered, with countless tribes, organisms, ancient monsters, and unknown demonic entities that were impossible to tally.
The most primal, ancient, and intense emotion among intelligent beings was fear. Of all fears, the strongest was undoubtedly the fear of the unknown. The depths of the ocean and the vastness of deep space were the places that most effectively evoked fear of the unknown, especially for creatures from the land, many of whom had some degree of thalassophobia.
"It's too deep! Haven't we reached it yet?"
Han Kexin felt that they had descended more than three to two hundred kilometers. The surroundings were almost pitch black to human eyes, akin to being in the depths of the cosmic void. However, for Han Kexin, this kind of darkness was not much of a problem. She noticed that even in such deep-sea depths, various fish and creatures still thrived, creating an unimaginably rich ecosystem.
Just then, Zhang Nu sensed a looming hostility.
[Deep Sea Demon Octopus] Level 5 lord unit...
Description: This is a marine demon with a high-tier demonic lineage. Not only do they possess incredibly tenacious vitality, but they also have powerful psychic and water-based attack abilities.
A large group of super octopus monsters! There were approximately 30-40 of them. They averaged over two hundred meters in diameter, were entirely pitch black like ink, with purple patterns, and possessed dozens of tentacles. All of them were Level 5 lords? The monster resources in the ocean seemed quite abundant!
Saiki Daioh's voice echoed, "Let's keep moving forward!" The deep-sea naga launched attacks, engaging the demon octopuses in battle.
The five of them took advantage of the distraction, hardly getting involved in the fight, and continued to descend rapidly. Strange and monstrous creatures kept emerging, resembling poking a hornet's nest, seemingly endless. Finally, when the elite nagas were on the verge of exhaustion, Zhang Nu spotted the ocean floor. It was a dark plain, and in the middle of it appeared a massive trench. It was like an ugly scar, abruptly showing up before their eyes, emitting an extremely ominous red glow.
A prompt appeared before Zhang Nu.
[Calamity Trench: Tomb of the Empress] Level 5 mythic area...
Description: This place once experienced a catastrophe that could shake the foundations of the Azure Water Federation. Six thousand years after the legendary empress suppressed the calamity at the cost of her life, the danger level has significantly decreased. However, it remains an extremely perilous and forbidden place that should not be approached lightly!
As expected, just as expected. Although it was only Level 5, it was a mythic-level area. The difficulty was likely much higher than that of a Level 6 monarch area. A genuinely challenging place. However, the more challenging the place, the more abundant the rewards. Zhang Nu looked forward to what might appear at the burial place of this legendary empress!"
