The densely packed houses of the Tenth District were submerged in seawater.
The broken ruins left from battle surged forward under the force of the current, carrying a massive pressure with them.
A normal person would surely die from even a light hit. Even an ordinary high-tier mage wouldn't survive for long constantly manipulating water elements and controlling currents would consume a tremendous amount of mana. Eventually, a mistake would be made.
Fortunately, Lu Jun was different. He had the Water-Repelling Bead. With a thought, a dark blue crystal-clear bead rose above his head, transforming into an invisible barrier surrounding him.
Splash! Countless violent and chaotic currents swept in, but the moment they entered the range of the Water-Repelling Bead, they dissipated into nothing.
Those currents, mixed with toxic formations, stones, and ice spikes, lost their momentum and thus their lethality. Falling on skin, they caused no pain or itch especially since Lu Jun was protected by Water Protection.
Several water serpents coiled around him, his skin beneath covered by a layer of crystalline illusionary scales. He had already activated his magic the moment he entered the water.
There was no other choice the waters below were bone-chillingly cold and filled with poisons and bacteria. Without proper defense, disaster was certain.
"Level Five Water Defense… I've hunted countless monsters lately. There are already six Warrior Souls stored in my White Tiger Pendant. Just one more, and I can unlock another Level Five Basic Spell."
Lu Jun calculated silently. Currently, he held over 400 million in funds, and the Zhao and Zu families owed him a massive amount of resources. He was no longer short of money and didn't need to trade Warrior Souls or Servant Souls for cash anymore.
More accurately, with his current level, unless he invested billions, there would be no significant improvement. Those Souls were now a drop in the bucket—the cost-effectiveness had reversed.
But now wasn't the time to think about that.
He returned to his senses and looked ahead. Countless sea monsters crowded and surged forward in waves. The deeper he went, the denser they became. His expression grew heavy.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Seeing this, Lu Jun quickly activated Psychic Invisibility, perfectly soothing the emotions of the sea monsters in all directions, causing them to overlook his presence.
Even so, the trouble wasn't over. These sea monsters swarmed like a tidal wave. He was forced to move with the current, unable to resist, being pushed backward along with their charge.
Splash!
Lu Jun's figure burst out from the water-covered Tenth District, forcefully flung back.
The greatest challenge wasn't the complex underwater terrain—it was the massive current of creatures.
The sea monsters surged up from the depths. He had to dive into the seabed and traverse the entire Sea Battle City, which was akin to going against the tide.
Anyone who had walked through a crowded shopping street would understand even if you didn't want to move back, the crowd would still force you to retreat.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Lu Jun tried several directions, but each time, he barely made it a short distance before being pushed out again.
Damn it! He was furious. He had planned to quietly sneak into the elemental sea nest of the Merfolk, but now he was being forced to fight his way through.
Of course, the sea monsters had the advantage. He couldn't just recklessly charge through. Killing would only ruin his Psychic Invisibility, making him the target of all. A softer approach would be ideal.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
His eyes gleamed with pure silver light. His entire body radiated dark blue brilliance, and then waves of water surged forward, crashing outward in front of him.
Immediately, the densely packed sea monster horde parted slightly, forming a narrow gap. With waves surging behind him, Lu Jun's body was pushed forward, slipping through and forcefully pressing deeper.
Along the way, he also employed Telekinesis as a complement sometimes flicking, sometimes sweeping, sometimes pushing or lifting removing the sea monsters ahead one by one.
The path was long and arduous. The deeper Lu Jun swam, the more the surroundings changed. First came the layered sea levee districts. Once all signs of human architecture disappeared, only seaweed and reefs remained.
Lu Jun continued struggling forward. Within his spiritual world, the Water and Space Constellations' magic energy was depleting rapidly.
He couldn't stop casting spells. The moment he did, he'd lose all momentum and be swept backward again, wasting all prior effort.
Time passed. Lu Jun's Water Element magic was completely drained. The Water-Repelling Bead above his head began to glow, its stored mana being consumed another mana bar entirely.
This little artifact gave him the equivalent of twice the magic capacity of others in the Water Element.
Even so, his heart gradually sank. The sea monsters ahead were endless, as if there was no end in sight.
Alone in the deep sea, surrounded by savage beasts, a sense of loneliness and dread emerged.
Lu Jun had no choice but to use Psychic Soothing, while simultaneously forcing the surrounding sea monsters to act as his escort.
He discovered something groundbreaking—this trick saved a lot of Space and Water magic energy.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
Amidst the vast horde of monsters, a group of ferocious Sawtooth Green Demons suddenly charged upstream. Most of the sea monsters instinctively dodged. After all, one person going against the current was different from a group doing so.
This made things much easier for Lu Jun, and his progress suddenly accelerated severalfold.
Along the way, he naturally encountered the occasional Commander-level demon beast who was displeased by a mere cannon fodder soldier acting so arrogantly, and some antagonistic species who were ready to strike hard.
But Lu Jun was clever. He used Psychic Transmission to deliver false information:
"Urgent military report from the front lines—unauthorized personnel must not obstruct! Clear the way immediately!"
For a time, not even the commander-level demons dared to act.
He carried a megaphone amplifier, broadcasting the lie along the way, completely fooling the sea monsters.
Eventually, just as his mana for all three elements was about to run out, the pressure ahead suddenly lightened, and the path opened up. The densely packed sea monster swarm instantly became sparse he had finally passed through the sea monster battlefield.
Had he failed to make it before exhausting his magic, he would've had no choice but to break through with brute force using Curse and Metal Element magic.
Lu Jun glanced around and found himself in a vast ocean trench. Cracks stretched on for hundreds of kilometers, impossibly deep. Numerous caverns had been carved into the stone walls, where several Merfolk Elemental Demons lived.
Above, underwater currents formed channels like highways, where countless sea monsters shuttled back and forth, resembling an undersea expressway transporting demons from the depths.
Seeing this, Lu Jun's eyes lit up. He knew he had entered the domain of the Merfolk Sea.
Even the Servant-level Merfolk here stood three meters tall, with upper bodies like humanoid blue-skinned giants and lower bodies like fishtails. Their physiques were incredibly robust, their azure fish scales glittering.
How to put it... there was none of the mermaid beauty from legend. Regardless of gender, their faces were full of brutal muscle, features hideous, looking like fish-heads that had failed to fully transform into human form. Gills were clearly visible on their cheeks.
"Forget it... I just hope the Water Element Holy Spirit isn't this ugly."
Lu Jun scratched his head and didn't dare delay. Taking advantage of the last sliver of Psychic Element energy, he quickly dove deeper into the ocean trench abyss.
As he descended, the Merfolk resting in the crevices of the stone walls remained quiet and undisturbed.
Soon, he reached the deepest point—a massive den surrounded by three towering Merfolk giants. They were awe-inspiring, each with a horn on their forehead and an aura as heavy as a mountain.
Each one was Commander-level, twenty meters tall. Their tails faintly resembled dragon tails. Rather than Merfolk, they were more like Jiao-men, or flood-dragon people.
Lu Jun's eyes sparkled. He knew this was the heart of the Merfolk stronghold. Most likely, the Water Element Holy Spirit resided within.
Without hesitation, he weaved his way between the three Commander-level Merfolk. Everything went relatively smoothly honestly, Psychic Invisibility was way too overpowered.
The only real challenge had been crossing the battlefield. Without sufficient cultivation in the Water Element, even possessing Psychic spells wouldn't have been enough to reach this place.
As Lu Jun finally saw what lay within, his eyes widened in shock.
"What?! How could this be?!"
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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