Lu Jun crawled into the stone cave, and the world before his eyes suddenly opened up.
What he saw was a breathtaking sight dark blue seawater surrounded him, and in the center stood a massive clam, occupying dozens of meters in diameter, floating atop a vast and pitch-black Xuan Water Lake.
The giant clam was wide open, with the upper shell embedded with countless round pearls, radiating dazzling brilliance. Their glow softened the deep blue hue, turning it into a dreamy sky-blue shade. Those translucent pearls looked like a sea of stars under the night sky, all within arm's reach.
The lower shell was made of smooth, jade-like flesh, resembling a soft bed—just lying on it must feel extremely comfortable.
Surrounding the clam was a dome-shaped energy shield like an inverted jade bowl, isolating the inside from the outside. Its surface emitted rising water vapor, forming mist. It looked like immortal energy swirling around, filled with a dreamlike aura, reflecting seven-colored brilliance like clouds glowing in the morning light.
Seeing this, Lu Jun couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath this Water Elemental Spirit sure knew how to live luxuriously.
The dark Xuan Water Lake emitted a vast and gentle aura, nourishing the body. His previously withered Water Element Star Galaxy in his spiritual world was visibly recovering before his eyes.
However, the pressure on Lu Jun's body was enormous. The moment he stepped into this place, water pressure a hundred times greater than outside surged toward him, like being thousands of meters deep under the sea, making it hard to breathe.
If an ordinary high-tier water mage came here, they would be crushed to death by the immense water pressure, their blood vessels bursting.
Lu Jun noticed that every drop of water around him was extremely condensed, with density as hard as iron.
Fortunately, he had the Water Repelling Bead, which granted immunity to all Water Element spells below the high-tier level. Though the Xuan Water was heavy, it had not exceeded the high-tier threshold it was like being constantly bathed in high-tier Water Element magic.
"Well, that makes sense. Without extreme environments, how could an Elemental Spirit be born?"
Lu Jun mused to himself, growing more certain of the old monk's intel.
An ordinary Super Mage could hardly reach this place, let alone form a contract with a Spirit.
But now that he had arrived, there was not the slightest joy in his heart because the massive clam was empty. There was no living being lying inside.
The Water Elemental Spirit was gone?!
Lu Jun couldn't help but search around. He looked through every corner of this hidden paradise but found no sign of any creature.
"Could it have gone out to hunt?"
He grew anxious. His Water and Psychic Elemental energy wouldn't last much longer. If the nest's owner didn't return soon, he'd be forced to retreat, using Metal and Curse Element magic to break through to the surface.
With no choice, Lu Jun swam around the nest, hoping to find some trace of the Water Elemental Spirit. Suddenly, he noticed a shining pearl at the center of the giant clam.
Since the owner was gone, he boldly swam toward the clam, stepping onto its soft shell flesh. Only when he got closer did he realize—it wasn't a pearl, but a deep blue crystal.
Lu Jun picked it up and sensed the vast Water Element energy contained within.
"This is… a Water Elemental Nucleus Crystal!"
Very quickly, his knowledge allowed him to identify the crystal's nature. He was shocked inwardly. The so-called Nucleus Crystal was an ultimate fusion catalyst, used to forge growth-type magic tools or be merged into magic systems to cultivate Elemental Devouring Seeds. It was of immeasurable value.
He hadn't expected to find such a treasure in the Water Elemental Spirit's lair.
But how could it not be carrying something this important? Nucleus Crystals were just as vital to Elemental Spirits. Once they reached adulthood, they could use it to gain mastery over another type of Water Seed.
It must be known species ranking was one thing, but the difference in individual growth was another entirely.
Take Mo Fan's Flame Empress for example. A normal Flame Empress would cap out at the Intermediate Commander level, but after consuming the Time Liquid and inheriting the Vermilion Bird Totem's power, Little Flame Belle broke past her limits and became a Pseudo-Emperor.
Thus, it was unlikely that the Water Elemental Spirit would carelessly abandon this treasure.
Lu Jun had a vague sense of unease. He quickly searched the surroundings again. On the stone walls of the nest, he found faint scratches left by flowing water it looked like the Water Elemental Spirit had left in a hurry.
He fell into deep thought, expanding his spiritual sense. His Psychic and Curse Element Star Galaxies lit up, trying to detect the aura of the Elemental Spirit and sense its location.
The Psychic Element's basic abilities included Path of Sincerity, and once reaching the high-tier level, it could even remotely sense heart-linked imprints.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard Lu Jun tried to search, he couldn't pick up on the Water Elemental Spirit's whereabouts.
He waited in the cave for a while longer, but with three types of elemental energy near depletion, the nest's owner still hadn't returned.
"Should I keep waiting?"
Lu Jun's heart grew heavy. He had a feeling the Water Elemental Spirit likely wouldn't return. All signs pointed to it having migrated elsewhere.
And the move seemed to have happened recently so hurriedly, in fact, that it left behind the nearly matured Water Elemental Nucleus Crystal, unable to wait even for that.
He couldn't be sure if this guess was correct, but things had reached this point. All he could do now was return the way he came and verify it another time. After all, the Water Elemental Spirit's nest was right here—
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!
Just as Lu Jun was preparing to leave quietly, a violent rumble suddenly came from outside, shaking the entire nest. Cracks began appearing on the stone walls.
"It's collapsing?! What's happening outside?!"
Lu Jun was greatly shocked. A strong sense of crisis surged within him. Deep in the seabed, if he got buried under giant rocks, even a Forbidden Curse Mage would perish. The human body was far too fragile.
He wanted to flee, but when he reached the stone cave entrance, he still extended his spiritual senses first to observe the situation outside.
Then he was horrified to see above him, swarms of sea monsters were surging downward, while the nest's guardians, the Merman Elemental Monsters, were fighting to the death in defense. A brutal battle between both sides had erupted.
"What's going on? Didn't the sea monsters of the Sea Monster Empire have a non-interference pact with the local mermen?"
Lu Jun frowned deeply. The trembling of the nest was clearly caused by the chaos of this battle.
Of course, the nest had been tempered and compressed by Xuan Water, making it incredibly sturdy not so easily shaken. The real problem lay outside, where the three Commander-level Mermen were being surrounded and attacked by numerous Commander-level sea beasts. The shockwaves were immense.
The three Mermen roared furiously. Their massive bodies swam and fought ferociously, churning the waters into a turbid, raging current.
Just as Lu Jun was hesitating, it looked like the mermen outside couldn't hold on anymore. Outnumbered more than ten to one, they were being forced back repeatedly. A few sea monsters had even begun slipping into the nest, clearly to report back.
He quickly retreated from his position, letting those scouts in while taking the opportunity to slip out himself, weaving through the chaotic battlefield. Of course, he didn't forget to take the Nucleus Crystal with him.
This crystal was an invaluable treasure this trip wouldn't be a complete loss.
Lu Jun lingered around the edge of the battlefield, planning to fish in troubled waters and maybe even figure out the cause of the conflict between both sides.
Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred a powerful psychic impact surged in from afar.
At first, Lu Jun didn't pay it much mind. Sea monsters came in all kinds, and it wasn't strange for some to possess spiritual-type Magic. He just had to block it.
But it turned out this psychic wave wasn't some incidental leakage it was specifically targeted at him. It wasn't meant to attack his soul but to forcibly dispel the Psychic Invisibility he was using!
Buzz buzz buzz!
Lu Jun was caught off guard. The transparent ripples around him clashed violently with the five-colored psychic waves sweeping over him. In an instant, his Psychic Invisibility was distorted and broken, exposing his figure in the chaotic underwater battlefield.
For additional chapters
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