As they descended deeper, Su Li soon encountered more powerful shark beasts. A level-nine elite-class giant shark beast. The giant shark beast evolved from the level-eight black-scaled giant beast, far stronger than its predecessor. Its humanoid form had grown to four meters, with a pair of sharp claws extended, greatly enhancing both strength and speed. Even Gong Xiao and Ling Yi would need to handle it with care. Defeating a giant shark beast had a certain probability of granting mastery of the "Giant Shark Blade."
From the depths of the forest below, two giant shark beasts emerged in succession. One lunged at Su Li, while the other charged at Ling Yi. Ling Yi had already reached level 9, and his spirit-source technique had evolved into its more powerful third form. His crystallization was no longer limited to the sword in his hand and his arms; now, even his chest and abdomen could sustain long-term crystallization. This surface crystallization not only boosted his strength but also provided formidable defensive capabilities. Previously, he could only maintain crystallization on his hands and sword for extended periods, with other parts crystallizing only momentarily, limiting its effectiveness. As the crystallization range expanded, this ability grew increasingly terrifying. Gripping his sword with both hands, his arms, chest, and back all entered a crystallized state. He swung the crystalline sword with astonishing speed and power. The charging giant shark beast raised its black-scaled arms to block, but the sword struck true, leaving a gruesome wound on the tough black scales, blood seeping out. With Ling Yi's enhanced strength, even the supposedly impenetrable black scales couldn't withstand his crystalline blade. He twisted the sword and thrust upward, driving it into the soft belly of the giant shark beast.
On the other side, Su Li, aiming for a quick victory, immediately activated the first form of "Demon Muscle," doubling his strength and speed. He sidestepped the charging giant shark beast, and before it could react, his Dragon Rhinoceros Sword slashed across its thick neck. Though protected by black scales, the neck couldn't withstand the sharpness of the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword and Su Li's terrifying strength. Even in just the first form of "Demon Muscle," this strike carried at least ten thousand jin of force, concentrated on the thin blade. The blade's sharpness was unimaginable—even if the giant shark beast were forged from steel, it would be easily cleaved. In a single exchange, Su Li slew the level-nine elite-class giant shark beast, and information flooded his mind. "Level 9 Spirit Source User: Spirit Source 127/150" He had harvested two effective spirit sources. With only 23 more needed to break through again, Su Li was on the verge of advancement. This time, slaying the level-nine elite-class giant shark beast didn't grant him its special ability. He realized that as his level increased, the probability of gaining special abilities from elite beasts seemed to drop. Unlike the early days, when defeating elite beasts often yielded abilities, now it was the opposite—most attempts ended in failure.
On the other side, Ling Yi killed his giant shark beast but also failed to learn a new ability. From the depths of the forest below, four more massive humanoid figures surged upward—another four elite-class giant shark beasts. Gong Xiao, spear in hand, dove down to meet one of them. Around her, water currents swirled, quickly forming six shields of water. These shields, arranged in two layers, revolved around her body. Her "Storm Shield," evolved to the third form, had undergone a qualitative leap, more than doubling its defensive power. Not only did it create a double-layer shield for protection, but under Gong Xiao's control, these six shields also had an explosive effect. She extended her left hand, and a shield shot forward, colliding with the charging giant shark beast. It exploded underwater. The beast was sent tumbling, its black scales peeling off. Gong Xiao seized the opportunity, thrusting her Everlasting Spear into its belly.
Su Li, in the first form of "Demon Muscle" combined with "Spider Walk," moved underwater like a torpedo, faster than the native shark beasts. His Dragon Rhinoceros Sword swiftly dispatched two more giant shark beasts, netting him 4 more effective spirit sources. Now, his spirit source count had reached 131, with only 19 more needed to break through. He had killed three elite beasts in a row but failed to gain any special abilities, confirming his earlier suspicion. As his level rose, the chance of obtaining abilities from elite beasts was steadily decreasing. It seemed that for future abilities, killing leader beasts was more reliable, as they guaranteed a special ability.
By now, Su Li had descended to extreme depths. Around him were thick trees with dense foliage, severely limiting visibility. Shark beasts kept appearing from among them, launching surprise attacks. Fortunately, Su Li's "Peeking Rune" always provided advance warnings, allowing him to dodge and counterattack. Gong Xiao was beside him. Several shields floated around her, protecting her from ambushes. Her "Storm Shield" was perfectly suited for this perilous forest environment. Above them rode a crocodile turtle, carrying Xu Xuehui and Jiang Shuiyu. Though Jiang Shuiyu hadn't acted yet, she was ready to deploy "Fog Maze" at a moment's notice. Xu Xuehui kept scanning the forest, observing their surroundings.
As they descended further, none could count how many shark beasts they had slain. Countless carcasses were being hauled upward. Su Li, sinking the fastest, peered through the trees below and sensed they were nearing the true ground. Since the great flood had submerged the entire city, this was the first time he had dived so deep, the first time he would truly approach the bottom. A flicker of excitement stirred within him.
Above, Xu Xuehui, riding the crocodile turtle, suddenly gestured frantically, trying to signal something to Su Li below. But underwater, she couldn't speak. In her urgency, she drew her Green Shadow Bow, a beam of emerald light forming on it, and shot diagonally downward. A flash of light cut through the water as the Green Shadow Arrow streaked into the trees below. Almost instantly, Su Li caught a glimpse of a massive figure darting away. Xu Xuehui's arrow struck a tree, leaving a thumb-sized hole. The evading giant figure, like a colossus, emerged from the shadows, took a few swift strides, and charged at Su Li with astonishing speed—even faster than his "Spider Walk." Gong Xiao sensed the danger and raised her left hand, conjuring two water shields in front of Su Li to block the onrushing giant. Both shields exploded on impact, revealing the full form of the giant. Standing five meters tall underwater, it was a true giant, covered in palm-sized black scales, its face eerily human-like. Its sharp claws extended, unaffected by the exploding shields, and reached for Su Li. Information flashed through Su Li's mind. "Name: Giant Shark King, Level: 10, Leader of the Shark Beast Clan. Evolved from the Black-Scaled Giant Shark, it possesses a larger body, greater strength and defense. Its most fearsome trait is its incredible speed, capable of rapid movement both underwater and on land. Defeating the Giant Shark King guarantees mastery of the special ability 'Shark King Ghost Step.'"
This five-meter giant was the level-10 leader, the Giant Shark King. Its underwater speed had surpassed Su Li's "Spider Walk" in the first form of "Demon Muscle," sending a chill through him—followed by excitement. Defeating this Giant Shark King would grant him "Shark King Ghost Step," the ability behind its incredible speed. This special ability, potentially superior to "Spider Walk," was not to be missed. Without hesitation, Su Li instantly boosted his strength and speed, entering the second form of "Demon Muscle." His chest and back bulged with muscle, forming ferocious demonic faces. He swung his Dragon Rhinoceros Sword upward. Though the Giant Shark King moved swiftly, its attack speed couldn't match Su Li's. He accurately parried its claw. Sparks flew in the dark water. Even the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword couldn't sever the Giant Shark King's claw instantly. Su Li stepped forward, extending his left hand to unleash "Demon Hunter Claw," aiming for the beast's belly. The Giant Shark King shifted its feet in an eerie, intricate pattern, evading Su Li's grasp in a way he couldn't follow.
Ling Yi appeared silently from behind, his upper body crystallized, gripping a crystalline longsword with both hands. He swung it at the Giant Shark King from the rear, attempting a pincer attack. The Giant Shark King once again demonstrated the terror of its "Ghost Step," its feet alternating in rapid, unpredictable steps. It dodged Ling Yi's blade and countered with a claw strike to his chest. Fortunately, Ling Yi's chest was crystallized, preventing a fatal blow. Still, his shirt was torn, and shallow claw marks were left on his crystallized skin, sending a cold sweat down his back. This Giant Shark King was formidable.
Su Li struck again, activating "Spider Walk" alongside the second form of "Demon Muscle," tripling his speed. The water exploded with force as he shot forward like a cannonball. The Giant Shark King simultaneously unleashed its Ghost Step. Their forms crossed paths. The Giant Shark King's claws raked across Su Li's belly, blocked by his "Silver Armor." At the same moment, Su Li's Dragon Rhinoceros Sword slashed out. The Giant Shark King's Ghost Step was too bizarre—its feet shuffled in tight, erratic patterns, its body swaying, narrowly dodging Su Li's blade. This time, Su Li was prepared. As his sword missed, he extended his left hand and released "High-Voltage Shock," sending an arc of electricity through the water, striking the evading Giant Shark King. Caught off guard by the shock, the Giant Shark King's mouth gaped, its eyes bulging. Its body went rigid, paralyzed. Seizing the moment, Su Li adjusted his missed slash, angling the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword upward, and cleanly sliced across the Giant Shark King's neck. The beast's massive head, trailing blood, tumbled away through the water. Underwater, its headless corpse didn't immediately fall but floated, still standing upright. A spirit source emerged, merging into Su Li's forehead. Information appeared. "Level 9 Spirit Source User: Spirit Source 139/150" The level-10 leader, the Giant Shark King, had yielded eight spirit sources. The breakthrough to level 10 was drawing near, and Su Li couldn't contain his excitement. Reaching level 10 would grant him a second spirit-source technique. What would that second technique be? He grew increasingly eager.
Then, the Giant Shark King's legs began to shrink. Soon, two black spirit sources flew out, sinking into Su Li's legs and vanishing. Information followed. "Shark King Ghost Step: Beginning comprehension..." "Shark King Ghost Step: Mastered..." Su Li sensed the information in his mind, feeling a strange energy slowly releasing within his legs. Gradually, he was mastering the "Shark King Ghost Step." "Impressive—just by using simple, alternating steps, I can continuously shift my position for high-speed evasion. It's similar to my 'Spider Walk' but with its own unique twist. Most importantly, 'Shark King Ghost Step' seems combinable with 'Spider Walk.' They're two entirely different methods of enhancing speed, meaning I can use both simultaneously. That's powerful..." Su Li imagined activating the third form of "Demon Muscle" for a fourfold speed boost, adding the Thunder Boots' five percent increase, plus "Spider Walk" and "Shark King Ghost Step." The resulting speed would be terrifying. This incredible speed filled him with unprecedented confidence. Even facing a monster like the Pseudo-Dragon again, he wouldn't flinch. Even if he couldn't kill it, the Pseudo-Dragon's attacks would struggle to land on him in this state. "Just 11 more spirit sources, and I'll break through to level 10, mastering my second spirit-source technique. By then, even diving to the deepest depths of this water, I won't be afraid." If even a monster as fearsome as the Pseudo-Dragon couldn't harm him, Su Li figured few threats remained in these depths. Beings as powerful as the Pseudo-Dragon were likely extremely rare—perhaps even unique. After all, it was the creature that had destroyed "Forgetter City," home to nearly a thousand Forgotten Ones.
Having slain the Giant Shark King, Su Li didn't descend further. Instead, he remounted the crocodile turtle and floated upward. Gong Xiao, Ling Yi, Jiang Shuiyu, and the others followed. They had been underwater for so long that their breath-holding limits were near. They needed to surface for air.