In front of the Dragon Abyss Vessel's crystal sphere, there was a white stone strip. When the vessel was on the surface of the water, the strip remained white. The moment it dove beneath the waves, it would instantly turn blue, gradually reddening from one end as time passed. Once it turned completely red, it meant the air inside the vessel had run critically low, and they had to surface to breathe.
Breathing in the moist sea air above the water, Ning Rongrong sighed in admiration. "This Dragon Abyss Vessel is worth every bit of its ten thousand Gold Soul Coins — honestly, it'd be worth even a hundred thousand. Aside from having no offensive or defensive capabilities, it's practically perfect. If I'd known it was this useful, why would we have bothered chartering a ship to set sail?"
Tang San smiled faintly. "We'd still need a nautical chart, though. The one we have now is the crystallization of years of navigation across the open sea by the Purple Pearl Pirates. When we first entered the ocean, we didn't have anything like it."
Dai Mubai spoke up. "Little San, this vessel's speed is absolutely staggering. Could we just use it to charge straight to Seagod Island?"
Tang San shook his head. "I'm afraid not. No matter how fast the Dragon Abyss Vessel is, it's still a ship. There's no way it can compare to the speed of ocean creatures — and that's not even accounting for those Demonic Spirit Great White Sharks. If we were surrounded in the depths, trapped beneath the sea, we wouldn't even have a chance to escape."
Dai Mubai frowned. "So what do we do? Just keep waiting here? That's no solution."
Tang San considered for a moment. "We'll have to wait until nighttime. But before that, there's an experiment we need to run. If it succeeds, getting to Seagod Island won't be a problem." As he spoke, a light flared between his brows, and the Ocean Sky Cover, shimmering with blue radiance, materialized in his palm.
The Shrek Seven Devils were all sharp-minded people. The moment they saw the Ocean Sky Cover in his hand, their spirits surged. The experiment Tang San had in mind was simple. If the Ocean Sky Cover could render the Dragon Abyss Vessel invisible, then in these vast waters, not even a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast would pose a threat to them.
When they had faced the Deep Sea Demon Whale before, that powerful hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast had appeared too suddenly, its attacks indiscriminate and area-of-effect, leaving Tang San no chance to use the Ocean Sky Cover to protect everyone. But now was different. They had ample time to prepare. With the Dragon Abyss Vessel's speed, as long as the Ocean Sky Cover's invisibility worked underwater, they could reach Seagod Island with ease.
The hatch closed once more, and Tang San simultaneously activated the Ocean Sky Cover's inherent skill — the Ocean Sky Shield. A flash of blue light, and the Dragon Abyss Vessel was completely enveloped within.
But what happened next was something none of them had anticipated.
They felt the space around them go hollow as the vessel successfully entered its invisible state. Yet what left them torn between laughter and tears was that within the Ocean Sky Cover's domain, not a single drop of water could enter. The triangular pyramid of blue light carried the Dragon Abyss Vessel as it slowly sank deeper into the ocean. Without any water against the hull, the vessel was completely unable to move forward.
Tang San stared blankly as the vessel drifted toward the ocean floor, then immediately grasped the situation. "The Ocean Sky Cover is waterproof." With that, he instantly withdrew the outwardly projected cover. Seawater rushed in, and control of the Dragon Abyss Vessel was restored.
The group exchanged helpless looks. Just moments ago, they had been worried the Ocean Sky Cover might not work in the deep ocean. But as it turned out, it not only worked — it worked a little too well.
Tang San let out a soft sigh. "It truly lives up to its name — 'Ocean Sky.' Its defensive ability can even repel water."
Dai Mubai smiled ruefully. "Now we're in a bind. Without the Ocean Sky Cover's help, how are we supposed to reach Seagod Island?"
At Dai Mubai's words, Tang San actually smiled. "Although the Ocean Sky Cover can't help propel the Dragon Abyss Vessel forward, we have another method. But we still need to test whether the Ocean Sky Cover's water-repelling ability is affected by changes in underwater pressure."
With that, under the puzzled gazes of the others, Tang San once again released the Ocean Sky Shield — the inherent skill of this ultimate treasure among Soul Guides. Under its blue glow, the Dragon Abyss Vessel began to descend slowly, sinking gradually into the deep ocean.
The deeper the vessel dove, the darker the surrounding light became. Once the depth exceeded a hundred meters, the ocean outside had turned pitch black, with only the faint blue luminescence of the Ocean Sky Cover providing any illumination.
The Dragon Abyss Vessel continued its descent, and Tang San kept his eyes fixed on the changes in the Ocean Sky Cover. According to the auctioneer's description when they had purchased the vessel, it could withstand water pressure at depths of up to three hundred meters. Being inside the Dragon Abyss Vessel, even if the Ocean Sky Shield couldn't handle the pressure, they would still be safe within.
Beyond a hundred meters deep, Tang San suddenly felt the Ocean Sky Shield undergo a change. His heart tensed as he focused intently, ready at any moment to inject more Soul Power into it. But to his surprise, the shield wasn't failing under the pressure — instead, it was gradually growing brighter amid the increasing water pressure.
Gathering his Purple Extreme Divine Light to observe closely, Tang San discovered that extremely fine blue motes of light were continuously merging into the exterior of the Ocean Sky Shield. Far from damaging it, these particles actually gave it a sensation of being filled, of becoming more substantial.
Ever since his severe injuries at the hands of the Deep Sea Demon Whale, Tang San had noticed that the Ocean Sky Cover's glow had dimmed considerably. But now, in these deep waters, that faded light seemed to be gradually recovering.
What was happening? Was the Ocean Sky Cover absorbing the ocean's energy?
Through careful observation, Tang San confirmed his hypothesis was correct. What struck him as most extraordinary, however, was that after the Ocean Sky Cover absorbed energy from the sea through its shield skill, his own body began to change as well.
After his previous injuries, the searing sensation from his Spirit Bone had diminished significantly. But now, as the Ocean Sky Cover absorbed the ocean's energy, that burning feeling was intensifying again — and growing stronger by the moment. Yet the heat didn't cause him any discomfort. On the contrary, his body felt as though it were being replenished, made more whole. Although his Soul Power reserves were unaffected, Tang San felt refreshed and clear-headed, with his reflexes and concentration improving rapidly.
For Tang San, this situation was something he simply couldn't fully explain. The Ocean Sky Cover wasn't his Spirit Bone, nor was it a Spirit Ring skill — it was an ability originating from a Soul Guide. But why would a Soul Guide produce such an effect? Why was it that only his Soul Power could activate it, and why did its absorption of external energy influence his body? This surely couldn't be explained away as mere coincidence.
What he didn't know was that ever since the Ocean Sky Cover had absorbed his blood that time, it had already become a part of his body. Though it wasn't a Spirit Bone, it existed in a different, uniquely special form.
The waters in this region weren't particularly deep. By Tang San's estimation, after descending roughly two hundred meters, the Dragon Abyss Vessel had settled on the ocean floor.
The seabed was covered in beautiful coral reefs, their splendor magnified under the blue glow of the Ocean Sky Shield. Of course, this was only what they could see from inside the shield — from the outside, the depths remained pitch black.
Tang San smiled faintly. "It looks like my new plan should work. Come on — let's head outside."
"Outside?" The others stared at him in shock, unable for a moment to process what he was suggesting.
Tang San smiled. "Outside, of course. Since the Ocean Sky Shield can repel water and withstand the pressure, we may not be able to propel the vessel, but can't we simply walk our way there?"
Ma Hongjun's eyes went wide. "Walk across the ocean floor? That's even possible?" Out of habit, the assumption was that this was the deep sea — how could humans survive down here? But thinking it through carefully, Tang San's logic was sound.
Tang San laughed. "Why not? Taking a stroll along the ocean floor — isn't that quite the adventure? We've got the Ocean Sky Shield's invisibility on top of that. Even without it, those Demonic Spirit Great White Sharks wouldn't be hunting right along the seabed, would they?"
As he spoke, he opened the hatch of the Dragon Abyss Vessel. Scooping up Xiao Wu beside him, he was the first to leap out.
Only when they stepped out of the vessel and stood for real on the wet, somewhat soft coral of the ocean floor did the others finally accept that this was actually happening.
Though their vision couldn't extend far, there was no denying that this dimly lit place was the deep ocean. When they first stepped out of the Dragon Abyss Vessel, every one of them — Tang San included — felt a knot of fear in their hearts. But once they found they could breathe normally here without a single drop of seawater touching them, their nerves gradually settled.
Oscar murmured thoughtfully, "Little San, since the Ocean Sky Shield can conceal us in the ocean, couldn't we also use it to hide while flying through the air? That way, we could reach Seagod Island just as easily."
Tang San shook his head. "No. I've tested it before. If I activate the Ocean Sky Shield while flying, it devours my Soul Power at an alarming rate. I'm not sure why — it might be related to the speed. Last time, I flew for only about three breaths' worth of time, and the shield had consumed nearly half my Soul Power. There's no way it could sustain us for a flight that long. Even walking on land with it active drains a great deal of my Soul Power. Overall, the skill is best suited for stationary defense."
Dai Mubai asked, "Then can your Soul Power hold out long enough for the shield to guide us all the way to Seagod Island? Remember, we're in the open ocean. If you run out halfway through, even with the Dragon Abyss Vessel we'd be finished. We'd be right in the heart of the Demonic Spirit Great White Sharks' territory."
Tang San gazed at the blue glow emanating from the Ocean Sky Shield. "Before diving beneath the surface, I wasn't confident. By my calculations, with all of you helping, we should have been able to make it. But now I can tell you with certainty — we can reach Seagod Island easily. For some reason, here in the deep ocean, the Ocean Sky Cover is drawing energy from the sea, which dramatically reduces the drain on my own reserves. Getting us to the island won't be a problem."
Zhu Zhuqing asked, "So the Ocean Sky Cover is a Soul Guide designed specifically for use in the ocean?"
Tang San considered. "Very likely. There's no time to waste — let's reach Seagod Island first and worry about the rest later. Stay close together, everyone, and don't walk too fast. I'll use the Blue Silver Emperor to keep us connected."
Seven strands of Blue Silver Emperor shot out. Xiao Wu was secured directly to Tang San's back, his arms wrapped around her slender thighs. The remaining six strands coiled around the waists of the others. After recalling the Dragon Abyss Vessel, he activated the Ocean Sky Shield, and the group began walking forward along the ocean floor.
Progress along the seabed was far more difficult than walking on land. The ocean floor was uneven, almost mountainous in its contours. Fortunately, none of them lacked strength — even in the trickiest terrain, they could move with surprising speed and steadiness.
During the descent, Tang San had already fixed their bearing. Seagod Island was a fairly large landmass, more than four times the size of Purple Pearl Island. As long as they held the right direction, they were certain to reach it.
Gradually, the group felt the seabed rising beneath their feet. They knew that after all their trials and tribulations, they were finally approaching their destination. Just as the surrounding light grew brighter with their approach to the surface, Tang San, walking at the front, suddenly halted and whispered, "Hold your breath."
Everyone stopped at the same time. The very instant they did as he said, a massive white shadow glided past roughly twenty meters ahead of them, silent as a ghost of the deep sea, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
It was a white shark over ten meters in length, its body a perfect streamlined form. Its white skin carried a faint sheen, and its speed was absolutely terrifying. As it passed, the surrounding seawater seemed to ripple strangely.
The words "Demonic Spirit Great White Shark" flashed simultaneously through every mind. Their luck clearly wasn't great — the sharks hadn't gone out to hunt. But thanks to the Ocean Sky Shield's concealment, they had avoided a direct confrontation with this fearsome ocean Soul Beast.
Pressing onward, Tang San deliberately quickened his pace.