Chapter 424 - 220: Demon of Enlightenment
The secrets of the Secret Sea filled Lu Cang with a profound desire to explore.
The Secret Sea was about to be destroyed.
’Some things, if I don’t figure them out now, I feel like I’ll never get the chance.’
If the Secret Sea was the great Nest of some kind of Demon...
...then was its destruction a good thing or a bad thing?
The Life Church wasn’t taking any action. Was it because they tacitly approved?
’Moreover, the highest echelons of the major Churches are all controlled by Divine Spirits. How could it be possible that none of them are aware that an entire Secret Sea is about to be destroyed?’
Ever since learning the secret from his last exploration of the Secret Sea, all sorts of conjectures about it had been swirling relentlessly in Lu Cang’s mind.
’There’s also the possibility that destroying the Secret Sea is a measure to prevent an even more terrifying disaster.’
’There are just too many theories...’
Lu Cang continued to pour in more souls.
"Lu Cang... what are you doing?"
Lu Cang: "I’m pouring souls into the Secret Sea. It’s like making a Sacrifice to a Dungeon."
Because this was a Future Preview, Lu Cang spoke without any reservations.
He said whatever came to mind.
’In fact, communicating this way is more convenient. I don’t need to hide any of my trump cards.’
"Sacrificing souls to the Secret Sea... something like that..."
After all, Lu Luwei shared Lu Cang’s Perception. She could see the changes happening in the Secret Sea just as he could.
The Demons were gradually increasing in number and starting to surface.
"Have you done this before?"
Lu Cang: "Mhm... I tried it in a simulation once."
Lu Luwei: "What happened?"
"A very powerful Demon appeared, and then..."
Lu Cang wondered how to explain it.
Even though it was a preview, explaining it would be quite a hassle.
"And then I ran away."
That was the explanation Lu Cang finally settled on.
"Oh~"
"But since you’re planning to do this, it must mean there’s no danger, right?"
Lu Cang froze for a moment, then gave a faint, wry smile.
Sigh.
He couldn’t tell Lu Luwei that this was a Future Preview, and that he was already prepared to be sacrificed.
’It feels cruel to the Lu Luwei in this preview, too.’
The souls continued to pour in.
Suddenly...
The entire surface of the sea turned pitch-black and viscous, and the range his Perception could penetrate grew smaller and smaller.
His Perception, which could originally explore up to 45,000 kilometers, could now only probe 10,000 kilometers deep.
He had already sacrificed five million souls.
"Mmm... Let’s go in and take a look."
The last time he encountered that mysterious monster, he had died, entered Reincarnation, and then returned...
However, Lu Cang had also clearly felt that he had been afflicted by a kind of knowledge pollution that time.
But because he was immune to knowledge pollution, he hadn’t suffered any damage.
That monster was the type that caused pollution just by being looked at.
’But I’ve only sacrificed five million souls.’
’It’s unlikely I’ll run into that thing.’
"Huh? We’re going in?"
The Secret Sea now emitted a faint, fluorescent green glow. The water was as deep as dark green ink, and viscous.
It gave off a disgusting feeling.
Lu Cang: "Mhm, I’ll protect you, Lu Luwei."
’Actually, if we run into real danger, I can’t guarantee I can protect you...’
’But this is just a preview.’
Lu Luwei hesitated for a moment, then said resolutely, "Tch— Who needs your protection?"
"I’ll protect myself just fine."
"You’re the one who should be careful. Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because of your current strength."
Lu Cang: "Lu Luwei, are you a tsundere?"
"Hah! Who are you calling a tsundere!"
Lu Luwei was furious.
But Lu Cang grabbed her hand directly. A Warrior’s Physique like Lu Cang’s was formidable, and Lu Luwei couldn’t resist him at all. He pulled her down into the deep sea...
PLUNGE!
The sea was an inky blackness.
But once inside the deep sea, Lu Luwei’s Perception could once again explore the far distance.
She looked up at the surface.
The surface was still there, unlike before when looking up felt like staring into an endless void.
However, the surface now seemed very far away.
"Did we... go that deep?" Lu Luwei’s thoughts entered Lu Cang’s mind.
Lu Cang shook his head, responding with his own thoughts, "No."
"We just entered the water normally."
Lu Luwei: "The Secret Sea... to think it held such a secret."
"How did you find this out?"
Lu Cang: "I was bored, so I tried sacrificing souls to the Secret Sea and found it."
"You really must have had too much time on your hands."
If the Death Priests from the Death Church ever found out that Lu Cang was using such precious souls to idly make Sacrifices to the sea...
...wouldn’t they just weep?
SWOOSH—
Lu Cang shifted through space, taking Lu Luwei with him.
They went deeper and deeper into the sea.
They were surrounded by Sea Demons, all of them Tier Six.
As they descended, Lu Cang placed a hand on the carapace of a giant crab.
BOOM—
Thunder blasted into its shell, instantly pulverizing its insides.
"Tier Six, crustacean-type Sea Demon, crab species."
Watching Lu Cang kill the Demon, Lu Luwei had already identified its type.
CRACK—
Lu Cang split the crab’s shell open.
From inside, he took out a pearl-like object.
[Pearl of Enlightenment]
[A key used to open the Gate of Enlightenment]
’How bizarre.’
’Why would a key be hidden inside a Demon’s body?’
If he hadn’t seen it using Peeping into Secrets, he would have truly missed it.
He had passed by so many Demons on the way down.
His encounter with this crab wasn’t some sudden whim to kill it.
Rather, as they were traveling, he suddenly saw that this crab possessed a Secret.
Grasping the Pearl of Enlightenment...
...he simultaneously saw several locations get marked.
One direction, deeper in the sea, pointed to the Creator of this Pearl of Enlightenment. Another pointed to the Gate of Enlightenment.