As the Celestial Seafarer began to mend, Wang Lin, within the endless abyss of the suboceanic black vortex, cleaved the visage’s neck with a single stroke.

At the very moment of that descending cut, the visage unleashed a heaven-rending shriek, turning fully, only to crumble and dissipate before Wang Lin’s eyes, transforming into naught but drifting ash that mingled with the ocean’s depths.

Blood dripped from where Wang Lin’s right hand met the Bone Yin Blade, the blade contracting within his grip amidst excruciating pain, finally vanishing altogether, merging seamlessly into his right arm.

That single, decisive strike had consumed all of Wang Lin’s power, leaving him weary. The Bone Yin Blade within his arm felt as though it was on the verge of shattering from the backlash.

“I… to seal me?” Wang Lin gasped, his cultivation allowing him to breathe unhindered within the water. His exhalations formed bubbles that rose towards the surface, yet no water entered his lungs; instead, he drew in the faint, breathable essence within the sea.

Turning, he cast a glance at the layered seals upon the Mountain-Sea Tree. The seals remained unbroken by his recent attack, their patterns slowly fading, almost restored to their original state.

With a flicker of his gaze, Wang Lin did not rush to depart. He assessed his internal injuries while estimating the remaining time of his Soul Armor. The prior bursts of power had diminished its duration, leaving him with roughly half an incense stick’s worth of time.

“Enough!” Wang Lin steadied his breathing, then with a flicker of motion, he ascended directly towards the vortex. His speed was such that he appeared at the edge of the black hole in an instant, plunging through, and leaving the true depths of the ocean behind, emerging within the Mountain-Sea waters above.

As he emerged from the vortex, a Sea Dragon approached swiftly from above. Upon seeing Wang Lin, it roared with joy, rushing to greet him. Wang Lin nodded slightly, leading the Sea Dragon towards the surface.

He sensed that the Celestial Seafarer’s immobilizing spell had lost its potency.

Almost as Wang Lin ascended, a voice, laced with gnashing teeth, echoed through the waters.

“Wang Lin!!!” With the voice, the deep blue of the sea transformed into a swirling black, the darkness thickening before Wang Lin, like ink. Within it, colossal tentacles thrashed, causing the waters to churn into vortexes, all directed towards him.

“Celestial Seafarer, you are no match for me now. We have no feud, and the Mountain-Sea spirit is not your personal possession. Cease this pursuit, lest Wang deal harshly!” Wang Lin remained calm, guiding the Sea Dragon to evade the black waters, skirting around them as he pressed towards the surface.

“This entire Mountain-Sea is Hai Zi Yiting’s Danfu! You cannot simply come and go as you please!! Mountain-Sea Array!!” The Celestial Seafarer’s true name was Yiting, but her long years within the Mountain-Sea, where she attained enlightenment and became a Celestial, earned her the title of the Celestial Seafarer, as Wang Lin was known as the White-Haired Celestial.

With her words, the waters in all directions transformed into blackness, particularly above and below the surface, where it formed a massive, dried inkstone.

This inkstone was incredibly strong, sealing off most of the Mountain-Sea. Viewed from the skies, the boundless Mountain-Sea appeared to have become a solid, black earth.

Within the waters, the Celestial Seafarer materialized, and her monstrous Octopus Sea Beast bellowed as it charged forth, targeting Wang Lin’s Sea Dragon.

It loathed the Sea Dragon with every fiber of its being, and its roar shook the waters, creating massive ripples. The Sea Dragon’s eyes flashed with fury, and it roared back, meeting the Octopus Sea Beast in a clash of teeth and claw.

The battle of these two sea beasts sent thunderous waves of energy rippling through the ocean.

At the same time, the exquisite Celestial Seafarer fixed her gaze on Wang Lin, taking a step forward. She held no hatred for him, and in fact, their battle three years prior had left her with a slight impression of him, though nothing more than that of a casual acquaintance.

After Wang Lin’s defeat in that battle, the Celestial Seafarer had dismissed the matter. Now, however, it was different. Wang Lin had reappeared after three years, and with a single point, he had immobilized her for over ten breaths!

This was unacceptable and infuriating. Despite being a Celestial, she was still a woman, and the feeling of being frozen, helpless, filled her with shame and rage.

She had initially believed that the Mountain-Sea Tree Spirit’s ability to condense wood essence was of little use to her. Had Wang Lin humbled himself and requested it, she might have granted him a few out of camaraderie between Celestials.

But Wang Lin’s coldness, both three years ago and now, had provoked the Celestial Seafarer into obstruction.

Her cultivation was profound, her status esteemed. Aside from a few Transcendents, she held most others in low regard. It was this status that allowed her to claim the entire Mountain-Sea, unchallenged and unmolested.

Yet, she had never expected to be immobilized for ten breaths!

Facing the approaching Celestial Seafarer, Wang Lin frowned. The limited time remaining on his Soul Armor made him unwilling to linger with her, but if she persisted, he would not hesitate to swiftly cripple her.

With a cold snort, Wang Lin stepped forward as the Celestial Seafarer closed in. As he moved, ninety-seven afterimages appeared around him, charging towards her.

Reaching her, Wang Lin raised his right hand, unleashing a palm strike. In the moment his palm was raised, the ninety-seven afterimages simultaneously raised their own right hands, and under the blending of power, ninety-eight Servitude Seals manifested, forming a massive palm print before Wang Lin, bearing down on the Celestial Seafarer.

The Celestial Seafarer gritted her teeth, raising her jade hand and brandishing it, causing a wave of blue light to engulf it, transforming it into a massive bell-shaped cone. From within the rapidly expanding cone, a piercing shriek echoed as a blue bird materialized, its wings beating seventy times in succession, unleashing seventy divine abilities towards Wang Lin’s Servitude Seals.

As the blue bird flew forth, the Celestial Seafarer raised her jade hand further, pointing forward with a sudden motion.

“My fate is mine, first incantation!” As the Celestial Seafarer pointed, an oval mark appeared before her, composed of seventy strokes, each one containing one of her seventy divine abilities.

“Heaven cannot reverse, second incantation!” The Celestial Seafarer bit her lip, her exquisite face paling as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, indicating the difficulty of this technique.

As she spoke, the oval mark expanded, and twenty-six of the seventy strokes within it split and doubled, merging with the original strokes to form ninety-six!

These ninety-six strokes, representing a fusion of ninety-six divine abilities, created an oval mark that pulsed with a terrifying aura, hurtling towards Wang Lin.

Wang Lin’s Servitude Seals collided with the blue bird. Amidst the echoing explosions, the blue bird disintegrated, reverting to its bell-shaped form and ricocheting away, yet the remaining Servitude Seals continued on, only to meet the oval mark and silently dissolve.

“What divine ability is this?!” Wang Lin’s pupils constricted. The oval mark emanated an immense sense of danger. Reacting without hesitation, Wang Lin raised his hands, bending his body backward like a drawn bow. The ninety-seven afterimages around him flickered and moved as one, thrusting their heads forward!

“Heavenly Bull Ram!!”

The Heavenly Bull technique, that had once terrified the Patriarch of the Dao Devil Sect, reappeared. The ninety-seven afterimages and Wang Lin himself transformed into a colossal Heavenly Bull, its two massive horns, carrying the power of ninety-eight divine abilities, charging towards the oval mark.

As Wang Lin and the Celestial Seafarer clashed within the Mountain-Sea, that had been frozen over, a bizarre transformation was rapidly forming within the black hole, deep in the ocean, where the Mountain-Sea village had been.

Beside the Mountain-Sea Tree, beyond the layered seals, in the spot where the visage had been shattered and dissipated, specks of ghostly light began to emerge. These lights radiated a maddening savagery and bloodlust, along with an aura of terrifying power.

This aura, however, was strange. It did not spread, and it went unnoticed by Wang Lin and the Celestial Seafarer who were battling beyond the black hole.

Amidst the muffled rumbles from above, the ghostly lights grew in number, quickly reaching nearly a hundred thousand. They merged, quickly coalescing together.

It did not reform into the previous visage, but instead formed a severed hand!

Only a hand, without an arm, hence, severed hand!!!

This severed hand was initially immense, hundreds of feet in length, but as it formed, it rapidly shrunk, eventually becoming the size of an ordinary person’s hand. Its color was not ghostly, but transparent. It was difficult to see unless one looked closely.

Within the palm, a faint, indistinct mark could be seen.

“Detected… non-Celestial Spirit… seal!!” A muffled voice came from within the severed hand. In a flash, the surrounding waters rippled, and the severed hand hurtled upwards!

At that moment, Wang Lin and the Celestial Seafarer, locked in battle, remained unaware of the appearance and arrival of this severed hand within the undersea black hole!!