The journey was filled with pleasant interludes, which helped ease the pre-battle tension.
As the Demon Soul Great White Sharks surged forward, Dugu Yan wasn't idle either. With the sharks as her mode of transportation, she could fully focus on devising tactics.
There was no doubt that the Evil Demon Tiger Whale clan was exceedingly powerful—perhaps more than twice as strong as the Demon Soul Great White Shark clan. How could a mere dozen people hunt down over a hundred top-tier sea soul beasts like the Evil Demon Tiger Whales?
Xiao Bai clearly couldn't match the Evil Demon Tiger Whale King in combat. However, with me (Dugu Yan) present—and the fact that the Evil Demon Tiger Whale King was still injured—it wouldn't be difficult to defeat him.
Zhu Zhuqing and I should have no trouble taking down the Evil Demon Tiger Whale King together.
Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Yu Tianxin were all Soul Douluos. Oscar and Ma Hongjun possessed hundred-thousand-year eighth spirit rings, making them exceptionally formidable in battle. Their combined strength would pose little problem even against a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
With them holding back the two ninety-thousand-year-level Evil Demon Tiger Whales, and Ning Rongrong's auxiliary support amplifying their power, those whales would be occupied.
As for Yu Tianxin, he was slightly weaker. His eighth spirit ring had only recently reached the ninety-thousand-year mark, acquired from a ninety-thousand-year Sea Thunder-Maned Lizard during a recent hunt led by the Sea Dragon Douluo.
Yu Tianxin had been extraordinarily lucky to obtain a right arm bone and absorb it, bringing his spirit energy to Level 82.5. His strength had soared to unprecedented levels.
The Sea Dragon Douluo seemed intent on grooming Yu Tianxin to become the next strongest Sea Douluo.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul was also quite powerful in the ocean, thanks to water's conductivity. However, its range needed to be controlled carefully to avoid affecting the Demon Soul Great White Sharks.
Yang Wu and Niu Dun were both at Level 80 and were quasi-Soul Douluos, just one step away from obtaining their eighth spirit rings and skills. Their overall strength wasn't weak, and their goal was to hunt for their eighth spirit rings.
These Evil Demon Tiger Whales were among the most powerful sea soul beasts in the ocean, surpassing even the Demon Soul Great White Sharks in terms of strength, defense, and overall prowess. They were well-suited for these two hunters.
As for the others, they played more supporting roles. Bai Chenxiang also needed a spirit ring to break through the bottleneck at Level 70. Her seventh spirit ring, which enforced her True Martial Soul form, required only a high-enough age.
Afterward, securing a seventy-thousand-year-old spirit ring for Bai Chenxiang would suffice.
From an assessment of both sides' strengths, Dugu Yan was confident. This advantage was firmly on their side!
It wasn't arrogance—her strength alone was enough to crush even a peak-condition Evil Demon Tiger Whale King, let alone one that was already injured.
Wisdom, too, was a part of strength. It was easy to imagine that with such immense power, the Evil Demon Tiger Whale clan would naturally develop arrogance and pride.
A direct confrontation, even if they ultimately won, would leave the Demon Soul Great White Shark clan severely weakened—a scenario Dugu Yan didn't want to see. Xiao Bai's sorrowful gaze remained deeply etched in her mind. If that was the case, other strategies needed to be considered.
Five hundred miles wasn't a short distance, but with the Demon Soul Great White Sharks' incredible speed, it took only two hours.
At Dugu Yan's request, Xiao Bai instructed her clan to stop and regroup fifty miles away from their destination.
Dugu Yan said to Xiao Bai, "I have a plan now that might minimize our losses. Would you be willing to give it a try?"
Xiao Bai's eyes lit up. "A plan? What kind of plan? Let me tell you, the Evil Demon Tiger Whales have a ripple detection method. Any energy-emitting creature within ten miles can't escape their detection.
They'll immediately unleash devastating attacks. If you're thinking of using some clever tricks against them, you'd better abandon the idea. If they were that easy to deal with, we would've wiped them out long ago."
"I plan to sneak in and launch a surprise assault. With my strength and the abilities of the Vast Sea Skull, I can catch them off guard.
You, Xiao Bai, stay on the outskirts and guide everyone in once the timing is right.
Also, I'll take those who can fly into the air for harassment. Hongjun, your abilities are the most dazzling.
Later, follow my command—I'll signal you when it's time. Xiao Bai, you just need to watch for Hongjun's signal."
Dugu Yan's plan was simple. Though the Evil Demon Tiger Whales had some anti-air capabilities, she alone was enough to suppress them so thoroughly that they wouldn't even be able to raise their heads.
"Uh, Yan Yan, are you sure you can pull this off?" Xiao Bai sounded uncertain.
"Xiao Bai, have you forgotten our second trial? Remember, you couldn't beat me back then, and I wasn't even using my spirit skills," Dugu Yan replied, feeling underestimated.
"Oh, right! Fine, fine. Yan Yan, I'll leave it to you!" Xiao Bai thought about it and realized Dugu Yan was absolutely correct.
"Hongjun, Zhu Zhuqing, and Tianxin, come with me. Oscar, you're in charge here! Oh, and prepare some flying mushroom sausages for Zhu Zhuqing!" Dugu Yan began executing her plan.
"Got it! Second spirit skill, Divine Swift Swallow Mushroom Sausage!"
Several mushroom sausages appeared in Oscar's hands, which Zhu Zhuqing promptly accepted.
"In a moment, you three will fly into the sky. Then I'll dive into the sea and flush them out. The moment they surface, attack with your most powerful area-of-effect skills!"
"Understood! ×3"
Dugu Yan transformed into her azure-golden dragon-human form and quickly advanced underwater, activating the stealth ability of the Vast Ocean Skull.
Zhu Zhuqing, Ma Hongjun, and Yu Tianxin took to the skies. Zhu Zhuqing used the mushroom sausages to fly, while Ma Hongjun, already capable of flight, transformed into a red phoenix.
Yu Tianxin entered his complete dragon form, his blue-purple dragon wings allowing him to soar through the air.
All three flew rapidly toward the Evil Demon Tiger Whale clan, maintaining a high altitude. Aside from the Evil Demon Tiger Whale King, the other whales would struggle to reach them.
Meanwhile, underwater…
Dugu Yan had already infiltrated the heart of the Evil Demon Tiger Whale clan. Many of the whales were sound asleep.
The largest whale, covered in scars, was also sleeping. Its body bore clear signs of bite marks and deep constrictions from something extremely long and powerful.
The marks of being squeezed were still visible—evidence that the Deep Sea Titan Python had indeed inflicted severe injuries on the Evil Demon Tiger Whale King.
"Since you're all sleeping so soundly, allow me to wake you up with a morning call.
Seventh Soul skill, Martial Soul True Form!
Eighth Soul Skill, Golden Azure Dragon Soul. Golden Azure Dragon's Wrath!
Azure Dragon Dread Claw, Sky-Rending Claw Strike!"
Dugu Yan transformed into a massive azure dragon, and a phantom of the dragon emerged, wreaking havoc among the Evil Demon Tiger Whale clan.
A powerful burst of energy erupted from the dragon's mouth, blasting toward the Evil Demon Tiger Whale King.
The dragon's claws unleashed wave after wave of claw strikes, each like a sword qi. Weaker Evil Demon Tiger Whales were instantly sliced into pieces, dead beyond salvation.
"Roar! Human powerhouse! You'll regret this!" The Evil Demon Tiger Whale King was abruptly awakened by the sudden surge of energy. However, he was soon struck by a massive burst of breath, rendering him immobile!
The Evil Demon Tiger Whale clan descended into chaos. Several whales had already perished under Dugu Yan's assault. Under the leadership of the two ninety-thousand-year-level whales, they began swimming toward the surface.
Something terrifying lurked beneath the sea!
------------------------------------------------------
This novel has been finished on Patreon! I sincerely thank everyone for being part of this journey, as a fan and avid reader, it's a privilege to be able to see the wonderful worlds that others have created. See you in other novels!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow