Mystical Journey

Seconds ticked by, then minutes.

The Black Water True Technique was being worn down constantly, while the Nine-Headed Hydra’s talent and ability, Swallowed Lives, had been completely destroyed and broken down at this point. It was eliminated immediately as an impurity by both of the Secret Technique Seeds, meaning that Garen would lose his Swallowed Lives ability completely.

All this while, he had killed innumerable enemies and overcome countless obstacles with this ability. But now, he could only stop and stare while it rapidly disappeared into black smoke following the decline of the Black Water True Technique.

However, this was only the beginning, as the Nine-Headed Hydra’s tremendous recovery abilities were beginning to decompose and dissipate slowly as well.

Garen knew that if he did not find a solution soon, his other abilities such as Dragon’s Roar, Poison Mist Corrosion, and Dragon Demon parasitism would be torn apart before decomposing one by one.

The Black Water True Technique had fused with Garen’s own Core Totem and the Nine-Headed Hydra’s genes, but once it decomposed fully, other than losing his Dragon’s Heart, he would also be degraded to the level of a basic Totem User, one who lacked even a Totem.

Garen came up with various solutions and adjusted operation models but ended up destroying one after another, despite using every single one of his twelve intelligence attribute points. If he became a regular Totem User again, it would be impossible for him to create models or develop his logic skills this quickly, even if he happened to be the highest leveled Totem master.

Garen’s powerful neurons made it possible for him to use up to two techniques at once, allowing him to attempt to establish two different models simultaneously, instantly increasing his speed by twofold.

After a seemingly endless period of time, the flying carriage jerked suddenly, as if it had landed.

Garen opened his bloodshot eyes, before getting up to open the curtains.

"Welcome, Palace Master!!"

In the middle of Black Swamp Palace’s plaza, more than a hundred inner palace guards and administrators formed two lines to welcome Garen. Both Skyharp and Blizzard walked towards him, but when they saw him alight from the carriage, their expressions were overcome with shock. They stopped in their tracks. Skyharp even took two steps backward.

Garen’s entire body was currently shrouded in pitch black smoke that swirled around him, binding him terrifyingly like black string. Below his feet, layers of black ice formed on the ground instantly on the plaza’s white stone floor, wherever he stepped.

While looking at both of their frightened and uncertain faces, Garen chose to skip his explanation, before a raspy noise escaped him.

"Take me to the Nine Snakes System!"

"I’ll go inform the Technique Hall!" When Blizzard noticed the severity of the situation, he instantly turned himself into snow before dispersing throughout the ground.

Skyharp hurriedly removed multiple bottles of fiery red medicine, before applying them directly on Garen’s body.

Shh!

When the black smoke and red medicine came into contact, puffs of white gas formed there.

"I can only temporarily stop your poisons from spreading further," said Skyharp truthfully.

"I know." Garen took long strides towards the inner palace, walking directly towards the core of the Nine Snakes System’s controls in the side hall.

The black smoke was actually poisonous mist formed by the scattering of the Black Water True Technique, that had the potential to injure innocent lives in a moment of carelessness. Skyharp noticed this, and took the necessary measures to prevent it.

Demon Phoenix and Phantom alighted the carriage with gloomy faces, staggering as they got down. It was evident that they had been poisoned slightly. Skyharp rushed over to administer the antidote to both of them.

Meanwhile, the black hawks that pulled the carriage earlier now screeched their final breaths, collapsed on the ground, before melting into puddles of black water slowly.

Garen walked towards the core of the Nine Snakes, leaving heavy black smoke footprints on the ground with every step he took, all the while more smoke dissipated out of his body like shadowy tentacles.

The scattering of the Black Water True Technique caused incomprehensible pain throughout his whole body, as if numerous saws were tearing through his flesh.

Although Garen was strong-willed, the pain made it impossible for him to walk properly. Every step he took was difficult and sluggish, and he began to stumble as well, as if incredibly heavy chains were dragging him from behind.

Some of the decorative plants and flowers around him wilted and turned black instantly when he walked past, before melting into puddles of black water.

Thin layers of black ice formed on the surfaces of the stone furniture. Meanwhile, the maids and guards that passed by were unable to avoid him in time froze into black ice sculptures. Some even remained in their bowing positions.

Garen could faintly hear the ear-piercing, terrified screams that echoed throughout the palace endlessly, and the noise of frantic stomping, as well as the shattering of expensive porcelain.

Once he had walked into the side hall where the Nine Snakes' controls were located, he noticed that all of the Elders that were in charge during his absence had gathered there as well.

The image of the Nine Snakes had solidified and appeared long ago, and was now bowing in front of Garen.

Upon seeing Garen’s condition, grave expressions appeared on the faces of the Elders from the Seven Night Tower and the Island Masters.

However, Master Calingan of the Technique Hall became extremely anxious.

"You’re scattering?!" He recognized Garen’s condition at once.

The remaining Elders were currently in shock. Garen was the core of Black Swamp Palace, but during his absence, the effects of his scattering had grown severe. Everyone merely exchanged glances, unable to think of anything to say.

"You were able to tell…" Garen could barely force a smile. He had already combined the knowledge systems of all three worlds to find a barely usable solution. "Nine Snakes, Master Calingan, I need an environment with sufficient pressure, water, and low temperatures. Please hurry!"

Since Nine Snakes had collected all of the purchasable maps in the world, while Master Calingan was a high leveled Totem master, perhaps they would have a solution.

"The current situation requires us to delay the scattering speed immediately!" As a fellow technician, Skyharp had the highest authority to speak.

"Alert the outside immediately! Glittering Water possesses certain buffering functions! Bring the closest reserves now! Hurry!!" Master Calingan found a delaying method instantly.

"I have searched for the best locations." The image of the Nine Snakes made a noise at once. "These three locations can be consulted. Number one: The Mesir Valley draught. The strong wind pressure there fulfills the conditions that require high pressures, and the fierce winds will remove excess heat while producing extremely low temperatures. There is also a little lake within the valley, fulfilling the criteria of water."

"Number two: The depths of the North Sea. A freezing environment with deep waters, low pressures and temperatures, as well as a water source are all present."

"Number three: The Mola Snow Caves. One of the Nest Leader’s hideouts in the northern area where an icy pond with flowing water is located. The icy water there is a hundred times denser than mercury. Therefore, immersing oneself into its depths will also fulfill the above criteria."

Garen muttered to himself for a moment, while his brain searched for the best location quickly.

"To the North Sea!"

The entire Black Swamp Palace was thrown into a frantic state. Under the petrified attention of numerous guards and maids, the Elders and Demon Phoenix carried Garen into the Flying Hawk Carriage carefully, before it flew towards the North Sea.

All of the forces inside the Black Swamp Palace stopped their activities at once, postponed their plans, and suppressed their powers while waiting for the news.

Meanwhile, two out of the three remaining Gargantuans in the Kingdom had already left for the Eternal Night Palace in Ender to get in on the action.

Only the Princess’s forces had remained to form an active alliance with Rainbow Domain, while a large black minaret was being built in her own mountain peak regions for unknown reasons.

Black Swamp Palace was never interested in their power struggle or various plots. Therefore, the other forces were uninterested in their current actions as well.

From their perspectives, Garen was merely an individual who was attempting to achieve peak levels, and as long as they did not disturb him, he would not be a threat to them at all.

So Garen left Black Swamp Palace silently, leaving the Ultimate Protection, before flying towards the direction of the polar circles of the North Sea.

****************

A few days later…

The depths of the North Sea.

A black Flying Hawk Carriage speeded over from afar, before hovering over the surface of the sea slowly.

Suddenly, a black shadow leaped out of the carriage gently, splashing into the turbulent blue waves like an arrow.

Crash!

White sea spray splashed up from the icy seawater, before returning to a calm state immediately afterward.

A sea of complete blue covered the surroundings.

Garen fell into the sea, before rolling around, and looking upwards at the surface. He noticed the bubbles that floated around his body like strings of transparent pearls.

His eyes, ears, nose, and mouth were filled with icy seawater, making him feel extremely suffocated.

Rays of white light permeated the the surface of the sea and into the depths below, giving the illusion that there were multiple layers within the blue sea.

Black smoke drifted out of Garen’s body. He looked up at the light above his head, before slowly sinking into the murky depths of the sea

The light drifted further away, before everything grew dimmer.

His surroundings became colder and darker.

Garen opened his eyes wider to look at the single dot of light above his head. He did not know how much time he had spent sinking.

The black smoke mixed with the surrounding seawater, while a school of whitebait swam past him. However, after swimming for a short while, all of the fish turned over and floated, belly up, all signs of life snuffed out of them.

Below him was an endless abyss. Garen flipped over and moved his arm gently, quickening his dive towards the depths of the pitch black sea.

Gradually, his surroundings soon turned to darkness, devoid any light.

Garen could now feel that the scattering effect had slowed down slightly. The heavy underwater pressures had replaced the Black Water True Technique, becoming nutrients for the Metal Secret Techniques, while the extremely low temperatures had become the corresponding nutrients for the Ice Secret Techniques, decreasing their speeds of decomposing the Black Water True Technique.

However, this decomposition had not stopped fully, and Garen did not hesitate before diving deeper.

Suddenly, a transparent, gigantic disc-shaped jellyfish swam over from afar. The jellyfish emitted dark blue light throughout its whole body, resembling a light bulb that could be seen clearly in the dark. When the jellyfish noticed Garen diving towards itself, it positioned its skinny tentacles and prepared to sting him. Its body froze suddenly, its light dimmed and shut down completely, before it melted into an ink-like poison that was finally dispersed by the water.

The current depths of the waters were unknown, but the high pressures of the surroundings made it exhausting for even Garen. A regular Totem User that was Form 4 or below would implode completely within moments of entering this place.

Although Totem Light could filter out the oxygen in seawater, it could not withstand these terrifying underwater pressures.

This was the largest trench in the depths of the icy North Sea. Garen could not see what lay at the bottom of the sea, as it was completely dark.

He fumbled around the trench and furiously dug a large cavern beside an upright precipice, before hiding himself inside.

While Garen sat cross-legged inside the cavern, he noticed that the pressure had alleviated the effects of the scattering greatly. Unfortunately, his Black Water True Technique was left with its last parasitic Dragon Demon, and the last thing that was decomposing was his strongest core ability, Nine-Life!