Free Web NovelChapter 475: Chapter 259: Extraordinary Adaptation; Deep Sea Entrance
"What’s going on with the Lampfish Beast? It’s not staying in its post. Why is it in such an uproar?" came a voice from one of the figures.
The Sea Beast came before the two figures, continuing to emit its unique Sound Wave cries, similar to the calls of dolphins or killer whales.
Cheng Zongyang couldn’t understand the sounds, but he could guess that the Sea Beast was making a report.
At this point, Cheng Zongyang didn’t linger. He immediately entered the Wilderness World to wait. ’It’s obvious,’ he thought. ’This Lampfish Beast is reporting what just happened to those two.’
He couldn’t stay there any longer.
He had never imagined that this terrifying Sea Beast had been placed here by those people to "guard the gate."
Now that he had confirmed their position, the rest wouldn’t be a problem. He pulled his ice-encased dagger free and vanished from the spot.
As Cheng Zongyang vanished, the two figures outside listened to the Sea Beast’s report and then flew into its mouth.
They inspected the area but found no trace of a person, nor any lingering aura. Shaking their heads, they exited and said to the other,
"The Lampfish Beast must have just swallowed some unusual small Exotic Beasts. I didn’t find anything. Even if someone was there, they would’ve been shattered into ice fragments by that Frost Breath. Let’s go. There hasn’t been any activity for years. I thought something had finally happened, making us come all this way. Not only was it a waste of time, but we also used up two precious Isolation Talismans."
The two ordered the Lampfish Beast to return to its post above, and then they left.
As the duo departed, the Lampfish Beast seemed to swim upward dejectedly, as if aggrieved that they hadn’t believed it.
「Two hours later.」
Cheng Zongyang reappeared. Once his body adapted to the environment, he began observing his surroundings.
Seeing no sign of the two figures or the Lampfish Beast, Cheng Zongyang swam with determination toward the Sea Eye.
He didn’t dare to swim too fast, instead keeping a close watch on the progress of his adaptation Talent.
During the two hours he had spent hiding, he had re-entered the simulated Cultivation Room to train and observe the progression of his adaptation Talent.
Now that he was back, as he descended past 9,100 meters, the rate of his Talent’s progress increased from one point per minute to one point every 30 seconds! It was just like in the simulated environment.
Thereafter, with every additional 100 meters of depth, the rate of progress continued to accelerate.
But he began to slow his descent, not daring to go too fast lest he exceed his limits and be instantly crushed by the pressure.
Cheng Zongyang didn’t dare to rush. He descended bit by bit, his eyes glued to the progress indicator.
9,500 meters! 1 point every 10 seconds!
9,700 meters! 1 point every 5 seconds!
9,800 meters! 1 point per second!
9,850 meters! 2 points per second!
At this rate, Cheng Zongyang was forced to stop!
He could pinpoint the Sea Eye’s location right on the seabed. He could almost see the ocean floor itself, along with the skeletons of enormous beasts, various rocks, and peculiar small creatures.
And here, in the last fifty meters, the progress had reached an astonishing rate of two points per second!
His adaptation Talent’s progress had already exceeded seven thousand points.
In the four or five hours it took to get from the surface to this depth, his progress had increased by over six thousand points.
He was confident that at this rate, he could gain the remaining forty-three thousand points and achieve his breakthrough within six hours!
For his own safety, he chose to remain where he was.
For the next three hours, Cheng Zongyang remained stationary, aside from taking a break to breathe every half an hour.
He didn’t dare venture deeper to see if the rate would increase even more.
’It’s only a fifty-meter gap. If I’m not careful, I could touch the bottom in an instant. That would be a life-or-death moment!’
To be safe, he even had Luo Dingran stand guard in the cabin.
If he were to suffer a sudden accident while breaking the ten-thousand-meter barrier and sustain severe injuries, he might only have enough consciousness for a single thought: to enter the Wilderness World. At that point, he would have to rely on Luo Dingran to move him to a medical bed for treatment.
But no matter what, he didn’t want to leave anything to chance.
’I’ve already walked ninety-nine steps. I can’t trip on the last one!’
In the dead-still, ice-cold, silent depths near the ocean floor, time crawled by, each moment an agony.
Cheng Zongyang had to remain focused on the progress bar while constantly adjusting his position, worried that the currents from the Sea Eye might pull him into a disastrous situation.
The three hours finally came to an end as his adaptation Talent’s progress reached fifty thousand, then broke past it, entering a new stage!
He entered the Wilderness World again and summoned the Attribute Interface to check on his adaptation Talent.
—-
Talent: Extraordinary Adaptation (Instantly adapt to any and all changes in any environment.)
—-
Looking at the new description, Cheng Zongyang couldn’t suppress the grin spreading across his face and burst into loud laughter.
’Six agonizing hours, but I’ve finally broken through!’ he thought, ecstatic. ’Extraordinary Adaptation... that’s practically immunity!’
Without hesitation, he appeared in the second-floor Cultivation Room and resumed the deep-sea simulation.
A few moments later, once Cheng Zongyang had broken the ten-thousand-meter barrier in the simulation and could move freely at that depth without any restrictions or ill effects, he exited and reappeared in the actual deep sea.
Now, Cheng Zongyang looked down at the ocean floor, flipped his body over, and dove toward the seabed, approaching the Sea Eye.
The instant his right hand touched the seabed where the Sea Eye originated, the environment around him shifted, and his body vanished.
