[DD]: 278

Waves comparable to a small tsunami surged and crashed against the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. Even suspended in midair, his massive body didn't budge an inch.

"Why?" he raised his head, his one remaining eye filled with confusion as he gazed at Han Li. He was undeniably strong.

He was confident that even if the Sea God himself were present, he'd have a 60-40 chance in his favor. Yet, he couldn't withstand the opponent's attacks. The human across from him, radiating the vitality of youth, effortlessly pierced his defenses and drove an attack straight through his body.

Moments ago, he had assumed the earlier ambush was the result of a meticulously planned shot. But now, with three arrows fired consecutively—none of which even used soul skills—it became clear: this was merely the opponent's basic attack. Why? Why did a casual strike from this young man push him to the brink, surpassing the limits he had honed over hundreds of thousands of years? The contrast only made him feel like a joke.

Han Li glanced at him and shook his head, offering no explanation. What was the point of answering? It wouldn't change anything. Han Li was here to kill him and grow stronger, nothing more. As for becoming a spirit soul? Would this guy even agree? That was laughable—impossible. And even if he did agree, Han Li had no intention of letting a million-year-old soul beast reside in his spiritual space. Han Li's secrets were too numerous to risk such a thing. Even the consciousness of the world itself had only earned his trust after he confirmed he could obliterate it at a mere thought. Letting the Deep Sea Demon Whale King live? Out of the question. This creature had once played a role in the Sea God's legacy. Even though Han Li was stronger than Tang San had been, leaving this whale alive would unsettle him.

"Lingling."

Han Li's voice echoed in Ye Lingling's mind. Without hesitation, Ye Lingling summoned her Nine-Hearts Begonia martial soul and began channeling healing energy toward Han Li. She stopped almost immediately; even so, her face turned pale. The gap between soul power and divine energy—or a divine body—was simply too vast. Without her soul core, she might have been completely drained.

Beside her, Qian Daoliu unleashed his Angel martial soul, its gentle holy light enveloping her and helping her recover quickly. Meanwhile, Han Li struck decisively. As he transmitted instructions to Ye Lingling, his divine consciousness simultaneously struck the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, who was channeling soul power in preparation for self-destruction.

Self-destruction? Not a chance. That energy was his now—it wouldn't be wasted. Under Han Li's mental assault, the whale's lone eye rolled upward uncontrollably. If not for his years of refinement and his near-godly constitution, this single strike might have made his head explode. Even so, his mind was already in chaos.

In the next instant, Han Li appeared before him. At some point, his martial soul had transformed into dual blades, one of which he now held. With the hilt, he struck the whale squarely on the forehead. The energy armor covering the whale's body disintegrated, collapsing back into soul power that returned to his body. His humanoid form could no longer be maintained, and his massive 200-meter-long body reappeared in midair.

"Let's end this."

Han Li's voice was a whisper, drowned out by the rushing wind and crashing waves below. A blade of light, as pure and sharp as white silk flashed. It severed the connection between the whale's head and body. A few more flashes followed. When Han Li's figure reappeared, his martial soul had already disappeared, and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's body was encased in a thin layer of ice. Under Han Li's control, the seawater below surged upward, forming a massive ice platform to catch the fallen body.

Extending his right hand, Han Li flicked his fingers lightly. As if triggered by a signal, the ice encasing the whale shattered with a crisp crack. The massive body broke into six neatly divided parts, including the head, which fell onto the icy platform like pieces arranged on a butcher's block. Above the platform, a brilliant golden soul ring began to condense, radiating a dazzling light that banished the lingering darkness in the area. The soul ring appeared: the Deep Sea Demon Whale King was dead.

In the distance, Qian Daoliu and Ye Lingling moved toward Han Li, while farther away, the Demon Soul Great White Shark, Xiao Bai, paused in shock as the soul ring appeared. Then, in a frenzy, she rushed toward the scene. The Deep Sea Overlord was dead. She had witnessed it. Despite the lack of any massive energy fluctuations, it didn't matter. She needed to get closer. A bite of this prey might save her a thousand years of cultivation. The rich aroma in the air was proof enough. As she approached, she released her aura to ward off other soul beasts—or those who weren't yet soul beasts—from getting close.

Qian Daoliu and Ye Lingling landed on the ice platform, their curiosity piqued as they examined the colossal corpse before them.

"That was... surprisingly swift," Ye Lingling remarked, though it only emphasized Han Li's overwhelming strength. Qian Daoliu, in particular, couldn't help but calculate: looking at the Deep Sea Demon Whale King—whose strength was not far from his own at full power—he wondered, How many of Han Li's arrows could I withstand?

"Do you want to try the taste of sashimi?"

Han Li gestured to the chilled whale meat in front of him, looking at the two.

"I do," Ye Lingling answered quickly, her gaze at Han Li full of admiration, though her face still appeared pale. Qian Daoliu's lips moved slightly, swallowing the refusal he was about to utter. Since Ye Lingling had spoken up, he decided not to object.

Han Li extended his hands, forming an ice blade. With a swift motion, he sliced off a translucent piece of meat and placed it before Ye Lingling. Habit is habit; he wasn't used to using his martial soul to handle food, not even for cooking. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Ye Lingling glanced at Qian Daoliu, then closed her eyes and swallowed the slice. Her pale face immediately turned rosy. The massive soul power she had expended was replenished significantly with just one bite, leaving her feeling warm all over and physically strengthened.

"Grand Uncle, have a piece too," Han Li said as he formed an ice plate and handed over several slices to Qian Daoliu. Naturally, he didn't forget to taste it himself. Ye Lingling stopped after eating only a dozen pieces. Her soul power was fully restored, and any further consumption would require her to sit down and cultivate to digest it. Han Li and Qian Daoliu also stopped after a few bites; they had important matters to attend to.

Meanwhile, the Devil Spirit Great White Shark, Xiaobai, finally arrived at the scene. Its gaze shifted between the massive whale corpse on the ice and Han Li, a mix of shock and drooling anticipation. Yet without Han Li's command, it dared not approach. Glancing at it, Han Li flicked his hand, tossing a head-sized chunk of meat down to Xiaobai, who caught it eagerly. More? That wasn't going to happen. Letting it take the Evil Demon Orca King's corpse was already generous; this little errand wasn't going to earn it much more.

This near-divine whale's body, even though drained of soul power due to forming a soul ring, was a priceless treasure refined over hundreds of thousands of years. Its value was akin to the body of Di Tian, which could be used to craft warships. The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's corpse wasn't as potent, but even as sashimi, it replenished soul power and enhanced the body—a treasure barely sufficient for their group. An outsider, even a former mount, couldn't hope to partake.

Ignoring the drooling Xiaobai below, Han Li began processing the corpse. The whale provided a century-old stash of whale glue, an oversized soul bone, a basin-sized whale brain, and a fist-sized whale pearl. The moment Han Li touched the whale pearl, he felt an instinctive urge to swallow it whole but forcibly restrained himself.

"What is this?"

Qian Daoliu asked curiously.

"The whale pearl, the essence of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King," Han Li replied, a slight smirk on his lips. A fiery divine consciousness and a miniature Ice-Fire domain wrapped around the pearl in his hand. Even if this being had reached the peak of mortal power, not leaving a last will was still a slight to Han Li.

Qian Daoliu and Ye Lingling watched his actions with some confusion but refrained from asking questions, knowing Han Li never acted without reason. After three seconds of roasting, a miniature flaming whale emerged from the pearl, letting out a pained shriek. Qian Daoliu shuddered; the spiritual fluctuations emanating from this tiny whale were nearly as strong as his own. Now he understood what Han Li was doing.

"Cursed you, human! How could you even know about this?!"

The light-blue, transparent whale, unlike its physical body, had intact eyes brimming with hatred. Its venomous gaze fueled the fire of divine consciousness consuming it, writhing in agony mid-air.

"Guess," Han Li replied with the same warm smile he had worn while killing it. The Ice-Fire domain intensified, and the soul began to disintegrate, crushed bit by bit and reabsorbed into the pearl. As half of the soul was obliterated, the whale's phantom faded, barely able to struggle.

"Why must humans exist if we beasts do? Curse the Divine Realm... I refuse to accept this... Why..."

Its cries didn't last. Its soul shattered entirely, reduced to raw energy that fused back into the whale pearl. In its final moment, the whale gave up cursing Han Li and raised its gaze skyward, longing for the Divine Realm it had never seen.

"Ah," Han Li exhaled, enveloping the pearl in divine power before tucking it into his bracelet. With the threat dealt with, it was time to absorb his ninth soul ring. There would still be residual negative emotions and would be left behind in the ring, but that would be easier to handle.

"Grand Uncle, please protect me," Han Li said, ignoring the trembling Xiaobai in the water. Sitting casually on the ice, he looked up at the massive golden soul ring in the air. Although his strength had already surpassed this realm, he couldn't help but think of one phrase: today, he would step into the realm of the Titled Douluo.