Chapter 905: Chapter 153: The Hunt
Jiang Wang was, of course, aware that the sharp-faced member of the Sea Clan was still hunting him down; that conversation through the Sea Beast was a challenge delivered to him.
He had not refused, but neither had he agreed.
It was like two children agreeing to play hide and seek, where one would hide in a specified spot waiting to be found, but while one was counting, the other had already gone home.
All that was left was the seeker counting and fruitlessly searching over and over again.
After quickly adjusting his physical state on the Floating Island, Jiang Wang chose a completely different direction from before and set off once again.
He had no desire to get entangled with anyone at all.
The current progress of his sin-cleansing was thirty-four. Assuming good luck and hunting thirteen Commander-level Sea Clan members per day at the fastest pace, it would still take at least five days of nonstop battle to complete the sin-cleansing, not including the time to return to the Floating Island for supplies.
The ambush of Granny Bizhu and the initial hunting attempts had already taken up seven days; he indeed had no time to waste.
Leaving the Floating Island, the first thing Jiang Wang did was to control some Sea Beasts to start exploring in all directions.
Since the hunting method he had used before had proven effective, he was of course going to continue it.
...
...
"Fish" is a major surname among the Sea Clan. However, unlike the Human Race, those with the surname "Fish" may not be of the same family five hundred years before or five hundred years after.
Originating from the same ancestry as the Water Race, the Sea Clan also naturally live long lives. But due to the harsh environment of the Cang Sea, those who live long are actually few. Coupled with the difficulty of bearing offspring, the continuation of lineage is not easy.
Within the Sea Clan, the birth of offspring is considered a meritorious act. The stronger one’s power and the purer one’s bloodline, the greater the merit awarded for producing offspring.
If a Sea Clan member reaches the rank of King, they do nothing but diligently bear offspring, the merit accumulated may not be less than that of a peer who wages war in the Lost World all day long.
A King-ranked Sea Clan member’s lifespan would once again improve, along with an increased ability to resist the various dangers of the Cang Sea, often leaving behind many descendants over the long years.
Yu Wangu is a product of such an environment.
The Sea Clan’s family bonds are weak and indifferent, and his True King ancestor, with countless offspring, naturally could not care for each one individually.
Such is the case with most True Kings of the Cang Sea; only those offspring who inherit Innate Divine Abilities receive their attention. Thus, Yu Wangu is fortunate.
Unfortunately for him, within his large family, there were eight others who had inherited Innate Divine Abilities like him, and he was ranked lower in terms of power.
Therefore, he also needed to strive to prove himself, diligently cultivating and honing his skills to become more valued.
Slaying powerful human Cultivators was undoubtedly the best proof and most glorious military merit. This was the reason for his relentless pursuit of Jiang Wang.
But after ten hours, having searched and killed as many as thirty-seven Sea Beasts... he became angry.
That bastard from the Human Race had actually run away!
He was certain the guy had run away instead of hiding, waiting for an opportunity to strike; this was the answer pieced together from the blood information of the thirty-seven Sea Beasts he controlled.
It was supposed to be a life-and-death battle, a bloody clash between strong members of the Sea Clan and the Human Race. Each would sharpen their knives and engage in a battle of wits, with a final decisive fight that elevated oneself amidst hardship and difficulty.
What an honorable and interesting matter it was!
For this, he had moved circuitously, lain in ambush, and feinted attacks – making full preparations, playing his part in the play thoroughly, with the utmost caution and focus to seek out each Sea Beast one by one.
And the result...his opponent had already fled?
Yu Wangu felt like a fool, having been tricked from the very beginning.
The thirty-eighth Sea Beast that stood before him, the last one previously controlled by Jiang Wang, exploded, its massive body bursting apart. Numerous congealed blood clumps scattered like red pebbles dropped all over the ground.
"Cowards! The Human Race is all spineless!"
His rage was far from subsiding. He cursed and swore as he walked back.
The Human Race needed to resist the Alienation of the Lost World, and the Sea Clan was no different. However, he had left the Sea Nest not long before and was now planning to return, solely because of the irritation and annoyance in his heart.
Although he disdained the cultivators of the Human Race on the surface, deep down he acknowledged their strength. In his emotionally unstable state, it was no longer appropriate to hunt in the wild. Such actions were irresponsible to himself.
But he hadn’t walked far when he stopped again.
Because his Innate Divine Ability once again sensed familiar bloodline information—the Sea Beasts controlled in the same way were emerging on another side of this area. Far, but indeed present.
The turtle finally dares to show up, thinking it had shaken me off?
Yu Wangu was ready to go directly to the source, but after a moment’s thought, he smirked coldly, took out a conch, and quickly said a few words.
Only then did he change direction and head toward the sensed location.
...
...
In Jiang Wang’s view, the Sea Clan powerhouse pursuing him was likely similar to Granny Bizhu, for they had discovered the anomalies with the Sea Beasts due to their control over the beast-taming path.
So he actively gave up controlling all the Sea Beasts he previously manipulated and made them decoys to lead the opponent on a chase, while he returned to the Floating Island to make some adjustments before setting out again.
He still used the Sea Beasts as a vigilant tool, selecting targets, hiding, luring, and slaying, all in one breath.
But this time, just after killing the third Commander-level Sea Clan member, four of the Soul Stealth Snakes he had sent out vanished simultaneously!
This meant that the Sea Beasts circling him, which he controlled, had lost contact all at once. And he couldn’t get any information through the Soul Stealth Snakes either.
Just as Jiang Wang was stunned, two more of the controlled Sea Beasts perished.
He immediately realized that the Sea Clan powerhouse hunting him had come again. And because of some technique employed by the sharp-faced Sea Clan member, the Sea Beasts he currently controlled had, in turn, marked his position.
And he had fallen into an encirclement!
His opponent was not alone!
The sharp-faced Sea Clan member was at least of Intermediate Stage Commander level, challenging enough on his own, let alone the fact that this time he had brought reinforcements.
Jiang Wang didn’t hesitate and immediately dispelled all the Soul Stealth Snakes he had released.
He didn’t blame himself. In this hunting operation, he had made no mistakes. After all, he didn’t know the opponent’s abilities nor could he have imagined that the subtle Spiritual Soul Level connections he relied on to control the Sea Beasts with the Hidden Snake could be discovered and traced by the enemy.
Sometimes, not making mistakes doesn’t mean you won’t lose. Because your opponent is also powerful, with their own experiences, stories, wisdom, and decisiveness.
He needed to save himself!
This was the only thought in Jiang Wang’s mind.
First, the opponents must have come prepared.
To avoid a repeat of the previous chase failure, the help they brought must be capable of capturing the prey. Possibly experts in tracking, or swift in speed, or with the ability to lock down the enemy’s escape routes.
Together with the sharp-faced Sea Clan member, there were at least six opponents. He absolutely could not afford a head-on confrontation.
Second, judging from the locations where the Sea Beasts had died, the area he was currently in was already surrounded. He couldn’t afford to be hopeful. The chances of breaking through were not high, because if he were the hunter, the first thing to consider would be the possibility of the prey breaking through and he would naturally take precautions against it.
Third, the enemy could only lock onto the controlled Sea Beasts, they hadn’t locked onto him! Otherwise, they could have easily approached stealthily without alarming the Sea Beasts. Although he controlled the creatures, their vision was limited. If that were the case, his fate would have been sealed.
He hadn’t been locked onto... and that was where the chance for survival lay.
