Chapter 306

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Lord, we’ve spotted the statue, but where is the underwater relic?”

Ji Chen pointed to the enigmatic statue.

“This statue has already given us a clue. Look at its finger.”

Upon hearing this, Alice looked in the direction indicated. The statue’s finger appeared to be pointing straight into the distance, but in reality, it was slightly inclined downward, leading to a spot in the sea.

“If my guess is correct, right below that section of the sea lies the location of the underwater relic.”

Seeing this somewhat eerie statue, Ji Chen became more cautious.

“Alice, have a few of the Soulbound Servants go ahead and scout.”

Alice nodded, and several Razorfin Seals broke away from the group, diving into the sea and leading the way.

Ji Chen and the rest of the team followed, maintaining a distance of several hundred meters.

“Ding- Soulbound Servant: Razorfin Seal is affected by a negative force field, entering a negative state with a 5% reduction in all attributes.”

Ji Chen didn’t pause, and he waved for them to continue. Soon, the invisible force field began to affect the entire group, subjecting them to a negative state. After advancing for several hundred meters more…

“Ding- Negative effects intensify, with a 10% reduction in all attributes.”

Wow, this negative effect can actually get stronger?

Could it be that the closer they get to the underwater relic, the stronger the effect becomes?

As the distance decreased further, the negative effect increased from 10% to 15%, and then from 15% to 20%. Even Ji Chen felt the influence of some kind of energy, as if a heavy stone were pressing down on his shoulders. His body became somewhat sluggish, and the flow of mana in his body also slowed down significantly, reducing his overall vitality.

Alice, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be affected much. While her mana was suppressed, her Soulbound Servants had long been controlled and imprinted with soul marks, so they remained under her control even with the lowest levels of mana.

As they were finally able to spot a colossal underwater relic on the seabed with their naked eyes, the adverse effects on them peaked in intensity.

A 35% decrease in attributes equals a total one-third reduction.

At this point, Ji Chen became completely serious.

This underwater relic couldn’t be ordinary, or else it wouldn’t have such terrifying negative effects.

Now, returning to the important matter at hand, how could they address this persistent negative effect?

Suddenly, an idea flashed through Ji Chen’s mind.

If he were to draw a comparison between this negative field, where the closer he got, the stronger the effect, to a negative state or condition…

Is it possible for a domain to neutralize another?

With this in mind, Ji Chen decided to give it a try immediately.

With a thought, a surge of mana, like a tsunami, erupted.

[Tidal Domain (Orange Skill, can expand a tidal domain with a radius of five hundred meters, reducing enemy attributes within the domain by 0-70%, with the effect determined by the difference in strength between the enemy and us, reducing physical and magical damage by 30%, reducing mana consumption by 30%)]

Centered around him, a spherical domain with a radius of two hundred and fifty meters was formed.

Suddenly, the pressure on his shoulders dissipated, and he felt free once again.

The negative status effects previously imposed on him vanished.

Upon closer examination, about two hundred and fifty meters away, they noticed a tumultuous sea where vibrant deep blue mana and ominous gray-black energy clashed and battled each other relentlessly.

It seemed that the gray-black energy was the tangible manifestation of the negative force field, but it had been hidden all along.

Ji Chen monitored the mana usage rate. While there was a small difference between mana recovery and consumption, the overall trend was a decrease. Thanks to his ample mana reserves, he could sustain the Tidal Domain for an extended period.

Without any hesitation, he gave the command for the army to continue forward.

The closer they got, the more colossal the relic on the seabed appeared.

Rather than calling it a relic, it was more like a relic city.

Countless pillars with obvious signs of civilization lay in ruins all over the seabed. The remnants of stone buildings filled every corner, exuding a desolate beauty.

But the most prominent feature was the towering temple-like structure at the center of the relic, reaching dozens of meters in height and occupying a wide area. This was the only building in the entire relic that remained well-preserved.

[Temple of Amos Sacrifice]

A temple?

Ji Chen was slightly surprised, but he understood.

In the era when gods existed, believers built temples like this one in many places, from the freezing north to the endless swampy deathlands, from the highest peaks of the world to the depths of the lightless sea, to worship and show their devotion to the gods.

As the river of time flowed on, most of them had already perished into oblivion, but there were still some buried in unknown places.

And the sacrificial temple before their eyes was clearly one of them.

In every sacrificial temple, believers, in order to express their supreme devotion, collected countless treasures from all over the world, even from the void, to offer to the gods and seek their protection.

Of course, whether the gods cherished these worldly objects was still unknown.

But one thing could be known – this sacrificial temple, which had been preserved due to its location and had not been explored, might contain some unexpected things.

Ji Chen narrowed his eyes.

It seemed that this journey had not been in vain.

Gurgle-

Out of nowhere, thousands of creatures with razor-like fins sprang forth from every corner of the ruins, resembling the statue on the small island.

Their sharp claws left deep marks on the pillars, a testament to their strength.

[Razorfin Demons]

[Race]: Demon

[Tier]: Fourth Tier, 3 Stars

[Level]: 30

[Skills]: Rend, Combo Strike, Sharp Teeth

[Unit Traits]: Ruthless and Cruel (…)

[The backbone of the Demon race, placed here to guard the temple]

Demons?

Ji Chen was somewhat surprised.

According to what he knew, demons were often servants nurtured by evil gods. Could it be that this temple was dedicated to worshiping an evil deity?

This was yet another unexpected turn of events.

“Try to subjugate them.”

Alice nodded, closed her eyes slightly, and released her spiritual power, but her face suddenly turned pale.

“Lord, I can’t subjugate these demons.”

“Why?”

“Their souls have already been marked for countless years, and the one who marked them is a presence I can’t contend with…”

Ji Chen understood. These demons were probably minions of some evil god, and competing with a god for control over them was a difficult task.

“Since we can’t subjugate them, then let’s prepare for battle!”

These demons were all at the fourth tier, 3 stars in rank, and level 30.

Even with their strength reduced by 35% due to the negative status, they were still formidable opponents. But now, the negative status had been negated by the Tide Domain, and in terms of raw power, Ji Chen and his group had a clear advantage.

“Everyone, stay within the range of my domain!”

Two thousand fourth-tier Soul Servants were present, ranging from fourth-tier 1-star to fourth-tier 6-star, densely packed within the domain, ready to face the enemy’s onslaught.

The Razorfin Demons attacked from various directions, but as soon as they entered the Tide Domain, their movements slowed down, as if they were being pressed down by a great mountain. Their strength was significantly reduced.

“Ding- Razorfin Demons are suppressed by the Tide Domain, all attributes reduced by 50%.”

This was much stronger than the negative status imposed by the temple. Their strength was now only at 50%, almost like having both hands tied behind their backs.

However, Ji Chen’s group remained unscathed, and they even experienced a 30% decrease in physical and magical damage inflicted upon them.

The Razorfin Demons, who could originally cut through metal like butter with their claws, now only left shallow marks, and their power had diminished significantly.

This almost made them curse out loud.

What the heck is this!?

Under the domain suppression, the power gap between the two sides was brought to a terrifying level.

This was another strength of Ji Chen.

Not only did he possess formidable combat abilities, but he could also provide significant buffs to his allies, exerting strong suppression on the enemy.

If he wanted, he could easily serve as a support.

With the power gap, the Razorfin Demons were quickly slain one by one, and their murky black blood polluted the seawater.

Nevertheless, this darkened blood didn’t disperse when mixed with the seawater; rather, it was drawn back into the massive temple, akin to iron filings being irresistibly pulled back in, one droplet at a time.

Upon contact with the black blood, the temple broke the silence it had maintained for countless ages, trembling suddenly, causing the seawater to shake.

Something dreadful was slowly awakening.

Ji Chen’s mouth twitched.

Well, he knew things wouldn’t be that simple.

But he had grown accustomed to it. He ordered everyone to retreat hundreds of meters, ready to prepare for battle at any moment..