Shi Ming noticed that the Nameless Cocoon’s blood seemed to be a different kind of substance compared to that of other Sea Beasts. It wasn’t merely blood; it was also a convergence of immense spiritual energy. The mere sight of it carried a terrifying force.

Anyone else who looked at it would have been instantly knocked unconscious.

’As expected of the third-ranked Sea Beast.’

According to the Nameless Cocoon, one needed to have a Spiritual Power of at least 300 to communicate with it.

’That means my Spiritual Power is above 300.’

’I just don’t know the exact number.’

Even that mysterious woman couldn’t figure it out, so Shi Ming doubted the Nameless Cocoon would know either.

Putting away his "investment," he decided to stay in the Black Gold Control Area for a day. First, he would use the time to sell the Sea Beast carcasses. Second, he would make a show of gathering intelligence on Black Gold, just to let the Nameless Cocoon see he was genuinely putting in the effort.

That way, things would go more smoothly the next time he needed to ask for an additional investment.

The *Grand Fortune* cruised through the area.

In the distance, Shi Ming spotted a familiar face.

"Yo, bro, you’re back already! Did you finish the job for your Employer?"

It was the old captain of the *Shark*. As always, he was in his usual spot, welcoming wandering ships and running his business.

"Thanks to you, I got lucky and finished it. Even brought back a good haul."

Shi Ming gestured to the Sea Beast corpses on his deck, smiling back at the dark-skinned old captain, who was puffing on a synthetic cigarette. They had done business before he set out; Shi Ming had bought a temperature control system for his wandering ship from him and had also gleaned some information about the "Golden Sun."

’It just goes to show, real intelligence is often hidden in the smallest details.’

The old captain craned his neck, peering at the spoils on the *Grand Fortune*’s deck.

"Not bad, kid. Is that a Class-C Sea Beast, a Thousand Cave Shark?

"And you got the best part, the fin! Its flesh and blood are in high demand. The meat is tender, rich, and dense. Plenty of nobles on the Black Gold ship absolutely love it!"

"What kind of Sea Beast is that Hexagonal Sea Star? Never seen one before. Look, kid, we’re regulars now. How about you sell this old-timer the Thousand Cave Shark fin? For this much."

Shi Ming looked at the offer and nodded.

"Fair price. Done."

These Sea Beast remains had no blood or heart, so they wouldn’t fetch a high price anyway.

It was better than nothing—a bit of extra income.

And after his previous conversation with the Nameless Cocoon, Shi Ming understood why Black Gold was sparing no expense to acquire Hearts of the Sea Beast from the Sea of Boiling. The energy from these hearts was violent, and by feeding it to the "mother entity" aboard the Sealed Prison, they could suppress the Nameless Cocoon more effectively.

’Poor Ah Jian.’

He left the task of selling the other Class-C and Class-D Sea Beast carcasses to his crew, happy to have some time to himself.

He took a canoe out by himself and wandered through the only bustling area nearby. Using the Brain of Creation to scan for good deals, he sampled the local snacks, enjoying a rare moment of complete relaxation.

"Black Gold squid skewers! Real, non-synthetic food! 10 Sailing Coins!"

"Grilled Sea Shark Skin! 12 Sailing Coins!"

"A brick from the *Pharaoh*’s Four-Eyed Cobra! Huge collector’s value!"

"Ice Ice Fruit from Europa! Feel the thrilling chill of solid ice! 30 Sailing Coins a piece!"

Only in a place like this could Shi Ming feel a rare touch of worldly hustle and bustle, a feeling that dispelled the desolation and loneliness of his long voyages on the Endless Ocean.

...

...

...

The real sun sank beneath the sea.

The moon rose from the distant horizon and slowly climbed to its zenith in the southern sky. Shi Ming remained in his captain’s quarters, staring at the large, severed arm of a Holy Hall Sea Beast, which he had preserved by freezing it with his Formless Pure Ice.

They had now left the Black Gold Control Area, beyond the range of the Nameless Cocoon’s spiritual surveillance.

The power within the Holy Hall Sea Beast’s severed arm had subsided somewhat, but it was still frenzied!

A single drop of its blood was enough to pierce through Shi Ming’s body, which had a Defense Power of 142!

At the sight of the severed limb, the red pattern on Shi Ming’s right arm began to burn uncontrollably again, as if it desperately craved the limb and the blood within. But until he had the proper intelligence, Shi Ming didn’t dare let it absorb anything. When dealing with the flesh and blood of a Holy Hall-level Sea Beast, one could never be too cautious.

Midnight had passed.

[Eye of Intelligence, acquire information!]

The uses of his Eye of Intelligence were extremely precious, so it was only natural to prioritize the most important matter.

[BEEP... BEEP...]

[Compiling information...]

[Searching. Confirming detailed coordinates... Search successful. Summarizing information... Information generated.]

[Holy Hall-level Sea Beast Limb!]

[Source: Abyss Lord, the #6 ranked Holy Hall-level Sea Beast in the Endless Ocean.]

[Abyss Lord: An ancient creature composed of endlessly twisting, malevolent tentacles. It was once a fell beast slumbering eternally in an abyss within the Earth Core. With the coming of the Wandering Era, drastic temperature changes woke it. To maintain a constant temperature in its habitat, it spawned an asteroid-egg from the cosmos, giving birth to the Three-Eyed Golden Crow to maintain the high temperature of its home.]

[When its tentacles are coiled, its body is 1,012 meters long.]

[When its tentacles are extended, they can reach a maximum length of 12,029 meters. The tentacles have extreme penetrative power and are covered in indescribable barbs. Upon invading a living creature, they can rapidly absorb its internal energy, converting it into sustenance for the Abyss Lord.]

[Last Active Period: 30 years ago]

[Holy Hall Skill: Extremely Evil Sanctuary]

[Normal Skills: Crystal Curtain, Ten Thousand Hooks Tentacles, Sinful Abyss]

[...]

’Ranked 006, and its name is Abyss Lord.’

’Its last activity was 30 years ago, and now it attacks me all the way from the Earth Core just because I was about to kill its "air conditioner"?’

’I’ll remember this grudge.’

Shi Ming read on.

The Eye of Intelligence didn’t just provide information on the Abyss Lord; it also thoughtfully included instructions on how to use the severed limb. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

[Limb Utilization Method.]

[Unsuitable for Awakening.]

[Holy Hall-level evolution requires immense resources. Only by devouring over 80% of the Abyss Lord’s total blood can one inherit its power. This severed limb contains very little blood, far from enough for the host to achieve a Holy Hall-level evolution. However, a small amount of Holy Hall-level blood can further activate the power within the four Divine Remains, randomly evolving one of their skills.]

[Associated with the Eye of the Divine:]

[A: Arm of Power: ???]

[B: Eye of Intelligence: ???]

[C: Brain of Creation: ???]

[Note: The blood of any Holy Hall-level Sea Beast can be used to further activate the power within the Divine Remains.]

!!!

’The information I got from the stone stele is confirmed! The Eye of the Divine Pendant really is one of the Divine Remains!’

’I just wonder who has the other three Divine Remains—the Heart of Chaos, the Primordial Flow Body, and the Uncertain Shadow—or where they might be scattered.’

’The Abyss Lord’s remains can randomly evolve one of my skills...’

’No wonder the red pattern on my right arm was so agitated!’

’First, I’ll see what this gets me. Then, when I get the chance, I’ll take a trip to Fujing Mountain. Forget about whether I can beat the Great Black Heaven Dragon—just stealing a bit of its blood while it sleeps to evolve my skills would be well worth it. That dragon is in such a deep slumber that even Awakened from the Black Society can fleece it.’

’It’s a much easier target than the Abyss Lord!’