Chapter 528: Chapter 396: There are risks beyond the human realm, proceed with caution in love

The "Chasm Trench" beneath this sea was three hundred kilometers long and 9,219 meters at its deepest, with five World Rifts distributed across its floor.

While these fissures were wide enough for massive Leviathan Whales to pass through and formed Secret Realms with peculiar rules, their levels were only Level 1.

Monstrous creatures of the Middle Sequence could not enter, thus creating a relatively safe and vast whaling ground.

The danger of whaling here was far less than in the whales’ homeland—the Sea of Monsters. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Violet transformed into a surging Whale Girl. Byron, using the Pseudo-God blood he had collected, changed into a counterfeit whale person, though without the corresponding transcendent abilities.

Luckily, under the Leviathan knowledge system of the Rift Whale, Mythical Creatures aren’t limited to the Calamity Witch; there’s also the Tidal Hunter, giving men some freedom of choice. Otherwise, this forbidden path would be full of amusing sights. After all, it seems my father-in-law, the Whale Hunter Jack Harold, is also... ahem.

Byron dared not dwell on such a scenario.

The two rode the nautilus, enveloped in a mighty torrent, straight to the seabed, quickly arriving within the "Chasm Secret Realm."

Since it was still a lunar phase window period, the bubble-like Secret Realm had not yet swelled to its limit.

As long as Lamplighters took up residence and secured the World Rifts with their anchor chains, the homicidal rules therein would be reduced to a manageable level. Even a Full Moon wouldn’t lead to tragedy.

"Wow, is this an undersea city from the Mythological Era too? It’s magnificent!"

As the two penetrated a semi-transparent water membrane and entered the Chasm Secret Realm, which was about the same size as Whale Song Town, they were immediately stunned by the sight before them.

Similar to the Blood Source Secret Realm of the Bloodthirsty Cult, it was clearly the projection of an ancient city from the Mythological Era.

A massive circular force-field dome not only held back a vast amount of seawater but also channeled the sunlight and scenery from above the sea surface down to this place. It was like watching a giant-screen movie titled "Undersea World."

Below the dome, white marble buildings were erected on a seabed platform. Since there was no need to worry about rain, their functions were completely different from what human common sense would dictate. Just like those mammals that breathe with lungs yet insisted on returning from land to live in the sea—whales—there was a strangely superfluous beauty to them.

Of course, this also included a series of deformities and distortions caused by the fall of the Old Gods. The originally smooth, white marble columns inexplicably sprouted many bizarre growths: marble tumors, deformed fish fins, tentacles, exposed innards... It was as if the buildings themselves had been mutated by oceanic radiation. Spending too much time here would likely affect one’s mental state.

Other than being a bit hungry, Byron felt rather fine.

Most members of the Rift Monastery who used to live here had been wiped out in that colonial war, leaving only Low Sequence fish-like Bizarres roaming the underwater city. Among them was the "Bizarre Lanternfish" they had seen before, constantly muttering, "Brother, lend me a light, lend me a light..."

Besides them, nothing in the entire city could threaten Byron and Violet.

"Decree, descend!"

Byron immediately anchored his lighthouse in this location. It stood at the edge of the collective subconscious sea, capable of simultaneously existing to the left and right, above and below. The top of the lighthouse connected to countless golden anchor chains, its brilliant, radiant light instantly illuminating the entire Secret Realm.

Byron possessed a widely known legendary status, tens of millions of followers and citizens, covenants with three Old Gods, and innumerable vested interests. Consequently, the Anchors linked to his lighthouse far surpassed the Middle Sequence level. He wouldn’t be outdone even compared to the Kings of many countries.

At the same time, the order of the Golden Law descended here. Many of the Bizarres and deformities in the city began to recede like thawing snow, and the homicidal rules weakened progressively.

In the end, only one rule remained: "Every day at the stroke of midnight, there will be a one-minute period of suffocation, during which one must hold their breath like a whale."

The residents of the Centaur Archipelago were old sea dogs. As long as they were prepared, holding their breath for one minute—or even five or ten—wouldn’t kill them. Besides, which of these energetic fellows went to bed at 12 o’clock at night? After getting married, if they didn’t make some noise until the latter half of the night, they wouldn’t be able to walk straight when they went out.

WOOF! WOOF!...

Letting the two large wolves, Geri and Freki, lead the way, Byron and Violet soon followed the guidance of the number one skull to find the Crystal Skulls left behind.

And not just one, but two:

"Number Four, Rain God Chak: Can use lightning as an axe to chop at clouds, causing thunderstorms. Primary ability is bringing rain.

Number Ten, Goddess of the South Heno Clora: Similar to the Polaris God, both govern directions; one for the north, the other for the south."

Byron was overjoyed.

Now only four skulls remained before he could collect all Thirteen Crystal Skulls to materialize Mount Flower Heavenly Kingdom and officially be crowned Emperor of the Taya Empire.

After carefully stowing them away, he looked up to find many books and notes in the room, which apparently served as the study of the Father of the School of Sharks. With Divine Sight—a sensory ability from the gods—unfamiliar text was no obstacle.

After skimming through them, the two made significant discoveries.

"Firstly, the reason this place is known to the Kin as the Southern Continent is that they possess more complete nautical charts than humans and know it is not the newest continent. The end of the First Circulation Zone is at the edge of the Southern Continent, which is also the starting point of the Second Circulation Belt. Through the Second Circulation Belt, one can cross the entire Ekdna Triangle to reach the other side of the Sea of Monsters, another continent located in the eastern part of the world. Compared to the Old Continent, that might truly be the New Continent. The main branches of the Deep Dive Church, the Rift Monastery, and many Heretical Cults are actually across the sea where the Source Tides are more active. The forces that have colonized the Southern Continent are only their branches."

Additionally, they unexpectedly gleaned a crucial piece of intelligence from the notes of the Father of the School of Sharks.

"The Southern Continent is shaped like a radish and has an area about half the size of the Old Continent. At its southernmost tip, a Glacial Archipelago exists. It seems there are people there who worship a Fifth-Order Pseudo-God level Tidal Hunter. However, these Kin who follow the same path are unaware of the other’s identity. Father of the School of Sharks, Bonaparte, suspects that other branches of the Rift Monastery might have bypassed them and quietly established a foothold on the Southern Continent. It’s just that because the distance is too great and there are no conflicts of interest, they haven’t paid excessive attention to the happenings there."

Upon reading this, both couldn’t help but feel a stir in their hearts.

"Besides personnel from other branches, there’s actually another possibility. That is, the ’deity’ being worshipped might just be His Excellency, the Whale Hunter!"

Byron’s speculation instantly made a dazzling light shine in Violet’s eyes.

One of their initial reasons for coming to the Southern Continent was to follow the footsteps of the Whale Hunter, Jack Harold, and find his whereabouts.

They were well aware that the Circulation Zone on the sea surface meant little to the Deep Sea Clan. But for humans to continue exploring, they had to reach the starting point of that Second Circulation Belt and ride the ocean currents to their next destination: the eastern shore of the Sea of Monsters. That was also the final corner of the Ekdna Triangle, formed along with the Silver Continent (Dragon Court) and the Southern Continent (Hundred Beasts Paradise).

The Calamity Curse was a Forbidden Book passed down in the Harrold Family, and both of Violet’s parents had practiced its cultivation. Since the Fifth-Order Pseudo-God who left traces at the start of the Second Circulation Belt was a Tidal Hunter unfamiliar even to the Father of the School of Sharks, it was highly probable that this individual was the Whale Hunter.

I just don’t know what he plans to do next, after single-handedly using the "Whale Oil power revolution" to drive overseas exploration.

However, news of her father finally eased much of the anxiety in Violet’s heart, and her steps became lighter.

She grabbed Byron and began to excitedly continue exploring the underwater city. "Come on, use your Desire Compass to find out where the treasury of this city is. I’m going to loot to my heart’s content and celebrate properly!"

When the girl was happy, Byron naturally felt happy too. He pulled out the Desire Compass and followed its guidance into another room with Violet.

However, this room was clearly a spacious bedroom. Apart from the dreamy underwater scenery outside the French windows, there was only a solitary waterbed.

Moreover, it was literally a waterbed, constantly refreshed with seawater, full of elasticity. It wouldn’t fall apart no matter how much a whale person tossed and turned on it.

Clearly, Byron’s deepest desire just then wasn’t for any "treasury." He hoped for a completely undisturbed place to enjoy their time together.

Confronted by Violet’s teasing gaze, he felt somewhat embarrassed. "Uh, well, Miss, as you know, the compass only captures what the heart desires most; other stray thoughts might affect its accuracy. You can’t blame me for this. After those uninvited guests interrupted us last night, I thought about you all night and couldn’t sleep properly. My ’ego’ respects my ’id’; one has to let off some steam occasionally, right?"

Violet gave Byron a coquettish eye-roll, snatched the Desire Compass from his hand, and decided to try it herself this time.

"Follow me, this way."

A few minutes later, they pushed open another door.

Behind the door was... an even bigger waterbed! Never mind two people, even three whales would have enough room to roll around on it.

This time it was Byron’s turn to grin knowingly.

Violet’s blush instantly spread from her cheeks to the base of her neck. Peeking through the gap in her white shirt, it seemed to extend even further.

"Heh heh heh, such a duplicitous wom..."

Byron stepped forward to pat the excellently tactile waterbed, just about to tease her, when the girl, in a fit of embarrassment and anger, suddenly leaped at him.

What was even more outrageous was that as she leaped mid-air, she transformed back into... her five-meter-long, several-ton Whale Girl form!

Byron’s expression instantly crumbled. "Hey hey hey?! Wait a minute..."

His hands flailed wildly. He was trying to prevent the impending tragedy where the amorous scene of her ’buxom charge’ would turn into a ’dump truck accident.’

The two giant wolves at his feet, Geri and Freki, had initially wanted to shield their master. But one look at Goddess Queen Miss Willette’s azure eyes, and they were scared witless, tucking their tails and vanishing in a flash.

The next moment.

"AHH—!"

Byron, sent flying and then SPLAT!—flattened onto the waterbed, seemed to see his life flash before his eyes as it began to replay. His hands and feet, barely visible, twitched faintly.

The scene was enough to make onlookers weep and listeners mourn. But this time, no accident could prevent what was interrupted last night from continuing.

It can only be said that relationships with non-humans carry risks; love requires caution!