Chapter 558: A Disaster-Grade Clam

No one would have expected the gleaming shell to be just under the surface of the ocean, neither above the surface or deep below it.

It was shrouded by a thick layer of mist, one that seemed perfectly normal even after the mists high above the surface had cleared up. If not for his dragon's eyes, Zhang Lie wouldn't have discovered it.

Even with his dragon's eyes, all he could sense was a layer of soul of incredible extent—not a single soul, but a whole layer of them—and traces of a spatial power that constrained it.

Zhang Lie was certain that this soul was the true culprit behind the sea of mists. The gigantic clam could only create illusions that could pass off as reality, but it didn't have the ability to control space.

However, the sea of mists was filled with spatial distortions. Without following the ship's path, the unfortunate stragglers who had ended up within the sea of mists would die trapped within a spatial distortion, whereas those that did get on board would be forced to endure the illusions that the clam brought them through.

Considering that Zhang Lie already had 21 disaster gene fragments, he should hardly have been affected by the peak-grade clam. Although he still couldn't be considered a disaster-grade lifeform proper, he was largely immune to the machinations of peak-grade lifeforms.

Nevertheless, his senses had clearly been affected—and the only lifeforms that could accomplish such a feat were disaster-grade lifeforms.

In other words, what had affected Zhang Lie wasn't the peak-grade clam, but rather the disaster-grade clam that lay hidden right beneath the surface of the sea.

"Haha, I've finally found another disaster-grade lifeform! You're not getting away!" Zhang Lie threw out one lone punch, so strong it warped the space all around his fist. Ripples of energy spread out from him.

"[The Boundless Blade: the River Lethe]!" An underworld river hurtled into existence, roaring into the sea. The sword energy roiled like black waves as it spread out around the clam, locking up the surrounding space and causing it to vibrate.

"[Blade of the Heavens: the Sea Swells]!" Energy poured out of him in waves, honing the edge of his blade. The pulses of energy struck the sea like a tsunami, devouring everything within.

The energy of [Fists of the Silent Sea] melded into Zhang Lie's sword technique and strengthened the tsunami even further. Suddenly, the remnant mist in the air began to congregate, surrounding Zhang Lie in a thick layer of fog.

The jewel-studded clam appeared above the surface of the sea. As it opened up, a primordial aura filled the air, and a five-colored fog drifted out from within the shell.

Zhang Lie felt a sudden bout of dizziness overtake him as his surroundings morphed. A gray fog covered his eyes, so thick he wouldn't be able to see his fingers if he stretched out his arm. Space contracted around him.

"Mister! Mister! Mister!" Zhu's voice suddenly came from close by.

Startled, Zhang Lie glanced all around him. They had returned again to the warship. "Where's the shell?!"

Zhu frowned as she waved a hand over Zhang Lie's face. "Mister, are you alright?"

"Where did the clams go?"

Zhu frowned. "What clams, Mister? We just entered the sea of mists!"

"What?!"

.

Zhang Lie shook his head vehemently. "No, that can't be right. We were deep within the sea of mists, where we discovered two clams. One was a disaster-grade lifeform, a humongous clam whose shell was studded with jewels."

Zhu frowned as she held her palm over Zhang Lie's forehead. "Mister, you haven't gone crazy after being isolated for so long, have you?

We've just entered the sea of mists, and we haven't seen anything besides the warship at our feet, let alone these clams. Mister, you were in a daze just now, and it took me a very long time to wake you up."

Zhang Lie's eyes widened. He glanced at Zhu, then at the warship where he stood. From what lay before him, Zhu clearly seemed to be right. Could he have been dreaming all this time?

Zhu's face turned serious. "Mister, could you have encountered a mystery as soon as you entered the sea of mists?"

"It... seems like that might be the case."

Zhu frowned. "Mister, you have to be more careful. The sea of mists is exceptionally mysterious, and nine adventurers out of ten die within it. My father barely escaped with his life."

Zhang Lie smiled. "I know that much. Your father got on a wooden boat and was trapped in what seemed like a time loop, wasn't he?"

Zhu's eyes widened. "How did you know, Mister?!"

Zhang Lie laughed. "Maybe I can predict the future. We'll likely hear a siren's voice soon."

"That's what my father told me, Mister!"

"Not only that, this siren will die very quickly."

"By what?"

"By me!"

Wings sprouted from Zhang Lie's back as he shot off the warship, leaving Zhu behind. "Don't go!"

After killing the siren with one activation of [Fists of the Silent Sea], he headed back to the warship by breaking through the spatial distortions in his way.

Zhu pounced on him as she cried, just like before.

Subsequently, when the ghost ship appeared, Zhang Lie struck immediately. Since he didn't waste time thinking like he had the last time around, there was some time left before the next mysterious event.

Zhang Lie walked around the warship. Although he hadn't found anything the first time, he wanted to see if there might be any clues that he had missed the first time.

What he hadn't expected was to find a whole room of corpses, dead from all sorts of causes natural and otherwise. Some bled to death from all their orifices, some were sliced in two, others were charred, their bodies blackened, and quite a few had rotted all the way through. A human head rolled to Zhang Lie's side.

Zhang Lie leaned down and picked it up to see his own face facing him. The entire room of corpses was all his own, showing him a multitude of gruesome deaths.

"Distasteful and pointless," he criticized. Zhang Lie threw the human head back into the room and punched forward.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Fade]!" A black serpent shot out of Zhang Lie's fist, swallowing up the corpses within and leaving nothing behind.

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Unable to confirm what was going on, Zhang Lie began jotting possibilities on a pad of paper.

First, he might be within a dream.

Second, what happened previously might have been the dream, and he was currently in reality.

Third, he might have suddenly gained the power to predict the future, a wholly implausible event.

Fourth, he might have entered a time loop the moment he entered the sea of mists.

Fifth, this might be an illusory realm that was created by the disaster-grade lifeform, one which wasn't real at all.

Sixth, the disaster-grade lifeform might have forcibly sent him back in time.

Zhang Lie had six possible hypotheses in all.

While he was thinking, the ghost ship appeared before him.

"Don't bother me! [Fists of the Silent Sea: Soar]!" His fist caused a geyser of water to erupt, swallowing the ghost ship whole.

Next was the galactic battleship; this time, instead of reacting passively, Zhang Lie chose to attack it head-on...