Chapter 278: Chapter 271: Spiritual Power Breaks Through the Human Threshold

After some back-and-forth, Shi Ming once again obtained 2 kilograms of "Nerve Saliva" from the Nameless Cocoon.

This was all part of the investment he had secured.

This transparent, viscous liquid was condensed Spiritual Power, formed when the Nameless Cocoon’s immense Spiritual Power overflowed. Compared to its blood, it wasn’t considered particularly precious, so it was just a little bonus.

"Thank you for your help, Ah Jian."

"I’ll increase my strength as quickly as possible and get you out."

The Nameless Cocoon was exhausted from giving up so much blood. It had summoned Shi Ming to get him to quickly figure out a way to save it before it fell into slumber. Now that the message had been delivered and the benefits given, it stopped wasting energy, quietly curling its body to resist the suppression of the Sealed Prison.

The world spun around him again.

Shi Ming jolted awake from the dream-like spiritual experience.

His consciousness returned to the ship.

Before him, a web of blood formed by interconnected black threads floated in the air. A full 20 kilograms of black blood swirled within it, looking quite extraordinary. The two kilograms of transparent Nerve Saliva, enveloped in Spiritual Power, pulsed with an alluring rhythm.

The Dayun sailed out of the range of the Nameless Cocoon’s Spiritual Power.

Shi Ming stared at the liquids.

"Eye of the World, gather information."

No matter how eager he was, he had to use the Eye of the World to double-check.

[BEEP... BEEP...]

[Organizing information...]

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

[Bodily Tissues of the Nameless Cocoon.]

[Blood: Black blood filled with rampant Spiritual Power. Does not contain the origin of an S-rank skill; bathing in it will not grant a skill. However, absorbing such a vast quantity and amount of energy will take your physical stats to the next level!]

[Nerve Saliva: Ingest directly to solidify the foundation of your Spiritual Power, make it more profound, and significantly increase its strength.]

Shi Ming stared at the large mass of black blood, his eyes wide with anticipation.

He slipped out of his sailing suit and cautiously touched the black blood. The Right Arm Red Pattern was already raring to go. The moment he made contact, it began to devour the blood ravenously. For maximum efficiency, Shi Ming smeared the blood all over his body, simulating an immersive bloodbath.

As expected of the third-ranked S-rank sea beast, the power in its black blood far surpassed that of an ordinary one. An intense, stimulating sensation flooded his brain and body!

Even when he had bathed in the blood of the Dusk Whale, the surge of power had been nowhere near this intense.

This was an unprecedented level of enhancement.

Because the blood didn’t contain the origin of a skill, the energy absorption only lasted for ten minutes—about the same amount of time it took to absorb the "Infinite Virus" energy. He felt power coursing through his entire body and even had the urge to go find a powerful sea beast and get into a brutal fight!

[Congratulations! By bathing in the blood of the sea beast "Nameless Cocoon," your physical stats have been significantly increased!]

[Attack Power: 207]

[Physical Strength: 247]

[Endurance: 222]

[Defense Power: 231]

[Spiritual Power: Unknown]

The visible increase in his stats was nearly a hundred points! The boost from bathing in the Nameless Cocoon’s blood was comparable to that of two ordinary S-rank sea beasts combined!

Aside from his invisible Spiritual Power, the biggest increase was to his Physical Strength, which went up by over thirty points. Now, Shi Ming’s Physical Strength and Endurance totaled 469!

He was only 31 points away from his mini-goal of 500.

Meanwhile, the "Nine-Headed Dragon Pattern" on his chest and abdomen had faded considerably after such a long period of digestion. Over the past few days, Shi Ming had also been periodically cutting off and consuming slices of the Hai Sheng Ying to further boost his immunity. As a result, the origin of destruction within his body was developing from a faint, embryonic form into something more complete.

Obtaining the Great Black Heaven Dragon’s "Nine-Headed Sanctuary" required meeting three conditions.

First, kill it.

Second, gain the qualification to resonate with the origin of destruction in advance.

Third, have a combined total of Physical Strength and Endurance points reaching 500.

Shi Ming had already met the second condition, and he was close to meeting the third. The only thing left to consider was how to kill the Nine-headed Giant Dragon.

’The future looks bright!’

After absorbing the energy from the blood, the depleted black liquid could still be used as upgrade material. Wasting nothing, Shi Ming carefully stored it away and then turned his gaze to the viscous Nerve Saliva.

’This stuff... do I just eat it directly?’

Shi Ming tentatively took a small portion of the Nerve Saliva and carefully placed it in his mouth.

There was no need to swallow; it melted the instant it entered his mouth.

It felt like swallowing a sip of spring water drenched in moonlight. At first, nothing seemed different, but after a few breaths, Shi Ming felt as if a helmet he’d unknowingly worn for years had been lifted from his head. An indescribable lightness spread out from the center of his brow!

The tension from months of relentless fighting at sea vanished without a trace.

His Spiritual Power felt as if it were strolling through the clouds, caressed by a pair of gentle, invisible hands. He closed his eyes, but the world didn’t go dark. Instead, his potent Spiritual Power allowed him to perceive his surroundings from an entirely new perspective.

He felt as if something inside him had shattered.

Without opening his eyes, he could see Stone Pillar and the exploration team training on deck. In the control room, a sea patroller was closely monitoring all activity on the water’s surface within a ten-nautical-mile radius. In the galley, Old Yang was preparing the day’s meal. Beneath the water’s gentle ripples, countless ordinary creatures swam about in the depths...

’Is this how the Nameless Cocoon sees the world?’

[Congratulations! Your Spiritual Power has increased dramatically, breaking through the threshold of an ordinary human!]

[Skill Mastered - Spiritual Perception!]

[When one’s Spiritual Power reaches a certain level, it can be used in place of one’s eyes. This allows you to experience a new perspective, see a different world, and occasionally glimpse extraordinary secrets.]

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a skill, but rather an application of Spiritual Power that became possible once it reached a certain level. It was a natural evolution, just as a person with good eyesight can see farther, or a creature with wings can fly.

The rewards from this long journey had been quite good.

Next, he would increase his strength as promised while waiting for the right opportunity—a moment when the Nameless Cocoon would be completely and utterly cornered within its seal.

He would then use that opportunity to subdue the sea beast, indirectly mastering the "Eternal Life Law" skill and gaining a powerful enforcer at the same time.

"To the Sea of Yellow Sand!"

In the center of the Sea of Yellow Sand was another S-rank sea beast. According to the Nameless Cocoon, it was ranked 82nd—perfect for him to use as practice right now. If he killed it, his Physical Strength and Endurance would likely increase quickly enough to meet the 500-point total requirement.

The Dayun had just changed its course.

[BEEP]

His communicator went off.

It was Iruka, the Awakened from Black Gold who had gone with Shi Ming to the Mount Olympus ruins to battle the Deep Sea Titan.

’Why is he contacting me? What’s going on?’

Shi Ming opened the message.

As he read, the corners of his mouth curled into a smile.

’The opportunity has arrived?’

Black Gold wanted to purchase 500 milliliters of Purifying Marrow from him to purify a treasure aboard their ship, which they needed to deal with a powerful sea beast. They had even brought a letter of introduction from Da Yu and promised a payment of 3,000 Pure Dome Crystals or, alternatively, 3,000 of Da Yu’s Contribution Points.

"It seems the Purifying Marrow Da Yu gifted wasn’t enough to completely repair the Sealed Prison."

"This is a favor I definitely have to grant!"

"Killing three birds with one stone!"

He could gain Black Gold’s friendship, earn Pure Dome Crystals and Contribution Points, and further suppress the Nameless Cocoon, leaving it completely cornered.

How could Shi Ming possibly refuse such a perfect opportunity?