Chapter 149: The South Sea
The sensation of traveling through the BloodGate was unlike anything Grim had ever experienced. It was as if his body was being dissolved at the molecular level, every atom pulled apart and examined before being reassembled. Colors that had no names in any language flashed past his eyes and sounds that existed in dimensions humans weren’t meant to perceive echoed through his consciousness.
Time seemed to stretch and compress simultaneously. He felt as though he was falling for hours while knowing intellectually that only seconds were passing. Beside him, Lin’s presence was both comforting and terrifying—he could sense her thoughts and feelings while they were in the BloodGate.
Then, suddenly, they were through.
They emerged from the portal into water that was shockingly warm after the cold depths they had left behind. The first thing Grim noticed was the heat—not the artificial warmth of the Heart of the Abyss, but the intense, humid heat of volcanic waters. The second thing he noticed was the carnage.
Bodies floated in the water around them—dragons, sea serpents, and creatures he didn’t recognize, all bearing the wounds of recent battle. Some showed the telltale black corruption of the creatures they had just fought, while others appeared to be natural sea life that had been caught in whatever conflict had torn through this realm.
"The South Sea," Lin gasped, treading water beside him as she took in the devastation. Her ice magic formed small platforms beneath them, giving them something solid to rest on while they assessed their situation. "We’re in Ao Qin’s domain."
The underwater landscape was unlike anything in the North Sea. Where Ao Shun’s realm was characterized by cold, clear waters and crystalline formations, this place was warm with volcanic energy. Thermal vents dotted the sea floor, sending up streams of superheated water that created towering columns throughout the water column. The very sea bed seemed alive, with coral formations that glowed with their own bioluminescent beauty.
Or at least, they had been beautiful. Much of the coral showed signs of recent violence—black scorch marks that spoke of corrupted magic, structures shattered by impacts that could only have come from dragons.
In the distance, Grim could see what appeared to be an underwater city built around a massive volcanic vent. The architecture was completely different from anything in the North Sea.