Any sort of break within the deep sea was never as restful as it properly should be. The harsh environment didn’t allow people to fully relax, and nobody could really sleep since they would run out of air as they did so. For cultivators at the peak of the Soul Expansion Phase or early Consolidated Soul Phase it was still possible to go into a sort of trance while remaining active enough to circulate energy properly, but that wasn’t viable in the long term. One day wasn’t that bad, however.

While there was some risk in traversing to and from the depths, since it was possible the plan was to return to the surface every day or two to avoid risking true exhaustion. It would ultimately make the exploration take longer but moving about when lower on spiritual energy and mentally fatigued greatly amplified other risks.

For the moment they were planning for another half day of exploration in the depths, which included confirming that some of the various things they felt were all part of the sea god.

As before they avoided lights that concealed more than they revealed. Yet they couldn’t help but notice a stationary but inconsistent source deep below them. There were only momentary flashes of light but they illuminated the area around them with a lingering image. There seemed to be a large cave opening in the area.

The deeper they went the less Matayal was interested in poking her head in unknown caves, but they moved to inspect this particular one from the outside. Along with the flashes of light momentary flashes of fire could be seen, flash-boiling water in front of the cave and resulting in a rising trail of scalding water, much like a thermal vent.

Though water resisted fire, nobody was keen to attempt to enter the cave. Elemental strengths and weaknesses were determining factors among those with similar levels of spiritual energy, but the power coming from the cave was many times stronger. It was like a condensed volcanic eruption, though with only the heat and none of the rock.

Just because they avoided any attempts to go inside didn’t mean that Matayal, Livna, and Yonit couldn’t gain something from their proximity to the cave. There was a great amount of fire elemental spiritual energy, but it also came along with powerful water elemental spiritual energy. The whole area was suffused with the latter, but the cave seemed to be linked to the source.

Matayal pondered that as she circulated her energy. It had seemed that the sea god was the source of everything, but though the cave was more than sizable enough for a human to comfortably fit inside a creature with the magnitude they were looking at absolutely couldn’t. For a time she thought perhaps it simply connected to a deeper cavern that contained the main body of the sea god… until she felt closer. The cave was the sea god. Part of it, anyway- likely a nostril. Though fish had nostrils they were not used for breathing, which made this an oddity. It certainly seemed like the expulsions of energy were like a breath. Then again, at such a scale in both size and spiritual energy she couldn’t apply any normal logic to it. Non-humans with powerful cultivations often developed in strange ways.

The density of the spiritual energy was optimal for cultivating, though there was more to it than simply the power behind it. Cultivation was partly about gathering spiritual energy increasing the quantity that could be controlled, but it was also about learning to use it better. The strange flow of energy in the area made Matayal think hard about how she might apply some of that power to herself. Livna and Yonit, meanwhile, were basically at the peak of the Soul Expansion Phase. Their power and control hadn’t reached the same level as Matayal, and they were deep in meditation to absorb what they could. Matayal felt their cultivations surging forward, and though they might not break through to the Consolidated Soul Phase, it seemed they would find themselves much closer.

The uncontained power of their cultivation attracted a few predators that were keen to take a look. Perhaps determining the two were incapacitated, a large shark moved in for the attack. For its efforts it was pierced through vertically with a spear as Matayal moved to intercept. Her spear was a bit reluctant to pull out so she pushed a surge of water upwards, tearing free the large creature and allowing her to target the next opponent. Livna and Yonit clearly sensed something but remained in their meditation. Matayal preferred to think that was because they trusted her and not because they were locked in a struggle with the surging spiritual energy inside them, though the truth was probably a bit of both.

Stranger creatures than sharks approached, somehow with even more teeth than the well known predators. An angler fish as tall as a man was one of those that approached, the teeth much longer than the head of Matayal’s spear. There were too many others to deal with one by one, so Matayal began to form a swirling current, increasing in intensity to form a barrier around the two others. It would deflect or at least slow the approaching beasts and she used the power of the current to speed herself towards each subsequent target.

If she was not in the Consolidated Soul Phase Matayal would not have been able to keep up with the attacks, but her spear flashed and her control of the water dominated over even those who would make use of their own spiritual energy. Slightly troublesome were a few strange fish that shot spears of water. As they struck the rock and sands they left deep holes, and she had no desire to face those attacks head on. The oddly shaped fish seemed unable to fire such attacks in rapid succession and soon found themselves impaled.

After some time the assault slowed down, not because interest in the area was lost but because there were so many easier targets to eat. A school of jellies drifted through the area, scooping up any chum that got near their tendrils- and in some cases larger beasts that were feeding in the area.

Yonit seemed to be only a tiny step away from reaching the Consolidated Soul Phase when he stopped, with Livna another one or two steps short. Matayal judged Yonit might advance within days or a couple weeks at most, while Livna might take months. But any known time frame for such a step was fantastic. Matayal knew that once a clan or sect had a single Consolidated Soul Phase cultivator their main goal was to secure more, and now they might have four shortly. She and her grandfather had certainly helped them along, but there was also something special about the latest generation. It seemed this was a time of growth throughout the world, and they had to keep ahead of their rivals.

“Let’s return to the surface,” Matayal advised, though it could also have been conceived as an order. Speaking underwater was possible but unpleasant as it was easy to allow salt water into the mouth as one spoke.

The three cultivators took one last glance towards the ‘cave’ as they left, sweeping their energy past. Another burst of fire and steam encouraged them to be on their way. It was impossible to know if their battle had disturbed the rest of the sea god, but if it had they didn’t want to be anywhere near its head when it decided to do… pretty much anything.

The intermediate levels of the sea were still filled with numerous vicious creatures but the three kept themselves cloaked in spiritual energy and only ended up in a few scuffles. The bodies were left behind to draw attention away from them as they returned to the surface.

When they reached the surface they did not immediately sense the other members of the Brandle clan. Livna and Yonit turned to Matayal, who shook her head. “They’re not within range of my senses either. They should be concealing themselves.” She had utmost trust in the other members of her clan. The fact that they weren’t waiting as expected meant there was danger, whether they were dead or simply in hiding.

Matayal’s first instinct was to head east where they might find a boat to take them away from the area, but she knew that was also the first thing that would be expected of them. Though it would be much more trouble, as water element cultivators they could swim back to a known safe island or even all the way to the clan, but first they needed to determine the fate of the others. If they were dead it was one thing to leave them, but if they were in hiding- waiting for Matayal and the others to return as they were expected to- then it would be inappropriate to leave them behind.

It was necessary to consider the relative importance of those involved, and Matayal’s position as clan head did mean she needed to keep herself safe but it also provided a responsibility to take care of the safety of the clan. Not that Matayal would have left them behind anyway.

Livna and Yonit swam ahead, following Matayal’s direction. If there was someone waiting in ambush they would be the first targets, though they were trying to remain hidden. The Kelp Spire Forest was normally teeming with cultivators, and even in the off seasons they would have expected to run into someone but there was no one to be seen. Eventually they chanced a look towards the edges of the area where they spotted a fleet blockading the area. It appeared they were doing their best to conceal themselves but there was only so much dozens of ships could manage. They were spread out all along the eastern side of the area, curving around to the north and south. Matayal would have bet there were at least some ships blocking the west as well.

Each ship only had one or two Soul Expansion Phase cultivators, but there were more Foundation Phase cultivators as well. The three of them might take down one ship, but not before adjacent ships moved in. As for who was manning the ships, Matayal could sense the Purunomo clan. They were not large enough to achieve this blockade alone, and there were others from the Shimmering Islands involved. Matayal took careful note of every energy signature she felt. She even sensed some members of the Kartal clan from the Blustering Peaks.

Such an obvious display was a declaration of war, though clearly they intended to kill Matayal and the others so no word could spread. They doubtless intended to move on the Brandle clan afterwards.

The allies of the Brandle clan should be able to match these forces, but if they weren’t prepared it would be a different matter. Along with that, some might pull out of the alliance at news of her death, as that would be a significant blow to the clan’s strength.

“Matayal,” Livna drew her attention. Her words were lacking the appropriate formalities, but Matayal wouldn’t mind in their given situation- and with their history. “Over there. A familiar ship, I do believe.”

With her attention directed to it, Matayal was indeed able to recognize the Wavecutter among the other ships. That irked her. She wanted to immediately go and demand answers, but she continued to scour the area with the others. The blockade indeed went all the way around the Kelp Spire Forest. The ships were only on the surface, but they were able to detect something extending far beneath. Whether it was a barrier or sensory array, it would make their escape more difficult. They could hope it didn’t go all the way into the depths, but if they exhausted themselves with that journey they would be much less capable of fighting. They also noticed patrols through the area, likely searching for them.

Swimming away was only a viable option if they could do so undetected. Otherwise, they would need a ship… and what better ship than one of the fastest in the entire Shimmering Islands. One that was too fast for many passengers. And while they were at it, they could get an explanation out of captain Sohan.