Eklavya continued moving forward through the submerged expanse, carefully adjusting his trajectory so that his path remained parallel to the violent water current rather than intersecting it even slightly. He was fully aware that drifting even a fraction closer could result in being dragged into its core once again. Unlike before, this current was no longer merely a natural phenomenon—it had grown fiercer and more unstable due to the earlier attack he had launched into its depths, an action that had clearly provoked a response from whatever lay beyond.

  As he advanced, the surrounding water pressed against his body with uneven force, subtle fluctuations brushing against his senses. During this tense movement. Eklavya slowly turned his head, his gaze drifting backwards toward the distant darkness from which the current originated. It was a region so deep and vast that even his enhanced perception struggled to grasp its boundaries. After a brief hesitation, he spoke, his voice steady yet cautious despite being muffled by the surrounding water.

  “Magha, what do you think? Should I check where this water current is connected to, and why those massive rocks attacked us earlier when I struck in that direction?”

  Magha did not respond immediately.

  Within the three-coloured dragon ring, the ancient beast shifted his awareness and aligned it with Eklavya’s line of sight, focusing toward the same abyssal direction with deliberate care. After a brief pause, he released a faint trace of primordial ki. Energy drawn from the primordial blood he was already expending to keep Eklavya’s body functional beneath the water, and he extended his perception outward. Not recklessly, but with the precision of a being who had survived countless eras of slaughter and betrayal.

  The moment his awareness brushed against the depths beyond the current, it encountered something that made even his ancient instincts recoil.

  From the endless darkness, a pair of eyes slowly opened. They were red. But not a bright red. Their colour did not seem born of light, but of depth itself. Within that crimson surface lay long, vertical pupils of ocean-black darkness that seemed to swallow everything they observed. When those eyes shifted slightly, just enough to acknowledge Magha’s probing presence, the pressure of that single glance struck him like a blade against the soul.

  For an instant, Magha felt as though his consciousness had been seized.

  Even in the era when he possessed a physical body and stood as a God King–level beast — feared across battlefields and worshipped or cursed by entire races—he had rarely experienced such raw, unfiltered danger. Now, reduced to a spiritual existence bound to a ring, that single stare was enough to send a chill racing through him, bypassing reason entirely.

  He withdrew his perception immediately.

  Magha did not linger. He did not attempt to analyse further, nor did he allow curiosity to tempt him into probing deeper. Whatever existed beyond that current was not something meant to be confronted — at least, not now. Turning his focus away from the abyss, he projected his voice into Eklavya’s mind with sharp urgency.

  ‘Leave this place as soon as possible. If you remain here any longer, neither of us will survive today.’

  The weight behind those words struck Eklavya harder than any physical force.

  A chill ran down his spine as his body reacted before his thoughts could fully catch up. He knew Magha well enough to understand that this was not exaggeration, nor caution born of uncertainty. It was genuine fear, spoken by a being who had once ruled at the peak of cultivation. The realisation that even a former God King could feel such terror extinguished any lingering curiosity he still possessed.

  Eklavya did not ask further questions. He did not attempt to justify his earlier thought. Some dangers did not require understanding to be avoided. Without hesitation, he accepted Magha’s warning and increased his speed, pushing forward through the water with controlled urgency, every movement focused solely on distance and escape.

  As they moved, massive pillars began to emerge more clearly from the surrounding darkness. Each one stood at precise intervals, their surfaces worn smooth by age and pressure. They rose from unseen depths below and stretched upward toward a ceiling that remained hidden beyond perception. It was obvious they were arranged deliberately, yet neither Eklavya nor Magha could discern their purpose. Every pillar appeared identical — size, shape and erosion — offering no immediate clue.

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  Before either of them could reflect further, a sound erupted from the depths behind them.

  It was not merely a roar, but a vibration that tore through the water itself. Shockwaves rippled outward in every direction, violently disrupting the surrounding currents as though the entire underwater domain had been stirred from within. The sheer force of it threw Eklavya off balance mid-movement, pressure crashing against him from behind.

  For a fleeting instant, his instincts urged him to look back.

  But a stronger, more primal instinct screamed within him. 'Run.'

  Clenching his jaw, Eklavya shook his head violently, rejecting the temptation to turn. He poured more power into his movement, accelerating forward as fast as he could while maintaining control, leaving the roaring depths behind as the water churned in chaos.

  …

  After a long stretch of relentless movement beneath the dark waters, Eklavya finally perceived something unnatural forming ahead. Slowing slightly, he focused his perception, and two massive black walls gradually emerged into view. They stood beneath the water like ancient sentinels, separating the river on either side while leaving only a narrow channel between them, as though the flow itself had been deliberately divided to permit passage through a single, controlled path.

  The walls were incomprehensibly thick and stretched so far horizontally that even with his enhanced perception, Eklavya could not see their ends. They rose from the riverbed and climbed upward far beyond his line of sight, creating an oppressive sense of confinement—as though he had entered a structure that existed long before time held meaning.

  Eklavya slowed to a complete stop just before the narrow channel, hovering in the water as caution overtook urgency. Within the three-coloured dragon ring, Magha extended his perception outward, examining the structure carefully before speaking.

  ‘It should be safe,’ Magha said after a moment. ‘This passage opens directly into the deeper river of the valley.’

  Relief flickered across Eklavya’s expression. He nodded faintly and murmured, more to himself than to Magha, ‘At last… I’m getting out of here.’

  Without further delay, he entered the narrow channel, slipping into the thin space between the submerged walls, each nearly three kilometres thick. The moment he crossed the threshold, both he and Magha realised something crucial.

  The colossal beast from the depths would never be able to follow. Its sheer size made this passage an absolute barrier.

  Of the two, Magha felt the greatest relief. The pressure of that dreadful gaze finally faded from his consciousness, allowing his instincts to settle after being pushed to their limit. Sensing this, Eklavya did not slow down. He increased his speed and surged forward without hesitation.

  After nearly a minute of continuous movement, he emerged from the channel and instinctively glanced back—only to see the same sight as before. The black walls appeared identical from both sides, offering no indication of which direction concealed the lurking terror.

  He turned away immediately.

  This region felt entirely different. The riverbed below was no longer layered with coral formations but coated in thick, dark moss. No ki-condensed fish drifted through the currents. The surroundings were eerily lifeless, plunged into near-total darkness, illuminated only by faint traces of distant light.

  Activating his Supreme Eyes, Eklavya surveyed the area. The same long pillars still rose from the depths, but their silhouettes appeared dimmer, more weathered. Following the faint glow piercing through the water above, he began to ascend, drawn instinctively toward the promise of escape.

  With every meter, the light intensified.

  After nearly five kilometres, he reached a vast ceiling where the pillars ended, merging seamlessly into its surface as though supporting the entire structure.

  For a moment, Eklavya thought he would need to break through it.

  He drew his arm back, gathering strength, and thrust his fist forward—only for the surface to yield effortlessly, rippling like an illusion. Realising this, he pushed through and passed straight across.

  Emerging above it, he looked down.

  What had been an illusion now appeared solid beneath his feet, resembling a true ceiling with the river flowing below like a separate layer of reality. Here, sunlight pierced through the water clearly, scattering warmth across the surroundings.

  He scanned the area carefully. No beasts. No lurking presence.

  Only then did he acknowledge the truth that he had escaped successfully.

  Deactivating his Supreme Eyes, Eklavya moved forward along the riverbed, steps measured but steady—when suddenly, without warning, an overwhelming sensation surged from behind him, sharp and urgent, and before he could react or even turn his head—