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The purplish-black light, like a star exploding in the deep sea, instantly illuminated this storm-ravaged area.

Beneath the shadow of those tentacles powerful enough to shatter steel, a jet-black afterimage surged upstream at an incredible speed. It was Little Black, its body, originally no bigger than a palm, now twisting and contorting in the void with an eerie force. Enveloped in a tangible, dark red energy, it resembled a burning meteorite, relentlessly hurtling towards the monster's enormous, single eye.

"roar--!!!"

The piercing roar even drowned out the thunder, and the sound waves transformed into visible shockwaves, instantly turning the surrounding splashing seawater into mist.

The monster's eyeball shattered completely from the blow, thick, purple fluid mixed with fragmented eye tissue cascading down like a torrential downpour, relentlessly washing over the already riddled deck. A stench so foul it could drive one mad filled the air. The excruciating pain drove this unspeakable creature from the deep sea mad; its massive claw, which had been coiled around the hull of the "Poseidon," convulsed violently in agony, finally releasing its deadly grip.

Losing its support, the massive cruise ship began to tilt severely to one side, accompanied by a tooth-grinding metallic hiss.

The moment the tentacle slammed down, Li Haotian rolled on the spot, barely avoiding the blow that could have reduced the deck to rubble. Shards of gravel and steel plates tore through his combat uniform, leaving several bloody gashes on his body, but he couldn't care less about that at the moment.

He leaped up from behind the cover, steadied himself on the violently shaking deck, and immediately locked his gaze on the spot where he had placed the girl.

The place was deserted.

"Damn it!" Li Haotian cursed under his breath, his pupils suddenly contracting.

There was no falling figure, no cries for help. The girl, like a doll, was now suspended above the sea, outside the tilting ship's side. An unseen yet undeniably real and eerie force was dragging her, like a piece of junk, trying to pull her into the dark, boiling, stagnant water below. It was the will of a sea monster, having lost its sacrifice, frantically trying to reclaim it.

The girl stared blankly at the dark sky, her body slowly sinking into the void, like a white spider lily about to wither.

Without any hesitation, Li Haotian took two steps forward and, at the edge of the tilt angle that was about to reach its limit, leaped into the air.

The icy rain streaked across the sky like silver streaks, and Li Haotian, like a hawk hunting its prey, plummeted rapidly under the pull of gravity. The wind howled in his ears, but his eyes were fixed only on that white figure.

Just as the girl was about to be completely sucked into the deep-sea vortex, Li Haotian reached out his scarred hand and grabbed the corner of her long dress tightly.

The sound of tearing fabric was barely audible in the wind and rain, but this force became the final chain connecting life and death. The immense inertia pulled Li Haotian's shoulder painfully, as if it were about to dislocate, but his five fingers clenched like iron clamps, refusing to loosen their grip even an inch despite the crashing waves.

"Gotcha!"

The icy, salty seawater instantly submerged their heads.

The moment he entered the water, the world became eerily quiet, yet also incredibly noisy. It was the roar of the surging water, and the tremors caused by the furious rolling of the enormous monster above. Darkness enveloped him like thick ink, and Li Haotian felt as if countless slippery tentacles were roaming around him—the monster's overflowing energy searching for its target.

He endured the impact of entering the water, holding the unconscious girl with one hand while frantically paddling in the murky water with the other, trying to float to the surface.

Just then, a faint yet familiar black aura appeared not far away.

It's Xiao Hei.

The little black creature, which had exhausted its strength to attack the monster's eyes, now floated in the water like a withered leaf. Its once majestic vertical pupils were now half-open and half-closed, and the dark red light around it had been completely extinguished. If it had been a second later, it would have been swept into the terrifying abyss vortex below.

Li Haotian gritted his teeth, kicked his legs hard in the water, and forcefully turned around. He rushed over, grabbed the fur on the back of Xiao Hei's neck, and stuffed the usually arrogant little guy into the tactical compartment in his arms.

"Don't sleep, it's not over yet," he muttered to himself, his lungs burning with pain from lack of oxygen.

Above them, a glimmer of light could be faintly seen through the churning foam. Li Haotian, leading two others, surged through the icy sea like a torpedo against the current, using the last of his strength to break through the surface.

"Splash!"

Fresh air, mixed with the salty smell, rushed into Li Haotian's lungs. He gasped for breath and wiped the seawater off his face. Not far away, an orange lifeboat was struggling to approach in the waves. Qin Yue stood at the bow, anxiously scanning the sea with her searchlight.

"Boss! Over here!" Liu Hu's voice was hoarse and urgent.

The lifeboat cut through the waves, and as it drew near, two strong hands reached out and pulled Li Haotian and the girl in his arms aboard.

Li Haotian flipped onto the boat, collapsing onto the bottom of the rubber dinghy and breathing heavily. The girl in his arms was curled up in a ball, shivering, while Xiao Hei, a small black dog in the hull, poked its wet head out and let out a very weak "meow".

The lifeboat's engines roared as it sped away from the center of the deadly vortex.

A few minutes later, once the distance had been reduced to a safe level, Li Haotian slowly stood up, bracing himself against the gunwale. He turned around and looked back at the dark sea.

That scene was destined to become an indelible image in his memory.

The once extravagantly luxurious Poseidon now resembles a dying giant. Its stern is completely submerged, the massive propeller spinning futilely in its final moments, churning up white foam. The bow rises high, pointing towards the cloud-covered sky; the ship's once-brilliant lights have long since gone out, leaving only the sounds of breaking and muffled explosions emanating from the depths of the hull, like its final lament.

Beneath that colossal ship, the black "altar"—that indescribable deep-sea behemoth—was slowly sinking into deeper darkness. Its shattered eyeball still glowed with a purple light, which grew dimmer as it descended, until it was finally swallowed by the abyss.

All that remained on the sea was a massive whirlpool, slowly rotating and swallowing the floating planks, broken bottles, and all traces of this absurd feast.

The monster's roar finally faded away, leaving only the monotonous sound of the wind whipping the waves against the lifeboat.

Li Haotian pulled a water-soaked, wrinkled cigarette from his pocket, lit it with difficulty, and took a deep drag. The pungent smoke dispersed in the cold wind, carrying a bitter taste of relief after surviving a catastrophe.

"The altar sank," Qin Yue whispered beside him, her face pale but her eyes unusually bright. "But the god... is not dead."

Li Haotian exhaled a smoke ring, gazing at the black sea that had returned to calm but remained unfathomably deep, his eyes gradually becoming profound and cold.

"It has simply returned to where it belongs." He reached out and stroked the little black dog in his arms, who was diligently licking its fur. He glanced down at the girl who was still unconscious. "As long as we are here, the gates of hell will never be completely closed."

The Poseidon's final plume disappeared below the horizon, and darkness once again enveloped everything. But in this darkness, a small lifeboat braved the wind and waves, resolutely sailing into the distance.