Nearly five minutes had passed since Yang Lin plunged into the ocean.
During that time, he hadn't surfaced once.
The strange situation even led everyone to suspect he might have been devoured by a school of fish.
However, just then, the school of fish that had been circling the blue whale carcass suddenly dove underwater collectively, as if commanded.
Before anyone could react to what was happening, movement stirred beneath the blue whale's body.
Simultaneously, Yang Lin, who had previously submerged, watched ahead with anticipation.
In the next second, before his expectant gaze, a massive figure tumbled out from the long-dead blue whale carcass.
Upon seeing the figure, Yang Lin's eyes lit up with surprise.
Following his gaze, they saw that beneath the blue whale's body, a blue whale calf, over seven meters long, was slowly opening its azure eyes.
Once its eyes were fully open, the previously unconscious blue whale calf immediately twisted its immense body and swam towards Yang Lin.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully saving a blue whale calf. You have received 10 talent points and one random talent treasure chest."
As the system notification chimed, the blue whale calf, full of affection, arrived beside Yang Lin.
"Mama..."
"Hmm?" Yang Lin hadn't even processed the soft, sweet voice when he heard it.
It wasn't until he saw the blue whale baby nudging him repeatedly with its head that he realized the little one seemed to have mistaken him for its mother.
Immediately, a wry smile spread across Yang Lin's face.
He hadn't even dated anyone yet, and now he was a mother.
But the little one clearly didn't care about that.
As the blue whale baby nuzzled Yang Lin, the marine creatures that had previously dived down also began to gather.
In an instant, a colossal spherical space, hundreds of meters in diameter, formed with Yang Lin and the blue whale baby at its center.
Seeing this, Yang Lin was stunned for a moment, then recalled the scene at Xihong Zoo where an unborn golden eagle chick received blessings from countless birds.
"Could it be..."
Before Yang Lin could figure out what was happening, transparent threads, invisible to ordinary people, entered the blue whale baby's body from hundreds of millions of marine creatures.
As he felt this change, Yang Lin also clearly sensed that an indescribable transformation seemed to be occurring within the blue whale baby.
"Is it because they received the blue whale mother's gift that they are bestowing blessings upon the blue whale baby?"
Just then, the system notification sounded again.
"Ding! The blue whale calf has received blessings from marine creatures and successfully undergone metamorphosis. Please check it yourself, host."
Hearing this system alert, Yang Lin's face showed an expression of 'as expected.'
With a hint of curiosity, he slowly opened the talent panel of the blue whale baby before him.
In the next second, a deep azure panel representing the ocean appeared before his eyes.
【Kun】
Just glancing at the name at the top of the panel, Yang Lin froze.
He even doubted if he was seeing correctly.
Because the name Kun was too extraordinary.
Ancient Chinese texts recorded: "In the northern darkness, there is a fish, its name is Kun. The Kun is so large, we know not how many thousand li it is."
If Peng was the master of the sky, then Kun was the master of the ocean.
After receiving the blessings of a multitude of marine creatures, the blue whale baby had actually ascended to the status of a legendary being.
After the shock wore off, Yang Lin looked at the other information on the panel.
【Ocean Overlord (Legendary Talent) Activated】
【Sanctuary (Legendary Talent) Activated】
【Prosperity (Legendary Talent) Activated】
【Growth (Legendary Talent) Activated】
【Heart of the Deep Blue (Legendary Talent) Activated】
...
Just like the Peng before, the Kun's talents were terrifyingly powerful, all legendary and already activated.
One could imagine what a fearsome existence it would become upon reaching adulthood.
The image of a colossal whale carrying an island across the sea flashed through Yang Lin's mind.
Of course, he also firmly believed that this little one's string of legendary talents undoubtedly held other marvels.
As he marveled at the Kun baby's formidable talents, the baby suddenly swam to his side.
Sensing this, Yang Lin realized he might have stayed underwater for a bit too long.
"I need to go up quickly. If I don't, they'll probably think I'm dead."
He then patted the little one's head.
"Let's go, take me to the surface."
As soon as he spoke, the Kun baby let out a joyful sound.
In the next second, it gently swam towards the surface, carrying Yang Lin on its body.
Meanwhile, on the research vessel, the crew was indeed growing concerned, just as Yang Lin had predicted.
"Why hasn't Director Yang come up yet? Did something happen?"
"Yeah, it's been almost ten minutes."
"It's over, this is going to be hard to explain."
"What a shame for Director Yang, to die at sea so young. They probably won't even find a complete body now."
....
But just as everyone thought Yang Lin was gone, a massive dark silhouette suddenly appeared in the previously silent sea.
Before anyone could react, the dark silhouette leaped out of the water.
Instantly, all eyes on the ship were drawn to it.
Upon closer inspection, everyone realized the dark silhouette was none other than a miniature blue whale.
Before the crew could comprehend why a blue whale calf had suddenly appeared, its body had already risen over ten meters high, almost level with the ship's railing, as if flying.
In the next second, a figure that no one had expected appeared on the back of the blue whale calf. It was none other than Yang Lin, who had disappeared into the sea earlier.
Yang Lin sat high on the blue whale calf's back, the water droplets cascading from him shimmering with golden light under the sun, making him appear like a descending deity.
The scene left everyone dumbfounded.
If the crew of the research vessel was stunned, the Japanese fishermen, who were farther away, were even more so.
They immediately fell to their knees on their decks, weeping and praying fervently to Yang Lin, constantly chanting the name of the sea god.
It was likely that upon their return, Japan's already eclectic pantheon would welcome a new deity—a naked-chested god riding a whale.