In a blink of an eye, the morning passed, and the pearl divers had gone into the water at least twice.
Even on Owen Bertram's side, Uncle bit his teeth and entered the water three times, shivering nonstop and chattering his teeth under the noontime sun. As soon as anyone approached him, they could feel the coldness.
"Quickly start a fire!" Master Basil called hurriedly, but they were also shivering uncontrollably, not much better than Uncle. Owen Bertram immediately lit a pile of dead branches and carried Uncle over.
A group of pearl divers gathered around the fire and took a while to recover.
On the other side, Cliff Maxwell and his companions sneered at them: "If you don't have the ability, don't show off."
Cliff Maxwell had also entered the water three times, his face pale from the cold, yet he looked much better than Uncle.
The situation of the morning had already explained everything; Cliff Maxwell's group had much stronger abilities. Therefore, Cliff Maxwell directly approached the talisman and said, "My lords, I would like to go to the river in the afternoon."
Then he glanced at Owen Bertram's group: "As for these people, please order them to go back. It would be a waste to risk their lives."
Cersei Bertram was also in a dilemma, as the river was too dangerous for these pearl divers who had no cultivation. Going there was as good as digging their own graves.
However, if they didn't find the ancient corpse, they might cause even greater disasters.
It seemed that Cliff Maxwell had seen Cersei's hesitation, so he smiled and said, "My lord, you don't have to worry about us. Entering Extinct Village, we all know what kind of fate we're in for. If anything happens to us, we only ask for your kindness: take care of our families and provide for them for the rest of their lives."
Cersei bit her lips, and when the chief beside her agreed, she said, "Alright, you can be at ease. Our Horizon Bureau has always treated meritorious people well!"
"Thank you, my lord!" Cliff Maxwell and the others knelt down and gave their thanks.
"Ah..." Cersei sighed inwardly.
Master Basil and the others were agitated: "Cliff Maxwell, you underestimate us! We can go as well!" Uncle stepped forward, risking his life. "You want to go to the river? Fine, I'll go with you!"
"I'll go too!"
"I'll go too!"
"The river is so big, you guys are not enough."
Owen Bertram secretly sighed, as he had personal motives to take care of his friends but didn't want to drag them into danger. The conditions offered by the Horizon Bureau were so good that these poor pearl divers did not hesitate to risk their lives.
"Stop arguing," Owen Bertram stepped up. "No one else should go. I'll go myself."
"You?" Cliff Maxwell burst out laughing: "If your father were alive, maybe he could compete with me, but it's useless for a young man like you."
Vanessa Thoughts of Shadow hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you truly confident?"
Owen Bertram spread his hands and looked at her helplessly: "I told you earlier that I am the best pearl diver in the village. You just don't believe me, and that's why we ended up in this mess."
As Vanessa was about to argue for him, Owen Bertram complained about her, making her flustered. She calmed herself and reminded herself that Owen was simple and clumsy, so she shouldn't take it to heart. Then, she pulled her sister to the side and communicated in low voices.
Cersei looked at her niece curiously, always feeling that her niece's judgment might be a misunderstanding. However, Vanessa anxiously asked, "Is it reasonable for a small village child from Extinct Village to possess heterotext-level abilities?"
Cersei clenched her teeth and said to everyone, "Let Owen Bertram try first."
Not only Cliff Maxwell couldn't understand it, but Uncle and the others didn't agree either. "How can this work? Owen is still young ..."
"I've already decided!"
The villagers dared not say anything more, and Cersei said to Owen Bertram, "You don't have to worry about anything. If you can't come back, we'll take care of your sister."
Owen waved his hand, thinking that only he could take care of his sister, while if it were the others, they would probably be head-butted and sent flying away.
Cliff Maxwell watched Owen Bertram walk to the riverside, without any extra thoughts in his heart. His competition was merely for self-interest. The rewards offered by the Horizon Bureau might not be considered generous on the outside but could save several lives in Extinct Village!
Through the jade talisman, Vanessa saw Owen Bertram standing on the riverside, preparing himself before bringing his arms together above his head.
Vanessa had an unobstructed view of the vast river, with Owen Bertram standing by the shore looking very small.
Just as he seemed to be forced into it, several huge creatures emerged from the river, revealing their gigantic mouths to hunt or stir up giant waves, or silently rising to the surface, turning into a small mountain...
Owen Bertram contrasted with them looked even weaker and more pathetic, as if he was being forced to go and sacrifice himself.
Vanessa suddenly regretted it and wanted to call it off. But Owen Bertram had already jumped into the water with agile movements.
Immediately afterwards, a water trail quickly approached the center of the river. Cliff Maxwell, Uncle, and others nodded secretly, never expecting Owen to be such a good swimmer.
Yet Vanessa never saw the few people she had anticipated behind Owen Bertram, and her heart sank as she was filled with anxiety and guilt, feeling as if she had forced the young man to his death due to her actions.
He did not have a powerful person backing him.
The deaths of the team leader and Abbott had nothing to do with him.
Heterotext level cultivators entering the river was also a path to death, as they witnessed a terrifying Tire-2 Demon Beast devouring a Great Sky Insect in the morning!
Rumbling, rumbling...
The surging rapids roared in the river. From time to time, massive demon beasts leaped out of the water. Vanessa's jade hands clenched her clothes tightly, her heart filled with anxiety and immense guilt.
The jade talisman fell and skimmed back and forth on the surface of the river, trying to capture Owen Bertram's traces underwater but always ended up with nothing.
Owen and Little Loach had now joined up, but they didn't take action immediately because Little Loach had not yet digested the Great Sky Insect it had eaten that morning.
Owen waited underwater for a while before Little Loach slowly raised its head, and a massive flow of warmth arrived as promised. A Tire-1 Demon Beast was the strongest living prey Little Loach had eaten so far.
As a result, this warm current was exceptionally strong, and Owen, who was underwater, felt relaxed and comfortable all over, as if the river wasn't as cold and dangerous as he thought.
This warmth eventually settled in the acupoint below his lower abdomen but didn't merge with the Great Seal. Instead, it condensed into another Heterotext next to the Great Seal.
Owen discerned that it appeared to be a character "Kingston", more complex than the one in his previous life.
After the appearance of this Heterotext, it seemed somewhat dissatisfied with the Great Seal, but at the moment, its power was relatively weak, so it had to be temporarily subdued.