Lou Huaijing leaned on the railing and looked out at the sea. "Actually, I've heard many theories, but the one I find most plausible is that this Ghost Mist is created by a certain sea creature. These creatures appear in groups, and they use the released mist to confuse enemies and hunt for food. So, when the next Ghost Mist comes, why don't we try to find the source? Maybe then we can leave this Ghost Mist Sea."
"Sounds good," Chi Changye agreed without hesitation. In fact, he had the same idea. They couldn't just sit around and do nothing while the Ghost Mist enveloped them.
"I'll go inform the others so they won't panic when the time comes," Lou Huaijing took the initiative for this task. If it was just the four of them, it would be much easier to act and bringing along others would be burdensome. However, leaving them on the island to fend for themselves was also not an option in case the people behind them caught up and eliminated them.
Lou Huaijing knew that their main combat power relied on Chi Changye, so he tried to take care of other menial tasks as much as possible. In terms of cultivation resources on the sea, they relied on Gu Yao's provisions of pills. When they returned to land, they would face the challenge of contacting the Elder of the Longevity Sect, a headache-inducing issue. He was more concerned about whether his own situation would drag down the Elder and allow the Sect's leader to take action against the Elder in advance, eliminating any potential threats.
But their current location was too far from the Longevity Sect, and Lou Huaijing's communication device couldn't reach the Elder. Otherwise, he would have warned the Elder in advance.
Lou Huaijing shared the plan he and Chi Changye had discussed with the other cultivators on the ship. Apart from the four of them, there were around twenty other people, including Li Changzhen. Most of them were individuals who had escaped from the Heavenly Pit, while the cultivators who were rescued by Chi Changye and Gu Yao when the Heavenly Tribulation struck had scattered and couldn't be found. Some may still be alive in the Bloodcolored Forest, but they couldn't waste time conducting a thorough search. So now, besides Li Changzhen, there were only two remaining.
Li Changhui didn't object to Chi Changye's decision, and the other cultivators who owed their lives to him regarded him as their savior. Their lives were given another chance, so they would follow Chi Changye's lead and do whatever he said. The two cultivators who were with Li Changhui had a flicker in their eyes but remained silent.
However, after Lou Huaijing left, they found Li Changzhen alone and anxiously spoke to him, "Friend Li, do we really have to act together with them? The Ghost Mist weather is dangerous, and we would be venturing into the sea without knowing anything. We've barely escaped, must we take these risks?"
The sea is already the territory of sea creatures, and going into the sea in weather like the Ghost Mist would only multiply the danger. The two of them didn't want to take such risks. However, without the company of a powerful cultivator like Chi Changye, they might not safely reach the land either. So, they planned to convince Li Changzhen to discuss with Chi Changye again, believing that it was unnecessary to take such risks.
Among these people, Li Changzhen had a better relationship with Chi Changye and Gu Yao, which was why they persuaded Li Changzhen to speak up.
Li Changhui shook his head firmly. "I won't speak up. I'll follow them and act together. I believe they won't do anything unnecessary. It's too difficult to rely on luck alone to reach the land in this Ghost Mist Sea. I don't want to waste all my time at sea. If you don't want to act together, you can go ahead on your own."
Li Changhui was also disappointed. Initially, there were thirteen people who were saved by Chi Changye, but after escaping, they all focused on saving their own lives. When the danger of the Heavenly Tribulation passed, only he and the other person returned. The whereabouts of the others were unknown, perhaps devoured by monsters in the Bloodcolored Forest. It was their own fault, and Li Changhui had no intention of searching for them either.
They were supposed to rely on Chi Changye and Gu Yao to survive. If they couldn't act together and support each other to the best of their abilities, what use were they?
They didn't see Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing, the two Foundation Establishment seniors, hesitating to rush forward in the face of sea creature attacks, unlike the two of them who retreated back into the cabin. At this rate, they would eventually be abandoned.
"You... Aren't we here to survive? Why seek a path of death when there's a way to live?" The two individuals were angry, realizing that Li Changhui didn't regard them highly once he joined forces with Chi Changye and the others.
Li Changhui shrugged and said, "I also want to survive, but our perspectives are different. Take care of yourselves then."
The two individuals left in embarrassment, and Li Changhui sighed. He didn't believe that anything that happened on the ship could escape the attention of Gu Yao and the others. On the other side, Gu Yao smiled and opened his eyes. He had heard Li Changhui and the others arguing, and Chi Changye didn't need to listen to know what the situation was. It had already been made quite clear on this journey.
"Let them go, if they have some spirit, they can leave on their own. Ascend Mi En, fight Mi Qiu, that's what they are."
These people just think too highly of themselves. Who said that if someone saved them, they must be saved to the end?
Gu Yao nodded in agreement. They were just strangers who happened to meet. There was no reason to feel obligated to them. It was the others that posed a problem: "What about the others? Their bodies have suffered some damage, leaving behind hidden dangers. It will be difficult for them to return to a normal cultivator's life."
They genuinely appreciated how Chi Changye and Gu Yao destroyed that hellish place, killing the Poison Ghost Elder and the others. That's why these days, they did whatever Chi Changye said.
Chi Changye pondered for a moment and said, "Let's focus on staying alive for now. If we return to the mainland, we can find a place to settle them. Once we resolve the matters with the Changxian Sect, you can decide what you want to do."
Chi Changye's tone was indulgent. He knew that Gu Yao, seeing their physical condition, was starting to indulge in his research obsession. If it wasn't for the circumstances, Gu Yao would probably prefer to find a place and spend his days researching how to solve their hidden physical problems by dealing with spiritual herbs and medicine.
Although, in another sense, they were treating those people as experimental subjects, Gu Yao saw them as living beings rather than lifeless objects. His research aim was to help them recover their original health as much as possible and eliminate the hidden dangers within their bodies.
Chi Changye reached out and pinched Gu Yao's earlobe without saying a word. Gu Yao quickly reassured him that there were certain scenes that he would definitely not let Senior see. Only then did Chi Changye smile with satisfaction. Gu Yao covered his eyes, surprised to see this childlike side of Chi Changye.
As night fell, fog began to rise on the sea again. After Chi Changye sounded the alarm, everyone came out of the cabin, including the two reluctant cultivators who slouched out. They dared to instigate Li Changhui but didn't dare to approach Chi Changye themselves. After all, they were the ones who completely destroyed such a large base. Chi Changye was not one to show mercy.
Soon, the fog thickened, reducing visibility to an extreme level. What was even more dangerous was that this fog severely restricted their spiritual senses.
Sounds of sobbing could be heard within the fog, from near and far, resembling mournful cries of ghosts and howls of wolves.
Chi Changye said, "Let's stay nearby for now, tie a rope to ourselves to avoid losing direction. If things seem off, return quickly. If there's nothing to be found, we'll dive deeper."
"Okay."
Chi Changye didn't specify whether they should divide into groups or which group should go into the sea. It was also a way to observe their performance. Gu Yao took out the Blood Coiling Whip, tied one end to the railing of the ship, and held onto it as he jumped into the sea with Chi Changye. Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing also chose a direction and went into the sea.
Li Changhui didn't stay with his two companions but joined another team. This way, they could help each other if anything happened, and besides, everyone was searching in the vicinity now. If anything happened, Chi Changye would definitely come over.
The two cultivators, one surnamed Ma and the other surnamed Zhao, felt indignant when Li Changhui ignored them. But when they looked around, they realized they were the only ones left on the ship. A thought crossed their minds, that they could seize the opportunity to take control of the ship and leave. However, that thought quickly dissipated because many people were using ropes that were actually magical tools or even spiritual weapons. If the ship moved, the people below would definitely notice.
They glanced at each other and decided to wait for another time. They didn't want to follow others to their doom.
They cautiously went into the sea, trying to blend in.
Underwater, the visibility was much better. Gu Yao and Chi Changye were pleased that coming down to the sea to search for answers was the right decision. However, underwater, the sobbing sounds affected their spiritual senses even more, and the voices seemed to come from all directions, making it difficult to determine their source.
"Look over there!" Gu Yao pointed in a direction where a sea beast was moving through the water. "Let's go and take a look."