Chi Changye and Gu Yao concealed their presence as they followed the sea creatures. The creatures, seemingly manipulated, moved mechanically in a specific direction. Despite their usual animosity, two of the sea creatures, normally adversaries, lost their awareness of the surroundings. As they advanced, the haunting wails became increasingly impactful on Chi Changye and Gu Yao.
"Hold on!" Chi Changye grabbed Gu Yao, and they witnessed several shadows approaching. These shadows, targeting the sea creatures, entwined around them. Initially resisting, the sea creatures soon succumbed. In moments, the once-vibrant creatures turned into lifeless husks, and the shadows, satisfied, roamed the water.
Suddenly, the shadow's head stopped moving, directing its attention towards Chi Changye and Gu Yao. "Run!" Chi Changye shouted, enveloping them in sword energy, swiftly soaring to the sea surface. The pursuing shadow followed relentlessly until emerging from the water. Gu Yao glimpsed its dark, slimy, suction-cup-covered form.
Once out of the water, Chi Changye instructed, "Bring everyone up; that thing is too dangerous." Following his command, they quickly pulled the crew back onto the ship. The ship rocked, and waves surged as the ominous entity chased them. Some were slower, and as they leaped from the water, the shadow pursued. Gu Yao swiftly intervened, saving them from the pursuing darkness.
Despite their efforts, the sea turned blood-red, indicating casualties. Amidst the distress, a voice cried for help. Gu Yao used his blood-stained whip to pull something from below. The struggle intensified, but Chi Changye intervened with a dazzling lightning strike, breaking the force. Stabilized by Chi Changye, Gu Yao narrowly avoided being thrown off the ship.
With a loud "pa," something heavy crashed onto the sea ship, causing it to jitter, and the sea surged even more violently, putting the ship at risk of capsizing.
"Lift the ship into the air, quickly!"
Someone rushed to control the ship, and it immediately floated. Below, a whirlpool was forming rapidly, and the ship was on the verge of being pulled into it. This scene left everyone in shock; whatever was in the sea displayed unprecedented power.
After escaping the suction force of the whirlpool, the ship continued to ascend. The dangers above now seemed negligible compared to those in the sea. At that moment, dozens of shadows suddenly shot out from the churning sea, assaulting the ship, seemingly attempting to drag it down.
"Don't let them touch the ship!"
An order was given, and everyone fought against these shadows. Chi Changye's attacks were the most formidable, shining conspicuously on the mist-covered sea. Gu Yao utilized his fire attribute spirit sword, infusing it with Lianxin fire to cut through the shadows.
"What is this thing? It can't be cut, and magical artifacts feel slippery against it, no focal point!"
"Quick, someone help; it's coming up fast!"
"Ascend again; maximize the ship's protective shield!"
Amidst the howling wind, the protective shield, at its maximum, shielded them from the outer hurricane. However, the ship still swayed like a small boat in the wind. The shadows, rising from the water, struggled to reach the same height, growing in numbers to over a hundred, hovering and swaying on the sea surface. Meanwhile, the surrounding mist thickened.
The immediate danger subsided, and many sighed in relief, realizing that if they had been warned a bit later before entering the sea, they might have been swallowed by this creature.
Just as they settled down, they quickly stood up again, not reaching the point of relaxation. Earlier, something cut by Chi Changye fell onto the ship. Now was the perfect time to examine the creature they had just fought.
Chi Changye and Gu Yao, momentarily free from the entanglement with the shadows, rushed to inspect the fallen object. Luo Huijing and Ying Muyu also arrived simultaneously. When they saw the object, both gasped.
Taking a closer look, Gu Yao touched it and exclaimed, "Is this... seaweed or kelp? Or perhaps a mutated form?"
Others found it hard to believe that, after all their struggles, it was plants in the sea, not sea creatures, that they were contending with. And when did plants start launching attacks on their souls? This plant seemed to have a divine aura.
Li Changhui dragged the unconscious Ma-named cultivator to the side and administered a pill, realizing from the corroded area that the mucus was poisonous, making the injuries harder to recover from.
Chi Changye used sword energy to cut the seaweed, possibly, into pieces. Gu Yao quickly collected the oozing liquid and surface slime, as well as samples of the seaweed and its suction cups.
With it now cut into pieces, no one doubted anymore; it was indeed a segment of seaweed. Its main body was likely a mutated form, and whether it had become a true demonic cultivator remained uncertain. From the recent experience, although the seaweed seemed overwhelmingly powerful, it leaned more towards instinctual predatory behavior, indicating possibly low intelligence.
Below, the seaweed, or rather the shadows, kept failing to catch prey, seemingly becoming enraged, churning higher waves until the next day's dawn. The seaweed on the sea surface became clearer, appearing harmless.
Observing the lingering mist on the sea, Lou Huaijing expressed concern, "It seems this so-called ghostly fog is created by this... seaweed." Considering how the seaweed had been pretending to be supernatural, scaring cultivators away from this sea area, Lou Huaijing felt complicated. "The fact that the fog hasn't dispersed means the seaweed is still lurking below. It looks like it's targeting us."
Ying Muqing scratched his head, equally troubled. "Senior brother, do you think the seaweed below is a single plant or a group?" Imagining the densely packed seaweed, Ying Muqing felt a sense of claustrophobia.
"I don't know, whether it's a single plant or a group, it's not easy to deal with." Lou Huaijing said with a serious expression.
For now, there was no way to leave. The airship hovered in the sky, leaving someone to monitor the hurricane outside. At any sign of danger, they would quickly evade. Chi Changye shared his decision, stating that when the mist weakened, he would dive into the sea to investigate. Others didn't need to accompany him this time; a larger group might not be more effective against such a creature.
"I'll go down with you," Gu Yao emphasized.
"Fine." Chi Changye originally planned to go alone, but seeing Gu Yao's insistence and considering his combat strength, he agreed.
Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing felt a bit awkward. Their strength was somewhat lacking, and they wouldn't be of much help. Gu Yao said, "It's not safe outside either. There are hurricanes above and sea birds attacking. We entrust everyone's safety to you."
Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing smiled and accepted, asking them to take care and return to the sea surface if there was danger, so they could provide assistance.
After waiting for a full two days on the sea ship, the mist finally slightly diminished. Chi Changye and Gu Yao decided not to wait any longer. They patted their hidden and water-avoidance talismans and submerged into the sea.
Though Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing overhead could no longer see their figures, careful observation of changes on the sea surface allowed them to determine when Chi Changye and Gu Yao entered the water.
"I hope this time goes smoothly. Perhaps there might be some unexpected encounters," Lou Huaijing remarked, gazing at the sea. "That thing has fully displayed its strength, probably not weaker than an early Yuan Ying stage cultivator. Moreover, the sea is its main battlefield. To be able to give birth to such a mutated... seaweed, there must be something valuable at the seabed."
Every mention of seaweed made Lou Huaijing feel a bit uneasy. A seaweed plant, which had tossed them around, was the cause. If they were to tell others about it after leaving this place, people might think they were joking.
In truth, Lou Huaijing also wanted to explore below, but he knew his abilities against such a seaweed were limited. So, staying outside was the better choice.
Ying Muqing listened with anticipation, "I wonder what kind of treasure it is. I truly hope they can obtain it. Everyone wishes for treasures, but I have self-awareness. Even if I know what the treasure is, my strength wouldn't be enough to obtain it. Actually, even bringing back a few pieces of seaweed could be used to craft one or two good spiritual tools. They might be useful for Water-Wood attribute cultivators."
Lou Huaijing couldn't help but laugh, "Let's hope they tidy up this seaweed. The treasures you desire might not be small in number."
The Ma-named cultivator woke up but remained weak, lying on the side. The injuries corroded by the seaweed would take a while to heal. He transmitted to Li Changhui with gritted teeth, "Did you hear that? We've all been manipulated by them. They went underwater to search for treasures, leaving us behind. They even refused to give me a healing pill."
Li Changhui seized the time to adjust his breath. Hearing this, he opened his eyes, glanced at the Ma-named cultivator, then closed them again. They had interacted several times before, but he never realized this Ma cultivator's character was like this. He used to think he was someone worth befriending.
Both Zhao and Ma cultivators went on a mission together. Zhao died, and he returned alive. He had no idea what happened underwater, but he was annoyed by Ma's murmurs. Even Lou seniors and others understood clearly; only Chi seniors had the capability to seize treasures. Going down meant facing certain death for them.
Gu Yao was unwilling to waste healing pills on Ma-named cultivator. Could he still not see it? Who would want to save a thankless person?
Seeing Li Changhui ignoring him, the Ma-named cultivator, lying on the deck, became even more resentful and despondent.
Gu Yao and Chi Changye slowly descended, having figured out the cause of the ghostly fog. They were no longer in a hurry.
According to Xu Chen's judgment, this immensely large seaweed with unique abilities should be at the early Yuan Ying stage. However, due to its size and its peculiar abilities, its real lethality surpassed that of an early Yuan Ying stage cultivator. But compared to a Yuan Ying cultivator, it also had weaknesses—it fought instinctually.
What is a person? Humans are the leaders of the myriad beings because they possess wisdom. Finding the weaknesses of this seaweed should make dealing with it much easier. However, as of now, those weaknesses seemed challenging to uncover.
With innate spiritual attacks and formidable defense, capable of both close and long-range combat, it was an all-around deadly weapon.
"Can this seaweed be tamed?" Chi Changye asked Xu Chen while descending.
"Tsk tsk, you guys want to tame it? Forget about it. Although this fellow has low intelligence, its soul strength is not weak. Unless you break through Nascent Infant, don't even think about it." Xu Chen poured cold water on their aspirations. Chi Changye not only wanted to take over someone's territory but also seemed unwilling to spare the person's main body.
Chi Changye didn't mind, "Yes, we can't, but even if this seaweed is powerful, it can't cause trouble in front of seniors, right?"
"Click, click, do you think you can tame it? Forget about it. Although this guy has low intelligence, its soul strength is not weak. Unless you break through Nascent Infant, don't even think about it," Xu Chen interrupted, pouring cold water on Chi Changye's ambitions.
Chi Changye suddenly didn't want to talk to this jerk anymore. Apparently, he was waiting here for him and even expected him to be their lackey?
Angrily, Xu Chen thought of turning away.
Xu Chen no longer wanted to pay attention to the two outside, but at that moment, Zibao Bao's voice rang out, "Big brother, I can help you find the seaweed's main body."