Upon hearing this, Xu Chen had an urge to cough up blood. Clearly, he was the one taking care of this little thing, yet it behaved like a teammate from hell, constantly undermining his efforts.
Gu Yao was overjoyed, "Really? That's great, Zibao Bao, wait a moment."
Gu Yao tapped another water-repelling talisman on himself and formed a bubble around him, preventing seawater from entering and reducing the pressure. After ensuring safety, he carefully brought out Zibao Bao and held him in his arms.
Though Zibao Bao didn't particularly enjoy being outside, he often liked to watch the scenery with Xu Chen during idle times. Now, nestled in Gu Yao's arms, he curiously looked around. However, all he could see was seawater, with no sign of sea beasts, as they had all been devoured by the seaweed. Feeling a slight regret, he diligently sensed the seaweed's direction.
The seaweed grew on the seabed, possessing the Water-Wood attribute. Zibao Bao, being a Wood Spirit, was particularly sensitive to the Wood attribute. Moreover, the seaweed had wreaked havoc here, leaving its traces. Following these traces, it wasn't difficult to find the seaweed's main body. The place where the Wood Spirit aura was most concentrated would be its hiding place.
"Big brother, go in that direction. The seaweed went over there, and there's a strong Wood Spirit aura."
Gu Yao couldn't help but kiss Zibao Bao, who blushed, with two purple bamboo leaves sticking to his face. Chi Changye smirked; even this little thing made him jealous. Well, he'd just consider it their family, and now they were a family of three on a treasure hunt.
As they descended further, the water pressure intensified, and the bubble from the water-repelling talisman compressed. They had to take turns drawing on their spiritual power to stabilize the bubble and resist the pressure. This caused the invisibility talisman's effect to gradually disappear, and the seawater began to surge. In the darkness, it seemed that sea serpents were swimming around.
At that moment, Zibao Bao waved his hand, and a pure Wood Spirit aura covered the bubble. The surrounding seawater gradually calmed down. However, the seaweed, resembling sea snakes, still surrounded them, as if they had discovered something new. Some strands even lifted the bubble, causing Chi Changye and Gu Yao to be tossed around by the seaweed, their hearts in their throats.
"What's going on?" Gu Yao widened his eyes and asked Xu Chen.
Xu Chen speculated, "Perhaps the seaweed has detected a fellow of the same kind, not prey. It mutated, specializing in consuming the flesh of sea beasts and paying little attention to its Wood attribute counterparts. Otherwise, why don't you try releasing a bit of your aura?"
Gu Yao twitched the corner of his mouth; unless he wanted to be entangled to death by the seaweed, he wouldn't consider releasing his aura to experiment. However, as the bubble compressed further, Chi Changye had to tightly hold onto Gu Yao, enduring the tossing. Otherwise, they might be thrown out. Gu Yao also clung tightly to Zibao Bao; they were relying on him at the moment.
This proved one thing: the seaweed distinguishes prey based on their aura; it doesn't have "eyes." As for spiritual attacks, it's indeed a unique and innate ability.
In Zibao Bao's words, they were getting closer to the main body. Gu Yao became more nervous. He silently told Chi Changye to be ready to enter the space at any time. He didn't dare to directly test how strong the seaweed's spiritual attacks were.
However, they were getting more and more exhausted as they descended further. The seaweed's main body was rooted deep in the seabed. These external "tentacles" seemed to be trying to bring this plaything back to the main body.
Suddenly, those overwhelming strands of seaweed outside stopped. Gu Yao inwardly cursed, grabbing Chi Changye and Zibao Bao to escape. In the last glance, he saw the dense seaweed surging over, and the seaweed had erupted, instantly submerging them.
With a "plop," both of them fell onto the ground inside the space, still maintaining their tightly held posture. Then Xu Chen floated down from above, looking at the two huddled on the ground and chuckled.
Gu Yao, preoccupied with the pressure of the seawater, hurriedly took the medicine along with Chi Changye. The water pressure was quickly flattening them, requiring the extraction of spiritual energy to maintain the bubble that kept the water away. This led to the bursting of their meridians and blood seeping from their bodies. Zibao Bao then infused two streams of Wood Spirit aura into their bodies. The pure Wood Spirit aura aided in the recovery of their injuries.
After a considerable period of recovery, the two finally stood up again. They continuously channeled spiritual energy, refining various parts of their bodies. This process enhanced their physical strength, and even their spiritual energy became more condensed. It seemed to be an excellent way to both refine the body and spiritual energy.
Chi Changye, aware of the existence of the space but entering for the first time, witnessed its expansion with Gu Yao's increasing cultivation. The space was now filled with various spirit herbs and trees, creating a lush and pleasant scenery.
In the distance, there was a purple bamboo forest, undoubtedly attributed to Zibao Bao. The spirit herbs growing inside were mostly familiar to Chi Changye, some of which would undoubtedly cause a stir if taken outside. However, here, they were meticulously tended to by Zibao Bao.
"It's quite nice here. I appreciate your care for Little Yao, Senior." Chi Changye expressed his gratitude to Xu Chen courteously.
Xu Chen snorted arrogantly and moved to the side, sitting down in a virtual manner. After all, he didn't even have a physical body. With Zibao Bao around, the space gained many new additions, such as the current seat made of purple bamboo. "If you knew, you should be more respectful to this senior in the future."
Chi Changye was dumbfounded. It wasn't surprising that Gu Yao always spoke of Xu Chen with an air of helplessness. This senior could indeed be quite willful. Maintaining a respectful demeanor, Chi Changye said, "Yes, Little Yao and I hold great respect for Senior."
Chi Changye pulled Gu Yao to sit down together. They didn't rush to go outside. They had leaked their aura before, and the outside was likely still in turmoil. The moment they appeared, they would surely become targets, and that wouldn't end well. So, they decided to wait a bit before going out and also brainstorming how to deal with the giant creature outside.
Gu Yao brewed some spirit tea and casually picked some spirit fruits. Zibao Bao sat on the table, nibbling on a spirit fruit.
As the master of the space, Gu Yao could sense the situation outside. He blinked and said, "We are still in turbulence. I'm not sure if that big seaweed is still trying to take us back to its lair. Wait a moment; I'll show you the outside."
Since Gu Yao entered, Xu Chen couldn't see the outside situation anymore because he relied on Gu Yao to do so. Gu Yao, experiencing it for the first time, managed to create a water mirror after a couple of attempts. In the water mirror, it was pitch-black chaos, making it impossible to distinguish between the seawater and the seaweed.
The scene in the water mirror kept shaking, indicating constant movement. After some time, the image finally stabilized, but immediately Gu Yao felt that the metal piece they were on was under various attacks. This included the corrosion of the mucus, intrusion of divine consciousness, and forceful tearing. The two souls, Zibao Bao, and even a kitten watched as the giant seaweed outside went berserk, sometimes calm, sometimes raging. Gradually, they could see the situation in the picture more clearly. The entire view was dominated by a deep ink-green color, with a hint of starlight leaking from the ocean floor.
Suddenly, a black hole appeared in front of them, and Gu Yao stood up abruptly, "Not good! What does this giant seaweed want?"
Xu Chen sighed, "This is the mouth of the giant seaweed. It wants to swallow you all. I hope the pill pavilion is sturdy enough to withstand the corrosion of the giant seaweed."
For other plants, this scene wouldn't matter, but this giant seaweed had mutated, normally feasting on the flesh and blood of sea creatures. So, no one dared to underestimate its digestive capabilities. However, it was too late to stop it, and they helplessly watched as the scene turned into a pitch-black passage, feeling the metal piece sliding downward.
Gu Yao sweated, "Are we really inside the body of the giant seaweed?"
Chi Changye looked at Xu Chen and said, "Next, we might need Senior's help."
Xu Chen, with his legs crossed, raised an eyebrow, "What do you want me to do?"
Chi Changye respectfully said, "Actually, this is an opportunity for us. Originally, it wasn't easy to approach the core of the giant seaweed from the outside. Now, we are closest to it and have the best chance to control it. So, we need Senior's help to suppress its soul."
Xu Chen knew this guy wouldn't give up asking for help in subduing the giant seaweed. It had to be admitted that if they truly subdued it, it would be like gaining an incredibly powerful ally. The giant seaweed might be dim-witted, with a massive appetite, but it undeniably packed a punch and showed resilience in battles.
Chi Changye continued, "After Senior helps Little Yao subdue the giant seaweed, Little Yao's strength will also improve. This way, he can better protect himself, allowing Senior to worry less..."
"Enough, can I help or not?" Xu Chen quickly interrupted, slamming the table. If this guy continued, Xu Chen would start suspecting he might spill the beans about everything being for Xu Chen.
Chi Changye immediately laughed, expressing gratitude, "Thank you, Senior. I know Senior cares a lot for Little Yao."
Xu Chen couldn't bear to watch this guy any longer. What happened to the aloof image of a sword cultivator?
Gu Yao also quickly expressed his thanks. Relying on him alone, even with Chi Changye and the kitten, they might not be able to suppress the giant seaweed. Moreover, they had to split their attention to resist the corrosive effect, which could be considered as stomach acid.
Before going out, they needed to prepare. They didn't dare underestimate the corrosive power of stomach acid. Leaving Zibao Bao in the space, with layered defenses in place, Gu Yao and Chi Changye left the space together, and the kitten crouched on Gu Yao's shoulder.
As soon as they emerged, they found themselves surrounded by the sticky mucus. In a matter of moments, the outermost protective shield was corroded. Truly, they couldn't underestimate it. Gu Yao didn't dare to be careless. Together with Chi Changye, they scanned for the location of the giant seaweed's soul.
"It's in that large block of dark green crystal above. Not good, it noticed us. Move quickly!"
As soon as the word was given, the trio's divine consciousness simultaneously launched towards the dark green crystal. In a crucial moment, Xu Chen wouldn't lag behind, especially since he had already agreed to help. Therefore, his soul force surged at the forefront.