Xu Chen was responsible for defense, the kitten for tearing and biting the soul, and then sharp screams echoed in Gu Yao and Chi Changye's minds, piercing through their thoughts like a tumultuous sea, as if they were on the verge of collapse in the next moment.
What was even more troublesome was the powerful corrosion of stomach acid, breaking through layer after layer of defense. A defensive bracelet Gu Yao obtained in his early years, with a crisp sound, shattered.
"Quick, Gu Yao, imprint your soul force into the crystal, quickly!" Xu Chen's urgent voice rang out. Gu Yao disregarded everything, condensing his divine consciousness into needles, forcefully piercing into the crystal, firmly imprinting his soul force seed into the dark green crystal. Despite facing intense resistance, with Xu Chen, the kitten, and Chi Changye assisting from the side, although extremely arduous, they finally left the mark of Gu Yao's soul force deep within the giant seaweed's soul.
Gu Yao vividly felt various emotions, vast and immense. In an instant, they could overwhelm a person's will and perseverance. Compared to this, his own soul felt like a small boat rocking in the waves, ready to capsize at any moment. Gu Yao couldn't spare attention to the situation around him at the moment; he just needed to adhere to his own intentions. When those confusing and chaotic emotions could no longer affect him, he commanded the giant seaweed to send them out.
Despite some lingering unwilling emotions, the giant seaweed still followed Gu Yao's will, sending him and Chi Changye out. It was a narrow escape; the final layer of defense had also been breached. Only the robes on them remained, providing minimal protection, and even those had been corroded and damaged in many places, significantly reducing their defensive capabilities.
With a single thought, Gu Yao had the giant seaweed create a protective shield for them. This shield greatly offset the pressure from the seawater. Gu Yao then sat down, seizing the time to communicate with the giant seaweed, trying to understand its various abilities as much as possible.
The giant seaweed indeed has low spiritual intelligence, and many things are blurred in its mind. It took quite some time for Gu Yao to organize its thoughts. It has been living in this sea area since its memory began, not knowing how long it has existed. It also doesn't know when it started consuming the flesh of sea beasts, leading to a sharp decline in the sea beast population in this area.
Although its spiritual intelligence is low, its abilities are remarkable. Gu Yao opened his eyes, rubbed his throbbing brow, and after taking a calming pill, he informed Chi Changye and the curious Xu Chen, "The fundamental innate ability of the giant seaweed is not creating ghostly mist and psychic attacks; it is actually devouring."
Xu Chen, floating in front of them, was so astonished that his jaw almost dropped: "It gained this ability through devouring? Not only does it consume, but it can also transform it into its own power?"
Seeing Gu Yao nod, Xu Chen was at a loss for words. He couldn't believe he was feeling jealous of a low-intelligence giant seaweed. Perhaps the cosmic balance was somewhat fair, granting it such a unique ability, preventing it from awakening spiritual intelligence and turning into a demonic cultivator, acting solely on instinct.
Gu Yao continued, "Creating ghostly mist and psychic attacks are actually abilities of two other types of creatures in the sea: plants and sea beasts. It might be a symbiotic relationship. The plants periodically float to the sea surface, releasing a special mist that affects consciousness. The sea beasts, associated with these plants, seize the opportunity to prey on attracted creatures. The excrement of these sea beasts then becomes nourishment for the plants. Both are communal organisms, but they were all devoured by the giant seaweed, consolidating their abilities."
Listening with amazement, Xu Chen could only acknowledge the vast wonders of the world. He had never heard of such mutually dependent plants and sea beasts before. He wondered if it was a unique feature of this sea region or if similar phenomena occurred elsewhere but hadn't crossed his path.
Of course, the most extraordinary was this mutated giant seaweed. If it were to fully awaken its spiritual intelligence, who knows how much it could grow. At the moment, it could be considered the ruler of this sea region, though external cultivators were unaware of its dominance.
Gu Yao continued, "The mutation of the giant seaweed isn't without cause. I received some vague images, but I can still deduce that beneath the seabed where the giant seaweed resides, there is a spiritual vein. It continuously absorbs the spiritual energy from this vein, gradually evolving into its current state. Moreover..." Gu Yao blinked, expressing some incredulity, "It seems there is a ruined palace on top of this spiritual vein."
"Erm..." Xu Chen blinked in amazement. When luck comes knocking, there's no stopping it. The cultivator who placed a ruined palace in this location must have had considerable cultivation before their demise.
Chi Changye raised an eyebrow, "Let the giant seaweed take us there, but first, we should send a message to assure them of our safety."
Gu Yao nodded. With a thought, he extended a piece of seaweed. This seaweed had a deep green color, seemingly imbued with a restrained radiance. It looked like high-quality emerald green jade, incredibly firm yet soft. Gu Yao lightly touched the seaweed, and it responded like a gentle tentacle. He took out a messaging talisman and spoke a few words. Then, he instructed the giant seaweed to deliver the message to the sea surface. In the depths of the sea, the message couldn't transmit through.
The seaweed rolled up the talisman and exited the protective cover. A disturbance occurred underwater, indicating that a strand of seaweed had reached the sea surface.
As expected, on the sea vessel, Lou Huaijing and others observed the changes on the sea surface with deep concern. Worried that something formidable lurked below, especially since they hadn't seen the two emerge for a long time, and the sea surface occasionally surged with towering waves or formed whirlpools, heightening their anxiety.
When the sea surface calmed down, they assumed the battle had ended, and Gu Yao and Chi Changye would resurface. However, as time passed without a sign of the two, Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing considered whether they should go down to investigate. Some secretly rejoiced, even if they didn't show it on their faces. One of them was the cultivator with the surname Ma, saved by the group. In his heart, he subtly wished for both of them to meet their end along with that strange seaweed.
They also needed to keep an eye on the movements of the hurricane above. Suddenly, someone shouted, "That thing is back!"
Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing rushed to the side of the ship to get a glimpse. Indeed, they saw a strand of seaweed emerging from the water. Lou Huaijing cautioned, "Wait, don't rush to attack."
"Yeah, why is there only one? Previously, there were over a hundred of them."
The sea kelp emerged from the sea surface, sending a signal, then retreated into the sea. Lou Huaijing looked in astonishment as a spiritual light flew to their sea ship, followed by the voice of Chi Changye: "We are safe now; you can return to the sea surface. No need to worry about previous incidents. We'll return later."
"Those two seniors must have subdued the giant kelp. Seniors are truly powerful," someone exclaimed. Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing, who were rescued from the demonic cave by the two, were greatly admired. Therefore, they accepted the news of the seniors subduing the giant kelp the quickest. Lou Huaijing said with relief, "It should be, let's go back to the sea surface. It's really dangerous down here."
"Follow Senior Lou's arrangement."
The cultivator with the surname Ma almost shattered a tooth. Life was truly unfair. Why did they get all the benefits? If they hadn't come back, they must have collected valuable items below, making them wait above and monopolize the benefits.
"I heard there are many rare treasures deep in the sea, and the deeper, the more valuable. Few cultivators can reach those depths. I wonder what's down there," Ma muttered to himself.
Others just glanced at him and walked away. His attempt to sow discord was too obvious. There are indeed treasures in the deep sea; they've always been there. It depends on whether you have the ability to take them. If you can't, why bother with so much talk?
Li Changhui frowned; Ma's thoughts and actions were becoming increasingly extreme.
Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing exchanged glances; this person surnamed Ma couldn't be kept. If taken outside, he might very well sell them, Chi Changye, and even Ge Yao, possibly to the Longevity Sect.
Sending the message out, Gu Yao and Chi Changye stood on a flat and incredibly thick kelp piece. Allowing the kelp to transport them to a certain location, the complexity of the underwater terrain wasn't much different from the land, especially here, where many sea creature bones and scales were piled up. Even without the giant kelp occupying this place, they probably couldn't find the location of the ancient mansion on their own.
After the kelp stopped, Chi Changye and Gu Yao looked at the mountain ahead; it must be the place. The two extended their spiritual senses, confirming traces of leaked spiritual energy.
Xu Chen speculated, "According to the giant kelp's memory, this ancient mansion is built on a spiritual vein. However, the spiritual vein should have been mostly depleted by the giant kelp now." This judgment came from the giant kelp's disciple. "So, the formations and restrictions outside the ancient mansion have also started to loosen. If it remains undiscovered, perhaps one day, it won't withstand the pressure of the seawater, and the mansion inside will be dispersed."
Based on the location of leaked spiritual energy, it was easy to find flaws in the loosened formations. The two effortlessly opened an entrance. Gu Yao instructed the giant kelp to wait outside, and then entered with Chi Changye, temporarily sealing the entrance.
Inside the ancient mansion, there was no need for the protective cover created by the giant kelp because it was well-preserved, with abundant spiritual energy and a fresh atmosphere. Walking on green jade slabs, Chi Changye reminded Gu Yao, "Be careful; there might be dangers inside."
Gu Yao nodded, not one to be careless.
The kitten finally agreed to come out for a stroll. It wasn't fond of the underwater environment before, even a bit repelled by it. With the kitten scouting ahead, the two managed to avoid many hidden restrictions. Then, they saw the complete view of the ancient mansion, a still majestic palace.
They caught a scent, and just that aroma made their spiritual power restless, as if taking a breath could enhance their cultivation.
Following the direction of the fragrance, they found a spirit fruit tree in the courtyard, bearing fruits resembling infants. The two exchanged a glance, joy flickering in their eyes. "Condensation Infant Fruits!"
Xu Chen, floating alongside them, also smiled when he saw the spirit fruit tree. "Indeed, Condensation Infant Fruits. Now you don't have to worry about materials for condensation infants."
The growth of Condensation Infant Fruits requires a significant amount of spiritual energy. Just like the giant kelp's massive size demands a substantial amount of spiritual energy, it indicates that the scale and quality of the spiritual veins underwater are high. Otherwise, it couldn't sustain these two beings with large appetites.
Due to this reason, even on the vast Qianhao Continent, Condensation Infant Fruits are rarely seen, mostly found in secret realms. Few people reach those places, and coupled with abundant spiritual energy, only then can such treasures grow. Like the spirit fruit tree in this courtyard, no matter what is planted, the spiritual energy is plundered by the Condensation Infant Fruit tree, making it challenging for other spiritual plants to survive.
The two weren't in a hurry to collect this fruit tree; with no one around, there was no need to worry about theft. Chi Changye even had an idea that this ancient mansion could be refined, allowing it to be carried along. In that case, there would be no need to move the Condensation Infant Fruit tree; let it continue growing here.
They headed towards the main hall. On each side of the main hall's entrance were beast-shaped statues crouching. As they stepped up the steps, sudden roars echoed, and the two beast statues elongated their bodies. Joints emitted creaking sounds, and with the roars, fire and water shot towards them.
Anticipating the unexpected, Chi Changye and Gu Yao quickly dodged backward. In mid-air, they saw one beast statue in the form of a tiger, feeling a powerful tiger aura. The other resembled a monkey, and the sound of its stone arm pounding its chest was remarkably astonishing, indicating immense strength.
As they retreated, the two beast statues didn't continue attacking; they just crouched at the main entrance, glaring at them as if one step forward would result in tearing them apart.
"It seems their mission is to guard the main hall. To get in, we have to defeat them first," Chi Changye said, summoning his Purple Thunder Sword. Although they were beast statues, essentially animal-shaped puppets, the pressure they emitted was equivalent to the early Yuanying stage.
Gu Yao also took out his Bloodscale Whip, saying, "Let's each handle one."
"Good, I'll deal with the tiger beast." Chi Changye swung his sword towards the tiger beast confidently, leaving the monkey-like one to Gu Yao. While Gu Yao's strength couldn't match the early Yuanying stage, the advantage here was that if they couldn't win, they could retreat, and the opponent wouldn't persist in endless entanglement. So, what Chi Changye saw was that there was no better sparring partner than this. "Roar!"
Both beast statues were extremely angry; their roaring sounds shook the dust off the palace. Gu Yao's Bloodscale Whip wrapped around the monkey-like statue's neck, but trying to overturn it proved futile; it was made of some incredibly heavy stone.
Helplessly rolling his eyes, Gu Yao saw the monkey-like statue reaching for the Bloodscale Whip. Considering its immense strength, with a single thought, the whip loosened, falling into the monkey-like statue's hand. The one likely to be sent flying was not the statue but Gu Yao himself.
If you can't win, just leave. However, upon returning to continue the fight, Gu Yao reluctantly realized that even his spirit sword could only leave a mark on the monkey-like statue, unable to inflict significant damage.