Xingqiu glanced at Chongyun, who had gone quiet. He couldn't quite make out what Chongyun was muttering under his breath, but given how well he knew him, Xingqiu could sense it was probably something painfully truthful...
(╬￣皿￣)
The Chronicles of the Autumn Blade, a perfect fusion of heroic tales and fantastical descriptions! How could no one appreciate such a masterpiece? How could no one recognize the brilliance of the plot?!
Ridiculous!
The literacy rate in Liyue has been improving, hasn't it? Then why are these people so ignorant?
"Chongyun, secure the helm and come up here for a moment!"
"If no one's steering, even if the helm is secured, we'll just drift and risk getting lost. That could be a problem."
"Just come out! Use your Cryo Vision to freeze a part of the sea. We need a solid foothold!"
"Got it!"
Chongyun quickly moved over, hands forming a few ice-blue sigils before casting them into the corners of the ship.
Xingqiu, gripping the railing at the lookout, felt the boat stabilize with a slight tremor. Their small vessel now sat on a thick block of ice, making it impervious to small waves or light winds.
"Where's the enemy? I don't see anything!"
The reason for Gu Sanqiu's sudden command to halt wasn't because he was hungry. Xingqiu wasn't blind—there was no mist, no signs of an impending storm.
That meant only one thing: something dangerous had appeared within Gu Sanqiu's perception.
"The fish in the water! Chongyun and I can handle this. You keep an eye from up there. If anything feels off with the wind or waves, shout immediately!"
Using Geo elemental power, Gu Sanqiu conjured a sturdy pair of gloves. Chongyun followed suit, but instead of drawing his sword, he traced a talisman with elemental energy, ready to throw it at the water's surface.
As soon as Gu Sanqiu gave the signal, Chongyun would toss the talisman, unleashing a chain of attacks that would show the fish exactly what it meant to face an exorcist of his caliber.
"Relax, this is just the first wave. They're likely just probing us."
"Probing...?"
"Yeah, why else would I tell Xingqiu to stay up there?"
Gu Sanqiu pointed at a surge of water rushing against the current. "Watch carefully. See that disturbance? When you spot something like that, throw your talisman straight into it without hesitation."
A small fish with razor-sharp teeth leaped out of the sea, aiming directly at Gu Sanqiu!
Gu Sanqiu didn't flinch. He casually grabbed the fish mid-air, squeezed it tightly, then flung it back into the water.
The fish, now resembling a bullet, flew back even faster than it had attacked, smashing into its companions.
"..."
Chongyun was speechless. What kind of reaction speed is that? He hadn't even had a chance to throw his talisman, and Gu Sanqiu had already handled the situation. How was he supposed to get any assists like this?
"Don't lose focus. There are more fish out there. I don't know if they're poisonous, but it's better not to get bitten. Making antidotes is a hassle, and we don't exactly have a cauldron on hand."
"If you hold out this time, I'll give you one of the Gu family's secret techniques."
Spotting more fish surging toward them, Chongyun stifled his excitement, splitting off from Gu Sanqiu. His large sword made short work of the fish, freezing them into solid blocks before they sank back into the ocean.
"This isn't too difficult. I'd even say it's pretty easy."
Xingqiu watched the battle from above, feeling his hands itch.
"Hey, you two, tired yet? Come up here and guard the lookout so I can join in and help you out."
"You already revealed your motive, so no. I decline."
The fish were coming in droves now, vicious enough to flop onto the ice and snap at the two of them. Gu Sanqiu grabbed a long pole and swept the fish back into the sea.
Whether they returned as chunks or simply exploded on impact wasn't his concern.
"Are these fish suicidal? Why are they attacking so mindlessly?"
"They're trying to wear us down. We've probably barely scratched the surface of their numbers. With these kinds of numbers, they've already won through sheer attrition."
Gu Sanqiu shrugged. "And we're near Guyun Stone Forest. Still think it's strange to encounter something like this?"
"I remember hearing that some adventurers and even archaeologists have made it to Guyun Stone Forest. Why don't we follow their routes?"
"Their routes took immense effort to discover. Do you think they'd just hand them over if we asked? We'd waste half a day haggling."
"The Gu family doesn't have one either?"
"Looking through the archives takes effort. Besides, the whole point of this trip is to show you two how treacherous this place is."
With so many targets now in sight, Chongyun swung his greatsword, hacking away at the fish like he was swatting mosquitoes.
"Sigh. After watching you two fight for this long, I think I've lost my appetite for seafood from Xinyue Kiosk. Liuli Pavilion sounds much better now."
Chongyun couldn't resist joining in. "They fish to make a living, not to die! No one in their right mind would fish near Guyun Stone Forest! Are you insane?"
"The fish seem to be retreating. Quick, check what's going on—see if there's anything unusual approaching!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. Let me just take a look and—wait, what the—!"
Xingqiu froze. "There's a bulge in the water not far off. It looks like something is pushing up from beneath. Does that count as important information?"
"Of course it does!"
Gu Sanqiu and Chongyun yelled in unison, "Get down here and get ready!"
"If it weren't for you two distracting me with all this chatter, I would've spotted it sooner. This one's on you!"
"Shut up and get behind me. This isn't some ship built to weather ten-foot waves!"
Gu Sanqiu's expression grew serious. Geo energy surged from his Vision, layering thick, spherical shields around the three of them.
That "bulge" in the water was only a prelude. Whatever was beneath the surface, it was sure to bring with it a small-scale tidal wave!
Boom!
Gu Sanqiu's prediction was spot on. As the massive object breached the surface, a towering wall of water rushed toward them!
"Our ice platform isn't anchored! Brace for impact!"
With a quick chant, a yellowish glow enveloped Xingqiu and Chongyun, reinforcing their defenses.
They swiftly adjusted their stances, and as the water hit, it flung their boat and ice platform far into the distance, like a baseball getting smacked by a bat.
"You guys alright?"
"We're fine," Xingqiu and Chongyun said, wiping the seawater from their faces. "Though, your shield didn't seem to be waterproof."
"Obviously. Making it waterproof would require more precise control of the Geo elemental structure. Right now, conserving energy is the priority."
Gu Sanqiu tossed each of them a small bottle of elixirs. "Keep these in your mouths. Swallow them if you run out of strength."
They turned their eyes to the sea, where something massive was now surfacing. It was covered in shells, stones, and moss—about the size of two basketball courts.
Gu Sanqiu's eyes gleamed with excitement, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
"We've found ourselves a big one!"
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