txolops Chapter 112 Sunken Ship
Chapter 112 Sunken Ship
The sea breeze in Donghai Bay always carries a salty, humid air. As it blows from the inland to the sea, the scenery along the way changes subtly with the density of the moisture.
The outermost edge is a continuous stretch of coastal jungle.
Here, ancient trees reach for the sky, and thick vines coil around the trunks like giant pythons. The dense branches and leaves block out the sun, cutting the sunlight into dappled light and shadow.
Among the damp, decaying leaves and mud, many low-level demonic beasts lived. Occasionally, a few silver afterimages would dart out from the grass; those were the first-level, low-ranking demonic beasts called "Gold-Eating Rats."
They are small in size, with fur that shimmers with a metallic silver luster, and they are using their sharp claws to dig at the spiritual mineral veins in the soil.
Deep within the shadowy canopy of the trees dwells the even more cunning "Red Fox Beast".
These first-level spirit beasts are extremely agile, with a pair of vertical pupils emitting a faint light in the dark. They possess an extraordinary sense of smell and are vigilantly sniffing out the movements around them, ready to hunt or evade predators at any time.
After passing through the jungle, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a long stretch of golden sand.
The waves relentlessly pounded the shore, churning up layers of white foam. On the beach, several large, plump "mountain-pushing beasts" were slowly crawling with heavy steps.
They are first-level lower-rank demonic beasts, resembling wild boars in appearance, but much larger in size. Their bodies are covered with thick, grayish-brown stone skin, which is rough and thick, and they are extremely strong. They are using their hard heads to dig through the sand, searching for shellfish hidden under the shallow sand.
In the moist areas where the sea meets the beach, the even more dangerous "Azure Crocodile" lurks.
As top-tier level one demonic beasts, they blended perfectly into their environment, their gray-green scales covered with mud and seaweed, resembling a piece of dead wood.
They lay silently on the shallows, their cold, vertical pupils fixed on the water, waiting for their prey to enter their attack range.
Beyond the beach, the view extends to the turbulent nearshore waters.
The seawater is a deep azure blue, with undercurrents surging beneath the surface, nurturing even more mysterious creatures.
A group of "sea-swallowing fish" swim among the clear, shallow rocks.
This type of low-level first-grade demonic beast has no scales; instead, it is covered with dense, sharp, silver bone spikes.
They are playful by nature and often rise to the surface in groups, gulping in seawater and spewing out bursts of white mist as they frolic on the sea surface.
In the deeper, darker waters, there dwell enormous "sea serpent beasts." They are three or four zhang long, entirely black, and covered with huge scales, resembling a black dragon swimming on the seabed.
As the overlord among low-level demonic beasts, the sea serpent beasts exude a chilling aura. They lurk in the dark trenches, waiting for the opportunity to advance.
Without warning, a terrifying pressure belonging to a high-level expert, like an invisible giant wave, crashed down from mid-air!
The low-level monsters, who were leisurely foraging and swimming, were instantly overwhelmed by this aura and could hardly breathe.
The ferocious Azure Water Crocodile, which had been so menacing just moments before, was terrified and scrambled into the muddy shallows, shrinking back into its burrow and refusing to show its face again. The Golden Rat and the Red Fox Beast let out mournful screams and scattered in all directions, fearing that if they were even a step too slow, they would become souls under its oppressive power.
"It's just ahead!"
After the oppressive force dissipated, Han Baibai breathed a long sigh of relief.
He raised his hand, pointing southeast, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He eagerly turned to the crowd and said, "There's a stranded, wrecked ship in the corner. I just sensed a faint spatial fluctuation nearby. That fluctuation was extremely peculiar; even divine sense could perfectly block it!"
"This should be the place the young master mentioned." Lu Xueqi nodded slightly, a complex expression of expectation and caution appearing in her cool eyes.
She gazed at the unknown sea and murmured softly, "I wonder what it's like inside, how many wild summoned spirits there are..."
"We'll find out once we go in and explore." She composed herself, her tone regaining its usual calm and certainty. "These days, low-level players can only rely on this secret realm to quickly improve their cultivation."
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately set off, transforming into streaks of light and speeding towards the large ship.
Soon, a huge shipwreck covered with barnacles and seaweed came into view.
In the shadow of the broken hull, a teleportation array emitting a ghostly blue light was slowly rotating.
[Instance: Sunken Ship]
Entry Requirements: None
[Cost: 50 Yin Virtue/person]
[System Notification: This is a beginner dungeon with ferocious monsters. Team play is recommended!]
Seeing the system notification floating in mid-air, Han Bai smiled knowingly and turned to explain to the others, "This place is similar to the 'Big Wild Goose Pagoda.' Each team will be assigned to a separate secret realm space after entering. There are three of us now, so each of us can help two level up—that's the most efficient way!"
After saying that, he turned around and solemnly entrusted his two older, more composed apprentices to Lu Xueqi.
He leaned down slightly, his expression unusually serious, and carefully instructed, "Once inside, you must listen to your seniors and absolutely do not wander off, understand?"
Seeing his apprentices nodding vigorously, Han Baibai straightened up with satisfaction.
With a wave of his hand and a triumphant shout, "Let's set a goal: meet outside after reaching level 10! I'll cover all the in-game currency for this dungeon run! Let's go!"
As soon as the words were spoken, three dazzling lights suddenly shone, instantly engulfing the figures of the group.
Accompanied by a strong sense of spatial dizziness, the group stepped into the unknown and dangerous underwater shipwreck!
Lu Xueqi slowly opened her eyes, only to feel herself being enveloped by a strange flow of water.
What comes into view is a dreamlike underwater wonderland: the azure sea is like a huge piece of glass, and countless colorful coral reefs are scattered on the seabed in an orderly manner, like underwater mazes.
Schools of shimmering silver fish darted among the corals like shooting stars. And at the edge of the horizon, the silhouette of a massive, mountain-like shipwreck lay silently in the dark depths of the sea, its wrecked hull covered with barnacles and seaweed, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
"Wow--!"
Two crisp exclamations suddenly came from behind.
The wine boy and Zhao Ling'er were clearly stunned by the magnificent underwater world. The two little ones stared wide-eyed, their faces full of disbelief, staring intently at the fairy-tale scene before them, forgetting even to breathe.
"Don't be careless." Lu Xueqi's expression remained unchanged, and her clear, cold voice rippled through the water.
She gripped the longsword at her waist with a backhand stroke, and with a "clang," its cold light flashed as it was drawn. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her divine sense rippled outwards like waves.
She quickly noticed something amiss. Hidden among the crevices of the coral reef leading to the shipwreck were swarms of summoned spirit beasts.
They saw huge sea turtles huddled behind the rocks, peeking out their bumpy heads; beside them, several sea worms covered in venomous spines writhed, like ugly snakes, staring intently at the three uninvited guests.
Lu Xueqi frowned slightly, silently assessing the situation: these beasts were too low-level, mostly only level 2 to 5, offering no benefit to her two disciples' cultivation. The real opportunity lay in that sunken ship!
"Keep up, watch out for wild beasts!"
Before she finished speaking, Lu Xueqi had already darted out like a fish.
Her eyes were sharp, and with a flick of her wrist, the sword drew a stunning arc.
"Frost chills the nine provinces, the sword strikes without leaving a trace!"
Accompanied by a cold, low shout, a chilling sword aura swept out.
Several giant sea turtles that were preparing to launch a sneak attack were shredded into pieces by the sword energy before they could even let out a scream.
"With this sword in the sky, all evil shall retreat!"
She moved swiftly, her sword flashing like a nimble white snake, weaving through the coral reefs.
Several ferocious sea worms had just extended their venomous stingers when they were pierced by a sword and died instantly.
"One sword can shatter all laws and eradicate all injustice in the world!"
Lu Xueqi is like a ruthless goddess of slaughter; with every line she utters, several wild beasts fall into pools of blood.
She swept through the enemy lines with unstoppable force, slaughtering all the summoned spirit beasts on the periphery before finally reaching the huge hole at the bottom of the sunken ship.
She stood before the breach, her divine sense sweeping across the interior of the cabin. Confirming that the aura of the beasts inside was even stronger, she charged in without looking back.
"Sea turtle, level 8? Die!"
"Sea worm, level 10? Die!"
As the sword flashed, the wild beasts inside the cabin fell one after another.
Lu Xueqi sheathed her sword and stood there, her robes fluttering in the water, like a peerless sword immortal.
She slightly raised her chin, her tone carrying an undeniable arrogance: "No one can withstand a single blow."
Just then, the boy behind them suddenly let out a soft cry of surprise.
He felt warm energy flowing into his dantian through his meridians, and the internal cultivation technique started to operate on its own. His previously stagnant realm suddenly broke through at this moment!
"Senior! I've broken through in my cultivation technique! I've reached the fourth level of Qi Refining!" The young boy's face flushed with excitement, his eyes filled with unbelievable joy.
Lu Xueqi turned around and looked at her apprentice's excited appearance, a faint smile appearing on her cool lips.
She gently patted the wine boy's shoulder, her tone calm and profound:
"Stay calm. That's the amazing thing about this world. What you're seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg."