197: Chapter 197 What is it?

Bing Yu looked around.

He Yushui had left, Yun Jinxin had left too, leaving only her still in place.

She suddenly had a very bad feeling and cautiously raised her paw. "What about me?"

Su Mei looked at her and smiled.

It was very gentle, and also very dangerous.

"You."

Bing Yu immediately stood up straight, her nine tails stiffening like nine rods.

"Present!"

Su Mei walked up to her and raised her hand to open a blank recording panel.

"Write down everything you know about the Former Dynasty World."

Bing Yu's tails twitched. "I don't know much."

Su Mei's smile deepened.

"It's fine, I'll ask you slowly."

Bing Yu swallowed hard. "What if I forget?"

Su Mei said softly, "I'll help you remember."

Bing Yu: "..."

It was over. This was even scarier than the black tide; the black tide at most wanted your life, but Su Mei wanted more.

Night continued to fall, and the sea returned to darkness, but that darkness was no longer calm.

The void left after the Floating Island disappeared had slowly closed, and the red full moon was half-swallowed by the clouds.

The lights on the fleet's supply ships lit up layer by layer.

In the lower holds, mechanical arms roared; in the maintenance bays, sparks flew; in the medical bays, the sound of injections was constant.

Those contaminated by Tide Marks lay in isolation pods, the black patterns on their chests slowly fading.

Some woke up and cried with their heads in their hands, some whispered for the Holy Father, and others stared blankly at the ceiling.

No one mocked them, because just a moment ago, the entire fleet had almost been snatched away by the black tide; that was no ordinary enemy, yet Li Taiping had cut it down with a single sword stroke.

So now, everyone knew clearly that they could continue breathing not because they were lucky, but because behind that captain's quarters door sat a man who could slash an island out of existence.

The fleet refitted on the black waters, yet no one dared to sleep soundly. Searchlights swept across the sea, turrets were reloaded, and damaged decks were quickly reinforced.

The entrance to the Survival Eerie Sea had already opened.

In seven days, the Tide-Returners will arrive.

These words were like nails driven into everyone's hearts.

And deeper still.

There was also a dungeon called the Former Dynasty World.

It didn't rush, it had no countdown; it just waited quietly for Li Taiping, like an invitation placed on the edge of an abyss.

Inside the captain's quarters.

Li Taiping sat on the sofa.

His fingertips lightly tapped the tabletop.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

The black tide remnant key was placed on the table.

The character for "Tide" on its surface was still seeping a dim light.

The light was faint.

Yet it made the surrounding air turn cold.

Li Taiping looked at it, silent, deep in thought.

He didn't like being led by the nose, and he liked even less that someone was using Su Jie as bait, even if that person was his future self.

Suddenly.

The black tide remnant key moved. Without any prompt, system notification, or warning, it abruptly floated up on its own, its tip pointing toward mid-air, and made a light slash.

Sshhh—

A thin crack was sliced into the air.

The crack was narrow, yet wind blew out from within.

Cold, extremely cold; it smelled of snow and was bone-chilling.

Li Taiping's gaze darkened. He raised his hand, and the aura of the Dark-Gold Puppet flashed outside the door.

Before him, the crack slowly widened by an inch. On the other side was a white snowfield. The snow was heavy; between heaven and earth, only white remained.

There was a figure in the distance.

A woman. She stood at the end of the snowfield, wearing a blood-stained white dress, her long hair blowing in the wind, her back turned to Li Taiping.

That back was familiar, so familiar that the air in the room grew still.

Li Taiping's finger tapping the table stopped, his pupils constricting slightly.

At the end of the snowfield, the woman seemed to sense something.

She slowly turned her head, her movements lethargic as the wind and snow lashed across her face.

The next second.

Li Taiping saw her features.

Su Jie, or rather, Su Mei.

She was the same as in his memory, yet different.

Her face was pale, so pale it lacked the air of the living, and her gaze was hollow, as if the wind and snow had hollowed out all her warmth.

Li Taiping stood up. The black tide remnant key vibrated violently, and the crack expanded along with it, as if he only needed to take one step to enter that snowfield.

At that very moment, a voice came from deep within the crack.

The voice was low and calm, identical to Li Taiping's.

"Don't come in."

Those three short words contained a wealth of information.

Li Taiping narrowed his eyes. Su Jie in the snowfield didn't speak; she just looked at him, the corners of her mouth slowly curling up.

The smile was faint, but it sent a chill down one's spine.

The next second.

That voice rang out again, closer than before, and more weary.

"She is no longer her."