357: Chapter 357 Sea of ​​Stars

As each wave surged, it splashed with specks of silver light that drifted slowly through the air like countless dancing fireflies.

Star fragments of various sizes floated on the sea surface. Some were only the size of a fist, bobbing gently in the waves, while others were like small mountains, with portions rising dozens of feet above the water, emitting a faint silver glow.

The surfaces of those fragments were as smooth as mirrors, reflecting the stars in the sky, making it impossible to tell which were real stars and which were reflections on the fragments.

The sky was likewise a sea of stars, with countless brilliant stars twinkling, several times larger and brighter than those seen in the outside world. Some stars appeared pale blue, some were tinged with purple, and others were like burning flames, a brilliant crimson. They were densely packed across the night sky, illuminating the entire Star Sea with crystal clarity.

“So this is the Star Sea...” Chu Lan murmured, her eyes full of shock. “It's too beautiful. I've never seen such a beautiful place.”

Yaoguang was also so stunned by the sight before her that she was speechless. She crouched down and reached out to touch the floating star fragments. As soon as her fingertips touched the surface of a fragment, she felt a warm Star Power flow into her body, making her feel completely refreshed.

Luo Li said softly, “Legend has it that the Star Sea is the place where ancient stars fell; these fragments are the remains of those stars. Every fragment here contains pure Star Power.”

Su Ning took a deep breath, feeling the dense Star Power in the air. That power was pure and gentle, producing a strong resonance with the Star Space Art she had obtained on the fifth floor.

She could feel that something deep within this ocean was calling out to her. It was a summons originating from her Bloodline, as if a voice was whispering softly in the depths of her heart.

“Let's go,” Gao Feng said in a heavy voice. “Everyone, be careful. This is the Sea Race's territory, after all.”

Each person swallowed a water-repelling pill refined by Yaoguang and then slowly stepped into the sea.

The water-repelling pill was indeed miraculous. After ingestion, a thin, transparent protective shield automatically formed around everyone, isolating them from the seawater. The shield clung tightly to their bodies, neither hindering their movements nor preventing them from breathing freely, as if they were on land.

Even more wonderful was that looking through the shield, everything in the seawater was exceptionally clear, and even the scales on the schools of fish swimming in the distance could be seen perfectly.

Su Ning took out the Spatial Crystal she had received from Senior Star Trace and channeled her Qi. The crystal emitted a soft light that acted like an invisible thread, pointing toward a direction deep within the Star Sea. She could feel that it was the location of the Star Clan Ruins.

“Follow me,” she said, taking the lead and swimming in that direction.

The seven of them formed a line and, led by Su Ning, advanced into the depths of the Star Sea.

The scenery within the water was even more spectacular than on the surface. The seabed was covered with all kinds of strange corals; some branched like deer antlers, some spread out like fans, and others resembled flowers in full bloom. Their colors were even more vibrant—crimson, orange, indigo, snow-white, and pale purple—shining brightly under the starlight like a magnificent undersea garden.

Various schools of fish darted between the corals. Some had colored stripes, some had scales with a metallic luster, and some were massive, swimming slowly and creating currents. Occasionally, huge sea beasts could be seen cruising in the distance, but they seemed to have no interest in this group of humans, merely glancing from afar before turning away.

“These fish are really beautiful,” Yaoguang couldn't help but praise.

Chu Lan, however, stared at the corals and undersea plants, her eyes flashing with the light of research. “These Spirit Plants in the sea are completely different from those on land. Their structure, growth patterns, and way of absorbing nutrients are all different. If I can study them thoroughly, I might be able to cultivate entirely new varieties of Spirit Plants.”

Su Ning reminded her, “Be careful. Some of these seemingly beautiful corals are poisonous.”

After the group had swam dozens of miles, an unusual fluctuation suddenly came from ahead.

The fluctuation was like ripples in the water, spreading out circle by circle with a certain rhythmic pace. Su Ning's expression changed, and she whispered, “Something is approaching, and there are many of them.”

Everyone instantly became alert, each using their own methods to prepare for battle. Lin Yue silently activated the Rock Demon Prison-Suppressing Array, and a massive Rock Demon Phantom slowly emerged behind him to shield the group. Tianxin took out a stack of Talismans and distributed them; they were waterproof Talismans she had specifically drawn for underwater combat. Luo Li held the flowing sound zither in her arms, her fingers resting on the strings. Yaoguang condensed green light in her palm, ready to heal at any moment. Chu Lan took several special seeds from her Storage Pouch and held them in her hand.

A moment later, a group of figures swam over from the deep sea.

Those figures were slender with pale blue skin that shimmered under the starlight. Their features were similar to the Human Race but more profound, with deep blue eyes like two gemstones. There was transparent webbing between their fingers, gill-like organs behind their ears, and their legs were more like fish tails. They swam with incredible speed, leaving almost no afterimages in the water.

They wore armor woven from fish scales and held tridents embedded with blue crystals that emitted a faint water-blue light. Horn-like instruments hung from their waists, clearly used for signaling.

There were twelve soldiers in total, with strengths between the sixth and seventh levels of Foundation Establishment. They swam in a neat Formation, patrolling the seabed and scanning their surroundings with vigilant eyes. The Formation was loose but not chaotic, with distances between them perfectly calculated so they could quickly form an encirclement regardless of which direction they were attacked from.

The leader was slightly taller with three blue markings on his forehead, clearly the captain of this squad. He swam at the very front, occasionally stopping to listen to the surroundings, his deep blue eyes as sharp as a hawk's.

“Sea Race,” Su Ning whispered. “They are extremely fast in the water and specialize in water-attribute Spells and sonic attacks. If we get tied down, it will be very troublesome.”

Gao Feng's gaze swept over the soldiers and then at the surrounding environment. This was a relatively open area of the sea with no cover; once a fight started, the commotion would easily spread further.

“Finish this quickly,” he said in a low voice. “We can't let them send a signal.”

Just as the soldiers approached within fifty yards, Su Ning was the first to strike!

Her hands rapidly formed seals, and the spatial power around her surged to its limit! A silver light shot from her palm and instantly expanded around the squad of soldiers, turning into a transparent spatial cage!

The soldiers were patrolling vigilantly when they suddenly found themselves trapped in an invisible cage. They tried to swim out in a panic, only to find that no matter how they swam, they were blocked by an invisible barrier. Someone raised a trident and stabbed forcefully, but the trident hit the barrier without leaving even a single mark!

The captain's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly reached for the horn at his waist, wanting to blow the alarm.

But how could Luo Li give him the chance?

She sat cross-legged with the flowing sound zither across her knees and plucked the strings forcefully! A clear zither note propagated through the water; although hindered by the seawater, it still reached the soldiers' ears clearly!

Meteor Star Soul Suppressing Melody!

The zither notes, filled with suppressing power, caused the Sea Race soldiers' movements to instantly become sluggish. The captain raised the horn to his lips but couldn't blow it no matter what, as if all his strength had been drained away. The water-blue light on their bodies also dimmed significantly, a sign that the water-attribute Qi the Sea Race relied on was being suppressed.

Chu Lan seized this opportunity, her hands moving repeatedly as Spirit Plant seeds shot out from her grasp.

Those seeds quickly took root and sprouted in the seawater, but what grew were not common land vines, but strange plants. Some were soft like kelp with long, thin leaves drifting gently with the current; some were hard like coral with branching stems covered in tiny tentacles; and others were like seagrass with developed root systems that could firmly grip the rocks on the seabed.

“Sea Spirit Plant Array!” Chu Lan shouted softly.

Those plants grew frantically, laying down a massive array around the squad of soldiers in the blink of an eye. Within the array, the kelp-like plants released special fluctuations of spiritual power, constantly interfering with the soldiers' water Spells. The soldiers tried to use Spells to break through the spatial cage, only to find the power of their Spells greatly reduced, with some even failing to cast entirely!

The coral-like plants extended their tentacles into the spatial cage, wrapping around the soldiers' limbs and rendering them immobile. Meanwhile, the seagrass spread across the seabed, completely sealing off the surrounding area to prevent any fish from escaping the net.

The captain struggled desperately, his expression both furious and terrified. He opened his mouth to make a sound, only to find that even sound was isolated by the spatial cage.

Gao Feng did not give him another chance.

He kicked off powerfully, charging into the midst of the soldiers like an arrow from a bow!

The vajra sword slashed through the water, bringing forth a golden sword beam. The sword beam tore through the seawater, and wherever it passed, the soldiers were slain before they could even scream!

One strike, two strikes, three strikes... in less than ten breaths, all twelve soldiers were dead!

The captain's eyes bulged as he stared fixedly at Gao Feng, his eyes full of disbelief. Even in death, he didn't understand how this group of humans could possess such terrifying strength.

“Clean it up,” Gao Feng said, sheathing his sword.

Chu Lan activated the sea Spirit Plants to wrap up the soldiers' corpses and drag them away. Su Ning withdrew the spatial cage, and the surrounding seawater returned to calm, as if nothing had ever happened.

“Continue forward,” Su Ning said.

The group continued their advance into the depths.

Along the way, they encountered several more Sea Race patrol squads. Some were in groups of three or five, wandering aimlessly on the seabed; some were in squads of ten, patrolling along fixed routes; and some even numbered in the dozens, clearly guarding some important pass.

However, the seven of them cooperated with increasing synergy, and every battle ended quickly without alerting more enemies.