161: The Royal Family of the Sea (5000 words)

Chapter 158: Royal Family of the Sea (5000 words)

Underground World.

Jiang Chen, Li Qing, and Zhao Ziyi immediately circulated their Spirit Power, fully on guard against any sudden movements.

Confirming there was no anomaly, Jiang Chen slightly exhaled, then looked at Yan Mengmeng with a strange expression.

As a ten-year veteran, he had to admit that due to the collision just now, Jiang Chen felt a bit dizzy. Seeing no anomalies around, Li Qing jumped off the Dragon Head Moray Eel's back and walked towards the golden thread.

He squatted down, untied his black eye mask, revealing a pair of thick eyebrows and large eyes, and stared intently at the thread in front of him, which was as fine as hair and shimmered with a faint golden, lustrous glow. He whispered, “This is a Golden Silk Spirit Net!”

Jiang Chen: “!!!”

Jiang Chen was not surprised by the so-called “Golden Silk Spirit Net”; he was shocked that this Senior Brother Li Qing was not blind!

Damn, if you're not blind, why are you wearing an eye mask?

“We haven't even entered the Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish Clan's territory yet, have we?” Hearing Li Qing's words, Yan Mengmeng also said with some surprise, “They actually bothered to set up a Golden Silk Spirit Net?”

“Indeed, this is also something I never expected,” Senior Brother Li Qing nodded solemnly.

The so-called “Golden Silk Spirit Net” was specifically designed to prevent and alert against earth-burrowing creatures like the Dragon Head Moray Eel.

It was composed of the Spirit Artifact “Golden Silk” and a “Spirit Net” Magic Array, which was costly and difficult to produce.

However, because the Golden Silk was extremely fine and concealed, the Spirit Power fluctuations it contained were also extremely subtle!

The Dragon Head Moray Eel and the Money Rat had almost been deceived by it just now, so if an ordinary earth-burrowing creature wasn't careful, it would crash into it, thereby triggering the Spirit Net alarm Magic Array.

Typically, only human cities and sea cities of a certain scale would set up defenses around their territories.

Li Qing opened the map. After half a day of travel, they were currently at the edge of the conflict zone between humans and the sea race, still a considerable distance from the Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish Clan's territory.

Given that the Golden Silk Spirit Net had appeared at the edge of the battlefield, one could imagine that the armies on the seabed must be fighting tooth and nail!

The four of them dug and searched around this “Golden Silk Spirit Net” for a while, and the Dragon Head Moray Eel even stealthily burrowed up to take a look.

Indeed, a fierce battle had just occurred in the sea above them; a human Beast Tamer team had encountered a sea race army, and both sides engaged in a brutal struggle!

Judging by the traces at the scene, both sides seemed to have fought to a draw and retreated.

Confirming it was an accident, the four of them immediately breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Yan Mengmeng couldn't help but gently rub her chest, complaining, “So it was just an accident, it made my chest ache!”

Jiang Chen glanced at the rising and falling curve of Yan Mengmeng's chest, crying out injustice; he was clearly the one who got hit!

...The four people and two beasts resumed their journey. With the previous accident, everyone's pace became even more cautious.

Senior Brother Li Qing put his black eye mask back on and, together with the Money Rat, directed the Dragon Head Moray Eel forward.

Jiang Chen couldn't help but ask, “Senior Brother Li Qing, your eyes are fine, why do you wrap them in cloth?”

Hearing Jiang Chen's question, Li Qing turned around, looked at Jiang Chen with his wrapped eyes, and asked in return, “Junior Brother Jiang Chen, have your eyes been refined and reached Transcendent Level perception?”

Jiang Chen nodded: “Yes.”

“How I envy you.”

“En?”

Li Qing shook his head and repeated, “I truly envy you.”

Jiang Chen: “???”

Li Qing's tone was a little bitter: “I've been refining my eyesight for about half a year now, but progress has been very slow.”

Uh?

Jiang Chen scratched his head, feeling a bit awkward and unsure how to reply.

Is this Transcendent Level vision really that difficult? Why didn't I notice?

You've only refined your eyes for half a year, while I completed the refinement of my Yi Jing and five senses in half a year, and also broke through to a Third-level Beast Tamer in the process… “This isn't an ordinary eye mask; it's a Spirit Artifact that I commissioned a classmate from the Artifact Refining Department to specially craft. It can continuously stimulate and nurture the acupoints in my eyes.”

“Ever since I started wearing this eye mask, the refinement of my eyes, which had been stagnant, immediately began to slowly improve. With a few more months, my eyes should complete their Transcendent Level perception.”

Jiang Chen: “...”

Jiang Chen was awkward again. Is Transcendent Level vision really that difficult? Why didn't I realize it!

Senior Brother, don't lie to me just because I don't read much!

“Of course, there's another reason why I wrap my eyes with the eye mask.” Li Qing extended his right hand and stroked the Dragon Head Moray Eel's head, which let out a gentle, docile whimper.

“Because if I don't use my eyes to see, I have to constantly use Xiao Hei's Sound Wave.”

“With this method, Xiao Hei's Sound Wave skill proficiency has improved very quickly. In another two or three months, it should reach the perfect level.”

So that's how it is!

Jiang Chen, Yan Mengmeng, and Zhao Ziyi suddenly understood.

Senior Brother Li Qing truly went to great lengths for his cultivation!

But... is improving skill proficiency really that hard? Isn't it just a matter of allocating points to whatever you're not good at?

...Unbeknownst to them, two days passed.

During these two days, the four people and two beasts were like earthworms in the soil, burrowing wherever the Spirit Qi was thin, slowly approaching the Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish Clan's territory in a curved path.

For these two days, everyone almost spent their time on the Dragon Head Moray Eel's back, traveling during the day and resting at night.

The more they were in such a dangerous place, the more important it became to conserve physical strength and maintain a good mental state.

After all, you never knew where the enemy might suddenly appear from, and if you were in poor condition at that time, it would be a complete waste.

Similarly, the closer they got to the Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish Clan's territory, the more sentry posts and alert Magic Arrays there were on and under the seabed.

Relying on the keen senses of the Dragon Head Moray Eel and the Money Rat, the four of them could anticipate and quickly avoid them.

“We've successfully passed the Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish Clan's border defense force. The White Tail Pearl Pond is still a hundred kilometers away; we should reach it by noon today,” Li Qing said slowly, sensing the movement above them.

“Understood.” Jiang Chen and the other two nodded solemnly, entering a combat-ready state.

Jiang Chen's heart stirred, and the Seven-Star Knife Fish also slowly emerged from behind him, automatically falling into his hand.

Upon seeing this Seven-Star Knife Fish, Li Qing, Yan Mengmeng, and Zhao Ziyi were instantly astonished!

Their eyes were filled with both surprise and envy as they looked at Jiang Chen and the Seven-Star Knife Fish in his hand!

“Junior Brother Jiang Chen, the quality of your third contracted pet beast is actually so high?” Senior Brother Li Qing was once again green with envy.

“It was just a stroke of luck. General Yan Chao gave it to me because he thought I was handsome,” Jiang Chen replied with a slight smile.

...Li Qing was somewhat speechless. If his eyes weren't covered by the eye mask, one would have seen him roll his eyes.

Hearing Jiang Chen's words, Yan Mengmeng, however, let out a huge sigh of relief.

She bit her rosy lips slightly and huffed, “I thought you had squandered all your money to buy this Seven-Star Knife Fish and were bankrupt. It's good that you're not!”

Jiang Chen: “...”

Girl, isn't your focus a bit off?

Shouldn't you be focusing on the Seven-Star Knife Fish in my hand?

Other special features would also be fine; why are you always staring at my wallet nonstop!

As soon as the Seven-Star Knife Fish appeared, Zhao Ziyi, who had been sitting calmly at the tail of the Dragon Head Moray Eel, eyes closed in meditation for the past two days, immediately became a little restless!

He caressed the tiger might gold seizing spear in his hand, which his family had custom-made for him at great expense, and suddenly felt it wasn't so appealing anymore!

Damn, I really want to have a majestic and awe-inspiring Seven-Star Knife Fish too!

“It seems our mission this time is almost certainly a success!”

Looking at the Seven-Star Knife Fish in Jiang Chen's hand, which was as white as silver and exuded an aura of dominance, Li Qing said with a mix of lament and envy, “With the help of this Seven-Star Knife Fish, Junior Brother Jiang Chen's combat power must have soared, right?”

“Fighting a Commander Rank sea beast one-on-one is no problem,” Jiang Chen smiled.

This was the confidence that came from Dual Cultivation of Beast Taming and body refining!

Moreover, Senior Brother Li Qing didn't know that, compared to the Seven-Star Knife Fish, his other two pet beasts were actually even more outrageous!

The strength of Xiao Jiu and Chu Yun was also completely crushing Elite Level sea beasts of the same level at this time.

Slightly regrettable was that during the nearly week-long seclusion before departure, he and the Seven-Star Knife Fish had not yet successfully performed the Spirit Martial Skill, Star Slash.

The difficulty of Spirit Martial Skill was much, much harder than he had imagined!

The movements of the human and the pet beast had to be incredibly coordinated, incredibly unified, and incredibly synchronized!

True Man-Beast Unity was required to successfully execute it!

In the week before departure, Jiang Chen and Xiao Kuang practiced together many times, but still found it difficult to achieve perfect synchronization and unleash their full power... When they were about 30 kilometers from White Tail Pearl Pond, the Dragon Head Moray Eel suddenly braked again, and the Money Rat also jumped up, squeaking frantically!

"Something's happening!"

Li Qing abruptly stood up from the eel's back, gazing forward at a certain spot!

Due to their previous experience, none of the three fell off during this brake.

Jiang Chen and Zhao Ziyi firmly held onto the eel's body, while Yan Mengmeng, the voluptuous and fierce loli, was naturally embraced by Jiang Chen again, having close contact.

Yan Mengmeng's pretty face was flushed with both shyness and anger. As soon as the eel steadied, she quickly struggled free from Jiang Chen's embrace.

Several hundred meters in front of the Dragon Head Moray Eel, familiar golden strands appeared again. It was the Gold Silk Spirit Net, which restrains the Earth-traveling Son.

It was just a little strange that this Gold Silk Spirit Net was brand new and shiny, as if it had just been laid out.

"About three kilometers directly ahead of us, there are powerful and majestic sound waves!" Li Qing said after carefully sensing for a moment.

"But their spiritual energy aura is very peculiar, very faint, almost imperceptible!" Yan Mengmeng said, her brows slightly furrowed, through the Money Rat's sensing.

This was very strange!

Generally speaking, the stronger the power, the stronger the spiritual energy aura, and thus the more powerful and majestic the sound produced.

How could the sound waves be majestic and powerful, yet the spiritual energy aura be almost imperceptible?

In other words, the senses of the Dragon Head Moray Eel and the Money Rat were misaligned and contradictory at this moment!

Coupled with the Gold Silk Spirit Net in front of them, which was clearly just laid out, this made it even more intriguing!

"Should we go up and take a look?" Yan Mengmeng asked.

"We are 3 kilometers away from them; peeking should be fine. Moreover, this place is a bit close to the White Tail Pearl Pond, only 30 kilometers away," Senior Brother Li Qing mused.

"The commotion from our battle in the White Tail Pearl Pond later should be considerable. If something here is attracted, the risk would be quite high."

"Also, this direction happens to be on our escape route, so clarifying it is safer!"

"I agree." Jiang Chen said.

"I agree too." Zhao Ziyi.

Immediately, the four people and two beasts quietly squeezed through the soil and burrowed up towards the seabed.

The moment they broke through the soil surface, the Dragon Head Moray Eel's sound waves and the Money Rat's spiritual energy detection were released again, confirming that there was no unusual movement on the seabed. The four people and two beasts, like sprouting seeds, slowly pried open the mud!

Fresh, salty seawater immediately rushed in. The four had been traveling underground for two days and two nights, and at this moment, they felt as if the constraints on them had finally been removed, leaving them unbound.

The tender pink post-gill slits behind their ears immediately opened, and without a word, they took a few deep breaths of fresh seawater.

While their post-gill slits were "slapping" away, the four vigilantly scanned their surroundings, observing the environment.

This was a barren, flat sea area, empty and void all around, without any fish in sight.

Moreover, because the seabed here was too deep, about four or five hundred meters, the surrounding seabed was pitch black, like night.

Generally speaking, sunlight only penetrates to a depth of two or three hundred meters.

Therefore, most parts of the ocean are in absolute darkness, where you can't see your hand in front of your face!

Jiang Chen looked up and saw that the sea surface above him was like a bright white window, casting shimmering white moonlight, making one yearn for it.

To be honest, this dark and eerie seabed scene was even worse than continuing to travel through the soil... Humans always have an instinctive resistance to darkness, especially in this pitch-black deep sea. You can't help but imagine a pair of cold eyes watching you from behind, or a giant dark shadow suddenly appearing in the darkness ahead.

Li Qing, Yan Mengmeng, and Zhao Ziyi instantly entered Man-Beast Unity mode. With the enhancement of their pet beast's phantom, their vision immediately greatly improved, allowing them to see many things in the darkness.

Jiang Chen, however, didn't need to; his eyes had already been successfully tempered, granting him super senses, so his night vision was not weak!

Jiang Chen slightly narrowed his eyes, and the surrounding darkness receded like a tide, bringing the scenery within a few kilometers clearly into his sight!

The rugged gullies on the seabed, a few wilting and lifeless seaweeds, the hard sandy soil... Jiang Chen quickly scanned the area, then looked three kilometers directly ahead.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Chen was slightly startled, his neck recoiled, and he quickly burrowed back into the soil, leaving only his eyes exposed!

Li Qing, Yan Mengmeng, and Zhao Ziyi did the same, letting out a small gasp and retracting their heads like groundhogs.

At this moment, three kilometers ahead, an army of Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish appeared!

This army of Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish seemed to be temporarily stationed here; their numbers were not large, around a hundred, but they were all strong and robust, all at the Transcendent Level of cultivation!

Jiang Chen and the others immediately judged that this was an elite force of the Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish Clan!

Because generally, soldiers of sea race armies are only at the awakening level, and the more powerful ones are at the Elite Level. However, this particular force was entirely composed of Transcendent Level individuals!

One must know that the pet beasts of most third-year and fourth-year senior brothers and sisters at Yingtian Academy are only at the Transcendent Level!

Although this elite squad was temporarily stationed here, they were disciplined and orderly, without the slightest noise, even floating upright and vigilant in all directions!

One must know that sea beasts do not possess intelligence until they reach the Commander Rank; they only have instincts!

Training sea beasts that only have instincts into a disciplined army is very difficult and challenging!

Jiang Chen, Li Qing, and Yan Mengmeng silently exchanged looks of shock and apprehension.

After observing for a while longer, a Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish in the center of the army caught the attention of the four.

This Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish had crimson and lustrous flesh all over its body, like a ruby.

Its fish body was burly and strong, significantly larger than those around it.

Of course, what was most astonishing was that this Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish was actually wearing a golden sea silk long robe, glittering with golden light, and it also wore a golden crown on its fish head!

W-what the hell!

Jiang Chen and the other three's eyes widened. This was a fish wearing clothes and a crown!

This!!!

Jiang Chen and the other three were horrified!

At this moment, another Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish, nearly twenty meters long, slowly appeared. It was wearing a purple sea silk long robe, and every movement it made exuded a majestic and terrifying aura.

General Rank!

A Fifth-level General-level, a general who can command an army of sea creatures!

As soon as this twenty-meter-long Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish appeared, its pair of white, cataract-like fish eyes seemed to sense something, and its sharp gaze shot towards Jiang Chen and the others!

However—

The place it looked at was empty; there was nothing there.

The General Rank Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish frowned slightly. Had it seen wrong just now?

Underground, in the soil.

The Dragon Head Moray Eel carried Jiang Chen and the four of them frantically drilling, drilling, drilling underground!

In fact, the moment they saw that General Rank sea race powerhouse, all four of them immediately burrowed underground!

A General Rank sea beast was an existence they absolutely could not deal with, even if all four of them combined their strength at this moment!

If they encountered a sea beast of that level, they would almost certainly be doomed!

The extremely terrified Dragon Head Moray Eel carried the four of them fleeing for nearly dozens of kilometers before it slowly stopped, still with lingering fear!

"It's the Royal Family of the Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish Clan!"

As soon as they stopped, Yan Mengmeng immediately exclaimed in shock, "That Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish wearing a golden long robe and a crown definitely possesses Royal Bloodline!"

"Indeed, that General Rank Red Skull Devil Fanged Fish in purple robes should be its personal guard." Li Qing also said, his face pale and solemn.

"Our luck is truly terrible; to encounter this in the vast and boundless Barren Sea!" Jiang Chen also said, his face pale.