175: Chapter 175 The Middle of the Sea

Chen Xi nodded, his fingers tapping gently on the table: "But precisely because it is dangerous, the rewards are immense."

"Since Shen Ye sent a message asking me to bring Mu Rou, it means that the Sea Demon Emperor definitely possesses core materials suitable for Mu Rou to advance to SS-rank."

Chen Xi looked at Li Murou: "Mu Rou, your profession is [Rhythm Musician], and your core ability is sonic control."

"The Sea Demon race are naturally masters of manipulating rhythm. Legend has it that the tears and vocal cords of Sea Demons contain the power of rules that can manipulate emotions and even distort time."

"If we can obtain those materials..." A flash of brilliance crossed Chen Xi's eyes: "Your profession might undergo a qualitative change, perhaps even touching upon the deeper realms of 'time'!"

Upon hearing the word "time," Li Murou's eyes widened instantly.

Although her current [Sorrowful Elegy] could produce an effect similar to freezing time, it was essentially mental control and extreme deceleration.

If she could truly master the rules of time... wouldn't she be invincible?

"Go! We must go!" Li Murou jumped up excitedly, her previous fear of the Sea Demons instantly cast to the winds: "To become stronger! Forget the Silent Dead Sea, I would even jump into a sea of fire!"

"Good!" Chen Xi decided immediately: "Since everyone agrees, let's prepare to depart immediately!"

"This time, it's not just for the materials. Shen Ye mentioned in the message the 'final piece of the puzzle regarding the truth'."

"I have a premonition that this trip might just reveal the true face of that Black-Clothed Organization."

...

Half an hour later, at the entrance of the Adventurer Camp.

A heavily modified all-terrain off-road vehicle was parked there. Chen Xi had just rented it using his remaining military merit points; after all, the journey to the seaside was long, and running on foot would be a waste of time.

"Yo? Captain Chen, heading out on a mission again?" The guard at the entrance was already well-acquainted with Chen Xi and greeted him with a smile: "Where are you going to make a fortune this time?"

"Heading to the beach to catch some breeze and catch a few fish." Chen Xi responded with a smile, not revealing their true destination.

A place like the Silent Dead Sea would only make people think they were courting death if he mentioned it.

"Fishing is great! Stay safe!" The guard waved them through.

The off-road vehicle roared, kicking up clouds of dust as it sped toward the eastern coastline.

Inside the vehicle, the atmosphere was not as relaxed as Chen Xi had portrayed. Ye Fei sat in the back row, holding the shrunken Little Si in her arms, looking a bit nervous: "Captain, I've heard that over at the Silent Dead Sea... there are many legends about ghost ships and sea monsters."

"And the magnetic field there is very chaotic; my Beast King pressure... might not be effective in the water."

"Don't worry." Chen Xi said, driving while glancing at Ye Fei through the rearview mirror: "Although Sea Demons live in the water, they are also highly intelligent fierce beasts."

"As long as they have intelligence, they will know how to weigh the pros and cons. If your ability truly stems from that so-called 'creator' identity, then creatures of the Sea Demon's level should actually fear you more than those mindless beasts."

"And..." Chen Xi glanced at Su Xiaoxiao, who was resting with her eyes closed in the passenger seat, the corners of his mouth curling up: "Even if your ability fails, we still have the Valkyrie."

"Water conducts electricity. At sea, Xiao Xiao's Thunder Punishment power... will be supercharged."

Su Xiaoxiao opened her eyes, a hint of confident amusement flashing in her purple eyes: "That's right."

"If it were land creatures, I'd still have to aim." "But in the water... as long as they dare to show their heads, I can turn the entire ocean into a pool of lightning."

"Haha, then we're set!" Li Murou, holding snacks in the back seat, said vaguely: "I can't wait to see what that Sea Demon Emperor looks like!"

"If it's ugly, I'll pluck it until it's mute!"

They sped along. As they moved further away from the camp, the surrounding scenery gradually became desolate and eerie. The humidity in the air increased, and a layer of grey mist that never dissipated began to fill the sky.

The vegetation on both sides of the road turned into twisted mangroves, and the soil turned into black sludge. Five hours later.

"Screech—!" Chen Xi slammed on the brakes, and the off-road vehicle stopped at the edge of a cliff. In front of them lay an endless expanse of black ocean.

There wasn't a single wave on the sea surface, as calm as a massive piece of black dead jade. Thick fog locked the sea surface, with visibility less than a hundred meters.

A deathly silence enveloped this world; one couldn't even hear the cries of seabirds. This was what was hailed as humanity's forbidden zone—the [Silent Dead Sea].

"We're here." Chen Xi jumped out of the car, feeling the thick oppression in the air, his brows furrowing slightly. "Such strong mental interference..."

As soon as he got out of the car, he felt as if countless tiny voices were whispering in his mind, attempting to disturb his peace of mind. "Everyone, be careful."

Chen Xi turned back to remind them: "Activate your mental shields. The fog here is toxic and also contains illusionary components." "Xiao Xiao, are you ready?" Chen Xi looked at Su Xiaoxiao.

Su Xiaoxiao nodded and tapped her magic staff on the ground. "Crackle!" A purple lightning shield instantly expanded, enveloping the four of them and isolating them from the outside mist.

"Let's go." Chen Xi took a deep breath, his gaze piercing through the mist as he looked into the depths of the sea: "Let's go and meet that... Emperor of the sea."

The moment they stepped into the territory of the Silent Dead Sea, in the distance, beneath the calm sea surface, a faint, imperceptible ripple suddenly appeared.

A pair of huge eyes, emitting a ghostly blue light, slowly opened beneath the deep sea. It stared at the few tiny figures on the shore and let out a low, eerie chant.

The sound penetrated the seawater, penetrated the fog, and reached straight into the depths of everyone's souls— "Welcome... to... hell..."

The black seawater lapped against the rocks on the shore, emitting a dull and monotonous sound. The thick fog was like a heavy wall, completely isolating this forbidden zone named the [Silent Dead Sea] from the outside world.

"Is this the Dead Sea? It feels... so oppressive." Li Murou tightened her robe and subconsciously leaned closer to Chen Xi.

The air here was not only humid but also carried a bone-chilling cold; that cold wasn't just a low temperature, but a chill that felt as if one's soul was being frozen.

Chen Xi stood at the edge of the cliff, his gaze attempting to pierce through the layers of mist. "The coordinates Shen Ye gave are right in the center of the sea."

He glanced at the positioning on his wristband, his brows furrowing slightly: "But there are no boats here. Do we have to swim across?"

"Swim across?" Su Xiaoxiao looked at the ink-black seawater, where some huge shadows could be faintly seen swimming, and couldn't help but shake her head: "The water is full of deadly toxins and undercurrents, and who knows how many fierce beasts are hiding in it. Swimming across is no different from courting death."

"Then what do we do? Build a boat?" Ye Fei looked at the twisted mangroves around them, looking troubled: "These trees have all been corroded by the seawater; their texture is very brittle, so we can't build a boat at all."

Just as everyone was at a loss. "Woo—" A shrill and long horn sound suddenly came from the depths of the mist.