This wasn't Zu An’s first experience with such a situation. The Ocean races’ Crystal Palace was also a city encapsulated in a transparent light barrier.
However, this place was much deeper than the Ocean races’ Crystal Palace. Perhaps he'd passed out at some point, but he had a vivid impression of that enormous whirlpool. He had to be at least a hundred thousand kilometers deep now.
Even Earth’s deepest ocean trench was only eleven kilometers deep, and that was already a depth that humans struggled to conquer. Meanwhile, he was now tens of thousands of times deeper. Any expert would be crushed to death if the ocean water fell on them.
Zu An took another look at the transparent barrier above him. He couldn’t imagine the power that would be needed to create such a huge space so deep in the ocean.
Just then, he heard a moan. Only then did he realize that Isabella was still in his arms. She'd grabbed him when the frigate was dragged into the whirlpool.
Zu An felt her trembling body and couldn’t bring himself to abandon her, so he embraced her. He hadn’t expected them to remain together despite having fallen this far down.
Just then, Isabella regained consciousness and realized that her hands and legs were still wrapped around Zu An. Her face reddened, and she mumbled as she unwrapped herself from his body, “B-big brother Zu, t-thank you.”
Zu An didn’t mind it. “Thank your luck instead of me. I’m surprised we’re fine despite having fallen so deep into the ocean.”
Before he passed out, he vaguely sensed a flowing current propping up his body. That could be why they hadn't been smashed to bits.
Just then, he heard groans as more people emerged from the water and slowly regained consciousness. They warily surveyed their surroundings, and they couldn’t help but be amazed by the ocean ceiling above them.
A horrified Alfred frantically looked around. When he spotted Isabella, he anxiously ran over and exclaimed, “Big miss, I can’t be more relieved that you’re safe!”
Isabella eyed Zu An in embarrassment. “Big brother Zu saved me.”
Alfred grabbed Zu An’s hand and shook it vigorously. “You’re truly the savior of our Universal Conglomerate. I don’t know how many times you have saved our big miss now. I’ll report this matter to my superiors. You’ll be the most esteemed friend of our Universal Conglomerate.”
Zu An smiled. “It’s thanks to Isabella’s great fortune that we survived such a huge fall.”
Zu An’s humility only made Alfred more fond of him. Our big miss happens to be of a marriageable age, and our old master is looking for a son-in-law. It’d be perfect if the two of them could get together. It’s a pity he has wives back in his world, but that isn’t a big problem. We’ll accept his current wives as concubines...
After answering Alfred’s question, Zu An anxiously searched the area. When he finally spotted the person he was looking for standing not too far away, he breathed a sigh of relief. He walked over and asked, “When did you regain consciousness?”
Tingxue was dry despite having been caught inside the whirlpool. Her clothes were artifacts, which had a certain level of resistance against water and fire. But even if they weren’t water-resistant, she could easily dry her clothes just by channeling her ki.
“I woke up slightly earlier than you,” she replied impassively.
“You should have woken me up. Did you find anything?” Zu An asked as he assessed their surroundings.
Tingxue eyed Isabella. “The two of you were hugging so tightly. I didn’t want to get in your way.”
Zu An was speechless. He was surprised as this was Tingxue’s first time showing interest in something unrelated to her.
“We should be on the ocean bed. There are some buildings in the distance. I was thinking of heading over to take a look after you regained consciousness,” Tingxue said.
Zu An looked over and saw structures that resembled buildings, but they were so far away that he couldn’t be certain.
Meanwhile, more people arrived on shore.
Yani did a head count. They had lost more than half of the crewmates—given their weak cultivation, it would be hard for them to survive. Most of the guests, except for the unlucky ones who had been on the other side of the frigate, had survived.
The others also noticed the buildings in the distance and decided to investigate them.
Yani instructed the remaining crewmates to remain in the vicinity and construct a temporary camp, so they would have a place to retreat to should they encounter trouble ahead. The guests had no qualms with this course of action; they even complimented her meticulousness.
Thus, Zu An and the others began their adventure.
“Uncle Alfred, why is the ocean water not falling? Is it some kind of formation?” Isabella asked.
“This exceeds the scope of formations and technology. The only ones who can pull off such a feat are water-type deities and those who possess ocean control powers like young master Zu.”
Zu An shook his head. “I might be able to create such a pocket temporarily, but this place has clearly been around for ages. I can’t maintain one for that long.”
He could control the ocean with the Crown of the Ocean Deity, but it would also deplete his ki. There was no way he could maintain such a pocket in the long run.
Their conversation sparked thoughts in the other guests. Chances are that there is some water-type divine artifact here. It’ll be a jackpot if I can obtain it...
But Yani poured a pail of cold water over them. “There’s another possibility. A universal deity could be behind this.”
The hearts of the guests shuddered. Indeed, a universal deity could easily perform such a feat. They thought about their earlier encounter with Death Envoy Alati. Could this be where the Deity of Death died?
But there was no death energy in the vicinity.
Despite being under the ocean, their surroundings looked no different from being on land; it was just that the forests were made up not of trees, but fossils of ocean plants. Along the way, they saw a lot of bizarrely-shaped skerries[1] that induced chills in them.
Isabella instinctively grabbed Zu An’s hand and leaned toward him. This was the only way she could feel any sense of security. Alfred quietly chuckled at that sight while walking behind them.
Tingxue suddenly halted. “Do you hear that?”
Yani replied, “I hear chirping sounds.”
The other guests heightened their wariness. They didn’t dare to let their guard down in this environment, though they didn’t think any monster could pose a threat, given the experts present here.
A black beetle emitting a golden luster suddenly appeared amid the skerries. It seemed to be examining them curiously.
“It’s just a little bug.” Many guests breathed a sigh of relief.
Alfred, on the other hand, first narrowed his eyes in uncertainty before extreme fear gripped his heart. “Run! It is a Soul Gnawing Beetle!” As he cried out, he grabbed Isabella and dashed off.
Due to Isabella grabbing his arm, Zu An was dragged along.
A brawny guest frowned. “It’s just a measly bug. Watch as I vanquish it!”
He grabbed the bug and torched it with a flame. The fire was so intense that it could have instantly incinerated any beetle.
But a mere instant later, his smile froze. He first noticed his flame diminishing, then felt a sharp pain in his palm. A lump beneath his skin traveled up his arm, and wherever it passed, the corresponding part of his body withered.
1. small rocky island ☜