Mo Si’s tentacles, like spears, drilled deep into the lakebed. They twisted into strands of silk thread that imitated the fibers of living muscle, unleashing tremendous strength. This propelled the long-legged blackfish upward against the current.
Among the Candle Cloud Realm cultivators Li Ang knew, Duke Yan’s Yan Yundang’s aura was robust and profound, like a cliff rising thousands of feet. The Talismanic Master Tantai Leshan’s aura was ethereal as clouds, untouchable. The Body Study Division Master Xue Che’s aura was explosive as fire, vigorous and bold. The Imperial Palace Tributor Shen Tuyu’s aura, meanwhile, was like an ancient spring with clear ripples, deep and profound.
As for the Mountain Master... even with Mo Si, Li Ang couldn’t see through him or sense his presence.
At this moment, the white-haired old man in the center of the lake exuded an aura that, beyond its depth and darkness, carried a sinister and cruel corrosive quality. Even a single glance was unsettling.
Candle Cloud Realm, undoubtedly...
A strong surge of spiritual power erupted from far behind them, stirring the lake waters like a pair of invisible giant hands dragging the blackfish backward.
It was just like a tsunami.
A flash of ferocity flickered in the blackfish’s lifeless eyes. Its body rapidly swelled and transformed, sprouting more tentacles.
Instead of fighting the current and swimming upstream, the Ink Silk Clone moved with the flow, charging towards the bottom of Taihu Lake.
Upon contact with the lakebed, all its tentacles twisted simultaneously, attempting to bore into the bedrock.
The Ink Silk Clone could also use the arbitrary gate ability it had obtained earlier in Qi Shui Village of Taiyuan County.
If it could drill into the rock layer, it would take about ten seconds to open an arbitrary gate and teleport ten miles away.
All it needed was to buy ten seconds.
Situ Zhi smiled faintly. They were too far apart for him to clearly see what that dark, misshapen thing was, but that didn’t prevent him from raising his palm and releasing spiritual power.
The lakebed’s bedrock layer shook violently, causing the Ink Silk Clone’s tentacles to retract, but this was within Li Ang’s calculations.
The lower part of the Ink Silk Clone rapidly evolved into a propeller shape. Its head became blunt and smooth, and its trunk automatically contracted into a torpedo shape.
In appearance, the Ink Silk Clone transformed into a torpedo. As the propeller spun rapidly, the Ink Silk Clone expelled all the air within its body downward. This increased its speed, allowing it to burst out of the tumultuous current and head towards the lake’s surface.
The moonlight penetrating the water grew clearer. Just as the Ink Silk Clone was about to break the surface, Situ Zhi finally made his move.
He raised both hands, thrust his thumbs into his mouth, and bit down hard.
Dark red blood splattered. Massive patches of skin on Situ Zhi’s body ulcerated, revealing ghastly white bones and flesh riddled with holes from gnawing Gu Worms.
In response, the intensity of Situ Zhi’s spiritual power soared.
More terrifyingly, the billions of blood-sucking worm tail cercariae dispersed in the water now acted as extensions of Situ Zhi himself.
His spiritual power could be transmitted into the lake water without any loss...
Beneath the surface, Taihu Lake formed a rapidly rotating vortex, like a gaping maw opening towards the Ink Silk Clone.
The whirlpool’s powerful suction tore even the resilient Mo Si apart. A small clump of Mo Si floated to the surface with the current, while the larger mass was forcefully dragged back to the lakebed, reverting from its torpedo form to a humanoid shape.
"Ah, so you’re the little thief who was eavesdropping nearby."
Seeing the Ink Silk Clone fall back to the lakebed, tightly bound by the currents, Situ Zhi smiled faintly, his gentle and refined demeanor returning.
He stepped forward, the Water Avoidance Talismans around him moving with him. With each step, the lesions on his skin healed a little more. The restless Gu Worms within his flesh calmed, once again becoming Situ Zhi’s muscles and skin.
"Who are you? Or rather, what are you?"
Situ Zhi, accompanied by his disciple, stood a hundred meters before the Ink Silk Clone, observing it curiously.
The Ink Silk Clone was clad in night clothes and a hood, its build average.
"Your spiritual power fluctuation is only at the low-level of the Rain Listening Realm, yet you can move underwater without any magic or talismans, and without needing to breathe. If not for the feedback from the Blood-sucking Worms in the water indicating something was amiss, I might have overlooked you."
Situ Zhi asked curiously, "Are you from the garrison? No, that can’t be; the garrison always moves in groups. The Lu Li Academy? That doesn’t seem right either. An independent cultivator from the countryside? That also doesn’t add up—common cultivators are motivated by profit; what brings you to Taihu Lake in the middle of the night? It couldn’t possibly be someone from the Academic Palace? If the Supervision Department at the Academic Palace knew one of its disciples was improperly using Mutated Objects, the first thing they would do is flay you..."
After pondering for a moment without reaching a conclusion, Situ Zhi simply shook his head. "Never mind. Once I use an interrogation Gu Worm on you, everything will come to light..."
With that, he stepped forward. The skin on his palm began to ulcerate and split, and a large, pitch-black, beetle-like Gu Worm crawled out from the fetid flesh.
The silent Ink Silk Clone suddenly asked, "Aren’t you afraid?"
"Hmm?" Situ Zhi raised an eyebrow, his advance unceasing. "Afraid of what?"
"Suzhou City lies to the east of Taihu Lake," the Ink Silk Clone said slowly, its voice somewhat distorted underwater. "The Imperial Palace Tributor, Shen Tuyu, is in Suzhou City right now. Furthermore, the Jiangnan East Road headquarters of the garrison is also in Suzhou City, which is teeming with experts. If they discover you, even as a Candle Cloud Realm cultivator, you’ll have absolutely no chance of escape." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢~𝔫𝔢𝔱
"Heh, still trying to threaten me at a time ? You truly are interesting," Situ Zhi said with a smile. "As long as I’m not discovered, what does it matter? The detection methods of the garrison and the Academic Palace are most effective against cultivators from the Central Plains. My cultivation methods, however, originate from the Western Country. Moreover, the currents binding you now are infused with prohibition Gu Worms. No spiritual power can escape, so don’t even think about sending for help."
"Is that so..." From beneath its hood, the Ink Silk Clone chuckled softly. It raised its head, seemingly abandoning resistance, and looked towards the lake surface. "Three," it announced.
Situ Zhi’s brow furrowed. He had intended to casually toss the interrogation Gu Worm onto his captive and enjoy their tormented cries, but their nonchalant demeanor stirred an inexplicable unease deep within him.
What’s going on? He’s merely a low-ranking pawn from the Rain Listening Realm.
"Three? What are you talking about?"
Ignoring Situ Zhi’s question, the Ink Silk Clone calmly continued its countdown. "One."
Above the lake surface, the small clump of Mo Si solidified and rapidly transformed.
Its lower part became boat-shaped, drifting on the water’s surface. Its upper half transformed into a hand-cranked air raid siren. The siren’s impeller began to rotate, slowly at first, then rapidly.
The piercing shriek of the air raid siren tore through the sky above Taihu Lake, its sound reaching Suzhou City.
In a bedroom within the Suzhou Governor Mansion, Imperial Palace Tributor Shen Tuyu abruptly snapped his eyes open.