nucmednet Chapter 322: Boundless Water
Chapter 322: Boundless Water
She tried to make her voice sound steady and firm, though it still trembled slightly: "Go to Yulong Mountain. Longquan cannot be harmed."
Di Lin suddenly turned to look at her, his brows furrowed: "But it's Illusion Moon Reef..."
“Let’s go to Illusion Moon Reef.” Yuan Xiao interrupted him, her eyes filled with a resolute determination. “It’s not like I’m alone. We’ll be careful.”
"I will stay in touch with Xiao Chu at all times and let you know immediately if anything happens. Once you've settled things at Yulong Mountain, come to Huan Yue Reef and join us as soon as possible, okay?"
She tilted her head back, tears still welling in her eyes, but her gaze was unusually firm, filled with trust and support for him.
Di Lin looked into her eyes, and his heart felt as if it had been struck hard by something, a mixture of soreness and throbbing.
How could he not know the dangers of Phantom Moon Reef? How could he possibly want her to take such risks?
However, if something really happens to Longquan, not only will the child be in grave danger, but the very foundation of the dragon clan could be shaken, with unimaginable consequences.
He had to go back immediately; only he could stabilize the situation there.
Di Lin took a deep breath, his breath heavy as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on him.
As he slowly exhaled, he raised his hand and vigorously ruffled Yuan Xiao's hair, making her already messy hair even more disheveled. Then he lowered his head and placed a heavy, burning kiss on her smooth forehead.
"Okay." His voice was low and husky, close to her ear, each word seeming to be squeezed out from his chest. "Be careful in everything. Try to avoid direct confrontation. If anything happens, have Xiao Chu contact me."
"Mmm." Yuan Xiao nodded vigorously, tears finally streaming down her face, but she forced a reassuring smile onto her face.
Di Lin didn't delay any longer. He turned to look at Yun Feng and Ze Hui, his eyes sharp as knives: "Protect her well."
Yun Feng and Ze Hui nodded solemnly, "Don't worry."
Di Lin then looked at Fu Gui'er, who was half-lying down.
Fu Gui'er nodded slightly to him. Although he didn't speak, the meaning in his eyes was clear: he would do his best.
Finally, Di Lin's gaze fell on Yuan Xiao again, and he said in a deep voice, "Remember to give them the Elixir of Immortality."
These were the last words he left before he departed.
Before he finished speaking, he had already summoned a barrier and headed to Dragon Spring in Yulong Mountain.
The hall fell silent again, but the atmosphere was completely different now.
It lacked the stabilizing aura that Di Lin brought, but instead possessed a sense of impending crisis and a resolute determination to gamble everything.
Yuan Xiao wiped away her tears and turned to look at Yu Mo, Yun Feng, and Xiao Shu.
"We've been there once before, and it'll be the same few of us again this time. We're getting ready to leave now."
They returned to the Moon Reef they had previously located, and could teleport there directly by summoning a barrier.
"I'll go first," Yu Mo said, and took the lead in entering the barrier.
His figure disappeared into the rippling blue waves.
Yun Feng followed closely behind.
He had only half his body inside the portal when a gentle yet resolute current of water pushed him back. He staggered before regaining his balance, a look of astonishment on his face.
"What's going on?" Yuan Xiao's heart skipped a beat.
The portal's light screen rippled violently, and Yu Mo's figure emerged from it again, his brows furrowed and his expression grave.
“No.” Yu Mo said in a deep voice, his voice carrying a hint of confusion and vigilance. “The teleportation location is wrong. We have been teleported to an unfamiliar body of water, not Illusion Moon Reef.”
"How could this be?" Yuan Xiao was even more puzzled. "Places we've already been to can be reached simply by summoning a barrier. It's not the first time we've summoned a barrier, so how could we be wrong?"
Yu Mo shook his head, very certain: "The barrier is very stable, but the exit is in a completely unfamiliar sea area, with endless water below and no sign of any islands."
"Water?" Chi Miao, who had been listening quietly from the side, stepped forward.
As a merman and the King of Xicheng, his understanding of water far surpasses that of other beastmen.
"I gonna go see."
Before anyone could react, Chi Miao had already stepped into the barrier.
His figure disappeared into the blue light curtain, and the barrier rippled again.
This time the wait was a little longer.
After a long while, Chi Miao reappeared.
He was covered in a thick layer of moisture, with water still dripping from his hair, but his expression had returned to calm, though his eyes held a hint of understanding and helplessness.
Chi Miao looked at everyone and explained, "We were just too unlucky. The appearance of the Illusionary Moon Reef just happened to coincide with the annual 'Feast of the Sea'."
"'Feast of the Sea'?" Yuan Xiao repeated blankly; she had never heard of this term before.
Yun Feng clicked his tongue, raised his hand to rub his temples, and had an expression of "I knew it": "The Feast of the Sea... This is troublesome. It seems I won't be able to go this time."
Yuan Xiao looked at Yun Feng, then at Chi Miao, waiting for their explanation.
Chi Miao nodded to Yun Feng, confirming his statement, and then turned to Yuan Xiao, explaining in detail: "'The Feast of the Sea' is a special event jointly held by some powerful sea beast groups in the deep sea. It is held once a year and lasts for five days each time. You can think of it as a large-scale hunting feast carefully planned and arranged by the sea beasts."
"A grand hunting feast?" Yuan Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and she had a bad feeling.
"Yes."
Chi Miao’s voice was calm, but the content sent chills down one’s spine: “These sea monsters use ocean currents and their unique skills to create extremely tempting ‘traps’.”
For example, making a certain sea area exceptionally plump and abundant with fish and shrimp in a short period of time, or making rare minerals and treasures on the seabed emit an attractive glow, or even creating a mirage-like illusion of a 'safe island'...
In short, they used every means possible to lure unsuspecting wild beasts from the land and air to the area.
He paused, then continued, "Once the 'prey' are attracted, gather in sufficient numbers, lower their guard, and begin to 'enjoy the feast,' the lurking sea beasts will launch a simultaneous attack, indiscriminately encircling and hunting them. Only then will the real feast begin. Because they are well-organized, coordinate perfectly, and possess absolute advantages in terrain and environment, the success rate of the 'Sea Feast' is extremely high, often yielding a bountiful harvest."
Yuan Xiao gasped: "So, the Illusionary Moon Reef is now..."
“Now, it should be chosen as the ‘main venue’ for this ‘Sea Feast’,” Chi Miao said with certainty. “That’s why the space in that area of the sea is abnormal, sending us to the edge of the ‘Sea Feast’s’ coverage area. Now, the vast sea area around Illusion Moon Reef has probably become a net laid by sea beasts, just waiting for their prey to come to them.”