Chapter 145
Li Jin Shuang saw Saints arriving and frowned, her unease growing. When she looked toward Yu Sui, she discovered that Yu Sui was only staring intently at the people ahead, showing no sign of worry or fear.
Taking advantage of the crowd, Yu Sui released several Five Elements Light Cores to eavesdrop.
The Mechanism families and Academy Saints gathered by the sea, discussing in low voices the strange phenomena that had suddenly appeared on the ocean. Some Mechanism family practitioners began taking action to set up barriers.
Agricultural School Saint Ou Rushuang stood at the edge of the sandy ground, the chaotic Five Elements energy on the sea reflected in her eyes. Her expression was grave as she said: "The Sea-Stabilizing Pearl responsible for stabilizing the Five Elements energy in the sea, did it not issue warnings in advance or show any abnormalities?"
Leng Rouyin turned sideways, looking toward Yin-Yang School Saint Wu Huaiwei who was walking slowly from behind, saying in a calm voice: "This person should be the one who came because she sensed the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl's abnormality."
Wu Huaiwei walked between the two, her gaze carrying some scrutiny as she looked back and forth between them: "I came to Mechanism Island because of the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl's abnormality. What brought you two to Mechanism Island?"
Ou Rushuang said: "Because of the Lan Poison matter, I wanted to come find some medicinal materials, but happened to learn about the sea whirlpool outbreak."
Leng Rouyin looked ahead, saying calmly: "Coincidence."
Her answer was very perfunctory, drawing the attention of both Wu Huaiwei and Ou Rushuang. Leng Rouyin's expression remained unchanged, unhurried and unflurried.
Wu Huaiwei opened her palm, revealing a pearl emitting brilliant light. Inside the pearl, azure seawater was violently churning, golden Five Elements energy rampaging about, indicating the chaotic situation in this sea area.
"Even the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl can't suppress the Five Elements energy in the abyss sea anymore. If we let these sea whirlpools continue being born and advancing, they'll devour all of Mechanism Island together." Wu Huaiwei's slender phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, her eyeballs glancing backward. "After devouring Mechanism Island, they'll advance toward the Outer City and the academy, until they've devoured everything on the sea."
Ou Rushuang said in a deep voice: "We naturally won't let such a thing happen."
Leng Rouyin said: "Though there were many sea whirlpools here before, they didn't move and remained peaceful. Why are they suddenly starting to attack Taiyi now?"
"Aren't sea whirlpools something your Water Vessel side created?" Wu Huaiwei stared at Leng Rouyin with ill intent, sneering: "How is it that you're asking us about it?"
Yu Sui was stunned upon hearing this.
This seemed to imply that Leng Rouyin was a Saint participating in the Water Vessel project.
What connection did sea whirlpools have with the Water Vessel?
Was it to deal with Strange Fire?
"The Water Vessel research target is the oceanic void that ignores Five Elements energy and can devour Strange Fire, not inferior products like sea whirlpools." Leng Rouyin looked at the waves ahead, her calm words betraying no emotional fluctuation.
"Inferior products?" Wu Huaiwei squinted. "Is that how your teacher taught you to define sea whirlpools?"
When Leng Rouyin heard the word "teacher," her brow furrowed slightly. She glanced at Wu Huaiwei, who smiled sweetly back at her, her words still unforgiving: "Though the inferior products you speak of can't devour Strange Fire, they can devour all of Taiyi's islands. They might even be unstoppable by the Core Earth Power, and could end up devouring you and me too."
"Such dangerous things shouldn't be underestimated."
Wu Huaiwei gracefully walked closer to Leng Rouyin, approaching her front. From Ou Rushuang's angle, the two seemed to have their cheeks touching. The seductive woman softly spoke fragrant words: "Little Sister Rouyin, don't be too arrogant. Among the Twenty-four Saints, you're the most useless one."
In Yu Sui's impression, when Leng Rouyin taught at the Military School, she was gentle and humorous. After leaving the classroom and ending her teaching, that gentleness would be restrained, becoming cold and even somewhat unapproachable.
Everyone said that Military School Saint Leng Rouyin was only at her gentlest when teaching.
At this moment, after hearing Wu Huaiwei's words, Leng Rouyin only raised her eyes slightly. Though her expression showed no change, her palm was already pressing on the sword hilt at her waist. The sound of unsheathing rang out, yet no one saw it.
The red silk ribbon surrounding Wu Huaiwei made a whooshing sound, like undulating sea waves passing between the two, blocking the earlier sword energy. Both sides silently struggled.
Ou Rushuang coughed lightly, mediating between the two: "You two, the urgent matter is to stop the sea whirlpools from spreading toward Mechanism Island and restabilize the Five Elements energy in the abyss sea."
Wu Huaiwei stared at Leng Rouyin with a half-smile, saying as she straightened: "How can we stop their spread when we don't even know how the sea whirlpools are spreading?"
Leng Rouyin looked past Wu Huaiwei toward Ou Rushuang behind her: "The underwater Mechanism City has always had people monitoring sea whirlpool movements. With such abnormalities, yet not a single notification, what do the Mechanism families have to say?"
Situ Jin, who had been hiding not far away waiting for them to finish arguing, finally coughed twice to indicate his presence, raising his hand: "Three seniors, please hear me out."
Only then did the three Academy Saints turn their heads.
As the Young Master of the Situ family, Situ Jin had been pampered and loved by all parties since childhood. He often accompanied Grandmother Situ in her work and was familiar with the Academy Saints, showing no timidity at all.
Seeing Leng Rouyin and Wu Huaiwei, Situ Jin knew he wouldn't be able to interject for a while. These two enemies would always bicker when they met.
During the wait, Situ Jin had also exchanged information with the leaders of the other three families.
After coming over and bowing first, Situ Jin said: "Currently, the sea whirlpools' reproduction speed is within expectations. We have sufficient time to resolve this. The Murong and Baili families are implementing the 'Heaven-Bathing Water Wall' to block them from approaching Mechanism Island. Please help, three seniors, to keep the Five Elements energy in the abyss sea stable."
Ou Rushuang nodded: "We can do that."
Stop the sea whirlpools from approaching?
Yu Sui raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. The sea whirlpool that devoured Luo Fu's Lightning Attraction Array had already appeared at the shoreline. Could they still block it?
"Mechanism Island's Number Mountains are also undergoing maintenance due to the Lan Poison investigation, and contact with the underwater Mechanism City has been lost. We don't know the situation yet." Situ Jin said, "After the Heaven-Bathing Water Wall technique is completed, we'll send people to the underwater Mechanism City to check the situation."
Wu Huaiwei asked: "Before losing contact, the underwater Mechanism City didn't report any abnormalities either?"
Situ Jin shook his head: "We didn't receive any."
"Little Sister Rouyin, didn't you once receive guidance from a Mechanism family master and research sea whirlpools in the Water Vessel?" Wu Huaiwei glanced sideways at Leng Rouyin. "Given the current situation, can't you explain a thing or two?"
Leng Rouyin didn't answer, turning around: "I'll go get the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl to resolve the chaotic Five Elements energy on the sea."
Wu Huaiwei covered her mouth and laughed mockingly: "She's not skilled enough and can't think of a solution."
Ou Rushuang sighed: "Just say less."
Wu Huaiwei rolled her eyes and looked at Ou Rushuang with a smile, saying quietly: "I almost forgot about you. Sea whirlpools devour all things. Items that fall into the sea might all be found in sea whirlpools. The Silver River Water that has troubled the Legalist School for so long originally came from sea whirlpools, didn't it?"
"With so many sea whirlpools at Mechanism Island now, who knows which sea whirlpool might produce Silver River Water again. Since you're so troubled by the Lan Poison matter, why not take this opportunity to guard here and see if you can find Silver River Water from the sea whirlpools to deliver results, so Saint Yu of the Legalist School won't always suspect you."
Her words carried teasing, sounding half-true and half-false, unfathomable.
Halfway through speaking, she winked at you, making it impossible to sense any hostile intent.
Ou Rushuang wasn't angered either, laughing along with Wu Huaiwei's words: "Sea whirlpools producing Silver River Water would be perfect, saving me much trouble."
Yu Sui felt Wu Huaiwei's words had hidden meanings. She seemed to know about Ou Rushuang's relationship with Lan Poison, and that Saint Yu of the Legalist School also suspected Ou Rushuang.
Ou Rushuang appeared very composed.
Unable to provoke him, Wu Huaiwei gave up and leisurely walked toward the high cliffs with her Sea-Stabilizing Pearl.
Though the three Academy Saints didn't get along with each other, they didn't delay important matters. Each found a place and used their Sea-Stabilizing Pearls to suppress the Five Elements energy over the abyss sea.
Murong Mechanism family practitioners at the shore unloaded their mechanism packs and released many small boats. Baili family practitioners boarded the boats to go to the storm center for formation positioning.
The Situ and Wenyang families were responsible for clearing the chaotic Five Elements energy on the sea, ensuring the Baili family practitioners could safely reach the front lines to set up the Heaven-Bathing Water Wall formation.
Yu Sui hid behind the rocks, pulled back her head that had been looking out, and told Li Jin Shuang the intelligence she had overheard.
Besides this, she also watched the movements of the two Wenyang brothers.
Brothers Wenyang Zhou and Wenyang Xiu stood in a corner somewhat distant from the crowd, both holding Wind-Listening Rulers, apparently checking messages on them.
"Could Mei Mei still be in the sea?" Wenyang Xiu muttered. "This guy said he was coming to the abyss sea to find Six Mysterious Wood, then went silent. The Communication Courtyard just happened to shut down the Wind-Listening Rulers, so we can't contact him."
Wenyang Zhou scratched his head, frowning: "With the sea whirlpool reproduction outbreak, if he got swallowed, the outlook would be grim. He better not be in the sea."
Wenyang Xiu said: "I'll go to the underwater Mechanism City later, you watch the Heaven-Bathing Water Wall above."
Wenyang Zhou said: "I'll go down, you stay above."
Wenyang Xiu looked up at him puzzled: "What are you competing with me for?"
Wenyang Zhou put away his Wind-Listening Ruler and patted his shoulder: "Listen to me, this time doesn't feel right."
Wenyang Xiu was even more puzzled: "You already feel something's not right, so how could I agree to let you go down?"
Wenyang Zhou: "I'm the elder brother, you listen to me."
The two brothers used rock-paper-scissors to decide, but kept making the same choice every time, unable to determine a winner. Yu Sui stopped listening.
She looked back at Li Jin Shuang, who was leaning against the stone wall with her arms crossed, looking thoughtful: "Sea whirlpools can devour all things. Someone is researching them, wanting to use them to devour Strange Fire..."
Speaking of this, Li Jin Shuang couldn't help frowning, thinking how this troublesome Strange Fire matter had gotten involved too.
After hearing Wu Huaiwei's words, Yu Sui believed that the current Twenty-four Saints of Taiyi were divided into different factions: the Water Vessel faction researching Strange Fire, the Lan Poison faction wanting Silver River Water, and the Floating Pagoda fragment faction seeking to lift the Non-War Pact.
Perhaps there were still a small number of people remaining neutral, or maybe they knew everything but didn't get involved or interfere.
For such Saints, Yu Sui first thought of Master, Ghost Way School's Saint Chang Gen, but quickly dismissed the idea.
Master couldn't be neutral.
Yu Sui interrupted Li Jin Shuang's train of thought: "Is Silver River Water actually produced from sea whirlpools?"
Only then did Li Jin Shuang put Strange Fire out of mind, thinking along Yu Sui's words to answer: "I've heard of sea whirlpools. They can devour all things, and devoured items might also be found within sea whirlpools. The origins of Silver River Water have never been publicly announced, but if it's truly as the Academy Saints said, that Silver River Water is produced from sea whirlpools, that would make sense."
Many heavenly materials and earthly treasures preferred to grow in extremely dangerous places.
Li Jin Shuang looked toward the abyss sea. She wasn't worried about sea whirlpools devouring Mechanism Island. With the four major Mechanism families present and Academy Saints taking action, in her view, sea whirlpools devouring Taiyi's islands was almost impossible.
What she worried about was this: "If Zhang Xiangyan and the others come back from below at this time, it would be hard to explain being seen by so many people."