Chapter 147
Voices and footsteps sounded continuously outside the room, gradually approaching from outside.
Li Jin Shuang also sensed someone coming, turning toward the door.
Her eyes asked Yu Sui whether they should hide.
Yu Sui shook her head.
If possessing Wenyang Zhou allowed access to all his memories, they should know that Wenyang Zhou and Senior Brother had a very close relationship, not just "should be pretty good."
Unless the Young Master they spoke of wasn't Mei Liangyu.
Of the remaining Xing Chun and Zhongli Shan, neither seemed to have much interaction with the Wenyang family brothers.
Yu Sui decided to take a gamble.
She bet that the Young Master they spoke of was Senior Brother, and that the person possessing Wenyang Zhou couldn't access all his memories.
The room door opened from outside, and Wenyang Zhou's voice came: "How's the water-control mechanism finishing going?"
Yu Sui turned around respectfully: "It'll take a bit more time."
"Hurry up." Wenyang Zhou surveyed the unfinished golden conches, then turned to Hu Gui: "Call two more people over."
As if he found the progress here too slow.
After speaking, he left without noticing any abnormalities.
After the people left, the door remained open. Yu Sui looked thoughtfully in the direction the two had departed.
Outside the room, Hu Gui quietly reminded Lin Chenghai: "That's about enough."
"Is the Wenyang family short-handed?" Lin Chenghai lowered his voice. "They even called such young mechanism practitioners over."
His eyes indicated to Hu Gui to look back at the room they'd just left.
Hu Gui also lowered his voice: "Maybe they're giving them chances to gain experience. Sea whirlpool outbreaks aren't common."
The two gradually walked away while talking.
Li Jin Shuang looked at Yu Sui with hesitant expression: "He doesn't recognize you?"
"Hm?" Yu Sui was somewhat surprised.
"I've seen him with Mei Liangyu before." Li Jin Shuang said, "I heard them mention you."
Yu Sui suddenly understood, nodding: "If it were the real Wenyang Zhou, he'd definitely recognize me."
"He's not Wenyang Zhou?" Li Jin Shuang was even more surprised.
"Then why didn't he recognize me?" Yu Sui pretended to be puzzled. "He didn't seem to be pretending not to know me either. Could it be that we're not the only ones who snuck onto the ship?"
Li Jin Shuang felt things were getting more and more complicated: "If even the Wenyang family manager is fake..."
Then this ship might be somewhat dangerous.
Yu Sui reassured: "That's something for the Mechanism families to worry about. Let's observe and wait for now."
Before people came to take over the golden conch finishing work, Yu Sui took out Instant Shadow Talismans and hid with Li Jin Shuang in the shadows, waiting until they had finished setting up the mechanisms in this room before coming out.
Yu Sui had the Five Elements Light Cores scout ahead, then used the Instant Shadow Talismans to move through the shadows.
Li Jin Shuang was amazed at Yu Sui's ability to perfectly avoid crowds.
By the time the first giant ship could set sail, it was already afternoon.
After Situ Jin walked around the ship to confirm there were no problems, he came to the helm to meet with the other three families' managers to discuss going to the underwater Mechanism City.
The managers from the Wenyang and Situ families were from the younger generation, while those from the Murong and Baili families were older than Wenyang Zhou and Situ Jin. When they saw the spirit puppet beside Situ Jin, they still had to cup their hands respectfully and say: "Second Grandmother."
The Situ family excelled in mechanism puppet arts, and Grandmother Situ specialized in spirit puppet techniques with supreme mastery.
The puppets Grandmother Situ created were lifelike, just like real people. There were even rumors that she had made her sister Situ Fei into a spirit puppet.
Using living people as spirit puppets was truly against customs and morals. Most people disagreed and strongly opposed it, but Grandmother Situ didn't care about these things.
She told everyone this spirit puppet was her sister, the second head of the Situ family, the second grandmother of the younger generation.
People rarely got to see the Situ spirit puppet. This time Grandmother Situ let her come with Situ Jin, showing she still took the sea whirlpool matter seriously.
The other three families hadn't sent anyone more important than the Situ spirit puppet, tacitly allowing the Situ family to handle this matter.
Murong Lie said to everyone present: "The Spirit Bird is ready and can go underwater at any time."
Wenyang Zhou said: "I've checked, no problems."
Baili Mo then said: "The Agricultural School Saint says he wants to go to the underwater Mechanism City together."
"Elder Ou?" Situ Jin was somewhat surprised. "If he leaves, letting the remaining two stay together..."
Wu Huaiwei and Leng Rouyin might start fighting.
Baili Mo looked toward the back of Situ Jin: "He's here."
Ou Rushuang stepped onto the helm platform. His appearance was plain, easily overlooked if mixed into a crowd. Only when he was alone, after staring at him for a long time, would one feel something slightly different.
"Am I late?" Ou Rushuang approached with a smile.
"Perfect timing," Baili Mo said. "Now that you're here, we can depart."
Wenyang Zhou and Situ Jin both bowed their heads in respect to Ou Rushuang, who responded with his gaze, then looked toward the abyss sea ahead: "Let's go."
The first giant ship was called the Spirit Bird.
Carrying hundreds of Mechanism family practitioners, the Spirit Bird would scout ahead first, leaving the Heaven-Bathing Water Wall and sailing toward the abyss sea.
The Heaven-Bathing Water Wall prevented sea whirlpools from approaching Mechanism Island's shore and also blocked the usual violent winds and waves.
After the Spirit Bird sailed out of the Heaven-Bathing Water Wall, it encountered massive wave attacks, yet showed no reaction at all. Despite the fierce waves crashing against the hull, following orders from Wenyang Zhou and others, the mechanism practitioners inside the ship activated ship-protecting barriers to deal with the hurricanes and storms at sea.
Yu Sui, still exploring inside the Spirit Bird, saw through her released Five Elements Light Cores that one entire level of the ship was filled with Number Mountains.
These were Number Mountains built by the Mechanism families themselves, for use only within the Spirit Bird.
Many people stayed on the level with the Number Mountain communication arrays, practitioners from all four families. They looked very busy, recording and adjusting around the ship's Number Mountains.
Even if ordinary people knew how to make Number Mountains, they wouldn't be able to obtain the necessary materials.
The materials for making Number Mountains were all controlled by the Six Kingdoms, with dedicated armies guarding them.
Though Taiyi wasn't subject to any nation, to obtain these materials, they'd still need to negotiate with the Six Kingdoms.
These Number Mountains weren't normally activated, stored by the Mechanism families. When needed, they would allow the Number Mountains to connect with the Five Elements energy between heaven and earth, within a limited range.
Through the Five Elements energy connected by the Number Mountains, the Mechanism families had set up voice transmission platforms throughout the ship, capable of relaying managers' orders throughout the entire Spirit Bird.
Yu Sui was somewhat curious about how they would get to the underwater Mechanism City. She hid with Li Jin Shuang in a corner inside the Spirit Bird, temporarily becoming quiet invisible people using Taoist Instant Shadow Talismans.
The Spirit Bird moved very fast. Even traveling at high speed against wind and waves, it wasn't affected by the sea waves, with no swaying at all.
Wenyang Zhou held a positioning disc for navigation at sea, looking down at the long and short pointers swaying.
He picked up the Wind-Listening Ruler limited to ship communication and said: "Continue forward in this direction."
Situ Jin also instructed: "The Golden Crow can be released now."
"We've exited the Heaven-Bathing Water Wall. Adjust the golden conches to maximum volume, avoid sea whirlpools based on echo patterns!"
"Release star arrays to ensure the Golden Crow won't get lost before completing sea-sky unity!"
The commands from the helm were numerous and urgent. The four families had clear divisions of labor, each responsible only for problems they needed to solve, yet also had to coordinate with each other.
Through her released Five Elements Light Cores, Yu Sui watched the Spirit Bird avoid newly formed sea whirlpools several times. Just after turning, whirlpools would form in the sea, showing that the golden conches she'd seen earlier could predict sea whirlpool locations in advance.
Blue-purple star arrays spread from the seawater, stabilizing the violent Five Elements energy in the sea and dispersing the thunder above.
The Spirit Bird released many Nine Schools Arts formations. Just those Yu Sui recognized numbered twenty to thirty, with many more she didn't recognize. Some targeted sea whirlpools, some targeted Five Elements energy, and others also targeted sea whirlpools.
When Yu Sui first heard Wenyang Zhou mention releasing the Golden Crow, her heart jumped, remembering her experience being hit by Golden Crow Red Arrows in the underground Mechanism City, an impression so deep and unforgettable.
Hearing the name would instinctively make her wary.
The Golden Crow Wenyang Zhou spoke of, when first released, was only the size of a golden eyeball. As time passed, it began growing larger and larger, becoming as dazzling as a golden sun on the sea.
It dispersed the gloom, dark clouds, and storms above.
After the Five Elements energy on the sea stabilized, the sea surface became calm. The Spirit Bird's speed also began to slow. Wenyang Zhou and others all stared at the sea surface observing:
The azure deep sea began changing color under the Golden Crow's illumination. Light falling from the sky filled the entire sea area. The peaceful and gentle seawater, filled with golden light, was like a huge mirror, reflecting the golden light-filled sky.
The Golden Crow in the sky grew larger and larger, gradually becoming indiscernible in the golden light, also transforming into golden light and disappearing into it, making the sky and sea the same color.
When heaven and earth became sea-sky unity, one couldn't tell whether you were in the sky or in the sea.
The Spirit Bird advanced very slowly. Wenyang Zhou and others were carefully commanding its direction. From above, it could be seen circling on the sea.
A faint Tai Chi diagram appeared below the hull. The Spirit Bird traveled along the circular edge of the Tai Chi. The moment the circling ended, the four Mechanism family managers simultaneously picked up their Wind-Listening Rulers and commanded: "Dive."
Golden light blazed between heaven and earth. When the Spirit Bird finished circling and straightened its hull to proceed forward, it was already in the azure deep sea.
Situ Jin, still standing on the helm platform, looked up through the thick water curtain at the gradually distant golden light above.
Water-avoiding barriers enveloped the Spirit Bird, allowing people on the helm platform to breathe freely.
This was also Situ Jin's first time riding the Spirit Bird to dive. His current feeling was somewhat exciting, his accelerated heartbeat calming as the Spirit Bird successfully dove.
After diving into the deep sea, the Spirit Bird's speed also began increasing, sailing toward the underwater Mechanism City. At this point, they needed to be careful not to collide with sea whirlpools.
Wenyang Zhou and Hu Gui exchanged glances, left the helm platform, and walked into the ship.
Situ Jin was somewhat worried about the sea whirlpool situation and decided to go to the observation deck. He turned to the Situ spirit puppet: "Second Grandmother, please watch here first. I'll go to the observation deck to take a look."
The Situ spirit puppet gazed at the water curtain outside the barrier without looking at him, but nodded to show she understood.
Only then did Situ Jin leave with peace of mind.
Yu Sui also used Five Elements Light Cores to observe the Spirit Bird in the deep sea. The Mechanism families' "sea-sky unity" diving technique surprised her considerably. Because the Tai Chi diagram that had appeared at the ship's bottom earlier caught her attention, she drove Five Elements Light Cores toward the bottom.
She didn't see the Tai Chi diagram, but witnessed something that surprised her even more.
Below the deep sea, three human figures were swimming toward the Spirit Bird.
It was Zhang Xiangyan's three who had lost contact with them.
They were quite fortunate, not being swept into sea whirlpools, only affected by the chaotic Five Elements energy in the sea, temporarily unable to surface.
Now seeing the Mechanism families' Spirit Bird, they had a chance to safely reach shore. Being deducted points by the academy was better than being swept into sea whirlpools.
Yu Sui saw Zhang Xiangyan trying to approach the Spirit Bird and sneered inwardly, releasing several more Five Elements Light Cores.
At this moment, all Five Elements Light Cores around the Spirit Bird's hull rushed toward the ship's bottom.
The Five Elements Light Cores simplified to dust-like appearance were barely visible to the naked eye. The ship's bottom was extremely dim. Even with Zhang Xiangyan relying on Taoist bright fire talismans for illumination, the Five Elements Light Cores could circle around to his blind spots.
Zhang Xiangyan approached the Spirit Bird and had just grabbed the hull, about to climb up, when he felt the surrounding seawater shake. In his completely unguarded state, a water-formed sharp arrow appeared from nowhere, shooting toward his chest.
School of Names Word Command: Water Arrow.
An arrow born from water, not gentle like water, but sharp and full of killing intent.
Because it was so sudden, Zhang Xiangyan couldn't imagine someone could use killing moves on him at such close range. When he noticed the water arrow, his pupils contracted. Years of crisis combat experience made his body instinctively react, pulling back for an instant, avoiding the fatal chest wound, letting the water arrow pierce through his shoulder.
Blood spread in the seawater.
This sudden change attracted Luo Fu and Nian Qiuyan, both extremely surprised.
Who was it?
Zhang Xiangyan had no time to think much. Water arrows attacked again, this time from behind. He immediately ignited protective energy. Luo Fu was about to help, but didn't know water arrows were also behind him.
The water arrows came almost body-close. Luo Fu, due to the abnormality on Zhang Xiangyan's side, had also ignited protective energy out of caution. The water arrow pierced through his back, blocked by his protective energy, offsetting the fatal heart-piercing blow, but still made Luo Fu pause and turn to guard.
These two's reaction speed in crisis was perfect.
Yu Sui also hadn't intended to kill them both here.
Zhang Xiangyan and Luo Fu were forced back by water arrows from unknown sources, retreating in embarrassment from the Spirit Bird, their gazes suspiciously fixed on Nian Qiuyan, who hadn't been attacked and was completely unharmed.
Nian Qiuyan, who had already grabbed the Spirit Bird's hull, looked at the two who had been forced back and shrugged, expressing helplessness and ignorance.
He really didn't know what was happening.