Chapter 152
Lin Chenghai didn't answer Yu Sui's question. He temporarily focused on regulating the Five Elements Energy within his body, resisting the toxins of the Azure Blood Golden Butterfly.
Ou Rushuang believed that the Azure Blood Golden Butterfly's poison would also invade Lin Chenghai's body through Soul Stealing and Spirit Swapping.
This was his confidence in the Azure Blood Golden Butterfly, but his understanding of Soul Stealing and Spirit Swapping was limited.
Soul Stealing and Spirit Swapping made Wenyang Xiu and Lin Chenghai share the burden of the Azure Blood Golden Butterfly's poison, while Lin Chenghai, who was possessing Wenyang Xiu, bore most of it.
Agricultural School poisons and parasites were ever-changing, but there were also many schools that could counter Agricultural School poison techniques. The most powerful was the Medical School, followed by the Taoist School, Yin-Yang School, and the nearly vanishing Buddhist School.
The Buddhist School's Heavenly Mechanism Art: Wrathful Vajra not only rendered Military School attack techniques useless, but could also provide immunity to most Agricultural School poison techniques. It could be said to be impervious to blades and swords, invulnerable to water and fire, and unharmed by poisons and parasites.
Lin Chenghai could delay the Azure Blood Golden Butterfly's poison, even transfer all of the Azure Blood Golden Butterfly's poison to himself, then resist it with Wrathful Vajra.
If he released the possession, the Azure Blood Golden Butterfly's poison would return to Wenyang Xiu, and then this boy would surely die.
Lin Chenghai heard Yu Sui's words and also saw Wenyang Xiu's memories.
The Mechanism School at Taiyi Academy couldn't possibly mistreat the Young Master, much less dare let the Young Master die, so Lin Chenghai wasn't very surprised that the Young Master was on good terms with Wenyang Xiu.
Seeing Lin Chenghai concentrating on regulating his breathing, Yu Sui didn't disturb him further and continued watching the situation around them.
Since she dared come from the outside to Taiyi Academy to find Senior Brother, she should have some means.
……
The Spirit Bird advanced toward the deep sea at great speed. Searching for outsiders on the ship didn't affect its approach to the Underwater Mechanism City.
After the Situ family learned that Situ Jin had been kidnapped by outsiders, they all turned to look at the motionless Situ Ling Kui.
Someone stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Second Grandmother."
Situ Ling Kui only glanced at him once, and this person immediately lowered his head and stepped back, whispering instructions to those behind him, "Go find Third Young Master."
Situ Jin hadn't expected this turn of events either.
As a hostage, his treatment wasn't too terrible.
At least when Hu Gui was escaping, he didn't forget to grab Situ Jin along. Along the way, whether he bumped into things or fell, or lost clothes or belongings, Hu Gui didn't care.
But if he was about to lose limbs or be caught by the Prayer Spider and little Golden Butterfly, Hu Gui wouldn't stand by and watch him die.
Li Jin Shuang's condition wasn't much better either. Because the Prayer Spider and little Golden Butterfly were chasing her as well, just the pursuit by these two venomous creatures left Li Jin Shuang unable to spare attention for other matters.
But she still used all her strength to catch up with Hu Gui without losing track of him.
The Mechanism School practitioners searching for people weren't too many or too few. Besides them, there were also Mechanism Dragonflies released. The Mechanism School completely mimicked the size and appearance of wild dragonflies: the slender red and cyan ones were fastest, while the black-eyed, red-bodied dragonflies carried paralyzing toxins.
Both Red-Cyan Dragonflies and Red Dragonflies could capture Five Elements Energy.
Because of their slender bodies, they could enter many narrow spaces that were easily overlooked to search for outsiders.
Both Li Jin Shuang and Hu Gui were avoiding these pervasive Mechanism Dragonflies.
The best way to avoid being discovered by Mechanism Dragonflies was not to use Five Elements Energy. After Li Jin Shuang shook off the little Golden Butterfly and Prayer Spider, she relied entirely on body techniques to dodge. Hu Gui grabbed Situ Jin and hid in a dark compartment. In the sealed wooden shelf opposite was the hidden Li Jin Shuang.
Outside, several Mechanism School practitioners were discussing the Sea Whirlpool situation with each other. Fortunately, they weren't there to search for outsiders and soon walked away.
Hu Gui glanced at Situ Jin, who couldn't speak and could only communicate with his eyes. His expression was cold as he said in a low voice, "Chasing all the way here, it seems she cares about you quite a bit."
Situ Jin could only blink, thinking to himself that what you're saying better be true.
He did recognize Li Jin Shuang.
After all, Li Jin Shuang in women's clothing had been quite famous at Taiyi Academy for a while.
Li Jin Shuang on the other side of the wooden shelf pressed her lips together and didn't respond.
Her reason for following was completely accidental.
Yu Sui hadn't told Li Jin Shuang about her suspicions regarding Ou Rushuang, nor had she mentioned Lin Chenghai possessing Wenyang Xiu. In Li Jin Shuang's view, Hu Gui, who was being pursued by an Academy Saint and had kidnapped Situ Jin, was extremely dangerous.
Li Jin Shuang grasped her sword hilt with one hand, gathering Five Elements Energy, and was about to act when she heard Hu Gui's indifferent voice from next door, "I see you're also afraid of being discovered by people on the ship, so why meddle in other people's business?"
Situ Jin mentally retorted: How could her intervening be called meddling? That's called seeing injustice and drawing her sword to help. Don't be afraid at all, a quarter of the people on this ship listen to me. When the time comes, I'll just say I called you here, and let's see who dares touch you!
He frantically blinked toward the other side of the wooden shelf.
Li Jin Shuang thought about how Yu Sui's trip was related to Lan Corpse, and there was also an Academy Saint on the ship. Her finger pressed against the sword hilt as she fell silent.
Seeing Li Jin Shuang remained motionless, Situ Jin couldn't speak with his mouth, but his mind was chattering: Get a grip! Now that Sea Whirlpools are erupting outside and the Underwater Mechanism City has lost contact, these people are sneaking onto the ship, so they're probably connected to the Sea Whirlpool outbreak.
But why are you on the ship anyway?
While Situ Jin was thinking, he also circulated the Five Elements Energy within his body, trying to break the Ghost Way School's Stone Solidification curse.
Hu Gui said without turning back, "After being hit with Stone Solidification and still using Five Elements Energy, it will make your body feel even heavier. Soon you won't even be able to move your eyelids."
Hearing it was the Ghost Way School's Stone Solidification curse, Situ Jin gave up.
This curse technique had no real harm and would disappear on its own when the time came.
He heard Li Jin Shuang from next door ask, "What's your purpose in infiltrating the Spirit Bird to go to the Underwater Mechanism City?"
Hu Gui said indifferently, "That's not something you should know."
Li Jin Shuang said, "If I let someone who threatens Taiyi Academy go free, I can't bear that responsibility."
Hu Gui said, "You're not letting me go, you just can't catch me."
After a moment of silence in the room, both acted simultaneously. Sword energy and thunder threads broke through the window together, smashing the Mechanism Dragonflies trying to enter and immediately moved to different locations.
Hu Gui used thunder threads to pull Situ Jin away. The dragged Situ Jin moved his eyeballs and inadvertently glimpsed Li Jin Shuang climbing out the window. The two made brief eye contact.
When the Mechanism School practitioners arrived, they only found shattered Mechanism Dragonflies scattered on the ground.
……
The Spirit Bird drew closer and closer to the Underwater Mechanism City.
Yu Sui's Five Elements Light Cores positioned outside would shatter Mechanism Dragonflies from far away, or crush the cores to release Five Elements Energy, luring them off course. Therefore, no one had found this place yet.
After ensuring no one was around and they wouldn't be discovered, Yu Sui climbed out the window to the outer corridor, standing on the ship's edge to look outside.
Near the Underwater Mechanism City, they would still encounter suddenly appearing Sea Whirlpools. The Spirit Bird had passed by the edges of Sea Whirlpools several times, allowing Yu Sui to see the deep blue vortexes in the deep sea up close.
Even through the barrier, Yu Sui could feel the chaos at the vortex's center, with terrifying power capable of tearing apart everything. If caught in it, there would absolutely be no way to survive.
It connected the sea surface to the deepest part of the ocean floor. From the sea surface, one could still see the vortex entrance, but the part hidden in the sea, no one knew where it truly led.
Where was the end of the Sea Whirlpool?
Yu Sui recalled the conversation between the three Saints on shore. Yin-Yang School Saint Wu Huaiwei used the Sea Whirlpool incident to mock Military School Saint Leng Rouyin.
From Wu Huaiwei's words, it seemed Sea Whirlpools could be artificial.
The Saints on the Water Vessel were researching Sea Whirlpools. Leng Rouyin, who also wanted to eliminate Strange Fire, was a member of the Water Vessel and had been taught knowledge related to Sea Whirlpools by her teachers.
Sea Whirlpools could devour all things. Using this approach to deal with Strange Fire was understandable.
She just didn't know how far the Water Vessel's research had progressed.
Lin Chenghai finished regulating his breathing. Using Wrathful Vajra to stop the butterfly poison from spreading, his deathly pale complexion finally regained some warmth. He looked up and surveyed the area, not seeing Yu Sui's figure. His expression remained unchanged, but he secretly became alert as he stood and walked toward the window.
Only then did he discover Yu Sui standing outside.
Yu Sui heard movement and turned back, "Senior, are you finished regulating your breathing?"
"What are you looking at outside?" Lin Chenghai asked. "Aren't you afraid of being discovered?"
"Looking at Sea Whirlpools." Yu Sui pointed in a direction. "Just now I saw the Spirit Bird pass by the edge of a Sea Whirlpool. These Sea Whirlpools appear and disappear mysteriously. If you're not careful, one grows right in your path. It scared me so much I almost jumped ship."
After hearing this, Lin Chenghai snorted with laughter and also climbed out the window, saying without changing expression, "Didn't you say you'd go into Sea Whirlpools to find your Senior Brother? How come seeing one up close makes you want to run?"
Yu Sui said sheepishly, "I haven't confirmed whether my Senior Brother is really in a Sea Whirlpool."
Lin Chenghai said, "I think you'd better stay on the ship."
"No way," Yu Sui immediately refused. "I want to go find my Senior Brother."
Lin Chenghai glared at her irritably, "What if you lose your life searching?"
Yu Sui said, "I'll take good care of myself."
Lin Chenghai's eyes were full of distrust.
Yu Sui wanted to get some information about Sea Whirlpools and Strange Fire from Lin Chenghai. She put on an indignant expression and said, "I heard Taiyi Academy's Saints say before that the Sea Whirlpools currently surrounding Mechanism Island might be artificial. The purpose of creating Sea Whirlpools is to devour Strange Fire. Since it's something artificial, there must be a way to solve it."
Lin Chenghai narrowed his eyes, "Strange Fire?"
Yu Sui blinked, "Don't you know?"
"Who wouldn't know about Strange Fire?" Lin Chenghai scoffed. "It's just that using Sea Whirlpools to devour Strange Fire is overestimating Sea Whirlpools. They can devour Saints, but saying they can devour Strange Fire, the continent would have been rid of such ghostly things 800 years ago."
Yu Sui thought for a moment and said, "Eight hundred years ago, there really was no Strange Fire."
"Don't underestimate Sea Whirlpools." Lin Chenghai's eye twitched at her words. Though this girl was wholehearted toward the Young Master, he still patiently said, "My Buddhist School believes in karma. Since you saved me once, I will naturally repay this kindness. But you can't desperately seek death, always wanting to drill into Sea Whirlpools. Otherwise, this debt can only be repaid in the next life."
"Forget it." Yu Sui said sheepishly, "Since Senior isn't looking for anyone, we should act separately. I'll find a way to go..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was stopped by the scene ahead.
The Spirit Bird had entered the deepest part of the ocean floor. Going further down would be cold and darkness that the barrier couldn't withstand. The dark abyss beneath the sea was a forbidden zone for life, accepting no living things approaching.
Above the dark abyss, Yu Sui first saw a blue-black whale tail slowly swaying in the seawater. With a gentle upward sweep, it blocked all of Yu Sui's vision. As far as the eye could see, there were tall buildings and groves rising from the whale's tail.
Ice-blue flower clusters dotted the tall buildings, and she could vaguely see forest paths connecting mountain rocks, rivers, towers, and palaces.
Yu Sui's gaze moved past the buildings on the whale's tail to see even higher, larger, more magnificent structures ahead. Massive golden Mechanism Gears rotated at the center, emanating warm light in the seawater, illuminating the flowering trees and mountain rocks.
The Spirit Bird turned sideways as it approached, continuing downward to arrive beneath the whale's tail.
Compared to the giant whale city above, the Spirit Bird was like an ant looking up at an elephant. With the slightest touch, the Spirit Bird would be crushed to pieces.
Looking up, Yu Sui saw that the giant sea whale's seemingly soft white underbelly bore different Mechanism School family crests. At a glance, she could see roughly more than 30 Mechanism School family crests on it.
The Underwater Mechanism City, also known as Northern Kun City.
It was a "relic" left behind from several hundred years ago when the Mechanism School was at its peak.
Looking at it, Yu Sui could momentarily understand why today's Mechanism School could only hide in Taiyi Academy, no longer making contact with the Six Kingdoms.
If they didn't hide, they would surely die.