Chapter 234 - 220: Barrier
Dai Mao obediently took flight. Jiang Si had braced herself for a life-or-death struggle with the zombie Vultures, but miraculously, once Dai Mao was in the air, the Vultures didn’t attack them.
This puzzled Jiang Si. When Dai Mao had flown some distance away and the zombie Vultures still hadn’t given chase, she finally asked him, "Can you make these guys obey you?"
’Dai Mao’s rebirth was unexpected. Could it be that, just like Jiao Chunzi, he could now control zombies?’
Dai Mao let out a cry, as if in response to Jiang Si’s question.
Jiang Si was instantly overcome with joy.
’With so many Vultures, they could finally have some clothes.’
Jiang Si immediately told Dai Mao to stop and command the flock of zombie Vultures to pluck the softest down from their chests.
The Vultures went into a plucking frenzy until they were bald. Only then did Jiang Si shoo them away. She ran over, compressed the down into a single mat, then divided it into three portions and used strips of cloth to tie them around their bodies.
Although they were still a little cold, they could now endure the freezing temperatures.
Jiang Si climbed onto Dai Mao’s back, then pulled Bailiman and Aisar up after her.
Tucking their feet into Dai Mao’s feathers made it even warmer.
Jiang Si pointed Dai Mao in the right direction. Just as they took off, a massive wave of scorching air hit her back.
The moment Jiang Si turned back, her eyes were filled with volcanic ash that stung and burned.
It took her a moment to recover. Shielding her eyes with her hand, she saw that the sea surface, which had been a solid glacier moments ago, had melted in an instant and was now roiling with boiling steam.
And beneath the seawater, fiery red lava churned and rolled.
The power of the volcanic eruption was far greater than she had imagined.
The lava wasn’t just covering the ocean floor; it was continuously surging upward. Countless marine creatures floated to the surface belly-up, some already boiled alive.
Suddenly, a massive column of water erupted from the sea’s surface.
It was a startled Blue Whale.
The other surviving sea creatures were scattering in every direction.
The surface of the sea looked like a pot of boiling dumplings.
’If that Blue Whale runs into our Icebreaker, it will be extremely dangerous.’
Jiang Si urged Dai Mao on. "Fly faster!"
Dai Mao beat his wings and soared higher, the air thick with volcanic ash.
Jiang Si covered her nose, praying that Qin Shen and the others were safe.
Dai Mao flew at incredible speed, leaving the flowing lava far behind.
But the effects of the volcano still outpaced them; the solid ice sheets had shattered into massive chunks.
Countless sea creatures, sensing the danger, ignored everything else and leaped onto the ice floes.
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Si saw frantically leaping giant-toothed sharks—not just one, but dozens of them.
The boiling seawater must have been unbearable for them.
As Dai Mao flew across the endless sea, Jiang Si kept a careful watch below for any sign of the Icebreaker.
She couldn’t remember the circumstances of her separation from the group.
But she knew they would be looking for her, and the Icebreaker was their best means of doing so.
After all, while Little Chun and the others could fly, they couldn’t provide a place for everyone to eat, drink, and take care of other necessities.
The temperature behind her grew hotter and hotter, making Jiang Si more and more anxious.
Suddenly, Jiang Si spotted a small black dot up ahead that looked like a ship.
She excitedly told Dai Mao to fly lower. Soon, she could see it clearly: the ship was indeed their Icebreaker.
When Jiang Si returned, no one had time to notice her. Everyone was desperately trying to fend off the swarming sea snakes.
Jiang Si flew to the observation deck, where Shen Baoying finally spotted her. She cried out in joyous surprise, "Mom, Dad, Sisi’s back! Sisi’s back!"
Zhang Qingfang and Jiang Chengwu could hardly believe their ears and rushed to look through the observation hatch.
It really was Jiang Si!
And she had two strange women with her.
Shen Baoying immediately opened the roof hatch. The moment Jiang Si jumped down from Dai Mao, Shen Baoying threw her arms around her, weeping with joy.
Jiang Si comforted her. "Don’t cry, don’t cry." Then she looked around. Not seeing Qin Shen or Jiang Linhai, she frowned. "Where are Qin Shen and my father?"
Shen Baoying only cried harder, and a sense of dread washed over Jiang Si.
Shen Baoying looked like she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Zhang Qingfang pulled Jiang Si, Bailiman, and Aisar into the cabin. After arranging for Dai Mao to be fed, she finally told Jiang Si the whole story.
As of now, Jiang Linhai was missing. Jiao Chunzi had also disappeared while searching for him. On top of that, Qin Shen was unconscious.