Chapter 208: A dark shadow
The ship was a lot faster after it was turned into a speedboat, yet the journey was still extremely long compared to taking a plane.
“Zhao Manyan, let’s fly up there to see if there’s any island nearby. I can’t stand it anymore,” said Mo Fan. Every day on the boat felt like a year to him.
“Sure, you’re coming with me?” asked Zhao Manyan.
“Let’s go.”
Zhao Manyan brought Mo Fan into the sky. It happened to be a clear day. They could easily see the whole area with a single glance.
The sea was like an endless blue arc when glancing down from a great height. The two tried their best to fly higher, yet they still did not see any signs of land in the distance.
“Go higher, so that we can see even further,” Mo Fan told Zhao Manyan.
Zhao Manyan beat his golden wings fiercely and soared into the sky. The ship was now only a little white dot in their eyes.
Mo Fan narrowed his eyes and stared into the distance. After a while, he finally saw a meandering black shoreline on the horizon.
“We’re almost there. I can finally see land. It’s a long shoreline, definitely not an island!” said Mo Fan.
Zhao Manyan could not see that far. He had no choice but to believe Mo Fan’s words.
He glanced down to check if the ship was heading in the right direction, and suddenly discovered something black appearing in the blue canvas of the ocean.
He tried taking a closer look, yet it was still a blur, so he had no choice but to ask Mo Fan, “Look at the seawater. Why do I feel like it’s turning black?”
Mo Fan glanced down and discovered that there was a black shadow close to the white ship. It was not the water turning black. The shadow and the ship were stacked on top of one another.
Mo Fan did not think too much about the shadow at first, yet on second thought, his expression suddenly changed.
Even though the ship that Lin Junxian gave them was not a huge cruise liner or anything, it was still more than thirty meters long, similar to three buses in a line. However, compared to the black shadow, the ship was like a little white dot on a piece of black paper. It clearly highlighted the size of the thing under the water!
Mo Fan subconsciously looked above him to see if it was the shadow of a cloud, yet the sky was perfectly clear. Not even the slightest vapor could be seen, let alone clouds, which meant that there must be something in the water!
It was an enormous shadow under the water!
“Zhao Manyan, we need to head down at once!” yelled Mo Fan.
Zhao Manyan did not react in time, yet when he saw Mo Fan’s stern expression, he immediately withdrew the wings and dove from the sky with Mo Fan.
Mo Fan’s heart beat rapidly. He could not believe his eyes.
What exactly was the thing in the water?
It was very close to the surface of the ocean. Otherwise, he would not be able to see it through the water!
Meanwhile, the people on the ship were totally unaware of the situation. The ship continued to drive forward.
“Not good, something huge is under us!” Mo Fan shouted before he even landed.
Zhao Manyan followed behind him, his face pale. He had always been good at preserving his life, and the moment he realized the scale of the shadow, his instincts were already screaming at him to run.
Everyone on the deck turned around.
“What do you mean something huge?” asked Nanyu.
Mo Fan landed heavily on the deck, his gaze fixed on the sea around them. “Under the ship. There is a shadow beneath us. It is so big that this whole ship looks like a grain of rice above it.”
The originally relaxed atmosphere froze instantly.
Ai Jiangtu’s expression changed. His eyes flickered silver as he immediately released his Space Element perception, trying to sense the movement beneath the sea.
Jiang Yu hurriedly summoned his own detection method, his face turning more and more shocked.
Nan Rongni covered her mouth. “Are you sure?”
Mo Fan did not joke around this time. “I saw it clearly from above. It is not a cloud shadow. It is alive.”
The group felt their bodies stiffen.
The ocean around them was still calm. The waves gently rocked the ship, the sunlight shone brightly, and nothing seemed dangerous at all. But that was exactly what made it terrifying. Something unimaginably huge was lurking right beneath them, yet the surface of the sea remained peaceful.
That meant the creature had complete control over its movement.
It was not simply big.
It was powerful beyond their understanding.
Ai Jiangtu’s eyes widened slightly. He finally sensed something. It was not a clear aura, but a vast, ancient pressure hidden beneath the water. It felt like the sea itself had gained a heartbeat.
“This size...” Ai Jiangtu said in a low voice. “It cannot be a Commander level creature.”
Zhao Manyan’s throat moved. “Then what is it?”
No one answered.
The answer was too frightening.
A creature of such size could only be at the Monarch level, comparable to the Totem Black Serpent or the Corpse of the Mountain. In the ocean, such a creature was even more terrifying. This was its territory. If it wanted to overturn the ship, none of them would even have time to resist.
Gong Yu’s face had turned pale. Even his usual arrogance disappeared.
Mu Tingying gripped the railing tightly. “What do we do now?”
Jiang Shaoxu looked at Mo Fan. “You saw it first. Do you know what it is?”
Everyone turned toward Mo Fan.
Normally, in a situation like this, they would ask Ai Jiangtu, since he was the captain. But after the Feiniao City incident, their instincts had shifted. Mo Fan was not just the vice captain who could fight. He had already shown strength beyond common sense, and now his calmness made him seem like he knew something.
Mo Fan stood at the front of the ship, staring at the deep blue sea.
His expression was unusually serious.
He had seen Monarch level existences before. He had seen the Totem Black Serpent. He had seen the Corpse of the Mountain. He understood very well that there were some beings in this world that young Magicians like them could not challenge no matter how talented they were.
Even with his current strength, even after killing the Scarlet Rending Demon with ease, there was no point comparing himself to something like this.
A Commander level creature could be slain.
A Monarch level creature was a moving disaster.
Mo Fan slowly raised his hand, signaling everyone not to panic.
“Do not attack. Do not release any hostile aura. Keep the ship moving normally,” Mo Fan said.
His voice was calm, and that calmness settled the others slightly.
Zhao Manyan quickly asked, “Mo Fan, do you actually know what it is?”
Mo Fan was silent for a moment before saying, “You all know I have some connection with the Totem Black Serpent of Hangzhou, right?”
Upon hearing this, several people nodded.
They had all heard the rumors. During the plague incident in Hangzhou, Mo Fan had been closely tied to the Totem Black Serpent. Later, during the Ancient Capital calamity, his name had spread even further. The team knew Mo Fan was not an ordinary student, but most of them did not know the full extent of his experiences.
Mo Fan continued, “The Totem Black Serpent is not the only ancient Totem Beast left in this world. There are others. Some sleep in mountains, some hide in ancient lands, and some exist deep in the sea.”
The team’s eyes widened.
Jiang Yu’s eyes immediately sharpened with excitement. As a Summoning Mage, his interest in powerful magical beasts was far greater than ordinary people’s.
“You mean the thing under us is also a Totem Beast?” Jiang Yu asked.
Mo Fan looked down at the water. “Most likely.”
The fear on everyone’s faces changed slightly. A demon creature and a Totem Beast were completely different concepts. A demon creature of that level meant death. A Totem Beast, although still terrifying, might not necessarily be hostile to humans.
“Then why is it following us?” asked Nanyu.
Mo Fan thought for a moment. “It might have sensed the aura related to the Totem Black Serpent on me.”
Zhao Manyan immediately stared at him. “You mean this thing came because of you?”
“Probably,” Mo Fan replied.
Zhao Manyan almost jumped. “Damn it, Mo Fan, can you stop attracting disaster level creatures everywhere you go?”
Mo Fan glanced at him. “If it wanted to kill us, the ship would already be gone.”
That sentence immediately made everyone quiet.
It was true.
If the enormous being beneath the sea wanted to attack, the entire ship would not last even one second. Yet it had only followed quietly, hiding beneath the ocean without making a move.
Mu Ningxue looked at Mo Fan. “Are you certain it will not harm us?”
Mo Fan met her gaze and said, “Not completely. But I can tell it has no killing intent.”
Mu Ningxue remained silent.
The others felt slightly relieved. If anyone else had said that, they might not have believed it. But Mo Fan had dealt with the Totem Black Serpent before. Among everyone here, he was the only one qualified to judge the behavior of such an ancient being.
Jiang Shaoxu asked curiously, “Then what is its name?”
Mo Fan stared at the black shadow under the sea for a long time.
“It should be Baxia,” he said.
“Baxia?” Jiang Yu repeated, his voice filled with excitement.
Mo Fan nodded. “One of the ancient Totems. A supreme creature of the ocean. Its body is like an island, and its strength is beyond what we can imagine. In the sea, even many top tier Magicians would not be able to do anything to it.”
Everyone looked at the quiet ocean again.
The thought that an ancient Totem Beast larger than their ship was swimming beneath them made their scalps go numb. They could not see its full body, only the vast shadow below, but that alone was enough to make them feel tiny.
Gong Yu and Mu Tingying were speechless.
“Who would even think of messing with that kind of monster?” Gong Yu muttered. “It is a Monarch, and it is in its home territory. Even if a Forbidden Curse Mage came, they might not be able to force it out if it wanted to hide.”
Jiang Yu, however, no longer looked afraid. His eyes sparkled with yearning. “A Totem Beast... it must be one of the most perfect lifeforms. How great would it be to see it with my own eyes?”
“That is the instinctive disease of Summoning Mages,” Zhao Manyan said. “Normal people want to run when they hear Monarch. You want to observe it.”
Jiang Yu ignored him, still staring at the sea.
Ai Jiangtu looked at Mo Fan with a complicated expression.
Once again, Mo Fan had revealed something unexpected. He was not only strong in combat. His experiences, connections, and knowledge were far beyond what a student should have. The Totem Black Serpent, the Ancient Capital, Commander level kills, and now even a Monarch level ocean Totem seemed to have some connection to him.
The more Ai Jiangtu understood Mo Fan, the more he realized that this vice captain could not be measured by ordinary standards.
Mo Fan noticed everyone staring at him and immediately waved his hand. “Do not look at me like that. I cannot command it. I only know what it might be.”
Zhao Manyan said, “You say that, but the thing is clearly following us because of you.”
Mo Fan shrugged. “Maybe it just thinks I am handsome.”
“Can you be serious for one second?” Nanyu snapped.
Mo Fan pointed at the sea. “I am being serious. If it really wanted trouble, we would already be fish food. Since it is only passing by, we pretend we saw nothing.”
The team slowly calmed down.
The ship continued forward. Beneath the surface, the enormous black shadow moved silently with them for a while. It was like a continent drifting under the sea, ancient and unfathomable.
No one dared to make loud noises.
Even Zhao Manyan, who usually talked nonstop, became quiet.
After some time, the black shadow gradually sank deeper. The dark color beneath the ship faded little by little, and the sea returned to its original blue.
Only then did everyone finally exhale.
Zhao Manyan collapsed onto a chair. “My legs almost went soft.”
Nanyu also let out a breath. “That was too dangerous.”
Jiang Yu looked disappointed instead. “It left too quickly. I did not even get to see its true form.”
“Be thankful,” Zhao Manyan said. “If you saw its true form too clearly, it might mean we were already inside its mouth.”
Mo Fan remained standing at the front of the ship. He watched the sea quietly, his eyes thoughtful.
Baxia.
If this Totem Beast had appeared here, then the wooden fish connected to it should also exist somewhere along Japan’s coast. Mo Fan remembered hearing that a certain temple in Japan housed a mysterious artifact tied to Baxia.
That wooden fish was not an ordinary magic item.
If obtained, it could greatly strengthen Water Element defenses. For someone like Zhao Manyan, it would be an absolute top grade treasure. Even for the team, it would be extremely useful.
Mo Fan’s eyes slowly brightened.
Japan really was worth visiting.
Not only did it have countless precious seeds and cultivation resources, it also hid a Totem artifact connected to Baxia.
Zhao Manyan noticed Mo Fan’s expression and immediately became alert. “Why are you smiling like that?”
Mo Fan turned around and said seriously, “Old Zhao, I think your opportunity has arrived.”
Zhao Manyan stared at him. “Why do I feel like whenever you say opportunity, it means trouble?”
Mo Fan patted his shoulder. “Because true opportunities are always hidden inside trouble.”
Zhao Manyan’s face twitched. “Can I refuse?”
“No,” Mo Fan said.
The ship continued toward Japan, cutting through the waves beneath the bright sky.
The others had only felt fear from Baxia’s appearance.
Mo Fan, however, had already smelled treasure.