Volume 3: Deep Blue Sea
“However, confinement is not a permanent solution, merely a temporary delay. Once the confinement fails, the invaders are likely to strike again. Therefore, the creatures in this world are constantly evolving against the clock. The ultimate fate of this world, whether it will evolve or face a dead end, awaits the final battle. However…” Shu Xun’s voice paused slightly before continuing, “the likelihood of victory is not high. Although the invaders may suffer injuries in the battle, their mental strength remains high. Moreover, there are few intelligent life forms left in this world, and those capable of matching them are almost nonexistent.”
Ling Yang immediately tensed, clutching his tail nervously. As he listened to Shu Xun’s reasoning, he subconsciously tried to bring his tail to his mouth. Just as his tail was about to reach his lips, a hand intercepted it.
Meng Muyu accurately grasped Ling Yang’s tail and then, wearing a solemn expression, initiated a chatty mode. “If you bite like this, what if your tail sheds scales in the future? For fish like you, isn’t scale shedding worse than hair loss? You’re quite old now, it’s time to find a partner. Besides, it’s an era where looks matter, and I don’t think the taste of biting your own tail would be too pleasant. I suggest you try using your other hand to bite…” Meng Muyu’s words suddenly came to a halt.
Ling Yang obediently released his tail and immediately bit down on Meng Muyu’s hand, which he hadn’t withdrawn in time, savoring the act.
Meng Muyu looked at the mermaid hanging from his hand with a black line, his hand not hurting, but still feeling quite uncomfortable.
After the tranquility returned, Ling Yang, having finished grinding his teeth, looked at Shu Xun. “According to your speculation, what are the chances of Spirit Tides and Earth surviving? If they are alive, where are they now?”
Shu Xun tugged at his hair. “There’s a good chance they’re still alive, but their condition might not be good. They could even have transformed into a different form, similar to Xuanqiu. After all, merely relying on fierce beasts is not enough to trap high-mental invaders. So, the Spirit Tides tribe is likely near the invaders. As for the Earth tribe, I can only speculate that they are large in size and physically robust, but with weaker mental abilities than Xuanqiu and Spirit Tides’s races. The role Earth plays in this world and their survival rate and location are uncertain. I need more clues.”
“Should we go underwater or continue towards the center of the continent?” Going to the continent implies searching for clues about the Earth tribe, while going underwater likely means finding Spirit Tides’s people and the invaders. With time pressing, they might not be able to go to both places. Ling Yang was torn, although reason told him that going to the center of the continent was more urgent. However, after learning that his people might be at the bottom of the deep sea, Ling Yang’s heart had already flown to the abyss.
Just as Shu Xun was about to speak, Big Bliss and Little Bliss suddenly looked in unison towards the left front. Big Bliss’s voice sounded, “Someone is coming, it’s that Emperor Butterfly. Little Bliss and I sensed another blue butterfly rapidly approaching. The speed is high; it should be flying. It’s directly ahead, not on the ground, but in the underground space!”
As Big Bliss’s words fell, silence enveloped the surroundings. Everyone listened attentively to the distant sounds in the vast darkness. However, after about a dozen seconds, the surroundings remained silent. Just as everyone was about to relax, the scattered and suspended three-leaf green grass suddenly paused in mid-air and quickly headed toward the direction Big Bliss had indicated.
The three-leaf green grass flew out a considerable distance before coming to a stop, revealing the situation further ahead through its faint green glow. There, the corpses of the Xuanqiu tribe were also present, indicating that the battlefield outside Xuanqiu City was extensive. Shu Xun and the others quickly reacted after the movement of the grass and reached the edge of the battlefield. The scene before them once again left them with a heavy feeling – all around the outskirts of the battlefield, the motionless corpses were all young members of the Xuanqiu tribe, just like the youth they had encountered before.
Even the not-so-old ones had injuries on their bodies, and their clothes showed signs of repair, clearly having gone through fierce battles just like the youth they had encountered earlier. They, with their not-so-imposing bodies, had erected a defensive wall. Outside this wall, the bodies of various crawling arthropods piled up like mountains. Despite the long years of decay, it was still apparent that these insects had undergone tremendous growth, their bodies showing signs of gigantism and appearing incredibly eerie and terrifying under the faint glow.
Shu Xun, who was initially composed, suddenly froze in place, then straightened his posture, standing outside the large insect corpse, not moving forward. Meng Muyu and Ye Qian stepped forward to inspect the insect corpses. Ling Yang also jumped off Meng Muyu’s shoulder, gracefully weaving between the gigantic insect carcasses.
After meticulously examining several insect corpses, Meng Muyu spoke, “These insect races seem to have undergone massive growth in an extremely short period. The hardness of the residual body shells and the degree of development deviates from the normal state. There is a substantial amount of new tissue present, and the wounds on the insect corpses match the weapons held by the Xuanqiu tribe. So, in addition to the evolved psychic invaders, did giant insects also invade?”
Ye Qian nodded expressionlessly, indicating that Meng Muyu’s findings were consistent with his own examination. “Giant insects should be the weapon of choice for the evolved psychic entities, used to attack the native life forms in a non-psychic state. Insects, as a category, evolve much faster in appearance than other races. However, in terms of psychic growth, they are far behind other races. Presumably, it’s because of this that the invaders chose to control insects, using psychic power to promote their gigantism, thus countering the Xuanqiu tribe.”
Ling Yang, who was inspecting one of the insect corpses, turned his head towards Ye Qian upon hearing this, breaking off one of the insect’s legs with a crisp sound and checking it for abnormalities before putting it back. “No wonder the attack instinct of other species towards insects on this continent is so strong. Is it an instinctive rejection? In that case, most of the giant species that have evolved to this point actually possess a certain level of intelligence. They must make judgments to attack insects.” Speaking of which, Ling Yang noticed Shu Xun, who had been silently standing in the distance. He spoke in a somewhat curious tone, “Aren’t you coming over to check? Maybe you can find some clues. After all, this is our first indirect encounter with the invaders.”
Shu Xun stood calmly, a gentle smile gracing his lips, and his warm voice resonated. “No need. I can see clearly from here. It’s too crowded over there, and I…” Shu Xun’s words were cut short as a strange sound faintly emanated from the empty darkness in the distance. The sound, starting weak and growing stronger, came closer, sounding peculiar—neither like a noise from living beings nor a mechanical sound. Shu Xun paused for a few seconds, then his smile froze. That sound was unmistakably the fluttering of wings from a large group of insects!
Soon, in the distant darkness, a small blue dot lit up. It was the companion blue butterfly of Lie Yang emitting light. Next to the blue dot, the fiery wings of Lie Yang also appeared in the sight of the onlookers. Although there was someone faintly discernible beside Lie Yang, the attention of the group quickly shifted away from that figure. Instead, it was captivated by the overwhelming and densely packed shadows rapidly advancing behind Lie Yang.
Lie Yang evidently noticed the anomaly ahead. The glow from the three-leaf green grass clearly outlined the figures of Shu Xun and the others. Lie Yang’s gaze brightened instantly upon seeing Ye Qian, then swiftly flew towards this direction.
The three-leaf green grass had already sharpened its leaves, neatly arranged to form a barrier in front of the corpses of the Xuanqiu tribe. From a distance, it seemed like a vivid green screen. Lie Yang’s speed was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, he was very close. Simultaneously, the view of the group became clearer. Behind Lie Yang, there were countless large flying insects, not just one species. Enormous mosquitoes and bees appeared somewhat ordinary, but what was terrifying were the unknown black beetles. With sharp mouthparts, rapidly flapping wings, pointed claws, and bodies measuring up to two meters, they were truly hair-raising.
Before reaching the green barrier, Lie Yang, without catching his breath, almost got struck by the sharp grass leaves coming his way. He hastily flapped his wings to dodge and urgently shouted, “Ye Qian! Ye Qian! Friend! Friend!”
Ye Qian stood expressionless in place, watching Lie Yang dodge the grass leaves in a somewhat comical manner. Despite Lie Yang’s frantic efforts, he failed to escape the fate of being entangled. Just like Ye Qian initially, Lie Yang was wrapped up like a dumpling by the unusually flexible green grass. Following suit, the gray and blue butterflies met a similar fate. Then, in their bundled state, they were unceremoniously tossed in front of Ye Qian.
The three-leaf green grass pointed to the three bundled figures on the ground, then gestured toward Ye Qian, waving its sharp leaves as a clear warning. Evidently, the three-leaf green grass deduced a connection between Lie Yang and Ye Qian, hence refrained from delivering a fatal blow. However, it still maintained a vigilant stance, deciding to tie up Lie Yang and entrust him to Ye Qian’s supervision.
Struggling on the ground, Lie Yang twisted his body to face Ye Qian. “What are these things? Help me out! Those bugs have been chasing me for over half a month as if they’ve fixated on me. It’s very troublesome, especially for those with black shells. They can crush even rocks. It’s useless to hide underground. I’ve never seen such persistent bugs. Can’t you say something!” Watching Ye Qian, who maintained his poker face, Lie Yang appeared quite anxious.
Ye Qian glanced down at Lie Yang. “You talk as if they’re not bugs.”
Lie Yang: “…” Turning to the gray figure also bound up, he exclaimed, “I think we might be wiped out. Don’t try to be brave later. Just follow the automatic sensing logout from the nutrient pod.” After saying this, Lie Yang lay back on the ground, adopting a posture of waiting for death.
The firmly tied Gray echoed, “No, no, no… It seems, it seems that those grasses have a way…”
In fact, despite also being a Zerg, Gray had a much more functional brain than Lie Yang. His speculations were entirely correct, and the solution wasn’t just in the hands of the three-leaf green grass but also involved the unleashed Shu Xun.
Almost in a state of shock, everyone watched as Shu Xun, in the instant the three-leaf green grass launched its attack, leaped into mid-air. Subsequently, his spiritual sword unsheathed, flashing like lightning with an overwhelming momentum. The agile figure of the man in white robes maneuvered gracefully through the numerous green grass leaves, sometimes swerving, sometimes spinning. After charging upward, he never touched the ground again, effortlessly dancing amidst the green leaves. Every time his body descended, the tip of his foot lightly touched the green grass blades below, and his body would ascend like a feather on the wind. The spiritual sword in his hand left behind only a smooth glow wherever it passed, thin but exceptionally sharp, unstoppable at every point it touched.
Lie Yang lifted his head in astonishment, trying to turn his gaze toward the battlefield above. He had a deep understanding of how troublesome these bugs were, as evidenced by being pursued for over half a month. He was perplexed about the state of this world. Since the descent began, it seemed he was particularly welcomed by insects. Wherever he went, once discovered by insects, it would lead to frenzied attacks.
Now, Lie Yang felt like he might be hallucinating. The bugs that had previously given him a headache seemed as fragile as tofu before these green grasses and the graceful figure in white robes. Due to the multitude of three-leaf green grasses, the overwhelming insects couldn’t gain numerical superiority. Occasionally, even rapidly evolving insects couldn’t withstand the onslaught of Shu Xun’s spiritual sword.
In the vast and chilly underground space, a verdant glow illuminated the wilderness. The three leaves danced like silk, sharp as blades, and swift as arrows released from the bowstring. Each grass blade was their sharpest weapon because the grass cores fused with the spiritual power of the Xuanqiu tribe, imbued with the undying hot-blooded spirit. Even if the leaves broke, were damaged, or shattered, they still formed an impenetrable shield, preventing any insect from approaching the Xuanqiu corpses.
The emerald-green leaves shrouded the sky outside the city. In this entangled and dancing greenery, the insects trapped within could only awkwardly evade the intricate threads. Green ribbons of grass, moving like dragons, harvested life. Initially, they were cautious around Shu Xun but soon realized that Shu Xun’s speed far surpassed theirs. They decided to let go of all concerns and fell into the encirclement. Occasionally, a grass blade would pass by Shu Xun’s feet, causing a slight pause, allowing him to use it as a leverage point for a leap.
The green ribbons and the white-robed youth coordinated perfectly within the green domain. Within this green expanse, the youth moved like a fish in water, his sword as sharp as if unsheathed, showcasing a dazzling, beautiful, and powerful swordsmanship. Insects’ bodies fell from the sky like rain, gradually accumulating outside the city until they formed a mountain. Only when the last few insects were slain did the three-leaf green grass retract its extended leaves, and the white-robed young man, like the wind, gracefully returned through the air.
Lie Yang swallowed hard, his gaze marveling at Shu Xun. With a stiff neck, he spoke, “This gentleman? Is he a native here? Are all the creatures in this world so formidable? Hello, I’m Lie Yang. I think we can sit down and talk…”
As Lie Yang spoke, a one-meter-long insect corpse suddenly fell from the sky, landing squarely on the head of the ethereal young man in white. There was a cry of surprise, and the man vanished from Lie Yang’s view.
Lie Yang strained to raise his neck, clearly unable to comprehend how a person could suddenly disappear. He pondered whether it was a unique ability of the natives of this world, something akin to the teleportation in the previous world. While contemplating, Ye Qian walked up, picked up the insect corpse, and tossed it away. As Lie Yang, with his elongated neck, finally saw it, beneath the insect corpse was a fist-sized circular hole in the ground. Just as he found it strange, a furry head poked out from inside, looked around, and then pulled itself out of the hole.
Lie Yang: “…” Where did that formidable native go? How did he get smashed by an insect? And now a mouse is crawling out of the hole?
