Happy 100th chapter!!!!~
Volume 3: Deep Blue Sea
At dusk, after several days of sailing, the group finally set foot on the continent once again. Ahead lay the long-lost scene of the sunset, with the horizon painted in shades of orange and vibrant red. The golden glow spread across the land as if gently draping the world in a warm tapestry.
Stepping on solid rocks and soil beneath their feet, a sense of tranquility involuntarily filled the hearts of the group, with one exception – Ling Yang. It was evident that venturing deep into the inland had stirred a hint of panic in him. Fortunately, Meng Muyu had prepared a ceramic basin, originally intended for holding soup but now serving as an improvised fish tank. Ling Yang, after a brief splash in the tank, excitedly leaped out onto the land with a soft thud. Left and right, he explored the surroundings, his tail arching and leaving a long trail on the ground. Curiously, using his chubby hands, he picked up dry sand, watching intently as it slipped through his fingers. For Ling Yang, everything on the land seemed filled with mystery and novelty.
The group coordinated their steps, slowing their pace, and allowing the little mermaid to move gracefully on the ground with each arch. This was Ling Yang’s world, and no one was more qualified than him to cherish this land. However, what surprised everyone was that as the little person walked, the speed gradually slowed, eventually coming to a halt. Holding unfamiliar and seemingly ordinary fine sand in his hands, he watched as the sand flowed, tears slowly welling up in his eyes – azure tears infused with emotion.
As the tears rolled down, one by one, they fell onto the ground beneath their feet, reflecting a misty seawater-like glow under the golden sunlight.
The group also came to a halt, uncertain about how to console Ling Yang. Unexpectedly, the first one to rush forward and comfort him was the grass that had been entwined around Shu Xun. The grass, resembling a scarf, unwound itself from Shu Xun and floated to Ling Yang. With the tip of its grassy blades, it gently wiped away Ling Yang’s tears.
The grass had no tears, but the scene before them made everyone inexplicably sense a bone-chilling sadness. It was a despair that felt heavy and powerless, a struggle against an overwhelming force with a hint of reluctant resistance. This emotion flashed by, like an illusion.
In the moment the emotion vanished, Shu Xun and the others quickly glanced around, but the surroundings were empty. Apart from them, there were no other higher life forms present. The expressions of Lie Yang and Meng Muyu took on an unusual seriousness. The mental strength of their group was considered high, so what could have, in an instant, influenced the emotions of everyone? This emotion seemed to come from all directions, not just emanating from Ling Yang and the grass.
Shu Xun called for Big Bliss and had it carry him into the sky. In an instant, the fluffy bundle was soaring above, the expansive view allowing Shu Xun to see in a broader direction. Gazing around, besides the towering jungle of colossal trees behind them, the rest of the directions displayed the same mountainous terrain, with rocks and soil intermingling. The topography only showed a slight incline, and even with Shu Xun’s excellent senses, there was no trace of any higher life forms.
The fluffy bundle descended back to the ground, and under the scrutiny of everyone, it pinched its small whiskers and spoke. “No other higher life forms detected, and the recent emotional fluctuations left no trace, completely elusive.” Shu Xun then turned towards Ling Yang and the grass. “Ling Yang, did you discover anything?”
Ling Yang had ceased crying, but his large eyes still held a misty sadness. “I don’t know. I just suddenly felt very sad, wanted to cry, wanted to keep crying. It seems like I understand why the bottom of the sea is covered in so many tears.”
Shu Xun walked over to Ling Yang, patting his fuzzy little head with his chubby claws. However, he didn’t utter any comforting words because, at this moment, aside from the grass, all consolation seemed somewhat inadequate. After patting Ling Yang’s head, Shu Xun was about to retract his chubby claws when the grass leaf nestled underneath, in a seeking comfort pose. Shu Xun casually patted the grass leaf.
The grass leaf brushed against Shu Xun’s fingertips and then tapped Ling Yang’s forehead. Pointing with its leaf towards the vast jungle that blocked the sky behind them, Ling Yang’s gaze instinctively followed the grass’s movements.
The grass waved its leaf tip towards the distant emerald green forest as if saying hello. With the grass’s motion, the emerald green forest began to emit a vibrant green glow, a radiance that seemed to condense all the vitality of the world. The dazzling light illuminated a verdant sky, growing stronger. As the brilliance intensified, the group finally saw that it wasn’t the forest emitting light, but countless green orbs rising like stars within the forest. These orbs hovered around the jungle, adorning it with a dazzling glow. Even in this dire situation, it exuded an unstoppable and defiant beauty.
The little mermaid stood motionless, gazing back at the emerald sky amidst the remnants of the setting sun, and the sparkling green stars above. The magnificent forest seemed embedded in a golden crystal, resembling a jade ornament born from the mist of a golden veil. On the surface of the lake-like green lake, green fireflies danced, creating a dreamlike scene.
Crimson, emerald green, dark gold, warm yellow—four colors converged in this end-of-the-world setting, proclaiming to the entire universe that hope persisted, vitality endured, and beauty lingered.
The mist in Ling Yang’s eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a resolute determination. The fine sand in his hand had long fallen and dissipated. Ling Yang raised his hand, gazing at the remnants of sand in his palm, turned back with determination, and looked at the descending sunset. “I won’t cry!”
The grass leaf gently brushed against Ling Yang’s cheek with its leaf tip, and once again, it waved towards the distant jungle of towering trees, bidding farewell. At the tip of the grass leaf, a silent drop of sparkling green dew slid down, merging into the ground beneath their feet.
Shu Xun and his team embarked on their journey once again. However, this time, an inexplicable weight settled in each person’s heart. The origin of this weight was unknown, and how to remove it remained uncertain. Yet, it didn’t feel burdensome; instead, it transformed into a conviction and drive propelling them forward.
As the sun completely submerged beneath the horizon, the colossal jungle behind them had long vanished into the distance. The group halted, silently observing the vast expanse of corpses before them. Over the past short while, besides occasional glimpses of various animal figures during their journey, the number of corpses on the land had dramatically increased. Most of them were of giant insects, occasionally accompanied by the skeletal remains of other large creatures. These corpses varied in freshness, with some reduced to mere skeletons and others showing no signs of decomposition. However, without exception, all had undergone struggles. In terms of the types of corpses, insects seemed to constitute the majority. It appeared that regardless of the creature, as long as it had a robust physique, it could easily exploit the weaknesses of insects, leading to a swift and lethal strike.
“Let’s rest here for tonight. I’ll set up the formation. Lie Yang and Gray, don’t wander off. There aren’t many Lianshi symbols, so keep them for critical moments.” Shu Xun earnestly instructed before agilely leaping over rocks towards the surroundings, preparing to arrange a defensive formation. The rest of the group dispersed, preparing to set up camp.
Lie Yang and Gray exchanged glances and, in the end, had no choice but to stay put. It’s no wonder Shu Xun had specifically instructed them. Since leaving the jungle, they have continuously endured attacks from various giant insects. Finally, the group understood why even someone as formidable as Lie Yang could be chased in such a miserable state. The sheer number of insects, especially those living in colonies, made the situation challenging to handle even for this elite team.
Moreover, as Lie Yang mentioned earlier, insects seemed particularly fond of him and Gray among the Zerg race. Once their traces were detected, the pursuit was relentless until death. Fortunately, later, Shu Xun took out the Lianshi symbols from his spiritual space, alleviating the situation. However, the effects of low-level Lianshi symbols were weak, only high-level symbols could truly be effective.
Half an hour later, the group sat around the campfire, quietly having dinner. At the same time, they slightly relaxed their nerves, which had been tense since leaving the jungle. At this moment, the group suddenly realized that life in the jungle, despite the initial encounter with the giant centipede, had been relatively comfortable. Although they faced some challenges later on, they were easily resolved. It seemed as if they had become spoiled children in the jungle, only realizing the hardships of survival after leaving its protection. Now, in the current situation, the group, having enjoyed a brief moment of ease, once again tightened their nerves.
Amidst the dark surroundings, a chilling rustling sound emerged, created by the countless footsteps crawling past. Due to the phototropism of insects, the group had set up cold light devices around the campfire to minimize the risk of being surrounded by insects. However, some insects did not possess phototropism, especially those arthropods that preferred living in dark corners.
Listening to the rustling sound, Shu Xun, gnawing on a dried fish, instantly puffed up into a ball, staying motionless in place. His pair of bright black eyes stared fixedly at the surroundings. The rustling sound rapidly approached, and after a moment, it was within the range of the light source. The gazes of the group sharply contracted – it was an incredibly enormous millipede! With densely packed legs crawling across the ground, its two towering antennae were over ten meters high. The body width nearly reached two meters, and in its rapid crawl, the illuminated part of the body extended for dozens of meters, while the tail hidden in the darkness was still unseen by the group.
In an instant, everyone held their breath because of the presence of the formation. The millipede didn’t detect Shu Xun and his team due to the formation, but in this eerie world, absolute safety was hard to come by. The group remained completely still, barely breathing, and stared, unblinking, at the millipede passing at the edge of the light source.
The head of the millipede had already crawled out of the illuminated area, but the tail remained concealed. All the group could see were the sections of the dark and shiny exoskeleton as it passed by. After what felt like a long time, the tail of the millipede finally appeared within the range of the light. To their surprise, the tail looked identical to the head, with two antennae over ten meters long. It seemed like the tail was indistinguishable from the front end.
As the millipede was about to disappear into the light source, the tension that had been hanging over the group slightly eased. This creature was roughly estimated to be over three hundred meters long, and it seemed to possess strength not weaker than the giant centipede encountered earlier. It was better not to provoke it if possible.
As a result, a sudden change occurred in the blink of an eye. A streak of emerald green, like a flash of lightning, shot directly toward the head of the millipede’s tail. The group nearly choked on their breath, and as they fixed their gaze, they saw that the one extending towards the millipede’s head was none other than the grass wrapped around Shu Xun’s neck. In an instant, everyone leaped into action, preparing for a confrontation. There was no need to think much; this unexpected attack by the grass would surely alert the millipede. However, an astonishing turn of events unfolded.
The sharp blades of the grass accurately targeted the head of the millipede’s tail, effortlessly piercing through. The hundreds of meters long millipede immediately emitted a piercing hiss. The group felt their scalps tingle as, in the peripheral glow of the campfire, the millipede’s myriad legs thrashed, and within a few breaths, it collapsed with a resounding crash. Apart from the rolling dust, there was no other movement.
The group stood dumbfounded in their original positions, bodies still in a state of readiness for battle. However, this seemingly horrifying giant insect had ceased to show any signs of life.
The grass leaf retracted from its extended position as if it had just killed a mosquito. The grass blades glistened with a faint emerald green glow, appearing untainted by dust, completely devoid of its previous sharpness. The retracted grass leaf brushed against Shu Xun’s chubby face, seemingly ready to continue serving as a makeshift scarf.
Unexpectedly, Shu Xun emitted a squeak, instantly fluffing up, then began to run frantically back and forth on the ground. The grass, still tightly clinging to Shu Xun, floated in the wind. Every time the grass leaf were about to wrap around Shu Xun, his running speed increased by a notch. Finally, with a somersault, the grass was thrown off the dizzy Shu Xun.
Shu Xun suddenly stopped, then instantly dug a hole in the ground and disappeared into it. The grass, floating strangely, flew to the side of the hole. Just as the grass was about to probe the hole with the tip of its leaves, a pile of damp soil was pushed up from the hole, blocking the entrance. Curiously, the grass used its leaves to shuffle away the soil, but as soon as it cleared a bit, another heap of soil emerged, sealing the hole. Perplexed, the grass rolled up its leaves, falling beside the hole in a daze.
The group: “…”
