Yin Ji’s tone when she asked the question seemed gentle and casual, as if it were a mere afterthought. Yet she neither inquired about the wise and composed Xia Shu, nor about the experienced Free Eagle, but instead turned to the one with the least experience—Yuan Shi Tianzun. This clearly indicated that among the team, Yin Ji valued Yuan Shi Tianzun most and regarded him as someone capable of engaging in decision-making discussions. The main character, Xia Hou Ao Tian, and the Free Eagle felt somewhat disconcerted, yet remained silent and turned their attention toward Yuan Shi Tianzun. Xia Shu, however, had already developed a deep appreciation for Yuan Shi Tianzun’s abilities and strength during the golden glow fog incident in Jin Hui City, and was thus eager to listen to his insights. Zhang Yuanqing paused for a few seconds before saying, “It is clear that we are trapped within the array and unable to escape—our only option to break through is to enter the sea, which is an established fact. Moreover, just now, Xia Hou Ao Tian’s divination revealed a most unfavorable omen, which precisely signifies that we must journey to the ocean floor.” "I believe the correct strategy isn't to avoid sinking—we should actively dive into the ocean, confront our enemies there, and that aligns perfectly with the difficulty level of an S-tier dungeon." Yin Ji nodded slightly, finding Yuan Shichen's analysis exactly as she had anticipated. "Then it's settled—everyone follow me into the sea." "Wait!" Zhang Yuanqing raised his hand, interrupting the group, and said, "I'd like to make a try first. If it works, perhaps we can conclude the quest earlier." With that, he produced the Fumagong杵 from among the suddenly attentive eyes of all present. The sages, seeing Yuan Shi Tian Zun so respectful and devout, though not knowing what he was doing, grew increasingly eager. Time passed slowly, the sky and sea darkening, the boats and ships gently rocking in the waves… nothing happened. The sages waited with growing anticipation. Hmm? Didn't the Lady say that as soon as I pulled out the Fumu Chopper, she would be able to sense me? Why hasn't she arrived yet? Is she not coming after all? Zhang Yuanqing waited patiently, left and right, but still saw no sign of his beloved Lady, and suddenly realized something was amiss. The sages, unaware of the situation, continued to wait with eager expectation. Soon, Yun Meng, having transformed into a crane, returned to the deck. Just as she was about to speak, she was gently interrupted by Xiu Shu Zhi Lian, who whispered, "Please don't disturb Yuan Shi Tian Zun." "What is he doing?" Yun Meng asked, noticing everyone's serious expressions and immediately lowering her voice—since her clothes had torn during the transformation, she remained in the form of a celestial crane. "Probably conducting some kind of ritual," Xiu Hou Ao Tian guessed Summer's affection murmured, "I know this artifact—it's of an exceptionally high caliber, brimming with an unimaginable power. Perhaps Yuan-Shi Tian-Zun will surprise us." The sages' eyes gleamed with interest. It's obvious that Yuan Shi Tian Zun was just communicating with some presence beyond the visible realm—once successful, he would receive a blessing and lead everyone swiftly toward the raid. Unfortunately, unfortunately… Only Xia Shu Zhi Liang was observing Yuan Shi Tian Zun's face, murmuring to herself: I feel like he's rather embarrassed. Seeing her teammates successfully convinced, Zhang Yuanqing quietly exhaled and immediately said, "I'm fine now. Before we set off, do any of you have anything else to add?" Yin Ji spoke softly and gently, "Besides the Free Eagle, the ocean floor is not our home ground—we must ensure every member can move and fight underwater. I have two items from water spirit specialists: one is the Water-Resistant Pearl, the other is the Scale Armor. I'll keep the Scale Armor for myself, but I can lend out the Water-Resistant Pearl. Its function is to counteract underwater pressure, allowing the wearer to breathe freely, though it doesn't offer any water-controlling abilities." After saying this, she turned her gaze toward the present saints. "I... I..." Red Chicken Brother quickly raised his hand, saying, "I don't have any water spirit profession equipment. I'm just an independent cultivator with no support." Everyone else had their respective tools and skills to overcome the challenges of underwater activities. Yin Ji immediately tossed the water-repelling pearl to Red Chicken Brother, who caught it. As his palm touched the cold sphere, he gasped, murmuring, "It's so cold. The humidity feels heavy—I'll need to stew some damp-removing soup once I leave the instance." While they were chatting, Zhang Yuanqing looked up at the dark night sky, furrowed his brows, and pondered the reason the old man had failed to show up. Was it because the S-tier sanctuary instance was too high-level, with its corresponding restrictions being too strong, thus preventing her from entering? No—that didn't make sense. She knew my cultivation level. If she couldn't enter the instance, she wouldn't have mentioned that at all. Then, was it some kind of force blocking her ability to sense the Divine Magic Staff, or was there another matter the old man had to attend to, causing him to miss the meeting? If it's the former, then the Spiritual Realm has blocked the connection between the old wooden plank and the Subduing Demon Mace, but Zhang Yuanqing believes this is unlikely. If the Spiritual Realm can actively intervene, why didn't it do so during the Transcendent Realm phase? Most likely, there's something going on. With this in mind, my decision to bring out the Subduing Demon Mace earlier was the right one. If I had only retrieved it in a moment of crisis, I'd have been at a loss to summon the old wooden plank. Now, she must have sensed my presence at the Cliff Mountain Sea and will surely come—effectively securing a safety net. At this moment, Xiahou Aotian dons a mask with a green face and fanged expression, and declares loudly, "The supporting characters—follow the main protagonist for a deep-sea expedition!" He then leaps in with a splash. Yin Ji extracts a membrane covered in fish scales and gently places it against her chest. The fish-scale armor instantly "melts" and flows into her body, followed by the emergence of dark green and black scales on her skin. She summons her spiritual attendants, accompanied by two Yin corpses, and makes her second Next came the Eagle of Freedom and the Yunmeng, transformed into a great black-scaled serpent. The prop for Xia Shu's love was a pair of webbed feet, and time was lost because of the delay in removing her military boots. Zhang Yuanqing watched her skillfully fasten the webbed feet and murmured, "Xia Shu, once we enter the water, follow me." He had just used stellarian divination to examine everyone's facial expressions—between Xia Shu's love and Hong Ji's brother, there was a blazing surge of blood in their eyes—and he believed both of them were likely to perish beneath the sea. Xia Shu's Love gazed steadily at Zhang Yuanqing's face, and after a few seconds, this composed female officer smiled gently and said, "Very well!" Long after, the lingering sadness in her eyes faded, and she regained her cool composure, gazing silently at the sea. Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun, this young disciple, always sought to shirk his responsibilities—he wasn't incapable of stepping in, but he never truly committed himself to every matter. Perhaps, when he first arrived in the battlefield of slaughter, he had tasted success and had come to see her as his nursemaid, handling every single issue for him? Then how could he grow at all? An exceptionally strong negative energy—stronger than any I've encountered in any dungeon—makes the seabed of Claysan a perfect resting ground for the deceased, a true feng shui treasure. Zhang Yuanqing's first reaction was one of eager anticipation. "This headset allows us to communicate through telepathy, converting our inner thoughts into spoken words—perfect for situations where verbal communication is ineffective. Since it captures mental fluctuations and translates them into speech, it keeps the wearer mentally sharp and constantly thinking. Also, Yuan Shi Tian Zun, this isn't some outdated piece of gear—don't use it, and just return it to me." Summer Hou Ao Tian's voice transmitted clearly to his teammates. At that moment, Yin Ji's voice rang through the headset: "With your mental strength, maintaining focus and controlling your thoughts is straightforward—just pay attention. However, the deep sea poses risks, and we'll need to work in coordination; communication is essential." Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing and Free Eagle remained silent. "So this is the cost of the equipment?" Xia Shu Zhi Lian raised her hand, pressing the headset gently against the base of her ear to keep it secure. "Exactly!" Xiu Hou Ao Tian nodded. "This guy has so many elaborate gadgets—he'll eventually die from the cumulative cost of them." A quiet mutter from Hong Ji Ge reached the others' ears. "Hmph! Incompetent!" Xiu Hou Ao Tian sneered. "Scholars of the Way of the Dao have a passive ability called 'Equipment Affinity,' which reduces the cost of equipment. Once they reach the Sovereign Realm, they can even avoid three equipment costs—though not all costs are exempt; certain exceptionally unique ones remain beyond their reach." "As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Yuan Shi Tian Zun murmuring: 'Didn't we say we could reduce the cost? How did we end up accidentally revealing such crucial information—this fool!' Xia Hou Ao Tian's face tightened, correcting: 'This isn't about unintentionally leaking information through my thoughts. I told you all directly and openly!' Hong Ji Brother murmured: 'He's just trying to save face!' ...Xia Hou Ao Tian gritted his teeth: 'Enough talking—let's get down to business!' After conveying his thoughts, he moved his legs with fluid grace, like a fish gliding through water, swiftly swimming toward the ocean floor. In everyone's headphones, a stream of murmurs echoed: 'I'm fed up! I'm fed up!' Indeed, this time, it was completely uncontrollable. Everyone was certain of it. Without a word, the team members focused their minds and swam silently toward the ocean floor. It wasn't long before the flash of the flare lights enveloped the outline of a sunken ship. On the quiet seabed, over a thousand warships of varying sizes lay scattered, haphazardly clustering around a single massive dragon boat at the center. The sunken, weathered vessels, thick layers of silt, and dense barnacles bore clear witness to the passage of time. At the same time, a faint, ever-present sense of eerie stillness hung over the minds of all present. After drifting for several minutes, they finally gained a clear view of the wrecked area. On the seabed and along the sunken ships, numerous armored corpses stood in dense rows—so many that they seemed to form an unbroken formation. Their faces were swollen from the water, eyes closed, yet they stood like a disciplined army, steadfastly guarding the fleet. As the group approached, an uncanny phenomenon unfolded: thousands of these underwater skeletons simultaneously raised their heads, their eyes open and lifeless, fixed upon the seven living beings above. "Hrrr—" a soft gasp of cool air was heard through the headphones, seemingly coming from someone unfamiliar.