Though they had heard about the underwater conditions from Xiahou Aotian long before, seeing this scene firsthand still left the group a bit stunned. Now they understood why Xiahou Aotian had been so frightened—this scene was indeed highly impactful, especially for those not belonging to the Night-Walking Deity profession. "Man, I'm scared stiff!" Freya's voice rang out clearly among the group. Then Red Chicken's voice came in: "That explains why the atmosphere feels so heavy and my limbs are stiff—there are so many ghostly corpses. I really want to set them all on fire, but underwater, I simply can't muster the strength to do so." "Even Red Chicken's underwater combat abilities fall short of Yuan Shǐ Tiānzhēn's ghostly forces," Cloud Meng added promptly. Red Chicken turned sharply, stunned, to face the graceful young girl from Qinghe Clan, surprised to learn that such a refined young woman held such high regard for him. Cloud Meng's expression grew slightly embarrassed. At that moment, Xiatree's Love's brief alert burst into the group's ears: "Be careful!" As soon as she finished speaking, the tens of thousands of ghostly corpses standing on the sea floor and at the ship's prow began to rise simultaneously, surging upward like a school of sardines, dense and relentless. Some wore simple cloth garments, others bore armor, yet all were tattered. Their hands remained still, the current gently pushing them upward. "These are the water-adapted ghosts—troublesome," Xiahou Aotian gritted his teeth, quickly rising and pulling back to maintain distance. "You take the lead up there. Though I'm the protagonist, I'm not exactly a battle-savvy scholar of the earth and water." His voice echoed through the headset, and the others didn't distinguish whether it was an uncontrolled thought or a straightforward, unapologetic admission. Yin Ji plunged sharply downward, swiftly submerging herself, deliberately facing the ghosts. In the next instant, a vast and powerful surge of negative energy erupted from within her. At that moment, her black hair and black gown swayed gracefully in the water, as if she were the queen of the underworld. Yin Ji slightly opened her mouth, emitting a sharp cry only Zhang Yuanqing could hear. A surge of阴气, unstoppable and overwhelming, rippled outward in waves, instantly causing the undead corpses driven by the dark currents to freeze—then, like robots suddenly disconnected from power, tremble and fall in a cascade. Thousands of corpses plummeting downward created a magnificent spectacle. What kind of skill is this?! Undead corpses aren't spirits of resentment. Even the Night-Wanderer would need physical means to defeat them... Zhang Yuanqing couldn't comprehend it, yet he was deeply impressed. "Resolved? That simple?" Red Chicken Brother's voice of excitement rang out. As if specifically to embarrass him, the armored undead corpses scattered across the seabed and deck suddenly "came to life," reactivating and once again steering themselves through the water currents. Seeing this, Yin Ji furrowed her brows. "These undead are also part of the array—they were nurtured by the great array beneath the sea, which continuously supplies them with阴气," said Xue Hou Ao Tian, no less a scholar than he. "To defeat the army of undead, we must first break the array." "Then hurry up and break through the formation!" Red Chicken Brother watched the ever-approaching army of undead, growing increasingly anxious. "The more ants, the more they can crush the elephant—no matter how strong they are, they'll be torn to pieces by this vast horde of undead." Suddenly, a water tornado of several dozen meters in diameter formed and surged into the ranks of the undead, lifting one after another and hurling them toward the distance. Under the sea, the Plague God was invincible, and the Free Eagle's capabilities could even rival those of a Level 6 Yin Princess. Yet, with so many undead, several groups of white-eyed spirits managed to evade the tornado's grasp and successfully broke through to the front lines. "Crack! Crack! Crack!" Yun Meng danced gracefully through the water, her thick serpentine tail sweeping with powerful force, shattering one undead after another. "Get out of my way!" Red Chicken Brother delivered a solid punch that burst through the charging undead, the intense flame flickering out instantly. The undead splintered into fragments, and a deep green juice burst from within, quickly spreading out in the water. Xia Shu's love wielded a short sword, each precise strike piercing the heads of the undead. "Cough! Cough!" Red Chicken Brother coughed violently, his face turning bluish; he was poisoned. The undead carried a deadly worm toxin within them. A multi-player dungeon is like this—initially appearing mystical, it actually hides the distinct traits of various professions. "It's a venomous toxin!" Xiahou Aotian maintained his commanding view of the array, pulling out a square wooden box. "I have a detoxifying pill here." Free as a soaring eagle, Youyu glided in, snatching the box from his hands, opening it to reveal several pill-sized capsules resting on a yellow silk lining. She quickly took one and swallowed it, then transmitted her thoughts: "Catch them!" With a flick of her finger, the pill-sized capsules, guided by the flow of seawater, skillfully dodged one after another of the spectral corpses and reached the faces of her teammates. Hongji Brother felt his discomfort vanish instantly after swallowing the pill, only to sigh in frustration and lament, "Damn it—I simply couldn't perform at all underwater." Fortunately, both Xia Shu Zhilian and Yuan Shishen remained steady, offering him some comfort. Meanwhile, Yunmeng opened her mouth wide, spewing out thick, greenish streams. This turbid current spread swiftly through the seawater. In a short while, clusters of seaweed began to grow in dense groups, the seaweed seemingly conscious, actively drifting toward the ranks of the undead. Dozens of undead were ensnared by the seaweed, struggling as they sank toward the ocean floor. Yun Meng's clear and pleasant voice came through the headset: "They can purify the water, reduce toxicity, and even trap the undead." Indeed, having a group of high-caliber teammates is a real comfort... Zhang Yuanqing swallowed the antidote pill, feeling a sense of appreciation. At that moment, he noticed that the undead previously carried away by the Free Eagles had returned. The Free Eagle spoke solemnly: "They're back, Xiahou Aotian. You'd better move quickly—otherwise, even if we exhaust ourselves, we won't be able to handle all these undead." Looking around, the dense army of undead moved like floating water lilies, countless and swiftly advancing. Both Yin Ji and the Free Eagle advanced to meet them. Suddenly, they paused, as Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun had already stepped forward to meet the undead army before either of them. What was he going to do? To be surrounded by immortals skilled in water magic wasn't something to be taken lightly. "Master Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn, return!" As the protagonist and the backbone of the team, Xiahou Aotian naturally issued the command. Zhang Yuanqing paid no attention, merely tossed his heavy Fumagong杵 into the air, then activated his divine sojourn—his powerful spiritual form attached to the杵, propelling it forward with great force. The Blood Rose moved its limbs, guarding the body of its master. The Fumagong transformed into a stream of pale golden light, surging forth, creating a dense trail of bubbles that pierced the leading corpse, then the next, then the next—thirty or more corpses pierced in a single burst before turning and continuing the assault. One after another, the corpses, glowing with a soft golden flame, sank into the depths and never rose again. This... Cloud Meng, Free Eagle, and the others stood speechless. "Damn it, is he trying to steal the spotlight from me?" Xiahou Aotian's thought echoed through the group. "Damn it, I've completely become a liability. Is the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign that strong? He's only just ascended to the Sage rank." Red Chicken's stunned remarks followed immediately. The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign's strength and devastating offensive power left even the other Sages astonished. Though Yunmeng and Red Chicken easily shattered the undead corpses, each strike they delivered was met with full force—every effort they made. That's why Free Eagle had previously remarked that even when they were exhausted, they still couldn't defeat the vast horde. But now, the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign's demonstrated power had instilled in them renewed hope for a prolonged campaign. Zhang Yuanqing, unable to hear Red Chicken's and Xiahou Aotian's complaints, skillfully maneuvered his Fengmo Staff, piercing through the chests of one undead after another. As his martial aura spread, his inner rage deepened. With Zhang Yuanqing's agile, weaving attacks weaving through the ranks of the undead, the pressure on Yin Ji and the others eased significantly, allowing each of them to focus on the undead approaching close at hand. Time quietly flowed by. Just as Hong Ji Ge was about to collapse, Xue Hou Ao Tian shouted, "Found it! Found it! The array's center is on the ship with the broken mast, in our three-o'clock direction." Everyone turned to look. While there were many ships with broken masts, only a few met the criteria in the three-o'clock direction. Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up. He steered back on the Fu Mo Chopper, returned his spirit to his physical form, then drew out a long red bow, using his refined blood as an arrow, shooting it toward a large ship some hundred meters away. The pale red arrow struck the ship's hull precisely. This bow was a prize he had obtained from his killing quest. "Is it this one?" Zhang Yuanqing thought aloud. "Yes, exactly that one!" Xue Hou Ao Tian replied. Immediately, everyone moved their limbs without hesitation, swimming toward the ship. The阴尸 army surged from all sides to block their path, but were all swept away by the water currents controlled by Zhang Yuanqing and the Free Eagle. The six of them landed safely on the deck, all turning their gaze toward the empty interior of the ship. Zhang Yuanqing and Yin Ji were night wanderers, capable of seeing through darkness. Together, they observed a room thick with silt, where an elderly official sat on an elegant, ancient-style chancellor's chair. He wore a ceremonial robe, his beard like that of a mountain goat, his face pale as paper, eyes closed—so still and lifeless that he seemed like a freshly laid corpse, unlike the seawater-rotted, swollen ghosts outside. The robe was torn and tattered, its original purple hue now faded, the embroidered patterns blurred beyond recognition. A tangible, almost physical aura of cold, dark qi emanated from him, sending waves of unease through Zhang Yuanqing, a star official. On his knees lay a circular dish, about the size of a large basin—half white, half black, with a single red needle at its center. Who was this person? Lu Xiufu? Zhang Shijie? Or some other official? Zhang Yuanqing pondered. At that moment, his thoughts were instantly translated into spoken words and transmitted to his teammates. Simultaneously, Yin Ji's thoughts echoed: "At just level 6, it should not be my main quest." "He's the boss of the previous team—nothing difficult about taking him down." "Yin-Yang Rotating Disk? Mine? This is mine..." Free Eagle stared straight at the disk, his thoughts racing. "By the gods, go on, get him!" "What did you see? Are there yin corpses inside? Be careful—either he's the focal point of the array or he's guarding the focal point. Act quickly and eliminate him." Xue Hou Ao Tian babbled into the headset. "Oh..." The babbling suddenly turned into a scream. Everyone turned sharply, only to see Xue Hou Ao Tian's chest pierced through by a ghost claw—its flesh pale, nails black. The claw was clutching a fresh, crimson heart. The owner of the claw was a female corpse dressed in white, her hair flowing freely. This was a highly intelligent corpse—she had remained silent throughout the earlier battle, only making her move when the group reached the ship's cabin, attacking the lone, weakest Xue Hou Ao Tian. As the ghostly hand withdrew, thick streams of blood gushed from his chest, spreading like ink. Xue Hou Ao Tian sank helplessly toward the ocean floor, soon engulfed by the surrounding yin corpses. "Don't worry about me, I'm the protagonist, I'm the protagonist..." the voice in the headphones gradually faded, cutting off abruptly. At that moment, the official in purple robes seated in the high-backed chair opened his unnerving pale eyes. He did not immediately launch an attack on the six-member team, but instead raised his pale, stiff arm and moved the pointer on the dial. The pointer spun swiftly, and within moments a spell forming over a radius of forty meters took shape—like an inverted bowl—enveloping Zhang Yuanqing and the others. Oh no! The team members felt their hearts sink; now, they could no longer afford to concern themselves with Xue Hou Ao Tian's fate. "Resolve it immediately," Yin Ji's voice sounded unusually urgent. She dissolved into a dreamlike constellation of starlight, materializing before the official in purple robes, her delicate jade hands gripping a black dagger veiled in cold阴 qi, plunging it toward the brow of the shade. The official seated in the chancellor's chair remained motionless; at the instant the dagger struck, his body leaned backward, carried away by a surge of dark currents flowing behind him. The yin-yang rotating disk landed with a soft click, its pointer spinning rapidly. As Yin Ji reached out to pick it up, a force pushed her back, her brows furrowing slightly—she abandoned control of the artifact and focused entirely on confronting the official's shade. With the black silk of her robe parted, Yin Ji gently opened her lips, and streams of Taiyin energy surged forth, transforming into gusts of cold yin wind, which gracefully swept toward the shade in purple robes. A chorus of ghostly wails and shrieks pierced its body, vying for dominance over its form. Her two yin shades advanced toward the enemy, their steps slightly unsteady. The purple-robed shadow corpse roared deeply, and the surrounding seawater suddenly exploded, its violent undertow resembling the shockwave from a missile launch, utterly destroying everything in its path. The decaying hull crumbled inch by inch, splintered wood flying in all directions. The two shadow corpses of Yin Ji bore the brunt, being successively knocked back by successive waves of dark currents. Summer Tree's Lovers and the others felt their chests constrict, the waves pressing against them with unbearable pain, each one being "thrown" out. Even the free eagle, the god of plague, could only barely withstand the fierce impact of this terrible undertow. Zhang Yuanqing and Yin Ji's bodies dissolved into ethereal starlight, retreating to safety, escaping the explosion unharmed. Yet Zhang Yuanqing sensed that the ribs and sternum of the Blood Rose had broken. In a single strike, the 4th-level shadow corpse suffered significant damage. Many underwater items became unusable—such as the Hou Tu boots, which could no longer allow for leaps; the Mountain God's staff, which could no longer leverage plants or terrain; and the swordmaster's sliding shoes, which were rendered ineffective. It's likely others feel the same. The purple-robed spectral entity possesses exceptional control over water, making the deep sea its natural domain—this dynamic makes it extremely difficult to counter. The time has come to use the Vumag杵 with a decisive strike—definitive and fatal. Zhang Yuanqing quickly pressed his earphones, saying, "Spirit Servant Yin Ji, take control of it for a moment. I'll handle the rest." As soon as he finished speaking, the purple-robed spectral entity standing on the bare deck suddenly inflated its abdomen, forcefully expelling thick streams of "ink" that rapidly spread outward. Within just a few breaths, the seawater over a radius of several dozen meters turned completely black. Visibility dropped to less than two meters. Moreover, the ink appeared to be a highly corrosive, toxic substance—despite being diluted by seawater, it still caused a searing, burning sensation across the skin of all present. "Stay alert—attack incoming!" Yin Ji issued a warning voice, adding, "Xia Shu, Hong Ji—come closer to me..." As her words settled, they heard a sharp, pained gasp, followed by a violent disturbance in the water somewhere. Zhang Yuanqing felt his heart sink, pressing a hand to his headset, "Who? Who's been attacked?" "It's not me!" Hong Ji immediately replied. Yin Ji spoke with growing urgency, "Xia Shu, Xia Shu..." She called out repeatedly, but received no response—Xia Shu's fate remained unknown, leaving everyone deeply troubled. "I can purify the water, but it will take time," said the Free Eagle calmly. "We're too late," came Yun Meng's voice through the headset. "It's using its venom to separate us, then attacking one by one. I can feel bodies moving swiftly nearby, but I can't see it. If we don't act quickly, Hong Ji will be the next one to go." She implicitly accepted that Xia Shu had returned to the spiritual realm. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have used the Star-Dart technique to escape. Xia Shu has been right beside me all along— I abandoned her. Zhang Yuanqing’s emotions surged, then instantly calmed. He calmly conveyed his thoughts to his teammates: “Yunmeng, do you still have those water algae you expelled earlier?” “Yes, but they’re not strong enough to hold onto it, let alone purify the water. It will take a long time.” Yunmeng replied. “Don’t worry—just expel as much as you can!” Upon hearing this, Yunmeng immediately opened her mouth wide and sprayed out streams of murky green flow, scattering countless seeds into the sea. Under the nurturing of the “Gardener,” the seeds rapidly grew into dense mats of resilient seaweed, slowly pulsing with their tendrils. Zhang Yuanqing then drew out the Mountain God’s staff, activating the glowing jade gem at its tip to trigger the staff’s nurturing and transformation functions. A shimmering green aura expanded in concentric waves. As the light waves passed, the seaweeds rapidly multiplied and divided, undergoing subtle transformations—their tendrils grew stronger and took on a deep black hue. Yunmeng, however, felt a growing sense of loss of control over them. Within less than a dozen seconds, the once-enclosed sea region, sealed by the Yin-Yang Wheel, was now densely covered with thick, dark seaweeds. Sensing the swift-moving enemies within the "ink," Zhang Yuanqing immediately directed the seaweeds to coil around them. The seaweeds, everywhere and everywhere, successfully ensnared the foes, only to snap again a moment later—yet more seaweeds surged forward without pause. In a mental command, Zhang Yuanqing roared, "Yin Ji!" Instantly understanding his intent, Yin Ji raised her sprig-like jade finger toward the disturbed water flow. Her attendant spirits, hovering around her, shrieked and surged forward, piercing through the dark waters to reach the purple-clad Yin corpse struggling amid the entangled seaweeds. One by one, the spirits collided with the corpse's body. The very next moment, Zhang Yuanqing's spiritual body detached itself and attached to the Fengmo Staff, then shot forth. "Poof!" A pale golden glow pierced through the thick, ink-black sea water and struck the forehead of the purple-robed yin corpse, triggering a magnificent burst of golden light beneath the sea surface—like a black sun rising against the dark waters. The purple-robed yin corpse burned with the pale golden flame, and its white pupils gradually dimmed, turning into a floating corpse entangled in seaweed. "Did we finally take him out? Did we really? Yuan-Shi Tianzun—you're absolutely amazing!" Red Chicken Brother exclaimed in astonishment. "Yuan-Shi Tianzun seems to have a lot of confidence," Cloud Meng whispered softly. Then, Free Eagle sighed with relief: "If only we could drag him all the way to Tianfa..." His thought quickly stopped. The gentle voice of Yin Ji, soft and steady, cut through the murmurs of the teammates: "Yuan-Shi Tianzun, look at Xia Shu's Love." Zhang Yuan's spiritual body, carrying the Fumagong staff, returned to her physical form, sensing the location of Xia Shu Zhi Lian through the feedback from the kelp, and, guided by the current, drifted to her side. The cold, composed female instructor hovered silently in the deep sea, her eyes wide open, her expression frozen on her face. Her once vibrant lips now pale, fine bubbles clinging to her corners of the mouth and nostrils. She had stopped breathing. A blood-filled hole had formed in her chest; the remaining half of her heart no longer beat. Apologies... Zhang Yuan gently supported her body, her gaze slightly dimmed. Suddenly, a subtle flicker of light emerged in Xia Shu Zhi Lian's still eyes, spreading rapidly, and then her voice came through the headset: "Instead of apologizing, let's focus on saving me. The Wood Spirit's 'revival' seems unable to bring me back to life. Please save me—quickly!" Is she still alive? Zhang Yuanqing was first startled, then filled with both surprise and confusion. Before he could ask any further questions, he pressed Xia Shu Zhi Lian's body against his abdomen with one hand, while using the other to rotate the mountain deity's staff, placing the gem against her chest to activate its healing properties. A gentle green light bloomed, reviving the vitality within her body and mending her wounds. Yet it wasn't enough—Xia Shu Zhi Lian's life-threatening injuries had surpassed the limits of the staff's healing capacity, and as a low-defense, frail-class warrior, her condition was particularly precarious. Fortunately, in his inventory, he still had one vial of Life Essence left over from the killing instance. Immediately after the staff awakened her vitality, he retrieved the vial and injected half of it into the snow-white venous vein at the base of Xia Shu Zhi Lian's neck. After securing the remaining half of the vial, he continued to activate the healing function of the mountain deity's staff, combining its effects with the Life Essence to stabilize her condition. Half of the heart within her chest grew rapidly, regenerating flesh and expelling seawater, covering the heart with tissue. Then, fresh red muscle developed, only to be enveloped by a layer of fat, and finally, a pale, delicate skin emerged. Summer Tree's beloved fitted vest, once sturdy, now frayed and could no longer contain the regenerating flesh—before Zhang Yuanqing, a full, graceful mound of flesh stood bare and exposed. Initially, after surviving the ordeal, she had not noticed these subtle details until she caught the glint of Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s gaze, at which point she suddenly became aware, lifting her hand to cover her chest and pushing free from his embrace. Zhang Yuanqing silently removed his short sleeve and held it out, turning his face slightly. Their voices echoed almost simultaneously through the headphones: "That's so awkward..." "What's awkward?" Red Chicken approached, delighted, "You're still alive? How did you manage that?" Summer Tree continued the conversation: "I had the recovery pearl of the Wood Spirit in my mouth beforehand. You know, when a Wood Spirit is on the brink of death, it has one chance to revive." But my injuries were too severe—supreme-level artifacts could not truly revive me. Thanks to Yuanshǐ Tianzun." "That's understandable..." "You're truly lucky." "Quite clever of you." "...” The voices of the teammates echoed one after another. Summer Tree's affection suddenly glanced at Yuanshǐ Tianzun's elevated tent, her expression now somewhat strange and surprised. She hadn't expected to have such a strong appeal. "Actually, I have such a strong charm?" Her thoughts were converted into voice through the headset. No, that has nothing to do with you—it's the cost of the artifacts... Zhang Yuanqing drew a brief smile, then was himself betrayed by the headset. "What are they saying in secret?" Red Chicken Brother's puzzled voice came through. Zhang Yuanqing was just about to give a perfunctory response when Yin Ji's tone grew urgent: "Yin-Yang Wheel of Rotation..." Hey! The Yin-Yang Wheel of Rotation—almost forgot that! Zhang Yuanqing's face changed instantly, and with a sudden push of his legs, he swam toward the bare warship. Yunmeng, Xia Shu's affection, the Free Eagle, and Red Chicken Brother swiftly flew toward the warship. Upon reaching the deck, they found the Yin-Yang Wheel still in its original position, undisturbed by the dramatic "explosion" earlier. Now, the pointer was moving extremely slowly, showing signs of stopping. Everyone fixed their gaze on the pointer. Soon, the pointer came to a complete halt, settling on its black half.