The wound on the belly of the dead King Whale was incredibly smooth, as if it had been sliced open in one clean motion. A blue bruise near the edge of the wound stood out starkly. The belly cavity was filled with seawater, and the internal organs were completely missing.
From Lin Qian's perspective, it seemed that the organs of the King Whale hadn't simply been washed away by the sea but had been sucked out by something—likely some kind of soul beast that had devoured them, leaving the body so clean. The blood of the King Whale had also been drained, most likely by the same creature.
"Their souls have been eradicated. There's not even a trace of residual soul energy left. Considering that their bodies show no external injuries, it seems they died because their souls were ripped away," Zhou Yi'an, who was observing the corpses, concluded. His voice echoed through the water as bubbles streamed from his water-breathing soul device.
As he spoke, Zhou Yi'an picked up a small, one-armed corpse of a Black-Blade Fish Clan member and displayed it to the others. The water-breathing soul devices that Zhou Yi'an and his disciples wore were gifts from Lin Qian—small tokens of gratitude for the vast collection of ancient texts Zhou Yi'an had provided.
Lin Qian found Zhou Yi'an's reaction puzzling. Although Zhou Yi'an had accepted the gifts without hesitation, his behavior had grown increasingly respectful, almost reverent, towards Lin Qian. Initially, Zhou Yi'an had treated Lin Qian as a promising junior, but now his demeanor suggested a newfound deference, which Lin Qian found a bit overwhelming.
"Soul eradication... This is rather unsettling. We must exercise caution," Zhang Tianxin said grimly as he left to issue further instructions.
The expedition was led by Zhang Tianxin and Zhou Yi'an, along with four elders from the Eight-Armed Sea Clan and four from the Carefree Sect. They were accompanied by 300 powerful warriors. Lin Qian and his peers, the younger generation, were among the eight selected to explore the ancient human ruins.
Meanwhile, Lin Qian quietly retreated with Ye Xin to the back of the palace atop the King Whale's crown of bones. With a wave of his hands, a few ordinary fish appeared out of nowhere, wriggling their tails before darting off in different directions and disappearing from sight.
"Are those fish for scouting?" Ye Xin asked curiously as she watched the fish swim away.
Lin Qian nodded and explained, "They're reconnaissance beasts. There are all kinds—fish, birds, flies, you name it. They transmit what they see back to me."
"But if you have these little things, doesn't that make the Swift Soldiers unnecessary?"
"Swift Soldiers don't just gather intelligence—they're skilled in disguise, infiltration, and assassination. They're powerful. These little things are just scouts, good for patrolling and keeping watch," Lin Qian said with a smile as he playfully tapped Ye Xin's nose.
Ye Xin nodded, but her face grew worried as she clung to Lin Qian's arm. "Xiao Qian, what do you think it was that killed the Black-Blade Fish Clan members so silently? They're as strong as the Eight-Armed Sea Clan, yet they were taken out so easily."
"There were too few of them," Lin Qian mused as he led Ye Xin back to their quarters. "Our group has over 300 strong fighters and another 1,000 handling miscellaneous tasks."
Ye Xin agreed, frowning as she thought aloud, "You're right. It's strange that there were only a few bodies. It doesn't seem like they were here for the South Gathering."
But not attending the South Gathering? Impossible. The Black-Blade Fish Clan was a major power in the Southern Sea, on par with the Eight-Armed Sea Clan. They had to be here for the gathering.
The eerie encounter heightened the group's vigilance. To avoid being lured into a trap, Zhang Tianxin and Zhou Yi'an decided not to send out large scouting parties. Instead, they organized regular patrols around the King Whale.
Unbeknownst to them, Lin Qian's fish-shaped reconnaissance beasts had already spread out, forming a vast surveillance network around the King Whale. If anything unusual occurred, the Heavenly Works Department would immediately alert Lin Qian, allowing him to respond swiftly.
However, the journey remained calm and uneventful after that. Lin Qian and the others encountered no further surprises and safely arrived at their destination.
As they approached the ancient human ruins, the King Whale began to descend, gradually moving closer to the ocean floor. The deeper they went, the darker the water became, until they neared the seabed, where a soft glow began to emerge.
Upon reaching the seabed, Lin Qian and the others left their quarters and stood at the edge of the formation on the King Whale's crown of bones. They gazed down at the scene below, illuminated by the soft light.
Like a submerged mountain range, the ruins lay beneath the sea, their buildings remarkably well-preserved despite being submerged for who knew how long. Soul energy radiated from within the ruins, lighting the seabed as brightly as daylight.
Lin Qian could see other King Whales arriving from different directions, heading towards the ruins below. Various sea beasts, enslaved as mounts, also gathered at the site, ridden by different clans from across the Southern Sea.
From the landscape, it was clear that this was once a mountainous region, likely home to an ancient sect before it was swallowed by the sea.
"The surrounding areas have been explored—just remnants of ruins with some minor findings, but most of it has already been scavenged. The most well-preserved area is the entrance to this small world. What's inside remains a mystery," Zhang Tianxin explained, pointing to the ruins below.
Lin Qian's eyes were drawn to the large portal at the center of the ruins. A swirling vortex of pale white light shimmered within it, while inscriptions and symbols from the surrounding formations slowly seeped into the portal, stabilizing its structure.
The information Lin Qian had gleaned from the sight was quickly relayed to the Huaxia Empire, where the Heavenly Works Department had analyzed the situation. Lin Qian, with his limited knowledge of formations, was simply relaying their conclusions.
The King Whale swam gracefully through the water under Zhang Tianxin's control, eventually stopping in front of an underwater mountain peak. Zhang Tianxin led the group to the base of the mountain, where a large estate had been constructed.
As they approached, Lin Qian noticed signs of recent repairs on the estate.
"This is where we'll be staying for now. Our formation masters from the Eight-Armed Sea Clan and the Carefree Sect are already here, working with other forces to break through the portal," Zhang Tianxin explained as he led the group inside.
But as soon as they entered, Zhang Tianxin's expression darkened.
"What is this..." Lin Qian's eyes widened in surprise as he stepped into the estate, equally shocked by what he saw.