Immortal Cultivation and Life-Saving Guide

"This..." Qin Feng hesitated, "If the gu Xun is injured, I shouldn't disturb it after I've visited it..."

Crab Sturgeon waved his hand and said, "The merman warriors aren't that fragile! Besides, he's almost fully recovered! Young little fish, you should communicate more!"

The three individuals, whose species change depending on the context, could only express their gratitude.

After exchanging a few more polite words, Crab Sturgeon then organized his sharks to count and receive the goods.

Crab-Sturgeon sent a merman to lead Wei Xi and his companions to find the slugs. Sure enough, the enthusiastic Crab-Sturgeon was an anomaly among mermen; the other mermen they encountered along the way were extremely cold, and many of their fins popped open.

Even the merman leading the way looked displeased, and Wei Xi could hear it gritting its teeth.

That's strange. Why do merfolk have such great hostility towards humans?

Wei Xi knew very little about this matter; the only known conflict between the two tribes was the fish-saving incident mentioned by Zheng Duo.

Upon reflection, this matter is merely a feud between the Zhenhai Sect and the Tunhai Sect. How could it possibly involve Wei Xi, an innocent bystander?

Something unusual must be going on. Wei Xi secretly became more vigilant, fearing that he might provoke the emotions of the merfolk.

Turning into an area densely covered with reefs, the number of active fish decreased significantly, but the surrounding plants remained as lush as ever. These reefs, roughly the same size, were the dwelling place of the merfolk.

The merman who was leading the way pushed open a stone door and left with a curt "It's inside."

"Strange," Lian Gouyan muttered to himself, "Why do they treat us like plague gods?"

Sensing something was amiss, Qin Feng cautioned, "This is someone else's territory, so watch your tongue!"

Lian Gouyan agreed with a grin, then turned to look at the somewhat dimly lit cave and asked a very practical question, "Want to go in?"

Wei Xi prided herself on being an action-oriented person, so she used her arm strength to push Lian Gou Lan, who was sticking his butt out to examine the cave, inside.

"I shouldn't have asked!" Lian Gouyan's resentful voice came from inside the cave. "There's nothing strange about it right now!"

Wei Xi and Qin Feng entered the grotto one after the other, where the lighting was noticeably dim. The bioluminescent jellyfish that inhabited the stone walls provided only limited illumination, and the ground was covered with fine sand, where small crustaceans could occasionally be seen moving about.

This time, Wei Xi didn't let Lian Gouyan clear the way. Instead, she took the initiative to step forward and replaced the crossbow bolts in her hand with arrows that had explosive talismans attached.

It wasn't that Wei Xi didn't trust Feng Shi; she just didn't quite trust the merman who was leading the way—he was clearly a young merman, and if he, being young and impetuous, led her astray, her life would be in danger.

The Burst Talisman's function is to concentrate spiritual energy into one point and unleash it, often used to break through armor and defenses. Wei Xi purchased this talisman to reduce the weakening effect of seawater on arrows. For Wei Xi, whose cultivation level is still low, talismans, being disposable items, offer the best value for money.

Unfortunately, this kind of talisman, which requires a very high level of spiritual energy circulation, cannot be drawn without the ability to draw the Qi Palace.

The hundred or so bills that Wei Xi had were bought in Chongxiao City at great expense.

After all, the wealthy and powerful Tenth Princess promised to reimburse all expenses for this mission, and directly sent people to accompany the three to make purchases and settle accounts on the spot.

Such a discerning client is rare indeed. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Wei Xi felt that an operation budget of less than 500,000 high-grade spirit stones was insufficient to demonstrate his determination to complete the mission. Wei Xi and Lian Gouhan naturally engaged in large-scale embezzlement. Had Qin Feng not retained some conscience, the two would likely have spent another 500,000 high-grade spirit stones.

As for the Tenth Princess's subordinates, they not only fulfilled their duties as money carriers throughout the process, but also asked without batting an eye if there were any other needs.

The unscrupulous contractor, Wei Xi, deeply regretted his actions. Had he known this would happen, he would have bought a few more Qiankun bags.
Wei Xi took the lead, while Qin Feng, the strongest fighter, covered the rear. The three of them slowly advanced through the not-so-spacious cave.

"It's a pity this is underwater," Qin Feng said regretfully, "otherwise we could have figured something out just by looking at the footprints!"

This is true. Qin Feng, who grew up in the military camp, Wei Xi, who grew up in a hunter's family, and Lian Gou, the master thief (the version of "washing his hands of the world"), all have certain trace investigation abilities.

Unfortunately, the ocean floor lacks the home advantage of land. Even if the merfolk somehow manage to transform the environment into one where land and sea can coexist, they are all excellent swimmers and simply don't think about walking in their lair.

The three alert individuals walked for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before they saw a faint light ahead and heard a beautiful song coming from it.

Wei and Qin exchanged glances, ready to make a move at any moment.

Stepping into the light, an oval-shaped, unshaded space unfolds before you, illuminated by light filtering through the seawater. Giant algae divide the space, their leaves serving as sickbeds, where the injured merfolk lie in what appears to be a cradle. Crabs and songfish, riding on seashells, weave between these "sickbeds," the former acting as healers among the underwater races, the latter primarily providing entertainment.

Wei Xi, who had expected a battle, was clearly taken aback—but the furious merman actually brought them to the ward.

"Who are you?" A milky white seashell stopped in front of Wei Xi, inside which was an old crab.

"We are disciples of the Qingcheng Sect, here to visit an old friend. Senior Crab Sturgeon of your sect sent us to find Slug Xun."

After hearing Qin Feng's words, the old crab stroked its white whiskers with its claws and nodded, saying, "Come with me!"

The old crab moved incredibly fast in the sea, riding on its shell, and Wei Xi had to use his spiritual power to keep up.

That's why Wei Xi, who wasn't particularly sensitive to spiritual energy, was able to detect the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the seashell.

After observing for a while, Wei Xi discovered that this old crab actually had no legs! Its lower body was directly fused to its shell, and the patterns on the shell were filled with circulating spiritual energy, providing power to the shell.

A terrible thought arose in Wei Xi's mind, but then he remembered his own petty thoughts and was unsure of what to do.

However, in Wei Xi's opinion, this old crab seemed easier to talk to than the merman, so he tentatively asked, "Senior, are you a medicine cultivator from the Devouring Sea Sect? We don't know much about the underwater world!"

"Haha! I've never seen a fish on land before!" The old crab seemed quite happy. "I knew I was a doctor from the moment I hatched. These pincers can stop bleeding, set bones, and grind medicine. If you call this a medicine practitioner, then so be it!"

Wei Xi chuckled twice and added, "These are all good deeds of healing the sick and saving lives, accumulating merit and doing good! Senior, please don't be modest! Was this seashell hatched with you? The patterns on it seem to be naturally formed!"

As the old crab led the way, he pounded medicine inside a seashell without turning his head, saying, "This thing can't just grow! Only those of our kind who have been blessed by the Sea Warriors can grow it!"

"Sea Warrior?"

"Hahaha! It's normal for fish on land not to know!" The old crab stretched out its other pincer and pointed to the still-visible statue. "This is the sea warrior, the ancestor of the merfolk!" (End of Chapter)