After being chosen by the Ice Queen

The Seawolf sailed into the deep blue, the land completely submerged below the sea level, leaving only endless seawater and sky. The novelty was quickly replaced by monotonous boredom.

Gu Yan spent most of his time in a corner of the cabin. The energy of the Candlelight seemed to become more active at sea, especially at night, as if it could faintly resonate with the stars in the sky and some deep "yin" energy in the sea. He continued to carefully practice the "Heart Source Meditation Method" to consolidate his mind, while trying to understand the concepts of "illusion" and "traces of time" in the "Mirage Shadow Carving Technique".

Jinbao wasn't used to the rocking, but it quickly found enjoyment in it. With its familiarity with nooks and crannies, typical of rodents, and its natural ability to communicate simply with small animals, it soon became the ship's "invisible intelligence agent." It could overhear the sailors' idle chatter and complaints from the rats hulled in the ropes, glean subtle signs of the weather ahead from the seabirds that occasionally landed on the ship's side, and even sense changes in seawater temperature and ocean currents through its difficult, gesturing-and-guessing communication with the shellfish clinging to the hull.

"Boss," Jin Bao whispered to Gu Yan that day, "I heard from the rats in the hold that Commander Zhao's men are secretly inspecting the cargo, especially the boxes that boarded from Lin Yuan City. They're checking them very carefully, as if they're looking for something. Also, Mr. Murong's two attendants hardly eat anything on the ship, and they only drink the water they bring themselves. They're very vigilant on night watch."

Gu Yan nodded slightly. The imperial guards were conducting a secret search, and Murong Zizhan was on high alert; the waters on this ship were deeper than they appeared. He remained calm and discreet.

The voyage had been relatively peaceful for several days. Then one afternoon, the lookout suddenly shouted, "Fog ahead! Keep watch!"

The crowd surged onto the deck. Ahead, where the sea met the sky, a gray-white wall of mist stretched out, merging upwards into the low-hanging clouds, like a soft barrier between heaven and earth. The mist was not still; it churned and flowed, its interior a play of light and shadow, occasionally punctuated by muffled rumbling or sharp screeching sounds that sent chills down one's spine.

"It's the foggy area outside Misty Reef." Boss Liu stood beside the helm, his face grave. "Everyone, stay alert! There are many hidden reefs, turbulent currents, and all sorts of inexplicable things here! Lower all sails to half, slow down! Double the lookouts, and get your ears perked up!"

The Seawolf slowed down, like a cautious behemoth, and slowly entered the wall of fog.

Upon entering the fog, the light immediately dimmed, and the temperature dropped significantly. The fog was damp, cold, and sticky, and visibility quickly decreased to less than a hundred feet. The seawater around the ship also became dark and murky, making it impossible to see what was underwater. Ordinary sense of direction seemed to have lost its effectiveness here, and the compass needle began to tremble slightly, as if it had been interfered with.

The imperial guards quickly dispersed to key positions along the ship's sides, armed with powerful crossbows, vigilantly watching the thick fog. Commander Zhao himself stood at the bow, hand on the hilt of his sword, his gaze sharp as lightning. Murong Zizhan also came to the deck, his folding fan closed, his usual smile vanished, and his sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. His two attendants flanked him, their presence heavy and imposing.

Gu Yan remained at the stern, but his divine sense had already spread out. His Candlelight Breath gave him a natural adaptability to this "dark" and "misty" environment, and his perception of the fog was far superior to others. He could "hear" the breaking of waves on distant reefs in the fog, and "sense" the disturbing undercurrents as certain massive shadows slowly swam underwater. This dense fog itself did not seem to be purely a natural phenomenon; it contained extremely thin but strangely attributed residual energy, causing a slight agitation in both his Candlelight Breath and his awareness of the fog.

"Watch port! Something's approaching!" the lookout shouted hoarsely, his voice tense.

Everyone hurriedly looked to their left. In the thick fog, several faint, eerie green lights flickered, rapidly approaching. Soon, several strange fish, resembling dolphins but larger, with spindle-shaped heads and mouths filled with fine, sharp teeth, burst through the fog and leaped out of the water! Their skin was slippery and grayish-black, their backs covered in sharp bony spikes, their eyes glowed with a sinister green light, and they emitted piercing screams as they charged straight at the "Seawolf" ship!

"It's a dolphin! Watch out, they'll ram the ship!" an experienced sailor exclaimed.

"Crossbowmen!" Commander Zhao shouted coldly.

Several crossbow bolts whistled through the air, accurately striking the two tusk-toothed dolphins. However, these strange fish had thick skin and flesh, and the bolts did not penetrate deeply, instead provoking their ferocity, causing them to ram the ship even more frantically. A muffled thud was heard, and the ship trembled slightly.

One of Murong Zizhan's attendants snorted coldly, stepped forward, and without any apparent movement, simply pressed his hand lightly against the sea surface. An invisible, heavy pressure suddenly descended upon that area of ​​the sea. Several dolphins that were charging forward froze as if they had hit an iron plate, then sank into the water with mournful cries, turning the surface of the sea into a murky, bloody red.

"Is it a gravity-based spell?" Gu Yan's eyes flickered slightly. This follower of Murong Zizhan was quite powerful.

However, the scent of the arrow-toothed dolphin's blood seemed to have flipped a switch. From the depths of the thick fog, more strange noises arose—screeching, growling, and the splashing of objects breaking the surface of the water. The fog churned violently, and more bizarre sea monsters could be vaguely seen being attracted, their shadowy forms numerous.

Boss Liu's face turned pale, and he urgently ordered the sailors to prepare for boarding action. Ordinary sailors facing these monstrous beasts would likely suffer casualties.

Murong Zizhan, who was standing at the bow of the boat, suddenly moved. He took a step forward and unfolded the paper fan in his hand. The fan surface was not an ordinary painting or calligraphy, but a deep, dark area that seemed to absorb light, dotted with a few silver specks of light, like miniature stars.

He gently shook the paper fan.

A strange, invisible wave spread out from him.

The next moment, the sea monsters that had been charging menacingly towards the "Sea Wolf" all froze. The ferocity in their eyes became somewhat dazed, as if they had suddenly "forgotten" the existence of the ship before them, or felt that the ship was unimportant. Most of the monsters hesitated for a moment before reluctantly turning around and disappearing back into the depths of the fog. Only a few particularly ferocious ones continued to charge, but were repelled by the well-prepared guards and sailors.

The crisis was temporarily averted. Everyone on deck breathed a sigh of relief, their gazes towards Murong Zizhan now filled with apprehension. What kind of method was this? It could directly influence the perception and hostility of demonic beasts.

"Mr. Murong, you have some impressive skills." Commander Zhao turned around and said in a deep voice, his eyes scrutinizing him even more.

"A mere trick, not worth mentioning." Murong Zizhan put away his paper fan, smiled slightly, and resumed his gentle and refined demeanor. "I only know a little bit of unorthodox illusion techniques to disturb these lowly beasts for a moment. In this fog, it's always good to save some energy."

Gu Yan, standing at the stern, took in everything. Murong Zizhan's methods were far from simple "illusionary techniques." The fluctuations emitted when the paper fan unfolded were remarkably similar to the "illusory image interference" described in his "Mirage Inscription Techniques"—exquisite, effortless, and masterful. This man's origins became increasingly mysterious.

The Seawolf continued its arduous journey through the dense fog. Relying on Boss Liu's experience, the lookout's vigilance, and Murong Zizhan's occasional intervention to calm the startled monsters, the ship avoided treacherous reefs and whirlpools.

As they ventured deeper into the fog, the surrounding environment became even more eerie. The fog's color began to shift, sometimes shimmering with a faint phosphorescence, and at other times turning as black as ink. The seawater also varied in color; some areas were crystal clear, revealing strangely shaped corals and slowly swimming, bioluminescent jellyfish. Other areas were murky like mud, constantly bubbling and emitting a pungent, sulfurous odor. Occasionally, blurry, enormous black shadows would flash through the thick fog, their outlines indistinct, exuding a chilling sense of oppression, but they seemed uninterested in the "Seawolf," simply gliding past slowly.

Gu Yan's Candlelight Aura was unusually active here. He vaguely heard some broken sounds coming from the mist, as if from a distant past—the roar of warships, ancient chants, the lament of giant beasts... The dark gold snake pattern on the obscure blade also continued to emit a faint light, and the blade trembled slightly, as if it had sensed the aura of its kind.

"A remnant image of time and space..." Gu Yan thought to himself. This Misty Reef area truly lived up to its reputation.

Just as the atmosphere on the ship grew increasingly oppressive due to the long voyage through the eerie fog, a sudden gust of wind blew a gap through the thick fog ahead. Through the gap, the outline of an island could be vaguely seen.

It was a small, rocky island, with dark brown reefs protruding from the sea like menacing beast teeth. At the highest point of the island, there seemed to be some remnants of simple buildings.

"It's Black Tooth Reef!" Boss Liu's spirits lifted. "There's a small typhoon shelter here, and fresh water too! We can rest there for a bit and wait for the fog to clear before continuing! Everyone, pay attention, prepare to dock!"

Finally finding a place to settle down, everyone on the ship breathed a sigh of relief. After sailing continuously through the perilous fog, under immense pressure, they definitely needed a break.

The Seawolf carefully maneuvered around the outer reefs and entered a naturally formed crescent-shaped bay on the leeward side of the island. The sea became much calmer here. The sailors dropped anchor, lowered their small boats, and began to survey the landing site and replenish their freshwater supply.

Gu Yan stood on the ship's side, gazing at the black island shrouded in mist.

Jinbao peeked out from his arms, sniffed hard, and suddenly shivered. He whispered, "Boss, this island... feels empty, but it also feels like there are many eyes watching us... not the eyes of living things."