"In the past, women used to bind their feet because of the social environment. It was a feudal practice, but we should respect each other's differences." Underwater, Snake Skin casually blew bubbles, like blowing layers of bubble gum, wrapping his head in layers. 

"Besides, even if he was a good young man who was virtuous in his lifetime, he became a demon and is now a bad guy. Are you planning to preach democracy and harmony to demons? It's all for the sake of the Chiyuan. Let's go, we've already wasted too much time on the road."

Yan Qiushan remained silent. 

In the pitch-black underwater, his expression was indiscernible, and his gaze was colder than the crystal walls. 

There were countless child corpses for burial, stretching for over a hundred meters with no end in sight. The tomb passage grew narrower and narrower, forcing the group to walk in a single file. They dared not look around, only fixated on the back of the person in front of them. 

The wooden puppet leading the way had no back to stare at, and even though she was just a puppet, she felt uneasy. Unable to hold back, she spoke up, "The heavenly demon is only recorded in the ancient scrolls of the Qingping Division. I used to think it was just a legend." 

"It's almost becoming a legend," the blind man replied to her. "To become a heavenly demon, one must be a powerful expert in their lifetime. It's not something that anyone can do. After the sealing of Chiyuan for three thousand years, the human race unified the world, and the spiritual energy dried up. 

"Now, these useless descendants probably can't even compare to ordinary mortal cultivators from the past. They don't have the qualifications to become heavenly demons. Even if they go crazy like Bi Chunsheng, they can only become a mediocre 'human candle.' Without Chiyuan, it's impossible for new 'heavenly demons' to be born in the world. We can only search for ancient heavenly demons through ancient books." 

The wooden puppet girl asked, "Your sect has always talked about 'reigniting the Chiyuan', but how exactly do you do that? Can you just throw a missile in and cause a volcanic eruption? I heard that the Yue De Sect's disciple stole a new weapon from the Bureau, so you must be involved, right? Your sect has such great abilities, why not organize some spiritual-type users to infiltrate the military factory and steal missiles? Why go through such a big circle?" 

"You've been following Old Lady Yu for so long and should know a lot about the secrets of the Qingping Division. Yet you ask such an ignorant question. It's clear how the inheritance has been broken," the blind man sneered. 

"The volcanic activity in Chiyuan is a byproduct of energy eruption, just a superficial phenomenon. It's like when a woman is pregnant, her belly gets bigger. But can she just pick up a baby if she eats enough to make her belly as big as a ball and gain two hundred pounds? Chiyuan is now a primitive forest. If there's a drought, the forest will catch fire every three to five years, but that's just an ordinary fire. To truly reignite the Chiyuan fire, we need to break the Vermilion Bird seal left by the Emperor Sheng Xiao." 

"I know that," the puppet girl said. "The Qingping Division has records that Emperor Sheng Xiao used thirty-six Vermilion Bird bones to seal Chiyuan, extinguishing the fire and bringing peace to the world..." 

"Isn't it just so? With one seal on Chiyuan, all that's left in the world are mere mortals. The lions, tigers, wolves, and bears in the garden were all killed off, leaving only a bunch of weaklings. Even if they were to fight, it would be like blind birds pecking at each other," Snake Skin interjected. 

"It's just that the technological limitations of the time restricted the imagination of the Emperor. Who could have known that these weaklings would create nuclear weapons because they were unsatisfied with pecking at each other? If those were to explode, tsk, it would be even more powerful than the 'Great Cataclysm of 99' from back then." 

The puppet girl asked casually, "Why is it that with one seal on Chiyuan, all that's left in the world are mere mortals?" 

"This matter, you see, it's a long story," Snake Skin said in a poor tone, launching into a lengthy discourse. 

"Chiyuan, originally named the Nanming Valley, is said to be the nest of the divine Vermilion Bird. To the left of Nanming Valley is the territory of our demon ancestors, and to the right lives humans. Due to changes in climate, the spiritual energy within the demon territory was lost - you know, we demon are spiritual creatures of heaven and earth, unlike mortals who can survive on just a bit of grain from the ground. 

"With the loss of spiritual energy, many young demons were born stillborn, and our ancestors couldn't survive in their homeland anymore, so they had to go out to work. But the humans didn't welcome us, it's their territory after all, so we had to live with our tails between our legs, constantly retreating. Many demon had to work as cattle and horses for humans just to make a living... At that time, we also performed acrobatics, which was the ancient circus, all created by our ancestors. But even that wasn't enough...

"Emperor Ping was a heartless ruler. He ordered the expulsion of all non-Chinese people and mercilessly slaughtered the elderly, weak, and sick. 

"The demon king was furious and declared war. We planned to pass through the Nanming Valley, where the Vermilion Bird resided. Although they were technically part of our demon clan, the humans had built a temple to worship them, and over time, the Vermilion Bird began to think of themselves as gods. 

"They always took the humans' side, and with their overwhelming numbers, they forced my king into a corner. The king unleashed his ultimate attack and slaughtered the entire Vermilion Bird clan, taking over the Nanming Valley and renaming it Chiyuan. It was then that we discovered the true value of Chiyuan. 

"The Vermilion Bird had suppressed the exceptional energy source within it, making even the hot springs unable to boil an egg. But now, we realized that it was an extraordinary source of energy! The Vermilion Bird had suppressed Chiyuan because its exceptional energy could benefit all clans except for the humans. The humans were inferior, unable to communicate with the heavens and the earth. Honestly, humans were just born as defective products, powerless and poisonous. 

These defective products should have been extinct long ago, at most we could keep a couple of them in the zoo for a photo op. But the Vermilion Bird feeds on the humans' incense offerings, so how could they bear to see the human race go extinct? In order to protect this species, the Vermilion Bird forcibly suppressed the other races and brought them all to the same level as the humans. Don't you think these red-haired parrots are hateful? 

"Unfortunately, later on, the Emperor of Humanity, a great trickster, came to power. He confused the witch people, the Mountain people, and others, and they foolishly followed him, allowing him to gain power and seal off the Chiyuan again. If it weren't for Mr. Nian here, what use would we have for being so weak? If the Chiyuan were unsealed, with your level of ability, a few iron mines would be like putty in your hands. You could take on a hundred steel mills by yourself. Hahaha." 

Yan Qiushan probably thought that acknowledging him would lower his status by two levels, so he ignored him and continued walking forward without even lifting his head. 

The blind man interrupted Snake Skin's silly laughter and continued, "However, when the Emperor sealed the Chiyuan with the Vermilion Bird bones, he did not anticipate the future population and scale of wars among mortals. Chiyuan is connected to the earth's veins, and every time there is a major war or disaster in the human world, it becomes a 'calamity,' causing Chiyuan to become turbulent. 

"If you observe historical records, you will notice that the birth rate of special ability users fluctuates. During peaceful times, the birth rate is the lowest, while during turbulent times, it is the highest. The most recent peak was during World War II in 1943. However, if you ask any current special ability person, none of them were born in 1944. If there were, they would have certainly changed their age. That year, there were no records of any special ability events around the world. Elderly people like Old Lady Yu should remember that all special ability people's energy levels declined, and some of the elderly ones..." 

"Some were too weak to survive the ordeal. However, even after the end of the war, there was some external force that suppressed the activity of the Chiyuan. This kind of thing has happened 35 times in history, if you catch my drift?"

The wooden puppet girl was taken aback. "The Vermilion Bird Seal is made up of thirty-six Vermilion Bird bones. Are you saying..." 

"In recent years, there hasn't been a major disaster worthy of being called a 'calamity', but the birth rate has been increasing. This is unprecedented," the blind man said. "This means that there is only one bone left to complete the Vermilion Bird Seal, and it's on the verge of being unable to seal anymore. We've caught up at a good time." 

As the blind man spoke, he suddenly stopped. They had reached the end of the narrow tomb passage, and the space suddenly widened. At the end, there was a huge 'crystal wall.' 

"What is that?" Several people gathered around and raised the mermaid lantern. 

Inside the crystal wall was a male corpse, preserved perfectly like an exhibition. 

He looked as if he were still alive, even his eyelashes were clearly visible. His attire was different from the other children buried alongside him. He was wrapped up tightly, resembling the style of ancient people from the Central Plains. 

He appeared to be around thirty years old...or perhaps even younger, but his face showed no signs of aging from the passage of time. Although not a single strand of hair on his head was white, his mouth drooped and his brow was furrowed with worry lines.

It was a face that had weathered many storms, yet even in death, it still seemed to be filled with deep contemplation. 

"Is this...the owner of the tomb?" 

"It should be him. Look at his belt," Snake Skin blew another bubble and bravely approached the male corpse, illuminating a waist badge on his belt. 

"It's said that the prince Wei Yun was sent by the Mountain king to serve as an attendant to the Emperor before he died...as a hostage. This waist badge was personally bestowed by the Emperor and is part of the official Great Qi system...tsk, this person is not quite what I imagined. Aren't these Mountain nobles part of the exploiting class? How did they produce such a bitter-faced man?"

"You can ask him when he wakes up," the blind man calculated the time and urged, "We've been trapped in this tomb passage for almost a day. It's already eleven o'clock at night. We need to hurry up and finish the Yin Sacrifice ritual before then. Mr. Nian, are you ready?"

Yan Qiushan tightened his cheeks.

The puppet girl asked, "How do we write the Yin Sacrifice text underwater?" 

From his pocket, the blind man pulled out a worn-out carving knife. It was unclear whether the blade had never been sharpened or if it had rusted over time. The body of the knife was stained and the back was engraved with intricate characters, like a cheap souvenir sold at tourist attractions.

Despite its appearance, the blind man cherished the knife and handed it over to Yan Qiushan with great reluctance. 

"Be careful, this is an antique. It was carved by the master craftsman of Mountain, who used it to inscribe the names of the spirits on swords and knives. The engravings not only leave marks on the weapon, but also leave imprints on the spirit's consciousness. Legend has it that it can communicate with the soul, so it's called 'Yin Spirit Blade' by the people. This is the only one left in the world." 

As soon as the "Yin Spirit Blade" fell into Yan Qiushan's hands, it immediately began to vibrate. The handle of the knife became hot, stirring up tiny bubbles in the surrounding seawater. The rust on the blade instantly faded away, revealing a chilling and menacing edge that exuded a fierce aura.

The blind man let out a sigh, "Truly worthy of being Mr. Nian. Even if others 'purify' their bloodline several times, they may not be able to gain recognition from ancient artifacts. You were born with the ability to awaken the spirit of the treasure sword. No wonder the Yin Spirit Blade is so excited. This thing has passed through the hands of dozens of metallurgists, but it has never shown any reaction."

Perhaps because the Yin Spirit Blade was too excited, Yan Qiushan's hand also trembled as if it was being led by the sword. 

"Snake Skin and I will protect you. The final stroke of the Yin Sacrifice text must be completed at the stroke of midnight. Once the text is formed, you must quickly retreat, and Snake Skin and I will push out the two types of offerings." 

The blind man caught the box containing the sacrificial offerings that Snake Skin threw to him. His fingers rubbed over the code on the box, and he knew immediately that Snake Skin had kept the box containing the infant blood. 

Snake Skin was a slippery and cowardly person who always chose safety over anything else, especially in critical moments.

However... it was said that the ancient Mountain people were obsessed with wealth. 

The Mountain king refused to leave his precious White Jade Palace and was eventually trapped and killed by the Emperor. It's hard to say which type of offering the demon in this tomb values more. The blind man sneered and didn't bother to argue with him. 

He continued, "The demon has intelligence. As long as we can block his fatal blow when he appears, we can negotiate with him... Mr. Nian, don't hesitate. Think about your lifelong wish."

In the sea, tiny waves rolled by. The metal plate on Yan Qiushan's chest stuck to his skin, emitting a slight heat. He remained silent, clutching the Yin Spirit Blade tightly and slowly moving forward.

The sharp blade of the Yin Spirit Blade seemed capable of cutting through the water flow. 

Yan Qiushan's eyes were like two whirlpools. He looked at the male corpse in the crystal wall, separated by three thousand years and the tomb passage, and then firmly cut open his own palm. 

As the person's blood flowed into the sea, it didn't dissipate but instead seemed to be drawn by something. 

In an instant, the blood filled the grooves of the Yin Spirit Blade, causing it to tremble with excitement. The blood of the descendants had awakened the entire tomb, and all the corpses opened their eyes at once!

At that moment, someone shouted from the entrance of the tomb, "Mr. Yan, stop!"

The sound waves flew out of the bubbles, breaking through the water and reaching Yan Qiushan. 

The Wind Gods had arrived!

But it was too late. 

The Yin Spirit Blade, now stained with blood, made the first stroke of the Yin Sacrifice text.

A huge bubble emerged from where the sword had fallen, enveloping Yan Qiushan and the Mountain prince, isolating them from the others. Wang Ze rushed forward, only to be bounced back by the bubble.

The blind man sneered loudly, "Who do you think you are? Do you really think you can interrupt the Yin Sacrifice ritual?" 

Yan Qiushan paused for a moment, then suddenly turned around. In a burst of blood-red light, he locked eyes with Wang Ze. A faint smile appeared on his stern face.

Wang Ze was furious. "How can you still laugh? Are you an idiot, Yan Qiushan? Can you face Zhi Chun with a clear conscience?"

Yan Qiushan shook his head at him and glanced at the blind man. 

Suddenly, he asked, "You said that there are no more 'heavenly demons' in the world after Chiyuan was sealed. But that's not entirely true, is it?"

The blind man was taken aback. "What do you mean?" 

"From the information I have gathered over the years, even in ancient times, there was only the term 'demonic cultivator'. When a demonic cultivator loses control, they become a 'human candle', not a 'heavenly demon'. Those who become heavenly demons do not die, but decay with the world's natural laws. It can also be said that they become a part of the world's rules. In ancient times, they were called 'calamities' and 'disasters'. There is a limit to the number of heavenly demons that the world can accommodate, and each clan may only have one - humans, witches, and this Mountain clan..." 

Yan Qiushan laughed, his eyes like flint sparking with fire. It was as if his long-hidden soul had regained control of his body. 

He said, "One more dead is one less, thank you for showing me the way." 

The blind man asked, "What are you going to do..." 

He didn't finish his sentence before Yan Qiushan pulled out a small pottery box - he had been carrying the "poison" with him. The blind man thought he was going to ask the demon in the tomb to help him restore the Zhi Chun sword, and didn't care. 

At this moment, Yan Qiushan fiercely smashed the "poison" against the crystal wall, as if he was crushing his last delusion with his own hands. The blood of the mermaid, filled with infinite resentment, instantly dyed the crystal red. Yan Qiushan's Yin Spirit Blade suddenly stretched out in his hand, sparking against the stone wall and drawing several strokes, but it was not the Yin Sacrifice text. 

Wang Ze and Yan Qiushan were so close in the past that Yan Qiushan only had to make the first move and Wang Ze could already predict what he was going to do. It was a talisman that only those with a metal-type special ability could use, capable of instantly draining a person's energy and redistributing the free electrons in their metal objects to create a large enough potential difference for an electric arc to break through the air in a small area, typically used to detonate dangerous items. 

Especially in an enclosed space! 

In the blink of an eye, Wang Ze realized what Yan Qiushan was about to do and his eyes widened in horror as he stared at the walls covered in "blood-colored paint". 

The mermaid poison had a smooth texture and had a taste for fresh blood. Even through a cloth, it could quickly penetrate and cling onto its target. It feared light and fire because the oily substance within it was easily flammable. 

The blood of the merfolk, which contained toxins, had an extremely high energy density. Once ignited, it would immediately explode.

At this moment, the sealed barrier created by the Yin Sacrifice ritual was unbreakable. If the poison on the walls were ignited, it could turn the Mountain prince into ashes!

Although heavenly demons decay together with the earth and sky, they are still the lowest form of existence in the heavenly realm. They require a vessel. Three thousand years ago, the masters dealt with demons by sealing their bodies along with their spirit. Once the demon's spirit escaped, it would be even harder to capture. 

However, after three thousand years of desolation in the Abyss, vessels that could contain the heavenly demon power were rarer than the demons themselves. Once they were blown up, they didn't have to worry about the Mountain demons anymore. 

After Zhi Chun was poisoned at the sea, Yan Qiushan frantically searched through countless materials about the sea poison and the mirage island. But the more he searched, the more doubtful he became. 

The mirage island was composed of a creature called the "mirage bug". Although the mirage bug looked disgusting, it was very sensitive and afraid of "living energy". 

With many fishing grounds and tourist boats along the coast, humans and various marine creatures frequently interacted. Even before approaching human activity areas, the mirage bugs would scatter and flee in fear, causing the mirage island to naturally disintegrate and making it impossible to approach. 

Not to mention densely populated countries like their own, even the vast and sparsely populated mainland had never had a precedent of the mirage island approaching the continental shelf. 

So... where did the mirage island that almost approached the land come from? 

Yan Qiushan was not one to easily entertain conspiracy theories, for he knew he had nothing to gain from them. His family's bloodline was too diluted, and most of his relatives were ordinary people who rarely visited. 

He was not skilled in socializing, and it was unlikely he would make any significant achievements in the so-called "officialdom." He simply worked to make a living, and his position would not rise any further.

As a special operations agent, his salary was high, and he lived a relatively comfortable life. However, it was still just a salary, and he had no connection to wealth and prosperity.

He was poor and had nothing but Zhi Chun.

To him, Zhi Chun was priceless, but what did he matter to others? He was neither as famous as the top ten famous swords, nor as sharp and unparalleled as those legendary magic swords and demon swords. 

As an "ancient sword", Zhi Chun was too gentle and lacked sharpness. He didn't even have a decent sword inscription and was almost an unfinished product. The sword spirit had been dormant for thousands of years until it awakened in his hands.

People are insignificant, and swords are insignificant. What is there worth others racking their brains to calculate?

It wasn't until someone came to him and asked if he wanted to restore Zhi Chun that he realized those people were missing a Mountain descendant who could perform the Yin Sacrifice ritual. Zhi Chun was gone, but people were still plotting over him and his fragments. 

Yan Qiushan thought about how there were thousands of field agents like him in the Bureau, with departments constantly churning out new recruits. But this so-called "heavenly demon" was different. They were rare and valuable, like a limited edition antique car compared to a common fleet of taxis. 

He had lived a happy life and had done enough in this world. 

He had also lived long enough.

He had uncovered everything he needed to and all of his findings were sealed away. His former subordinates still remembered him, and if they could follow the small clues he left behind, they should be able to find what he had left behind as well. 

As Yan Qiushan listened to the sound of water, the mournful cries of the sea, the weeping voice of Gu Yuexi, and the angry shouts of Wang Ze, his world remained calm amidst the chaos, his hands steady as a mountain.

After death, does the soul exist? If only he had embraced a belief earlier, any belief would do. Then, when death approached, he could convince himself that the soul lives on, able to travel between heaven and earth, and retrieve what was lost.

"Yan Qiushan!" The Yin Spirit Blade left a familiar charm on the stone wall that sealed the Mountain prince. 

Wang Ze let out a scream even more heart-wrenching than before. "Are you an idiot?" 

Yan Qiushan stood facing the wall, his blade cutting through the blood of the merfolk. Through the sharp cracks, he faced the dead face of the Mountain prince  who still mourned behind the wall. 

A smile flickered across his eyes, "Wang Ze, it seems like you're getting anxious."

As the Yin Spirit Blade's stroke approached the beautiful and precise arc, it was about to connect the beginning and end.

In order to find the flaw on the barrier, Gu Yuexi opened her perspective eye to the extreme, almost shedding tears of blood from the corner of her eye.

At that moment, Zhang Zhao, who was struggling in the water, finally arrived and activated the one-second pause.

Xuan Ji grabbed Gu Yuexi by the back of her collar, "Get out of the way!" 

His fingertips burst into a cluster of flames, the color of the flames changing several times before finally turning into a strange snow-white color. The oxygen in the bubbles was burned out in an instant, and the water pressure pushed them against his body, causing him to glow like a light. 

As soon as the snow-white flames touched the Yin Sacrifice ritual's barrier, it let out a sharp crack and dark, thick liquid dripped from the burned area like blood. Suddenly, Xuan Ji was bombarded with countless chaotic images and the sounds of battle and screams filled his ears, but he didn't have time to examine them closely. 

After a brief pause, time seemed to speed up. 

Yan Qiushan's dagger broke with a "clang" in his palm, and a string of terrifying sparks exploded from the wall. With a loud "boom," the sacrificial barrier shattered just as the mermaid's blood exploded. 

Wang Ze had never used such a powerful water spell in his life, and as the barrier broke, a dozen bubbles flew out and attached themselves to Yan Qiushan. It was unclear whether they were secure or not, but they were shattered by the shockwave of the explosion layer by layer. 

Suddenly, the entire tomb collapsed and a huge wave threw everyone inside out, regardless of whether they were gods or demons.

Xuan Ji had already burned through all the oxygen in his bubble and now he was facing the explosion head-on. The bubble shattered into pieces - he was not only a fire user, but also a bird person, making underwater combat an impossible task. 

The rushing water hit him straight in the chest, taking away the last bit of air in his lungs, and Xuan Ji blacked out.

As his lungs ran out of oxygen, the burning pain intensified and a scene flashed before his eyes. In a daze, he felt like he was surrounded by a group of people, standing in the midst of a raging fire.

The people around him looked withered, as if they were about to run out of oil in their lamps. Their faces were unable to cover their skulls, but their eyes shone with fanatical light. 

With all eighty-one mouths chanting the incantation to open the gates of hell, the sound was deafening. 

Xuan Ji first noticed that these people were abnormally tall, but then he realized that it wasn't them who were too "tall," but rather he was too small - about the size of an adult man's palm. Before he could even process his current form, he felt excruciating pain in eight different places - his head, eyes, throat, wings, chest, and dantian - almost overwhelming his senses. 

Suddenly, he was lifted into the air and twisted into a contorted position, pinned onto something soft and warm with a faint heartbeat. It was the body of a living person! 

Xuan Ji didn't have time to be horrified before the distant thunder had already descended. The corners of the bronze mirror shone brightly, and his eyes were dazzled through. 

However, strangely, he could still see things, as if he was sharing someone else's eyes! 

In the dim moment of lightning, he saw the scene reflected in the bronze mirror - a two or three-year-old boy was hanging from the base of the Vermilion Bird statue, suspended over a huge bronze cauldron. The cauldron was burning fiercely, and the boy had a palm-sized fledgling bird nailed to his chest. 

Scattered around were gem-like eggshells, and the bird seemed to have been directly cut out of the egg by someone. Its feathers had not yet fully grown, and the blood from the boy's heart soaked through, flowing all over the fledgling bird's body. 

The little thing was a bloody mess, and it was impossible to tell what species it was. The second thunderbolt struck with a blinding flash, illuminating the faces of the people around as if they were ghosts. 

In the lightning, a huge vermilion bird statue appeared, its silhouette pure white against the darkness. The statue depicted a man with wings and a feathered robe, his face and body human, but with a bird-like protrusion at the back of his head and adorned with beautiful long feathers. 

In the midst of the thunder and lightning, the statue's mouth twisted into a sinister and eerie smile.

Suddenly, flames erupted from the bronze cauldron, turning snow-white. 

The boy and the bird were swallowed up by the flames, and the people around them, who had gone mad, were also engulfed by the fiery tongues. 

However, they seemed to be oblivious to pain and death, dancing and shouting in unison, "The heavenly demon is born! The heavenly demon sword is born!" 

One thunderbolt after another struck down, burning the madmen to charred corpses and causing the temple to crumble and fall apart. The boy's bones in the bronze cauldron seemed to have sucked the life force out of his body and grown new flesh once again. 

At the same time, the young bird had been burned to a smooth bird bone, and a flame-colored light flew out from the bird's bones, stirring the molten iron in the bronze cauldron and transforming into a sword.

The hilt of the sword was engraved with intricate patterns, with a design in the middle that was exactly the same as the marks on Xuan Ji's body.

The sword was so familiar, as if it had been with him day and night... no, even more familiar than that...

Xuan Ji was in excruciating pain, as if he had been dismembered and reassembled, with every inch of his flesh and blood being kneaded. If there were eighteen levels of hell, the punishment he was receiving would probably be no better than that, but he couldn't even remember what unforgivable sin he had committed. 

Before Xuan Ji's eyes floated the iron gate and seal from his dream. The seal he had barely fixed a few days ago had completely broken, and the iron gate was falling apart. He heard the sound of his heart breaking, and a tidal wave of memories rushed out from behind the iron doors, instantly submerging the false persona he had built over the past ten years. 

'That child is...Lingyuan.' A thought emerged from Xuan Ji's oxygen-deprived brain. 

The word 'Lingyuan' almost shattered his heart. 

'And that Heavenly Demon Sword made from a young bird...is me. I am...the sword spirit.' 

The next moment, someone grabbed his shoulder and forcibly turned his head. Xuan Ji's scattered consciousness fluctuated, and in a daze, he thought he saw Sheng Lingyuan's face. 

He remembered the person in the small county town near Chiyuan who casually said, "I am a delusion of the people." 

Suddenly, a chill ran through his body. It was fortunate that Sheng Lingyuan arrived at just the right time. He had gone diving and stumbled in upon the explosion of the Mountain prince's tomb. 

The entire tomb had collapsed, and the crystal walls that had sealed various bodies from different eras had shattered into pieces. Whether it was the child corpses of the Mountain people buried with the prince or the tomb robbers who had served as "window models" for many years, anyone lucky enough to maintain their "shape" intact in the explosion was now jostling and floating around in the chaotic underwater scene. 

Sheng Lingyuan quickly retrieved a "bird" from among the dead. 

He couldn't understand why this type of bird, the Xuan Ji, would follow that black carp to the depths of the sea. 

It was usually quite clever, so why was it acting so foolishly? 

Whether acting on his subconscious or just on pure survival instinct, as soon as he touched Xuan Ji, Xuan Ji held onto him tightly, his grip so strong it felt like she was trying to crush his bones.

At the same time, large bubbles were coming out of his mouth and nose, and Sheng Lingyuan frowned, estimating that he wouldn't be able to hold on until they reached the surface.

As the last fire-keeper of Chiyuan, if he accidentally drowned in the sea, it would be a big problem.

Sheng Lingyuan couldn't help but think of a sentence he heard a few days ago in the store. At the time, he didn't quite understand it because it didn't seem grammatically correct, but now he understood how to use it perfectly - "Look at what you're capable of!"

He pinched Xuan Ji's chin and thought disdainfully, "Tsk, salty." 

Sheng Lingyuan had originally intended to use force to pry open his lips, but as soon as he touched them, Xuan Ji's stubborn teeth loosened, allowing him to quickly catch his breath. 

Sensing the other's almost complete trust, Sheng Lingyuan suddenly felt a bit strange and wondered, "Did he choke on water and lose his mind?"

After catching his breath, Sheng Lingyuan grabbed Xuan Ji and silently recited a sentence in the language of the merfolk.

In the underwater tomb, three thousand years of cold and deathly air surged up, creating a huge vortex that stirred up the surrounding seawater like a hurricane, spraying all the living and dead bodies upwards in one fell swoop. 

Luckily, when the first tremor shook the tomb of the Mountain prince, the emergency response measures for sudden natural disasters were immediately activated by the relevant departments along the coast of Yuyang. All work boats went into "refuge", otherwise, who knows how to explain the scene of these dancing corpses.

As the speedboat on the water was hit and flipped back and forth, a Wind God agent stumbled and knelt on the side of the boat, just in time to meet the gaze of a corpse with a shocked expression. The corpse maintained the same look as the Wind God agent, with wide eyes and mouth open.

At this moment, a pale hand climbed up the edge of the boat, tilting the speedboat to one side. Immediately after, a wet body "flew" out of the water and landed on the boat. 

The speedboat was filled with several high and low exclamations of "Oh my god" and "Dead person!" 

"Not yet," Sheng Lingyuan emerged from the sea with his hair flowing like seaweed. 

He tilted his head to pour out the water from his ears and let out a hiss. 

Xuan Ji was grabbing onto his wrist and a strand of hair like a drowning man clutching at a straw. "Is he a crab? Excuse me, help me pry open his hand."

Wang Ze was covered in bubbles. 

When the explosion happened, he didn't have time to distinguish between the living and the dead. He frantically grabbed at anything and was already exhausted when he was washed up to the surface, and sank bank down into the waters with a 'gurgle'. 

Zhang Zhao acted quickly and paused a second to help Gu Yuexi pull him out of the water. 

"I almost... " gasped Old Wang, struggling for breath. "This is the first time in history that I almost drowned in a water system... cough cough... Where's Mr. Yan? Mr. Yan!" 

Wang Ze's bubbles of all sizes floated on the surface of the sea like life rafts. He wiped the water off his face and swam around, finally finding Yan Qiushan. 

Yan Qiushan was in a double-layered bubble, with bloodstains on the corners of his mouth and his left arm hanging unnaturally by his side. It was unclear whether it was broken or dislocated, and he was unconscious.