After moving underwater for a while, Mu Lin felt that his understanding and perception of the Water Escape Technique had become even more precise. Indeed, in this world, few could practice the Water Escape Technique in a place with such immense water pressure as the deep sea. The ultimate requirement of the technique was to move as freely as a fish in the deep ocean, fully utilizing the properties of water to execute the technique effectively.
Sensing that his physical stamina and spiritual energy were both significantly depleted, Mu Lin ceased his practice and sat cross-legged on the seabed, regulating his spiritual energy while restoring his physical strength. Over more than a decade of cultivation, the flow of his spiritual energy had long followed familiar pathways, operating almost autonomously. As he recovered, Mu Lin also reflected on the gains and losses of tonight’s training session.
This was a habit he had developed since childhood—one that had helped him avoid many detours and achieve his current success. In Mu Lin’s view, even geniuses needed the right methods and unwavering perseverance to attain ultimate success. He never considered himself a genius. In a world teeming with people, there were likely many prodigies, yet only a handful achieved greatness—precisely because they possessed unique approaches to learning.
Every step of tonight’s training replayed in Mu Lin’s mind like frames of a film. Suddenly, a minor detail caught his attention. When he had moved into a depression on the seabed, he had detected a faint ripple of energy. At the time, he had been too absorbed in his progress to notice the subtle environmental shift, causing him to overlook this anomaly.
Mu Lin cursed inwardly. This energy fluctuation bore a striking resemblance to what he had encountered when he obtained the Floating Stone. His heart raced—such energy usually indicated a cultivation site or a hidden treasure trove left by ancient cultivators. He prepared to investigate further.
Using his psychic senses to scan the surroundings, Mu Lin felt an inexplicable unease. This hesitation made him pause and reconsider. Suddenly, it dawned on him—how could he have forgotten? This was the infamous Bermuda Triangle, a place notorious for countless ship and plane disappearances. And yet, he had left Mei Zi and the others alone on the yacht. If anything were to happen to him, they would be defenseless in the vast ocean. The thought of them suffering because of his negligence filled him with dread.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he quickly set up a small formation beneath him as a marker before swiftly ascending to the yacht. Once aboard, he used his psychic senses to check on the girls and found them still meditating in their rooms. Only then did his anxiety subside.
The next morning, Mu Lin set sail for home. After more than ten days at sea, the girls had grown weary, so they didn’t protest the return. Soon, the yacht docked in Boston, where Claire, the other women of the household, and Little Scoundrel were waiting to welcome them.
Overjoyed to reunite with their family after the long journey, the girls first embraced Little Scoundrel before excitedly chattering to Claire about their adventures. Among them, only Hong Jia Ni occasionally cast resentful glances at Mu Lin. The other women noticed but could only offer him apologetic looks.
Mu Lin understood Hong Jia Ni’s silent reproach. Despite taking in two new maidservants, he had yet to consummate their relationship, leaving the deeply affectionate woman feeling neglected. However, it wasn’t entirely his fault—Hong Jia Ni had been busy managing his business ventures worldwide, and by the time he needed seclusion for cultivation, she was absent. Moreover, Mu Lin didn’t want her to feel like a mere cultivation tool, as that would cast a shadow over their bond.
After returning home and finishing lunch, Mu Lin called Claire aside and explained his discovery during the trip. Concerned for Mei Zi’s safety at the time, he had postponed further exploration. Now, he planned to return with Little Scoundrel to investigate. He asked Claire to ensure the household’s security in his absence.
Knowing Mu Lin’s decisive nature, Claire nodded in agreement without protest. After restocking supplies—food, fresh water, and fuel—Mu Lin set off once more.
Following the nautical charts, he easily located the spot after a few days of sailing. Using his psychic senses, he quickly found the formation he had left behind. After anchoring the yacht, he decided to brief Little Scoundrel on the truth.
During the voyage, he had deliberately kept the greedy little creature in the dark—otherwise, the incessant chatter would have made the trip unbearable. Choosing his words carefully, Mu Lin adopted a serious tone.
“Little Scoundrel, this time, I need you to guard the yacht. Beneath these waters, I’ve detected energy fluctuations similar to those when we found the Floating Stone. You know this is the Bermuda Triangle—a place infamous for disappearances. I suspect there might be relics left by ancient immortals here. This expedition could be dangerous, so you’re my last line of defense. Your cultivation surpasses everyone at home. If all goes well, we might strike it rich!” By the end, even Mu Lin grew excited.
“Really? Master, we’re going to get rich!” Little Scoundrel’s eyes gleamed as he cheered. After a brief pause, he added, “No, Master! Finder’s keeper—split it half and half! Or better yet, let me go! I’m a treasure-hunting expert—I’ll find all the good stuff for you!”
Mu Lin chuckled wryly at the little miser’s antics. “Sure, you can come! But let me remind you—it’s 500 meters underwater. Think you can handle that?”
“Five hundred meters?!” Little Scoundrel yelped before deflating. “Never mind, Master. You go ahead. I’ll stay here as backup.”
Amused by the creature’s crestfallen expression, Mu Lin reassured him, “Don’t worry, Little Scoundrel. If I find anything, you’ll get your share. And if I run into trouble, I’m counting on you!”
After packing his gear and inspecting the yacht’s defenses, Mu Lin slipped silently into the water.
Guided by memory, he located the depression again. After replenishing his spiritual energy, he extended his psychic senses to probe the energy fluctuations within.
Feeling that both his stamina and spiritual energy (zhen yuan li) had been excessively depleted, Mu Lin stopped his training and sat cross-legged on the seabed to regulate his spiritual energy and recover his physical strength. His spiritual energy, after more than a decade of cultivation, now flowed along familiar pathways automatically. As he rested, Mu Lin also reflected on the gains and shortcomings of his training session that night.
This was a habit Mu Lin had developed since childhood, one that had helped him avoid many detours and ultimately achieve success. In his view, even a genius needed to adopt the right methods and possess strong perseverance to achieve true success. Mu Lin never considered himself a genius. Among the countless people in the world, there should be many geniuses, yet only a few ever achieved true success—those who had unique learning methods.
Each moment of tonight’s training replayed in Mu Lin’s mind like a film reel. Suddenly, a tiny detail caught his attention. When he had moved into a seabed depression, there had been a faint energy fluctuation within it. At the time, he had been too absorbed in his progress to notice the subtle change in his surroundings.
Mu Lin silently cursed himself for being careless. This energy fluctuation was very similar to the one he had encountered when he obtained the floating stone. Instantly, his heart began to race. Encountering such energy suggested this place might be a cultivation site or a hidden treasure trove of ancient cultivators. Mu Lin decided to investigate this energy further.
He used his spiritual sense to scan the surroundings, but something nagged at the back of his mind. This feeling prevented him from taking immediate action, prompting him to think carefully. Suddenly, he realized what was bothering him—he had completely forgotten that this area was the famous Bermuda Triangle. There had been countless reports of ships and planes mysteriously disappearing here. He had left Mei Zi and the others aboard the yacht, and if something happened to him, they would be completely helpless at sea. If anything happened to them because of his recklessness, he would never forgive himself.
Realizing this, he quickly gathered his energy, placed a small formation beneath him to mark the location, and swiftly ascended toward the surface. Once back on the yacht, he used his spiritual sense to check on the girls. Finding them all safely meditating in their cabins, his heart finally settled.
The next morning, Mu Lin began the journey back. After spending over ten days at sea, the girls were growing weary of the voyage, so he didn’t have to persuade them much. The yacht quickly returned to Boston, where Claire, the other women from home, and Xiao Laipi were waiting at the dock to greet them.
Seeing their loved ones after such a long absence, the girls were overjoyed. They rushed to embrace Xiao Laipi first, then gathered around Claire, excitedly sharing stories of their travels. Only Hong Jiani occasionally cast a resentful glance at Mu Lin. The other women noticed but could only offer apologetic looks toward him.
Mu Lin, of course, understood Hong Jiani’s feelings. He had recently taken in two new maids, yet had not consummated their relationship, which made her feel neglected and hurt. However, it wasn’t entirely his fault. Recently, Hong Jiani had been busy managing his business affairs around the world and wasn’t around when he needed to go into retreat. Moreover, Mu Lin didn’t want her to feel like she was merely a tool for his cultivation, as that would cast a shadow over their relationship.
Back home, after lunch, Mu Lin called Claire aside and told her about the strange energy he had discovered during the trip. Because he had been concerned about the girls’ safety, he hadn’t investigated it at the time. Now, he planned to return with Xiao Laipi to explore further. He asked Claire to ensure the household’s safety in his absence.
Claire knew Mu Lin’s personality—once he made a decision, there was no changing his mind. After nodding in agreement, Mu Lin stocked up on food, fresh water, and fuel before setting off once again on the same route.
Following the nautical map, after several days of sailing, Mu Lin easily located the area he had visited before. He extended his spiritual sense and quickly found the formation he had left behind. After anchoring the yacht, he decided to tell Xiao Laipi the truth.
During the journey, he had not dared to tell the greedy little brat, fearing that the chatterbox would make the trip unbearable. Choosing his words carefully, Mu Lin put on a serious expression and began to explain.
“Xiao Laipi, this time I need you to guard the yacht carefully. I’ve detected the same kind of energy fluctuation beneath the sea here as I did when I found the floating stone before. You should know this is the famous Bermuda Triangle, where ships and planes often vanish without a trace. I suspect there may be ancient ruins left by immortals of old. This exploration might be very dangerous. So, Xiao Laipi, you are my last line of defense. Your cultivation level is higher than anyone else at home. If things go well, I might even strike it rich!” As he spoke, excitement crept into his voice.
“Really! Master, are you saying we’re going to get rich!” Xiao Laipi’s eyes lit up with excitement. After a moment of thought, he added, “No way, Master! Half the treasure belongs to me! Otherwise, let me go with you! I’m an expert treasure hunter—I guarantee I’ll find all the riches for you!”
Mu Lin gave a bitter smile at the greedy little brat. “Fine, you want to go? I’d be more than happy! But first, let me remind you—this is 500 meters below sea level. Do you really think you can handle the pressure?”
“Five hundred meters!” Xiao Laipi gasped, then immediately slumped in defeat. “Forget it, Master. You go ahead. I’ll just stay here and back you up.”
Seeing the little guy’s dejected look, Mu Lin couldn’t help but chuckle. After all, unless one’s cultivation was at a certain level, it was nearly impossible to withstand the immense pressure at such depths. “Don’t worry, Xiao Laipi. When I find something, you won’t be left out. If I run into trouble, I’ll be counting on you!”
After preparing his gear and checking the yacht’s defensive systems, Mu Lin silently slipped into the ocean.
Following his memory, he quietly made his way back to the seabed depression. He regulated his spiritual energy, which had been slightly depleted, and began using his spiritual sense to probe the energy fluctuations within the depression.
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