Chapter 32: The Garden in the Sea

The walls of the main building crumbled, a great hole blasted open by a single punch from the Wolf King. He burst through the newly-formed opening. The moment the Twin Blossoms began to gather energy, the Wolf King felt a familiar tremor in his heart—a feeling that had once brought him perilously close to death just days ago.

Knowing that Qian Ye had arrived and was about to strike, the terrifying power of those two light feathers etched into the Wolf King’s memory. Apart from himself, who else in the ancient Totem Fortress could withstand the impact of one of those feathers?

Impatient to even wait for a window, the Wolf King shattered the wall and flew out.

Qian Ye left the Wolf King with a cold sneer, and then the Twin Blossoms roared. The Original Gun fired, hitting the Grand Priest instantaneously.

The Grand Priest stood up in astonishment, turning to look, only to freeze. Confusion and bewilderment lingered in his slightly cloudy eyes, but his life force was already rapidly ebbing away.

“No!!” The Wolf King’s roar drowned out the rolling waves and the sharp wind. Instantly transforming into a werewolf, he lunged at Qian Ye.

His leap sealed all of Qian Ye’s escape routes, blocking his path toward the front of the fortress.

Yet, instead of fleeing outward, Qian Ye charged towards the cliff, leaping straight off into the sea.

He turned mid-air, facing the Wolf King, leaving behind another cold sneer as he plummeted into the ocean.

The Wolf King rushed to the edge of the cliff, peering down. Even with his keen vision, he could only see turbulent, murky waves. Qian Ye had already fallen into the sea, his whereabouts unknown.

Enraged, the Wolf King was about to jump into the sea. But as he leaned over the cliff, a shiver ran through him. A deep, icy chill emerged from within, bringing him back to his senses.

The depths of the East Sea were a no-go zone for all the strong. Even Zhang Bu Zhou had never ventured too far. It was said that no one who jumped into the East Sea ever returned.

The thought of jumping into the East Sea filled the Wolf King with a profound fear, as if some incomparably terrifying entity lay hidden in the depths, now waiting silently beneath the water for him.

Reversing his grip, the Wolf King conjured a colossal claw of origin power, grabbing the edge of the cliff and halting himself mid-air, not fully leaning over.

The terrifying presence in the sea seemed disappointed, causing several waves before it finally swam into the depths and disappeared.

Back on land, a cold sweat broke out on the Wolf King’s palms. The experience was a near-death encounter, no less dangerous than being hit by the Original Gun.

At that moment, the Captain of the Guard ran over, saying, “Sir, the Grand Priest…”

The Wolf King did not move, and after a long silence, he said, “No need. The Grand Priest has already joined our ancestors.”

The Captain of the Guard opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

The Wolf King swept his sleeve and turned, returning to the fortress. He had no desire to see the Grand Priest’s corpse, not even a glance.

As for Qian Ye, his leap into the sea was tantamount to suicide. Thinking of the various legends of the East Sea, the Wolf King finally breathed a sigh of relief. Exchanging the Grand Priest for Qian Ye seemed like a fair trade.

In the sea, Qian Ye was slowly sinking. The surface was wracked with tumultuous waves, but underwater, it was eerily calm, like two different worlds.

Qian Ye was descending into the deep sea. Now, he had lost all control over his body, surrounded by an overwhelming and unyielding will that deprived him of his autonomy.

However, within this will, Qian Ye did not feel oppressed, cold, or suffocated. Instead, he felt a warmth.

In the darkness, a current quietly pushed Qian Ye deeper into the sea.

Time seemed to lose its meaning in the deep darkness. After drifting for an indeterminate period, a faint glow appeared in Qian Ye’s sight. It was a small, finger-sized fish, its belly emitting a soft, flickering light, like a firefly in the sea.

With the first flicker, more lights appeared, soon illuminating the surrounding area with countless twinkling lights, gradually revealing the underwater world.

Before Qian Ye, a dreamlike realm unfolded.

Clusters of coral bloomed like flowers, layer upon layer, covering the seabed. Schools of colorful fish darted through the flower beds. Various creatures lived in this beautiful kingdom, carefree and content. A brightly colored octopus stared curiously at Qian Ye.

Suddenly, there was a disturbance in the sea, and a large shadow slowly passed by.

The current turned Qian Ye over, just in time to see a gigantic sea beast, hundreds of meters long, gliding slowly above him. Qian Ye had never seen or heard of such a creature, but its size alone spoke of its terror.

The sea beast, seemingly satiated, swam off into the distance, ignoring the nearby fish. The fish, unfazed, continued their paths, brushing past the beast.

Another surge of the current brought Qian Ye to the top of the undersea garden. A familiar voice resonated in his mind, “You’ve come.”

It was the mysterious will that had once competed with Qian Ye and had given him a way to summon it.

“Are you looking for me?”

“I’ve been waiting for you to call me. Since you’re here in the sea, I’ve brought you here to see your growth. You seem to have grown well. Why didn’t you call me?”

Qian Ye laughed bitterly, “Do you think I could win three consecutive battles?”

The mysterious will fell silent for a moment, then said, “Of course not.”

“Then why should I call you?”

Although Qian Ye’s strength had grown, his combat with the mysterious entity relied more on artistry than sheer power. In terms of combat artistry, Qian Ye still lacked confidence in victory.

But the fact that the mysterious entity cared so much about Qian Ye’s growth was unusual. Tentatively, he asked, “Do you have something you want me to do?”

“No, not yet. Perhaps in the future, but for now, your strength is far from sufficient.”

“What kind of thing?”

“When the time comes, you’ll know. For now, tell me where you want to go.”

Qian Ye thought of Nan Qing City, and another current pushed him further.

The glowing undersea lights gradually faded, and the dreamlike coral garden once again receded into darkness. Qian Ye’s vision was engulfed in blackness. But soon, a beach appeared before him.

A sandy beach with fine grains, the waves pushed Qian Ye onto the shore.

As the water receded, Qian Ye regained sensation. He tried moving his limbs and, after a moment, struggled to his feet, looking around.

The beach was quiet and beautiful, but Qian Ye was filled with shock.

Such beaches were rare along the East Sea, and this one was the closest to Nan Qing City. If it were in the Empire, such beauty would have become a renowned attraction. But here, in the neutral zone, the East Sea, a place that had swallowed countless strongmen, no one knew exactly what horrors lurked in its depths.

Normally, any strongman approaching the East Sea would be cautious, especially on a beach. Who would have the heart to relax here?

The mysterious entity in the East Sea seemed to have no hostility towards Qian Ye, even showing a hint of care and training. The reason for this special treatment remained unknown.

What shocked Qian Ye was that, from the time he fell into the sea until now, barely an hour had passed, yet this beach was nearly a thousand kilometers from the ancient Totem Fortress!

To transport Qian Ye here in an instant, the mysterious entity’s mastery of space was far beyond that of an ordinary divine general.

Qian Ye moved, waiting for full recovery, then left the beach, heading towards Nan Qing City. The request of the mysterious entity was for the future, but some old scores needed to be settled now.

Nan Qing City was even more desolate and grim. Under the night sky, the streets were empty, with hardly any pedestrians. The taverns, however, were packed, filled with city guards, many of them drunk to oblivion.

Rumors had been flying around the city for days. On the day the Wolf King tried to capture Qian Ye, the entire city was stirred. Later, Qian Ye attacked the city lord’s mansion at night, severely wounding the Wolf King and destroying part of the mansion.

Most people, lacking the strength to understand, created wild rumors. Some noticed that many veteran mercenaries and hunters had suddenly disappeared. These people, though not the strongest, had survived by their keen instincts for danger, like birds and small animals sensing the approach of a disaster and fleeing before it struck.

This heightened the unease, and Ji Rui, the city lord, had locked himself in the mansion, refusing to appear, even neglecting the repairs. In such a critical time, his absence only worsened the panic.

The silence of the night was broken by the roar of engines. A convoy of five heavy trucks drove through the empty streets. The engine sounds caught the attention of a few, but their faces grew more worried. The trucks, loaded with mercenaries and goods, were heading out of the city. Another merchant, fearing for safety, was relocating their stock from Nan Qing City.

The convoy left Nan Qing City, heading towards Guan Lan City.

The journey from Nan Qing City to Guan Lan City was a long one, fraught with dangers. Thus, three of the five trucks were filled with fully-armed mercenaries. The merchant, willing to risk hijacking, clearly saw the situation as dire.

Not long after the convoy left Nan Qing City, the lead truck slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop in a cloud of dust.