Chapter 251
As the blue-glowing, insect-like entity was drawn out, the sea beast emitted a final groan of weakness. Its massive body began to rapidly shrink.
In the blink of an eye, the sea beast reverted to the form of Li Zhentian.
He spat blood, his eyes tightly shut as he fell into the sea, quickly swallowed by the waves.
Tang Yu’an finally rushed over.
“Brother Qi, no! This place isn’t safe!”
However, he was still a little far from Zhou Qi, and it was too late to stop him, or rather, he couldn’t stop him.
Because the mask was tightly affixed to his face, Zhou Qi might have lost his sanity and couldn’t remove it, preventing him from swallowing the spirit insect. However…
He clenched his fist tightly around the water spirit insect.
Tang Yu’an clearly saw his fist emitting a strange blue glow. Under his gaze, the blue light entered Zhou Qi’s palm and traveled up his arm, heading toward his heart.
Suddenly, Zhou Qi, hovering in mid-air, began to fall.
“Brother Qi!”
Tang Yu’an called out, quickly flying toward him. The two of them fell into the sea, one after the other.
The power of the sea was much more violent than the flood in the Desolate City.
Once they fell into the sea, Tang Yu’an instantly felt as if he had entered another plane of existence, with everything around him feeling enormous, making him feel incredibly small.
But there was no time for him to indulge in this fear.
He needed to find Zhou Qi quickly—he couldn’t let him be carried away by the current, he couldn’t let him be swallowed by the sea!
Tang Yu’an retrieved an underwater breathing potion from his storage, quickly biting it to break the seal before the oxygen ran out.
With the potion down, the suffocating feeling faded, and he quickly pulled up the map to locate Zhou Qi.
Fortunately, they weren’t too far apart, so Tang Yu’an used his spiritual energy to wrap himself with thin wind energy from the water, speeding toward Zhou Qi.
He saw numerous mutated sea creatures swimming past him.
They tried to attack him, but he dodged them skillfully, and because they couldn’t keep up with his speed, they quickly fell behind.
Finally, he saw Zhou Qi’s figure in the underwater currents.
After falling into the sea, the sapphire necklace that Tang Yu’an had given him as a birthday present had worked its magic, forming a protective shield around him and providing oxygen.
It was unclear if the spirit insect had something to do with it, but Zhou Qi hadn’t been attacked by any sea creatures.
Tang Yu’an happily swam toward him and wrapped his arms around him.
The protective shield didn’t prevent his approach, nor was it damaged, still providing oxygen to Zhou Qi.
Tang Yu’an was about to lift Zhou Qi’s mask to feed him more underwater breathing potion when he suddenly froze.
He followed the direction of his spiritual sense and saw a shadow the size of a hill approaching them.
By the time he noticed, it was too late to avoid it. He could only tightly hold onto Zhou Qi, and they were swept away by the roaring currents to an unknown place…
When Tang Yu’an regained consciousness, he found himself no longer in the sea.
He was lying on a rocky beach, vines wrapped around his waist, the other end of the vine tied to a giant rock on the beach.
Did the Green Gem pull him to shore?
Tang Yu’an propped himself up, and a thin vine reached his face, gently brushing his cheek, conveying a sense of worry.
“Green Gem, I’m fine.”
Tang Yu’an spoke, then looked around. This was an unfamiliar beach, but fortunately, the surrounding scenery was of normal size.
He was still in the original plane, not stranded in another world, but…
Where was Brother Qi?
Tang Yu’an checked the map and saw Zhou Qi’s light spot was nearby. They hadn’t been separated by the sea currents.
He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Tang Yu’an instructed Green Gem to release him, and once it shrank back and wrapped around his hair again, he followed the map’s guidance to search.
He didn’t panic much. After all, he had gotten used to Zhou Qi going out on his own while he stayed back in the house, especially after their time in the Giant Wood Forest.
A brief separation didn’t require anxiety because they were no longer as weak as when they first arrived in this world.
In a new place, with most of the map covered in fog, Tang Yu’an immediately took out the Shadow Umbrella—He had stored the umbrella in his storage when rushing to Zhou Qi earlier.
The sunset hung on the horizon, casting golden-red light on the sea, with a few mutated seagulls flying in the sky.
Tang Yu’an flew onto a reef, gazing at the gently rippling sea, frowning slightly.
Upon searching, he discovered that Zhou Qi was not on the shore but in the water, moving back and forth at a constant speed. He didn’t seem unconscious or swept away by the current.
Tang Yu’an watched the sea surface in confusion. He didn’t rush into the water because, according to the map, the sea was filled with red dots.
If he went in like this, he might not only fail to rescue Zhou Qi but also end up being caught himself.
Using a cat teaser and dog frisbee in the sea? That didn’t seem realistic.
So, what was Brother Qi’s current situation? He wasn’t responding to the messages on the board.
Remembering what happened when Zhou Qi swallowed the spirit insect, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but worry. Brother Qi… wouldn’t he turn into a sea beast like the Lord of Linhai Town?
The underwater environment was definitely more favorable for water spirit insects.
Without his healing ability and no counteracting spiritual energy, could Brother Qi handle it?
Tang Yu’an sighed and squatted on the reef, troubled.
At this moment, he saw a new message pop up on the message board.
[Message Board (Public Channel)]
[Cloud Eagle]: Master Silver Light, Master Dark Moon… are you both okay?
That’s right, Hai Jing was still waiting for them in the RV.
Tang Yu’an glanced at the map. They were more than 10 kilometers away, so although he could see the sea whale’s message, he couldn’t respond to it.
It seemed like the sea whale was so anxious that it had messaged them in the public channel.
Fortunately, Black Pearl and Yuan Bao were still guarding the RV, with the protection of the Evil Visitor Dispelling Aura, so the sea whale shouldn’t be in any danger.
Tang Yu’an thought about whether to reply under the Silverlight alias, but the public channel was already in chaos.
[Message Board (Public Channel)]
[Little Noisy]: Master Silver Light? Master Dark Moon? Have you seen the two divine envoys?
[Pan Shi]: Is this for real?
[Cloud Eagle]: Yes, I’ve seen them. They just saved me.
[Cloud Eagle]: Master Silver Light not only healed my injuries but also gave me a new set of clothes! [Cloud Eagle]: However, they left to fight a powerful ability user, and I’ve been waiting for them to come back for a long time… I’m a bit worried…
[Greenish Blue]: What level was that ability user? How’s the battle going? Tell us more!
[Sky Stone]: How did they come to rescue you? How did you contact them?
[Chi Long]: How strong are Silver Light and Dark Moon?
[Cloud Eagle]: I… I don’t know…
[Cloud Eagle]: I was kidnapped, and I asked for help on the nearby channel. Master Silver Light not only replied to me but came to rescue me!
[Cloud Eagle]: Master Silver Light is very strong! Extremely strong! Five ability users couldn’t match him!
[Cloud Eagle]: Those five ability users were very strong. No one dares to provoke them when they come to the fortress.
[Pan Shi]: So impressive!
[Lu Wei]: Master Silver Light is amazing!
[Eastern Sweet Tang]: Incredible!
[Laundry Liquid]: I really want to meet the two divine envoys!
[Fish in the Water]: I want to meet Master Dark Moon! Master Dark Moon is truly the most knowledgeable and talented being in the world! Can I meet Master Dark Moon by asking for help on the nearby channel?
[Ranger]: Probably not, Cloud Eagle was really in danger.
[Red Flame]: Cloud Eagle, have you escaped yet?
[Greenish Blue]: Right, what about you and your daughter? Are you okay?
[Cloud Eagle]: I’m okay for now. The battle has settled, but I don’t know why the two divine envoys still haven’t come back…
The message board was buzzing with discussion.
Tang Yu’an watched for a while but decided not to appear—too much talking could lead to trouble. It was better to keep the Silver Light alias mysterious.
Of course, leaving Hai Jing waiting wasn’t a solution, considering the RV and the pets were still with him.
He thought for a moment, then, after organizing his words, sent a task to Hai Jing.
*
At the Edge of the Town Center of Li Hai Town, Inside the Peace Grocery Store RV.
Hai Jing was staying inside the RV, answering questions from other employees on the message board while looking out at the sky, hoping to see the two familiar figures appear.
He didn’t dare leave the RV, partly because of Lord Silver Light’s orders, and partly because…
Four huge mutated creatures were circling around the RV. Due to their master’s delayed return, they showed signs of agitation.
Before leaving, Lord Silver Light had ordered them to stay here, so they hadn’t left.
However, it was obvious that their mood was bad, especially the mutated leopard with entirely black fur.
Earlier, a fainted ability user had woken up, only to be slapped by the leopard and sent flying, still hanging on a tree.
Fortunately, these mutated creatures didn’t seem to have a tendency to eat people.
Hai Jing could clearly see from inside the RV that these four mutated beasts were obviously raised by Lord Silver Light and only obeyed him.
Although four ability users had been defeated by the giant beasts, the fact that Lord Silver Light had such powerful beast-taming abilities demonstrated his strength, didn’t it?
Of course, Lord Dark Moon was also strong, handling Li Hai Town’s most powerful manager.
Unfortunately, the battle didn’t last long before they ran off, and Hai Jing couldn’t see the situation, only hearing terrifying noises from the seaside…
Now, there were already many people gathered around them.
Earlier, Li Peng had shouted to Hai Jing, saying that Lihai Town’s manager Li Zhentian and the two hooded figures had fallen into the sea and were likely doomed.
The other five ability users had been controlled by the Commerce God Church, and now Li Hai Town had lost its leaders. Li Peng asked Hai Jing what he planned to do.
What could Hai Jing do?
He was just a small follower of the Commerce God Church, without much say in anything. The only thing he could do… Was it to trade goods?
Then, he received a new task from the Messenger.
[Congratulations! You have triggered the Elite Quest “Divide the Forces of Li Hai Town”]
[Description: Li Hai Town has a large population and abundant marine resources, but due to the control of local evil forces, the people of Li Hai Town have long lived in misery.]
[Now, the leaders of the evil forces and their key subordinates have been eliminated. You need to save the innocent, free them from the evil forces’ rule, and help them acquire food and other survival supplies through labor, thus making commerce in Li Hai Town flourish.]
[Quest Content: Control the RV to reach the seaside and trade with the ordinary people along the coast, separating them from the local evil forces.]
[Quest Reward: Qualification to be assessed as the Branch Manager of Li Hai Town, Three-Wheeled Cargo Truck.]
[Friendly Reminder: Areas within 300 meters of the RV will be protected by the God of Commerce. Anyone with malicious intent towards the God of Commerce will not be able to enter.]
Hai Jing stared at the task for a moment, then couldn’t help but feel overjoyed.
Did this mean the mysterious merchant was safe?
He was still pondering the task’s details when a new one appeared.
[Congratulations! You have triggered the Ordinary Quest “Comfort and Care for the Divine Beasts”]
[Description: Silver Light and Dark Moon are temporarily unable to return, and the divine beasts they left behind need comforting and care.]
[Quest Content: Tell the divine beasts that Silver Light and Dark Moon are temporarily unable to return, provide them with food, and wait with them for the mysterious merchant’s return.]
[Reward: 5000 Points]
Looking at the new quest, Hai Jing was stunned for a moment, then looked at the several giant beasts outside the RV.
He swallowed nervously and gathered the courage to get out of the RV. He wasn’t doing it for the points—he would still work hard to complete the task from the Messenger, even without any rewards.
After stepping out of the RV, he noticed there were fewer people around it, but he didn’t pay much attention.
Seeing the “divine beasts” looking at him, he nervously clasped his hands and carefully said, “The Messenger said they are safe, so you don’t have to worry, and… I was asked to take care of you…”
The rest of his words were lost in the sea breeze.
Before Hai Jing could finish, the black leopard had already dashed out, followed by the Four-eyed Dog and the Golden Giant Dog.
The last to follow was the White Giant Dog. It hesitated for a moment before barking and running after its companions.
Their speed was too fast, and Hai Jing didn’t have time to stop them.
He scratched his head, then turned and re-entered the RV, only to see a small fuzzy head poking out of a box on the driver’s desk.
The Little Red Bird tilted its head and stared at Hai Jing before chirping and flying up.
Hai Jing froze for a moment, then quickly closed the door as it was about to fly out.
“Are you also one of Lord Silver Light’s divine beasts?”
“Chirp, chirp!”
“Lord Silver Light asked me to take care of you. Will you stay? Otherwise, I’ll be punished.”
The Little Red Bird hesitated, looking at Hai Jing, who put on a pitiful expression, and it finally agreed.
“Chirp, chirp!”
Since Hai Jing couldn’t understand what it was saying, he took out a packet of squid strips from his space storage. Little Hai Lan really liked them, so he bought a lot.
“Do you want some?”
The Little Red Bird hesitated for a moment, then ate the squid strips, its eyes lighting up, and it became excited.
Hai Jing smiled, feeding it a few more strips, and once it was full, he began to figure out how to drive the RV to the seaside.
“How do I drive this?”
“Autopilot mode activated, verifying permissions… Verification passed… Please state or select a destination on the map.”
Hai Jing was startled and stuttered, “I… I want to go to the seaside.”
“Please select a specific location.”
The map on the console showed the coastline, but only one area was lit up, with the rest covered in fog.
Hai Jing cautiously clicked on the lit area.
Soon, the RV began to move on its own, heading towards the seaside.
Hai Jing finally relaxed a little. Many employees were asking him about the situation on the message board. He didn’t say much, only informing them that the Messenger had given him a task.
As for the details, he decided to keep them a secret.
Before long, the RV arrived at the seaside, and Hai Jing cautiously stepped out.
Many people from Li Hai Town followed him to the shore, but they kept their distance, observing him.
Based on the distance, it didn’t seem to exceed 300 meters.
So these people had no malicious intent towards the God of Commerce, right? Hai Jing remembered the prompt from the quest and realized the first task was about dividing Lihai Town’s forces. That meant gaining some people’s loyalty.
He wanted them to serve the God of Commerce, spreading the glory of the God of Commerce throughout the town!
Hai Jing watched those who showed no hostility towards the God of Commerce and was surprised to find that Li Peng was among them.
As for Li Peng, who had once led people to break into his house, Hai Jing didn’t have much hatred towards him.
If it weren’t for his intervention, Hai Lan might have been killed, and Hai Jing probably wouldn’t have survived either.
Of course, Hai Jing didn’t particularly like him, either.
But then he remembered the task given to him by the Messenger. If he were to divide Lihai Town’s forces, it would make sense to gain the favor of someone with prestige and power, like Li Peng, to act as a breakthrough.
With that in mind, Hai Jing waved at Li Peng.
He didn’t dare leave the RV too far behind. As Li Peng approached, he tightly gripped his gun.
Of course, out of trust for the Messenger, Hai Jing didn’t act too aggressively toward Li Peng.
“The Commerce God Church will remain here,” Hai Jing said to Li Peng, “We have goods beyond your imagination. You can trade salt for them.”
“However, those who wish to trade must come to me personally and listen to my words.”
Li Peng, being pointed at by Hai Jing’s gun, raised his hands in a gesture of harmlessness.
Hearing Hai Jing’s words, he frowned slightly and said, “So, the Commerce God Church plans to do business in Li Hai Town, right?”
“Until the two Messengers return, yes,” Hai Jing nodded.
“The upcoming power struggle in Li Hai Town, you won’t get involved in it?”
“Not for now.”
Li Peng’s brow furrowed tightly as he pondered for a moment before finally nodding, “Alright, I understand.”
Faced with the terrifying power of the Commerce God Sect, he truly had no room for bargaining.
“However…”
At that moment, he heard Hai Jing’s voice again, “I have a personal trade to propose. I wonder if you’re interested?”
Li Peng raised an eyebrow, “Is it for the people of Guanyu Village?”
Hai Jing pressed his lips together. He knew that Guanyu Village was still not safe.
“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t do something as extreme as massacring a village,” Li Peng said, “With Li Zhentian dead, there are plenty of people cheering for it.”
“Just because you wouldn’t doesn’t mean your subordinates wouldn’t.” Thinking of Dapiao, Hai Jing’s expression darkened.
Li Peng paused.
He thought for a moment and then said, “Since you’re so worried, why don’t you just go back directly?”
“I have my mission.”
“Alright, I understand. I will send people to protect Guanyu Village,” Li Peng said. “So, what do I get in return?”
Hai Jing raised his hand, and a few hundred pounds of wheat appeared out of thin air at his feet.
“If you can do that, then this wheat is yours, and you’ll also have the right to prioritize trade with me in the future.”
Li Peng was first stunned, then his eyes lit up.
“The Commerce God Sect truly lives up to its name!”
The next moment, as the business hours started, Li Peng’s figure disappeared from the spot.
At that moment, Hai Jing received a new task.
[Congratulations! You’ve triggered the normal task “Father-Daughter Reunion”]
[Description: Your daughter is still waiting for your return in Guanyu Village. Her safety cannot be guaranteed. You can reunite with her first and then complete other tasks.]
[Task Content: Say “Guanyu Village” to the RV and go reunite with Hai Lan.]
Seeing this task, Hai Jing’s tears suddenly welled up.
He knelt down and bowed three times toward the sea, then quickly got into the vehicle.
Hundreds of kilometers away at the seaside, Tang Yu’an was looking at the map.
When he saw that Black Pearl and the others were coming to find him, he wasn’t too worried, since the current world wasn’t as dangerous as the Giant Wood Forest.
When he realized that Hai Jing had stayed in the center of Lin Hai Town, he quickly issued another task to have him return to pick up his daughter.
For now, Tang Yu’an couldn’t go back, but with the Evil Guest Repulsion Aura, he wasn’t afraid of the RV being damaged.
Without his authorization, Hai Jing couldn’t enter the Peace Grocery Store, so having him stay in the RV was fine.
Once Tang Yu’an opened a branch in Lin Hai Town, he could take back the RV.
After finishing Hai Jing’s matters, Tang Yu’an looked back at the sea and sighed, feeling a bit melancholy.
Zhou Qi was still wandering in the sea below, and he wasn’t sure what the situation was…
Tang Yu’an jumped onto a lower reef, with the water below about a few meters deep, and stirred his hand in the water.
If Brother Qi had turned into a fish, would he swim over upon sensing his presence?
Tang Yu’an stared at the fish swimming back and forth in the water, feeling like each one resembled Zhou Qi…
Originally, he had been focusing on the map, but slowly, he became absent-minded.
He didn’t notice that the fish in the water had suddenly dispersed, and the surface of the water had become much calmer.
It wasn’t until a moment later that he felt his hand, which was submerged in the water, being held.
Tang Yu’an blinked, and instead of feeling scared, he immediately grasped the hand back and pulled the person out of the water.
A figure with a black and gold mask broke through the water, revealing its upper body.
The black cloak on his body had disappeared, and his wet clothes clung to his body, outlining the young man’s thin yet powerful muscles.
“Brother Qi, you scared me half to death!”
Tang Yu’an looked at him and couldn’t help but complain, “You clearly weren’t hurt. Why didn’t you respond to my messages?”
Zhou Qi didn’t answer, only quietly soaking in the seawater.
Tang Yu’an suddenly noticed something strange.
Zhou Qi’s hair color had changed from black to dark blue, and… his ears? Why did they become pointed?
Tang Yu’an lifted Zhou Qi’s mask, revealing the young man’s handsome yet slightly strange face.
His eyes had turned a deep blue, and the shape of his pupils had also changed. The Zhou Qi in front of him seemed to have transformed into something from the sea.
“Plop!”
A blue fish tail suddenly slapped the surface of the water, sending splashes everywhere.
Tang Yu’an stared at him, stunned, and lost his balance, falling down.
Brother Qi… turned into a mermaid?
