Chapter 389: The Current Situation of the Necromancers

During the Weeping Pine Sea Battle, Qi Ling betrayed the group led by Jian Gui.

Yet upon reflecting on the entire incident, Jian Gui resolved to save Qi Ling.

Qi Ling herself was an undead life form created by Jian Gui through his Soul Refinement Spell. For a time afterward, he trained her as his alchemy assistant. She proved exceptionally capable, and Jian Gui imparted more of his undead legacy to her.

Their relationship remained strong, so much so that when Qi Ling begged for freedom, Jian Gui let her go.

In life, Qi Ling had been a mermaid, deeply devoted to her kind. Even as a necromancer, she returned to protect her people.

Yet her clan regarded her as a mortal enemy, repeatedly placing Qi Ling in mortal peril.

Jian Gui intervened several times, rescuing Qi Ling from danger.

Qi Ling was truly “unrepentant in death,” continuing to aid her clan time and again.

Lady Sea Snake, having obtained intelligence from an unknown source, learned Qi Ling's weakness. She then seized control of Qi Ling's fishman clan, forcing her to become her mole.

Qi Ling had no choice but to comply, yet she constantly plotted her counterattack, striving to regain her freedom.

On Weeping Pine Island, she openly revealed her traitorous status and held back against Cang Xu and the others—a clear declaration of her intentions to Jian Gui and his crew.

On the ghost ship.

Jian Gui and his crew stood at the bow.

Jian Gui's tone was grave: “Qi Ling was forced into becoming an informant. Her clan is her greatest vulnerability.”

“Therefore, we must not only locate Qi Ling and her kin but also attempt to save both simultaneously.”

Both objectives required simultaneous execution.

Advancing either alone would alert the enemy, triggering countermeasures.

This would severely hinder the impending rescue operation.

“We must proceed with caution from here on,” Xiao Wang Zi voiced his concern, “We may very well encounter Lady Sea Snake, or even that gold level assassin.”

He was referring to Wei Ying.

Wei Ying had nearly wiped out the entire group of Jian Gui and Cang Xu. Had Doctor Sui Shi not arrived in time to scare him off, Cang Xu and the others would have faced dire consequences.

Wei Ying also possessed the Shadow Walker's sacred emblem, allowing him to swiftly escape and retreat into the Shadow Plane.

He was a formidable and dangerous adversary.

“But now, we don't have Doctor Sui Shi with us,” Xiao Wang Zi sighed bitterly.

Though he understood Qi Ling's desperate circumstances and the pressure forcing her betrayal, he still felt profound disgust toward her.

Had Jian Gui not insisted on rescuing her, he personally would never have engaged in such actions.

Cang Xu reassured Xiao Wang Zi: “We may not encounter Wei Ying.”

“They won't anticipate our next move.”

"Even if Lady Sea Snake controls Qi Ling's kin, she likely won't oversee them personally. In fact, I suspect her situation is far from favorable."

Lady Sea Snake's familiar was a gold level sea serpent.

It perished in the Underworld River.

As a mere silver level magician, having lost her most potent trump card, she must be under immense pressure. Perhaps she's already struggling to manage her own affairs.

After all, fierce competition exists among pirates themselves.

Even as a member of the legendary Fire Beard Pirates, she navigates a complex, cutthroat environment within this legendary pirate group.

Xiao Wang Zi glanced at Cang Xu and sighed again: “Let's hope so.”

Beside him, the undead ronin Ku Feng adopted a different stance: "I, for one, would relish seeing Lady Sea Snake. The grudge from the Weeping Pine Sea Battle is etched into my memory."

Ku Feng had always considered Weeping Pine Island his home.

During the battle, the island suffered immense destruction. Now, he couldn't return home. As the former gathering place for the undead, it had been completely exposed.

Thus, Ku Feng harbored deep hatred toward both Lady Sea Snake and Wei Ying.

"Alright, I'll now fully merge with the ghost ship to dive beneath the waves. Prepare yourselves." After giving this order, Ship Ghost merged completely with the vessel.

Only in this “merged” state could he unleash the ghost ship's full potential.

The ghost ship swiftly submerged, the surface mist gradually dissipating.

As it descended deeper, the water pressure intensified dramatically.

Cang Xu and the others had already cast protective spells to shield themselves against the pressure.

“The ghost ship is quite impressive, but it's not a conventional magic ship. Its functionality is far from comprehensive.”

“Essentially, it's an undead life form.”

“Of course, it possesses tremendous potential to become an exceptional magic ship!”

Cang Xu now understood the ghost ship quite well.

The ghost ship contained almost no alchemy components, but it possessed a magic pool.

This was because the ghost ship itself carries the magic pool, unlike the Deep Sea Monster Fish, which was constructed by outsiders.

In a sense, the ghost ship could be considered a necromancer.

However, its intelligence was extremely low, and it could only act on instinct.

Therefore, its abilities could not be fully unleashed. Only when Jian Gui served as its “spirit,” merging his intellect with the ghost ship's power, could its full might be unleashed.

Take the Deep Sea Monster Fish, for instance - would Cang Xu and his crew need to cast spells themselves to counteract the water pressure?

Cang Xu had thus proposed to Jian Gui: could they first upgrade the ghost ship, transforming it into a fully functional magic ship?

Jian Gui replied with a resigned tone: Forging the ghost ship into a complete magic ship is a long and arduous journey. The ghost ship's magic pool operated on negative energy, rendering nearly all commercially available alchemy components incompatible. Even powerful figures within the necromancer orthodoxy had sought to enhance their ghost ships by commissioning alchemists for custom designs, yet the results had been disappointing.

A qualified alchemy artifact required extensive practical testing.

Even if alchemy components suitable for ghost ships were designed, they still demanded extensive practical application. Through use, flaws were discovered, necessitating continuous refinement and iteration before a relatively mature alchemy component could be finalized.

This process demanded immense time, resources, and manpower.

A single necromancer could not independently sustain such an endeavor.

Conventional alchemy artifacts involved countless individuals and factions collaborating—designers, users, traders, and more—forming a vast, interconnected system of investment and return.

Necromancers themselves were scarce.

This school of magic had existed for a relatively short time.

Few necromancers possessed ghost ships.

Therefore, ghost ships were even rarer.

Among those who did possess them, only a fraction conceived of enhancing their ghost ships into fully functional magic ships.

These individuals were scattered across the world, not gathered together.

Their resolve to pursue this goal was also unstable, as they each faced their own troubles - external threats or more compelling interests.

Such was the reality of ghost ships.

After receiving Jian Gui's response, Cang Xu gained deeper insight into the survival state of the necromancer community.

He now understood more fully why You Shen had issued his directive, urging his subordinates to actively spread necromancy inheritances.

The number of necromancers was truly too small.

Many endeavors simply could not proceed without sufficient personnel.

Take the monumental project of upgrading the ghost ship into a fully-fledged magic ship—it demanded vast manpower, immense time, and colossal resources to truly develop.

From this, Cang Xu also grasped Jian Gui's intent in rescuing Qi Ling.

“Qi Ling's necromancer aptitude isn't particularly strong; silver level is the absolute limit.”

“But for necromancers, even silver level talent is precious.”

“This might explain why Jian Gui chose to sponsor me when he first encountered me.”

Of course, Cang Xu would never forget how, during the battle in the Underworld River, Jian Gui had used him as bait to draw Wei Ying's fire, leading to his death!

“Jian Gui represents the orthodox path of the undead, a direct descendant of You Shen.”

“Therefore, he willingly sponsors undead seeds to expand and strengthen the undead faction.”

“Yet at the same time, when survival is at stake, he will exploit the necromancers around him to ensure his own survival.”

“That is Jian Gui.”

Cang Xu's understanding of Jian Gui was profound.

Thus, he silently warned himself: In this rescue of Qi Ling, he must assess the situation carefully. If things turn sour, retreat immediately.

After all, he wasn't part of the orthodox undead faction!

Moreover, if they encountered a formidable foe, he'd have to guard against Jian Gui.

Wasn't being used once enough already?

On the other hand, Cang Xu also coveted the advanced inheritance held by Jian Gui. He had to demonstrate his worth, striving to obtain what he desired from Jian Gui, things the survivors desperately needed.

"So, this is White Hair Trench? Wow, it's truly massive!" Xiao Wang Zi exclaimed through psychic communication, his admiration genuine.

Jian Gui replied, “This trench plunges 15,000 meters deep, stretches roughly 3,100 kilometers long, and varies in width—70 kilometers at its broadest, narrowing to about 30 kilometers at its narrowest points.”

He knew this trench quite well.

Jian Gui continued, “A unique species of coral polyps thrives within the White Hair Trench. They parasitize the surfaces of living organisms, multiplying and expanding their colonies.”

“These polyps absorb nutrients from their hosts while secreting waste products that accumulate, eventually forming white coral formations.”

"This coral differs from ordinary varieties in that it is nearly soft-bodied."

“So, when creatures in the trench swim, the white coral on their surfaces moves with them, appearing from afar like long white hair drifting through the water.”

“That's how White Hair Trench got its name.”

Cang Xu felt a surge of excitement. He was suddenly driven by an urge to collect, dissect, and study this peculiar coral polyp.

He knew his corals.

Coral was both a secretion of the polyp and its structural framework.

Coral polyps typically fed on planktonic microorganisms, but the white hair coral polyps parasitize the surfaces of their hosts, absorbing nutrients from the host's body.

“I really want to study them.” Though Cang Xu was a necromancer, he had always harbored a strong curiosity and desire to explore knowledge related to life forms.

This was evident from his actions on Mystifying Monster Island.

"Too bad this isn't the Deep Sea Monster Fish. Besides, I have important duties to fulfill. When will I ever have the leisure to freely study these mysteries of life?" Cang Xu sighed deeply.

“Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous!” At the same moment, the fishman Zhong Yong exclaimed excitedly, staring at the mysterious pearl before him.

He had been awakened by the dragonman youngster.

The research environment he possessed aboard the Deep Sea Monster Fish was precisely what Cang Xu yearned for.

What he was studying was a pearl taken from the mysterious cave wall!

“Seems you've made a discovery?” The dragonman youngster stood nearby.

“Indeed, I believe I understand where we are now, Commander,” Zhong Yong replied excitedly.