Chapter 408: A Big Secret Hidden in Transmission

The dual-eared scouting puppets had been conducting reconnaissance for some time.

"I hope the area surrounding the Ocean Mother Nest is teeming with powerful sea beasts. That way, when I shatter the Ocean Mother Nest, it will trigger a massacre among the sea beasts. The more chaotic it gets, the better my chances of escaping."

The fishman youngster harbored deep confidence in escaping amidst the chaos.

His confidence didn't stem from himself or the Deep Sea Monster Fish, the alchemy magic ship, but from the Deceptive Disguise spell Technique and the god level material, the Pearl Bubble!

However, the reality was: the dual-eared detector had been running for some time, yet no results had been detected.

The fishman youngster had sought Zhong Yong's opinion on this matter.

Zhong Yong replied: "The walls of the Ocean Mother Nest must be too thick and heavy, absorbing the sound waves themselves. The waves not only had to penetrate outward but also bounce back, requiring the alchemy puppet to operate continuously for an extended period."

With no other choice, the fishman youngster reluctantly accepted this reality.

To address this situation, Zhong Yong remained active, carefully selecting a specialized reconnaissance puppet model.

The precision eel driller!

This alchemy puppet resembled an eel in form yet was far slenderer and more compact than a typical eel. They excelled at tunneling, drilling through rock to explore mineral deposits.

Zhong Yong selected this alchemy puppet model specifically to allow them to silently burrow into the walls of the Ocean Mother Nest. They would create imperceptibly fine, deep holes, facilitating sound transmission without alerting the saint level sea beast.

In other words, the precision eel drillers primarily complemented the earlier dual-eared detectors.

After practicing the Swift Swim battle skill for a while, the fishman youngster paused and began training in another battle skill - Wave Treading.

This too was a fishman battle skill.

It generated powerful thrust from the soles of the fishman's feet, enabling rapid movement over short distances.

For the fishman youngster, the power generation method of this battle skill felt far more familiar than that of Swift Swim. The sensation resembled unleashing the Surge battle skill from his soles.

Currently, the fishman battle skills the youngster focused on were all for movement.

His imaginary battles took place in the deep ocean depths, clashing with the saint level sea beast. In such encounters, the youngster's goal was certainly not to defeat the enemy, but to escape.

In truth, he knew escape would be difficult.

Based on his observations, even if he simultaneously employed Swift Swim, Wave Treading, and Surge, he couldn't outpace a saint level sea beast at its speed.

The fishman youngster's current goal was pragmatic: within a confined space, he sought to enhance his mobility, evade lethal attacks, and buy himself a precious second or two to survive.

Though a second or two seemed brief, it often meant the difference between life and death.

After mastering two mobility-enhancing fishman battle skills, the youngster began training in a third - Hardened Scales.

This, too, was a fishman battle skill.

Its effect was straightforward, evident from its very name. Upon activation, every scale covering the fishman's body would become tougher and thicker. His defensive capabilities would receive a significant boost.

However, this substantial increase was relative to a fishman's baseline.

The fishman youngster had compared it: even after activating Hardened Scales, his defense still fell far short of the dragon scales in his dragonman form.

The concentration of the Flame Dragon King's bloodline slightly exceeded 34%, while his fishman form's bloodline concentration was only 11%. Beyond this primary factor of concentration, inherent strengths and differences existed between species.

Fishmen bloodlines were fundamentally not adept at defense.

In truth, the fishmen race simply could not compare to the dragons.

That said, having the Hardened Scales battle skill was still better than having nothing at all.

The fishman youngster planned to cultivate more battle skills in the future, striving to enhance his defensive capabilities.

Having grown accustomed to the protection of dragon scales, he always felt a pang of unease and insecurity whenever he shifted into his fishman form.

"If I could purchase the Nomadic Armor, it would be immensely helpful to me now. Unfortunately, the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord refuses to sell this gold level equipment."

The fishman youngster possessed another gold level armor piece: the Golden Silk Chainmail. However, this equipment had sustained significant damage during his battle with Teng Dong Lang and remained unrepaired.

This remained the case even after alchemists like Bu Quan and Zhong Yong joined the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

The reason was quite simple.

This piece of equipment was imbued with the Anti-investigation and Prophecy spell and Deceptive Disguise spell. Even if placed before Zhong Yong or Bu Quan, they wouldn't be able to see it!

It wouldn't be wise to reveal this secret to them either.

Doing so would indirectly expose the existence of the Pearl Bubbles, greatly increasing the risk of the survivors' core secrets being compromised.

Thinking of the Golden Silk Chainmail, the fishman youngster couldn't help but recall Zong Ge and Zi Di.

“Wonder how they're doing now.”

“By now, they should have left Snow Bird Harbor and be heading toward the Ice Sculpture Capital.”

“For Zong Ge, I left behind the Gold Flower Hacksaw, the Root Boots, the Qi Boosting Syringe, the Small Thunder God Flying Hammer, and a gold level longbow, among other things.”

“Perhaps, when we parted ways, I should have also entrusted the Golden Silk Chainmail to them for use.”

The survivors now possessed considerable wealth, enabling them to purchase large quantities of silver level equipment externally. At this level, such items were no longer scarce.

The issue was how much they cost.

But obtaining gold level gear was far more challenging. Often, money alone wasn't enough. Rare and unique gold level equipment was something one either found or missed out on.

Taking gold level armor, for instance, the entire mercenary corps possessed only one piece of Golden Silk Chainmail. Both the dragonman youngster and Zong Ge desperately needed it, yet timely borrowing proved impossible.

When one party used it, the other inevitably went without.

Though Bu Quan had joined the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, she remained only silver level. Her alchemist rank held her back, leaving her far from crafting gold level gear.

Yet the future held promise.

Once Bu Quan reached gold level, mass-producing gold level equipment would become feasible.

The fishman youngster now felt the Golden Silk Chainmail was of little use to him personally.

Against a saint level sea beast, a single piece of gold level defensive gear offered negligible protection. The difference between having it and not having it was negligible.

But giving it to Zong Ge was a different matter.

"My heroic duel with Teng Dong Lang has made my name known throughout the Ice Sculpture Kingdom. Yet, with great fame comes great scrutiny. For Zong Ge to take my place will bring many challenges."

“But even without the Golden Silk Chainmail, he can handle it!”

"Zong Ge is an exceptional commander, sharp-eyed, adept at solving complex problems, and capable of breaking through any stalemate. With him leading the team, success is assured!"

"His personal combat prowess is formidable. a weapon master whose silver battle qi now carries a golden sheen. Combined with that gold level equipment, he should be more than capable of meeting any challenge."

"Though Zi Di's magician rank is lower, she carries ample spell scrolls and potions. Her true talent lies in commerce. Her skill in negotiating with outsiders far surpasses my own."

"Both are exceptional talents among the survivors. Having endured hardships themselves, their characters show no flaws, they're both steadfast. Heading together to the Ice Sculpture Capital, they should be able to establish a foothold there."

The fishman youngster attempted to analyze and speculate on the situation with Zong Ge and Zi Di.

At the same time, this was also a way to comfort himself.

Trapped within the Ocean Mother Nest, worrying about others was less important than finding a way to escape this place as quickly as possible!

Suddenly, a powerful spatial fluctuation erupted.

The fishman youngster's expression changed drastically.

He recognized this disturbance well.

“It's a teleportation fluctuation.”

“The third teleportation has occurred!”

Realizing this, the fishman youngster abandoned his battle skill training practice.

He immediately activated his captain's authority, commanding the magic ship to drain the seawater from the landing pod.

Then, he entered the Deep Sea Monster Fish's bow through the opened metal hatch.

Entering the cockpit, he quickly surveyed the external situation through the magic projection.

The next moment, a look of astonishment spread across his face.

This time, numerous sea beasts had been transported in, and their varieties were chaotic. There were dolphins, sharks, finfish, and even water monkeys, among others.

“Fishman too?”

“Wait, these sea beasts seem controlled by the fishman.”

“What are they doing?”

The teleportation had roused the saint level sea beast.

Yet it didn't immediately attack, seemingly because it had spotted the fishman.

A silver level fishman, the leader, plucked up his courage and bellowed at the mountainous Snow Pear Octopus: “Mengl, awngml, ealnmwgm, nlga, nlma.”

He was actually communicating with the saint level sea beast!

The saint level sea beast soon lost patience and launched an attack on the other sea beasts, but refrained from harming the fishman.

For a moment, the waters of the Ocean Mother Nest churned violently, the air thick with the scent of blood.

The saint level sea beast feasted with relish, its savage, ferocious nature laid bare.

The fishmen retreated to the corners of the Ocean Mother Nest. Amidst such a bloody hunt, they closed their eyes one after another, murmuring prayers.

Upon witnessing this scene, a bolt of lightning flashed through the fishman youngster's mind.

He suddenly realized these fishmen had come prepared!

Looking closer, he discovered these were no ordinary fishmen, they were transcendents.

They ranged from bronze level to silver level, with no gold level among them.

He counted.

The number of transcendent fishmen present definitely exceeded 200. Though the silver level were few, only about 20 to 30, it was still a rare occurrence.

After all, the fishmen were a lesser race, with a probability of producing transcendents far lower than that of humans.

For over 200 fishman transcendents to gather suddenly like this, how vast must the fishman clan behind them be?

Another peculiar detail: these fishmen displayed wildly varied appearances. They weren't of a unified bloodline, nor did any dominant bloodline traits dominate.

This meant they hailed from all corners of the world, not originating from a single massive clan.

“What on earth is going on here?”

"This group of fishmen gathered together, teleported in, and brought a large number of sea beasts to feed the Snow Pear Octopus. Yet they are praying here?"

The saint level Snow Pear Octopus swiftly devoured all the sea beasts. It sucked up the blood-tinged water, consuming every drop of blood within, then spat out clean seawater, wasting not a single drop.

It stretched its soft, massive tentacles, slowly advancing toward the fishmen huddled in the corner.

Even without activating his mental vision, the fishman youngster knew this saint level sea beast remained fiercely predatory.

To its eyes, these praying fishmen were nothing but delicacies. The greedy instinct to prey stirred within it, making it restless.

Undoubtedly, the saint level sea beast's approach brought immense psychological pressure to the praying fishman.

The vast majority trembled, instinctively amplifying their prayers.

They all prayed in the fishman language. The fishman youngster brought shame upon his bloodline, he truly did not understand a single word.

Yet the sound of their prayers reached the saint level sea beast's ears, causing its movements to grow increasingly sluggish.

The fishman youngster observed all this, sensing the saint level sea beast's hesitation.

The Snow Pear Octopus finally extended its massive, snow-white tentacles, slowly closing in on one praying fishman.

Terrified, the fishman watched the tentacle advance, his psychological pressure mounting until he finally broke.

With a shriek, he frantically swam backward.

In the next instant, the snow-white tentacle moved with lightning speed. The venomous snake, already poised, shot out.

The fleeing fishman was instantly bound, his piercing screams echoing.

With a slight squeeze, the Snow Pear Octopus crushed the fishman into a pile of flesh and bone fragments, blood spreading everywhere.

The octopus opened its mouth wide and sucked in a torrent of water. The fishman's corpse was pulled into its belly without a single drop wasted.

After devouring the fishman, the octopus displayed an unprecedented sense of delight, its soft tentacles waving about wildly, a sight the fishman youngster had never witnessed before.

“Mglnalmn...”

“Gnal, mga...”

“Lanm, wgln...”

This brutal scene instantly amplified the fishmen's prayers.

The saint level sea beast continued to extend its tentacles. Each tentacle was snow-white and supple, vast like elongated white clouds, beautiful yet deadly.

The tentacles gently brushed over the fishmen's heads or passed close by them.

Many fishmen's faces were contorted with terror, their bodies shaking uncontrollably like sieves.

Yet a few remained resolute, even serene, their prayers unbroken as they ignored the octopus tentacles.

The fishman youngster watched this strange spectacle in silence.

At regular intervals, the tentacles would strike with lightning speed, killing fishmen and devouring them.

The fishman youngster gradually noticed the peculiar behavior of the saint level sea beast.

It seemed to be slowly tormenting the praying fishmen, toying with them, driving them to collapse under extreme terror. Yet it also appeared to be wary of some unseen presence, hesitating to act with full abandon.

“It attacks and devours individual fishmen, seemingly selecting them according to some hidden pattern...” The fishman youngster watched intently, sensing a profound mystery unfolding.

About half an hour passed like this when suddenly, the life force of one fishman underwent a drastic change!

Originally, he was merely a bronze level fishman fighter. But soon, his life force surged from bronze level to iron level.

“What in the world is going on?!” The fishman youngster nearly doubted his own eyes at the sight.

Yet moments later, a similar transformation unfolded in another fishman.

One after another, more fishmen saw their life levels rise.

The fishman youngster also noticed carefully: some fishmen remained at their original life levels, yet their faces lit up with intense joy, clearly, they had gained something else!

“So, what on earth is going on?” The fishman youngster was utterly astonished.

According to his understanding, life levels couldn't undergo such sudden mutations.

They required extraordinary cultivation, slowly accumulating through quantitative changes before triggering a qualitative leap.

It was a gradual process.

Yet the scene unfolding before him now shattered the fishman youngster's previous understanding.

These fishmen had managed to achieve a qualitative leap in their life levels within a remarkably short time.

It was utterly unbelievable!

But the fishman youngster's astonishment didn't end there.

Approximately three hours later, spatial fluctuations erupted once more.

The praying fishmen vanished entirely from their original positions.

“They've all been teleported away!” The fishman youngster was utterly disoriented by this sudden upheaval.

He remained rooted to the spot for a long while before gradually regaining his senses.

His mind began racing.

“There's a great secret behind this teleportation!”

“How on earth was this teleportation achieved?”

“Is it natural, or man-made?”

"What exactly is going on with these fishmen? How could their life levels advance so abruptly?"

After pondering for a while, the fishman youngster's eyes burned brightly as he stared intently at several corners within the magic projection.

Hidden in these corners were dual-eared detectors.

Without exception, each bore a layer of Deceptive Disguise spell and Anti-investigation and Prophecy spell. To outsiders, they appeared merely as pearls.

“The great secret of teleportation might be uncovered through these puppet scouts!”

Now, the fishman youngster yearned to know what lay beyond the Ocean Mother Nest.