Chapter 188: Salt, Iron, and a Beat

Lu Xun still could not believe that the brat jumped just like that and no one tried to stop him. He looked around, and the others didn't seem to be worried at all.

"Is the brat going to be alright?", Lu Xun answered as he slowly approached the edge of the ship. Sadly, even after 5 seconds have passed, no one answered his question. He could only stare at their faces which were intensely watching Viel and Yinji in the ocean.

Lu Xun then looked towards Sofia who currently had her eyes closed and her arms stretched. Lu Xun could not help but wonder how she was able to make this spherical shield that covered the entire ship. He couldn't feel any qi coming from her, there's also no sign that she was even a cultivator. Lu Xun actually thought that she was just here to tag-along and take care of Viel.

But to think that she was capable of doing something like this? Lu Xun could not help but gulp. Just what were Viel and Sofia's identity?

***

'Boy, what do you plan to do?'

Hearing a voice echoing in his mind, Viel could not help but widen his eyes as looked around, flailing his hand in the water as bubbles floated from his mouth.

'Miss Lu Yi!?', he hollered in his mind.

'...No', a voice once again echoed in his mind, 'It's me, Yinji'

Viel's eyes once again wandered as he could hear Yinji's voice inside his mind, 'Y… you're inside me!?'

'What? No', Yinji almost snorted the saltwater as he heard Viel's thoughts, 'I am speaking to you through your mind'

'Oh… you can do that?', Viel's eyes then wandered towards Yinji, who was actually already floating behind him.

'What's your plan?', Yinji repeated her initial question.

'I will enter the dungeon and clear it', bubbles floated from his nose as he looked at the Portal that still continued to eject the creatures endlessly.

'Okay', Yinji nodded, 'Do you want me to come with you?'

'No', Viel quickly shook his head, 'This will be fast'

'Okay', Yinji once again nodded her head, 'I'll clear out all the monsters here, then'

The creatures that were coming out of the portal looked somewhat resembled the shape of a human. They had limbs, their ears were huge and fin-like. Their entire body was covered in dark green scales that dimly reflected the ocean floor. And their mouths, which devoured bits and pieces of the Spirit of the Ocean, were as wide as their faces.

And as soon as the creatures saw Viel swimming towards the Portal, they quickly swarmed him. However, before they could even approach him, Yinji blocked their path, swatting them away like flies.

Viel nodded his head as he continued to awkwardly swim towards the portal. Yinji did not leave his side until she was sure that Viel was already inside.

And once he was in, Yinji focused her attention on the enemy. There were hundreds of them, half were swimming towards her, and the other half continued to chew on the Ocean Spirit.

With a sigh, Yinji flew to the Ocean Spirit and landed over it, it was as if she was standing on top of its stomach, even though they were currently underwater.

The creatures that were chewing on the spirit quickly became aware of her presence as they all turned their ugly heads towards her.

Yinji couldn't really use her full power, as doing so might open the wounds of the Ocean Spirit even further. So instead, she just used her palm to once again slap away the creatures that were swarming her. Their heads instantly turning into mists of blood as it made contact with her hands.

The people that were watching from the ship could not help but close their mouths as they all watched in awe. To be able to fight like that, who could this woman be!? They all thought as they watched as the creatures' heads exploded one by one. Yinji had not even taken a single step from her position, and it looked like the creatures were dying on their own as their eyes could not keep up with how fast Yinji's hand was.

And just like that, in less than a minute, the swarm that numbered more than a hundred had been cut in half. Yinji only started moving from her spot when the creatures started swimming away from her. Her steps were still gentle, so as to not disturb the Spirit of the Ocean.

And after just a few more seconds, all of the creatures had died, and all they left was the color of blood, slowly mixing and sinking deeper into the waters.

After looking around and confirming that every creature was disposed of, Yinji stood in front of the Portal. She was thinking whether or not to follow Viel inside the dungeon. But before she could even decide, a torrent of blood gushed out from the portal.

A dark green hand appeared from the portal, but before the owner of the hand could crawl out, it was pulled back inside the portal. A few seconds passed, and once again, a hand came out of the portal.

But this time, the owner stepped out. His body was covered and hidden with blood, which quickly dispersed as it floated and mixed with the ocean water, slowly revealing Viel's face. Countless small bubbles were coming out from his glowing red eyes as it slowly dimmed. The bubbles did not stop dancing until Viel's eyes completely turned back to their normal jet-black color.

Viel then blinked his eyes a couple of times as he looked at Yinji, 'Oh, you're also done?', Viel whispered in his mind as the portal behind him disappeared.

"...", Yinji also blinked her eyes a couple of times as she stared at Viel, '...Yes', she then nodded.

Viel then covered his nose as he started awkwardly swimming towards the huge wound of the Ocean Spirit.

'What are you going to do?', Yinji could not help but ask as he fellowed Viel.

'...Healing it', Viel rubbed his hands together, 'Miss Lu Yi, please lend me your skills'

'...Miss Lu Yi?', Yinji furrowed her eyebrows, her face starting to look confused, 'What am I supposed to do?'

'Oh…', bubbles quickly appeared from Viel's nose as he slightly snorted, 'Sorry. Not you'

Yinji furrowed her eyebrows even further as her confusion grew even further. She was about to ask Viel what he meant by that, but before she could do so, Viel's hands lit up.

Viel then started tapping the Ocean Spirit's wounds, and with every tap, it was as if the Ocean Spirit's wounds were boiling, and after a few seconds, it closed.

'This…', Yinji could not help but widen her eyes.

The Spirit of the Ocean started to wriggle as its wound healed. And finally, after a minute, the Ocean Spirit was fully healed. With its wounds healed, it quickly but gently flapped its fins, rotating its body until its eyes were directly in front of Yinji and Viel.

And even though its movements were big, the water still remained stagnant. The Ocean Spirit blinked its eyes as it stared at them. Yinji put up her guard, but seeing as the Ocean Spirit didn't seem to mean them any harm, she quickly relaxed her hand.

The Spirit of the Ocean stared at the two of them for a few seconds before it abruptly swam away. Yinji could not help but squint her eyes as she looked at the retreating Ocean Spirit. Her eyes then wandered towards Viel, who was waving his hand farewell towards Ocean Spirit.

Yinji was about to ask how Viel was able to heal the Ocean Spirit, but before she could do so, the waters started to move.

Sofia instantly flinched as the wave started moving, she once again reinforced her bubble with another layer as she prepared for the impact of the wave. But contrary to her expectations, the colossal tidal wave slowly calmed down, like a piece of cloth fluttering to the ground.

Viel's long hair flowed with the water, its golden glimmer reflecting the ocean and the sky's magnificence. Yinji's lips could not help but move as she felt her heart slightly skipping a beat.

'Which is the real you…', she thought as she stared at Viel, 'The boy filled with warmth, or the boy that's completely detached from the world, filled with nothing but cold?'

'A bit cold since we're in the water'

'!!!'

Yinji could not help but quickly retract her thoughts. She forgot that she was still transmitting her thoughts to Viel. And so, after awkwardly clearing her throat, she flew back to the ship.

Viel, noticing that he was already alone in the water, swam back to the ship, only flying as he got out of the water.

As the two landed on the deck, all of the people that saw what they did could not help but stare at them in silence, their faces completely dumbfounded.

Sofia, on the other hand, let out a huge breath as she canceled the bubble that protected the ship. "Good work", she said as she approached Viel, summoning a warm gust of wind to dry him up.

"Heh", Viel nodded his head as he patted his beautiful hair dry.

"...Now, let's go eat!", he then clapped his hand as he casually ran back inside the ship, followed by Sofia who was still drying up his hair.

"W... wait for us!", Diao Mei and her mother quickly chased him inside.

After letting out a slight sigh, Yinji also went back inside the ship. Leaving Lu Xun, and the rest of the dumbstrucked audience with their jaws wide open outside.

"What... just happened?"