https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1145-Only-the-Treasure-Seeker-Can-Do-It/13475051/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1147-Tidehowl-Turtle-and-Sea-Thunderbeast/13487221/
Chapter 1146: Under the Sea
Chapter 1146: Under the Sea (Combined)
Proficiency isn't an issue. Treasure Seeker has been using Shadow Penetration to move around whenever possible, and the skill has long reached mastery. It can instantly pierce through distances of around ten thousand meters... Qiao Sang said:
"We can give it a try. Treasure Seeker has been practicing this skill a lot lately, and their proficiency has improved significantly."
She didn't specify Treasure Seeker's exact proficiency, as reaching mastery in such a short time with an epic skill would be too unbelievable.
"Xunxun~"
Treasure Seeker nodded in agreement.
Migala smiled. "Let's give it a try."
She then gave Pengamei a meaningful look.
Pengamei understood and looked at Treasure Seeker, her eyes glowing blue.
Treasure Seeker blinked.
Suddenly, it felt its mental power sink into a vast, boundless space.
It was immense and comfortable, as if the space itself was a part of it.
"Xunxun..."
Almost instantly, Treasure Seeker immersed itself in the space.
"Pengpeng." Pengamei called out.
Treasure Seeker snapped back to reality.
"Now, try to sense Snowfall Lion's position", Migala instructed. "Use your mental power to sense it. You'll notice a mark in the vast mental sea, and that mark tracks Snowfall Lion's position. You just need to sense this mark."
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker's expression turned serious, and it called out, its eyes glowing blue.
Qiao Sang wasn't worried at all. Among all her familiars, Treasure Seeker had the strongest learning ability, and she believed Treasure Seeker would quickly sense it.
"Xunxun!"
Sure enough, after a short while, Treasure Seeker's expression turned excited, and it called out, indicating it had sensed Snowfall Lion.
"It has sensed it", Qiao Sang translated.
"Next, keep sensing Snowfall Lion's position. When its coordinates stop moving, it should have arrived", Migala said.
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker called out, indicating it understood, and then continued to track the mark's coordinates.
Qiao Sang suddenly thought of something and asked, "If Treasure Seeker only extends its claws, won't it be difficult to retrieve the Ice Crystal? That's the Sludge Ice Spirit's territory, and from what Snowfall Lion said, there are a few Sludge Water Maras there. Snowfall Lion might not even be able to get close to the Ice Crystal, and..."
She paused, then continued, "Treasure Seeker's claws are short."
"Qingqing."
Qingbao nodded in agreement.
Treasure Seeker was focused on tracking the mark's coordinates and didn't hear this.
Migala said calmly, "Snowfall Lion will appear next to the Ice Crystal. At least, when Night Ring King first used Shadow Penetration, Snowfall Lion appeared next to it."
Qiao Sang was taken aback. "Why?"
She sensed that Migala was hinting at something.
Migala countered with a question, "How long did it take from the Sludge Ice Spirit's appearance to the battle and its departure?"
Qiao Sang thought for a moment. "I didn't pay close attention, but it should be within ten minutes."
Migala asked another question, "How long did it take for Snowfall Lion to lead us here?"
Qiao Sang recalled. "About twenty minutes."
Migala fell silent, looking at her intently.
Snowfall Lion entered the sea shortly before the Sludge Ice Spirit appeared, and it took about twenty minutes to get here and another twenty minutes to return. Without counting the time it took to dive underwater, there was no way Snowfall Lion could have appeared shortly after the Sludge Ice Spirit left... As a series of thoughts flashed through her mind, Qiao Sang felt a sudden realization, her face showing surprise:
"There's something wrong with Snowfall Lion!"
Snowfall Lion had a problem!
She never imagined that the Snowfall Lion, which offered an S-Class Ice Crystal, would be problematic!
Using an S-Class Ice Crystal to gain their trust was an extremely high cost!
But that didn't make sense. From the looks of it, Snowfall Lion seemed to be leading them somewhere. If they had really entered the sea, something would have definitely happened, and the S-Class Ice Crystal would have returned to Snowfall Lion's possession.
Snowfall Lion wouldn't have the courage to do this alone. Regardless of Fangy and the others, Pengamei and the Dragon King's power would be evident. Who gave it the nerve?
Qiao Sang didn't need to think much.
A name immediately came to mind—Sludge Ice Spirit!
S-Class Ice Crystals are extremely rare, but for the Sludge Ice Spirit, whose territory is the Island of Ten Thousand Ice, they might not be so rare.
No wonder it was so easy to find an S-Class Ice Crystal, and Snowfall Lion was willing to hand it over.
Ice-type familiars should be very sensitive to ice-type materials. Even if they didn't recognize them, they should know that these materials are beneficial to them.
She had thought Snowfall Lion was charmed by Lulu, but it turned out to be a conspiracy to lead them into the sea!
Migala said calmly, "That's correct, but the S-Class Ice Crystal it offered is real. By following it, we have a chance to find more Ice Crystals."
Qiao Sang said admiringly, "If you weren't here, I would have been deceived by Snowfall Lion and followed it into the sea."
Migala suppressed a smile. "No, it's precisely because I'm here that you felt it wouldn't be a big problem and relaxed your guard, which is why you were deceived. If you were alone, you would have been much more cautious."
That was true. With someone strong around, her vigilance had dropped... Qiao Sang reflected on herself.
"Steel Chief..." Steel Treasure also reflected on itself.
After complimenting each other, Treasure Seeker suddenly looked excited and called out:
"Xunxun!"
Snowfall Lion had stopped moving!
Qiao Sang and Migala exchanged glances.
"Use Shadow Penetration to get close to Snowfall Lion", Qiao Sang said.
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker's expression turned serious, and it called out, gathering energy.
Then, a black hole about the same size as it appeared in front of it.
Treasure Seeker raised its claws and slowly extended them into the black hole.
"Qingqing?"
At that moment, Qingbao called out casually, suggesting that if Snowfall Lion was a villain, it might pull Treasure Seeker over to the other side.
It had been listening to the conversation the whole time.
"Xunxun?"
Villain? Pull over? Treasure Seeker quickly pulled its claws back, looking confused and called out.
"It's like this..." Qiao Sang explained the suspicious points about Snowfall Lion.
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker's eyes widened, and it quickly put its claws behind its back, calling out, indicating that if it extended its claws, what if Snowfall Lion pulled it over?
Qingbao chuckled at the scene.
Qiao Sang reassured, "It won't happen. If it wants us to enter the sea, it will ensure we get enough benefits. It doesn't know how we will retrieve the Ice Crystal, so it will follow our plan to find out what we do."
"Most importantly, you control the Shadow Penetration. If you sense anything wrong on the other side, you can make the Shadow Penetration disappear."
Migala smiled approvingly. Qiao Sang had fully understood her point.
“Xunxun~”
Treasure Seeker perked up at the last word, looking ready and eager. They raised their claws and reached toward the black hole.
…
Meanwhile.
At the bottom of the sea.
Snowfall Lion stood tensely beside a pile of ice crystals, as if afraid to move a muscle, like a child who had done something wrong.
“Sludge Sludge!”
“Sludge Sludge!”
Several Sludge Water Maras grumbled in discontent.
“Sludge Sludge.”
Suddenly, an impatient voice called out.
The Sludge Water Maras instantly fell silent, looking up at the Sludge Ice Spirit nestled among the ice sculptures.
These ice sculptures were like intricate works of art, varying in size, each one exquisitely detailed and lifelike. If one were to examine them closely, it would be clear that they were all modeled after familiars, as if the familiars themselves had been turned to ice.
Snowfall Lion's body began to tremble.
“Sludge Sludge?” The Sludge Water Mara looked at Snowfall Lion and called out.
“Peep!” Snowfall Lion nodded repeatedly.
As if on cue, a small black hole appeared beside Snowfall Lion.
Snowfall Lion didn't notice, but the Sludge Ice Spirit did. It smiled and called out, “Sludge Sludge.”
Snowfall Lion turned to the black hole, startled, and instinctively tried to run away.
But at that moment, a piercing frost breath struck.
Before Snowfall Lion could move a muscle, it turned into an ice sculpture, frozen in place.
The Sludge Water Maras, who had seen this before, simply watched the black hole intently, discussing the situation animatedly:
“Sludge Sludge!”
“Sludge Sludge!”
“Sludge Sludge!”
The Sludge Ice Spirit's smile faded, and it looked annoyed, calling out, “Sludge Sludge.”
The Sludge Water Maras fell silent once more.
One of them approached the black hole, ready for battle.
A small gray claw cautiously emerged from the black hole.
The Sludge Water Mara was taken aback at first, then it looked relieved, opening its mouth to pull the owner of the claw through the black hole.
“Sludge Sludge.”
Just as the Sludge Water Mara opened its mouth, the Sludge Ice Spirit called out from above.
“Sludge Sludge…”
The Sludge Water Mara didn't dare ask questions, picking up an ice crystal and placing it next to the gray claw.
The gray claw probed left and right, but it was too short to reach the ice crystal.
“Sludge Sludge.” The Sludge Water Mara looked annoyed, pushing the ice crystal closer to the claw.
This time, the gray claw finally reached the ice crystal.
The moment it grabbed the ice crystal, the claw swiftly retreated.
The black hole disappeared.
…
High above.
“Xunxun!”
Treasure Seeker called out, pulling back their claws, indicating that they were freezing.
“Ya Ya.”
Fangy called out affectionately.
Hearing this, Treasure Seeker quickly tucked their claws into Fangy's fur, looking relieved.
“Xunxun…”
“Did you get it?” Qiao Sang asked.
“Xunxun~”
Treasure Seeker pulled their claws out of Fangy's fur and spread them open.
A sparkling ice crystal appeared in their palm.
Qiao Sang took it and examined it in the sunlight, then said with disappointment, “It's a C-Class ice crystal.”
With that, she handed it to Lulu.
Lulu put it in her mouth with a “Click” and ate it.
“Xunxun?”
Treasure Seeker called out, asking if they should try again.
After Pengamei translated, Migala said, “Yes, but this time, don't position the black hole next to Snowfall Lion. Instead, position it nearby and peek inside to see what's happening.”
“Xunxun?”
Treasure Seeker looked incredulous.
Peek?
“Yes,” Migala nodded. “We need to figure out what's going on. They're probably paying close attention to the area around Snowfall Lion. If the black hole doesn't appear there, they might start looking elsewhere.”
“Xunxun…”
Treasure Seeker looked at their Beastmaster, then at Tingbao and the others, who were all watching. They exhaled a deep breath and called out with a determined expression, “Xunxun!”
If they must, they must.
With that, they channeled their energy.
“Wait a moment,” Qiao Sang interrupted.
“Xunxun?”
Treasure Seeker stopped, taking a deep breath and looking at their Beastmaster.
Migala also looked over.
Qiao Sang thought for a moment and said, “They've definitely noticed the black hole and will be more cautious. If the black hole doesn't appear next to Snowfall Lion, they might start looking elsewhere.”
“What do you suggest?” Migala asked.
Qiao Sang looked at Treasure Seeker and said, “Can you and your Substitute perform Shadow Penetration simultaneously?”
If they could, one black hole could appear next to Snowfall Lion to draw attention, while the other could explore the seabed.
It was a good idea, but the execution would be difficult… Migala understood Qiao Sang's plan, but she didn't think Treasure Seeker could manage it yet. After all, they had only recently learned this skill, and being able to target a location ten thousand meters below the surface was already an incredible feat.
“Xunxun~”
Treasure Seeker called out, indicating they would try.
They channeled their energy, and soon, an identical Night Ring King appeared beside them.
The two Treasure Seekers looked at each other, nodded, and focused, their eyes glowing blue.
Instantly, two identical black holes appeared in the air.
To be able to perform Shadow Penetration simultaneously with a Substitute… This was an Epic Skill, and Migala was once again amazed by Treasure Seeker's learning ability and proficiency with Shadow Penetration.
“Xunxun~”
The black holes disappeared, and Treasure Seeker called out, indicating they were ready.
“Then have your Substitute position itself next to Snowfall Lion, while you position yourself nearby to observe,” Qiao Sang said.
“Xunxun…”
Treasure Seeker looked like they had expected this, sighed heavily with their Substitute, and their eyes glowed blue once more.
…
At the bottom of the sea.
A black hole suddenly appeared next to the frozen Snowfall Lion.
The Sludge Ice Spirit and the Sludge Water Maras all looked over.
Unnoticed by them, another black hole appeared beside an ice sculpture.
Treasure Seeker's mouth puffed up, and they poked their head out of the black hole.
Thousands of ice sculptures filled their view.
Inside the ice, the familiars were frozen in time, their expressions ranging from pain, fear, peace, to confusion.
The sight was overwhelming, and Treasure Seeker froze, their pupils dilating, a mix of fear and inexplicable anger rising within them.
Just as they were struck by the intensity of the scene, the black hole next to Snowfall Lion vanished.
At the same time, the Substitute in the sky disappeared as well. (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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