Chapter 342: The Temple of the Sea Demon Clan

Chapter 342: The Temple of the Sea Demon Clan

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The Black Iron Dwarf Captain, Frigus, was brought to the temple by the Sea Demons, followed by Lu Heng and his three companions.

Before they arrived at the temple, several Sea Demon Warriors had already returned to report to the Sea Demon Clan's High Priestess.

After a brief interrogation, Lu Heng and his group were escorted into the temple by a squad of Sea Demon guards.

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As the temple was located deep within the ocean, Lu Heng and his team had to dive to such depths that they couldn't breathe.

With their advanced Empowerment abilities, they could hold their breath for over ten minutes without issue, but prolonged submersion would eventually take its toll.

Lin Ze Yu was already struggling, so he tugged at Lu Heng's arm and pointed to his mouth.

He couldn't speak, as doing so would cause him to choke on seawater, making him even more uncomfortable.

Initially, he had thought that he would be able to breathe once they reached the Sea Demon Clan's territory, but the situation was entirely different from what he had expected.

The temple of the Sea Demon Clan was also submerged in seawater, with no energy shield providing breathable air.

Lin Ze Yu had reached his limit and was about to resort to using his oxygen cylinder if they couldn't find a place to breathe soon.

Lu Heng scanned their surroundings and noticed some seaweed growing among the coral in the temple's courtyard, including a particular type they needed.

However, this was the territory of the Sea Demon Clan, and any careless action might anger the temple guards.

Lu Heng approached the seaweed and gestured towards it, catching the attention of a Sea Demon General.

Understanding his request, the General nodded and said, "Go ahead and pick some."

The Sea Demons had a unique vocal structure that allowed them to speak underwater.

With the General's permission, Lu Heng plucked a strand of seaweed and returned to his team. He then plucked a leaf, handed it to Lin Ze Yu, and gestured towards the seaweed and his mouth, indicating that he should chew on it.

Confused, Lin Ze Yu put the seaweed into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed it.

Lu Heng, however, took a leaf, placed it in his mouth, and gently held it between his teeth.

This seaweed was called Gill Grass, a unique plant found in the Tidal Sea.

By holding the Gill Grass in one's mouth and gently biting it, the juice from the plant would slowly release oxygen, allowing creatures to breathe underwater.

Indeed, the Gill Grass was remarkable, but it couldn't entirely replace the need for air.

After all, the amount of oxygen released by the Gill Grass juice was limited, only enough to barely sustain life. Intense physical activity would require more oxygen than it could provide.

Su Muyu and Xie Shien also took a leaf of the Gill Grass and held it in their mouths, experiencing its wondrous effects.

Lin Ze Yu, however, was perplexed because he had misunderstood Lu Heng's intention and had chewed and swallowed the leaf.

By the time he realized that Lu Heng and the others were only holding the leaves in their mouths, it was too late.

Not only did he fail to gain oxygen, but his stomach also started to bloat, and he burped loudly.

Erp!

After burping, he immediately choked on seawater and quickly covered his mouth and nose, his face turning red from the effort.

The other three couldn't help but suppress their laughter, knowing that laughing underwater would result in the same fate.

Lu Heng plucked another leaf and handed it to Lin Ze Yu, then partially removed the Gill Grass from his mouth, holding the rest between his lips to demonstrate.

Lin Ze Yu had already understood the situation and quickly took the Gill Grass, holding it in his mouth.

Feeling it wasn't enough, he took two more leaves from Lu Heng's strand and chewed on them, finally stabilizing his condition.

T

In the main hall, a group of Sea Demon warriors escorted Frigus to the center.

The walls and dome of the main hall were adorned with luminous pearls, creating a lavish and majestic atmosphere.

On the north side of the hall stood a statue of a Sea Goddess, a female figure with a human upper body and a serpentine tail, resembling the Sea Demon Clan in appearance.

Frigus had Gill Grass stuffed into his mouth by the Sea Demons, preventing him from drowning and losing consciousness. However, he showed no mercy towards the Sea Demons, glaring at them with anger.

Lu Heng and his companions weren't restrained, but the Sea Demon guards remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on them.

After standing in the main hall for a moment, a Sea Demon guard went to report to the rear hall.

Soon after, a female Sea Demon clad in High Priestess attire emerged, holding a long-handled staff with a sapphire at its tip.

Lu Heng immediately recognized the staff's sapphire as the Sea Demon Clan's treasure, the Tide Heart.

Legend has it that whoever possesses this gemstone will be granted the power bestowed by the Sea Goddess.

This female sea demon was none other than Sona, the high priestess and leader of the Mermaid Clan.

The Mermaid Clan is predominantly matriarchal, with most branches having female leaders and high priestesses.

In a few branches, there are male leaders, but even then, the high priestess is usually a female.

Within the Mermaid Clan, males are typically stronger and often become warriors, while females possess greater spiritual power, enabling them to learn and master the Tide Summoning ability.

In the depths of the sea, the Tide Summoning ability can often determine the fate of an entire tribe.

Consequently, females hold a high status within the Mermaid Clan.

Of course, this is not an absolute rule.

The Mermaid Clan does not prohibit males from becoming high priests; instead, they stipulate that only the sea demon with the strongest Tide Summoning ability is qualified to inherit the position of the high priestess.

As females possess stronger spiritual attributes, they tend to excel in the Tide Summoning ability.

In the history of the Mermaid Clan, there have been male high priests, but they are relatively rare.

Generally, male sea demons are predominantly warriors with physical strength, using spears as their weapon of choice, while female sea demons tend to become Tide Summoners, mastering the water-based magic powers.

...

Upon entering, High Priestess Sona surveyed the few people in the main hall.

In addition to Frigus, there were four humans, including Lu Heng.

Just by appearance, one could tell that humans and Black Iron Dwarves were both land-dwelling creatures.

Land creatures typically lack the ability to communicate underwater, and breathing is challenging for them.

High Priestess Sona raised the staff in her hand and waved it, unleashing a surge of tidal power that swept through the main hall, creating a vortex and pushing the seawater away.

In the blink of an eye, the seawater in the main hall was pushed outside, filling the hall with air.

After the seawater was pushed out, Lu Heng and the four humans, including Frigus, immediately felt their breathing ease, while seawater dripped from their bodies onto the ground.

Huff! Lin Ze Yu opened his mouth and took a deep breath, then exhaled heavily, his expression one of great relief.

Black Iron Dwarves are known for their hot-tempered nature, like the magma within a volcano.

Frigus, now able to breathe air, began to speak, shaking the shackles on his hands and pointing at High Priestess Sona as he cursed, "You damn sea demons, all you know is to ambush us in the sea!"

Hmph! High Priestess Sona's face turned angry, and she waved her sleeves, scolding furiously, "You bunch of Black Iron Dwarves, instead of staying on land, you insist on running into the sea to seek death!"

The sea demon warriors and guards surrounding them were all filled with anger, holding spears and axes, ready to chop the Black Iron Dwarves into mincemeat at the high priestess's command.

Frigus showed no signs of backing down. He had come here willingly and never expected to return alive.

So, he continued to point at the high priestess of the Mermaid Clan and cursed.

High Priestess Sona's anger intensified, and the atmosphere became tense.

Seeing this, Lu Heng knew that if he didn't do something, the Black Iron Dwarf captain would be killed immediately. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Everyone, please wait. Whatever grievances or conflicts there may be, we can sit down and talk about them."

High Priestess Sona glanced at Lu Heng and coldly hummed, "It's not your turn yet."

Lu Heng took the initiative to introduce himself, "We are Summoners from the human world. You may not have seen humans before, but you should be aware of the existence of Summoners."

High Priestess Sona coldly hummed, "Of course, the death of a Deep Abyss Summoner won't be much better than that of a Black Iron Dwarf."

For the native races, being summoned is not always a good thing.

Therefore, not all native races welcome Summoners.

After all, Deep Abyss Summoners are also Summoners, but they are summoned from the deep abyss and are tasked with helping the abyss consume the target world.

The missions of positive Summoners usually involve aiding the target world in purifying deep abyss pollution sources, but there can be many special circumstances.

For example, the presence of "traitors" among the Summoners can also make native races more vigilant towards Summoners.

Additionally, there are cases like "plundering teams."

In summary, various factors combined make it so that native races are not always friendly towards Summoners, and maintaining neutrality is already a good outcome.

Lu Heng quickly explained, "My mission is to establish diplomatic relations with the Mermaid Clan, hoping for peaceful coexistence between humans and the Mermaid Clan. Additionally, my challenge mission is to find the deep abyss pollution source, which means there's a high probability of a deep abyss pollution source within the Tidal Sea. Even if you don't trust humans, you should first locate and eliminate the deep abyss pollution source.

High Priestess Sona narrowed her eyes slightly, a contemplative look appearing on her cold and beautiful face. She questioned, "My guards reported to me that you helped the Black Iron Dwarves."

Currently, the Mermaid Clan and the Black Iron Dwarves were on hostile terms, though not to the point of declaring war, but their relationship was indeed strained.

Therefore, it was natural for the Mermaids to view humans helping the Black Iron Dwarves with animosity.

Lu Heng sighed and explained, "Alright, I won't hide it. My challenge mission requires me to help you resolve your conflict with the Black Iron Dwarves."

"The challenge mission isn't mandatory, but I still want to give it a try."

"High Priestess, please don't be angry. Hear me out before making a decision."

"The Black Iron Dwarves are a land-based race, while the Mermaid Clan is an oceanic race."

"In terms of living space, your two races have no competition, so there shouldn't be any conflict between you."

"What's the reason for your mutual hostility? Can you tell me why?"

In truth, Lu Heng knew some of the reasons for the conflict between the two races, but only vaguely. It would be better to ask for clarity.

A nearby Sea Demon General angrily rebuked, "It's all because of those damned Black Iron Dwarves, dumping volcanic ash into the sea and polluting our waters!"

This explanation was similar to what he remembered.

According to his previous memories, the Mermaid Clan attacked the Black Iron Dwarves because they dumped volcanic ash and coal slag into the Tidal Sea, polluting the water there.

The Tidal Sea was the home of the Mermaid Clan, and it was normal for them to be angry when their home was being used as a dumping ground by the Black Iron Dwarves.

Any race would naturally hold a grudge if another race polluted their environment by dumping garbage into their territory.

However, there was one question: Why did the Black Iron Dwarves dump volcanic ash into the sea?

Lu Heng turned to Frigus and asked, "Captain, if you want to resolve the feud between the two races, it's best to answer this question: Why did the Black Iron Dwarves dump volcanic ash into the Tidal Sea?"

Frigus scoffed coldly, sounding a bit unreasonable, "The Tidal Sea is so vast, and we dumped the volcanic ash outside the territory of the Mermaid Clan. There are no settlements of the Mermaid Clan for thousands of miles around. Why can't we do it? Do the Mermaids own all the water in the world?"

This argument seemed to have some merit.

The Mermaid Clan did live in the Tidal Sea, but with its vast area, there was room for debate about whether every inch of the ocean belonged to them.

High Priestess Sona scoffed, "The Black Iron Dwarves are truly impossible to reason with. Drag them away to feed the sea beasts!"

Two Sea Demon Warriors stepped forward to drag Frigus away.

Lu Heng quickly intervened, "Wait a moment!"

High Priestess Sona narrowed her eyes and scoffed, "Do you want to feed the sea beasts too?"

Lu Heng blocked the Sea Demon Warrior who was dragging Frigus and said, "High Priestess, defending against the Abyss is already challenging enough, and the Black Iron Dwarves are also resisting the Abyss. Your two races being hostile to each other will only cause this world to be swallowed by the Abyss faster.

"Why can't we have a proper discussion? When we encounter problems, we should solve them first instead of attacking each other. I believe the High Priestess understands this logic."

High Priestess Sona seemed to be deep in thought, but her tone still carried anger as she asked, "What are you trying to say?"

Lu Heng explained, "I want to clarify whether the Mermaid Clan knows why the Tidal Sea was polluted. Was it solely because of the Black Iron Dwarves dumping volcanic ash?"

High Priestess Sona fell silent, clearly affected by Lu Heng's words.

The pollution in the Tidal Sea was indeed partly due to the Black Iron Dwarves dumping volcanic ash, but could dumping volcanic ash alone pollute the entire Tidal Sea? The Black Iron Dwarves transported the volcanic ash by ship to the depths of the sea for disposal, and even with continuous trips, the total amount wouldn't be excessive.

There must be other unknown reasons.

Just as High Priestess Sona was deep in thought, another team of Sea Demon Warriors returned with a group of humans.

Su Muyu quickly whispered to Lu Heng, "It's Liu Haiyang and the others."

The leading Sea Demon General returned to the main hall and reported, "High Priestess, during our attack, we finally killed that crazed sea beast. During the battle, we received help from a team of humans who called themselves Summoners.

"They wish to meet with the High Priestess, so I brought them back."

Liu Haiyang and the other five stood in the main hall and immediately saluted Lu Heng, "Reporting, Second Lieutenant Liu Haiyang reporting for duty!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end