Rent

On the seabed, the ebb and flow of tides and the surge of waves, along with the powerful currents created by the steady currents in the ocean or the rushing waves of a turbulent stream, form layers of undercurrents, much like underwater highways.

Li Qi and Old Ma followed the mermaid girl, moving quickly along these underwater highways. Even though he couldn't swim, simply being carried by the current was quite fast and effortless.

However, these tides were not brought by the actual moon, but by a pearl.

Li Qi couldn't help but gaze at that dreamlike, moon-like pearl.

Seeing Li Qi's expression, the mermaid girl said, "Ah, are you curious about that pearl, sir?"

"I am indeed curious. The underwater environment is so dark, and the light source seems to come entirely from these pearls. What are they, that they have such power?" Li Qi asked.

The mermaid girl smiled and said, "That is a pearl spit out by the Mother Clam. It is not only used for lighting, but also provides the energy for the underwater East Isle."

"Underwater energy in East Isle..." Li Qi nodded thoughtfully.

In other words, is East Isle actually driven by these pearls?

Interesting.

Following the current downstream, Li Qi soon felt the pressure; he was now three or four miles underwater.

That is, it is nearly two thousand meters deep in the ocean, which is already a terrifying pressure. The sunlight above has completely disappeared, and the surroundings are dark and indistinct, a state of vague and uncertain existence.

Although this is considered shallow sea, or even surface sea, in the East China Sea, for Li Qi, it was already a substantial step into the deep sea. The only light sources around him were East Isle and those pearls, which emitted a faint glow, illuminating the surrounding scene.

But in reality, Li Qi discovered that those merfolk and sea people did not need light at all; seeing in the dark was like an instinct for them.

But for Li Qi Qilai, who was used to seeing, the sudden appearance and disappearance of numerous fish in the darkness, along with the random appearance of sea creatures, and the complete darkness that enveloped the surroundings, combined with the icy seawater, instilled considerable unease and fear in him.

Li Qi knew that this fear was unfounded. He had ample firepower, and his full power could crush these fish and sea creatures into pieces, but he still couldn't suppress this instinctive unease.

This is the ocean's own suppression of terrestrial life, especially for someone like Li Qi who has never been to the sea.

He'll probably need some time to adjust to this feeling.

Looking around, Li Qi could see the incredibly broad body of East Isle, as reliable as a continental shelf, and it was even covered with dark caves.

Although his eyes were useless at this moment, Li Qi was, after all, Shaman, and he had more than one sense.

Speaking of this, Li Qi once had the illusion that as his cultivation level improved, his eyes would become more and more powerful, able to see through everything and transform all information into visualization.

But as his cultivation improved, he discovered that... although he had indeed mastered more and more observation skills, and his eyes were becoming more and more powerful, able to see farther and with stronger dynamic vision, his eyes... were still just eyes.

That's true. The structure of the eye dictates that it will always be just an optical sensor. No matter how sensitive this optical sensor is, it is still an optical thing. It is impossible for it to suddenly have the function of a gravitational wave sensor.

Therefore, true practitioners, in order to enhance their ability to perceive, usually acquire more additional sensors for themselves.

So, after realizing he couldn't see, Li Qi took out a translucent, droplet-like insect from his hand.

Then, he put the insect into his eye socket.

Instantly, the surrounding environment became bright, and all darkness was exposed. Li Qi also gained a considerable degree of dark vision, and could even see objects in the dark by relying on the self-emission of his eyes.

The mermaid girl stared blankly, seemingly never having seen anyone actively stuff insects into their eyes before.

Shaman Path is known for its eeriness and also involves the cultivation of insects.

Li Qi has some knowledge of witchcraft and sorcery, which he gained through his research on Witchcraft Silkworm. The thing he is using now is the pupil worm he bought in the past.

Pupil worms can convert other things into understandable light signals, which enables methods of observation on the seabed.

Li Qi did these things without delaying their journey, so in no time they entered the water to a depth of four or five miles, and swam nearly thirty miles to the left of East Isle. If divided by body parts, they were almost at the ribs of the puppet East Isle.

Here, the mermaid girl finally stopped.

Li Qi could see that a considerable number of merfolk, both men and women, lived on the rock walls here.

The merfolk seem to be a race that is naturally reluctant to wear clothes because of the water, since the resistance that clothes bring is quite great, far less than that of the merfolk's scales and skin.

However, female merfolk do not actually have mammary organs; their upper bodies are flat and smooth.

After all... this seems to be an oviparous race, without the need for lactation, so it doesn't seem that outrageous. Therefore, both men and women of this race have slender and smooth bodies.

She is beautiful, but she has a kind of 'other' feel to her.

But it doesn't matter. Li Qi is used to encountering all kinds of races. He has even seen the Plague Lord. A few mermaids are nothing to worry about.

"Sir, I'm home. Why don't you wait here for a moment while I talk to my family and then I'll be right back. I'll stay by your side for the next seven days, so please feel free to do as you please." The merman turned to face Li Qi and said this.

"Okay, go back and tell your family. By the way, do you mind if I come with you?" Li Qi suddenly said.

"Ah? I don't mind... but I'm just going home to report. Are you afraid I'll run away?" the mermaid girl asked, puzzled.

"No, it's mainly because I'm curious about the merfolk's home. I've never seen it before, but it would be impolite to trespass. I'd rather go in with you and see what the merfolk's living area looks like," Li Qi said.

This answer is indeed true.

He was really just curious; Li Qi had always been very curious about the unfamiliar race of merfolk.

"If that's the case... then there's nothing wrong with it. It's just that my home is simple, and I'm afraid you won't see any rare or exotic scenes..." The mermaid girl seemed a little embarrassed.

"What kind of rare and wondrous scene can compare to the traditions that the merfolk have followed for thousands of years? What I want to see is the ordinary home of the merfolk. You know, the more ordinary something is, the more universal the great principles it contains," Li Qi said.

What wonders could compare to the mermaid race itself?

Or rather, the lifestyle and family structure of the merfolk are a marvel that has been developing for countless millennia. They may be commonplace for the merfolk themselves, but for Li Qi, they are far more interesting than any garden scenery.

However, these words caused the mermaid girl in front of him to pause slightly.

As this gentleman said, the more ordinary something is, the more profound its truths are contained within it. It's not because the great principles are ordinary, but because the great principles constitute everything, and once you see them often enough, they become ordinary.

To draw an analogy, it's like... high-end avant-garde modern art, which seems very cutting-edge and innovative, and can easily generate billions in sales through hype, but without it, it's gone, and it won't have any special impact.

In everyday life, the mundane necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt, which cost only a few dollars and are readily available, are the true path that allows society to function properly. The countless rules of circulation hidden within them may seem insignificant at first glance, but the deeper you delve, the more you discover the wisdom of your predecessors. Without them, the entire society would collapse.

It's not because it's ordinary that it's so widespread.

It is precisely because it is so widespread that it appears ordinary.

This simple sentence caused the mermaid girl to fall into deep thought. Li Qi did not disturb her, but stood quietly and waited.

After a while, the mermaid girl suddenly stood up straight and bowed to Li Qi with very clumsy etiquette. "Thank you, sir... Please take back this. I dare not accept your payment for these seven days."

As she spoke, she handed over Li Qi's lamp with both hands.

Li Qi smiled and said, "It's good that you've done your best. This Law Treasure is nothing to me. Please accept it."

Li Qi could tell that during the period of quiet she had just been, many of the chaotic energies within her body had dissipated; those must have been the 'cutting-edge trends' that this young girl was pursuing.

The new cultivation methods Technique Method, though useful, fostered a restless and frivolous Dao heart.

But when she understood this, she took the initiative to cut herself off, severing these 'cutting-edge modern techniques' and focusing on her foundation. Although she became weaker temporarily, it was beneficial in the long run, which is why she took the initiative to worship Li Qi.

That way, she will be more dedicated when she is supposed to be a tour guide.

The mermaid girl nodded gratefully and said, "My name is Lei Fang. You can call me by that name, sir. Please slow down a bit, sir. I will go and greet your family."

"No need, as long as everything is normal, what's the point of making it so grand? Let's go, don't delay," Li Qi urged.

Lei Fang nodded, not daring to object to Li Qi, then flicked its tail and swam towards the depths.

Li Qi led the Old Ma and followed behind.

At this moment, Old Ma blew out a few bubbles.

Li Qi rolled his eyes. "What do you mean I'm pretending to be a master to fool young girls... I am a master, okay? Besides, everyone has their own expertise. So what if I can't swim? Go do your own thing!"

Old Ma stuck out his tongue slightly, then sped up and caught up with Lei Fang.

However, as he ran, Li Qi suddenly discovered something.

Indeed, many merfolk could be seen all around, and... they were all engaged in the pearl cultivation industry, both men and women, but the industries they were engaged in were basically the same.

Why?

Is it innate? Or was it just an accident?

According to Li Qi's understanding, the settlements of the merfolk should be places where all sorts of people do different things, and their cultivation Cultivation Method should also be diverse and unique.

It should be noted that even in Baiyue, where the Cultivation Method were so inferior, there were still various industries, and various Cultivation Method were still passed down within the Human Race.

At first glance, although the surrounding area was lively and there were quite a few merfolk, they were all planted pearls!

They embed pearl oysters into the shells of East Isle, then put a wisp of air and sand inside, allowing the pearl oysters to continuously produce pearls. But apart from that, they have no other industries.

The sea herders that Li Qi saw outside were of another race, not merfolk.

Is this such a singular industry? This is very detrimental to the development of the species. Is this the case for all merfolk, or is it only the merfolk of East Isle?

With these questions in mind, Li Qi finally arrived at Lei Fang's house.

Lei Fang and rushed inside.

She shouted loudly, "Father, Mother! I'm back! Oh, and I've brought a distinguished guest with me. This gentleman has hired me to be his guide for the next seven days. Oh, and this is my payment for this trip. He also bought a hundred beads, which is enough for the monthly rent!"

Li Qi watched this 'home' from a distance.

Merfolk are a race that lives in the water, so naturally they don't live on flat, solid land like humans.

Human Race are accustomed to living in a two-dimensional world, with only cardinal directions and front, back, left, and right, and rarely use up or down.

But the merfolk live in a three-dimensional world, with up and down, all around... no, it's not just all around, but a three-dimensional spherical area. So their houses are not built on a flat surface, but are carved into a vertical cliff, and this hole extends far into the distance.

The body of East Isle is clearly similar to a tower, being vertical. They built a complex nesting system on the vertical mountainside, and it looks quite practical.

Vertical, but not flat either, East Isle's body has many tiny bumps. Of course, they are very small to East Isle itself, but in reality, East Isle's body is extremely huge, several hundred miles high. So these bumps even form a 'terrain', just like a hill that stretches horizontally.

The merfolk's nests were built in a network of interconnected hills on these walls. Far from being crowded, there was plenty of room, with a large amount of space used to cultivate pearl oysters.

If Li Qi had to describe it, it would be... a beehive?

Almost. The surrounding environment felt like entering a beehive, a three-dimensional nest suspended among the treetops, only on an unusually large scale.

However, while observing his surroundings, Li Qi was also pondering something.

Did Lei Fang just say 'rent'?

In other words... this area is rentable?

Who are they paying rent to?

Is this the reason why they are all engaged in the pearl cultivation industry?