Dig Three Feet Deep!
Hundreds of thousands of Big Fish are distributed throughout the Xiangyi Waters, forming a vast net in the Liang Qu Sea of Consciousness, repeatedly "fishing" from shallow to deep and from near to far.
Wherever a discovery is made, the nodes of the large network will ripple with subtle fluctuations.
Over the course of three days, Liang Qu received no fewer than a dozen similar fluctuations, but gained nothing and was left disappointed.
The ordinary small fish have limited understanding, and over three days, there were many false alarms and misreports, wasting a lot of energy.
This led Liang Qu to doubt whether relying on small fish to find the Merfolk settlement was reliable, or whether the Old Giant Clam had become senile before it was old and had given him false information.
Regardless, I have to go.
The vast and tranquil Great Marsh, like a shooting star streaking across the sky, suddenly stretched out a long white ribbon of water.
The crabs that were waving their claws to attract mates were startled and crawled back into their burrows. Before they could even seal the entrance, the astonishing phenomenon vanished without a trace.
The crab wiggled its eye stalks, grabbed a drifting seaweed, and momentarily forgot why it had to hide.
After a few breaths.
Whoosh! The white vapor dissipated, revealing human figures.
Amidst the aquatic plants, the bighead carp swayed its tail, intently responding to the divine light in its mind, unaware that the supreme divine light had already arrived.
Liang Qu looked down at the scene.
What came into view was a bottomless ravine, and with just one glance, he released all the fish from his control.
The large net, composed of tens of thousands of fish, collapsed with a crash.
The fathead fish, now free, stood frozen for a moment, then, startled to realize someone was nearby, whipped its tail and fled.
"It's really not easy."
Liang Qu's eyes flickered as he looked around.
Beyond an underwater ridge, ancient settlements unfold like a scroll painting amidst the ravines.
After decades of water erosion, most of the houses in the settlement have been reduced to ruins, with broken walls and rubble falling into deep ditches. Only a few scattered houses stand stubbornly, highlighting the status of the former inhabitants.
The houses stretch out in a row, with the still intact gable roofs covered with iron-black tiles, on which are engraved clouds and waves. Between the eaves hang translucent, tattered silk, which undulates silently in the water.
The patterns on the tiles reveal the former prosperity of the settlement. Only by escaping the struggle for survival could they focus on artistic creation and pursue beauty.
Liang Qu picked up a tile and tapped it.
A crisp, vibrato reverberated.
Metal.
rich.
Building houses underwater is extremely difficult, as ordinary materials are easily corroded, especially wood.
Without a doubt, the settlement before us is the Merfolk tribe that the Old Giant Clam once spoke of!
No wonder there were so many fish. It took so long to find this place; it's at least two hundred miles from the shore!
The clouds have parted to reveal the blue sky! Well done, fathead fish! Liang Qu summoned the Water Beast and entered the settlement alone.
Its floating form startled the small fish that were foraging in the crevices.
The entire Merfolk tribe was built and expanded along the deep trenches.
Half of the houses are built on the ground, and half of the caves are carved into the cliff.
The cave is dark, but many fluorescent vines intertwine, creating a good field of vision. Liang Qu guessed that those living on the surface were mostly the strong among the Merfolk, the rentier class.
Those living in cliff caves are mostly on the lower level.
The various pieces of furniture remaining inside, seen through the doors and windows, also corroborate this viewpoint.
The furnishings in the cave were far less exquisite than those in the house above.
However, decades later, the cliffside caves inhabited by the lower classes, built into the rock, have been better preserved.
People need food to fill their stomachs, and houses need people to support them.
An old house that is inhabited for a hundred years will not collapse, but one that is uninhabited will collapse after five years.
Popularity is a tangible thing; an uninhabited mud house will fall into disrepair after a few years.
The erosion is much more severe underwater than on land.
"At its peak, there were more than two thousand people."
Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.
Liang Qu has been to many places and seen many towns and villages. Based on the current number and scale of houses, it can be roughly estimated that a Merfolk with two to two thousand five hundred people once lived here.
It will not exceed three thousand, and its overall scale is slightly larger than that of the former Yi Xing City.
"I wonder how much benefit I can gain."
The Merfolk were not wiped out, but rather their planned and organized evacuation occurred after the Dragon Lord's passing.
Hopefully, the results won't disappoint.
After wandering around, I memorized the general outline of the ruins.
With a thought, Liang Qu's aura began to spread.
In an instant, countless silk-like white ribbons stretched out from the void, wrapped him into a white ball, and then disappeared, revealing the mighty White Ape!
The White Ape closed its eyes tightly, and its perception of the water flow expanded dozens of times outward, enveloping the entire Mermaid Ruins.
The roof ridge, walls, floor tiles, window frames... wherever the water flows, everything is as clear as lines on the palm of your hand! The reflection of the two reveals all the hidden chambers and secret rooms.
Having grasped the structure and key points, Liang Qu completed the "Spirit Transformation" process. Despite his physical weakness, he sat cross-legged and practiced his internal energy to continuously strengthen his memory.
a long time.
Two Dragonfolk, Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe, along with Fat Catfish, Cannot Move. Round Head and other Water Beast arrived one after another.
The two Dragonfolk were quite surprised to see the underwater ruins.
They were unaware of Liang Qu's true purpose in coming to Fragrant Township County to slay the snake, but they did not stop him when they saw many Water Beast searching everywhere.
Everything is unclaimed; there's nothing I can't take.
The Water Beast either burrowed into holes or raided nests.
Round Head was the first to make a discovery, carrying a transparent, teardrop-shaped gemstone from the cave, its light shimmering brilliantly.
Mermaid Tear! What a treasure! Liang Qu loves Mermaid Tear. Not only does it contain the Marsh Essence, but it can also be sold to the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild to make two profits!
There were indeed some good things left in the ruins!
Whoosh! A large cloud of mud and sand rose up from another direction.
Liang Qu collected the Mermaid Tear and looked down from the high place.
The collapsed eaves trembled twice, then suddenly burst open like surging waves, revealing the silhouette of Fat Catfish.
Smoke and dust filled the air. The Fat Catfish sneezed twice, dissatisfied with the fragility of the house, and smashed the broken beams into wood chips.
It accidentally bumped into something and fell over!
Having learned from past mistakes, the Water Beast became even more cautious.
The Fat Catfish, Cannot Move, with Round Head and enormous size, was indeed a hindrance when it entered the houses where the Merfolk lived to search for things.
Coincidentally, Ta Ta Kai's location in the Mental Link is getting closer and closer.
River Otter and beavers are smaller in size and have more dexterous hands, making them excellent diggers.
Liang Qu instructed Ta Ta Kai change course and head towards the location of the Mermaid Ruins.
The Mermaid Ruins have nearly a thousand houses; some are easy to find, but it can take several days to explore them all.
Three hundred miles away.
Ta Ta Kai received the order, climbed the mast, and methodically issued new instructions, while River Otter in the helm pushed the crossbar.
The River Otter, manipulating the sail, bulged its arm muscles, bared its sharp teeth, adjusted the sail, and continued to move forward at full speed.
Heading to a new destination!
at the same time.
Round Head quickly found the second Mermaid Tear and proudly handed it over to the gods.
"Cannot Move" glanced at the ruins twice, then calmly used its paws to dig through them, maintaining its own pace.
The Fat Catfish, seeing the Round Head fish's repeated successes, became extremely jealous. It accidentally bumped into a roof beam, causing the entire house to sway and shake. The catfish, frightened, hurriedly steadied itself.
As time went by.
The water's surface gradually turned red.
Many Water Beast searched patiently.
The Mermaid Tear on Liang Qu's hand quickly increased from one to two, then to three...