There was always a strange sound in their ears, but it wasn't caused by their eardrums vibrating. It seemed to ring directly inside their brains—or perhaps echo within their souls.
Ahead of them was nothing but darkness. Yet at some point, they had all begun to feel that if they went even an inch farther, a monster would suddenly spring out and devour them.
Inch by inch, no monster ever appeared, but the mounting pressure in their hearts left them almost unable to breathe.
Just as Luo Yunji and the others felt they could no longer hold on, the darkness suddenly vanished. It disappeared so abruptly that they were caught completely off guard. There had been no transition at all—not a glimmer, not a speck of light, not even a gradually expanding patch of brightness.
"This is unbelievable!" Zheng Dali looked down at his feet and voiced what everyone inside the water bubble was thinking.
A vast city lay beneath them.
It was ancient, imposing, and laid out in neat order. Seen from above, its buildings were arranged like fish scales. Many glowing plants or minerals dotted the city. Perhaps they were gemstones!
"Was this built by the Fish Monsters?" Luo Yunji could hardly imagine those ugly creatures having such skill with their hands. They couldn't even use chopsticks!
"This must be an ancient ruin," Zheng Dali exclaimed.
The scenery below was truly beautiful. The whole city looked as though it had been sprinkled with stars.
"I don't think the Fish Monsters would have this kind of..." Luo Yunji couldn't think of a word to describe what he was feeling.
"Etiquette? Civilization?" Zheng Dali offered two possibilities.
"Something like that! Anyway, you get the idea." Luo Yunji curled his lip.
"I think Bamboo Bag should be in the biggest building