The instant they broke the surface, they left the darkness and oppressive surroundings behind. They had surfaced some distance from shore, so Lin Hanzhi swam another dozen meters with an arm around Qi Gu's waist.
Qi Gu cooperated and let him tow him along, making no attempt to paddle himself, mainly because he knew his own "efforts" would only make Lin Hanzhi work harder.
Qi Gu removed his oxygen mask and transparent waterproof goggles, finally getting a clear view of his surroundings. The sun had already sunk completely below the sea, and darkness had closed in on all sides. The tide had submerged part of the floating island. Wearing rain boots and carrying Pubu Gesang, who could not walk on his own, Miao Yue stood shoulder to shoulder with Mu Xingchen, waiting where they had entered the water.
The six little ghosts floated above the sea, likewise watching the water eagerly.
"It's Shifu! They're back!" Mu Xingchen was the first to spot them.
The group hurried a few steps forward, then met the eyes of the two men leaning against each other as they waded toward them.
"Is it dealt with?" Miao Yue asked first.
"We need to deal with something else first," Qi Gu said.
Miao Yue asked no further questions. "Tell us what to do, Qi-ge."
A minute later, Qi Gu briskly led the others to a corner of the Sea Lord Temple, speaking faster. "Before the tide reaches here, let's dig up their remains."
"But their remains were used as living foundation sacrifices. They're confined beneath the foundations..." Miao Yue raised the question.
"If I'm not mistaken, those remains are no longer restraining the Sea Lord. They're protecting it. We found a teleportation array underwater, left here by Hanzhi's family in the past. His family shared his