Chapter 96

4. Dragon's Roar: Shocks all things, unleashing immense Pressure; those unable to withstand it will have their souls annihilated. (Note: Extremely taxing; beware of overexertion and backlash.)

The Twin Fish Jade Pendant —no, it should be called the Dragon-Patterned Jade Pendant —underwent a class-level leap in ability after absorbing the white pearl of the Stone Dragon.

Su Cheng patted the jade pendant, feeling incredibly relieved and at ease. This was her trump card for survival!

Looking at the boning knife again, its appearance and functions have not changed.

But holding it in your hand gives you a greater sense of control.

She also developed a latent connection with the boning knife. She didn't know if it was because they had just worked together to cut off the dragon's head, or because it had swallowed the blood she had spat out, or if it was a result of both happening one after the other.

Ultimately, this knife has lost its rebellious spirit and its desire to devour its master.

Su Cheng happily put the knife back in her bag and called out to Mu Ling again, receiving a response.

As she expected, Mu Ling was indeed affected by the underwater stone dragon, and could only avoid being sucked away by tightly fusing with the bracelet.

After the stone dragon's torso and head separated, the Red Resentment that had lingered around the stone statue vanished.

The stone statue became rough and dull, and its lifelike charm disappeared, making it no different from a dragon statue made of piled-up stone and mud.

Su Cheng circled around and observed for a while, then reached out and pushed, confirming that the dragon's body was made of stone and mud and had not turned into flesh.

Touching the chains again, I no longer felt any coldness.

A thought suddenly occurred to her: the Demon-Suppressing Stone and the chains were actually locking the white bead inside the stone statue.

Otherwise, this stone statue should have transformed into a real physical body.

The dragon's true form may have perished long ago, but its remaining consciousness, hidden within the stone, took shape. However, it was discovered again by a powerful figure and then suppressed here...

Su Cheng felt that her deduction was almost certainly correct.

With the stone dragon destroyed, the suction force also disappeared, so there was no need for it to remain on the seabed any longer.

She swung her arms and legs, quickly diving upwards.

The process of swimming upstream is different from diving. Although the water temperature is still low, there is no suction or mental attack. Her mindset is exceptionally stable, and her swimming speed is only faster, not slower.

About half an hour later, Su Cheng finally saw the light.

"Splash!"

She broke through the sea, saw the bright sky, and breathed in the refreshing air.

At the same time, a system notification sound will play:

[Ding~ Side quest "The Sinking of the Blue Count" has been completed, reward 1000 points. The results will be displayed when you leave the instance.]

Although it was an expected announcement, Su Cheng still smiled and took a few deep breaths of fresh air.

Turning her head, the Blue Count Ship veered off course and anchored, stopping about ten meters away from her.

Eck, who was looking around on the deck, was overjoyed when he saw Su Cheng surfacing and immediately threw down a wooden bucket with a rope attached.

"Quick, hug it!"

Su Cheng swam towards the wooden barrel floating on the water, grabbed it, and was pulled close to the bottom of the boat by Eck, then climbed up the deck along the rope.

"You did it!" Eck couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. "What did you encounter underwater? You got Blue Count moving again!"

The female ghost appeared behind Eck, a faint smile on her face. It was clear that she had told Eck what Su Cheng had done after he regained consciousness.

Su Cheng looked at the female ghost first; her figure had become even fainter, almost dissipating as her obsession faded. "You..."

The female ghost shook her head, then suddenly pulled out a thick notebook from behind her. "My name is Alisha. Since you were able to help Blue Count escape the danger underwater, you'll surely be able to return safely to land. Please give this to my sister Amiya."

Su Cheng did not agree. Her main quest was related to mermaids, and she might not necessarily travel to land with the ship later.

Alisha glanced at Eck, who had disappeared from his sight, and only after he could no longer hear her voice did she explain to Su Cheng:

"This notebook contains detailed information about Kro Fungus and the preparation method for a targeted antidote; it cannot be left untouched on the ship."

Seeing that Su Cheng still hadn't agreed, Alisha sighed heavily and began to recount her life story:

"Actually, I am a scholar. I was once invited to study a new species of green algae and successfully extracted a special fungus, which I call ' Kro Fungus '. The jar of green algae in the cargo hold is a host sample of Kro Fungus."

But I never imagined that the Chamber of Commerce would be so ruthless as to plan to release Kro Fungus into the water supply, infect people, and then sell the drugs at high prices to make a fortune.

When I discovered the Chamber of Commerce's plan, I was knocked unconscious. I woke up on the ship; it turned out the Chamber of Commerce had been monitoring me all along.

She paused, then added, "Captain Ross is backed by the Merchant Guild. The Blue Count Ship was, from beginning to end, a conspiracy by the Merchant Guild to eliminate dissidents... It's a pity I only discovered this after I died."

After saying that, Alisha asked Su Cheng again to take her pen holder away.

Unintentionally aiding and abetting evil makes her unable to forgive herself, and making amends is the obsession that has kept her alive to this day.

Su Cheng was also helpless. "It's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that I'm not sure if I'll be able to go to land again."

The time it takes to leave the instance is always determined by the system.

Alisha clutched the pen in disappointment. She could tell that Su Cheng wasn't unwilling, but had no other choice. She was just Remnant Soul; as the restraints beneath the ship disappeared, her soul became even weaker, leaving her no choice but to seek help from the living.

Su Cheng glanced at Eck, who was sitting down and waiting beside her, and suggested, "You could try Pact Formation a mutually beneficial deal."

" To Pact Formation..." Alisha seemed to be deep in thought. After a while, she seemed to have thought of something, thanked Su Cheng, and reappeared in front of Eck.

Eck was startled by Alisha's sudden disappearance and reappearance. He was tense all over, and even though he knew she wasn't an evil spirit, he couldn't communicate with her in a relaxed state.

Su Cheng ignored their detailed conversation and strode off the deck into the cabin.

She could vaguely hear whispers and coughs coming from the cockpit; it was Modeya and the crew.

Eck regained his senses, and so did they.

Su Cheng entered the first room of the cabin, first drank a bottle of nutritional supplement to replenish her energy, then took off her clothes, took out a towel to dry her body and hair, and changed into new clothes after she was dry.

The Smart Bag switches to backpack mode and is worn as a cover for retrieving items later.

After tidying up, she left the cabin and ran into Eck was leaving the deck, as she walked into the lobby.

Su Cheng glanced behind him and said knowingly, "You've made a deal, and she's left?"

Eck glanced at Su Cheng's clothes, suppressing his questions as he had when they first met.

He patted the pen holder resting against his chest and replied, "Yes, I thought she was just an ordinary ghost; I never imagined she would be a scholar."

Even more unexpectedly, she was connected to the Chamber of Commerce and the truth behind Kro Fungus.

"Next, we should find traces of the mermaid as soon as possible and then leave."

Eck's expression was very heavy and complicated. Blue Count carried conspiracies and secrets, and if he were to return directly with it, the merchant guild would definitely target and test him.

However, if the mermaids divert attention, it might allow the Chamber of Commerce to focus on them, thereby reducing their suspicions.

Su Cheng readily agreed to the suggestion, "You mentioned before that we've arrived at the mermaids' habitat; perhaps they're nearby."

"Yes. Also, Modeya and I just found some fishing rods. They're going to fish on the deck for dinner later. Would you like to join us?"

"No, I'd like to rest in my cabin. Please call me if anything unexpected happens," Su Cheng politely declined.

"Of course, you should get some rest!"

After a brief exchange, Eck went to the cockpit, while Su Cheng returned to her room.

She sat on the ground in meditation, emptying her mind and reciting the mantra, taking advantage of this time to absorb Qi.

Wisps of white energy flowed into her body spontaneously without needing to be drawn in, becoming even more ethereal and pure than before, making Su Cheng feel exceptionally relaxed and comfortable.

The boat began to sway with the current, and she was completely immersed in absorbing it.

The Dragon-Patterned Jade Pendant around her neck shimmered slightly, and two phantom images of young dragons appeared beside her.

They leaped and frolicked around her, infusing the flowing White Qi with a wisp of golden light...

A note from the author:

none

Chapter 96

After a few breaths of breathing exercises, until her body and mind felt refreshed and fulfilled, Su Cheng stopped circulating her inner energy and slowly opened her eyes.

During this time, Eck knocked on the door, but received no response, so he assumed Su Cheng was asleep and didn't disturb her again.

After stretching her muscles a couple of times, Su Cheng opened the door and went out.

After breaking free from the control of the underwater stone dragon, the Count Ship returned to normal power, the flames in the wall lamps went out, and the entire cabin was dark.

Su Cheng walked through the passageway and the hall, and vaguely heard noises coming from the deck.

After climbing the iron ladder and pushing open the door, I realized it was already dark outside the cabin, with the lingering aroma of roasted fish in the air.

Two bonfires were set up on the deck, illuminating the night.

Eck and his two companions were sitting around a campfire, with long sticks and fishing nets at their feet.

Upon seeing Su Cheng, the three of them turned around simultaneously, each with a different expression, with Modeya and the remaining crew member Rio the most complex emotions.

They had learned everything from Eck, and remembering their previous bad temper towards Su Cheng, both of them felt somewhat guilty and embarrassed.

Eck stood up. "You're awake. We saved some grilled fish for you."

Su Cheng politely declined to thank her. The grilled fish on the plate was clearly the kind with a lot of bones, making it too troublesome to eat. Her current hunger level wasn't high enough to warrant eating such a time-consuming and laborious meal.

Her gaze fell on the fishing nets and harpoons on the ground, which they must have found in the cargo hold.

"Your previous ship is destroyed. Now, how do you plan to face the mermaids?"

She remembered that these people had been paid to search for and capture mermaids; simple tools alone were not enough to catch them.

Mermaids are not ordinary fish; otherwise, so many people wouldn't have gone there and never returned.

Modeya replied, "Mermaids possess intelligence, so naturally they cannot use ordinary tools."

His eyes flickered. "But I have a secret weapon."