Chapter Summaries

Long Tian and Yu Jin returned to Longfish Bay and used their merged layers of light to activate the dragon bone marker disc. As the light reached deeper beneath the sea, Long Tian stepped onto the current and began descending underwater.

• Long Tian and Yu Jin confirmed that their merged light pointed along the bearing of the dragon bone marker disc and marked the direction on their map.
• Long Tian and Yu Jin prepared their supplies and traveled to Longfish Bay the next morning.
• At night, the boatman anchored above the marker disc while Long Tian and Yu Jin merged their layers of light and directed them through the water.
• The marker disc lit from within, and its engravings carried light across the dragon bone and along its ribs.
• A new layer of light extended from the marker disc into the deep stone foundation, and Long Tian stepped onto the current and descended into the water.

Long Tian explored a preserved underwater chamber beneath the keel and found an inscription suggesting that the “Place Where the Dragon Sleeps” was a sealed air chamber inside its central base. He and Yu Jin returned to Longfish Bay and headed back toward the stone house, leaving the chamber’s contents undiscovered.

• Long Tian followed the passage beneath the keel and found a well-preserved chamber with a hollow base at its center.
• Long Tian uncovered an ancient Sea Clan inscription whose final characters meant “dragon sleeps” and sensed a sealed, waterless cavity inside the base.
• Long Tian returned to the boat and told Yu Jin that the cavity might be the place named in Shen Mo’s translated inscription.
• Long Tian and Yu Jin sailed through the night and arrived at Longfish Bay the following morning.
• Long Tian and Yu Jin left the pier and walked back toward the stone house.

Long Tian used Long Tieshan’s advice to locate and open the air chamber entrance in the underwater pedestal. He found the chamber dry and sealed behind an intact waterproof film, and returned without entering it, planning to study the barrier first.

• Long Tieshan explained how Long Tian could find the pedestal’s opening by following the inscription’s first stroke and locating the weakest feedback from the Origin Return Pearl.
• Long Tian took Long Tieshan’s marked stone slab and returned to Longfish Bay with Yu Jin the next morning.
• Long Tian followed the marker disc’s light underwater and found the weak point on the pedestal’s edge.
• Long Tian channeled the Origin Return Pearl’s emanation into the weak point, causing the stone to slide apart and reveal a gap sealed by a transparent film.
• Long Tian confirmed that the air chamber was dry and its seal intact, then told the person at the stern he would study the film before trying to enter.

Long Tian learned how to open the layered water-membrane seal with a steady release from the Origin Return Pearl and entered the chamber beneath the marker disc. Inside, he found a stone box containing a polished silver-coated disc and examined its reflection without touching it.

• Long Tian told Long Tieshan about the membrane, and Long Tieshan identified it as a water-membrane seal that required continuous Soul Power of the same origin and attribute.
• Long Tian met Tang San near Shrek Academy, and Tang San explained that the seal had to be opened layer by layer through sustained, even contact.
• Long Tian returned to the underwater pedestal and used the Origin Return Pearl's continuous emanation to open the membrane without tearing it.
• Long Tian and the dragon shadow entered the dry chamber, where Long Tian found a stone box on a low platform.
• Long Tian opened the box and saw a smooth, silver-coated stone disc whose reflection matched his position and angle.

Long Tian activated the discs in the Qi chamber and an upper chamber, revealing a sequence of images that ended in a detailed maritime topographical map. He found a point on the map that needed confirmation and returned to the surface.

• Long Tian connected the Origin Return Pearl to the disc in the Qi chamber, causing a light column to open a passage in the ceiling.
• Long Tian directed the dragon shadow’s light at the circular outline and rotated it, opening the passage to an upper chamber.
• Long Tian activated the larger floor disc with the Origin Return Pearl, linking its light pattern to the Qi chamber.
• Long Tian and Yu Jin watched images of the ship, dragon bones, and markings appear in the curtain of light.
• Long Tian saw a complete maritime topographical map in the final image, identified a point to confirm, and returned underwater before surfacing.

Long Tian and Yu Jin learned that the marked coordinates lay near the end of the southeastern ocean-current channel, beyond Longfish Bay. After returning to shore, Long Tian extended the silk map’s route toward the location, and they planned to gather supplies before setting out again.

• Long Tian told the man at the stern the coordinates and direction shown on the light-screen map, and the man recalled drifting through those waters before.
• The man at the stern identified the location as near the end of the southeastern current channel, a little farther out from Longfish Bay toward the Great Abyss.
• Long Tian and Yu Jin returned to Longfish Bay and went ashore.
• Long Tian extended the route on the silk map, marked the location, and put the map away.
• Long Tian said he and Yu Jin would prepare supplies and fresh water before setting out for the marked location.

Long Tian and Yu Jin traveled south along a warm current until they reached a broad paved structure on the seabed. Long Tian found a circular recess in the paving and saw a faint metallic gleam beneath its sediment.

• Long Tian prepared his supplies and map, and Yu Jin repaired his boots before they set out.
• Long Tian and Yu Jin sailed south from Longfish Bay, and Long Tian directed the boat along a subtle warm current.
• Long Tian noticed a dark band of color in the sea, where the boat slowed over a vast, level paved surface.
• The man at the stern found grayish-white powder in the water, and Long Tian confirmed that the paving matched the material beneath the keel.
• Long Tian swam down to inspect the paving and found a circular recess with a metallic gleam beneath the sediment.

Long Tian discovered that a circular metal plate beneath the water was part of a larger network embedded in the paved surface. After he activated a second plate and the groove connecting it to the first, he and Yu Jin set out to trace where the network led.

• Long Tian uncovered a dark metal plate in the paving and used the Origin Return Pearl to make a glowing ring appear on its surface.
• Long Tian found that the paving was divided into a regular grid, with grooves aligned around the plate at an intersection.
• Long Tian reported his findings to Yu Jin, who suggested that plates at the other intersections could form a network.
• Long Tian mapped the possible plate locations and guide lines on the silk map, then activated a neighboring plate and the groove connecting it to the first.
• Yu Jin said that connecting the next plates might reveal the network's destination, while Long Tian marked the direction and distance between the plates.

Long Tian mapped five light-triggered discs on the submerged paved surface and used their alignment to determine the direction of the larger layout. He decided not to search for more discs and set the boat toward the arc’s convergence, leaving the paved surface behind.

• Long Tian activated four discs underwater and marked their positions on the silk map.
• Yu Jin noticed an unusually wide gap between two points, and Long Tian found and activated a fifth disc buried beneath sediment.
• Long Tian added the fifth point to the map, completing more of the arc and confirming its direction toward the marked point on the light-screen map.
• Long Tian decided that confirming more discs would waste time without changing their conclusion.
• The person at the stern raised the anchor and steered the boat along the arc’s projected direction as Long Tian watched from the bow.

Long Tian followed the arc’s line across the sea and found a vast man-made structure stretching sideways beneath the water. He anchored beside its exposed edge and planned to examine its full extent after daybreak.

• Long Tian traveled for nearly four hours along the line extending from the arc, checking the water and the Dragon Shadow’s direction.
• Long Tian noticed a patch of unusually transparent water and steered the boat toward it.
• Long Tian saw a long, straight structure emerge ahead and approached its exposed edge.
• Long Tian used the Dragon Shadow’s light to inspect the structure and recognized its surface as matching the underwater paving and the floors of the Qi chamber and secret room.
• Long Tian anchored the boat beside the structure, described it as a man-made wall, and planned to assess it more fully after daybreak.

Long Tian and Yu Jin discovered that the structure beneath their boat was a long wall with evenly spaced grooves hidden under sealing patches. Long Tian mapped the grooves and confirmed the wall nearly aligned with the extended line on the light-screen map, then continued following it toward its distant endpoint.

• Long Tian examined the wall's surface and used Dragon Shadow's light and the Origin Return Pearl to uncover a sealed patch hiding a shallow groove.
• Yu Jin found another groove ahead and concluded that identical transverse slots repeated at even intervals along the wall.
• Long Tian uncovered five grooves, checked their spacing, and marked their positions on the silk map.
• Long Tian compared the wall's direction with the extended line on the light-screen map and found that the two nearly overlapped.
• Long Tian adjusted the Origin Return Pearl and the new core to keep Dragon Shadow's light steady as the boat continued along the wall.

Long Tian and Yu Jin discovered that several shallow grooves in the wall held patterned tracks that reacted to the Origin Return Pearl’s Qi and pulled the dark gray sphere downward. Long Tian marked the grooves on the silk map as the boat continued along the unbroken wall.

• Long Tian found that the seventh through tenth shallow grooves had engraved patterns matching the teeth on the keel marker disc.
• Long Tian guided the Origin Return Pearl’s Qi through a patterned groove and detected a faint response from its structure.
• Yu Jin’s dark gray sphere glowed and sank slightly above successive grooves as an evenly spaced force pulled it downward.
• Long Tian let the sphere descend until it hovered steadily above a groove, and Yu Jin sensed the energy transmitted through it.
• Long Tian returned to the boat and marked the patterned grooves on the silk map while the wall stretched onward.

Long Tian and Yu Jin followed the wall’s growing directional pull to a fitted projection and used the dark gray pearl to open it. Long Tian entered the concealed opening and found a firm surface below.

• Long Tian found that the patterns in the wall’s grooves grew deeper and the pearl’s pulling force strengthened as he advanced.
• Long Tian followed the wall as it gradually curved to the right, matching the curve to the direction of the patterns.
• Long Tian and Yu Jin examined a crosswise projection and discovered a recess shaped to fit the dark gray pearl.
• Long Tian placed the pearl in the recess, causing the projection to light up and rise to reveal an opening.
• Long Tian probed the opening, stepped onto the surface below, and bent down to pass through.

Long Tian and Yu Jin explored a dry corridor inside the wall and found a chamber with a disc that responded to the Origin Return Pearl. Long Tian traced an energy path to a springy metal sheet set into a groove, but the sheet blocked the energy and the chamber went dark again.

• Long Tian entered the corridor and found evenly spaced vertical grooves in its walls.
• Yu Jin followed Long Tian through the corridor as they reached a wider chamber with a disc embedded in the floor.
• Long Tian activated the disc with the Origin Return Pearl, causing a halo to spread across it.
• Long Tian maintained the energy flow and formed a path from the disc to a shallow groove in the north wall.
• Long Tian found a warm, springy metal sheet at the bottom of the groove and discovered it blocked the Origin Return Pearl's energy.
• Long Tian withdrew the energy, and the disc and groove returned to darkness.

Long Tian used the Origin Return Pearl and his Light and Dark Twin Martial Souls to activate a hidden plate and connect it to the Dragon Bone Marker Disc. The chamber revealed its full map and a dragon projection, which the Origin Return Pearl absorbed, before Long Tian restored the plate and confirmed the structures matched his map and marker disc.

• Long Tian channeled the Origin Return Pearl's presence and both Martial Souls into the plate, causing it to rise from the shallow groove.
• Long Tian read the mirrored ancient characters on the plate and placed it at the center of the Dragon Bone Marker Disc, where it fit seamlessly.
• Long Tian activated the joined plate and disc, lighting up routes and patterns across the chamber's walls, including a complete coiled dragon on the southern wall.
• Dragon Shadow approached the dragon pattern, and a ball of light emerged from its mouth and expanded into a three-dimensional disc-shaped projection.
• Long Tian touched the projection, and the Origin Return Pearl absorbed it.
• Long Tian returned the plate to the shallow groove, causing the wall patterns to fade, then confirmed that the revealed structures matched his map and marker disc.

Long Tian absorbed the light and shadow from the chamber into the Origin Return Pearl, and its energy settled into his body. As the boat continued along the wall, he marked the coiled-dragon pattern on his map and decided to return after examining the wall’s end.

• Long Tian waited for the Origin Return Pearl to absorb the chamber’s light and shadow, then returned to the boat with Yu Jin.
• Long Tian examined the deepening gray-gold patterns on his hand and confirmed that his fingers moved freely.
• Long Tian marked the coiled-dragon pattern on the silk map and sensed a transition layer forming inside the Origin Return Pearl.
• Long Tian said they could head back after the wall’s end and its terminal structure came into view.

Long Tian reached the precisely cut end of the wall and found a circular mark with a slot embedded in its face. He recorded that the face pointed southeast, then returned with Yu Jin to Longfish Bay, leaving the route beyond the wall’s end unresolved.

• Long Tian found the wall’s smooth end face and examined the circular mark and its vertical slot.
• Long Tian used the Origin Return Pearl to test the mark, then recorded the wall’s endpoint and the face’s southeast direction on his silk map.
• Yu Jin said the direction the end face pointed should lead to the final location, though only open sea remained beyond the wall.
• Long Tian reviewed the route’s clues and confirmed their sequence and directions were consistent as the boat returned.
• Long Tian and Yu Jin reached Longfish Bay before daybreak and left the harbor by the dirt road.

Long Tian confirmed that the chamber wall, silk map, and ancient characters pointed toward a location on the open sea, and he decided to investigate it. Before setting out, he confirmed that the Imperial Seal, Origin Return Pearl, and new core had settled together without conflict.

• Long Tian aligned the end face of the chamber’s long wall with the endpoint of the path on the silk map.
• Long Tieshan asked Long Tian about the map’s direction, while Yu Jin reinforced the strap on his bundle.
• Shen Mo reported that an old fish-skin transcript added two characters meaning roughly “entrance” and matching wavy-line markings after the chamber-wall inscription.
• Long Tian used the added characters and markings to locate a spot farther along the open sea and told Shen Mo he planned to visit it.
• Long Tian confirmed that the Imperial Seal, Origin Return Pearl, and new core pulsed together without interfering, then packed the silk map.

Long Tian followed the end face’s direction across a pale, altered stretch of sea and discovered a hidden chamber beneath a whirlpool. After using the imperial seal’s Qi to open a concealed door, he illuminated the spacious room beyond.

• Long Tian and Yu Jin departed before dawn, and Long Tieshan gave Long Tian a parcel of dry rations.
• Long Tian guided the boat toward the end face and noticed the sea grow lighter while its water took on an unusual texture.
• Dragon Shadow indicated a faint whirlpool, and Long Tian found a toothed circular stone marker beneath its surface.
• Long Tian sent the Origin Return Pearl’s Qi into the marker, opening a passage to a small stone chamber.
• Long Tian used the imperial seal’s Qi to open a concealed door in the chamber wall, revealing a spacious room beyond.

Long Tian explored the main hall beneath the sea and activated its mechanisms with the thin piece and the Origin Return Pearl. The stone platform sank into the floor, leaving a recess where the fused Imperial Seal formed a steady column of light.

• Long Tian discovered that the stone platform bore a pattern matching the Dragon Bone Marker Disc, and Yu Jin examined it with him.
• Long Tian inserted the thin piece into a slot in the northern wall, causing the hall's floor to darken and a layer of light to form around the platform.
• Long Tian passed through the layer of light and pressed his palm against the platform's central mark, synchronizing the Origin Return Pearl with the Imperial Seal merged into his body.
• The illuminated platform sank into the floor, leaving a circular recess at its center.
• Long Tian filled the recess with the fused Imperial Seal's light, which rose into a steady column and remained suspended.