Crossing the River, the Soul Crystal Bream That Was a Treasure From Head to Tail
But he persevered, without paying any price.
Therefore, he guessed that the same thing would happen this time.
As it turned out, my assumptions were correct.
Shen Xing hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Ferryman, may I deduct the lifespan for crossing the river on behalf of my subordinates?"
Chapter 214: Crossing the River, the Soul Crystal Bream, a Treasure Trove of Resources
"Ferryman, may I deduct the lifespan for crossing the river on behalf of my men?" Shen Xing asked politely.
Upon hearing this question, the hunchbacked boatman paused for a moment. "It's possible, but... are you sure?"
Fordring, Leina, and the others also stared at Shen Xing in astonishment.
"Of course I'm sure." Shen Xing nodded.
"Heh, you're quite a good lord..."
The boatman glanced at him with surprise, a hint of admiration in his voice. "No matter which world I'm in, all the lords I've encountered treat their subordinates as cannon fodder and tools."
"It's good that you can treat them as real lives..."
Shen Xing listened to the praise without changing his expression, but felt a little embarrassed inside.
Ahem... Your praise is making me a little embarrassed.
He would never have sacrificed his life to help his men cross the river if he hadn't known he wouldn't have paid any price.
But the generals didn't know that.
At that moment, their faces were filled with deep emotion.
As the boatman said, it is truly rare to find a lord who is so considerate of his subordinates that he is even willing to give his life for them.
It can be said that such a thing is extremely rare in this world.
They couldn't help but feel fortunate to have come to this territory and met such a wise ruler.
Even the old knight Fordring gripped his mace tighter, his eyes filled with an unprecedented determination.
"Thump! Thump thump thump!"
The hunchbacked boatman picked up a bamboo pole and gently tapped the boat four times.
Immediately afterwards, four wisps of black energy entered Shen Xing's body and quickly disappeared without a trace.
"Alright, the fare has been paid, everyone please board."
Shen Xing nodded slightly, then looked towards the shore and waved.
Before long, Fordring, Gorehowl, Leina, Onyxia boarded the small black boat together.
The other orc squads, carrying lanterns and Fried Chicken, returned to their territory.
The hunchbacked boatman, using a black bamboo pole, uttered a low, hoarse chant.
"One pole pushes open the path through the fog, two poles slice through the sky reflected in the water..."
"The Blackwaters stretch far and wide, with no end in sight... Let's set off..."
After singing, he suddenly plunged the bamboo pole into the water, and the small boat silently glided towards the center of the river...
Fog, thick fog.
The moment the small boat left the riverbank, it felt as if we had stepped into another world, with the surrounding fog so thick it was almost solid.
The air was filled with moisture, and every breath felt like being submerged in water, giving me a slight feeling of suffocation.
Shen Xing and the others' eyesight seemed to be suppressed by a mysterious force, with visibility less than ten meters.
"Splash... splash..."
The turbulent river flowed swiftly beneath our feet, occasionally sending up waves several meters high, but it had no effect on the small boat.
It continued its slow and steady progress, as if it existed in another dimension.
Shen Xing had deactivated his 'Ruin Black Dragon' form and returned to his wheelchair.
Suddenly, he sensed a powerful aura surging from the bottom of the river, rapidly approaching them.
There wasn't even time to react.
"Bang--"
A dull thud resounded, and the small wooden boat tilted violently.
The people on the boat instantly lost their balance and were about to fall into the water.
Old Fordring reacted quickly, swiftly erecting Silver Shield to firmly cover everyone.
The boatman quickly plunged a bamboo pole into the water and swiftly brought the tilting boat back to its original position.
"I'm so powerful... you better steer the boat for me!"
Shen Xing patted his chest.
Before he could catch his breath, that terrifying aura approached again, and a huge black shadow could be vaguely seen swimming rapidly beneath the surface of the water.
Everyone quickly steadied themselves, preparing for the charge.
At that moment, the boatman's hoarse, deep voice rang out again. "It's not your turn yet, get out of here..."
He plunged the black bamboo pole into the water, and a dull, fleshy sound followed.
A moment later, a wave rippled across the water, and the terrifying aura quickly dissipated.
The group stared at the dark water, still shaken and shaken.
"Boatman, what's that thing in the water?" Shen Xing asked curiously.
"Hehe..." The old boatman glanced at him and chuckled, "Believe me, you won't want to know."
"Walk slowly..."
Shen Xing knew that when they said these words, they were about to play the riddle-maker again, so he didn't bother to ask any further questions.
Next, the small boat continued to sail gently towards the center of the river.
Although powerful auras could be sensed from time to time underwater, no further collisions like the previous ones occurred.
At that moment, Shen Xing suddenly saw a red light rise up from the bottom of the water.
Immediately afterwards, a loud, rough laugh was heard.
"Haha, they've finally taken the bait!"
Everyone was startled and looked in the direction from which the sound came.
They then noticed a dark figure crouching at the stern, excitedly holding an old fishing rod, seemingly having caught something.
That glowing object was his bait.
The aura emanating from the other party was so faint that it was almost impossible to detect without careful observation.
Furthermore, he was hidden by the awning, which is why no one noticed his presence.
"Who is the boatman?" Shen Xing asked.
"Like you, I am a passenger on the 'Soul-Ferrying Boat'."
The hunchbacked boatman explained, "However, he wasn't going to cross the river; he was going to fish for some kind of 'Soul Crystal Bream.'"
"I've already taken more than thirty round trips, but I haven't gained anything so far."
Shen Xing was immediately startled upon hearing this.
More than thirty round trips—that's at least three hundred years of lifespan; no wonder he looks so old.
However, the fact that this person was willing to expend so much of their lifespan to gain the opportunity to cross the river is enough to show that they were no ordinary person.
A thought struck him, and he tried using the system's identification function to look over.
[Name:???]
[Grade:???]
[Potential:???]
[Skill:???]
As expected, I'm faced with a whole host of questions.
But to Shen Xing's surprise, the old man turned his head at this moment and gave him a cold look.
"Little one, it's not a good habit to pry into other people's lives."
Shen Xing was surprised again.
This was the first time he had used the system's detection function and been detected by the target.
This also shows that the opponent's strength is greater than he imagined.
"Senior, I'm so sorry, it was my recklessness." Shen Xing bowed and apologized.
"Hmph..." The old man snorted coldly, not taking it to heart.
Instead, he turned his head back and continued to tug at the old fishing rod in his hand.
The slender bamboo pole was stretched into a crescent shape, making a 'creaking' sound, as if it would break at any moment.
But the old man's withered hands were surprisingly steady, no matter how much the immense force at the bottom of the river struggled, they remained firmly in his grasp.
At the bottom of the river, the red light flickered up and down, as if some enormous creature was biting the bait and struggling desperately.
The old man's expression grew increasingly serious. He changed from a squatting position to a standing position, his feet firmly planted on the deck.
However, in the next second, the red light suddenly dimmed, and the fishing line slackened.
"Damn it! It got away again!" The old man angrily slammed his fishing rod onto the deck, his unkempt beard trembling slightly.
The people on the ship looked at each other in bewilderment.
Shen Xing pondered for a moment, then couldn't help but ask curiously, "Senior, are these fish really that hard to catch?"
"It's more than just difficult to catch!" the disheveled old man scoffed. "I've traversed countless waters in the Land of Mist, catching hundreds of kinds of large fish, and I've never failed to catch one."
"But the 'Soul Crystal Bream' in this Blackwater River has caused me countless mishaps."
Seeing that he seemed easy to talk to, Shen Xing continued, "Senior, what magical power does this fish possess that makes you willing to spend hundreds of years of your life here?"
The disheveled old man initially didn't want to answer the question, but his gaze lingered on the old man's withered legs for a moment, as if he had been moved by pity.
Finally, he spoke.
"Hmph, since it's called 'Soul Crystal Bream,' it must be related to the soul."
"Some powerful Soul Crystal Bream will form 'Soul Crystal' in their bellies, which, when absorbed, can greatly enhance the soul."
"For those powerful individuals stuck at the Master Realm who urgently need to condense a 'Primordial Soul' to break through to the Grandmaster Realm, a Soul Crystal can save them at least a hundred years of time."