Chapter 127 Under the Ice

"The spirit boat is under the ice. Everyone lend a hand and sweep away the snow on it."

Cao Lin's second uncle, Cao Xiu, was the one who initiated the search for this spirit boat, and he was also the strongest, so he rightfully took command of everyone.

The blizzard made everyone's movements much more difficult, but they still managed to clear the snow away with great difficulty.

After the snow was cleared, a huge ice surface appeared before them, and they realized that the nearby abyss was frozen solid.

"The Blackwater area is very deep, and even in this terrible weather, the water is still flowing. You must be careful when you move around down there. Some sea creatures may just be hibernating underwater, and you might disturb them if you're not careful."

We've come here solely for wealth; none of us want to risk our lives. Before we enter the water, you must all swear a solemn oath—we are here only for wealth, and anyone who dares to harbor any other thoughts will surely die a horrible death.

Accompanied by the howling cold wind, Cao Xiu's voice was chillingly indifferent.

"Second Uncle, isn't this going too far? Everyone must be here for those spiritual items."

Cao Xiu's sharp eyes swept over the crowd, and those he looked at either remained calm or felt guilty. His gaze lingered for a few moments in front of a pair of brothers.

"I do not deny this point, but I am worried that some of you are still thinking about your family and your small world, bound by so-called bloodline and kinship. What we cultivators seek is to live as long as heaven and earth and to shine with all things."

You don't realize that the moment you stepped into the sect, all of these things vanished with the wind. Don't forget, you even returned your generational names to your families. I'm saying all this to make you understand that a family is a family, and you are yourself. Don't do anything foolish for the sake of others.

After Cao Xiu finished speaking, a cultivator stepped forward first.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with making a solemn oath. I, Meng Tao, am only after money. If I have any other intentions, may I die without a burial place."

"I, Cao Lin..."

After everyone swore a solemn oath, Cao Xiu nodded in satisfaction. Another day passed, and the group broke a large hole in the ice. Looking at the dark water beneath their feet, they swallowed hard.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained!"

Xu Hao took a deep breath and jumped in first. The others, not to be outdone, followed suit.

Even though Xu Hao had mentally prepared himself before entering the water, he almost cried out the moment he entered. There seemed to be a special aura in the cold, bone-chilling seawater, like a maggot clinging to the bone, which they could not expel no matter how much spiritual power they used.

Fortunately, they were all Foundation Establishment cultivators, so it didn't have much of an impact for the time being.

After getting used to it, the group dived deeper into the darkness. After descending about ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), the surroundings suddenly became completely dark.

Cao Xiu took out a bright pearl that emitted a cold, eerie blue light from his bosom and held it above his head. With this light, everyone was finally able to see their surroundings clearly.

Many people gasped in amazement, and occasionally the sound of rapid heartbeats could be heard. The cold light only illuminated a distance of two or three zhang around. The seawater was transparent, and beyond that, it appeared misty and empty.

The dozen or so people huddled together, their spiritual energy shields merging to form a massive barrier that pushed back the seawater, allowing them to speak.

"It really is Oobuchi!"

Cao Lin was the first to speak out in fear, and no one objected. Apart from the blue light emanating from the pearl in their hands, there was no other light source. The overwhelming darkness around them was like a giant maw that devoured everything, and they felt a chill run down their spines.

"Let's find that shipwreck as soon as possible, Fellow Daoist Cao. Do you know its exact location?"

Cao Xiu shook his head, looked at the surging water at his feet, and said with a headache.

"We only know the location where it sank, but whether it broke apart underwater or was swept dozens of miles away by undercurrents, nobody knows. To find the shipwreck, we can only spread out and search the seabed bit by bit, and finally see who gets lucky."

The group looked around at the pitch-black surroundings and felt a little scared. Cao Lin saw their faces and knew something was wrong, so he quickly tried to encourage them.

"Fellow Daoists, thirty percent of the spiritual treasures from the sunken ship will belong to us. This is almost equivalent to the monthly expenses of all the cultivators in the entire Sifang City. You should know that there are tens of thousands of cultivators in Sifang City."

The supplies for January will easily exceed a million. Even with some losses, what remains will be astonishing. Each of you will receive spiritual items worth tens of thousands, as long as you can find them!

Cao Lin's words of encouragement instantly ignited the fighting spirit of the cultivators present. Under the lure of the spiritual objects, the surrounding cold darkness seemed insignificant, and they all dispersed to search after entering the seabed.

Xu Hao was equally excited. He licked his lips and silently calculated that, according to his estimate, this amount of spiritual material should be enough to support him in breaking through to the third level of Foundation Establishment. If he was lucky, he might even be able to reach the fourth level.

Upon reaching the seabed, the group spaced themselves about a hundred feet apart. This distance was maintained for two reasons: firstly, to facilitate a quick search, and secondly, because it was the limit of their spiritual energy detection capabilities under the immense water pressure.

As he walked, Xu Hao suddenly stepped on something hard. The seabed around them was always soft, something was wrong. He took out a luminous pearl from his pocket to illuminate the surroundings.

"I... gurgle gurgle..."

When he saw what was under his feet, his face changed drastically. He forgot he was underwater and swallowed a mouthful of cold seawater. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and covered his mouth, which calmed his agitated heart.

"How……"

The nearby cultivators noticed his unusual behavior and quickly swam over. When they saw the light in his hand, they were terrified.

"Knock knock..."

Just then, a strong and powerful heartbeat slowly sounded, and the surrounding seawater was instantly churned up. Countless silt and sand floated up from the seabed and were then swept away by the current.

Only then did everyone see that a long, winding sea beast, its length unknown, was fast asleep in the mud and sand, resembling an underwater mountain range. Cao Xiu frantically waved his hands at the crowd, and they hurriedly and carefully gathered together.

"Be careful, this is the demon king of the Great Abyss near our Four Directions City. It's time for them to hibernate now, so remember, don't wake it up."

Everyone nodded, and just then Cao Lin spoke up at an inopportune moment.

"Second Uncle, I think I saw the sunken ship right next to the demon king's head."

Everyone gasped. The Demon King was equivalent to a Golden Core cultivator. Cao Xiu thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth.

"Let's go take a look."

A quarter of an hour later, the group carefully stopped. Sure enough, a spirit boat was upside down in the water, but the rear half was broken open, and hundreds of spirit boxes were lying around it.