Free Web NovelChapter 1624: Chapter 824: Sea Demon Sacrifice (Part 2)
After deliberation, some of these items were distributed to the brave sailors and guards.
Fear was dispersed by joy, and morale was uplifted.
However, it seemed the heavens did not favor them.
The storm did not weaken but grew even fiercer.
Black seawater surged onto the deck, and the mast creaked ominously, as if it could snap at any moment.
The Sea Suppression struggled like a leaf between the shipwreck graveyard and the towering waves.
Li Yan, Xian Ashui, and Wang Daoxuan attempted several times to chart the sea currents and find a way out.
But the magnetic field of this strange place was completely disrupted, even Wang Daoxuan’s treasured Compass had its needle spinning uncontrollably.
The area was surrounded by sharp reefs, with thunder and lightning overhead, making it impossible to find a safe route.
Without realizing it, an entire day and night had passed.
Finally, at the point of exhaustion, a miracle occurred.
The storm halted suddenly, the raging waves gradually subsided, leaving only large swathes of foam post-storm on the sea surface.
But the sky did not clear, nor did stars shine down.
A thicker and more eerie milky white fog rapidly enveloped the sea.
The shipwreck graveyard was swallowed by this fog, visibility plummeted to less than ten steps, even the nearby railing became unclear.
"Fog rises without wind... a terrible omen!"
Fan Yu Master Xian Ashui’s voice carried a subtle tremor, "This fog... seems peculiar!"
Despite many encounters since setting out to sea, even he, an old hand, had never encountered such a thing.
Employed by the Crown Prince, he naturally could not stay uninvolved.
Immediately, the old master ordered, according to ancient Damen methods, to hang strings of copper bells soaked in vermillion and realgar around the ship’s sides.
He also lit special Exorcism Incense at the bow.
To ensure safety, Xian Ashui, disregarding his fatigue, insisted on personally leading two Damen sailors familiar with water, rowing a small dinghy to patrol vigilantly around the Sea Suppression in the fog.
Of course, they didn’t stray too far, returning for rest every hour.
As for Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan, they guarded against the Gu Worms of the shipwreck graveyard while searching for a way out.
By the latter half of the night, all the exhausted craftsmen had rested.
And in the silent sea of fog, the previously faint sound of rowing subtly vanished at some point.
Li Yan felt a surge of alarm. freeweɓnovel.cøm
He leapt to the highest lookout, employing his full eyesight, but could only see a vast expanse of white obstruction.
Listening closely, aside from the tense breathing of the people on the Sea Suppression, there were no other sounds.
"Master Ashui has gone for almost an hour, and there’s not a sound!"
A lookout guard also sensed something amiss, hurriedly came running, reporting in a trembling voice.
Li Yan made a snap decision: "Situ Hua, Lv San, come with me to find Xian Ashui! Everyone else, guard the ship, highest alert!"
This arrangement naturally had its reasoning.
He and Lv San’s Divine Skills worked well together, making investigation most convenient.
The dangers on the shipwreck graveyard side were not yet resolved and still required defense by Long Yan’er, Wang Daoxuan, Wu Ba, and others.
Situ Hua had recovered from minor injuries, powerful in battle and most suitable.
The three boarded another small boat, with Li Yan using his Smell Superpower to trace scents, cautiously rowing towards Xian Ashui’s patrol direction...
.........
In the silent sea of fog, they rowed for about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn.
A strange sound suddenly emerged from the fog, in the direction opposite the shipwreck graveyard.
"Be careful..."
The three exchanged glances, under Li Yan’s command, they moved forward slowly.
The closer they got, the louder the sound became, like countless monks chanting scriptures, but not a single word was understandable.
Soon, eerie blue glows flickered from deep within the fog, like ghostly fires dancing.
The three felt a chill, their eyes sternly fixed, maneuvering the small boat quietly towards a shadowed nearby reef.
They held their breath, crouched low, peering through gaps in the fog towards the sources of light and sound.
The sight before them, even for these seasoned individuals, took their breath away!
In the center of the shipwreck graveyard, amidst a relatively open water area, the fog was slightly dispersed by a ghostly blue light.
Above the water, a dense assembly of eerie figures, numbering in the hundreds or thousands.
These creatures were clearly not human!
They were shaped like giant human-headed turtle bodies, with smooth, round, skin grayish green or crimson human-like heads connected to a wrinkled hard-skinned body resembling a gigantic turtle. The limbs resembled exceptionally long human arms and legs, covered in scales, with webbing between the fingers.
"What... what kind of demon is this?"
Lv San’s eyes twitched slightly, asking cautiously.
He had been in the mountains for many years, seen many peculiar things, but couldn’t recognize those before him.
As for Li Yan, he was equally puzzled.
"This is... ’Sea Monks’," Situ Hua swallowed.
He felt his lips dry, but still introduced softly, "The ’Foreign Miscellaneous Chronicles’, ’Sea Language’, ’Three Talents Atlas’ all have records, shaped like humans, mouths large to the ears, laughing when seeing people, called Sea Monks. Those who encounter them know they foretell misfortune, with winds and waves soon to rise, risking capsizing of boats..."
"Oh, so it’s this..." Li Yan also realized, recalling.
This sea monster was likewise recorded in ’Youyang Zazu’.
"Yes."
Situ Hua nodded, "I have sailed the seas for years, and once saw one, soon after the weather changed abruptly, nearly causing ruin. These creatures are very inauspicious; the previous storm was most likely related to them."
Saying this, he swallowed dryly, "So many gathered together is unheard of."
The three continued to observe, noticing that the "Sea Monks’" large disk-shaped eyes were without whites, only pitch-black.
They formed a circle, like countless hunchbacked old monks, unanimously looking toward the center.
In the central water area, stood an altar temporarily constructed using large reefs and shipwreck keels.
Simple yet grand, covered in seaweed, evidently it had existed for many years.
On the altar, the ghostly blue light was the brightest, its source appeared to be several strange luminous stones embedded in the reef crevices.
The Hook Paper which had been inactive post-departure now reacted, eager to move.
Li Yan felt a stirring in his heart, suppressing the Hook Paper.
This was not due to any Yin Bureau task but sensed by it as useful Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasure.
Though it had occurred before, absorbing the Thunder Meteor awarded by the Crown Prince, it was the first time afterwards.
Those things were definitely not simple...
On the water around the altar, some items floated:
Old fishing nets, sea snail horns, and even... tattered human clothing and a few broken paddles.
Li Yan’s eyes focused, among them, he distinctly saw Xian Ashui’s unique Damen’s conical hat!
But the previously missing Xian Ashui and two sailors were nowhere to be seen!
In the center of the altar stood three Sea Monks, their size far surpassing those of their kin.
Their bodies were larger, nearly a fathom, skin a deep red.
These creatures clearly had intelligence; they held aloft the bones of some giant Sea Beast, performing slow and bizarre dance movements accompanied by the surrounding Sea Monks’ grand chanting, sometimes spurting water mist upward, sometimes prostrating towards the water.
Every action inspired a louder humming sound from all surrounding Sea Monks.
The entire scene resembled an immense sacrificial ceremony!
"Are they... sacrificing?"
Situ Hua’s voice was dry and hoarse, "Those two sailors... and Master Ashui... probably have met their fate."
Li Yan’s face grew more grim.
The sight of the demon’s sacrificial ceremony was not new to him either.
While at Xian Mountain, they once saw a spirit monster "Jingren" worshiping the Han River Goddess.
But such spirit monsters were inherently ancient breeds, serving gods.
If they grew strong, they would become the object of their worship.
In comparison to the scene before, it was insignificant.
What were they... sacrificing to?
"Awoo~"
Strange howls reverberated, the surrounding Sea Monks grew more fanatic.
Afterward, one by one, half-dead human figures were dragged out of the water by them.
Judging by their clothing styles, they were Red-haired Barbarians, Central Plains merchants, Japanese, and even several merfolk!
And Xian Ashui and his men were among them...
