Chapter 115: Ruins in the Sea, Fighting against the Sea Tribe

The auction didn't immediately erupt. Ye Li and Qin Yixuan knew that wealth could be a powerful asset, especially since they, two "outsiders" carrying valuable treasures, were undoubtedly targets of certain forces. After the transaction, they didn't return to their original inn. Instead, under Sun Xiaohou's instructions, they quietly moved to Youge's more secluded safe house on the ground floor of Tianshu Haige.

The safe house is located in a hidden space inside the supporting pillar of the sea pavilion. Although it is small, it has a complete array of formations and is isolated from detection.

As soon as she entered, Ye Li couldn't wait to take out the "Ten Thousand Years Sea Soul Essence." The jade box opened, revealing a ball of soul essence that resembled liquid sapphire, emitting a soft soul light, quietly suspended. The refreshing and refreshing air invigorated the entire secret room.

"Senior Sister, while the spiritual energy of this thing has not dissipated, I will help you refine it and eradicate your hidden injuries." Ye Li looked at Qin Yixiuan, his tone tolerant of refusal.

Qin Yixuan felt a surge of warmth in her heart, knowing that this was something Ye Li had paid a huge price to obtain. She nodded gently and did not refuse. If the hidden injury was not healed, it would ultimately be a hidden danger and would also drag down Ye Li.

The two sat cross-legged facing each other. Ye Li carefully drew out the ten-thousand-year-old sea soul marrow, wrapped it in pure, extremely cold spiritual energy, and slowly passed it into Qin Yixuan's sea of ​​consciousness between her eyebrows. Qin Yixuan then practiced the Nine Heavens Mysterious Water Sutra, channeling the power of the sea soul marrow to nourish her damaged soul essence.

This process lasted an entire day. When Qin Yixuan absorbed and refined the last trace of Sea Soul Essence's power, she slowly opened her eyes, a brilliant light in them. The lingering trace of obscurity from her hidden injury completely dissipated, and her aura became round, transparent, even more condensed and pure than before the injury! The divine essence seemed to grow slightly stronger, merging with her even more perfectly.

"How do you feel?" Ye Li asked with concern, although her face was a little pale due to the continuous output of spiritual power.

"It's better than ever before." Qin Yixuan smiled, as bright and charming as the first melting ice and snow. "Thank you, Ye Li." This friendship has been deeply imprinted in her heart.

Ye Li smiled slightly, feeling relieved. Then, she took out the ancient fragment of the painting that she had spent three million spirit stones on.

The fragmented map felt cold to the touch, its texture strange, like leather but not leather, like silk but not silk. It was covered with vague images of mountains, rivers, and seas, as well as numerous unrecognizable ancient runes. Most striking was a unique mark in the center of the map, resembling a broken eye.

Ye Li probed his spiritual consciousness into it, and at the same time communicated with the fragments of the Samsara Mirror in his sea of ​​consciousness. Sure enough, the fragments of the Samsara Mirror immediately produced a strong resonance, and a faint pulling sensation pointed to the approximate sea area where the eye mark on the map was located!

"It's definitely connected to the Samsara Mirror!" Ye Li exclaimed excitedly. She carefully studied the map, comparing it with the Dongzhou Sea chart provided by Sun Xiaohou, and ultimately determined that the marked point was located tens of thousands of miles southeast of Tianshu Sea Pavilion, in a dangerous area known as the "Storm Cape." Hurricanes raged there year-round, undercurrents surged, the seabed was complex, and powerful sea beasts frequently appeared. It was a dangerous place that even experienced sea creatures would hesitate to venture into.

"It seems that we have to go to Storm Cape." Ye Li informed Qin Yixiuan of the situation.

Qin Yixuan said without hesitation: "I'll accompany you."

After a brief rest, and once Ye Li's spiritual energy had recovered, they quietly left Tianshu Haige. They didn't rent a spirit boat, as that would have made them too conspicuous. Instead, Qin Yixuan used her exquisite water escape technique, while Ye Li relied on her powerful cultivation and the subtle influence of the Samsara Mirror on the water element. Like two faint shadows, they dived into the deep sea and sped towards Storm Point.

The world beneath the deep sea is a dazzling array of colors, with vibrant coral reefs, bizarrely luminescent fish, and gentle beasts as vast as mountains... but it also lurks countless dangers. They carefully avoid the territories of powerful sea beasts, and even when attacked by unpredictable monsters, they swiftly dispatch them.

A few days later, they arrived at Cape Storms. Even thousands of feet beneath the surface, they could still feel the terrifying energy fluctuations emanating from the surface above. The undercurrent was like an invisible giant hand, tearing at everything.

Following the guidance of the fragmented map and the increasingly clear resonance of the Samsara Mirror, they discovered a half-collapsed ancient ruin deep in the pitch-black trench, covered in thick seaweed and coral. The style of the ruins was completely different from any of the current races, imbued with a sense of vicissitudes and desolation, as if it had been submerged for countless years.

The entrance to the ruins is a massive stone gate, sealed by a powerful barrier. Although the barrier's power has diminished with age, it's still not to be underestimated.

Ye Li tried to attack with the Mysterious Ice Sword, but the barrier only caused ripples. Qin Yixuan also tried to penetrate with the power of Mysterious Water, but it had little effect.

"This restriction seems to contain the power of space and sealing..." After a careful observation, Ye Li's mind moved, and he once again activated the power of the Samsara Mirror. The Samsara Mirror originally involved the origin of time and space, and it might be effective against this kind of restriction.

She slowly injected a trace of the Samsara Mirror's original power into the restricted node. Sure enough, the restricted light flickered, and the stone door, sealed for who knows how many years, creaked heavily and slowly opened a crack!

The two looked at each other and stepped in cautiously.

The interior of the ruins was vast and empty, with broken stone pillars towering, carved with long-lost patterns. The air was filled with the smell of decay and dust. The resonance of the Samsara Mirror reached its peak here!

They continued deeper, following the direction of the strongest resonance, until they arrived at a circular altar in the deepest part of the ruins. In the center of the altar, suspended was a palm-sized fragment of the Samsara Mirror, similar in shape to the one in her sea of ​​consciousness, but with a darker hue. It seemed as if a nebula vortex swirled within it!

The second fragment!

Ye Li suppressed her excitement and walked forward. Just as she reached out to take it, something strange happened!

Several figures silently emerged from the shadows surrounding the altar! They had humanoid outlines, but their skin was covered in fine blue scales, with gills behind their ears and webbed fingers. Their eyes were icy, vertical pupils, emitting a powerful demonic aura and fluctuations of water-based spiritual energy! The leader, a sea creature, had the aura of someone reaching the peak of the Yuandan realm, clutching a trident inlaid with a huge pearl!

"Despicable human! How dare you trespass into our sacred land and covet the sacred artifact!" the peak-level Yuandan sea clan commander shouted in a stilted human language, his eyes filled with hostility. Clearly, this ruin was considered a forbidden area by these sea clans.

Ye Li's eyes turned cold, and he protected Qin Yixuan behind him: "This thing is destined to be with me, it is not your clan's."

"Hmph! Such nonsense! Protecting the sacred relic is the mission of the Naga people! Anyone who trespasses will die!" The sea tribe leader stopped talking and swung his trident. A sharp water blade tore through the seawater and slashed towards Ye Li! Several Naga warriors behind him also launched an attack at the same time!

The battle broke out instantly!

In this deep sea environment, the Naga tribe has the advantage of terrain, their water-based magical powers are greatly enhanced, and their bodies are also extremely flexible.

Ye Li unsheathed her Xuanbing Sword, its frigid blade tracing a white trail through the water as it collided head-on with the opponent's water blade! Amidst a resounding roar, the water surged! Though her cultivation level was slightly inferior, her techniques were formidable, her sword intent was sharp, and coupled with the subtle influence of the Samsara Mirror on the water element, she managed to fight evenly with the peak-level Naga commander!

Qin Yixuan confronted several other Naga warriors. She unleashed the Nine Heavens Mysterious Water Scripture, finding her unparalleled ease in the deep sea. Her Mysterious Water Sword Intent sometimes transformed into a resilient water shield for defense, sometimes like an invisible silk thread, entwining and restraining her foes. Her Buddhist beads automatically protected their master, shedding a Buddha's light that significantly suppressed demonic energy. Though she had only recently entered the middle stage of the Yuan Dan realm, thanks to her mastery of techniques and the blessings of her treasures, she faced several opponents of equal or even higher rank, holding her own and appearing to handle them with ease.

Back to back, the two engaged in a fierce battle with the Naga tribe within this deep-sea ruin. Ye Li's extreme icy cold and Qin Yixuan's vast profound water, seemingly mutually exclusive, now worked in perfect harmony. Ye Li's icy power could instantly freeze an opponent's movements, creating a perfect opportunity for Qin Yixuan's attack; while Qin Yixuan's profound water domain significantly weakened the Naga's water-based attacks and provided Ye Li with spiritual energy.

They didn't even need to communicate verbally; a subtle movement, a glance, would often allow them to understand each other's intentions. Ye Li forced a Naga general back with a single sword strike, and Qin Yixuan's sword flashed like a shadow, piercing his weak spot. Qin Yixuan used a water curtain to block a side attack, and Ye Li's Frost Finger was already poking at the attacker's vital points.

This tacit understanding, honed through countless battles side by side, almost a telepathic connection, has led to a qualitative leap in their combat effectiveness! Although the Naga tribe is individually powerful and has the advantage of terrain, they are gradually suppressed by the two's exquisite cooperation!

The Naga general grew increasingly frightened as the fight went on. The strength and coordination of the two human women far exceeded his expectations! Especially the woman in black, whose swordsmanship radiated a chill that could freeze his blood, while the power of the woman in white was so pure it made him feel instinctively uncomfortable.

After a long battle, the Naga general let out a sharp roar, as if calling for reinforcements!

Ye Li knew she couldn't delay and needed to fight quickly! She and Qin Yixuan exchanged glances, instantly understanding each other's intentions—strike with all their might, seize the fragments, and evacuate immediately!

"Star Silence—Frozen Universe!"

"Nine Heavens Mysterious Waters—Sea and Sky Connect!"

Both men simultaneously unleashed their most powerful killing moves! Ye Li's sword light transformed into an all-encompassing, freezing storm, instantly freezing the surrounding waters and even the Naga commander's movements! Qin Yixuan's sword intent condensed into a hair-thin, yet incredibly sharp, blue ray that seemed capable of slicing through space. Seizing the moment her opponent was frozen, she pierced his chest!

The Naga general's pupils shrank sharply. He felt a fatal threat and struggled desperately!

boom!

The ice shattered, and the blue line pierced through! The Naga general screamed in agony, a deep wound to the bone appearing on his chest. Blood dyed the sea red, and his breath instantly withered! The other Naga warriors were also blown away by the aftermath of this combined attack!

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ye Li's figure flashed, rushed to the center of the altar, and grabbed the fragment of the reincarnation mirror that was emitting alluring fluctuations!

The fragment immediately attracted and resonated strongly with the fragment in her sea of ​​consciousness! A source of power even more powerful and pure than last time surged into her body!

"Walk!"

Ye Li shouted softly, and without hesitation, he and Qin Yixuan transformed into two streams of light and shot out of the ruins! Behind them came the angry roars and sounds of pursuit from the Naga tribe, but they were extremely fast and soon disappeared into the dark deep sea.

Having successfully secured the second fragment of the Samsara Mirror and once again joined forces with Qin Yixuan to defeat the enemy, Ye Li's heart was filled with the joy of achievement and a deeper bond with those close to her. After this battle, their tacit understanding reached perfection, their mutual trust unbreakable. This adventure in the underwater ruins had taken their relationship and their strength to a new level. What new abilities would the Samsara Mirror reveal after integrating the new fragments? What troubles would the Naga's pursuit bring? New challenges lay ahead.