Zi Ling lay obediently beside Rong Jiaojiao's legs, occasionally looking up to observe her owner's condition.
When Rong Jiaojiao's complexion gradually regained its rosy hue, its little tail wagged happily.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the sea, gilding the fishing boats with a layer of gold.
Mo Zhizhou stood at the bow of the boat, calculating the direction with his fingers.
“We need to leave this area quickly,” he said to Zi Ling. “The Black Dragon’s commotion before its death was too great and may attract unnecessary trouble.”
Zi Ling chirped twice in agreement, and Mo Zhizhou immediately turned the fishing boat around and left.
At this moment, a black dot was rapidly approaching from a distance. When it came close and revealed its form, Mo Zhizhou realized that the person was Shu Lang.
Sensing lingering malevolent energy in the air, Shu Lang clasped his hands and asked, "Senior, what happened here?"
Mo Zhizhou glanced at the two people who were still meditating and said, "They went diving into the sea, but they didn't expect to encounter a black dragon that was being raised by the Japanese Onmyoji."
Shu Lang pressed further, "How is it?"
Mo Zhizhou looked at the sea: "It's been resolved, but we need to leave this area now."
Shu Lang landed on the deck: "Senior, are you going back? Shall I steer the fishing boat?"
Mo Zhizhou looked at his young master with a headache. He hadn't had a proper dive yet, and he was sure the young master wouldn't be happy to go back. He waved his hand and said, "No need, Team Leader Shu. My young master hasn't had enough fun yet. Let's just leave this area."
Shu Lang laughed heartily upon hearing this: "In that case, I'll lead the way. I know an excellent dive site nearby, with clear water and plenty of fish, perfect for recreational diving."
"That's fine, then I'll leave it to Team Leader Shu."
Shu Lang shook his head: "You're too kind, senior!"
After speaking, he directed the fishing boat to sail east for about half an hour until they arrived at a calm sea area.
“This is it.” Shu Lang pointed underwater. “Many precious fish and some rare shellfish live under this coral reef.”
"Thank you!" Mo Zhizhou clasped his hands in thanks.
Shu Lang laughed and said, "Then I'll be leaving now. Have fun."
"Okay, take care."
Mo Bai didn't wake up until a while after Shu Lang left. He saw that Rong Jiaojiao was still meditating, so he didn't disturb her. He looked at the sky and saw that the moon was already hanging on the horizon.
He tiptoed to the ship's side and asked, "Young Master, are you going to dive at night?"
Mo Bai shook his head: "No rush, we'll go to sea tomorrow."
He leaped onto the roof of the ship, sat down cross-legged, and began to cultivate.
When Rong Jiaojiao woke up, she saw that everyone was cultivating, so she continued to cultivate as well.
As dawn broke, golden ripples spread across the sea.
When Rong Jiaojiao woke up from her meditation, she found Ziling curled up beside her legs, sleeping soundly with her little paws still tightly gripping a corner of her clothes.
She gently rubbed Ziling's little head, and the little one immediately opened her round eyes and affectionately rubbed against her palm.
"Awake?" Mo Bai's voice came from above.
Rong Jiaojiao looked up and saw him leaning against the mast, the morning light gilding him with a layer of light.
"Hmm." She stood up and stretched, feeling refreshed as her spiritual energy circulated. "Today, I should explore the underwater world properly."
Mo Zhizhou brought over a steaming bowl of spiritual porridge: "Have breakfast first. This porridge is made with silver threadfin fish, and it's very nourishing."
The porridge was topped with emerald green herbs, which smelled delicious.
Rong Jiaojiao thanked them, took the spiritual porridge, and sipped it. The warmth went straight down her throat to her dantian, and yesterday's fatigue seemed to be dispelled.
Zi Ling was also attracted by the aroma, clinging to the rim of the bowl and gazing longingly at it, a sight that made everyone chuckle.
Mo Zhizhou also served it a bowl, and the little guy ate without even lifting its head.
After finishing breakfast, Mo Bai took out a water-repelling bead and put it in his mouth, saying to Rong Jiaojiao indistinctly, "Let's see who finds the most and the best seafood."
Rong Jiaojiao raised her eyebrows. "Let's compete then."
She took out the Water Spirit Pearl, infused it with spiritual power, expanded the protective shield, and said to Zi Ling, "Zi Ling, come on, your master will take you to play in the sea."
Zi Ling's eyes widened in disbelief: "Really? Master?"
Zi Ling jumped around excitedly, scratching at the deck with her furry little paws. "I want to find a starfish that glows!"
As soon as the three people and one beast dived into the water, a swarm of fluorescent fish rushed towards them, drawing streaks of eerie blue light outside the protective shield. Zi Ling excitedly chased after the school of fish.
The morning sunlight pierced through the sea, reflecting the clear water like flowing glass.
"Wow—" Zi Ling pressed her entire face against the protective shield, her round eyes wide open.
The seabed is teeming with corals, and schools of colorful fish swim among them, creating a vibrant, flowing spectacle.
A crystal-clear jellyfish drifted by slowly, its tentacles shimmering with tiny blue light. Zi Ling stretched out her little paws to touch it, but was blocked by the protective shield, making her whimper in frustration.
"Don't rush." Rong Jiaojiao smiled and made a hand seal. A small hand formed from spiritual energy extended from the protective shield and gently touched the jellyfish.
The jellyfish shrank back as if startled, then curiously approached again, its tentacles touching the little spiritual hand, making Zi Ling giggle.
The sound kept echoing in Rong Jiaojiao's mind, making her head ache, but she couldn't bear to spoil its fun.
Mo Bai's voice: "The competition has begun."
“Okay, tell me the rules first.” Rong Jiaojiao also transmitted her voice to Mo Bai.
“The rules of the competition are very simple,” Mo Bai said, a wisp of golden light condensing at his fingertips as he drew three runes in the seawater. “The competition is limited to one hour, and points will be awarded based on the rarity and quantity of the seafood caught. Zi Ling will be the referee.”
Zi Ling immediately puffed out her little chest, waved her claws, and three small flags formed from spiritual energy appeared in the water—red, blue, and purple, corresponding to Mo Bai, Rong Jiaojiao, and herself, respectively.
"Wait, you're participating too?" Rong Jiaojiao raised an eyebrow.
The little guy nodded confidently and pulled a miniature fishing net out of its fur—the very same demon-catching net he had stolen from Mo Zhizhou last night.
Mo Bai suppressed a laugh: "Alright, best two out of three. The loser is responsible for handling all the seafood today."
"make a deal!"
Mo Bai took the initiative, unfurling his golden seal, and nine golden threads shot towards the coral reef like swimming fish.
Wherever it went, the golden threads entangled the shrimp and scallops hiding in the crevices of the rocks, and in the blink of an eye, it had caught more than a dozen of them.
Rong Jiaojiao was not in a hurry. The jade seal was suspended above her head, and she made a hand seal with both hands.
Eighteen threads formed from water elemental energy silently spread out, like an invisible net covering the entire coral reef.
"Rise!" she said, flicking her finger.
The entire coral reef suddenly "came to life"—the seafood hidden everywhere was gently lifted up by the water's spiritual power, as if held by an invisible hand, and obediently flew towards her large fish basket.
Most amazingly, there were two rare seven-colored clams, whose shells were covered with naturally formed runes that were shimmering with light.
Zi Ling watched with wide eyes, her little paws slapping the protective shield incessantly, making excited squeaking noises.
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