Su Li rode the Crocodile-Toothed Turtle, with Jiang Shuijue and Xu Xuehui, steadily moving away. Behind them, the "City of the Forgotten," now far in the distance, echoed with rumbling explosions mixed with countless screams of agony.
When they were about two or three kilometers away from the "City of the Forgotten," Su Li heard a massive noise from behind. Turning to look, he saw the distant city wobbling and collapsing.
After enduring the relentless attacks of the pseudo-dragon, this forty-two-story "City of the Forgotten" had finally fallen.
"You're truly incredible," Jiang Shuijue said, glancing back at the collapsing city, then fixing her gaze on Su Li, her eyes brimming with admiration.
The "City of the Forgotten," home to nearly a thousand powerful Forgotten Ones, had been destroyed in one fell swoop by Su Li luring the pseudo-dragon. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes and experienced it firsthand, Jiang Shuijue would never have dared to believe it was all Su Li's doing.
Su Li smiled faintly. "It's not that I'm incredible—it's Xuehui who's incredible. Of course, we were lucky too."
Xu Xuehui's eyes sparkled with excitement; being praised by Su Li clearly made her happy.
Jiang Shuijue said, "So, does this mean the Forgotten Ones are no longer a threat? I wonder how many escaped. Those three Forgotten Ones that appeared at the end were very powerful."
Su Li replied, "As formidable as the pseudo-dragon is, it couldn't kill all the Forgotten Ones, especially some of the truly strong ones. Those three at the end were likely their leaders. If they really wanted to escape, they might have had a chance. Still, we can't let our guard down—we need to stay vigilant in case they regroup."
Jiang Shuijue nodded in agreement. "Their levels are generally higher than ours. We need to work harder too. Just hunting at night won't keep up with their progress."
Su Li pondered, "I wonder how they level up. Maybe their evolution is easier, or perhaps they dive deep into the water to hunt and evolve together. But that's too risky—if they run into something as powerful as the pseudo-dragon, it's basically a wipeout."
Jiang Shuijue shuddered at the thought of the pseudo-dragon's strength, realizing Su Li's point was valid.
Instead of leaving immediately, Su Li and the others stopped about two or three kilometers away, hiding their bodies in the water with only their heads above the surface, observing the battle at the "City of the Forgotten" from a distance.
Su Li's lower body was fully protected by spirit-source equipment. When he entered the water, only his upper body got wet, as the water couldn't penetrate the gear. His lower clothes remained dry under the equipment's protection, making him even more eager to obtain a full set of spirit-source gear.
"That Forgotten One with the bell was wearing a black armor—it should be spirit-source equipment too. If I could get that armor, I'd almost have a complete set."
Su Li eyed the black-armored man's armor, itching to snatch it, but he knew the pseudo-dragon was still hunting the Forgotten Ones. Showing himself now would be like walking into a trap.
After watching for a while, he saw the "City of the Forgotten" collapse, with the surviving Forgotten Ones being brutally slaughtered by the pseudo-dragon. The scattered rafts floating around were also destroyed. He realized most of them would likely die, and even if some managed to escape underwater, their numbers would be too small to pose a threat anytime soon.
Noticing the distant serpentine creature moving closer, Su Li decided not to linger, fearing it might draw the pseudo-dragon toward them.
"Let's go." Su Li patted the Crocodile-Toothed Turtle and led the two women away swiftly.
Though he considered staying to scavenge, the pseudo-dragon was too dangerous. For safety, it was better to leave for now.
Even though he was sure no Forgotten Ones or serpents were following, Su Li took a long detour before returning to "Golden Eagle Building B."
Back at the building, he removed his spirit-source gear. His upper body was damp, but his lower clothes were dry, unlike Jiang Shuijue and Xu Xuehui, who were soaked through.
After changing into a dry shirt in his room, Xu Haishui came to him with a list of over a dozen names. He explained that sixteen people from elsewhere had joined the "Golden Eagle Alliance," and their names were written on the paper.
"I've checked them all—no issues. The strongest are only three at level 7, so their overall strength is low. They were gathered in a thirty-five-story building before, and our people found them by chance. They agreed to move here and join us. With them, our total is now 101 people."
Su Li nodded. "Good, you handle the details. Make sure they're settled. If there are others nearby willing to join, accept them too. But keep an eye on the newcomers—some might be trouble. If anyone causes chaos or destruction, crack down without mercy."
Xu Haishui grinned. "Don't worry, Su Ge. They wouldn't dare. It's just sixteen people with average strength. We're doing them a favor by taking them in. With monsters getting stronger, their chances of surviving alone in a building are slim. That's why they jumped at the chance to join us once they heard about the 'Golden Eagle Alliance.'"
Su Li knew he was right. Every night, spirit-source beasts appeared in droves, along with various anomalies. Without enough strength, holding a building and surviving was nearly impossible.
Even their strong "Golden Eagle Alliance" had suffered heavy losses during the undead invasion. A small group of sixteen would struggle to survive, so joining them was a smart move.
Since the great flood began, both monsters and humans had evolved rapidly. Some deep-hidden creatures had become unimaginably powerful, like the Water Qilin and the Lord of Termination they'd encountered, or the pseudo-dragon Xu Xuehui had spotted today. These were terrifying beings beyond comprehension.
Su Li found it hard to believe these monsters had only evolved after the flood. The pregnant Water Qilin, for instance, must have existed before the flood. It wasn't born from the flood but had simply been revealed by it.
"Even with Xuehui's enhanced eyes, she can't see everything underwater clearly. She said there are many places she can't see through—just shadows or darkness. Could those shadows hide terrifying creatures? If so, that's horrifying. A monster like the pseudo-dragon could destroy the entire 'Golden Eagle Alliance' in one go. The only saving grace is that such monsters don't seem to attack unless provoked, or we wouldn't have survived this long."
Su Li chatted with Xu Haishui for a while, then went to check on the Water Qilin egg. He noticed more blood vessels appearing on its surface. Most of the blood in the storage box had been absorbed by the egg.
He went downstairs, dove into the water, and killed two level-7 Horned Lizard Beasts nearby. Bringing them upstairs, he drained their blood to refill the storage box.
"Hope it hatches soon." Su Li tapped the green egg gently and listened. He thought he heard a faint response.
"Could it already be sentient before hatching? Can it sense me?"
Su Li was full of anticipation for the green egg. If it hatched into a Water Qilin like its mother, he could ride it across the waves—how majestic would that be?
Just thinking about it made him grin. It would be far cooler than riding a big turtle.
Meanwhile, Jiang Shuijue was recounting how Su Li had taught Xu Xuehui to lure the pseudo-dragon, leading to the serpent swarm attacking the "City of the Forgotten" and nearly wiping out its thousand Forgotten Ones. Gong Xiao, Ding Longyun, Ling Yi, and Gu Mingfeng listened in awe, marveling at the tale.
Gu Mingfeng was reluctant to believe Su Li had such abilities and asked Xu Xuehui for confirmation.
Xu Xuehui nodded, saying Sister Jue's story was true.
Even if Jiang Shuijue might exaggerate about Su Li, Xu Xuehui's word was reliable. Gu Mingfeng fell silent, realizing the gap between him and Su Li was widening, which left him feeling disheartened.
Su Li came out and saw everyone buzzing about the pseudo-dragon destroying the "City of the Forgotten." He smiled. "Everyone's here."
Ding Longyun quickly said, "Su Li, tell us—how did you think of using monsters to deal with the Forgotten Ones and destroy the city?"
Among them, Gong Xiao was the most astonished. She had seen the "City of the Forgotten" firsthand and knew the Forgotten Ones' strength. Now, the entire city was destroyed, and nearly a thousand Forgotten Ones were dead. She was deeply shaken, looking at Su Li with a strange glint in her eyes.
Su Li said, "I just gave it a try. I didn't know if it would work. The credit goes to Xuehui first, then Shuijue. Without Xuehui, we couldn't have lured the pseudo-dragon; without Shuijue, we wouldn't have escaped."
Ding Longyun laughed. "I'd say all three of you deserve credit. You destroyed a city of a thousand people without anyone noticing. Awesome—you're truly awesome."
He gave a thumbs-up in genuine admiration.
Xu Haishui chuckled. "Every time we face an unsolvable problem, Su Ge solves it effortlessly. Honestly, we're lucky to have him as our leader."
Gu Mingfeng found Xu Haishui's flattery a bit cringey but didn't dare object openly. He had to admit Su Li's contributions to the "Golden Eagle Alliance" were immense.
"The 'City of the Forgotten' issue is settled for now, but we need to watch for any survivors. If they find out about this place, they'll cause trouble. Haishui, make sure the sentries and patrols are extra vigilant these next few days—no slacking."
"Got it." Xu Haishui nodded.
Su Li decided to return to the "City of the Forgotten" in an hour to check the situation. If he could scavenge something useful, even better. The battle between the pseudo-dragon and the Forgotten Ones should be over by then.
"Call Wu Feng. Let's have a meeting to discuss the Black-Scaled Mermaid Beast." Su Li thought for a moment. "We have time, so let's talk about it now."
"Black-Scaled Mermaid Beast?" Ding Longyun asked curiously. "What's that?"
Su Li explained, "I found a monster called the Black-Scaled Mermaid Beast near the Jinhui Center Building. It's full of fat, which is called mermaid oil. It's an excellent fuel—one drop burns for a long time. If we can hunt them and collect the oil, we can solve our biggest fuel problem."
Jiang Shuijue's eyes lit up. "Mermaid oil sounds amazing."
Xu Haishui looked excited. "I'll get Wu Feng. Let's discuss it."
When Wu Feng arrived, they gathered in Su Li's living room to plan the hunt for the Black-Scaled Mermaid Beast and the collection of mermaid oil.
Everyone was thrilled at the prospect of such high-quality fuel. Fuel shortages were their biggest issue. Without it, their quality of life would plummet—no cooked food, not even hot water.
After some discussion, they decided to set out the next morning to search for the Black-Scaled Mermaid Beast near the Jinhui Center Building.
Since Su Li had encountered one there, and the beasts were social, their lair was likely nearby.
"Last time we hunted the Sea Cow Beast, we suffered heavy casualties. This time, we need to prepare better and avoid losses," Wu Feng said, still shaken by the previous hunt.
Gu Mingfeng countered, "How can we avoid it? We never know what monsters might appear. Like that pseudo-dragon that destroyed a whole building—who's to say we won't run into something similar underwater?"
His words silenced the group. They exchanged glances. He was right—no one could guarantee safety. Just as the Sea Cow hunt had led to the terrifying Lion-Scorpion Cinder Beast, this search could stir up something even worse.
Ding Longyun frowned. "So what do we do? Not look for the mermaid beasts?"
Jiang Shuijue shook her head. "We can't. We're almost out of fuel."
Xu Haishui added, "Without fuel, we'll have to eat raw meat. Imagine that."
Ding Longyun grimaced. "Damn, I can't stomach raw meat."
Xu Haishui said solemnly, "If we get enough fuel, the possibilities are huge. Su Ge, you've talked about building a mobile fortress. But even if we build it, power is a problem. With fuel, that's solved."
Su Li nodded slightly. Yan Fang was a skilled engineer, but fuel and energy were his biggest constraints. With enough fuel, everything would change.
Xu Haishui's eyes gleamed. "We know about thermal power. With fuel, maybe we can convert heat to electricity. Then we could use appliances again."
Ding Longyun scoffed. "Xu Haishui, that's a stretch. With our resources, building a thermal power plant? That's way off. Let's focus on killing a few mermaid beasts for oil, so we can at least have hot food instead of raw meat. Forget the rest."
Xu Haishui felt a bit embarrassed. He knew thermal power was unrealistic under current conditions, but he'd said it to emphasize fuel's importance.
Su Li wondered if Yan Fang could modify car engines. The city was full of flooded cars—in streets and parking lots. If they could salvage engines and make them work with mermaid oil, Yan Fang could install them on the floating island as thrusters.
If that worked, the floating island made from the Blood Crystal Beast's corpse could become a mobile fortress, carrying them all to find unflooded land.
But it was just a preliminary idea. He'd need to discuss it with Yan Fang to see if it was feasible. Otherwise, it was just talk—unless mermaid oil could replace gasoline.
Thinking of flooded cars and gasoline, Su Li remembered gas stations.
"If we can find a flooded gas station, we might get gasoline."