These green plants also bore flowers of various colors, some as large as an adult's palm and others as small as a fingernail. Su Li and Jiang Shuijue exchanged glances, looking at each other in surprise.
Su Li observed the surroundings of this building, now completely shrouded by trees. The area below had transformed into a primeval forest, with numerous structures emerging from within it. It seemed that before long, these trees and plants would fully engulf, conceal, and assimilate the buildings.
Without a doubt, before the flood appeared, Nanjiang City could never have possessed such lush trees and forests. It could only be that after the flood submerged the city, in just this short half-month, trees and forests had grown wildly in the water, nearly swallowing and hiding the vast expanse of buildings below.
Now he finally understood why Xu Xuehui said she saw a shadowy mass below and couldn't see clearly. It turned out that beneath was an unimaginable underwater forest, with these buildings and trees blocking her view. So, to her, it appeared as a shadow.
"Xuehui once said that everywhere underwater is a shadow or darkness. Could it be that the entire underwater world has been devoured by trees and forests? That's hard to imagine." Su Li felt that this scene was too eerie, and rashly entering the forest below was too dangerous.
Even someone as strong as he was wouldn't casually venture into a completely unfamiliar underwater forest. After a brief hesitation, he signaled the Crocodile-Toothed Turtle to ascend. Soon, the two of them and the turtle resurfaced.
Seeing Su Li and Jiang Shuijue reappear, Gong Xiao asked, "What's up? Any findings?"
Jiang Shuijue shook her head. "Too strange. Below is all trees, like there's a huge forest underwater."
"A forest?" Gong Xiao was stunned.
Su Li looked at Xu Xuehui. "Xuehui, did you really see several Black-Scaled Mermen? Below is actually a massive forest. Can you see what's in it?"
If Xu Xuehui could confirm the forest was full of danger, Su Li would give up this hunt. Fuel was important, but not worth risking his life. The situation was too bizarre, and he had to be cautious.
Xu Xuehui thought for a moment before saying, "I need to go down and see."
"Alright." Su Li rode the Crocodile-Toothed Turtle over to Gong Xiao's turtle. Xu Xuehui climbed over and sat between him and Jiang Shuijue.
"Everyone, stay alert. If anything goes wrong, flee immediately." Su Li carefully instructed Gong Xiao and the others, then had the turtle descend again.
This time with Xu Xuehui added, the turtle sank once more to the thirty-meter depth, landing on the building rooftop covered in vines and plants. Su Li and Jiang Shuijue vigilantly scanned their surroundings for any trouble, while Xu Xuehui opened her eyes wide, silently observing the forest below.
Her large, dark eyes flickered faintly as she slowly swept her gaze, carefully examining. The water was eerily quiet; Su Li couldn't even spot a single monster. The forest below was unnervingly still.
After about a minute, Xu Xuehui made an upward gesture. Su Li patted the turtle, which carried the three of them back to the surface.
Breaking the surface, Xu Xuehui gasped for breath, drenched, with water streaming from her hair. Seeing them emerge, Gong Xiao and Ling Yi hurried over.
"How is it? See anything?" Su Li was eager to know about the forest's interior.
"Below, there's a treasure." Xu Xuehui's words piqued everyone's interest.
"Because of the treasure, the forest appeared," she added.
Gong Xiao's face showed curiosity. "What kind of treasure could create a forest? That's unbelievable."
The others listened, equally astonished.
Xu Xuehui looked troubled, thought for a while, then said, "I just suddenly knew there's a treasure below, but nothing else."
Su Li's mind stirred. "You didn't see the treasure, but suddenly knew it was there?"
She nodded. "Yes, a very important treasure, related to the forest."
Su Li recalled when they first met Ding Longyun, staying in that thirty-two-story building. Xu Xuehui had said there was a treasure below, and he ended up killing the Corpse Mother, gaining a talent spirit and activating his enhanced talent. That fortune had made him as strong as he was today, far surpassing peers. Now, Xu Xuehui suddenly mentioning a treasure in this forest—could it mean another great opportunity was coming? Since she could call it a treasure, what lay hidden in the forest was no ordinary thing.
"Did you see the Black-Scaled Mermen in the forest?" Su Li took a deep breath to calm himself and asked Xu Xuehui for confirmation.
She nodded.
Jiang Shuijue said, "Xuehui, can you be sure if the forest is dangerous? I mean, are there monsters as terrifying as that pseudo-dragon?"
The pseudo-dragon's power chilled her heart. If such a horror lurked here, it was better to abandon the idea.
Xu Xuehui shook her head. "No, I didn't see any monster that big."
Hearing this, Jiang Shuijue let out a soft sigh.
Gong Xiao looked at Su Li. "What now? Do we go straight into the underwater forest to hunt the Black-Scaled Mermen, or observe more?"
Su Li pondered. "Xuehui, you said there's a treasure below. Do you know roughly where it is?"
Since learning of the treasure, his focus had shifted to it, and he no longer cared about the mermen.
Xu Xuehui shook her head. Clearly, she didn't know the exact location or what it was, only instinctively knowing it was there and related to the forest.
Su Li realized he couldn't rely on her to find it; he'd have to search himself. Fortunately, with his "Peering Rune," he might discover something if he got close enough.
"Since Xuehui says this forest is the mermen's lair, let's organize a team to go down. Catching some mermen will temporarily solve our fuel problem." Su Li voiced his opinion.
"Alright." Gong Xiao had no objections and raised his voice to have the others paddle the rafts over.
Everyone gathered again. One person stayed on each of the six rafts, while the other twenty-four entered the water. Those with spirit weapons, like Ding Longyun and Gong Xiao, drew theirs.
Su Li rode Crocodile-Toothed Turtle Number One, still with Xu Xuehui and Jiang Shuijue, descending first. Behind them came Gong Xiao and Ling Yi on their turtles, followed by Ding Longyun, Gu Mingfeng, Wu Feng, Lin Meimei, Luo Jun, Yu Siyuan, Mu Si, Tang Ledong, Yi Cheng'an, Meng Qiang—all top members of the Golden Eagle Alliance.
The turtle carried Su Li and the two women down to thirty meters, stopping on the building rooftop. Gong Xiao and Ling Yi landed beside him, seeing the underwater forest for the first time. They stared in shock at the surrounding trees. Hearing about it was one thing; seeing it was indescribably awe-inspiring.
Xu Xuehui's eyes widened, and she suddenly pointed to the left of the rooftop, toward a cluster of trees. Su Li understood and patted the turtle, swimming left.
A vertical, eye-shaped "Peering Rune" appeared on his forehead as he scanned the trees below. If a Black-Scaled Merman was hidden there, he'd catch its info. But his rune showed no data on the trees. He plunged into the grove, descending another ten meters.
Suddenly, his "Peering Rune" delivered information.
"Name: Black-Scaled Merman, Level: 7. A merman covered in black scales on its back. Its scales are hard, impervious to blades, except for the soft belly, which stores large amounts of fat. This fat, called merman oil, is highly flammable with a low ignition point. A single drop can burn for days, making it excellent fuel. Black-Scaled Mermen live in groups with a strict hierarchy, each group ruled by a Giant Merman King."
As this info appeared, Su Li saw a humanoid figure dart out from the dark trees below, lunging at the turtle. It was about two meters tall, with human-like but hideous features—a protruding nose like a fish head. Except for its belly, its body was covered in black scales, with sharp fangs and claws. It matched the Black-Scaled Merman he'd encountered at the Jin Hui Center.
Finally finding one, Su Li pressed his left hand on the turtle's back, floated up, and thrust his Dragon-Rhino Sword. Though slower in water, it was still too fast for the level-7 merman to dodge. The sword pierced its neck, then sliced sideways, nearly severing it.
Gong Xiao and Ling Yi followed, charging downward. Shadows stirred among the tall trees below as more mermen emerged. Gong Xiao thrust his Inextinguishable Spear, impaling one merman and flipping it upward.
Su Li pushed the nearly decapitated merman upward, its corpse floating. Wu Feng grabbed it and ascended. Ling Yi killed another, sending its body up, caught by Luo Jun.
With Su Li, Gong Xiao, and Ling Yi handling the kills, they easily dispatched the mermen emerging from the trees. The bodies were passed up, and Ding Longyun, Yu Siyuan, Mu Si, and others each carried one to the surface, where those on the rafts stacked them.
Though level-7 monsters, these mermen were no match for the group, all at least level-8 spirit source users. Soon, at least ten were killed and hauled onto the rafts. The team busily transported bodies while Su Li, Gong Xiao, and Ling Yi focused on fighting.
Xu Xuehui silently observed, her task to spot danger and warn Su Li. After killing seven or eight mermen, Su Li dove deeper, seeing more shadows among the trees. This underwater forest was the mermen's lair, hiding countless monsters.
Suddenly, the water shook as a massive shadow shot toward Su Li. This merman was larger, about three meters tall like a giant, dwarfing the others. At the same time, Su Li's "Peering Rune" triggered.
"Name: Black-Scaled Giant Merman, Level: 8. Evolved from Black-Scaled Mermen, with greater strength and harder scales. It contains more and higher-quality merman oil, at least twice that of a regular merman. Has a chance to evolve into a higher-level elite Giant Merman."
A level-8 common beast with superior combat power and more premium oil. Su Li kicked water, activating "Spider Walk," sidestepping the charging giant merman. His Dragon-Rhino Sword swept horizontally. Without entering "Demon Muscle" state, his current strength and the sword's sharpness easily killed both level-7 and level-8 mermen. The giant merman's head flew off, and Su Li grabbed its body, sending it upward.
Ding Longyun caught it, kicking his feet to swim up with the massive corpse. Among the mermen appearing were both regular and giant ones. Su Li kept his "Peering Rune" active, always thinking of the treasure Xu Xuehui mentioned, but so far, he'd found nothing.