Chapter 1156: Chapter 1154: Island Skirt.
Visiting a recluse of high repute who keeps a low profile, how could one lack manners?
The main advantage for us is that it’s truly just a visit.
Not only do we not plan to kill and rob treasures, but we also don’t even have any request for someone to come out of seclusion.
Fu Qian, who had dispelled the concealment, wasn’t too confident that his sincerity had been received, but the moment he glanced at the modest abode, he was met with a strong sense of malice.
Isn’t this just...disgusting?
Fu Qian had witnessed many things that challenged the imagination, but still felt his knowledge expand in that moment.
It was not something like the fermented original brew of excretion; it was a concept that transcended basic sensory perception, as though skipping all processes and directly pouring the feeling of nausea into one’s brain.
Fu Qian even believed that the more sensitive one’s perception was, the stronger the reaction should be—if an ordinary person were here, they would simply feel the seawater was a bit muddy at most.
But how could the earnest heart of seeking the Way be stopped by mere hazards?
Without a second’s delay, Fu Qian took a step forward while carefully savoring every disgusting detail.
Even during this process, he quickly morphed a pair of webbed feet onto his bare feet, as a sign of respect.
With persistent effort, success will come. In less than seven steps, Fu Qian found a hint of coolness like mint in a dung pit within the murky waters.
Guided by this special sense, he moved forward and backward in the empty water, walking an odd and winding path.
When he stopped, it seemed his hand touched an invisible transparent barrier submerged in the water.
A marvelous method of concealment; the Sea of Ashes indeed was a place where spiritual essence flourished.
Fu Qian sighed, reaching out to push against it.
With his movement, a dry, elliptical hole appeared before him, like a door being opened.
This was the place.
The illusory Thread of Concern left only the faintest trace, but still clearly directed him inside the door.
In fact, under its marking, even if he had not followed the guidance just now, Fu Qian was confident he could force his way in with sheer violence.
But Mr. Fang would hardly be such a thoughtless and irrational man.
Even without rushing to act, Fu Qian glanced down at himself, quickly focusing on his feet.
The next moment, the webbed feet swiftly reverted to a pair of black dress shoes, and only then did he step through the door.
The visual effect was certainly pleasing, but was this indeed the source of the disgust?
The next moment, Fu Qian’s foot touched a shallow layer of water.
At a glance, the dimly lit space sparkled with lights like fireflies, outlining the silhouette of a secluded island in the water.
However, accompanied by this tranquility rushing towards him was a sense of nausea nearly ten times stronger than outside.
Despite this, Fu Qian’s openness was undiminished, with no attempt to close off his senses, instead closely observing the contour of the island.
Spikes, leathery skins, dragon bones, long fins—it was clear that this was not the same ashes from other places, but entangled masses of fleshy Creation.
The fluorescence came from the coral-like entities on its surface.
Even the sensation under his shoes as he moved felt slimy, more like biological tissue than mud.
Indeed, there’s always a reason behind every anomaly.
Just think, along the way, the number of Creations in Shattered Crown seemed sparse; it turns out they all ran here.
So it’s this entity that granted the Fishmen their freedom, and even quelled the savagery in their hearts?
Fu Qian always maintained the principle of not judging by appearance and certainly wouldn’t end this fantastic voyage just because of the island’s oddities.
And as he took two steps forward, a small Mermaid lying in the water suddenly came into view.
Uncertain if it was due to the excessive fatigue from before, although still alive, the latter seemed to have no response to its surroundings.
The first to be startled by Fu Qian’s arrival was even a giant spike, not far from the small Mermaid.
At a glance, the thorn even looked somewhat familiar; Fu Qian naturally thought of a Multimouth Beast named Sa Long.
Could it be that the dead creatures from the Sea of Ashes don’t turn to ashes but converge here in a special way?
Amidst his wonder, Fu Qian finally rounded a corner to see what was directly facing the little Mermaid.
Another one?
The next moment took Fu Qian by surprise.
...
Under the reflection of several coral clusters, a face with features similar to the Fishmen hung low.
Below the transparently white upper body, one could also see traces of Scales.
However, these Scales were not only dull but did not fit together.
The further down, the more they seemed to be pulled by an invisible force into various twisted shapes.
It almost felt like the physical manifestation of disgust.
Most of her lower body was buried in the "island" behind her, and you could see these Scales extending along the surface of the island’s flesh, covering a large area like a gigantic skirt.
Hmm...
As Fu Qian approached, she finally reacted with a pained hum.
Her limp hands also moved with difficulty.
Was she calling him over?
Although he had some knowledge of sign language, this extremely weak gesture clearly couldn’t convey much information, so Fu Qian could only interpret it from the simplest perspective.
At the same time as he took two steps forward, an ominous premonition rose in Fu Qian’s heart.
Without rushing to speak, after a moment, the hanging head finally lifted with difficulty, looking his way.
Just as he thought!
In the next moment, Fu Qian realized his concerns had come true.
On that delicate and youthful face, the eyes, ears, and mouth were all sealed shut with a substance resembling wax.
"Sorry to disturb you."
Fu Qian tried to greet her.
Unfortunately, there was no response from her, and her actions froze there.
Had all his effort been spent to find a wise person who couldn’t speak?
This truly was an unexpected situation.
Visiting for advice, after all, required communication through language.
Was he not to humble himself before her wisdom but instead gain something through defeating monsters?
That was not his style.
While she "looked" at him, Fu Qian recalled his experience upon entering the place.
Both the initial guidance of the path and the subsequent actions indicated she was aware of his arrival.
But she clearly couldn’t hear his words.
At the same time, she was able to hear the little Mermaid’s song and was thereby guided here...
Was there a difference? Did he have to sing a song too?
Hold on.
Fu Qian lifted a hand, with a shimmer of light rippling on his glove.
The key wasn’t the singing, but the species?
After thinking for two seconds, Fu Qian removed his glove.
With a forceful move of his hand, the precious object entrusted to him by Vivian struggled before turning to remnants.
And a hint of color, once seen on her tail, also spread out.