Chapter 358 - 330: My People Are Still Waiting for Me
This Bloodthirsty Sea Mite had a strong sixth sense. As Mogu approached, it sensed danger.
Its tail bulged like a leather drum, then suddenly inflated.
The thin membrane stretched taut, making its body appear somewhat transparent, revealing the blood vessels and organs within.
BOOM—
The seawater churned as the Bloodthirsty Sea Mite shot backward, leaving a long white wake in its trail as it fled.
It had barely gotten halfway before it was brought to an abrupt halt.
Mogu was even faster. He stepped on the Bloodthirsty Sea Mite’s back, pinning it firmly to the seafloor.
A flash of shock crossed the Fishman Leader’s eyes. He hadn’t been able to follow the movement at all.
It only proved that Mogu’s speed far surpassed his own.
Qin Ziwen drew closer. He looked at the Bloodthirsty Sea Mite pinned underfoot and extended a finger.
The Bloodthirsty Sea Mite seemed to sense something. The two flagella on its head whipped about frantically as its mouthparts opened and closed.
"Does it have something similar to Silver Blood inside it?"
Mogu shook his head.
"Then kill it," Qin Ziwen said, looking away.
SQUELCH!
Mogu stomped down with his right foot, crushing the Bloodthirsty Sea Mite. He then grabbed the corpse and casually slung it over his shoulder.
’That’s the sixth species,’ Qin Ziwen silently counted.
The Fishman Leader said, "This mountain range only has these two types of Extraordinary Sea Beasts. There’s also a type of seashell in another direction, not far from our tribe.
The other Extraordinary Sea Beasts aren’t here. They’re very far away; the closest one is half a day’s journey from here."
"Let’s not rush. We can catch some more of those Bobbit Worms for now. As for the seashell, I’ve already hunted it." Qin Ziwen knew the Fishman Leader must be talking about the Tridacna.
Of course, the Fishmen had no concept of the word "Tridacna." To them, anything with a shell was simply a seashell.
Compared to the Tridacna, the Silver Bobbit Worm seemed to be more valuable.
Although Qin Ziwen didn’t know the exact value of Silver Blood, the fact that Mogu remembered it and brought it up specifically meant it had to be something out of the ordinary.
They spent the next half a day on the seafloor and managed to catch two more Silver Bobbit Worms.
The Fishman Leader said, "The truly big worms are deep inside the mountain. The ones on the surface are just small fry. I’ll return to the tribe and search our stone tablets to see if I can find a suitable path."
Qin Ziwen readily agreed. "I’ll have to trouble you then. If I can create a suitable culinary dish in the future, I’ll bring some for you."
The Fishman Leader was tempted, but he ultimately shook his head. Even if he became stronger, it wouldn’t be enough to deal with the Thousand-Eyed Death God when it next revived. He’d be better off getting something else instead.
"When the time comes, can I exchange it for something that helps one advance to the Extraordinary level?"
Qin Ziwen thought for a moment. "No problem, but I don’t have anything like that at the moment."
"Just having your promise is enough."
After speaking, the Fishman Leader took a few more glances at the tunnel, just as he was about to turn and leave.
Qin Ziwen called out to him from behind. "Would you like to come and visit my Tuiyuan?"
The Fishman Leader paused. "I can?"
"You are Lorne’s father. Of course, you can."
The Fishman Leader was silent for a long moment before saying, "Qin, thank you. I have only ever read about Tuiyuan on the stone tablets in our ancestral temple. I’ve never been to the real place."
He followed in Qin Ziwen’s footsteps and arrived at the Home.
He was filled with curiosity about the surrounding buildings.
Qin Ziwen led him toward the Fishman Cave, passing the Celestial Star Arrow Gallery along the way.
The Fishman Leader heard dull thuds, THUD THUD, coming from inside.
He turned his head to look. Through the open gates, he paused his steps, seeing Fishmen inside, holding bows and shooting arrows.
Seeing his reaction, Qin Ziwen explained, "Fishmen are very strong. It would be a waste not to have them practice archery."
A Fishman who looked to be only 1.6 meters tall stood with a hunched back. It raised a longbow with its left hand, hooked the bowstring with its slender right arm, and pulled back.
The bowstring was drawn to a full moon.
And this was a Three-Stone Bow.
The Fishman Leader stopped and watched for a moment, somewhat dazed.
Living beneath the sea, his people had never come into contact with bows.
The unique underwater environment meant they couldn’t use such a weapon, but he had still heard of the bow’s reputation.
Afterward, he followed Qin Ziwen to the Fishman Cave and entered the water for a tour. It was clean and clear, and the water even contained an indescribable substance that he could subconsciously feel was beneficial to Fishmen.
Compared to the cold, dark, and murky seafloor, this place was undoubtedly what he had imagined the Fishmen’s ancestral home in Tuiyuan to be like.
The Fishman Leader stood at the bottom of the pool and reached out his arm as if to grasp something, but he only closed his hand on empty water.
He was filled with emotion for a long time. "The environment here is much better than in our tribe. I can rest easy knowing they are living here."
Qin Ziwen smiled but said nothing. ’If I didn’t let the Fishman Leader see this environment for himself, how could I possibly recruit more members from his tribe in the future?’
"Offspring who are born and raised here have a chance of reverting to their ancestral form," Qin Ziwen added, dropping a bombshell.
"Is that so? That’s truly wonderful..." The Fishman Leader reluctantly looked around again, closely observing the algae gardens and pastures.
He was the one who had provided the Cards to Qin Ziwen, yet he now looked like a novice seeing these things for the first time.
Finally, the Fishman Leader said, "I have to go back now."
"You’re not staying a little longer?"
"No." The Fishman Leader’s tone was firm. "They are living well here, and that puts my mind at ease. But my tribe has many more members waiting for me."
After the leader left, Qin Ziwen sighed with emotion. ’The Fishman Tribe itself has something that can help one advance to the Extraordinary level, but they can’t use it themselves.’
Among the Cards the Fishman Leader had given him was a Breakthrough Card.
Yet here he was, going the long way around, trying to obtain something from Qin Ziwen that could help him achieve an Extraordinary breakthrough.
"This is the true importance of Tuiyuan," Mogu said. "Master, treasures that can help one advance to the Extraordinary level are rare, but they are nowhere near as precious as a Breakthrough Card."
Qin Ziwen was surprised at first, but then it made sense. "Is it because the Breakthrough Card allows you to choose from Third Gear missions?"
Mogu nodded. "Correct. Most treasures that help with an Extraordinary breakthrough only result in the most basic Extraordinary level. A Breakthrough Card requires completing a difficult mission, but it offers direct access to the Heroic and King Levels."
’I see...’
Qin Ziwen understood.
From this perspective, using a Breakthrough Card to take on the lowest-tier mission would offer the worst value.
"By the way, it’s time to extract the Silver Blood from those worms you brought back."
Mogu led Qin Ziwen to the side, where the four Silver Bobbit Worms were hung up with their wounds facing down, allowing all their blood to drain out.
The four worms didn’t have much blood; combined, it was just enough to fill a single basin.
Perhaps because they lived in the sea, their blood was somewhat clear. Many tiny white specks floated within it, which could easily be mistaken for impurities if one didn’t look closely.
They poured it into a pot and began to boil it over a high flame.
The purification method was simple and unadorned—the most primitive form of distillation.
As it continued to boil, the blood gradually evaporated. When it was nearly all gone, less and less liquid remained in the pot, until finally, only specks of silver light were left.
Seven soybean-sized silver beads remained at the bottom of the pot.
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