Chapter 111 – The Slumbering Sea

Chapter 111 - The Slumbering Sea

On the planet known as the Slumbering Sea, there was no sun.

The energy shield enveloping the planet was so dense that the light from nearby stars was entirely absorbed by it.

All illumination on this water-covered world originated from exotic bioluminescent anemones that grew upward from the ocean floor, extending beyond the surface. Their long stalks supported a multitude of radiant tentacles that resembled vast fields of flowers.

Their oral discs remained open, unusually refraining from hunting any star beasts. Instead, they fed on the floating energy in the air.

Most of the time, these bioluminescent anemones were motionless. Thus, humans constructed islands around these sources of light, forming a cluster of settlements on the sea.

This place was vastly different from what Rong Mi had witnessed during the interstellar nomadic era.

The sea was a swirly opalescent white laced with silver threads, unlike the dull brownish-black he had seen before.

There were no submerged and decaying human structures beneath the waves; only schools of graceful white dolphins swam gracefully.

They swam through the ocean, breaching the surface from time to time, somersaulting in mid-air, gracefully leaping over the trajectories of human starships, creating great plumes of spray in their wake.

Upon entering the planet, White's pod of white dolphin Star Beasts emitted joyful cries.

They were clearly in their element, joyfully circling the starship before diving in one by one, leaving their masters behind with cheerful abandon to seek out their dolphin playmates.

White had long anticipated the Bai dolphins' behavior.

He reconfigured the starship's trajectory, steering it toward a distant city that orbited around a colossal sea anemone.

The star chart coordinates of the Interstellar Nomadic Era differed from the current system, making it difficult for Rong Mi to ascertain how far his current position was from his point of descent in the past. The starship sped along the sea route and eventually arrived above the central opening of the sea anemone-like structure, commencing its descent towards the central aperture.

This anemone was significantly larger than those dotting the surface nearby.

It swayed its tentacles gently, and as the starship approached, the originally white appendages transformed into a dreamy lavender pink. The pink tendrils swiftly converged upon the starship, then, in a chaotic yet coordinated manner, hauled it into the center of its oral disk.

Had Rong Mi not noticed the vertical flight path indicators constructed right in the center of the anemone's opening, she might have suspected that her starship had become a meal for the creature.

"We don't usually come here," the starship intoned as it descended through the long stalks of the sea anemones, finally settling in its designated landing area at the bottom after a few minutes.

White's expression grew more solemn as he opened the compartment door and led Rong Mi out.

"This is where the... let's say, the planetary governor, or the clan leader in their terms, resides."

"At the admiral's request, we've already greeted the governor," White said, halting by the starship's entrance, indicating that he couldn't proceed any further.

Rong Mi nodded in gratitude and stepped out of the ship, discovering they had landed on a circular platform. In the center was a vertical ladder descending downward, its end connected to an elevator leading into the Anemone's depths or even deeper into the ocean floor.

"Ao." The wolf howled softly, leaping past Rong Mi and ascending the ladder first, scouting the path for them.

The large, furry wolf filled the entire ladder space with its presence, bounding up to the elevator platform in just a few steps. After surveying the area, it looked up at Rong Mi, signaling that it was safe for the youth to descend.

Once the young man reached the elevator, the wolf extended its paw to tap the button it had previously observed.

"Ayin is so well-behaved," Rong Mi remarked, raising his hand.

The wolf immediately understood and lowered its big head into Rong Mi's hands, allowing the youth to stroke it contentedly.

As Rong Mi fondled the wolf's massive head, he sighed in satisfaction.

Who would have thought that this was the same wolf who would throw a tantrum after just two touches at the beginning!

Only when the elevator came to a halt did he reluctantly withdraw his hand from the wolf's large head and step out.

The surrounding light dimmed further as they reached the base of the anemone column. The walls and floor were soft, akin to the body tissue of an anemone, gently pulsating with its rhythmic breath.

Rong Mi: "…"

This was evidently a very extraordinary place.

Despite being deep within the anemone, Rong Mi could sense the energy field around them becoming more abundant and serene.

His mental energy stirred once more, seemingly enticed by something, yearning to be released outward.

But it didn't feel as uncontrollable as in the Ice Butterfly Star Region. Instead, it was even more subdued than usual, obedient to his every thought, allowing him to calm his spirit domain at will.

Rong Mi savored this sensation, lifting his hand to ignite a flame in the palm of his hand.

Purple energy mist then radiated from his fingertips, encircling him and forming vibrant, colorful ribbons that brushed against the tunnel walls.

"Ho!" a voice, aged yet startled, exclaimed. "Young man, quite dashing and fiery, aren't you?"

Rong Mi: "..."

Rong Mi lifted his gaze, scanning the surroundings.

The tone of the speaker was teasing but without malice, so Rong Mi made no move.

But the wolf was not as courteous.

Ayin growled lowly and stepped forward, icy silver blades shimmering at his sides.

"Oh dear, that hurts! Don't be angry," the elder hurriedly called out. "It's been a while, and your temper seems to have grown even more potent."

As he spoke of not making the wolf angry, the teasing in his voice remained undiminished. "Or perhaps this young handsome fellow is truly significant to Lu Yi. Even an iceberg can melt... Ouch!"

The silver blades unleashed mercilessly, slicing into the interior wall with a sharp resonance.

"Ayin?" Rong Mi gasped, surprised.

Aside from encountering Ice Butterflies, the Silver Wolves seldom initiated attacks, let alone in a situation where they perceived no threat.

Rong Mi quickly placed his hand on the wolf's neck, "Don't rush."

He soothingly rubbed the massive silver wolf, "Since you're here, let's not jump into a fight right away."

The wolf growled low in its throat but, out of respect, held back. However, the opposite party was not yet ready to back down.

"Ah, how obedient," the old man said with amusement and surprise, "Then I shall continue!"

The wolf's ears perked up, its neck tensed with anxiety, and its fluffy tail swished fiercely behind it.

"The iceberg can also—" The elder drew out his words, watching the glow rise and fall beside the wolf. He was torn between intervening and abiding by Rong Mi's request, his roars of frustration following in succession.

Elder: "Heart as hard as iron."

Silver Wolves: "…"

Rong Mi: "…"

"An iron wall, a copper fortress." The aged voice echoed from all directions, as if every segment of the tunnel's walls were resonating, leisurely crafting a proverb.

"Riding on an iron steed, pounding an iron rod into a needle, a case as solid as a mountain of iron..."

Rong Mi: "..."

Rong Mi had already forgotten what he originally intended to say.

"Apologies," he interjected, massaging his temples with a wolfish air of resignation. "May I ask if you are a Councillor of the 'Sleeper's Sea'?"

"Ah." The old man's train of thought momentarily faltered, preventing him from continuing his tale, and he emitted a frustrated sigh. Nonetheless, he managed to steer the conversation back to the main topic.

"One could put it that way," the elderly man chuckled. "You can address me as Master Sunflower."

"Or perhaps Agatha."

Rong Mi: "…Alright, Master Sunflower."

Both names were somewhat unconventional, but paired with the tone of the other's voice, the first one was slightly more palatable.

Unaware of the creature's whereabouts, he could only stare at the anemone's interior wall and inquire, "This anemone… is it a battle pet?"

"The Anemone used to be my battle companion," the old man chuckled. "But now, we've merged into one… To be precise, my physical body has long rotted away, while my mental domain has fully fused with Anemone."

"I am them, and they are me."

"We've been living like this for centuries."

"Welcome to the 'Sea of Slumber,' providing us with new sustenance." As Lord Anemone spoke, the walls around the passage flickered gently. The purple energy particles hovering nearby were instantly absorbed by the energy barrier, vanishing without a trace.

Rong Mi's eyebrows lifted as he looked at the anemone's inner wall beside him. Suddenly, he understood why the wolf had attacked so fearlessly just now.

The anemone could absorb their mental energy, and it seemed to crave it eagerly.

The wolf's aggression was a display of anger, but it also knew that its actions wouldn't harm the anemone in any way.

To the anemone, such an attack would be as insignificant as a wolf swatting at it with a paw. Lord Anemone's cries of pain might even have been feigned.

Rong Mi hadn't encountered many Star Beasts, let alone marine-type ones.

He gazed at the anemone with great curiosity. His finger twitched, as if he intended to touch the inner wall beside him, but then he recalled Grandpa Sun's words about becoming one. He deemed it impolite to act so abruptly without consent.

Rong Mi was hearing for the first time about someone fusing their spirit domain with that of a star beast, sharing a life and death bond. He pondered briefly for a second before arriving at a conclusion.

Touching a sea anemone is akin to touching another person.

Feeling that he should still treat the anemone as a human, he stood his ground and didn't move any further.

The old man had already noticed his gesture and chuckled.

"No worries, you've already touched the wolf," he said. "There's nothing unusual about it."

Rong Mi: "..."

He failed to grasp the meaning behind those words, so he smiled politely, inwardly rejecting the notion with vehemence.

Of course, it's different! A wolf is covered in fur! The texture must be far superior to that of a sea anemone!

Moreover, touching a wolf wasn't the same as touching Lu Yi!

If these two matters could be equated...

Rong Mi's ears turned crimson, and he hastily stopped his absurd train of thought.

Seeing his reaction, Grandpa Sun chuckled several times but refrained from further commenting on the matter under the watchful, wolfish gaze. After all, it wasn't amusing to anger Lu Yi. Didn't the residual spiritual energy within the planet attest to that? If Lu Yi were to truly fly off the handle, Grandpa Sun might not be able to withstand the consequences.

Now, Grandpa Sun was certain that Lu Yi was like an iron tree blooming flowers.

The flowers had been in bloom for a while, yet he didn't want anyone to know.

He hadn't even disclosed the full extent of their empathic connection!

A sly wolf with deep machinations.

When discovered, he'd better prepare to atone for his deeds!

Master Sun inwardly grumbled but didn't neglect the matter at hand.

He sensed that Rong Mi was about to undergo a second awakening.

"Young man, you'd better work hard to satisfy Ah Kui so that she'll let you out of this cnidarian cell," the old man said casually.

With his words, the passage leading to the elevator above them abruptly sealed shut.

Horizontal partitions sprouted from the walls of the sea anemone above Rong Mi, while white barriers quickly grew in the surrounding corridors, enclosing him and the wolf within.

"We enjoy feasting on human spiritual energy," the elder drawled lazily. "If you can't awaken before my patience runs out, I'll have Ah Kui take the initiative and drain both you and the wolf dry."

As he issued his threat, he leisurely observed Rong Mi's reaction, only to see the youth slightly narrow his eyes without showing any of the anticipated panic or urgency.

Rong Mi remained calm, blinking once, and even asked, "We can't leave? Will there be food then? For both me and the wolf?"

Master Sun: "…"

Not getting the response he had hoped for, he harrumphed in annoyance.

"Pleanty of nutrient solution, fed on schedule," Lord Sunflower assured. "You won't starve!"

Rong Mi nodded, confirming, "So I need to keep emitting my mental energy."

He needed to maintain the sensation of releasing his mental energy, akin to the brief domain-like confinement he experienced at the Amusement Park Base.

Rong Mi asked, "What's the time limit?"

Sea Anemone swayed its body.

"Actually, Rong Mi, both Ah Kui and I possess great patience," the elder revealed, having failed to intimidate her.

"We can wait for a week, a month, even a year, a decade..."

"Provided that you can afford to wait," he said nonchalantly, "we won't mind at all."