Chapter 7 – Secrets Beneath the Sea of Bích Hải
The surface of Bích Hải remained unsettled even after the furious flames had died down. Dawn broke, yet thick clouds still draped the sky, and waves crashed upon the shore like drums echoing a muffled fury. The sea wind blew bitterly cold, carrying faint traces of burnt oil that lingered in the air.
Quang Minh stood upon a rocky promontory, gazing out over the ocean now dark as steel. The poison in his veins had not yet cleared, leaving him sometimes dizzy, yet his eyes shone ever more resolute.
Bích Thủy stepped closer, her slender fingers lightly gripping his hand. Though fear still lingered in her gaze, a new determination also flickered within.
"Quang Minh… I remember my father once said… the Long Tàng Manual was merely the surface. Beneath the sea of Bích Hải lies… another secret. If it comes to light, Jianghu will drown in blood a hundred times over."
Quang Minh furrowed his brow:
"What secret… could be so grave?"
Bích Thủy hesitated, then whispered:
"My father spoke of a sunken ancient city beneath the sea. Within its walls lies the map to 'Thiên Thạch Thần Kim'—a rare celestial ore, harder than any steel, once forged into legendary weapons of the ancients. Whoever gains control of this ore could hold dominion over all Jianghu."
Hắc Y Môn Knows the Secret
At that moment, a cold laugh echoed over the waves. Hắc Trường Uy emerged from the shadows, his black robe torn and scorched from the earlier inferno, yet his eyes glittered with deadly cunning.
"I have long suspected as much. The Long Tàng Manual records martial arts, true—but every stroke and mark in that text conceals clues leading to a treasure beneath the sea!"
Bích Thủy paled:
"You… know this secret too?"
Hắc Trường Uy sneered:
"Years ago, your father tried to erase all traces. But he never knew… I still possess half of the Tàng Long Jade, engraved with the coordinates to the entrance of the sunken city."
He drew from his robes a shard of azure jade, etched with ancient characters that twisted like coiling dragons. The ocean light gleamed upon its surface, casting mesmerizing ripples of blue and green.
Quang Minh gritted his teeth:
"Hắc Trường Uy, you vile man! Countless lives have been lost because of your greed for this celestial ore!"
Hắc Trường Uy spoke in a low, grave voice:
"Jianghu has always belonged to the strong. Whoever possesses Thiên Thạch Thần Kim… shall rule the entire realm!"
Climax: Pursuit Beneath the Sea
Suddenly, the waves of Bích Hải surged higher as a squad of black-clad warriors rowed in swiftly on bamboo rafts, wielding long iron grappling hooks, shouting:
"Leave no survivors!"
Bích Thủy seized Quang Minh's hand and leapt into the sea. Hắc Trường Uy roared:
"Chase them below! Do not let them escape!"
The waters of Bích Hải were icy cold, currents churning fiercely. As Quang Minh dove deeper, he glimpsed a narrow fissure in the seafloor, glowing faintly with a pale green luminescence like phosphorescent pearls.
Bích Thủy swam beside him, her lips turning blue. She pointed toward the crevice:
"That… is the entrance to the sunken city!"
At that instant, the hooks of Hắc Y Môn's men lashed through the water, snagging the hem of Quang Minh's robe. Blood blossomed red in the surrounding blue.
Quang Minh drew his sword, its blade flashing azure under the waves. With a single slash, he severed the grappling hook, then wrapped his arm around Bích Thủy, propelling them both toward the glowing fissure.
Above, the shadows of their pursuers drifted back and forth like predatory sharks.
The Sunken City Revealed
They slipped through the crevice just as a surreal green glow flooded the water. Before their eyes unfolded a breathtaking sight: colossal stone walls draped in swaying seaweed, roofs curved like ancient palaces, and statues of dragons and phoenixes half-buried in drifting sands. Pillars loomed, carved with ancient characters proclaiming the name "Hải Long Thành"—Sea Dragon City.
Bích Thủy whispered, voice trembling amidst her bubbles:
"This… this is the place my father spoke of… where the secret that can change Jianghu lies hidden."
Quang Minh looked about, torn between wonder and a shiver of dread. Yet amid the ruins… he glimpsed a shadow slipping silently behind the dragon statues.
Then a voice, cold as glacial ice, echoed through the watery depths:
"At last… you've arrived. But the treasure of Hải Long Thành… belongs to no one but me!"
Quang Minh spun around, sword raised. In the eerie green glow… Vân Lục Yên stepped forth, eyes shining like crimson gems, a cold smile upon her perfect lips.
End of Chapter
The crash of ocean waves reverberated into the sunken city, like distant war drums beating beneath the sea. Curtains of drifting seaweed swayed like ghostly veils. Bích Thủy clung tightly to Quang Minh's arm, her breath fast and ragged.
Quang Minh's eyes suddenly deepened with resolve. He knew:
The Long Tàng Manual was only the surface. The true battle… was about to begin beneath the depths of Bích Hải.