Reborn as a lotus, she initially refuses to hand it over to the state.

On the banks of the ancient river.

Lin Qingxue stood in front of the soul-guiding lamp.

The golden flame in the lamp burned slowly, illuminating her pale cheeks.

Chen Xueli stood beside her, never letting go of her wrist: "You overexerted yourself just now, go back and rest first."

Lin Qingxue shook her head and said, "I'm fine."

The voice just fell.

hum!

The soul-guiding lamp suddenly trembled.

A golden light floated out from the ancient lamp and landed on Lin Qingxue's chest.

The dim blue lotus mark on her chest glowed slightly.

Immediately afterwards, a faint golden line extended from the edge of the lotus petal.

Lin Qingxue closed her eyes.

Everything around her became clearer in her perception.

The spiritual energy emanating from Chen Xueli was like a blazing flame.

Faint black fragments remained in the wound on Du Feng's arm.

Above the ancient river, the lingering light of souls resembled a tranquil galaxy.

And in a more distant place.

Beneath the old city of Linjiang, several wisps of black spirits were crawling along the water vapor.

Instead of rushing towards the ancient ferry, they headed towards the Linjiang River.

Lin Qingxue suddenly opened her eyes: "There's also the Black Tide."

Chen Xueli's expression tightened: "Where?"

"Underground in the old city." Lin Qingxue looked out of the mine tunnel: "They don't want to go back to the ancient ferry; they're fleeing."

Chen Xueli frowned: "Where to escape to?"

Lin Qingxue's gaze fell on the end of the ancient river, where a blurry image suddenly appeared on the water's surface, illuminated by golden lights.

An endless expanse of black seawater.

A waning moon hangs in the sky above the sea.

Under the moonlight, an ancient ferry crossing, built from bones and giant seashells, stands silently in the deep sea.

In the center of the ferry crossing, half a black iron nail was stuck in the ground, and thick chains were wrapped around the nail.

The other end of the chain plunges into an abyss where the moonlight cannot reach.

Lin Qingxue swayed slightly, and Chen Xueli quickly supported her: "Qingxue!"

Lin Qingxue's face was pale, but her voice was clear: "East Sea, those Black Tide Souls are heading to the East Sea."

Heilong Lake.

Above the Soul-Suppressing Platform of Ten Thousand Beasts, the black and gold lotus pattern slowly rotated.

The roots of the Chu boat landed on the edge of the altar.

The scene of the restoration of the ancient ferry crossing on the river is transmitted back to Heilong Lake along the trail of the blue lotus.

The strange stone stood before the ancient city steps, its scarlet stone patterns shimmering: "The ancient ferry crossing by the river has actually awakened at this time."

Chu Zhou looked at the ancient river scene.

Humans and beasts stood side by side guarding the ferry crossing.

A white tiger guards the riverbank, a giant tortoise lies prone in the river, birds fly through the sky, and apes and beasts carry mountains on their backs.

That was the landscape of the old era, and it is also the path that the landscape of today should follow.

The strange stone said in a deep voice, "The Soul-Suppressing Platform of Ten Thousand Beasts suppresses the souls of beasts, while the Twelve Ancient Ferry Crossings are for the peace of humans. In the past, when the ancestral realm was in chaos, humans and strange beasts were not mortal enemies from the beginning."

"If the land truly faces destruction, who will still be able to distinguish between human and beast?"

Chu Zhoulianye swayed gently: "That's why Yuan Shi wanted to instigate a war between the two races first."

"Only when the country is in chaos can they have a chance to get in."

The strange stone's texture trembled.

Just then.

The Zhenyuan Emperor Seal suddenly emitted a low hum.

Above the imperial seal, a deep blue waterline extends from Lingnan, crosses the Nanjiang River, passes through the coastal ridges, and finally disappears into the depths of the East China Sea.

And at the end of the East China Sea.

A silvery crescent moon slowly appeared.

An anomaly has been detected in the East China Sea's geological veins.

[Moonlight aura detected.]

The moonlit crossing over the East China Sea is reviving.

[Countdown to the opening of the Moon Abyss Gate: 23 days.]

The Chu boat paused slightly, then crossed the moon.

The third piece of Imperial Gold is located in the Moon Palace ruins that fell into the sea.

There was also a warning left by Su Zhaolan, the Holy Maiden of the Moon Mermaid Realm.

It turns out that the Moon Palace ruins were not just a secret realm of imperial gold.

It was also an ancient ferry crossing. The strange stone's voice deepened: "Lotus Demon, the East Sea is in big trouble. The ancient ferry crossing by the river is just leading the dead back to the underground river."

"If the East Sea Moon Crossing goes out of control, the ancient corpses sleeping in the sea, the remnants of war beasts, and the dead things of the Moon Abyss will all surge onto the land with the moon tide."

Chu Zhou looked towards Tokyo Bay.

That place is the sea area guarded by the Azure Sea Dragon Whale King, and it is also the place where the Moon Gate once appeared.

"Notify the Dragon Whale King," Chu Zhou's voice rang out. "Have it lead the Tide-Suppressing Sea Beasts to blockade the outer sea of ​​Tokyo Bay."

"No living being is allowed to approach the Moon Gate before the moon tide rises."

The voice just fell.

Deep in Tokyo Bay.

The Azure Sea Dragon Whale King opened its eyes from its slumber.

The whale pattern on its back slowly lit up.

"Owner."

Chu Zhou's thoughts traversed mountains and rivers, entering its consciousness: "The East Sea Moon Crossing is about to open; guard the sea gate."

The massive body of the Ocean Dragon Whale King swam.

"Your subordinate obeys."

With a flick of its massive tail, it stirred up a deep, dark current on the seabed.

Nearby sea area.

Giant turtles, sharks, anacondas, and deep-sea crabs emerged from the trenches and reefs.

They did not approach the human port, but instead converged towards the outer sea of ​​Tokyo Bay.

On the sea, a patrol vessel from the Ninth Bureau had just finished its night patrol.

On the deck, a young crew member suddenly noticed the silvery moonlight shimmering on the distant sea.

He rubbed his eyes.

There was no moon in the night sky, but in the sea, it looked as if a moon was rising.

"Captain, look at the sea..."

The captain strode over.

The next moment, his expression changed.

In the distance, the sea parted, revealing a dilapidated ferry crossing rising from the depths.

Two pale white lanterns hang on either side of the ferry crossing.

There was no fire in the lantern.

Yet countless wet figures stood at the ferry crossing through the sea mist.

On the sea.

The dilapidated ferry crossing slowly rose from the deep sea.

Seawater flowed continuously down the white bone staircase.

On both sides of the ferry crossing, pale white lanterns swayed gently.

There was no fire in the lantern.

But what was reflected were wet faces.

There were human warriors clad in tattered armor, moon sharks with broken scales, giant whales with bone spears embedded in their chests, and sea beasts with tortoise shells on their backs and broken claws and teeth.

They stood motionless on the ferry dock, and the sea breeze swept across the entire Tokyo Bay, creating a low murmur.

"The moonlit ferry opens, the souls of the dead return to the sea, the living... board the ship..."

On the deck of the cruiser.

The young team member turned pale, and the psionic rifle slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

He gazed at the center of the ferry crossing, where a man in an old-fashioned military uniform stood on the staircase of bones.

The man's face was half-white from being soaked in seawater, and he wore a faded military tag on his chest.

"dad…"

The young player's lips trembled.

That was his father.

When the third spiritual tide broke out, the East China Sea defense line where his father was stationed was overwhelmed by the beast tide.

Even before the body was found, the man reached out his hand to him from the staircase of bones.

"Ah Cheng, let's go home."

The young player's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

He walked step by step toward the ship's side.

The captain beside him suddenly grabbed his shoulder and shouted sternly, "Wang Cheng! That's not your father!"

Wang Cheng trembled: "Captain, my dad is calling me..."

"Your father sacrificed his life on the East China Sea defense line. He's a hero; he won't drag you down with him!"

The captain slapped Wang Cheng across the face.

Snapped!

Wang Cheng was knocked back and staggered backward.

A burning pain shot through his cheek, but the man on the bone staircase continued to watch him.

"Cheng, it's too cold in the sea, come down and keep Dad company."

Wang Cheng clutched his head, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

On the deck, not only him, but several team members gradually became dazed, and some heard their mothers calling them to eat.

Someone saw the dead wife standing in front of the ferry.

Another veteran, trembling, removed the comrade-in-arms nameplate from his chest and walked towards the sea.

"Old Wu, didn't you say we'd have a drink together after you retired?"

"I'm coming right now."

"Everyone close their ears!"

The captain roared and raised his hand to press the button on his watch.

hum!

On the cruiser, more than ten soul-purifying lamps lit up simultaneously.

A silvery-white aura enveloped the deck.

The team members, who were immersed in the illusion, suddenly woke up.

One of the team members immediately knelt down, covered his face, and burst into tears.

"It's not my mom. My mom called me last month."

The captain gripped the communicator tightly.

"Headquarters, an unknown ferry crossing has appeared off the coast of Tokyo Bay, suspected to be a large-scale ghost-luring incident!"

"Requesting backup!"

A rapid static crackled through the communicator, followed by a steady voice: "The patrol ship must retreat immediately and not approach the crossing. The East China Sea Fleet is en route to the scene."

Just as the captain was about to respond, the pale white lanterns on the sea suddenly lit up simultaneously.

In the middle of the ferry crossing.

The jet-black iron nail vibrated slowly.

Click!

The chains around the nail suddenly tightened.

At the ferry crossing, countless wet, ghostly figures turned around in unison.

They no longer looked at the cruiser, but gazed into the depths of Tokyo Bay, towards the coast of China.

"Get us ashore, bring us ashore."

"The living board the boat, the dead go into the sea..."

Countless voices converged.

The entire sea was trembling.

Below the White Bone Ferry, the seawater began to swirl.

A silvery-white wave, hundreds of meters wide, surged out from both sides of the ferry crossing and slowly advanced toward the coast.

In the midst of the waves.

The densely packed remnants of souls rose and fell.

Some of them were clutching broken spears, some were carrying tattered animal bones, and some were simply curled up in a ball, as if waiting for someone to come and take them home.

The captain's expression changed drastically: "Withdraw the entire ship! Notify all ports along the coast to activate psionic defenses!"

The cruiser's engines roared.

The ship turned around and sped toward the port.

But it had only gone less than a hundred meters when the seawater in front of it suddenly exploded.

boom!

A colossal creature, nearly a kilometer long, burst forth from the seabed.

The enormous whale-like body lay between the cruiser and the moon crossing.

Its azure whale-like markings on its back lit up.

It's like a massive array covering the sea to suppress the tides.

The Dragon Whale King of the Vast Ocean!

On the deck of the cruiser, everyone was stunned.

The Dragon Whale King floated on the sea, its enormous eyes gazing towards the Bone Ferry.

It can sense it.

The ghostly figures at the ferry crossing were not ordinary Black Tide Beasts.

Many of these remnant souls still retained the aura of the Tide-Suppressing Whale Clan.

Some of them are even its ancestors in the bloodline.

The Dragon Whale King remained silent for a moment.

Then it let out a long, mournful cry.

The sound of whales echoed across the sea.

At the ferry crossing.

Several giant whale-like soul shadows raised their heads.

A faint ripple appeared in their empty eye sockets.

The remnant soul of a giant whale, now only half a skeleton, slowly lowered its head toward the Dragon Whale King.

"Descendants of Zhenchao," the Dragon Whale King said in a deep voice, "Ancestors, the East Sea still exists, the ancestral realm still exists, it is time for you to return to the sea."

The remnant soul of the giant whale trembled.

But the next moment, the black iron nail in the center of the ferry suddenly lit up with a gray-black light.

laugh!

Black chains emerged from the remnant soul of the giant whale.

The chains pierced its soul.

The remnant soul of the giant whale let out a painful roar.

Its head, which had been lowered, was raised again.

Crimson soul flames burned within the empty eye sockets.

"Dock!"

boom!

The remnant soul of the giant whale, accompanied by countless shadowy figures, crashed towards the Dragon Whale King.

The Dragon Whale King did not dodge.

It swept its massive tail.

A towering wave surged forth.

The remnant soul of the giant whale was sent flying backward by the waves, but the Dragon Whale King did not continue its attack, fearing that its power would harm the remnant soul of its ancestor.

At the White Bone Ferry.

Those human battle spirits, the remnant souls of moon sharks, and the shadowy souls of sea beasts all stepped onto the silvery-white waves under the drive of the black chains.

They approached the coast.

The cruiser retreated several kilometers away.

The captain gazed at the scene ahead, his palms sweating profusely.

"They're about to come ashore." A team member's voice was hoarse. "Captain, is the psionic cannon usable?"

The captain did not answer.

He saw the ghostly figure of a woman holding a baby in the waves.

I saw the remnant soul of a sea turtle protecting its young with its body.

I saw many soldiers with severed limbs and broken bodies, still clutching their weapons tightly in their hands.

these things.

Are they really enemies?

Just then.

The East China Sea Fleet's communications channel connected to the ship's communication channel: "Patrol ships, listen up! The East China Sea Fleet's first and second lines of defense are in position."

"Indiscriminate bombardment of the ferry crossing and the soul tide is prohibited. Prioritize using Soul Purification Lamps, Soul Suppressing Arrays, and Spiritual Energy Barriers to block them!"

The captain took a deep breath: "Understood!"

Coastal direction.

Dozens of psionic defense towers lit up simultaneously.

A silvery-white beam of light shot into the night sky.

A massive psionic barrier rose from outside the harbor.

The Dragon Whale King still stood in front of the soul tide.

Its whale-like markings on its back are getting brighter and brighter.

As Zhenchao's territory continues to expand, the black nails at Baigu Ferry are also continuously draining Yuedu's power.

The wound on the Dragon Whale King's back reopened.

Fresh blood flowed into the seawater down the whale's body.

The sea gradually turned red.

At Black Dragon Lake, Chu Zhou looked at the East China Sea through the Zhenyuan Emperor Seal.

The strange stone patterns flickered violently: "Moon Abyss Nails, this thing not only pollutes the Moon Crossing, it is also drawing away the power of the battle spirits in the crossing, forcibly pushing the Moon Gate to the shore."

Chu Zhou's roots landed on the Imperial Seal: "What if the Moon Gate reaches the shore?"

The strange stone's voice was deep: "The East Sea Moon Crossing will completely overlap with the coast of the Ancestral Realm. At that time, those things deep in the Moon Abyss will be able to walk onto the land along the crossing."

"Lotus Demon, we must suppress the Moon Abyss Nails before it reaches the shore."

Chu Zhou remained silent.

Below the lake surface.

Countless green silver roots slowly unfurled.

The roots penetrate the array patterns at the bottom of Heilong Lake and extend eastward along the Nanjiang River vein.

The Three Passes of Nanjiang.

Xuanjia suddenly opened his eyes.

It carries the tide of the river on its back and looks towards the East China Sea.

Chu Zhou's voice entered its consciousness: "Xuanjia, borrow the water veins of the South River."

Xuanjia bowed his head: "Your subordinate obeys."

boom!

The tide rolls back at Sanguan River.

Countless rivers flow along the earth's veins, converging towards the East China Sea.

at the same time.

Zhenhai Relics Island.

Countless vines of the green blade pierced into the seabed.

The vines transformed into blue chains, stabilizing the coastal soil.

The waters off Tokyo Bay.

The Dragon Whale King suddenly sensed a familiar presence coming from the seabed.

It raised its massive head.

The distant sea.

A streak of bluish-silver light pierced through the darkness.

The light was getting closer.

The last enormous nine-petaled blue lotus slowly rose from the sea.

The lotus leaves are unfurled.

The roots of the blue silver tree entwine with the ocean tide.

The black-gold imperial seal hangs above the blue lotus, reflecting the entire Tokyo Bay.

At the Bone Ferry, the Moon Abyss Nail suddenly trembled, and countless black chains contracted wildly.

A sharp screech echoed from the depths of the ferry crossing.

"Suppressor of the Abyss, you have finally arrived."