He is currently in the Dragon Clan and has married Erii.

……

The Moniach sailed through the bay, and soon, those on the deck could see several enormous, dark objects on the sea ahead.

After being beaten black and blue, Miyamoto Shigeo treated himself in the medical room of the Moniach and then continued to dutifully act as a human commentator for everyone.

"Ahead on the sea is the 'Sumeru Throne,' a floating platform developed by the Snake Clan. The name comes from mythology, but I won't go into details..."

"The 'Sumeru Throne' was originally designed for oil exploration and maritime rescue operations! However, the Rock Flow Research Institute recently installed defensive weapons on these platforms, so now you can think of it as a small fortress!"

"Wow, that's amazing!" Lu Mingfei, who had never seen anything like it before, was the first to exclaim in amazement.

By the time the team members stood on the Sumeru pedestal, the Deliaste had already been transported to the sea.

After just one final routine check, the members of the Kassel team will be able to board this meritorious submersible and head towards the mysterious depths of the abyss, carrying the "precision nitrate warhead" produced by the Equipment Department.

This dragon-slaying mission may bring unparalleled glory to the team members, but it may also lead them to the abyss of death.

Like two sides of a coin, either outcome is possible.

With a little time left, the group of people who were about to dive into the "Abyss" began their own relaxation activities.

Chu Zihang was sharpening his knife, Caesar was slicing sashimi, Lu Mingfei was watching anime... only Tang Yu was doing nothing.

While wandering around on the Sumeru pedestal, Tang Yu saw a familiar face.

Ruri Kazama, the Dragon King of the Demon Clan!

Wearing a bright red kimono and carrying a strangely long sword, Kazama Ruri stood out among the group of men in black.

"Hey, isn't this our top male escort? What are you doing here?" Tang Yu stepped forward and greeted him.

Since Herzog died, Kazama Ruri's somewhat gloomy personality has become noticeably more cheerful.

Upon seeing Tang Yu, a genuine smile appeared on Kazama Ruri's alluring face.

"I came here to see my brother and Erii, and also to see my father!"

"Is the uncle here too?"

"He's here. But he's not here right now; it seems he's with Erii."

"I see..."

Tang Yu and Kazama Ruri chatted casually until another voice interrupted them.

------------

126 I'm as wary of you as I am of a demon, yet I can't help but embrace you with all my might.

"Tang Yu and his daughter, what a coincidence, are you chatting here?" With Yuan Zhinu present, Yuan Zhisheng, the older brother, was obviously a bit reserved, even his opening remarks were so awkward.

Nine years ago, on that rainy night... it was Genjiro who personally plunged the blade into his own brother's heart. Although Genjiro survived by chance, Genjiro was still tormented by guilt.

Genjiro is a "partner of justice," but he is not a cold machine. He can never forget the fact that he ended his younger brother's life with his own hands.

Therefore, even though the Hebi-hachi family and the Oni-shu had reconciled and the relationship between the two major forces had gradually eased, Genji still could not muster the courage to face his younger brother.

"Brother, you're here. How have you been lately?" Kazama Ruri raised his head, his fair face shimmering with a transparent glow. Time had matured this once naive boy, but one could still vaguely see the youthful appearance of Genjiro in his face.

Upon hearing Genji's greeting, Genji stood there as if struck by lightning. At that moment, the lonely tortoise seemed to return to nine years ago, looking at his younger brother with a gentle warmth in his cold eyes.

Seeing this, Tang Yu wisely left, leaving the two brothers some private space for their long-awaited reunion.

Because of the distance, Tang Yu did not hear the brothers' conversation in its entirety. He only heard Yuan Zhisheng say one sentence that deeply moved him.

"I'm as wary of you as I am of a demon, yet I can't help but embrace you with all my might..."

……

The technicians from the Snake-Headed Eight Family were very professional. In just over half an hour, these technicians, dressed in white trench coats, had thoroughly inspected the old antique inside and out.

Standing next to Genjiro, the director of the Ganryu Research Institute, Miyamoto Shigeo held a form in his hand and meticulously reported the maintenance situation to the head of the institute.

"Master, the inspection results are in! The air vents on the Trieste were a bit worn out, so we've replaced them with new ones; there were some issues with the steering propeller... In summary, this decades-old relic is very well maintained. Apart from a few minor, harmless problems, everything else is in perfect working order!"

The inspection results from the Ganryu Research Institute relieved the diving team. In the abyss, which is 8000 meters deep, the only thing they could trust was this old vessel. It would be best if there were no problems... Of course, even if there were problems, they would have to bite the bullet and go down!

"It seems you've got everything ready! Well then, my lovely lads, let's begin the mission!" Mans appeared on the Sumeru pedestal at some point, standing by the railing, gazing intently at the distant, rolling waves of the sea.

After creating a sufficiently eerie atmosphere, Mans gradually became serious.

"Professor Schneider from headquarters will be in overall command for this operation. In two minutes, Norma will connect to your communication band. Meanwhile, the Japanese branch's AI, 'Kaguya-hime,' will provide necessary assistance during this operation! Before the mission officially begins, Professor Schneider would like to give you some instructions. Professor Schneider…"

Mans pressed a button on the headset, switching Schneider to the frequency band.

"Buzz... Can... Can you hear me? This is Schneider."

A terrifying voice came through the earpieces hanging in everyone's ears; it was Professor Schneider, the head of the executive department.

Everyone in the academy shared a common assessment of Schneider's voice: "Every time I listen to Professor Schneider speak, it's like hearing the breathing of a mummified corpse slowly coming back to life—cold...creepy!"

Professor Schneider's rigid personality and terrifying voice destined him to be unpopular with most students at the academy.

However, the team members who were preparing to carry out the dive mission obviously didn't care about these details.

The team members stopped what they were doing and began to listen attentively to Schneider's speech.

Professor Schneider of the Executive Department is a very famous figure! Although his body is now basically useless, many years ago, this professor was a famous dragon slayer.

The advice of a seasoned dragon slayer might just save the lives of the team members at a crucial moment.

Schneider's hoarse voice echoed in the earpiece. His instructions were not too long, only a few hundred words long.

Of all the issues that Schneider emphasized, the one that concerned the team members the most was the issue of the "door".

The team members were so focused on Schneider's instructions that no one noticed the somewhat ferocious expression on Fingel's face as he stood behind Lu Mingfei.

Upon hearing the word "door," Fingel became extremely agitated. The dragon blood within him began to boil, and his golden eyes began to manifest uncontrollably.

Fingel will never forget the Greenland Islands nine years ago... In that eerie mission, the last words his teammates uttered on the communication channel were that they saw a "door".

After that, those vibrant lives were silenced forever beneath the icy sea, their remains never found...

……

More than an hour later, the weather on the sea gradually worsened. Dark clouds covered the sun, and strong winds roared. The Trieste was about to begin its descent!

Standing on a platform extending from the Sumeru pedestal into the sea, Genjiro and the heads of the Snake-Headed Eight Families were seeing off the diving team.

At this moment, Genjiro was wearing a rather antique-style outfit, which, according to Sakura, symbolized "victory".

"Don't worry too much, everyone! We're the ace team from Kassel, the kind that's slain the Dragon King!" Caesar laughed heartily.

Before boarding the Trieste, the blond man swiped an aluminum tube cigar from Mans's arms and then lit it for himself with a big smile.

Amidst Mans's exasperated outburst, Caesar didn't forget to praise Mans's taste.

The "pleasant" interaction between the two slightly eased the tense atmosphere. As the atmosphere gradually relaxed, the mechanical arm that was holding the Trieste on the Sumeru platform slowly loosened.

Once it lost its anchor, the five- or six-ton ​​steel monster instantly fell onto the sea surface, creating a rather unsightly splash.

The sheer weight of the steel caused the Trieste to sink rapidly to the bottom of the sea.

……

"Hello...hello, tortoise, tortoise, can you hear me?" In the cramped cabin of the Deliaste, the golden-haired Caesar was smoking a cigar with a relaxed expression while calling out to Sumeru on the communication channel.

"I can hear it, the signal quality is pretty good!"

------------

127 Deep in the Abyss

As he answered Caesar, Genji wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

As for why Genjiro broke out in a cold sweat... it was because he vaguely heard noise coming from the communication channel.

The voices were something like, "One against three, can't beat, straight, you and I are teammates!"

At this moment, everyone who joined the communication channel felt like they were in Spartacus!

Even the usually stern-faced head of the Fuma family, Fuma Kotaro, couldn't help but sigh and rub his forehead in exasperation. "What are these four lunatics doing underwater? Don't they have any sense of danger at all?"

……

As the Diaz continued to descend deeper into the sea, the last glimmer of light projected from the surface disappeared without a trace.

All around was pitch black, with only the two xenon headlights at the front of the submersible stubbornly flashing their bright light. However, to the unfathomable depths of the ocean, this light was practically negligible…

Due to Tang Yu's insistence, the Sheqi Bajia's technicians inspected the entire Trieste three times, inside and out, to ensure that there were no problems with the entire submersible.

Under such intensive inspections, some deeply hidden minor problems were also discovered and corrected.

Therefore, the air valve leakage problem that appeared in the original work was not encountered by the diving team this time.

With the aid of safety ropes, the Trieste is heading towards the bottomless depths of the trench at a speed that is neither too fast nor too slow.

As the submersible descended deeper, the four people became increasingly tense.

Lu Mingfei put away the playing cards he had taken from the Sheqi Bajia's lounge and began nervously peering out through the porthole.

Chu Zihang entered a meditative state. If the Lionheart Society's leader was a sharp steel blade, then "meditation" was the blade's scabbard. Only within the scabbard could the blade maintain its sharpness...

If we're talking about who's the most relaxed among the four, it's probably Tang Yu.

While the other three were on edge, Tang Yu leaned against the metal bulkhead, chatting leisurely with a beautiful woman next to him.

In order to chat with Mai Shude, Tang Yu even specially asked Iska to give him a one-time use Word of Power.

This spell has little offensive power; its effect is similar to the "sound transmission" function in cultivation novels.

"Miss Mai, are you there?" Tang Yu began the conversation with a cliché greeting.

On the other side of the metal bulkhead, Mai Shude twisted her body into an unbelievable position, hiding among a dense network of pipes.

Even for Mai, who has received professional ninja training, this is a huge challenge!

Aside from the physical discomfort, the challenge is more psychological.

At a depth of several thousand meters underwater, above the White King's grave, Mai was already extremely nervous. Now, when she suddenly heard Tang Yu's voice, it was a testament to her training that she didn't jump up!

Meanwhile, in Mai's communication frequency band, Potato Chip Girl, who was eating potato chips thousands of kilometers away, was so surprised that she dropped the potato chips in her hand.

This slightly chubby girl is now completely Spartan!