116: The Mysterious Sea

The sailor’s report caused Li Yun’s expression to change drastically. As someone accustomed to seafaring, he knew that once a ship’s navigation system failed in the vast ocean, it would inevitably lose its way. With the thick fog now enveloping them, the cruiser dared not move a muscle.

Just then, Gu Feng, who had been sitting cross-legged on the deck, suddenly opened his eyes and said solemnly, "This fog... it carries the scent of the undead!" As a top-tier powerhouse from the Magic Plane, Gu Feng was naturally hypersensitive to all forms of magical elements.

Mutou also felt an eerie atmosphere brought on by the mist. Hearing Gu Feng’s remark, he asked in surprise, "The fog has the scent of the undead? That is truly strange!"

Gu Feng nodded. "And it is growing denser by the moment..."

However, they were not the only ones facing this situation. Across the way, Solas called out, "Mr. Li, has your navigation system failed as well? If you don’t mind, please come over so we can discuss this."

After a brief consultation with Mutou, the group carefully crossed the gangplank to Solas’s cruiser, leaving only the essential sailors and the captain behind. Li Yun instructed them to keep the ship in place until the fog cleared to avoid getting separated.

Due to the thick mist, everyone except Solas, who had come to greet them, had retreated into the cabin. Professor Qin was trembling as he told the group, "It’s happening again. We encountered this exact situation near this latitude. That night, a storm broke out at sea, and one of my students was swept away by the gale and went missing!"

At that moment, a sailor handed Solas a note with recorded data and whispered to him. After reading it, Solas addressed the group: "My friends, I am honored to inform you that we have likely reached our destination—the Bermuda Triangle. My captain reports that our current position is near 29°32'N to 29°34'N, the infamous 'Latitude of Death'."

Upon hearing this, Professor Qin seemed to catch his breath. "Yes, yes, that must be it! I’ve heard there is a massive magnetic field on the seabed of the Bermuda Triangle, which causes instruments to fail—even aircraft in the sky are not spared."

Solas remained silent. He pulled a photograph from his jacket and showed it to the group. It depicted four vintage bombers flying in formation over the sea, with a set of coordinates written at the bottom: 23°N–29°34'N. Mutou and the others looked at Solas, confused.

Seeing their bewilderment, Solas explained, "This is a set of photos accidentally captured by my satellite while scanning this region. Although the satellite fax photos aren't high-resolution, you can just barely make out the U.S. military insignia on the planes."

Mutou and the others remained baffled, but Professor Qin jumped up. "This... this is impossible! These four aircraft are World War II-era U.S. bombers; they haven't been manufactured for ages. How could they possibly appear in this region?"

Solas smiled. "These four planes are known in the scientific community as the 'Ghost Bombers.' Back in 1995, an American astronomer observing Mars accidentally saw four U.S. bombers that had gone missing during World War II flying in formation in the Martian airspace. Because he didn’t have a photograph, it didn't cause a sensation. But before this astronomer’s 'discovery,' the former Soviet Union had also released satellite scans showing a vintage World War II-era U.S. bomber sitting in a crater on the far side of the moon. The U.S. military insignia was clearly identifiable. These two bizarre and unprecedented discoveries have left the scientific community racking their brains. Dr. Wilhelm Glade, an authoritative Swedish scientist, believes all of this is connected to the Bermuda Triangle, where ships and planes often vanish. But no one has been able to solve this incredible, baffling mystery."

Li Yun looked at the photo and suddenly asked, "These are also four vintage U.S. bombers..."

Solas smiled. "Correct. I suspect these four planes are the same ones the astronomer saw in Martian airspace. I just can't fathom how they ended up here, or how they are still able to fly after all these years. It’s truly incredible!"

"Furthermore, my satellites have been scanning this area 24 hours a day. Finally, a researcher told me that according to the satellite data, a massive energy reaction had occurred in this zone. Later, I heard by chance that Professor Qin had visited this area and returned with something, so I sought him out."

The "harvest" the professor referred to was naturally the Golden Scepter. It was unclear how he had managed to salvage it. Seeing the questioning looks from the group, the professor said gloomily, "That was also a matter of chance. We were on an ordinary research vessel. After reaching this area, our instruments suddenly failed; the radar, radio, and navigation equipment were all useless. Then, a thick fog descended. We dared not continue and remained adrift. By nightfall, a violent storm broke out on the sea, accompanied by lightning and thunder. Our ship was tossed about, and it felt like it would capsize at any moment. When my favorite student went to take the helm, he was accidentally swept away by the storm. When the storm subsided, we found this on the ship. I suspect it came from the sea."

Hearing this, everyone looked at each other in disbelief. The explanation sounded far-fetched... yet his three students confirmed it was the truth. One of the female students even sobbed, saying that the classmate swept away by the storm was her boyfriend.

This student was not particularly beautiful, but she had a certain charm. Mutou noticed that when her boyfriend was mentioned, her expression seemed somewhat evasive.

Finally, Li Yun asked, "Mr. Solas, what exactly are your plans here?"

Solas replied, "That is actually what I wanted to discuss with you, Mr. Li. You know, the greatest passion of my life is exploration. Since we’ve discovered an energy reaction in this sea, I must go down and investigate. Perhaps I can uncover the root cause behind the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle that the world has speculated about for so long."

Li Yun was stunned. "Mr. Solas, you aren't joking, are you? We don’t even know how deep this sea is. If you go to the seabed, the water pressure is more than any human can withstand!" He then paused and realized, "Wait... you have a submarine!?"

Solas chuckled. "Mr. Li, don't you use submarines to salvage treasure from shipwrecks?"

Li Yun laughed sheepishly. "I don't have your miraculous resources, Mr. Solas. It is true I have equipment for salvaging shipwrecks, but the depth I can reach is limited. You must understand that the seabed is filled with mountain ranges, and many wrecks are lodged in deep trenches. I only salvage what is accessible."

"Well then, fine! There is a Chinese saying: meeting is a matter of fate. Would you like to join me and witness my great discovery?" Solas asked.

Li Yun had been a grave robber in his youth, and the gene for exploration was still active in him. Hearing Solas’s offer, he was eager to try, but he saw Mutou signaling him. He quickly added, "Naturally, we will go. However, my... my companions will be joining me as well!"

Solas calculated briefly. "No problem. I have six mercenaries, plus your group and the professor’s, that’s about twenty people." He paused, then added, "However, it would be best if your people didn't provoke the mercenaries I’ve hired. They are battle-hardened soldiers who have seen plenty of bloodshed."

As he said this, he glanced intentionally or otherwise at Mu Siyu. Nearby, a muscular mercenary was staring at her, entranced, constantly flexing his muscles in an attempt to attract the beauty's attention.

Mu Siyu, however, didn't even glance at him. Mutou found it secretly amusing and paid no mind. Li Yun agreed, though he thought to himself, *You have no idea how powerful my master is. If you provoke him, you'll regret it before you even know what happened.*

As they talked, a sailor came to report to Solas that the submarine was ready. Solas led everyone into the submersible, started the engines, and dived straight toward the seabed.

The submarine was clearly highly advanced, far from a decommissioned model. Mutou and the others watched the scenery of the ocean through the monitors inside the craft, but as they descended, the light grew dimmer and dimmer until, finally, they couldn't see anything at all—it was pitch black.

Li Yun remarked, "This sea area is very strange!"

Mutou and the others were confused. They had never been to the bottom of the ocean, so they didn't know what was unusual. Even Solas asked, "Mr. Li, what is so strange about it?"

Li Yun realized they rarely went to sea and wouldn't have noticed such a detail. "This area... there seems to be no life here! Normally, in the deep, dark parts of the ocean, there should be some bioluminescent fish. But I’ve seen nothing—not even plankton. It is truly a 'Dead Sea' in every sense of the word!"

As they spoke, they had already descended to a depth of over a thousand meters. A sailor reported, "The navigation system is still unusable, but the sonar imaging has returned an image. There is a massive canyon on the seabed below us of unknown depth. Shall we continue the descent?"

Solas asked, "Is this where the energy reaction indicated by the satellite is?"

The sailor replied, "The captain says that based on the satellite coordinates, it should be within this canyon!"

Solas said, "Good, continue the descent!" He turned to Li Yun. "Mr. Li, please witness this great miracle I am about to discover... Building a massive energy reactor at such a depth on the seabed—I believe no modern nation’s technology could achieve this. Perhaps it was the work of the ancient..."

"Perhaps it was the ancient continent of Atlantis!" Professor Qin exclaimed excitedly. "Congratulations, Mr. Solas. This will be an unparalleled discovery in modern science. Our names will surely be recorded in history, and you, Mr. Li, will be a witness to this great moment!"

Solas smiled slightly. Having already amassed unparalleled wealth in his life, this kind of stimulating and suspenseful adventure was his greatest hobby. He ordered the submarine to shine its floodlights into the canyon on both sides, and the screen showed them slowly descending into the unfathomable depths of the abyss...