Lin Tian was unaware that his location had been exposed.
Fearing discovery, Lin Tian dared not move. The distance was neither too far nor too close, and as a living being, he was too conspicuous.
He had no idea what abilities his opponents possessed.
After this ordeal, Lin Tian planned to go into hiding.
When he could transform his body into the sea and merge with it, he would be invincible. Once he emerged, he would fear no one.
"Hurry, hurry, humans are coming! Humans are coming!"
"We're leaving now, you should escape quickly!"
"So fierce, not even sharks are their match."
Suddenly, a school of small fish fleeing saw Lin Tian and immediately warned him to leave.
Upon hearing this, Lin Tian didn't hesitate. He had the small fish shield him from the middle as he immediately fled backward.
Humans might lie, but marine life would not.
Zhao Yunhai's eyes flashed with a glint as he spotted the person being shielded within the school of fish.
It was understandable that the "doubled down" effect hadn't been triggered yet since they hadn't directly confronted each other.
However, Zhao Yunhai had a premonition that this person was the protagonist. After all, a villain wouldn't be without subordinates.
He didn't warn Si Jinyan and the others not to kill the target, assuming that if it was the protagonist, they definitely wouldn't be able to.
"Clear the fish, force the target out."
Si Jinyan calmly issued the order. While he might not be a match for a martial artist in a one-on-one fight, he excelled in other areas.
His twenty-odd subordinates were more than enough for this mission.
Bullets tore through the fish, directly exposing Lin Tian's back.
Hearing the mournful cries of the fish, Lin Tian gritted his teeth and charged to the front, using the fish to shield his rear.
"Don't blame me. If I die, there will truly be no one to protect the ocean."
"I must survive and avenge them."
"This guy is interesting."
Si Jinyan attached a barrel to his gun and then aimed at the target, firing a homing torpedo.
After locking onto the target, the torpedo, trailing numerous bubbles, sped towards him.
Lin Tian seemed to sense something and abruptly turned his head. He quickly manipulated the water currents to reverse, causing the torpedo to spin uncontrollably within a vortex, its red light flashing faster and faster.
Si Jinyan, with a composed expression, led his men around the swirling vortex and against the current.
The torpedo was timed, but its detonation could be remotely deactivated to avoid harming his own men.
"Full throttle on the propulsion system. Young Master Yun didn't say to keep him alive, so let's just kill him."
After Si Jinyan issued the command, everyone accelerated to full speed in pursuit.
Bullets rained down endlessly, concentrated fire creating a barrage. The school of fish was dispersed in seconds, blood spreading through the water.
Lin Tian was now completely exposed to Si Jinyan's view.
"Open fire."
Si Jinyan unhesitatingly aimed and fired at Lin Tian's rear.
Underwater firearms, after numerous experiments, now possessed power comparable to some conventional land-based weapons.
Lin Tian hadn't expected these people to be so lawless and reckless with their firearms.
However, he wasn't made of straw. As long as they weren't masters of that previous caliber, dealing with them was still manageable. In the sea, it was his domain.
A large vortex appeared behind Lin Tian, protecting him. The bullets lost their speed due to the turbulence.
"Young Master Yun, the target can control water currents, but their strength is unknown. However, they seem wary of us."
"It's likely the actions of the four clan elders that are making them fearful and causing them to flee."
Seeing this, Si Jinyan unhesitatingly called for backup.
If he couldn't win, he'd call for reinforcements.
Face?
Did Si Jinyan care about such things?
At this moment, Zhao Yunhai had returned to the ship. After learning about the target's abilities from Si Jinyan, he decided to enter the fray himself.
The protagonist's abilities were strangely terrifying. Zhao Yunhai, who was always cautious, would not confront the protagonist until he understood them better.
What if the protagonist had a sure-kill skill? Zhao Yunhai would have died a tragic and pointless death.
Seeing that Young Master Hai was about to descend again, the four clan elders quickly had their diving gear prepared.
Although their combat effectiveness was reduced underwater, their release of internal energy remained unimpeded.
All four clan elders were Grandmasters, and the release of their vast and potent internal energy was enough to overwhelm a Xiantian realm cultivator.
A Da and his two companions, Old Liu, and Old Qiu would naturally protect Young Master Yun and accompany him.
Zhao Yunhai, with his entourage, sped towards the location pinpointed by Si Jinyan.
Note: They weren't descending immediately, but rather taking a boat to use its speed to outflank the protagonist, and then implement a counter-encirclement.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The underwater turbulence and the obstruction from countless fish created difficulties for Si Jinyan and his men. The seabed's turbulence was forcefully calmed by explosions, as were the schools of fish.
Lin Tian was solely focused on his safety. The sea, after all, was never short of fish, and their sacrifice to protect him was commendable.
As long as he grew stronger, he would eventually repay their current efforts.
These people were relentless in their pursuit, and his current abilities were still too weak to inflict significant damage.
If only he could control water pressure, but he wasn't strong enough for that yet.
Lin Tian suddenly noticed a group of people descending from above ahead. It was the same group, and they had managed to encircle him.
Damn it!
Was this truly a fight to the death?
Lin Tian cursed inwardly.
Under Zhao Yunhai's command, the four clan elders rushed forward using their propulsion devices.
The underwater turbulence posed no challenge to the clan elders; Lin Tian's strength was far from sufficient to contend with Grandmasters.
Si Jinyan and his men had already closed in on Lin Tian's rear, their subordinates aiming their weapons at him.
Zhao Yunhai couldn't communicate with Lin Tian in the sea, but once they faced each other, the "doubled down" effect would be activated.
[Hundred]
A bead appeared in Zhao Yunhai's mind: the Sea God Pearl.
Subsequently, the protagonist's power was integrated into Zhao Yunhai's body a hundredfold. He felt as though he could merge with the sea.
He gained the ability to control ocean currents and water pressure, and to communicate with marine life.
Lin Tian lacked the strength to resist the attacks of the four clan elders. After a few dodges, he was forcibly captured.
His face was filled with defiance and stubbornness.
If he hadn't been in his early development stage, these people would have been no match for him.
He was unconvinced.
"Take him away."
Zhao Yunhai looked at him deeply and chuckled.
The Sea God Pearl within the target's mind had to be retrieved. If he died, it would be impossible.
If the Sea God Pearl could be fused with Li Mingyi's abilities, Zhao Yunhai would have a reliable protagonist subordinate.
This was contingent on Li Mingyi being trustworthy, so Li Mingyi would have to work hard.
The target's abilities were effective in the sea, but on land, that was another matter.
Therefore, Zhao Yunhai would find him a small, waterless dark room for temporary confinement.
This would continue until the Sea God Pearl in his mind could be extracted.
"This is the pill you've always wanted. Take it, and you'll be able to practice martial arts."
"It might hurt a bit, so bear with it."
Since Li Mingyi had found this protagonist for him, he had rendered a great service. Therefore, Zhao Yunhai gave him the pill he had always longed for.
"Thank you, boss. I don't fear pain."
Li Mingyi cheerfully swallowed the pill.