The next moment, the stream of water transformed into a tiny mermaid. Her exquisite appearance was unmistakably Hainowei.
She was smiling at Zhang Ye.
At this moment, Zhang Ye was certain that Hainowei was indeed here, and she had recognized him.
He felt a surge of joy, but he quietly looked around. After confirming that no one had noticed, he sent a mana transmission: “Be careful, don't let anyone spot you.”
The tiny Hainowei nodded gently, then stretched out her little finger to point in a certain direction.
Zhang Ye looked over, then asked, “Are you over there?”
The tiny Hainowei nodded, a look of anticipation appearing on her face.
Zhang Ye was in a bit of a dilemma.
He wasn't alone right now; there was a whole group of people with him.
Although they were all people he trusted, Hainowei had a special identity, so the fewer people who knew, the better.
He hesitated for a moment and asked, “Can I go find you?”
Hainowei immediately nodded.
“Aren't you afraid of being exposed?” Zhang Ye asked.
Upon hearing this, Hainowei waved her hand, and the water droplets in front of her formed a line of ancient script. She knew Zhang Ye could read it. After all, Zhang Ye had understood the “diary” she had carved on the altar back then.
Zhang Ye looked at the line of words.
“It's fine. They can't find this place.”
The “they” here likely referred to the people hunting Hainowei.
Seeing this, Zhang Ye pondered for a moment and nodded. “Alright then, I'll go find you.”
Hainowei immediately smiled. The tiny mermaid did a flip in Zhang Ye's hand, then turned back into a stream of water and merged back into the river.
However, Zhang Ye knew that all the water in this entire forest could be an extension of Hainowei's power. She saw everything.
Zhang Ye stood up, walked over to Leona's side, and whispered, “Big Nana, let's head over there.”
Leona was startled and asked, “Why?”
“The Water Spirit is over there,” Zhang Ye said.
Leona showed an expression of understanding and nodded. “Alright, I actually wanted to see what a Water Spirit looks like anyway.”
With that, Leona called everyone over and walked in the direction Zhang Ye pointed.
After walking another hundred li, everyone suddenly noticed the mist dispersing, and their field of vision opened up dramatically.
In front of them was a massive lake. In the center of the lake stood a pyramid. This pyramid was very similar to the one in that mysterious ruin from before, except it was a metallic blue and looked extremely exquisite. It gleamed with a blue light under the sun, and water welled up from the top of the pyramid, flowing down its four triangular faces.
The water was a crystal clear azure, and a spectacular waterfall cascaded in the distance. Countless blue butterflies fluttered in the air, and a dense, misty vapor drifted through the sky, making everything look hazy and beautiful.
The group was awed by this scene and instinctively walked forward, wanting to get a clearer look.
However, when they reached the lakeside, they were blocked by an invisible wall.
Renomon crashed straight into the wall and couldn't help but look a bit dazed. He reached out to feel ahead; there was indeed a transparent barrier blocking the way, which rippled like water when touched.
“This is...” everyone muttered in confusion.
This transparent barrier didn't have any mana fluctuations or aura, so even Leona hadn't detected it.
Zhang Ye stepped forward and touched it gently, wanting to analyze it. However, the moment his hand contacted the barrier, it generated a powerful suction force, pulling him straight inside.
Leona reacted the fastest, hastily grabbing onto him, but by then, half of Zhang Ye's shoulder had already slipped into the barrier.
Strangely, the part of Zhang Ye's body that entered the barrier had vanished from sight, yet he didn't show any expression of pain. Only then did everyone realize that this barrier also had the function of blocking vision.
Leona held onto Zhang Ye, pulling hard to drag him back out.
Zhang Ye quickly called out, “Don't, don't, don't, don't pull!”
Leona frowned, but she stopped pulling to avoid dislocating his arm.
“It's fine, I'll go in first,” Zhang Ye said softly.
The others quickly crowded around with worried faces, but Zhang Ye waved his hand to reassure them. “Trust me, it's fine.”
His voice was soft and calm, which instinctively eased their worried hearts a bit.
“Trust me,” Zhang Ye said once more, looking directly at Leona this time.
Leona locked eyes with him for a few moments before ultimately choosing to trust him, slowly letting go.
“You'd better be fine, or I'm going to beat you up,” Leona warned.
Zhang Ye laughed helplessly and nodded.
The moment Leona let go, Zhang Ye was instantly sucked into the barrier and vanished.
Looking from the outside, the group could only see the lake, the waterfall, and the pyramid ruins, but not Zhang Ye's figure.
From behind the barrier, however, Zhang Ye could see the worry on everyone's faces.
He took a deep breath and turned around to look behind him. Only then did he discover that the lake was actually much larger than it appeared from the outside, stretching across almost half the horizon. The pyramid was also thousands of meters tall, and the waterfall behind it seemed to cascade down directly from the clouds, looking incredibly majestic and grand.
The next moment, streams of water coalesced into a humanoid shape before him, eventually solidifying into an incredibly beautiful mermaid.
The moment he saw her, Zhang Ye blurted out.
“Hainowei!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than he quickly covered his mouth, looking toward the people peering in from outside the barrier.
“Don't worry, they can't see or hear us,” Hainowei's soft voice echoed, though this time there was a hint of playfulness in it.
Zhang Ye keenly caught on. While breathing a sigh of relief, he couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
He gazed at Hainowei before him.
Hainowei was as beautiful as ever. The fine scales on her body reflected a kaleidoscope of colors under the sunlight, and her mermaid tail, shimmering with a seven-colored glow, was equally stunning.
It was definitely Hainowei, yet it felt like something was different.
“Are you really... Hainowei?” Zhang Ye couldn't help but ask.
“I am Hainowei, but I am not that Hainowei,” she giggled softly, her playful nature becoming even more apparent.
Zhang Ye was taken aback, then quickly realized. “Hainowei mentioned before that every clone can think independently despite their interconnected minds. Does that mean... every Hainowei can actually have a different personality?”
Hainowei nodded gently. “So smart.”
Zhang Ye smiled.
Water could take on infinite forms. Clearly, Hainowei shared this characteristic. With a total of one hundred and eight Hainoweis, each of their personalities could be slightly different to varying degrees.
Perhaps it was due to the differences in their environments.
“Then, should I still call you Hainowei?” Zhang Ye asked.
“Of course. In essence, we are all the same Hainowei,” she laughed, then stretched out her little hand toward him.
Zhang Ye glanced at her pristine little hand, which looked like translucent jade, faintly glistening with the sheen of water.
“I want some too,” Hainowei said.
Want what?
Zhang Ye blinked, then showed a look of sudden realization. He pulled out Broad-Minded chewing gum and a whole array of snacks from his spatial ring and placed them in her hand. Instantly, Hainowei flashed a satisfied smile and happily popped a piece of Broad-Minded chewing gum into her mouth.
“I finally get to eat it!” Hainowei said with joy.
Zhang Ye chuckled. “Can't you share your sense of taste?”
“We can, but eating it with my own mouth makes me feel much happier than just sharing the thought,” Hainowei replied. “You have no idea. When the other Hainowei was eating the snacks you made, the rest of us were practically dying of cravings.”
Zhang Ye couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Even after living for a million years, the Water Spirit was still like that little girl. Happiness was just that simple.
“Can you let them in?” Zhang Ye asked, pointing outside.
Hainowei nodded. “I can, but can I trust them?”
As she spoke, her watery, beautiful eyes stared intently at Zhang Ye.
Zhang Ye pondered for a moment before saying, “I believe they can be trusted, but to be safe, you can choose to refuse or simply not show yourself.”
“Our purpose in coming here this time is only to explore the ruins and search for treasure.”
Hearing this, Hainowei nodded. “Ah, treasures. There are plenty of those over there.”
With that, she pointed to the pyramid behind her.
Zhang Ye asked, “Are they yours?”
Hainowei shook her head. “No, this pyramid existed long before I arrived. The treasures inside were left behind by the ancient humans of this world. They have nothing to do with me. It's just that the water elements here are naturally very dense, making it a suitable place for me to recover from my injuries.”
“If you need them, you can take some.”
“How about this: I'll hide some of the treasures on the outside of the pyramid so you can find them easily once you come in. But you shouldn't touch the rest, because there are many powerful taboos and formidable guardian magic circles inside the pyramid.”
“You won't be able to handle them.”
Knowing that Hainowei was doing this for their own good, Zhang Ye nodded. “Of course.”
“But before that, you have to keep me company for a bit,” Hainowei suddenly said, her playful smile returning once more.
This Hainowei seemed even more lively than the other one.
Hearing this, Zhang Ye smiled. “Sure, but not for too long. We have to leave this place in ten days.”
Hainowei nodded, clearly aware that this world was different from the previous one.
Afterward, Zhang Ye followed Hainowei to the pyramid ruins. Looking at the runes left on the pyramid, he felt a sense of apprehension. Clearly, the guardian magic circles and taboos inside the pyramid were extremely powerful, making him feel somewhat uneasy.
“The magic circles and taboos on the outside of the pyramid are only at the level of low-star Saint-tier. A Three-star Saint-tier can crack them. However, reaching the middle section requires at least an Eight-star Saint-tier.”
“That strong?!” Zhang Ye was astonished. With such a massive leap, the middle section already required an Eight-star Saint-tier. What about the very inside?
“Yes,” Hainowei nodded. “The ancient humans who built this ruin were very powerful. Even a Demigod might not necessarily be able to crack or withstand the core magic circle.”
“However, I can enter and leave as I please, though I can't bring the treasures out.”
“Then do you know the origin of the civilization and the ruins here?” Zhang Ye suddenly asked.
Hainowei nodded. “I know a bit.”
“Can you tell me about it?”
“Sure.”
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