I Transmigrated as a Villainess to Raise Babies, and My Beast Husbands Are Fighting Madly Over Me!

Chapter 296: You’re Starting to Feel Sorry For Me

Sunxiao swiftly shifted into his beast form, his long tail sweeping out and coiling around Qiao Xixi.

Sangze spun around and pulled Xiya aside, dodging an attack from the darkness.

The moment they dodged, Qiao Xixi felt a violent turbulence in the water.

Qiao Xixi quickly pulled out an illuminating pearl and threw it. In its glow, they saw a massive Sea Eel Beast swimming toward them.

"It’s a Sea Eel Beast." Xiya’s face drained of color. She had never seen one so large.

Judging by its sheer size, the Sea Eel Beast was nearly as large as Sunxiao in his beast form.

"Sangze, take care of Xixi and Xiya."

Sunxiao pushed Qiao Xixi into Sangze’s arms, then turned and broke through the barrier of Xiya’s Water Avoidance, shifting into his beast form to confront the Sea Eel Beast head-on.

"Sunxiao, be careful!"

Sunxiao’s massive, serpentine body quickly vanished from sight. Qiao Xixi could only perceive the surrounding water currents growing increasingly violent, but she couldn’t see a thing.

’System, are there any cheap, effective, long-range Lighting Devices?’

She had thought the illuminating pearl would be sufficient, but now it was clear that it was nowhere near enough.

"Yes, Host. It’s in the furniture tab. You can take a look."

Qiao Xixi immediately opened the shop interface and found the Lighting Device. Thankfully, it only cost 20 points. She redeemed it at once.

Qiao Xixi switched on the Lighting Device, and a powerful beam of light shot out.

’Damn, this beam could probably light up things half a mile away!’

Qiao Xixi swept the beam around and finally located two figures locked in a fierce struggle.

The Sea Eel Beast seemed unable to handle such intense light. In its momentary panic, Sunxiao lunged forward and bit down on its head.

The Sea Eel Beast writhed madly in pain, trying to drag Sunxiao down into the deeper sea.

"Host, follow this Sea Eel Beast. It’s a creature that has lived in the Sea Cliff Deep Gully its whole life. When it’s in danger, it instinctively flees to its nest. By following it, you might find the merfolk clan more quickly."

Qiao Xixi glanced at the guiding line on the fish scale; it was indeed pointing in the same direction the Sea Eel Beast was fleeing.

"Sunxiao, don’t kill it! Just stay latched on and follow it."

Hearing Qiao Xixi’s voice, Sunxiao slightly loosened his grip. Xixi seized the opportunity, having Xiya swim them over to grab hold of Sunxiao’s body.

With the Sea Eel Beast leading the way, they moved much faster than before.

Qiao Xixi held the Lighting Device, observing their surroundings. When she aimed the beam directly below them, her knees went weak and she leaned heavily against Sunxiao.

Directly below them lay a series of bottomless trenches. If darkness could be graded, the blackness within those trenches was as thick as ink, like colossal beasts with gaping maws, ready to devour them at any moment.

Floating above the trenches, one couldn’t shake the fear of being sucked down into them.

If the fear in the Hopeless Abyss came from unknown demonic creatures and Mutant Beasts, then the fear in the Sea Cliff Deep Gully was an unknown, primordial terror that sent a chill down your spine.

Qiao Xixi noticed that as the Sea Eel Beast swam onward, the line on the fish scale grew more distinct, its color gradually deepening.

This meant they were getting closer and closer to Xijing.

"Host! Host! I’m detecting numerous life signs up ahead."

’Really? Could it be Xijing and the others?’

"I cannot be completely certain yet, but the possibility exists."

Qiao Xixi’s spirits immediately lifted.

Just then, the Sea Eel Beast suddenly accelerated.

But it had barely gotten any farther when Sunxiao abruptly bit its head clean off.

Startled, Qiao Xixi asked in bewilderment, "Sunxiao, what’s wrong?"

"Something’s not right. Stop for a moment."

"Little female, you really can’t forget about that fish, can you."

Qiao Xixi snapped back to her senses and looked at Sangze. His dark eyes were now profound and murky, completely devoid of their previous clarity.

’The Mad Leopard is here. That means it must be nighttime outside. We’ve been swimming down here for an entire day.’

Sangze’s gloomy, dark eyes suddenly deepened, and he hugged Qiao Xixi even tighter.

Xiya suddenly let out a choked gasp of fear.

Qiao Xixi followed her gaze. Wherever the beam of the Lighting Device fell, it revealed countless Sea Eel Beasts, poised vertically in the water.

Qiao Xixi’s scalp prickled. She glanced at the line on the fish scale; it was clearer than ever. This meant that Xijing was very likely just beyond this swarm of Sea Eel Beasts.

"Do these things have any natural predators? I mean, what’s their fatal weakness??"

"Host, the Sea Eel Beasts’ position in the ocean is notoriously gangster-like. Large sea beasts have a hard time catching them, while smaller sea beasts are their prey. So... they have virtually... no natural predators."

The Sea Eel Beasts sensed their presence. Their bodies began to move slowly, turning to face them.

Sunxiao glanced at Sangze. "I’ll hold them off. You take Xixi and head straight in the direction the scale indicates."

Sangze’s eyes swept over the dense swarm of Sea Eel Beasts. A wicked smile played on his lips as, for the first time, he voluntarily pushed Qiao Xixi toward Sunxiao.

"Big snake, I’m so glad you’re worried about me. But you seem to have forgotten—I can’t die. As for these Sea Eel Beasts... let me go play with them for a while."

The moment he finished speaking, Sangze dissolved into a cloud of black mist and shot forward.

In the water, however, his speed was restricted. Even so, he could still weave effortlessly between the Sea Eel Beasts.

Their formation thrown into chaos, the Sea Eel Beasts looked enraged.

They all turned and lunged toward Sangze.

Even though she knew Sangze couldn’t die, Qiao Xixi couldn’t help but worry.

"Sangze, be careful."

While the Sea Eel Beasts were distracted by Sangze, Sunxiao swiftly led Qiao Xixi and Xiya through the area the creatures had just been occupying.

Beyond the swarm of Sea Eel Beasts lay a massive underwater canyon.

Peering into the distance with the Lighting Device, they could see nothing beyond the canyon but endless darkness.

Sunxiao guided Qiao Xixi and Xiya slowly through the canyon. Upon reaching the far side, he stopped once more.

"Mother, he’s up ahead! Father must be right up ahead."

Qiao Xixi looked at the fish scale. The guiding line on it had turned a deep, dark color.

"The scale is getting darker," Xiya said, her voice trembling. "Father is in danger."

Qiao Xixi clutched the scale tightly. "Don’t panic. We’ll find him soon."

Sunxiao used the power of his beast soul to scan their surroundings, but his senses were limited in the water. He shifted back to his human form and returned inside the Water Avoidance bubble.

"I can’t sense what’s at the bottom up ahead. Be careful."

"Okay."

As they emerged from the canyon, they were met with the sight of a vast, seemingly endless chasm.

Even Qiao Xixi, who didn’t suffer from claustrophobia, was struck speechless by the sight.

’System, is Xijing trapped in this trench?’

"Yes, Host. I have just pinpointed the location of the merfolk clan. They are inside the trench."

The System had barely finished speaking when a massive tentacle slowly extended from the depths of the trench.

The tentacle moved with incredible speed. Before Sunxiao could even react, it shot out, latched onto Xiya, and dragged her down into the trench.

"Xiya!"