Ling Tian continued to explain to everyone, "To attack the merfolk's brains, there is only one path: the weapon must be thrust into their mouths and attack from bottom to top..."
As Ling Tian spoke, some pondered, while others nodded frequently. In any case, everyone gained a lot.
"Right, there's one more point I need to add: the joints of these merfolk are equipped with sharp bone spurs!
These bone spurs are extremely hard, their power no less than weapons made of steel. If you are not careful, this thing is enough to be fatal..."
The entire explanation lasted for over an hour, after which everyone dispersed, silently preparing for the upcoming battle.
As dawn broke, the captives on the island were awakened by the crack of whips. They rose with exhaustion, their muscles aching, struggling to get up.
Soon, a few captives brought food, still various kinds of seaweed. Eating this in the morning made stomachs churn, even causing nausea.
But there was no choice; not eating meant starving to death. Especially since this food had very low calories, and a certain quantity was needed to maintain normal survival and heavy labor.
Just as everyone was struggling to stuff food into their mouths, a disciple of the Xuanyuan family suddenly ran over in a panic.
"Brother Changfeng, Xiao Xu is dead!"
Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Changfeng quickly put down the food in his hands and followed the person. Xuanyuan Luangfeng and the others beside him lost their appetites and immediately gathered around.
In a corner, on a pile of grass, a young man lay with a contorted face, pale complexion, and a large amount of blood flowing from his neck. His hands were still clasped around the neck ring.
Xuanyuan Changfeng stepped forward to examine it and found half a seashell jammed into the gap of the neck ring.
He immediately understood what had happened. This young man named Xiao Xu was from a vassal family of the Xuanyuan family. His family had served the Xuanyuan family for generations, and being able to join Xuanyuan Changfeng on this mission indicated he was a standout from the Xu family.
Xiao Xu's martial arts were only average, but he was nimble-fingered and skilled at researching various mechanisms. It was precisely because of this talent that Xuanyuan Changfeng's team had brought him along.
However, this young man was fond of showing off, and it was this very personality that led to his death.
Xiao Xu believed that the biggest obstacle to their escape from the island was the neck ring they wore. With this item, their internal energy and special abilities were all suppressed.
If they could open the neck ring, they would have a real chance to resist and escape.
So, he began to ponder how to pry open the neck ring. Lacking tools, he could improvise. He found seashells scattered everywhere, selected a suitable one, processed it simply, and successfully used the seashell to pry open the gap of the neck ring.
After several hours of struggle, he finally managed to pry the neck ring open a little. However, at that very moment, the mechanism on the neck ring was triggered, and four sharp spikes inside the ring pierced his neck.
One spike punctured his windpipe, two pierced his carotid arteries, and the one at the back of his neck was even more severe, directly piercing his cervical spine!
With his windpipe, arteries, and cervical spine severed, even a celestial being could not have saved him. This was the malicious nature of the neck ring.
In fact, from the day this thing was put on, these captives had been researching how to break free from its shackles, but their fates were tragic. Dozens of people had already died because of it.
Xuanyuan Changfeng quickly gathered everyone. "I know how you all feel, but this thing on our necks is very strange and dangerous. Until we find a reliable solution, please endure.
Remember the saying: only by surviving first can we have a chance to escape!"
Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent. In fact, despair had already taken root in their hearts.
Almost simultaneously, about three kilometers from the island, there was a magical area underwater.
This area, covering over two thousand square meters, was a giant bubble. The bubble was located dozens of meters underwater, and astonishingly, there was not a single drop of water inside!
This was the underwater space created by the merfolk using treasures like water-repelling pearls.
Although these merfolk were born in the sea and could live and breathe freely in it, they were also intelligent beings. With intelligence came the desire for comfort.
They were no longer content to be submerged in water all day and sought a more comfortable life.
In fact, the Nine Abyss, the underwater city capable of housing tens of millions, was also such a vast underwater space.
At this moment, within this space, Nu Lin Jing Tao arrived before his sister with a grim expression.
"Brother, what happened?" Nu Lin Luo Yun asked curiously, sensing her brother's unusual mood.
"I sent out a patrol team to investigate the ship that approached our island yesterday. However, the patrol team lost contact. But their mounts returned. I communicated with the mounts using telepathy, and the mounts indicated they were all killed!"
The returning mounts were the sharks ridden by the merfolk. These sharks had fled back after their masters were killed.
Sharks capable of being mounts were carefully selected and bred, possessing a certain degree of intelligence.
"How could this happen? The patrol team had five merfolk warriors, and they were all top-tier among the merfolk warriors. Anyone who could kill them must be no ordinary person," Nu Lin Luo Yun said with a solemn expression.
"Sister, don't worry. It's actually normal. You've also sensed that the incoming ability users are getting stronger. The weak and cowardly have long since been scared away!
But it doesn't matter. In the sea, there is no race that can contend with us merfolk!
Tomorrow, I will send out two more patrol teams to investigate their background!"
"Alright, brother. If the patrol teams are still unable to ascertain their identity this time, we must act ourselves and eliminate them. We cannot let them disrupt our plans!
We still need a month to open the barrier of this ruin."
"Alright, I will send out the patrol teams now."
At dawn, the Ice Queen sailed slowly fifty kilometers away from the island. Due to the curvature of the Earth, at this distance, even in the best weather, it was impossible to see ships on the sea from the island with the most advanced telescopes.
Ling Tian sat cross-legged at the bow of the ship, appearing to be meditating.