Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Lan Yin’s Shark Pearls

"Alright. I’ve been suppressed for a long time, and my periods of lucidity are short. If you have any other questions, ask them all now."

Yu An paused. "I also want to know, since you gifted me the superpower and the space, will you take them back?"

"In other words, do I have absolute control over these two things?"

The space and the superpower were her means of survival. If there was a chance she could lose them at any moment, she would have to reduce her reliance on them.

And then there were her friends and family who were always in the space. If the Beast God could take it back at any time, she would have to move them somewhere else.

"They are yours," the Beast God said, a smile in his voice. "The space and the superpower were two treasures I happened to acquire. The price for using them is the loss of one’s spiritual power. Otherwise, with your Female Mother and Beast Father both being Beastmen with Divine level Spiritual Power, it would be impossible for you to have no spiritual power at all."

"There are some things that even I, the Beast God, cannot change."

Yu An finally breathed a sigh of relief. She then asked about the mission board in her space, wanting to know if the Beast God was the one sending the missions.

"Those two things merely passed through my hands. Before you bound them to yourself with blood, no one knew what was inside. I have no idea what this mission board you speak of is."

The Beast God’s tone didn’t sound like he was lying, and Yu An’s heart settled slightly.

’My things must be completely and totally mine. I can’t allow anyone else even the slightest possibility of control.’ Of course, Lu Lu was an exception.

Lu Lu wasn’t a person, and it had accompanied her through ten years of the apocalypse. It was not only a trusted partner but was also bound to her, something that would never, ever betray her.

Seeing that she had no more questions, the Beast God’s voice soon faded, and He fell back into a deep sleep.

Yu An’s purpose for coming out this time was to find Lan Yin. After this delay, the sky was already starting to brighten.

She had no choice but to head back first. As soon as day broke, she was taken to soak in the water again.

"So boring."

Yu An muttered under her breath. After getting into the water, she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye.

There was something sparkling at the bottom of the pool. Yu An took a closer look. ’Why does it look like a scale?’

She poked Mo Yan, signaling for him to look over.

"Cover me, I’m going to go get it..."

"I’ll go," Mo Yan said disapprovingly. "Who knows what will happen if this water gets inside your body."

They were currently soaking up to their waists. If they went fully under, some of the water would definitely touch their lips.

Before Yu An could say anything, he pretended to slip, quickly grabbing the shiny object in his hand. Then, with Yu An and Han Li’s help, he scrambled back up.

This little incident didn’t attract the guards’ attention. Much like the Beastmen who were soaking in the pool all day, the guards standing watch on the bank were also incredibly bored.

However, manpower was tight recently. Most of the guards had been sent to search for the group that escaped, so the remaining ones had to work consecutive shifts with no time to rest.

The object was perfectly round. Mo Yan peeked at it, and his pupils immediately contracted.

It was a Shark Pearl. Lan Yin’s Shark Pearl.

He stuffed the Shark Pearl into Yu An’s hand. The moment it touched her palm, she stored it in her space.

The bank was lined with guards, so they didn’t speak. It wasn’t until they returned that night that Yu An took it out.

The Shark Pearl was a vibrant, blood-red color. Logically, it should have been easy to spot in the pool. Why hadn’t they seen it before?

The same question flashed through all four of their minds. Perhaps sensing Yu An’s thoughts, the Shark Pearl suddenly began to change color.

Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, violet... It cycled through every color Yu An had ever seen. Seeing that it had no intention of stopping, Yu An quickly whispered, "Okay, that’s enough."

Only then did the Shark Pearl change back to its blood-red color.

"Can you find Lan Yin? If you can, turn blue."

The Shark Pearl changed color. Overjoyed, Yu An said, "Can you take me to him? If so, change back."

The answer was yes. Yu An prepared to go out again that night.

Xiao Quan was let out again. Since his build was similar to Yu An’s, he had impersonated her the previous night to prevent the guards from noticing if they did a sudden head count.

The Shark Pearl flew into Yu An’s mouth on its own. Yu An vaguely sensed something guiding her, so she followed its direction.

Soon, she left the grounds of the Imperial Palace. On her way out, she passed by the place where they had first arrived.

A few Beastmen were standing guard here. They appeared to be on night watch, but in reality, they were already dead to the world.

She glanced at them and quickly moved on, continuing to follow the guidance.

Lan Yin had considered using Instant Teleportation to take everyone directly to the shore, but after some deliberation, he gave up on the idea.

He had never tried to teleport so many people at once and couldn’t guarantee he could get them to such a distant location.

So, he chose a location within Coral City. As the Merfolk King, he was very familiar with the city’s layout.

There was a place where the Merfolk cultivated seaweed and other food. It wasn’t far from the Imperial Palace and had underground caves that could shelter so many people.

If anyone came to search, they would hide in the caves. The underground cave system was a labyrinth, a place the Merfolk Clan used as a refuge. Not only did outsiders not know of its existence, but even if they did, Lan Yin could use his knowledge of the area to lead any pursuers in circles until they were lost.

"It’s been several days, and they haven’t found us. This place should be safe for now." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Let the weak eat the seaweed first. The rest of you, hold on for a while longer. We’ll be free soon."

Even if they weren’t completely free, just having left that hellish place was enough to make the Beastmen ecstatic.

They now listened to Lan Yin’s every word, hoping he could lead them home.

Lan Yin appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly, he was incredibly anxious. He and a few others had risked going out several times, but they only managed to find a tiny bit of food each time. If this continued, even if they weren’t found, they would starve to death.

And then there was Lan Ying. His soul had inhabited the Shark Pearl to use his Talent Ability and confuse the guards. But after it was done, he hadn’t come to find them. Lan Yin had no idea where he was now.

At this thought, Lan Yin sighed silently.

Following the guidance, Yu An arrived at the location. She expertly found the entrance to the underground caves.

It was a little embarrassing to think about. That time in the Treasure Pearl Sea on the Beastman Continent, she had been bitten by an insect in an underground cave. Overcome with passion, she and Lan Yin...

They had tossed and turned for a whole day and night without coming out. Everyone else thought something had happened to them, which ended up being a huge joke.

Yu An’s face flushed. She shook her head to clear those memories and walked inside.

「Late into the night.」

Lan Yin was just about to rest when a Beastman with exceptional hearing suddenly dropped to the ground, pressing his ear to the earth to listen intently.

"Footsteps!"

Lan Yin’s eyes snapped open. He exchanged a look with Ao Shan and a few other Beastmen with high spiritual power.

The footsteps grew closer and closer. Lan Yin could hear them now too. His gaze turned icy as he gripped his weapon.

One step, two steps, three... They stopped right at the entrance of the cave where Lan Yin and his group were hiding.

Lan Yin’s expression was frigid. Ao Shan mouthed the words, "Strike first," and the others nodded. Lan Yin abruptly yanked the door open, and they all charged out!

Just as their weapons were about to fall, Lan Yin saw the face of the person opposite them.