Lu Mingfei, who had read Dragon Clan before slaying the dragon

Ye Sheng's body was wrapped in the surging water and rushed towards Lu Mingfei. His speed was not much slower than that on land.

However, Lu Mingfei is worthy of being an "S" level. Even though he was not fully adapted to the underwater environment, facing Ye Sheng's sudden attack, he twisted his body in a flash and almost avoided Ye Sheng's shoulder.

They are worthy of being the underwater ace duo of the executive department. An unprecedented solemnity flashed in Lu Mingfei's eyes. It seems that it will be very difficult to win this time.

But... Senior Brother, I am "S" level, please don't look down on me!

The situation on Chu Zihang's side is not optimistic either. He is entangled by Jiude Aki.

Jude Aki's petite body was like a flexible and graceful mermaid in the water. Compared with her, Chu Zihang was as clumsy as a slow and lazy sloth. He could hardly even touch a corner of her clothes.

Chu Zihang has never been in such a predicament since he entered school. Even when facing an opponent as strong as Caesar, this calm and composed young man still seems to be at ease.

When has the dignified Chu Shuai ever been in a situation inferior to a woman? Who would believe it if I told them?

But the fact is, if there were paparazzi from the news department present at the scene, they would definitely take photos of Chu Zihang's rare frustrated look and turn them into a comic strip, and then add the title:

"Shocked! Lionheart Guild Leader's weakness: being molested underwater by an older female senior?"

Chu Zihang felt a bit guilty for no apparent reason. He felt like he might have lost money on the swimming tuition he paid to the Children's Palace as a child. In fact, he felt even more guilty about his swimming coach, who had always praised him during class: "Great, Chu Zihang! It's a shame you only signed up for twelve lessons. If you had continued studying with me, I'd definitely train you to be able to join the national team!"

Jude Aki suddenly glanced at Chu Zihang, then dived towards him at high speed. Chu Zihang crossed his arms in front of his chest, ready for battle.

When Jude Aki was about to approach him, Chu Zihang threw a powerful punch at the other party. The fist swept over with the waves, and the dense bubbles were stirred upside down.

If it were on the ground, a delicate and cute girl like Jude Aki would probably be beaten to the ground unconscious by the unromantic President Lionheart. However, this was in the water, and Jude Aki slipped away from Chu Zihang like a slippery loach.

Huh? The target isn't me? Then what is it?

When Chu Zihang looked back, his pupils suddenly shrank.

Because the battle was over. Yes, in the short time it took him to turn his head, the battle ended hastily and unexpectedly.

Ye Sheng and Jiude Yaji fell beside Lu Mingfei as if fainted. Lu Mingfei waved at him in the water, mumbling something incoherently.

Chu Zihang didn't even realize what was happening. How could they win inexplicably like that?

Lu Mingfei still remembered the rule of "whoever shows up first loses". He first pushed Ye Sheng and Jiude Aki out of the water, and then clamped one of them on one side of his waist, looking like a macho man coming out of the bath.

"Principal, should we be declared the winner?" Lu Mingfei gently placed Ye Sheng and Jiude Aki on the terrace. He looked at Angé, his face still wet with water dripping down.

The surroundings seemed quiet and eerie, with pairs of eyes staring at the boy in front of them. Professor Schneider, Professor Mans, and the commissioners from the executive department had all been paying attention to the underwater battle. They had seen Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang's movements as they were not familiar with water, and the gap between them and Ye Sheng and Jude Aki. In this battle, they were almost at a disadvantage and could hardly see any hope of victory.

No one knew what happened. Lu Mingfei was clearly on high alert the previous second, but the next second Ye Sheng and Shude Aki stopped moving abruptly and strangely, and even lost consciousness, as if their souls were instantly sucked away by an invisible ghost.

"Principal...this..." Professor Schneider wanted to say something, but Ange shook his head slightly.

"I made the promise, and I made the rules. If you're still finding excuses and reasons to go back on your word, then I don't have any business as principal anymore." Principal Ange looked deeply at Lu Mingfei. "Victory is victory. No matter what means or abilities they use, we can't deny the fact that Lu Mingfei and his team have won."

When Chu Zihang finally emerged from the water, he saw Principal Ange say, "Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang are the winners. You will replace Ye Sheng and Jiude Aki in qualifying for the Kuimen Project. Your supervisor is Professor Mans. Before you assign your tasks, I have a few words to say to you."

"First of all, no personal feelings are allowed between the underwater duo's operations specialists." Angé looked at Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang with a teasing look. After all, some of the rumors flying around the academy would eventually reach the principal's ears.

"Okay, Principal." Lu Mingfei took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to kill Finkel and then bury him under the ancient tree at Kassel Academy.

"Enough joking. Every word I say from now on is important. Please listen carefully and remember my words firmly. Although you are the winners this time, your underwater coordination ability is really poor and completely fails to meet the mission requirements. From today until the mission is carried out, you two will follow Professor Mans, Ye Sheng, and Shude Aki and undergo a devilish hellish special training!"

"Finally, I want to tell you that our target for this 'Kuimen Project' is one of the Four Great Kings—the King of Bronze and Fire. You will board Professor Mance's tugboat and travel to China's Yangtze River Three Gorges. We predict that the palace of the King of Bronze and Fire is likely buried there."

"A Dragon King-level target, hundreds of meters beneath the swirling undercurrent, lies a deathly abyss. You are all the most outstanding young people in the academy. If you were to be killed or suffer an accident during this mission, it would undoubtedly be the greatest loss to the academy."

"So, please ensure the quality of the mission while also considering your own safety. If you can only choose one of the two in this critical moment, I hope you return alive."

Ange looked at Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang with a fatherly gaze. A solemn expression of being entrusted with an important task flashed across the faces of the two young men, and they nodded heavily.

"You guys go back and rest first. Norma will send you the specific training time and mission time by email." Ange waved his hand.

Everyone left, only Schneider and Ange stayed.

"Principal, did you see how Lu Mingfei defeated Ye Sheng and Yaji?"

"No, even I only caught a glimpse of the brilliant golden light for that moment."

Chapter 49: Under the Yangtze River

[Hi, Lao Tang, how are you doing recently? ]

Lu Mingfei held the black N96 mobile phone and flipped to a cheesy panda head in the QQ contacts. He hesitated for a long time with his finger on the [Send] button, and finally sent the greeting.

"Cough cough!"

Not long after, a familiar and dull cough alert sound came from the phone, and the panda head in the message list flickered and jumped.

[Mingming? I was making instant noodles in my rental apartment. I had just put my phone on the noodle bucket when your message came. Why did you suddenly think of me? From your last update on your profile, it seems you've already come to study in the US? You're doing pretty well, kid!]

Old Tang also added a cool and proud panda face at the end of the message.

[I am indeed studying in the US, but something has happened to me right now. I am back in China now and will return to the US after I am done with my work.]

Lu Mingfei looked at the familiar emoticons and felt a warm feeling in his heart.

[I'm not saying anything bad about you, brother, but you're so mean! You've barely been online in StarCraft for the past couple of years. Do you know how hard it is for me to dominate the server all by myself? Being invincible, being invincible is so lonely!]

Old Tang put on another invincible panda face that deserves a beating.

Lu Mingfei burst out laughing when he saw this. He could already imagine what the guy on the other side of the screen looked like. He must be pressing instant noodles in one hand and typing on his phone in the other. That funny face was sighing at the phone screen, and his eyebrows, which had been drooping for years, were raised with joy.

"You didn't even say hello to your brother for such a great occasion as getting into the US. Have our relationship faded? I've always treated you like my little brother. When you come back from China, I'll take you to New York City when you're free. We can ride the Greyhound bus. The girls in New York are so hot, just looking at them is a real treat!"

Lu Mingfei looked at the message and remained silent for a long time.

"Lu Mingfei, it's time to turn off your phone. We are less than a mile away from the planned mission location!" A stern voice urged from not far away.

"Okay, Professor Mans." Lu Mingfei responded loudly.

[It’s a deal!] Lu Mingfei quickly typed this sentence before turning off his phone and throwing it into the storage pile in the corner.

"Old Tang, if I return safely, I'll treat you to a trip. I'll drive you around the United States in my Bugatti Veyron!"

Lu Mingfei thought so, then held onto the metal door of the lounge and stepped onto the deck of the tugboat "Moniah".

The wind was howling and raging, with the speed reaching a rare level of over nine; the sky seemed to have a hole in it, heavy rain was pouring down, and huge waves were getting higher and higher, causing the hull of the "Moniah" to be tossed and tilted.

The world seemed to be drenched in haze and darkness by this rare autumn rainstorm. On the stormy surface of the Yangtze River, only the xenon lamp of the "Moniah" was swaying up and down, like a lonely and flickering candle.

The crew members stayed at their posts in the storm. Professor Mans, the captain of the "Moniach", stood at the window of the cockpit and lit a cigar.

Lu Mingfei, wearing a dark ink-black diving suit, walked step by step to the front of the deck, with Guan Shi Zheng Zong tied tightly behind his back.

Amidst the scene of a raging natural disaster, Lu Mingfei stood steadily at the front of the deck. He looked at the turbulent and surging dark water and spoke softly.

"bring it on."

……

Fifty meters below the water's surface.

At this depth, the light and sound from the water surface are basically blocked out. It is like an isolated world, a dull and dark abyss.

Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang were very close, only about half a body length apart. This was the action pattern taught to them by experienced seniors Ye Sheng and Jiude Aki. The diving duo maintained a distance of twenty to thirty centimeters between them so as not to affect each other's movements, but still allow them to grab each other with one hand in an emergency.

They relied on the powerful spotlights above their heads to illuminate the way ahead, but the light from the spotlights was greatly diluted in the water rich in microorganisms. They could only see within two meters in front of them at most to prevent themselves from being hit by reefs or boulders.

"It's totally incomparable to the 20-meter diving area in the academy. Not to mention the depth, compared with the turbulent undercurrent and complex terrain here, the diving area is like a small puddle that you can step into with one foot!" said Lu Mingfei.

"This diving suit is a bit tight and it hurts a bit on the back." Chu Zihang touched his back, where Murasame was tied tightly. This was the equipment that Lu Mingfei had specifically instructed them to tie on since they started practicing.

"If you encounter any emergency, you will feel more at ease if you have a weapon in your hand, right?" Lu Mingfei said.

"That makes sense." Chu Zihang nodded.

They are connected by a signal line with a separate channel. Otherwise, if there is no one to communicate with in the dark and deserted deep water, it is easy to develop negative emotions such as mania, depression, and despair.

The nanomaterials of their diving suits can withstand water pressure of about a dozen atmospheres. The oxygen tubes next to the swords behind them are tied to their backs like huge humps. These are all the equipment they rely on to survive underwater. If any one of them is damaged, they are likely to die underwater.

"Actually, it would be more useful for you to find Caesar than for me. His spiritual power is 'Sickle Weasel', which is more effective than sonar. My 'Jun Yan' is ineffective underwater." Chu Zihang said suddenly.

Lu Mingfei knew that Chu Zihang was not blaming him for involving him in such a dangerous mission, because his tone contained a hint of self-blame.

You are clearly helping others but you are still blaming yourself for not being capable enough. Brother, you have always been such a weird person!

"But I trust you the most in the academy, Brother." Lu Mingfei smiled. "Brother, there seems to be something down there, want to go take a look?"

Lu Mingfei's cold steel claws popped out from his flippers and firmly gripped the rock that had been smoothed by years of water. The spotlight above his head shone on the mud and sand at the bottom of the water, where there was something with a metallic luster.

"It's a piece of copper. It looks like it fell off a copper sword." Lu Mingfei placed the copper piece he picked up under the spotlight.

The edge of the copper sheet was extremely sharp, and it was engraved with ancient and intricate patterns. The patterns were incomplete, but they looked very familiar to both Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang.

"It looks like a thousand-year-old thing. Is the inscription on it dragon characters?" Chu Zihang asked.

"Yes, there are a lot of such broken copper pieces under the mud and sand under our feet. It seems that the direction we are searching should be correct. The palace of the King of Bronze and Fire should be buried in the rock layer under our feet. I just don't know where the specific entrance is." Lu Mingfei said.

"We can take the fragments as a clue. The closer to the entrance, the more similar fragments and relics there should be." Chu Zihang analyzed.

"That's right, but we still need an opportunity to enter Baidi City." Lu Mingfei said.

"Opportunity? What do you mean?" Chu Zihang asked.

suddenly!

The soil and rock layers began to vibrate wildly, the mud and sand at the bottom of the water were blown up high, covering the sky and the sun, and there was chaos under the water.

A huge crack began to spread from the rock beneath their feet without any warning, as if it had been cut by a sharp blade. The turbulent and surging water was like a huge hammer smashing down on their heads and pouring madly into the crack beneath their feet. Lu Mingfei held Chu Zihang tightly to prevent the two of them from being separated by this sudden turmoil.

"Damn it, what is this?" Chu Zihang roared.

"This is our opportunity, brother!" Lu Mingfei shouted.

Chapter 50: Baidi City, Bronze Gate

"Chu Zihang, Lu Mingfei, can you hear me?"

"The Yangtze River Navigation Maritime Safety Administration informed us that this was a 5.3 magnitude underwater earthquake, which will be accompanied by aftershocks. We cannot rule out the possibility of a stronger magnitude 2 earthquake!"

"If you receive the news, evacuate immediately!"

Inside the shaking control room of the Moniach, Mans yelled into the pager. The earthquake rolled up waves as huge as the sky, hitting the front glass of the control room with a loud bang like thunder.

"Damn it, I can't contact them. Hang up the line, hurry up! Pull them back!"

"Captain, the line has been reeled in! But... it's broken..." The second mate on the deck was pulling the dark thread end. The broken end of the thread was smooth and flat. The man in the raincoat looked pale.

The engine that recovered the lifeline was still spinning out of control, and the ends of the ropes slapped heavily on the deck. Mance in the control room was stunned, and the cigar in his hand fell straight to the ground. Panic and ferocity crept onto his face at the same time.

……

In the cracks of the rocks deep under the water.

The violent shaking subsided temporarily, but the churning dust still covered the sky. The spotlight could not penetrate the fine mud and sand, and the vision was blurred and turbid.

The chaotic sound of electricity crackled in the headphones. Chu Zihang held the life rope with a smooth cut in his hand, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

After the earthquake, they were quickly sucked into the cracks in the rock strata. Professor Mans and the others on the water surface should have noticed it as the lifelines on their bodies suddenly contracted.

The combined force of the river's water and the rope's pull seemed to tear them apart and crush them! Even their nano-scale diving suits couldn't withstand it. They felt like two elephants simultaneously grasping their necks and feet, their bodies immobilized by the crushing pressure of the two mutually repulsive forces.

The rocks in the direction where the lifeline was pulling them were as sharp as barbs. Seeing that the two men were about to hit the stone spikes, Lu Mingfei pulled out the Murasame behind Chu Zihang at the critical moment and cut the lifeline of the two men with a knife.

Now when Chu Zihang looked up, he could only see the dark stone walls and thick dust. They had no idea how far they had been washed down, as if they had fallen into a dark abyss.

Well, I’m saved…but it seems not completely saved?

"Senior brother, we're here." Lu Mingfei called softly from not far away.

Chu Zihang turned around when he heard the sound and squinted his eyes. Most of the dust had slowly settled down. They were floating in the dark green water. The headlights shone forward, and a burst of green light appeared in their eyes.

It was a wall, a huge bronze wall standing before them.

The thick bronze walls are covered with dark green moss due to the perennial irrigation of river water. The bronze barriers extend in all directions with them as the origin, with no end in sight, as if it is another boundless world hidden under the water.

"This is..." Chu Zihang was also shocked by the endless huge wall in front of him.

No, it should be said that it is an underwater city so big that you can't see the end of it.

"Baidi City!" Lu Mingfei spat out the name coldly.

"The Palace of the King of Bronze and Fire, a vast city built by hollowing out a mountain during the Han Dynasty over two thousand years ago. A politician named Gongsun Shu built this magnificent city to rebel against the then-new Emperor Wang Mang and establish his own rule over Shu County. Some call him a fool, while others call him the 'White Emperor'!"

In front of the huge bronze city, Lu Mingfei quietly narrated its origin.

"White Emperor? I thought the White Emperor in history referred to the White King." Chu Zihang said.

"No, the White Emperor refers to the King of Bronze and Fire, also known as the King of Ashes. People call Gongsun Shu the White Emperor, but Gongsun Shu is not the White Emperor himself."