Chapter 111: The Belated Rescue

"Are you all alright?" Hua Feng, pulling himself out of the scenes depicted in the documents, realized he had overlooked something.

"We're fine, but where are we now? We seemed to have entered an inexplicable state just moments ago, completely indifferent to our own situation or safety, as if our ability to contemplate reality had been severed. Instead of worrying about what lay ahead, we were entirely immersed in the past," Yun Meng said, waking up right after Hua Feng.

"We are likely still somewhere near the North Atlantic, but I can't determine our precise location. This feels like an independently manifested space, completely cut off from the outside world. Moreover, with our abilities currently no different from those of ordinary people, escaping from here will be truly difficult," Li Long remarked. He had set aside his initial impulse and shifted his focus to their current predicament. He also realized that his own control over his internal energy had been subjected to some form of restriction.

Bai Feng sat cross-legged on the ground and attempted to gather his internal energy. After a moment, he opened his eyes and said, "This place seems to be governed by spatial constraints. Unless our abilities are superior to those of the creator of this space, we won't be able to recover our previous strength."

Wang Yue and Shuang Ning gathered around, and the group formed a circle. In this enclosed space of little more than ten square meters, everyone seemed to experience different physical and mental sensations. If this space, capped by a transparent dome, were truly deep in the ocean, it should have been pitch black. Instead, it was as bright as the shallows, and the surrounding marine life was clearly visible. Were it not for the sight of creatures that could only be found in the deep sea, they might have doubted they weren't in a private, giant aquarium.

"Let's not act rashly for now. Conserve your energy and see if there's a chance for things to turn around. Captain Lin Chong and the headquarters will surely find a way to rescue us. For now, we must make the best of it," Hua Feng said, attempting to console the group's flagging spirits.

A moment later, Hua Feng noticed the environment outside slowly changing. The seawater, which had been held at bay, began to drift gradually around their golden cage. He knew that even in the deep sea, there were many eels, such as the gulper eel and the pelican eel, characterized by their slender bodies and enormous mouths. Some eel larvae swim to shallower layers, only returning to the deep once they reach maturity.

Among deep-sea fish, the cyclothone species are the most numerous. They are small, only five to six centimeters long, with large heads and a dark brown color. Their gills allow them to filter feed on zooplankton. They do not school, maintaining a distance of about three meters between individuals.

Huge octopuses of various colors swam back and forth around them, creating a spectacular scene.

"Of the more than 1,000 species of oceanic fish, about 150 live in the deep sea. The most numerous are those belonging to the suborder Ceratioidei, numbering about 80 species. Deep-sea anglerfish have a stalk-like protrusion on the top of their heads that can glow, serving as both a lure and a light source. They have large mouths. Females can weigh between six to eight kilograms, while males weigh only a few grams. The male attaches its head to the female's skin to absorb nutrients, eventually forming a small opening; when the female spawns, the male releases sperm into a pouch for fertilization. Anglerfish do not school, maintaining a distance of about 30 meters between them.

There are many species of deep-sea fish living near the bottom, and they are generally larger in size. For instance, the sleeper shark can reach seven meters in length and survives as a predator. Some deep-sea fish are capable of swallowing prey larger than themselves. Deep-sea cephalopods are fewer in number; some octopuses have adapted to deep-sea life and are eyeless.

Benthic organisms are particularly prominent among them.

The biomass of deep-sea benthic life decreases with depth. At depths of 2,000 to 3,000 meters, there is a wide variety of benthic species. As depth increases, their composition changes; shallow-water species are gradually replaced by deep-water ones, with 2,000, 3,000, and 6,000 meters typically serving as turning points.

Even in the abyssal zones deeper than 10,000 meters, benthic life persists. Species discovered include foraminifera, sea anemones, polychaetes, isopods, amphipods, bivalves, and sea cucumbers." Hua Feng began a lecture on deep-sea knowledge. Everyone listened listlessly; stripped of their ability to manipulate internal energy, they were like tigers whose teeth had been pulled—wanting to act, but lacking the means.

"Are we actually in a deep-sea abyss? What is going on with this encroaching seawater and all these benthic creatures?" Yun Meng asked, clutching her hair in frustration. Hua Feng patted her shoulder in comfort.

Bai Feng took over, pointing to the various glowing creatures outside: "All classes of the phylum Echinodermata have deep-sea species, most of which are benthic feeders. Some starfish are carnivorous, preying on foraminifera, polychaetes, and mollusks. In areas rich in organic matter, sea cucumbers are often the dominant species and can grow quite large—up to 0.5 meters. Deep-sea sea cucumbers sometimes have leaf-shaped 'feet' or a row of side tentacles, adapted for crawling on soft mud.

Deep-sea sea squirts also lead a sessile life; they have long stalks, are filter feeders, and do not form colonies. Some benthic fish have pelvic and tail fins that have grown into rod-like shapes, allowing them to support their bodies on soft mud or move slowly, such as the deep-sea tripod fish.

In 1977, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's submersible 'Alvin' discovered a deep-sea hydrothermal vent community 2,550 meters deep, 300 kilometers northeast of the Galapagos Islands. The water temperature there was about 20°C. Life was thriving, including annelids, crustaceans, mollusks, pogonophorans, and fish.

Among them were large, tube-dwelling, worm-like pogonophorans, with tubes up to five meters long and four centimeters in diameter, often clustered at densities of up to 15 kilograms per square meter. Large clams reached 25 centimeters in shell length, alongside cnidarians, crustaceans, and fish. A similar community was discovered in the Atlantic at a depth of 3,200 meters in 1984. These communities grow rapidly and have strong reproductive capabilities.

Many deep-sea fish have large mouths and can swallow prey larger than themselves. Numerous deep-sea organisms, including various fish, as well as starfish, sea cucumbers, sea pens, and sea anemones, are bioluminescent. This serves not only as a lure or to startle enemies but also as a marker for mutual recognition among their own kind."

"The problem is, if we are in the deep sea, why don't we feel any pressure?" Li Long asked, puzzled.

"Perhaps we aren't completely exposed to the deep sea; it might just be a trench of moderate depth. Based on our current sensation of the pressure, we are likely only at a depth of about 1,000 meters. Because of the isolation of this space, the pressure we are actually feeling is less than half of what one would experience in a submarine. Plus, our bodies have been strengthened by our cultivation, increasing our adaptability to various environments. That's why we feel fine," Shuang Ning said, sharing her thoughts after a moment of reflection.

"There is always a way out when you reach the mountain," Hua Feng said. He felt a change in his body; his mental perception had actually reached the outer edge of the light dome. He could vaguely sense a large group of people approaching rapidly. Searching through his memory, he knew that the remarkably powerful aura among them was undoubtedly Dan Qiusheng. Our people have finally arrived! Hua Feng felt as happy as if he were seeing the sun after a storm.

He quickly signaled the others to inform them of the situation. Then, everyone remained silent, acting as if nothing had happened, waiting quietly for the moment they would be released from their cage.