Without giving them time to think, the rank three mahi-mahi flicked its tail.
A familiar current wrapped around them.
Gu Ningyun and the other four were carried by the mahi-mahi, weaving through vibrant schools of butterflyfish and swimming through gaps in red coral.
They swam deep into this seabed garden, passing through a patch of brilliant yellow cluster algae.
A massive underwater cave appeared before them.
The mahi-mahi didn't stop, leading them directly into the cave.
Darkness and emptiness rushed at them.
Crossing the simple entrance felt like entering another world.
The mahi-mahi placed them in the center of the cave and blew several bubbles.
A line of twinkling lights drifted in from the entrance.
Looking closely with her divine sense, she saw a line of small mahi-mahis swimming in single file.
Each small mahi-mahi balanced a pearl on its head.
Once inside, they lined up beside the rank three mahi-mahi.
Then another group of small mahi-mahis swam in, each carrying a small cluster of coral.
Looking past them, the line of fish seemed endless.
Gu Ningyun even saw one small mahi-mahi carrying a shell larger than the rank three mahi-mahi itself.
Judging by the residual pressure on the shell, it belonged to at least a rank three early stage scallop.
The rank three mahi-mahi led the five of them on a tour of the three-hundred-square-meter cave before returning to the center.
It pointed the tip of its tail at the pearls on the small mahi-mahis' heads, then turned and leaned closer to the five, its large eyes meeting theirs.
It seemed to be asking: “Understand?”
Was it asking them to help decorate its abode?
This fish wasn't just unpredictable; it was quite particular.
The five exchanged looks, turned back to the big fish, and nodded in unison.
A gentle current pushed them toward the small mahi-mahis.
The rank three mahi-mahi leaned to the side, leisurely watching their movements.
“Did this big fish catch us just to have us decorate its cave?”
Jiang Yao picked up a pearl and tossed it a couple of times.
Even the smallest pearl was the size of a fist.
Likely produced within sea beasts, these pearls were not only lustrous in texture but also emitted a soft glow of spirit energy.
Held in the palm, they provided just enough light to see the lines of one's hand.
“Based on the big fish's meaning, it seems so.”
Gu Ningyun moved the giant shell over. “How about we design it first to see how to make it look both beautiful and practical?”
Seeing the rank three mahi-mahi floating lazily nearby without any intention of interfering, the five of them got to work, planning around the cave.
The cave was a fairly regular rectangular shape, and some of the walls looked like they had been recently smoothed over.
Jiang Yao used the techniques of an artifact refiner engraving artifact patterns to boldly carve into the upper part of the innermost wall.
Before long, a majestic mahi-mahi appeared on the wall, looking exactly like the rank three mahi-mahi.
Wen Xuan summoned the group of small mahi-mahis carrying yellow cluster algae.
She planted the spherical algae along the grooves Jiang Yao had carved.
The yellow cluster algae varied in shade, from pale yellow to deep green.
Wen Xuan arranged them by shade, from top to bottom.
Soon, a vivid mural of a mahi-mahi, identical to the rank three mahi-mahi, appeared on the wall.
Gu Ningyun found a massive rock and placed it directly below the mural.
After placing the giant shell on the rock, she opened it.
A pale blue light shone from the shell.
Gu Ningyun stepped aside.
The source of the light revealed itself—a giant pearl a meter in diameter!
She hauled the pearl out.
The original resident of the shell was gone, but based on the residual pressure on the shell and the pearl, it could be inferred that it had been a rank three early stage sea beast.
No wonder this pearl had such a high water spirit energy content and emitted such bright light.
Gu Ningyun placed the giant pearl beside the shell and used the Cleaning Technique to tidy the shell up.
A current surged toward her. She turned to see the rank three mahi-mahi handing her a bolt of shark silk.
In the depths of the East Sea lived merfolk, skilled at weaving shark silk, which could be obtained by those with fate.
Shark silk was smooth and resistant to everything except exotic fires and exotic waters. Each bolt could fetch at least five hundred high-grade spirit stones.
This fish actually had such a treasure as shark silk; it was a walking treasure vault!
Gu Ningyun's eyes sparkled as she looked at the big fish.
She wondered if she could fleece some good stuff from the big fish after the decoration was finished.
Oblivious to her thoughts, the rank three mahi-mahi leisurely swam to the other side of the cave after handing over the shark silk.
Gu Ningyun spread the shark silk and laid it across the bottom of the shell.
The shark silk was very wide, draping over the edges of the shell and swaying gently in the water.
Gu Ningyun looked at the rank three mahi-mahi, then at the large bed made of the shell and shark silk.
She strongly suspected that after a short sleep, the shark silk would shift out of place.
Torn between aesthetics and practicality, Gu Ningyun chose both.
She folded the excess shark silk back and tucked it under the shell.
Then she took a pile of small pearls and arranged a circle around the shell on the rock.
After finishing, she swam back to admire her work and nodded in satisfaction.
The five worked quickly. In just a few hours, the once dark and bare cave was transformed.
Two three-meter-tall red corals stood at the entrance, elegant and imposing.
Inside the entrance, the surrounding walls were adorned with wave patterns made of pearls.
Small corals, multicolored algae, and seaweed were scattered throughout, emitting a soft, lustrous glow.
Past the colorful entrance, deep in the cave, sat the luxurious shark silk shell-pearl bed.
Behind the bed was the glittering mahi-mahi mural.
The rank three mahi-mahi swam a few laps, then lay down on the shark silk, looking down at the decor with delight.
Compared to its initial expression that suggested it wanted to eat them, the mahi-mahi's eyes now held a hint of a smile.
“You little Buddhist cultivators might not follow the monastic rules, but at least your aesthetic sense is decent.”
The five of them were currently covering their eyes at the gaudy entrance.
The patterns and designs were indeed theirs, but they had originally planned for the colors to transition from white at the entrance to golden yellow deep inside.
They had intended to use only a few other colors for accent and decoration.
The final result—this blindingly gaudy mess—was entirely due to the rank three mahi-mahi's insistent demands.
Jiang Yao covered his eyes, feeling like his aesthetic sense had been assaulted, fearing he might start making artifacts in this style.
But then, an unfamiliar voice suddenly spoke nearby.
“You! You can actually talk!”
Jiang Yao lowered his hands and looked at the rank three mahi-mahi in disbelief.
The rank three mahi-mahi flicked its tail, wearing an expression that said “how ignorant.”
Gu Ningyun rubbed her fuzzy head, which looked like a bald scalp, and recalled the rank three mahi-mahi's words and its previous actions. She began to understand.
“Senior, is it possible that we aren't Buddhist cultivators?”
The rank three mahi-mahi huffed. “Don't try to sweet-talk me, little Buddhist cultivators.”
“If you five baldies aren't Buddhist cultivators, then what are you?”
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