Chapter 1244: This Is the Ancient Cosmic Outer God, Dunhuang Mural!

A mournful wail!

The ship was forced down into the Chaos Sea, surrounded by vast amounts of water from all sides.

"Quickly activate the protective shields to keep out the seawater!" exclaimed a saint's avatar from another universe. Although their main bodies were far away, if this ship sank, even if their main bodies were safe, their avatars here would be unable to enter a parallel universe for re-cultivation, rendering all their previous efforts futile.

With a whoosh, a radiant glow enveloped them as layer after layer of protective shields activated.

Amidst everyone's frantic efforts, vast amounts of resources were consumed. These Chaos Sea shields were designed to withstand crashing waves, but now that they were fully submerged, it was feared they wouldn't last long.

"Father, what about our main ship? Has it been attacked?" a pseudo-Tenth Order Saint asked in dread, staring terrified at the seawater beyond the shield and the massive, mysterious beast's form.

"It hasn't been attacked," replied the saint's avatar, who could sense it, as the distance wasn't great. "After all, that main ship is more than ten times the size of this one; the size difference is simply too vast. That mysterious beast wouldn't dare attack it; it lacks the power to overturn such a vessel."

"Then quickly bring it back for rescue!" came cries from all around, mingled with screams, growls, and roars.

But the saint paused for a moment. "It won't come back," he said. "The journey was precisely calculated; if it returns and spends time here, it might not have enough power to get back... Moreover, it can't save these thousands of beings. We've already stated that we don't have the power to take you all back. We can only hope for the best."

Instantly, all the saints standing on the deck turned ashen. Neither morally nor logically would they be rescued. In fact, these saints had already prepared for the worst: abandoning their avatars here to pursue opportunities in the Multiverse. As long as their main saint bodies were alive, there was hope; if they died, everything would be lost. As for how their Multiverse Saint Highness would react with fury and resentment, that could be dealt with later.

"What about the main universe nearby? Can we contact them for rescue?" a saint exclaimed, growing utterly frantic as he watched the seawater outside slowly engulf them.

"It's impossible," Akina Mountain Speed said, his expression grim. "I've already reported back to my main body. The Emperor knows what's happening here, but there's nothing they can do... Our foundations are still insufficient. We could only build this one large ship; there are no other vessels to come to our rescue!"

Despair etched itself onto everyone's faces. With no rescue possible from any direction, were they simply doomed to wait for death here?

They looked outside, and goosebumps rose all over their bodies.

"This!! What kind of deep-sea giant beast is this?" they exclaimed. "Isn't it impossible for living beings to survive in the Chaos Sea? Only universes can exist there!" This sight completely subverted their worldview.

"Could it be that this mysterious sea monster is itself a pseudo-Dao universe dojo? Just like us?"

"Impossible!"

"Not necessarily impossible. Perhaps this cosmic beast is actually an ancient sage, or a damaged special cosmic ship that sank in the Chaos Sea?"

Countless saints speculated, their minds racing, as they stood on the deck, staring outside in terror, desperate for a glimmer of hope.

However, Akina Mountain Speed and Zhang Tong, who had seen the true form, looked at the shape, their pupils suddenly dilating. "Is this... that Beetle Universe?"

"Now that you mention it, it's very similar!"

"Yes, Meng Mei entered with her main body, so she couldn't take screenshots, but her description..."

"It couldn't be that it's already started..."

"Holy crap!!!"

"This is terrifying, and it's already in the Chaos Sea??"

The two secretly exchanged words. Meanwhile, Meng Mei was on the forum, having just recounted this very thing. His main body was also researching and discussing with Meng Mei on the forum, while his game avatar here was assisting with serious matters... Multitasking and handling multiple threads simultaneously was effortless for such beings.

"I'll go find Meng Mei to confirm," Akina Mountain Speed decided, as that was his only option.

On the forum, Meng Mei was still detailing her experiences. Everyone was in shock, learning about the true text of history, the opening of the Multiverse... Just as everyone was excitedly discussing, Akina Mountain Speed suddenly interrupted Meng Mei's post and everyone's animated conversation.

[Screenshots posted]

Akina Mountain Speed: "Emergency! I was doing reception work on the other side, and suddenly the ship capsized! Meng Mei, take a look at this deep-sea giant beast that attacked the ship – is it the one you were experimenting with?"

Meng Mei took one look, and goosebumps rose all over her body: "Yes! It's this one, exactly the same! But did this thing eat some fermenting agent? How did it get so bloated and huge?"

Akina Mountain Speed: "Quickly think of a way to save the ship!"

Meng Mei: "You're on your own. This thing's attack posture is the same as when it attacked me before. Back then, it extended its tentacles and hugged my face; now it's hugging the ship."

Akina Mountain Speed: "??? This thing is a monster you and Nu Yi researched and created in the Genesis Laboratory. If you two don't have a solution, who does?"

Meng Mei: "Cough, cough, cough, I truly don't know. This thing is still under research, and it just attacked the laboratory, causing a major accident... We haven't even begun re-research yet, all its data is unknown. How could I know? You'll just have to hope for the best."

Akina Mountain Speed fell silent immediately. He watched the Chaos Sea outside, where the beast, now enveloping the massive ship, relentlessly dragged it into the deep. The surrounding Chaos Sea frantically squeezed in, and the shields, unable to withstand the pressure, would inevitably give way; it was only a matter of time.

Zhang Tong said, "Well, then we're finished."

The entire forum was stunned for a moment, and then the discussion grew even more intense. What Meng Mei had been saying was already incredibly explosive, but now Akina Mountain Speed's sudden insertion into the conversation with this emergency made it seem even more shocking.

The situation was developing far too strangely.

Meng Mei stiffened for a moment and said, "It's just a game avatar; if it dies, it dies. However, you all seem like good test subjects. We're still researching this species... Hurry up and take screenshots! Before you die, you can also provide data for my research and sacrifice yourselves for truth!"

Akina Mountain Speed's face stiffened. Sacrifice themselves for truth? Was she asking them to record how they died to contribute to scientific research? He winced in annoyance.

But Meng Mei thought for a moment and said, "Although I don't know this thing's specific terrifying abilities, based on my experience, it's treating you as nutrients, as a seaweed-like universe. It's embracing you, directly hunting you, treating you as food!"

Akina Mountain Speed asked, confused, "As a seaweed-like universe? Food?"

Meng Mei: "Exactly. Its hunting posture proves this point... And your cosmic ship is also a universe... Perhaps in the eyes of this unintelligent trilobite, you are its kin; your auras are very similar."

As soon as she said this, everyone realized it made sense. "It eats universes, and we're similar to seaweed-like universes, meaning we're going to be eaten?" "How tragic!"

Just as everyone was discussing nervously, Meng Mei spoke again: "However, I can offer you a strategy, a suggestion for survival!"

"What suggestion?" Zhang Tong asked.

Meng Mei said, "Here, you can only wait for death, to be swallowed as food... If you want to survive, you might try entering the trilobite's body."

"Enter? How do we enter?" At this, everyone was stunned.

Meng Mei said, "The trilobite is also a universe, right? You could try to 'smuggle' yourselves over before your own universe shatters, becoming avatars and entering its parallel universe. Isn't that a possibility?"

As soon as she said this, Akina Mountain Speed's mind reeled. This was a wild idea, but not without feasibility. The creature was also a universe; before they were eaten as food, their main bodies on the ship were certainly doomed. Why not send an avatar into the creature's parallel universe?

"Good idea!" Akina Mountain Speed couldn't help but shout.

At this moment, all the saints on the ship had fallen into despair.

"What is this?"

"It's irresistible. Even for saints, it feels..."

"No! If we were in a universe, we could easily kill it, but inside this Chaos ship, we are completely at its mercy!"

"What *is* this!"

"This is a disaster unheard of for billions of years. No living being can exert power on the Chaos Sea, yet now..."

Grey mist shrouded the deck, and damp seawater soaked everything. Outside, the shadow of an indescribable beast embraced the ship, and immense evil and dread enveloped everyone's hearts.

"Wuu—" An ethereal, ancient xun-like lament wailed, like the tolling of a midnight bell, a mournful sound heralding the final advent of disaster.

At this moment, amidst the despair of all the saints, Akina Mountain Speed suddenly growled, "I think I know what this monster is!"

"What?" All the saints looked at him. Even they, ancient cosmic saints, didn't know, yet this person did?

"I seem to have seen this evil, ancient, unknown giant beast in ancient murals from the era of ancient sculpture art," Akina Mountain Speed said, his words igniting a glimmer of hope in everyone.

"The Immortal's Abode, coeval with the heavens." They had heard His Majesty speak of those ancient sculptural ruins, which could be traced back tens of billions of years and were very mysterious. On this journey, they had even considered exploring that "fishing ground." If it was from such ancient ruins, perhaps it truly contained records...

All the saints couldn't help but think, looking at Akina Mountain Speed before them.

Akina Mountain Speed looked up at the sky. "That was a mural, what we call the Dunhuang Murals. It's a record from that ancient civilization, with only fragmented words. It names this monster... an Outer God. I don't know its specific abilities; it's hidden in ancient mists... But the mural records a certain ritual, which might be a way to survive!"

"What mural?" "Quickly show it!"

Countless saints were anxious. Akina Mountain Speed didn't hesitate. On the deck, he stretched out a hand, and an ancient mural appeared before them, exuding a sense of desolate antiquity. The mural depicted mysterious ancient deities, their upper bodies bare, adorned with necklaces, wearing long skirts around their waists, and flowing ribbons over their shoulders. They seemed to be soaring against the wind, flying towards a vast, mysterious, ancient cosmic beetle-beast in the sky, each merging into its body.