My Apocalypse System Arrives 10 Years Early

Chapter 397: Chapter 264: The Stigmata Manifests: Pilgrimage of the Divine Envoy

The moonlight flowed like water, a cascade of silver light dyeing the turquoise waves of the Indian Ocean into liquid quicksilver.

Luo Feifei trod the waves barefoot, a red cord with a bell tied around her snow-white ankle, chiming melodiously. Ice Crystal lotuses bloomed under her feet, one for every step she took. A Tier Twenty-sixth Saint Tier Extraordinary treasure, the Abyssal Sea Royal Seal, hung from her slender waist, emanating ripples of azure light. Within a ten-nautical-mile radius, the sea suddenly churned as if boiling. Countless sea creatures rushed toward her, terrified that the Fairy would punish them if they were even a moment late.

Little did they know, the Fairy and her companion fed on them.

Luo Feifei was a Water Element Transcendent to begin with, possessing extraordinary Water Attribute abilities. Now, with the Abyssal Sea Royal Seal, she was a goddess of the sea and had no need for Armor. Thus, her simple robes flowed freely, accentuating her graceful figure.

Li Xiang, meanwhile, was clad in the Giant Whale Saint Armor, gathering heaps of seafood.

An enormous Bengal Bay emperor crab surfaced and bowed before Luo Feifei in worship. Its carapace was covered in golden patterns resembling Sanskrit Talismans, and its claws spanned nearly two meters. Just looking at it, you could almost imagine the meat in its pincers already had a natural curry aroma.

A large emperor crab like this was a rare delicacy; there was no telling how much it would sell for per pound in a hotel.

A large school of Andaman Crystal Shrimp swam over voluntarily. Their bodies were as transparent as crystal, another top-quality ingredient—fresh, tender, and juicy, perfect for sashimi that would melt in your mouth.

Seven or eight bluefin tuna, each weighing over 400 kilograms, surfaced. They were Li Xiang’s favorite, so he gladly took them.

There were also Kerala Multicolored Squids, whose tentacles were as crispy as tempura when grilled.

They spent several hours in the Indian Ocean and had no idea how much they had harvested. They didn’t weigh it, but it was likely tens of thousands of creatures. The only issue was that neither Luo Feifei nor Li Xiang could identify every sea creature, so they didn’t know which ones might be poisonous. But that was fine; they could always look them up before eating.

As Li Xiang and Luo Feifei passed the Maldives, they stopped by an island for a bit of fun and to sample some local cuisine.

For ordinary people, it was a wonderful place to vacation, though not a cheap one. A trip from abroad could easily cost a few thousand dollars per person, and with a larger budget, the price could climb even higher.

But to Li Xiang and Luo Feifei, the ocean views and seafood were merely average. They could visit whenever they pleased, and could even travel to far more remote islands.

To say nothing of Li Xiang’s top speed of 5.5 Mach, if Luo Feifei put on the Electric Light Illusion Armor, she could reach 3 Mach and cruise at around 1.5 Mach. As a goddess of the sea, getting here was incredibly easy for her.

The two landed in the state of Kerala at the southern tip of the Indian Subcontinent and began traveling underground, searching for a special Earth Vein.

The Indian Subcontinent was vast. While searching for India’s special Earth Vein, Li Xiang and Luo Feifei would surface for air every half a day or so.

Li Xiang could travel underground for extended periods, but he knew Luo Feifei would find it too stuffy. Being considerate, he would bring her to the surface from time to time to experience India’s local culture and scenery.

If they came across any wild animals that looked tasty, he’d put them in his storage. Naturally, he wouldn’t pass up any that showed Extraordinary potential, either.

Although Li Xiang had scanned India a few times before, his searches had been too superficial, leaving many things undiscovered. Now, he was just leaving it to chance, collecting things as he came across them. The main priority was still finding the special Earth Vein.

As for Indian cuisine, they both politely declined, opting instead for dry rations or preparing some of the sashimi they had gathered from the ocean.

His storage also contained Spirit Wine and various other drinks. When it came to food and drink, Li Xiang never skimped.

They searched the West Ghats Earth Vein and the East Ghats Earth Vein, and crossed multiple times beneath the Deccan Plateau, but found nothing. Eventually, they reached New Delhi. ’This is the capital of India, after all,’ Li Xiang thought. ’Maybe there’s a special Royal Vein underground here?’

They had been to Mumbai before as well, with no luck. And Mumbai was the ”international metropolis” that the Indian people were so proud of.

Unfortunately, even after searching beneath New Delhi several times, they still hadn’t found a special Earth Vein.

”Why don’t we check out Delhi?” Luo Feifei suggested. India’s former capital was Delhi before it was moved to New Delhi for various reasons.

Li Xiang had no objection, so the two of them headed over, searching as they traveled underground.

The ”Old Capital” of Delhi yielded no results, either.

Luo Feifei performed Divination several times, but to no avail. Perhaps the target was too far away, or perhaps her skill wasn’t yet sufficient. In any case, she had no leads.

’If she had an item or some Ore related to a Royal Vein, she would have gotten a result immediately. But right now, they had nothing. They were completely in the dark.’

’India can’t be this pathetic, can it?’ Li Xiang thought. ’Both Thailand and Vietnam have Royal Veins. How could India not have one?’

In disbelief, he continued leading Luo Feifei northward.

’The Ganges River is India’s sacred mother river,’ he mused. ’Maybe it’s somewhere nearby?’

They hadn’t been traveling long when, in the alluvial plains outside New Delhi, Li Xiang suddenly placed a hand on Luo Feifei’s shoulder plate and frowned.

”Brother Xiang, what is it? Did you find something?” Luo Feifei asked.

”No,” Li Xiang said, shaking his head and pointing ahead and to the side. ”In that direction, about two kilometers away, a little girl has been kidnapped. She’s in a ruined temple, and it looks like they’re about to perform some kind of evil ritual.”

”Then we have to hurry and save her,” Luo Feifei said, her heart filled with compassion.

Li Xiang wasn’t one to stand by and let someone die, so an earthy yellow light bloomed from his body as he took Luo Feifei and burrowed toward the temple.

In that moment, within the abandoned Kajuraho Temple, thirteen enormous Human Oil Lamps burned brightly. Plumes of thick smoke rose, slicing the forest moonlight into jagged fragments. Thirteen men dressed in black stood around a Pentagram Array. On a stone altar at its center lay a bound girl in a blood-stained sari. The auspicious mark on her neck had been slashed with a dagger, and a pigment of mixed turmeric and Cinnabar was trickling slowly down her collarbone.