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178: Chapter 178 Cold Spring Condensing Strength: The Battle Between the Indian Ocean Mid-Sea Ridge and Methane Devouring Spirits

Exploration Assembly: Cold Spring Exclusive traditional martial arts Equipment and New Partners

Two weeks after the Global Martial Arts Academy received the report from the Technical Department regarding the cold seep area, the 'Indian Ocean Cold Seep Exploration Team' assembled at the Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka—on the deck of the Chuanwu Starship, a faint, salty scent of seawater filled the air. In the distance, on the surface of the Indian Ocean, methane bubbles occasionally surfaced, glowing with a faint blue light; that was the signature signal of a cold seep area.

'Welcome to the outpost of the 'Cold Seep Secret Realm',' a man dressed in deep cyan martial attire walked quickly onto the deck. He had bronzed skin, and hanging from his waist was a 'Condensation Bell' crafted from Cold Spring Clam shells. When the bell rang softly, the moisture in the air actually condensed slightly. 'I am Raja, a descendant of the Indonesian Cold Seep traditional martial arts. My Family has guarded the Indian Ocean cold seeps for generations. I specialize in 'Cold Spring Condensation Force'—which can resonate with cold seep organisms, use methane Qi Energy to build defenses, and freeze uncontrolled bubbles.'

Raja held a translucent 'Cold Spring Crystal Core' in his hand, taken from a century-old Cold Spring Clam, glowing with a pale cyan light: 'The cold seep area is completely different from the hydrothermal area. The water temperature here is as low as 2°C, and the methane concentration is extremely high. Ordinary Qi Energy will be interfered with by methane, or even trigger an explosion. Only Cold Spring Condensation Force can neutralize the activity of methane. Your equipment needs to be modified.'

On deck, the team members immediately set to work adjusting their gear: Xiao Kaya fused Ice Soul Energy with Raja's Cold Spring Condensation Force and injected it into their 'Anti-Methane Qi Energy Diving Suits'—the pale blue Ice Soul Energy enhanced low-temperature resistance, while the pale cyan Cold Spring Condensation Force formed a 'Methane Isolation Layer' outside the suit, ensuring that even if they came into contact with high-concentration methane, it would not trigger Qi Energy turbulence; Sato replaced his 'Ninja Qi Thrusters' with 'Methane-Adapted' ones; the nozzles were engraved with cold seep runes, allowing them to utilize the buoyancy of methane bubbles to assist in propulsion, saving 50% of Qi Energy consumption; at the top of Amina's Shamanic Martial Force totem staff, she embedded the adductor muscles of cold seep mussels; after injecting pale brown Shamanic Martial Force, she could communicate with the mussel colonies and clam species in the cold seep area.

The new generation team's equipment was even more ingenious: Xiao Juan's Nature Qi gloves were sewn with cold seep fluorescent algae fibers, which could emit a pale green light in the darkness to illuminate methane bubbles; Karim's Pyramid Force bracers were embedded with Cold Spring Crystal Core fragments, which could convert methane Qi Energy into the cushioning force of the Pyramid Force to withstand bubble impacts; Mei's Ninja Qi throwing stars were coated with Cold Spring Clam shell powder, allowing them to pierce methane bubbles without triggering an explosion; Laila's Shamanic Martial Force belt hung with 'Cold Spring Clam Egg Sacs,' where the baby clams inside would release purifying Qi Energy when encountering methane, neutralizing weak Spirit-Devourer residues.

'According to the plan, after Raja leads us to the cold seep node,' Chen Wu held the fusion jade, standing in front of the tactical map on the deck, 'Xiao Kaya will use Ice Soul Energy + Cold Spring Condensation Force to stabilize the methane bubbles and prevent explosions; Amina and Raja will communicate with the cold seep organisms to locate the 'Cold Seep Totem Stone'; Sato will investigate the Spirit-Devourer residues within the methane to avoid triggering traps; the new generation team will use Youth Guardian Energy to monitor methane concentration and issue an immediate warning if it exceeds the limit—remember, the threats in the cold seep area are hidden in the shadows; every step must be taken with caution.'

In the globally broadcast 'Exploration Assembly' footage, 380 billion viewers stared at the novel cold seep equipment. The bullet comments were filled with exclamations like, 'Can Cold Spring Condensation Force isolate methane? It's so compatible!' 'Raja's Condensation Bell makes dew when it rings; this force technique is so unique!' 'Xiao Juan's gloves can glow; no more fear of the dark under the cold seep!' Technical Department data showed that global 'Remote Qi Energy Support' reservations exceeded 450 million, with martial arts fans from Indonesia, India, and other countries surrounding the Indian Ocean leaving comments like, 'Looking forward to the highlight moment of Cold Seep traditional martial arts.'

Cold Seep Dive: Dealing with Methane and Extreme Low Temperatures

The Chuanwu Starship's micro-submersible slowly descended, and the seawater temperature plummeted with the depth—when it descended to 2500 meters, the water temperature had dropped to 5°C. Ice crystals began to form on the submersible's observation window. Xiao Kaya immediately injected Ice Soul Energy + Cold Spring Condensation Force. Pale blue and pale cyan light swirled inside the window, and the ice crystals melted instantly. The scene outside the window gradually became clear: countless pale blue methane bubbles rose from the seabed like strings of glowing pearls. Beside the bubbles, groups of cold seep mussels were attached to rocks, their shells glowing with fluorescence, and giant Cold Spring Clams moved slowly. When the clam shells opened, one could see the pale pink gills inside.

'300 meters ahead is the 'Methane Cold Seep Valley.' The node is beside the 'Crystal Cluster Cold Seep' in the center of the valley,' Raja reminded through the communicator. 'The methane concentration there is three times that of the surrounding area, and there are 'Methane Eddies' that will sweep away nearby organisms. You need to use Cold Spring Condensation Force to guide the direction!' He pressed the Condensation Bell against the wall of the submersible. The ringing sound traveled through the seawater, and the pale cyan Qi Energy spread out. The methane bubbles in front actually separated automatically, clearing a path.

When descending to 3500 meters, the submersible was suddenly swept into a Methane Eddy—the bubbles in the eddy spun at high speed, hitting the hull of the submersible and making 'thud-thud' sounds. The methane concentration alarm light on the dashboard began to flash. 'Use Cold Spring Condensation Force to freeze the edge of the eddy!' Raja shouted. Pale cyan Qi Energy sprayed out from the bottom of the submersible, and the bubbles at the edge of the eddy instantly froze into ice crystals, significantly slowing down the rotation speed; Sato took the opportunity to adjust the thrusters, combining Ninja Qi with methane buoyancy, and the submersible rushed out of the eddy like a fish, stopping steadily at the edge of the Cold Seep Valley.

'The Leyline Qi Energy in the cold seep area is 'Cold Property + Methane Attribute',' Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan analyzed through the detector. 'The Qi Energy of the Totem Stone is masked by methane; we need the cold seep organisms to help locate it.' Amina immediately extended the Shamanic Martial Force totem staff out of the submersible. Pale brown Qi Energy spread along the tip of the staff. Soon, a group of cold seep mussels swam toward the totem staff, gently tapping the staff body with their adductor muscles, as if transmitting location information.

'They say there is a 'glowing stone' next to the Crystal Cluster Cold Seep; that is the Totem Stone,' Amina translated the Qi Energy fluctuations of the mussels, 'but there are 'black bubbles' around it that will cause organisms to lose consciousness. It should be the 'Methane Spirit-Devouring Bubbles' formed by Spirit-Devourer residues.' Xiao Juan closed her eyes, and Nature Qi spread along the searchlight of the submersible, forming a pale green 'Qi Energy Perception Net' in the pitch-black seawater: 'I found it! In the center of the Crystal Cluster Cold Seep, there is a pale golden Qi Energy fluctuation! But there are five black bubbles around it, rotating around the Totem Stone!'

When the submersible arrived at the Crystal Cluster Cold Seep, everyone finally saw the target—on the seabed in the center of the cold seep stood a 'Cold Seep Totem Stone.' The stone body was as transparent as ice crystals, with pale cyan Qi Energy flowing inside. The surface was engraved with runes of the same Origin as the Whale Soul and hydrothermal totems. Floating around the stone were five black Methane Spirit-Devouring Bubbles, inside which one could vaguely see fragments of contaminated cold seep organisms.

'Prepare to exit the cabin!' Chen Wu gave the order. 'Raja, use Cold Spring Condensation Force to set up a 'Methane Isolation Array' around the Totem Stone; Xiao Kaya, use Ice Soul Energy to protect the team members and resist the low temperature; everyone else, act according to the plan!' The moment they exited the cabin, a bone-chilling cold rushed toward them, but the dual-Qi protection of the diving suits took effect immediately. The 'Qi Energy Pedals' under the team members' feet were replaced with 'Cold Spring Condensation Force Pedals,' and the pale cyan light supported everyone, allowing them to walk steadily among the methane bubbles.

In the globally broadcast 'Cold Seep Dive' footage, the audience watched with bated breath. The bullet comments were filled with cheers like, 'The methane bubbles look like glowing pearls, so dreamy!' 'Cold Spring Condensation Force can actually guide bubbles; traditional martial arts are so magical!' 'Getting closer and closer to the Totem Stone, come on!'

Crisis Erupts: Methane Spirit-Devouring Puppet Ambush

Just as everyone approached the Totem Stone, the Crystal Cluster Cold Seep suddenly erupted violently—a large number of methane bubbles gushed out, and among them, the five black Spirit-Devouring Bubbles expanded instantly, actually fusing into three 'Methane Spirit-Devouring Puppets': The Puppets were composed of contaminated cold seep mussels, clam shells, and methane Qi Energy. The mussel colonies formed the bodies of the Puppets, the clam shells formed the arms, and the black Methane Spirit-Devouring Bubbles pulsed in the chest cavity, capable of spraying methane streams carrying Spirit-Devouring Energy. Any cold seep organism that came into contact with it instantly lost its fluorescence.

"These Puppets can absorb Methane Qi Energy to strengthen themselves!" Raja's expression changed abruptly. The Condensation Bell rang urgently, and a pale green Qi Energy formed a barrier in front of him, blocking a stream of methane. When the barrier touched the methane stream, black corrosive marks appeared. "Spirit-Devouring Energy is mixed into the methane; ordinary defenses can't block it!"

Before the words faded, a Spirit-Devouring Puppet's clam-shell arm suddenly swung out, smashing toward Laila—Karim immediately blocked it with his Pyramid Force bracers. Pale golden light collided with the clam shell, and Methane Qi Energy spilled from the gaps. A layer of black frost instantly formed on Karim's bracers, and his Qi Energy circuit was disrupted: "Methane freezes Qi Energy! My Pyramid Force has slowed down!"

The chest bubble of another Spirit-Devouring Puppet suddenly burst, and black methane mist spread toward Xiao Juan—Xiao Juan immediately used her Nature Qi gloves to release Fluorescent Algae Qi Energy. The pale green light collided with the black mist, and the Spirit-Devouring Energy within the black mist was temporarily purified, but the methane caused the light of the fluorescent algae to dim. "We need to cut off the Puppets' methane source first!" Amina shouted, injecting Shamanic Martial Force into the surrounding Cold Spring Clams. The clam colony immediately closed their shells, reducing the methane release from the cold spring, and the Puppets' movements noticeably slowed.

Chen Wu immediately deployed tactics: "Raja and Xiao Kaya, use Cold Spring Condensation Force + Ice Soul Energy to freeze the Methane Spirit-Devouring Bubbles in the Puppets' chests and prevent them from exploding; Sato and Mei, use Ninja Qi + Cold Spring Crystal Core powder to pierce the Puppets' mussel bodies and destroy their structure; Amina and Laila, use Shamanic Martial Force + Cold Spring Clam colony to guide the methane flow and prevent it from spreading; Xiao Juan and Karim, use Youth Guardian Energy to purify the black mist around the Totem Stone and buy us time!"

Raja and Xiao Kaya acted immediately—the pale green Cold Spring Condensation Force and the pale blue Ice Soul Energy intertwined to form a "Dual Cold Freezing Wave," which shot toward the Puppets' chests. The Methane Spirit-Devouring Bubbles were instantly frozen into black ice crystals, unable to explode again; Sato's Ninja Qi throwing stars, coated in Cold Spring Crystal Core powder, precisely pierced the Puppets' mussel bodies. As the pale blue Ninja Qi was injected, the mussel colonies instantly lost vitality, and the Puppets' bodies began to disintegrate; Mei used Ninja Qi to set up a "Bubble Isolation Net" around the Puppets to prevent methane leakage.

The coordination between Xiao Juan and Karim was even more critical—Xiao Juan's Nature Qi spread along the seabed, and the pale green light wrapped around the Totem Stone like vines, quickly purifying the Spirit-Devouring Energy within the black mist; Karim's Pyramid Force formed a "Qi Energy Reinforcement Layer" in front of the Totem Stone, blocking the scattered clam shell fragments from the Puppets. In the "Crisis Response" footage broadcast globally, the audience watched intently, and the comments were filled with cheers: "The Dual Cold Freezing Wave is so cool! It froze the methane bubbles directly!" "The Cold Spring Clam colony can actually control methane; that's awesome!" "The New Generation Squad is becoming more and more coordinated!"

Totem Activation: Cold Spring Condensation Force and Global Resonance

After dealing with the Methane Spirit-Devouring Puppets, everyone could finally focus on activating the Cold Spring Totem Stone—Raja injected Cold Spring Condensation Force into the Totem Stone. The pale green light spread along the runes, and the transparency of the stone body gradually increased, but it stopped at the topmost rune, unable to continue activation. "It needs a 'balance between Cold-type Qi Energy and Methane Qi Energy'," Raja frowned. "The topmost rune of the Totem Stone requires the activity of Methane Qi Energy. My Cold Spring Condensation Force leans toward freezing, so it needs a martial technique that can guide Methane Qi Energy to cooperate!"

Amina immediately stepped forward and injected Shamanic Martial Force into the top of the Totem Stone. The light brown Qi Energy resonated with the surrounding methane bubbles, and the Methane Qi Energy flowed into the stone body along the runes. The pale green and light brown lights intertwined, the topmost rune instantly lit up, and the last trace of black mist around the stone was purified. "It also needs the 'Origin Qi Energy of Dual Forces'!" Chen Wu stepped forward and injected the dual forces into the center of the Totem Stone. Pale golden and pale green light poured in like a tide, and all the runes on the stone body lit up, forming a beam of light intertwined with pale green and pale gold in the waters of the Cold Spring area, shooting straight to the surface.

"The final step, Youth Guardian Energy!" Chen Wu shouted to the New Generation Squad. Xiao Juan, Karim, Mei, and Laila immediately gathered around. The four-colored Qi Energy converged in front of the Totem Stone into a "Youth Guardian Light Orb." The moment the light orb was injected into the stone body, the light beam suddenly surged, creating a strong resonance with the Global Leyline Guardian Array—the purity of the Leyline Qi Energy at the Indian Ocean Ridge increased to 100%, and the Spirit-Devouring residue in the Cold Spring area was completely purified; the Totem Qi Energy of the Antarctic Ice Soul, Mariana Whale Soul, and Atlantic Hydrothermal vents lit up simultaneously, and the "Sea and Land Coverage" of the Global Leyline Guardian Array expanded to 80%.

The light of the Totem Stone also projected ancient images onto the seabed: ancient traditional martial arts practitioners wearing Cold Spring martial outfits, living in symbiosis with Cold Spring Clams and mussels, using Cold Spring Condensation Force to guide Methane Qi Energy and reinforce the leyline; at the end of the image, the ancient text "12 Nodes Resonance, Leyline Heart Appears in the Abyss" emerged. "We have activated 3 nodes now, and there are 9 more!" Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan said excitedly. "The clues to the Leyline Heart are becoming clearer!"

Raja looked at the Totem Stone, his eyes full of awe: "My Family Legacy finally has meaning! Before, we only knew how to use Cold Spring Condensation Force to protect our clansmen, but we didn't know we were guarding the leyline. Now, we can contribute to global traditional martial arts!" The New Generation Squad discovered "Cold Spring Clam larvae" next to the Totem Stone—the young clam shells glowed with a pale green light and could sense Spirit-Devouring residue in methane. Xiao Juan gently stroked it with Nature Qi, and the young clam immediately crawled onto her palm, gently rubbing her fingers with its gills: "From now on, it will be our 'Cold Spring Guardian Partner'! With it, we can detect the methane threat of the next node in advance!"

A New Journey: The Next Stop of the Deep Sea Nodes

When the exploration team was preparing to return, Raja invited everyone to visit the "traditional martial arts Symbiosis Zone" of the Cold Spring area—here, Cold Spring organisms and traditional martial arts Qi Energy formed a unique ecosystem: the gills of Cold Spring Clams could filter Impurities in methane, mussel colonies could transmit Qi Energy signals, and even methane bubbles could, under the guidance of Cold Spring Condensation Force, form "Qi Energy Transmission Channels," allowing traditional martial arts techniques to spread further in the deep sea.

"In the future, this place will become the 'Indian Ocean Cold Spring traditional martial arts Base'," Raja said to the global live broadcast camera. "We will cultivate Cold Spring traditional martial arts successors to provide Methane Qi Energy support for subsequent explorations, making Cold Spring Condensation Force an important power in guarding the deep-sea leylines."

When the submersible left the Cold Spring Valley, the Cold Spring organisms came to see them off—Cold Spring Clams opened their shells, releasing pale green fluorescence; mussel colonies arranged themselves into a "traditional martial arts Guardian" pattern; methane bubbles, guided by Cold Spring Condensation Force, formed a glowing channel to escort the submersible away. Holding the Cold Spring Clam larva, Little Whale Spirit, and Thermal Shrimp, Xiao Juan waved in front of the submersible window: "We will be back! Next time we will activate more nodes and find the Leyline Heart sooner!"

The final image of the global live broadcast lingered on the Indian Ocean surface—on the deck of the Chuanwu Starship exploration vessel, the team members held up a rubbing of the Cold Spring Totem Stone and took a group photo with Raja; on the distant sea surface, the light beam from the Cold Spring area connected with the light beams from the Antarctic, hydrothermal areas, and the Mariana Trench, forming a "Deep Sea Guardian Light Belt" on the Earth's oceans, like a glowing necklace encircling the blue planet.

In the comments, 380 billion viewers simultaneously sent cheers: "Cold Spring area exploration successful! 80% coverage is awesome!" "Cold Spring Condensation Force is so compatible! traditional martial arts is always innovating!" "Looking forward to the next node! Go traditional martial arts!" Technical Department data showed that the stability of the Global Leyline Guardian Array increased to 99.9%, and the number of reservations for the "Deep Sea traditional martial arts Course" on the Chuanwu APP exceeded 250 million.

Chen Wu looked at the 12-node map in his hand, his fingertips tracing the mark of the fourth node—the "Black Smoker Cold Spring Zone" of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (different from the previous hydrothermal zone, it is a low-temperature black smoker), which was marked with "High Concentration Methane Spirit-Devouring Residue." "Next stop, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Black Smoker Zone," Chen Wu said to the team members. "The methane concentration there is higher, and the Spirit-Devouring residue is more complex, but as long as we work together, we can overcome even the most difficult challenges."

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