Chapter 76: Unusual

Oddities, also known as alien curses.

They are ethereal and weird alien spectral entities.

The oddities can not be seen by naked eyes, basic senses are meaningless before them.

To sense them directly, one must rely on a Primordial Spirit of at least the Fifth Boundary level.

Alternatively, one can only hope to detect them through the use of magic skills like the Sky Eye Technique if they have prior knowledge of these entities.

Oddities feed on the life energy of living beings, posing a strong threat.

These elusive creatures can inconspicuously attach themselves to humans or other living beings, silently sucking life energy until the host dies.

It is during the moment of their possession that they can be detected.

However, oddities are selective in choosing their hosts, and they only attach to those who let their guard down.

Seldom do these unsuspecting beings notice the alien nature of the oddity in that moment.

Once successfully attached, oddities bewitch the host through a special power, leading them to ignore the unusual drain of their life energy until they perish unknowingly.

No matter how high one’s cultivation level is, without timely detection, one is doomed.

A higher level of cultivation may keep the host alive for a little longer, letting the oddities feast more heartily.

Above the sea, Li Jing quickly killed the oddity and returned to the beach without lingering.

Sister Qiu-ci recuperated from her shock as she noticed his return.

"Thank goodness I asked you to stay, or else I might have been done for today,"

Sister Qiu-ci said, patting her chest and recovering from fright.

"Contact members of Patrol Ninth Group, tell them to gather here."

"Alright."

Li Jing responded, pressing his communication headset.

Without delay, Sister Qiu-ci also contacted the three patrollers who had gone out to inspect the sea area, led by Xing Cheng, over her headset.

Though oddities choose their hosts, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Others in Patrol Ninth Group, including Xing Cheng, could’ve let their guard down while concentrating. It would’ve been feasting grounds for the oddities.

If the oddities had successfully infiltrated, it would’ve become a troublesome matter.

After Li Jing and Sister Qiu-ci each contacted their teams, Xing Cheng and his three patrollers were the first to return, quickly followed by the rest of the Patrol Ninth Group.

As everyone landed and took their stand, Xing Cheng frowned and asked,

"Chief Yang, are you sure it’s the work of the oddities?"

"Stop asking meaningless questions, stand still,"

Sister Qiu-ci commanded, pointing a finger to her brow and murmuring,

"Heavenly Eye! Open!"

Then, her beautiful eyes shone with a soft golden light.

Next, she moved forward to thoroughly examine everyone one by one.

Seeing Sister Qiu-ci’s cautious approach, the team members stood in cooperation despite their puzzlement.

They all knew what oddities were.

No one could joke about this matter.

Li Jing stood still, scanning each of them with his eyes.

Sister Qiu-ci meticulously checked each person with the Sky Eye Technique, in case she missed any clues.

His assistance would be valuable.

After all, compared to the Sky Eye technique, he had a more direct way of confirmation.

Assuming that an oddity had attached itself to a person, he should have been able to see the Health Bar.

Upon confirming everyone safe, Li Jing discreetly withdrew his gaze.

Sister Qiu-ci’s comprehensive inspection of the team members took quite a bit of time.

She couldn’t afford to miss even the slightest detail.

An oddity attached to a human could hide anywhere on the body.

Even with the Sky Eye Technique, camouflaged with a body part, the oddity may elude detection.

Having examined everyone from top to toe, Sister Qiu-ci heaved a sigh of relief. She had been thorough shy of stripping them all naked.

"It was indeed the work of oddities. Li Jing just killed an oddity that tried to possess us both. Xing Cheng, contact the General Bureau and ask them to send over inspectors skilled in Sky Eye Technique," she briefed.

"Understood."

Xing Cheng nodded, glanced at Li Jing and pressed his communication headset before walking away.

"Anyone who’s practiced the Pupil Technique, stay. Others, don’t linger here. Go and set up a perimeter around the beach, lockdown this area, and don’t let anyone approach."

Yang Qiu-ci continued to issue orders.

Including the remaining two patrol members, everyone looked at each other, and they all soared into the air with Sky Control, heading for the perimeter of the beach.

Xing Cheng, who was speaking with the General Bureau on the side, heard this and turned to look. He too flew off through Sky Control.

They had never practiced the Pupil Technique.

Li Jing remained unmoved at the spot.

He had never practiced the Pupil Technique either.

But he could see the Health Bar, so staying wasn’t a problem.

Yang Qiu-ci watched as everyone took off, none remained. She wasn’t surprised.

The Pupil Technique was a bit of a niche magic skill type.

Unless you were an appraisal officer like her and needed it for your work, few people were willing to spend energy on a single Pupil Technique.

Seeing only Li Jing left around her, Yang Qiu-ci turned to look at him.

"It seemed like you didn’t use the Pupil Technique just now?"

"I haven’t learned it, so I can’t use it."

Li Jing shrugged his shoulders and continued.

"However, when the alien species appeared just now, I had a distinct sensation that something invisible was approaching."

The use of the Pupil Technique causes noticeable changes to the eyes.

It is not something Li Jing could cover up with a few words.

Unable to hide it, then just tell the truth.

Even though the alien species are hard to detect, it doesn’t mean they are undetectable.

Some more intuitive people, even if their Primordial Soul Strength hasn’t reached the Fifth Boundary, can faintly sense something.

It’s one thing to sense, and another to confirm the presence of the alien species on the spot.

That Li Jing could sense something in advance was partly due to his heightened sensitivity of his Primordial Spirit under the influence of the Returning to Origin Skill.

But fundamentally, he didn’t detect it because of his Primordial Spirit, but because the Health Bar for him was a visible entity. He would notice it appearing out of the blue.

To put it bluntly.

What he discovered was not the alien species itself, but the Health Bar.

Facing Li Jing’s candid words, Yang Qiu-ci nodded without asking further.

Even though she didn’t know how Li Jing had managed it, he indeed detected the presence of the alien species.

He not only noticed, he also pinpointed its location precisely and killed it.

This alone, was enough.

Keeping the Sky Eye Technique active, Yang Qiu-ci looked at the undulating tide at the seashore and said softly.

"We will stay put for now. The General Bureau needs time to send personnel. Once they arrive, we will attempt to investigate this sea area."

As she spoke, she murmured to herself in confusion.

"Alien species dwell in secluded and deserted places; why did one appear in Jianghai?"

Li Jing frowned at this.

Indeed, why an alien species would appear in Jianghai was a problem.

While it’s true most alien species feed on life force, they are creatures born from shadows and are repelled by strong positive energy.

Positive energy, is accompanied by life.

Every living thing, whether it’s human or animal, emits positive energy.

A big city like Jianghai, with tens of millions of residents, the positive energy is extremely strong.

This is just like a natural barrier, strong enough to ward off all alien species.

Even if an alien species were to appear in an area of Jianghai with strong Yin energy, it would choose to leave and avoid causing harm.

Yet an alien species did appear, and in the sea no less.

Leaving the city itself aside, the emergence of an alien species in the sea itself seems unscientific.

The vast ocean nurtures countless lives; its liveliness and strong positive energy make it nearly impossible for a Yin energy-concentrated area to exist, and provide conditions for the spawning of an alien species.

After a moment of pondering, Li Jing spoke.

"Sister Qiu-ci, do you think a small unidentified Secret Realm has appeared beneath this sea area?"