Hou Niao carefully swam his body towards the shore, realizing that the place the red-scaled creature had chosen for him must be very special, as there was an obscure suppressive force present which greatly affected the flow of mana in cultivators.
While swimming, he remained vigilant for any strange creatures in the water that might bite him again—he had limited abilities to exert and truly could not endure any more trouble.
Fortunately, it was common knowledge that the Sea Clan never willingly approached the shore, just as humans are wary of the sea; every creature prefers to live in the environment it is familiar with.
During his swim, Hou Niao continuously tried to mobilize the mana within his body, clinging to a sliver of hope that the suppression stemmed from some mysterious force in the sea. To his disappointment, the closer he got to the shore, the more intense the suppression became, leading him to realize it likely originated from the land itself.
