Chapter 380: Strange Species of the Deep Sea

"We are now about 200 meters underwater. As you can see, the light around us has already grown very dim."

"This depth is a critical threshold for the deep sea. From here on down, both light intensity and temperature will change drastically."

As the Submarine descended, Ning Fei narrated the underwater world for his viewers.

"Anything above 200 meters is considered the shallow zone. With plenty of sunlight and abundant algae, it holds the largest population of fish."

"That makes the scenery the most magical right when you first dive in!"

Ning Fei piloted the Submarine further down. Like a tourist visiting an alien planet, he led everyone to explore another world.

"We're now at 500 meters, and the sheer number of species has dropped significantly."

"However, fish from the shallows still swim down frequently. In the summer, the sun beats directly on the ocean, raising the temperature in the shallow zones, so many fish dive deep to escape the heat."

"This depth of 500 meters is the habitat of the blue whale."

"Below this is the true deep ocean."

"Sperm whales, for example, usually live below 1,000 meters. It was incredibly rare for us to spot a pod of them in the shallows last time."

"It just goes to show the resilience of marine life. At 1,000 meters, a human would be instantly crushed to death by the pressure, but powerful creatures like the sperm whale thrive."

Ning Fei's narration was leisurely, setting a very relaxing mood.

Listening to his voice and watching the wondrous scenes unfold, the viewers found the experience exceptionally magical.

"Learning something new again!"

"I've never paid this much attention in class!"

"Studying marine biology like this feels great."

"It's Temple Master Ning's science time!"

As they went deeper, it grew darker and darker.

Piloting the Submarine, Ning Fei flipped on the exterior lights.

Beams illuminated from the front and both sides of the vessel.

This allowed the viewers to clearly see the surrounding environment.

Down in the deep sea, the fish population was indeed sparse.

Ning Fei checked the Submarine's dashboard. There were still about six hours of oxygen left, and the hull pressure was far from its critical limit. Safety was absolutely not an issue.

At that moment, the viewers noticed something else glowing in the surrounding water.

The light was tiny and very faint.

"What is that?"

"There's actually light this deep?"

"Sure enough, light is everywhere!"

The viewers were full of questions.

A moment later, they realized that seven or eight little specks of light had gathered around the Submarine.

"At depths around 1,000 meters, many creatures have evolved luminescent organs. They can produce their own light, much like fireflies in a forest."

"There are many bioluminescent creatures down here, some of which haven't even been named by humans."

"And they exhibit phototaxis, meaning they'll drift over when they see a light source," Ning Fei explained.

Numerous small fish hovered around the Submarine.

These little fish were very peculiar.

Some were lanternfish sporting a glowing lure on their heads. Others were completely transparent, emitting a soft blue light. Still others looked like glowing flowers, their anatomy impossible to decipher.

They were nearing the ocean floor.

"According to the Submarine's sonar, I'm about to reach the seabed at 1,000 meters," Ning Fei said.

"This is the true deep sea."

"Sperm whales and giant squids both live in this region."

"If we're lucky, we might even see a battle between those two prehistoric giant beasts."

Ning Fei added.

The viewers were momentarily speechless.

"Encountering a dozen-meter-long sperm whale and a giant squid down at 1,000 meters... you call that lucky?"

"That sounds more like a death wish!"

Meanwhile, the Submarine continued its descent, lights blazing.

Before long, Ning Fei finally spotted the dark silt of the ocean floor.

As the beam swept past, the viewers saw a fish frantically dart out from the mud and swim away as if it had wings.

At first, no one had even noticed it. The fish was perfectly camouflaged, with only its mouth exposed.

Spooked by the sudden light, it had bolted.

"Many deep-sea fish hunt by guarding a tree stump to wait for a hare," Ning Fei explained.

"They find ways to blend seamlessly with their environment. Never mind the fact that there's almost no light down here—even in broad daylight, prey wouldn't necessarily spot where these predators are hiding."

Having reached the bottom, Ning Fei began to cruise forward at a leisurely pace.

He needed to find the sunken ship.

Of course, since he was live-streaming, he couldn't act with too much obvious purpose.

Otherwise, it would arouse suspicion.

So, he started off driving aimlessly, casually narrating whatever caught his eye.

All the while, he covertly inched toward the shipwreck.

"Look at this fish off to the side, the incredibly ugly one with a little lantern on its head."

"This is an anglerfish."

Peering through the Submarine's side window, Ning Fei pointed out the exceptionally hideous creature.

The viewers' attention followed.

"This species has a very interesting quirk. Does anyone know what it is?" Ning Fei asked.

Ning Fei asked again.

"It's here, Temple Master Ning's pop quiz time!"

"Hahaha, he sounds exactly like a teacher. It really gives off that vibe!"

"Teacher, if I knew, why would I be in class!"

"Temple Master Ning, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us!"

Everyone's enthusiasm for learning was through the roof. If their former school teachers saw this scene, their jaws would probably drop.

"The male anglerfish is extremely small. Proportionally speaking, the female is sixty times the size of the male," Ning Fei revealed.

Ning Fei shared the answer.

This answer immediately piqued the viewers' interest.

"What? Sixty times?"

"What does sixty times even mean? Let me give a simple example. If a human weighs 50 kilograms, their volume is roughly 0.05 cubic meters. A young cat is about 1,000 cubic centimeters, or 0.001 cubic meters."

"That means a human is about fifty times the volume of a cat."

"Thanks for the science lesson, bro. But if the male and female differ so much in size, how do they... you know."

"Yeah, how do they have babies?"

The chat was clearly hyper-fixated on one particular aspect.

Ning Fei had expected this reaction, so he addressed the viewers:

"This species is truly incredible."

"The tiny male anglerfish will swim up to the female's belly and latch onto it."

"Then, the blood vessels and tissues of their bodies will slowly fuse."

"The male anglerfish essentially becomes a part of the female anglerfish, and they never separate."

"Their method of mating comes at the cost of sacrifice."

"In the scientific community, this phenomenon is called 'sexual parasitism.'"

Hearing Ning Fei's explanation, the viewers couldn't help but widen their eyes in shock.

"Real or fake? It's that crazy?"

"Good lord, I just looked it up, and it seems to be true. The male anglerfish basically turns into a tool fish just to provide sperm."

"Temple Master Ning is right, though not all anglerfish choose to parasitize. Some spend their entire lives without ever attaching to a female, and others will finish the job, detach gracefully, and go on with their own lives."

"So that's how it is."

"Who knew there were such creatures in the deep sea? Nature really is wondrous."

The viewers chimed in with continuous praise and amazement.

Clearly, this lively and fascinating trivia allowed everyone to experience the joy of learning.

Meanwhile, Ning Fei continued to drive forward.

Looking at the coordinates on the Submarine's display, he knew he was getting closer and closer to the sunken ship.

Just then, a massive, dark silhouette slowly emerged within the live stream's camera frame.