261 - Elasia Saga

Inside the Xu Yao's Jade Seal, the sound of thunder roared continuously. With a deafening "crack," another terrifying heavenly lightning bolt struck down, aiming directly at the floating figure draped in a light veil in mid-air. On the platform of Lingchi Peak below, Fu Yan had never once looked away, her gaze fixed intently in Bai Yue Li's direction. As the heavenly thunder descended, the air currents began to stir violently. Despite the stability within the Xu Yao's Jade Seal space, Fu Yan could still sense the vibrations emanating from all around. In mid-air, Bai Yue Li quickly reversed her hand movements, instantly amplifying the demonic aura around her. When she looked up at the sky, a reflection of the heavenly bolt could be seen clearly in her clear eyes. "Boom—" Suddenly, Bai Yue Li's silhouette moved, and the surrounding demonic energy swiftly coalesced, immediately enveloping the heavenly bolt. Various sounds of collision and explosions erupted from within. Soon after, Bai Yue Li had consumed nearly all the power of the lightning. In the blink of an eye, only the last bolt remained. This time, the descending lightning was exceptionally terrifying. Although Fu Yan had faith in Bai Yue Li, the overwhelming presence of the heavenly tribulation still stirred a sliver of anxiety within her. Yet, she understood well that it's best for one to endure such tribulations with their own strength. With this in mind, Fu Yan's eyes flickered momentarily before she resumed her intense focus on Bai Yue Li, unwilling to miss even a second as time ticked away. In the sky, Bai Yue Li’s demonic aura surged dramatically one final time. Her form darted forward, her hand tracing a line in the void before her, causing the demonic energy to swiftly converge. In that instant, the powerful demonic energy transformed into a massive python, its jaws gaping wide as it welcomed the heavenly bolt. "Buzz—" There followed a tremor, and then a thunderous explosion from the collision of the two forces. Instead of vanishing, however, the last heavenly thunder persisted, while the giant python vanished, leaving only an abyssal mass of demon energy. Seemingly anticipating this, Bai Yue Li's eyes narrowed, and she plunged into the midst of the demonic energy, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye. Within the swirling demonic energy, flashes of lightning could be seen darting about. Without her spiritual prowess, Fu Yan might have been unable to discern anything at all. Time passed indistinctly, until a piercing noise from within brought Fu Yan to a sudden halt, prompting her to swiftly fly over. Swish! In an instant, Bai Yue Li was ejected, but Fu Yan had foreseen this outcome. She levitated lightly and securely caught her. Having endured this persistent heavenly tribulation, Bai Yue Li appeared pale, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead. With a "whoosh," the dark clouds in the sky quickly dispersed. Fu Yan only gave them a cursory glance, confirming that Bai Yue Li had indeed survived the tribulation, before guiding her weak form back to the peak's platform. "Are you alright, Senior Sister?" Fu Yan asked tenderly, casting a worried gaze at Bai Yue Li in her arms. In response, Bai Yue Li gently curled her lips into a warm smile: "I'm fine, just a bit drained." Saying this, she quickly mobilized another source of power within her, the original Demon Lord's strength, and within moments, she visibly began to recover. Fu Yan acknowledged with a nod before releasing Bai Yue Li. After a brief examination of her own condition, Bai Yue Li sighed in relief. The two of them continued to rest for another day. Not long after, the newfound strength from overcoming the tribulation began to fill Bai Yue Li. She turned to Fu Yan and said, "Since we're planning to ascend to immortality soon, let's not delay. You should continue cultivating, and I need some time to stabilize and regulate myself." Just having passed her heavenly tribulation, Bai Yue Li's power was still unstable, making it an unsuitable time for dual cultivation. While dual cultivation provides convenience and quick results, true strength also requires practical experience and cultivation. Moreover, their most recent session of dual cultivation had lasted quite a while, and thinking of it, Bai Yue Li felt her ears warm. Fu Yan chuckled softly, understanding the sentiment as well. She leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Bai Yue Li's lips, her eyes sparkling: "Alright." Bai Yue Li: "..." Recognizing scarce time remaining herself, Fu Yan turned to head to another cultivation abode, immersing herself back into training. Meanwhile, Bai Yue Li, after a long exhale, set aside any lingering memories of their intimate moments, focusing instead on consolidating and harmonizing her inner energy. Soon, the tranquility was restored within the Xu Yao's Jade Seal. ... Gurgle— The depths of the mysterious lake echoed with the gentle movement of water. Before them, a vast barrier shimmered with soft light. Submerged for nearly a millennium, the underwater tomb estate became shadowily apparent through the dim glow, like an elusive mirage. The grandeur of the sight invited gasps of awe. "This mysterious lake truly harbors a colossal tomb estate. I wonder which ancient immortal left it behind?" "Indeed, it looks like it has laid silent for ages, possibly millennia. Surely, it must hold an abundance of treasures." "Haha, we're going to strike it rich!" “…” Ignoring the excited chattering around her, Fu Yan retracted her gaze, setting her sights instead on the disciples of the major sects ahead. As expected, it wasn't long before some of them stepped forward, clearly preparing to jointly disable the barrier to the underwater tomb estate. Seeing this, those behind made no rush, as restraint prevailed. Clearly, anyone who dared to act prematurely would only incur the wrath of the major sects. Soon, several individuals stepped forward, each producing a magical artifact resembling a well-crafted hammer. With a burst of massive true energy, a blinding beam of light erupted from the artifact's tip. In an instant, four or five beams shot straight towards a single point on the barrier. "Buzz—" A delicate tremor ran through the underwater domain. Moments later, the barrier reluctantly gave way, creating a large entrance. With the barrier breached, the disciples from the major sects wasted no time, their forms swiftly slipping through the entrance as the first wave. "Splosh—" With the sound of fluid movement, they had already stepped firmly within the barrier, landing before the immense tomb estate. Immediately, the surrounding crowd's enthusiasm stirred. "Quick, hurry! We can finally enter now. Let's not delay and risk them closing the entrance again." It was clear that for minor factions, breaching the barrier on their own would be a nearly impossible task. Fu Yan glanced at the crowd behind her, then instructed, "Let's move in." Upon her word, Fu Yan and Ji Xian led the way, swiftly moving towards the barrier. In the blink of an eye, their group had reached the entry point. Up close, the barrier still emitted a faint glow. As Fu Yan approached, she realized the barrier had been temporarily held open, rather than damaged. It was unclear how long it would remain that way. Briefly scanning the barrier, Fu Yan didn't dwell on such matters, choosing instead to swiftly pass through it. Suddenly, she sensed a surge of energy enveloping her, followed by a sensation akin to breaching water. "Whoosh—" In an instant, Fu Yan successfully entered the barrier. But before she could gather her thoughts, she felt an immense, invisible gravitational pull from below. "Hmm?" Fu Yan frowned, immediately realizing something amiss. Instinctively, she twisted her form, swiftly descending. Fortunately, she landed safely on solid ground—the lakebed beneath her feet. "Ah! What’s happening?" Just as the words left her lips, a series of "thud! thud!" sounds echoed as many cultivators entering behind her hit the ground. Some unlucky ones even fell face-first. "..." The disciples of Shuanghua Palace, caught off guard, also fell one after another from mid-air. However, Shui Liuqing and several others, being experts at the Void Transformation stage, reacted swiftly. "It seems a special restriction has been placed here, preventing flight within the tomb estate's domain," Liu Bei commented as he approached several others. Fu Yan nodded, recognizing the truth in his words. "Let's move," Shui Liuqing urged, surveying the regrouped disciples before moving ahead. As they proceeded, they found the surrounding environment particularly dark and damp. The shadowy outline of a palace loomed ahead, stark and devoid of light or luster, with even the air being tinged with a light mustiness. It was only upon entering that the crowd fully understood how the breathtaking panorama outside had been entirely due to the shimmering light's illusionary influence. Most of them didn’t dwell on this realization for long. The entrance was bustling with people eager to get inside, and those already on the ground carefully made their way forward. Ahead lay a dark river about a dozen meters wide, encircling the entire tomb estate like a protective moat. By this time, the riverbank was crowded with people. "What kind of river is this? Its corrosiveness is terrifying! We can't possibly cross it!" "Those major sect disciples are so affluent, wielding spiritual treasures just to cross the river!" … As Fu Yan approached the riverbank, she caught wind of the discussions around her. She paused slightly before glancing down at the dark river beneath her feet. The river wasn't particularly wide. Under normal circumstances, they might simply step over it. However, with flying impossible here, it presented a significant challenge. Yet, there was something about this river that seemed vaguely familiar. An idea flickered through Fu Yan's mind; the river resembled an underground dark river she had encountered in the Northern Territory's secret realm, though not identical. While she pondered this, many disciples had already brought out various spiritual artifacts, riding them to slowly cross the river and reach the other side. "Palace Master, what shall we do?" Yi Tu approached, having tried several methods unsuccessfully to cross the river. Ji Xian, standing nearby, withdrew his gaze and suggested, "I can cross, but I can only manage it alone." This was indeed true; there was no feasible way for him to assist the other disciples across. Fu Yan herself could cross, but the disciples behind presented a problem. She suddenly looked over to Shui Liuqing and asked, "Could we use puppets?" "I'll give it a try," Shui Liuqing responded. Because of his cultivation in puppet arts, Shui Liuqing had crafted numerous little gadgets in addition to humanoid puppets. Among them was a circular flying puppet base. Saying this, Shui Liuqing casually produced a moderately sized flying base and, without hesitation, tossed it into the river. As it made contact with the water, the base began to rapidly corrode. Yet, under spiritual energy propulsion, it withstood the corrosive effect for several breaths before dissolving completely. Noticing this, Shui Liuqing's eyes lit up—it lasted long enough to reach the opposite shore. "Great, we can cross now!" Yi Tu exclaimed, excitement lighting up his face, and the disciples behind him mirrored his joy. Recollecting his thoughts, Shui Liuqing retrieved a dozen puppet bases from his storage ring, distributing two to each person. Soon enough, two elders led several disciples safely across the river, reaching the other side without incident. Quite a few had been watching this group from the start. Seeing the disciples succeed, their eyes sparkled with hope, fixed on the puppet bases in Shui Liuqing's hands. Fu Yan casually took in the attention surrounding her, curling her lips slightly. She paused before sending a discreet message to Shui Liuqing, "How many more puppet bases do you have?" Caught off guard by the question, Shui Liuqing instinctively replied, "About a hundred left." Crafting these bases wasn't simple, but the materials required were common, allowing Shui Liuqing to often use them for practice. Instead of saying anything further, Fu Yan signaled Shui Liuqing to act as if they were about to cross, prompting someone in the crowd to step forward hastily, "Excuse me, do you have any spare bases left? I'd like to purchase some." Hearing this, Shui Liuqing immediately understood Fu Yan's intent. "Well, I do have some," Shui Liuqing replied, looking the person over with a touch of hesitation, "But they’re reserved for our fellow disciples, so my supply is limited." Shui Liuqing knew it was best not to disclose the full amount. Upon hearing this, the person rejoiced, quickly asking for two. "I also want some!" "Save one for me, friend!" "Damn it, anyone who shoves me again, don't blame me for being impolite... Whatever the cost, friend, save one for me!" ... In no time, a throng of people surged towards Fu Yan and the others, creating a bustling scene. It wasn't the time to set a fixed price. Yi Tu, realizing their strategy, announced cheerfully, "Everyone, please be patient. Due to limited stock, let's keep it simple: name your price, and the highest offer wins." This suggestion was quite reasonable, although Liu Bei, who was with them, nearly burst out laughing at Yi Tu’s cunningness. "Please, friend, I offer five thousand high-grade spirit stones for one!" "Over here, friend; I bid ten thousand!" "Thirty thousand from me!" "…" Within moments, bids echoed along the riverbank, turning it into an impromptu auction, lively and bustling. The first base was ultimately sold for forty thousand spirit stones to a sect disciple. With everyone eager to enter the tomb, transactions occurred swiftly. In a matter of minutes, Shui Liuqing had sold over a dozen bases, with the highest fetching fifteen thousand spirit stones—a staggering amount. However, as Shui Liuqing continued to produce bases, the initially agitated crowd began to calm down, realizing there were still plenty left. Consequently, the prices settled back under ten thousand stones. Understanding that further sales weren’t as profitable, Shui Liuqing decided to stop at thirty sales, cheerily declaring, "Apologies, but this is the last one." "What? Already the last one?" "Agh, I should have bid higher earlier!" Yi Tu and the others remained silent, eager to cross and fearing they'd miss out on treasures if they delayed much longer. Thus, selling the last base for twenty thousand stones, Fu Yan and her group wasted no time and swiftly crossed the river to the other side. The tomb estate was vast; while staying together offered safety, it wasn't feasible for everyone, so Shuanghua Palace split into three smaller squads. Two elders led groups with Yi Tu and Liu Bei, while Fu Yan, Ji Xian, and Shui Liuqing formed another. The three headed quickly towards the right, covering meters with each stride, until soon a large door loomed before them. Without hesitation, Fu Yan pushed the door open. Upon passing through a corridor, a potent medicinal scent wafted towards them, causing the trio's eyes to light up as they hastened towards the source. "This... is an herb garden?" Shui Liuqing exclaimed in surprise, gazing at the scene. Both Fu Yan and Ji Xian halted in shared astonishment. At the corridor's end lay a vast garden, shielded by a gentle glow, teeming with various spiritual herbs that dazzled the eye. Should Little Medicine Ball be here, surely he would faint with joy. At a glance, Fu Yan identified several nearly extinct herbs from the outside world, and even someone as knowledgeable as her found her breath catching. Without delay, the trio darted to the garden’s entrance. The protective glow seemed merely to nurture the herbs—no removal was necessary to enter. Recovering almost immediately, Fu Yan instructed the others, "When gathering, try not to damage the herbs. Dig up the soil and plant them in your storage rings." Such precious herbs should not be wasted or destroyed. Quickly, they began collecting the herbs from the garden—three hundred years old, five hundred years, even up to eight hundred years, and some nearly a thousand! Here, every rare herb seemed as plentiful as common greens. In just moments, half the garden had been cleared when suddenly, Fu Yan froze, her gaze falling on a small, palm-sized flower. This flower had eight petals, its icy-silver hue tinged with delicate pink, resembling an exquisite piece of art. "This is... the Ice Spirit Eight-Petal Sacred Orchid." Recognizing the herb, Fu Yan swallowed involuntarily, her heart pounding. If her eyes didn't deceive her, this Ice Spirit Eight-Petal Sacred Orchid possessed nearly two thousand years of medicinal power. It was no wonder Fu Yan was so moved; legend claimed that just one petal could revive someone on the brink of death. Such tales might be exaggerated, but it was rightly hailed as a holy remedy for healing. With the Ice Spirit Eight-Petal Sacred Orchid, Yuan He’s shattered energy sea could finally be completely restored. As Fu Yan regained her composure, she quickly reached out to pluck the orchid. But in the next second, an unfamiliar presence suddenly appeared from the side, snatching the flower right before her eyes. The person, having seized the flower, turned swiftly to flee, but there was no way Fu Yan would let him get away just like that. Swish! In a flash, Fu Yan moved like the wind, drawing her sword in a reverse grip and, with a knowing strike, pierced through the man's arm. "Ahhh..." In an instant, the Ice Spirit Eight-Petal Sacred Orchid flew from his grasp, and Fu Yan, her gaze unwavering, leapt forward to catch the blossom in her hand. The man clutched his nearly severed arm, his eyes burning with rage, as if determined to etch Fu Yan’s image into his memory. Zheng— Everything had happened in the blink of an eye. As Shui Liuqing regained his senses, he immediately drew his sword, rushing towards the man in black. However, the stranger was clearly unwilling to confront Fu Yan and her companions head-on. He quickly retrieved a smoke bomb, tossed it to the ground, and vanished without a trace. At this moment, Ji Xian seemed to awaken from his stupor. He dashed after the intruder, but it was too late—the shadowy figure had already made his escape. "I'm sorry, Palace Master. We failed to notice someone sneaking in at first," Shui Liuqing and Ji Xian said apologetically, bowing their heads before Fu Yan, who was surrounded by a cold aura. Glaring at the swirling mist that lingered around them, Fu Yan's eyes were frostily unreadable. The intruder's presence had been exceptionally well-concealed; under usual circumstances, she would never have been entirely unaware. She chided herself for being too careless, too absorbed in the excitement of seeing the Ice Spirit Eight-Petal Sacred Orchid to notice anything else. But fortunately, the orchid was safely back in her possession. Regaining her focus, Fu Yan quickly instructed, "Let’s not waste any more time. Keep collecting the spiritual herbs."