270 - Elasia Saga

## Treasure Vault, Second Layer Shui Liu Qing emerged from the final corridor and returned to the central space. Aware of the current resource scarcity in Frost Palace, she adopted Fu Yan's approach, pocketing anything valuable she encountered. Landing gracefully, Shui Liu Qing's gaze naturally shifted to another circle of light on the opposite side. Ji Qing Jue hadn't emerged yet, but Shui Liu Qing wasn't worried. Ji Qing Jue's abilities far surpassed her own, so she faced no danger. It was merely a matter of time to break through the mechanisms here. Furthermore, Shui Liu Qing noticed that the dangers in the vault weren't lethal. The puppet beasts appeared formidable but never displayed their full strength. It seemed the vault might automatically transport intruders out if they faced life-threatening danger. Suddenly, before her appeared a colossal puppet tiger, roaring with such force that its fangs seemed as thick as a human wrist, fearsome and intimidating. Judging by its appearance, this puppet beast was no easy foe, yet Shui Liu Qing didn't immediately deploy her life puppet. Instead, she abruptly raised her sword and coldly locked eyes with it. Clearly, she intended to test her skills. The puppet tiger, unaware of Shui Liu Qing's intentions, gazed at her with blood-red eyes, solely driven by a desire to tear her apart. In an instant, it lunged directly at Shui Liu Qing, its sharp claws poised to decapitate, moving with such speed that it was nearly impossible to evade. Despite this, Shui Liu Qing showed no hint of fear. She unleashed her true energy, channeling her strength into her Dewdrop Sword, and swung it forward in a sweeping arc. "Buzz." The blade shot forth like a stream of water, but against the tiger's claws, it seemed altogether inadequate. With a light swipe, the sword was shredded. Yet in that moment, Shui Liu Qing deftly sidestepped, and the shattered blade miraculously reformed after passing through the tiger's claws, striking its abdomen. However, the tiger's defense was astonishingly strong, leaving nothing more than a few strands of fur falling to the ground, with no real damage inflicted. Unperturbed, Shui Liu Qing continued the fight with the beast. At this juncture, a faint movement came from the opposite light circle, signaling Ji Qing Jue's emergence. Hearing the skirmish, she glanced over. Before she could act, a puppet beast leaped out before her too. She quickly refocused, brandishing her sword to engage it. "Roar!" The massive puppet tiger roared angrily, its open maw somehow making one's hair stand on end. As Shui Liu Qing slipped from its claws once more, her eyes flashed with a sudden realization; a glint of joy swept through her gaze. She raised her hand, tossing the Dewdrop Sword forward, tracing a graceful arc with spiritual energy. Whoosh! In an instant, the Dewdrop Sword pierced with sky-shattering force toward a specific point under the puppet tiger's chin. With a shattering sound, the moment the Dewdrop Sword struck, the formidable puppet tiger crumbled as if corroded, disintegrating into scattered shards across the ground. The Dewdrop Sword circled back to Shui Liu Qing's hand. Observing the scene, she couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. Being primarily trained in puppet arts, Shui Liu Qing didn't intend to confront the vault's puppet beasts head-on. Instead, she aimed to identify their weaknesses and deliver a lethal strike. Since her entrance, she had adopted this strategy, never once deploying her own puppet in battle, focusing instead on honing her puppet mastery. No matter how powerful, every puppet had a pivotal point — their greatest vulnerability. Mastering puppet arts often involved disguising these weaknesses. Like Shui Liu Qing’s life puppet, refined tirelessly, its weak points were no longer apparent on the surface. In facing opponents, strength was the only resort. Her strategy was a maneuver difficult to execute elsewhere. Once the puppet tiger was vanquished, tranquility briefly returned. She sheathed her sword, standing to glance at Ji Qing Jue's direction. "Bang!" A loud sound echoed as Ji Qing Jue swiftly brandished a spiritual tool, decisively dispatching the beast before her with a few strikes. Soon, the pathway to the next layer appeared before them. Shui Liu Qing prepared to advance, but Ji Qing Jue quickly approached, grabbing her arm. "Wait." Ji Qing Jue suddenly said. Shui Liu Qing paused, instinctively halting and turning slightly to gaze at her. Ji Qing Jue opened her mouth, hesitating before speaking: "You... you..." Though she began, her expression remained unfinished, no words emerging. In truth, Ji Qing Jue wanted to discuss Shui Liu Qing’s earlier words in the pavilion, which had been interrupted by Fu Yan’s sudden appearance. Ji Qing Jue felt they needed to talk again. "What don't you understand?" Despite Ji Qing Jue's hesitation, Shui Liu Qing understood immediately and grasped Ji Qing Jue’s hand in return. Taken aback, Ji Qing Jue instinctively replied: "What?" "I won't let go of you anymore," Shui Liu Qing declared with profound sincerity. Locking eyes with Ji Qing Jue, she stated firmly, "I like you." In those simple four words, Ji Qing Jue was thrown into a mental whirlwind. She stared at Shui Liu Qing, her thoughts spiraling, unable to make sense of anything. Yet in that instant, she clearly heard the pounding of her own heart. As if confirming, this was indeed what Shui Liu Qing meant. After everything that had happened, Shui Liu Qing realized her true feelings. She initially intended to distance herself, but suddenly understood she couldn't; it was impossible. Seeing Ji Qing Jue would always make her want to draw closer. Shui Liu Qing felt that nothing else mattered anymore. As long as she could see her, and reach out to hold her, she'd be content. What did a difference in strength matter now? She refused to push her away, wanting only to hold her tight. "Will you give me a chance?" Shui Liu Qing looked at the dazed Ji Qing Jue, asking softly. Upon hearing this, Ji Qing Jue snapped back to reality, awkwardly withdrawing her hand, unable to meet Shui Liu Qing’s eyes, her gaze flitting restlessly. Her face reddened rapidly as she dropped her eyes. Shui Liu Qing watched her, softly saying, "Earlier when I said... we owe each other nothing, I was wrong. I'm sorry..." As her words landed, Ji Qing Jue's chaotic mind seemed to regain clarity. Pausing slightly, she met Shui Liu Qing’s gaze. The flush faded quickly from her face, and she looked firmly at Shui Liu Qing, suddenly smiling slightly. Her enchanting eyes shimmered with tears, evoking heartfelt pity. "Shui Liu Qing, why should I?" Ji Qing Jue spoke, forcefully suppressing her tears, "You said we owe nothing, let's not stay in touch, and now you say you like me. Am I just supposed to happily flock back to you, why?" Facing Ji Qing Jue, Shui Liu Qing felt a tight grip on her heart, pain constricting her breath. Words swirled in her mind but wouldn't form a sentence. Only now did Shui Liu Qing realize how wrong she’d been. From the start, she viewed their relationship through her own lens. Believing she was unworthy of Ji Qing Jue, her decisiveness seemed rooted in Ji Qing Jue's best interest. But she never genuinely considered Ji Qing Jue’s feelings. At this moment, all apologies seemed pale. Watching tears cascade down Ji Qing Jue's face, each droplet pierced Shui Liu Qing’s heart. As her eyes moistened, breathing became laborious. Awkwardly, Shui Liu Qing drew Ji Qing Jue into an embrace, accepting her broken protests and struggles. All she could do was hold on, never letting go. ... Once, the Merman Tribe thrived widely across this continent, but inexplicably, they declined over the millennia, their presence now rarely seen. Amidst the gentle oscillation of the seawater, Fu Yan observed the scene before him, struck by unexpected surprise — he hadn’t imagined encountering a member of the Merman Tribe here. Even more astonishing was that this particular merman was none other than the enigmatic black-clad woman he had encountered earlier. The realization hit him, linking back to the semi-ethereal shell artifact she had previously gifted him, and to her oceanic gaze. It seemed her identity wasn't so obscure after all. As Fu Yan pondered, the merman woman noticed him almost immediately. Her turquoise-blue eyes were both beautiful and exuded a dangerous aura. Her fish tail gently swayed in the water, yet Fu Yan could feel the tension thickening in the aquatic atmosphere. Meeting her profound gaze, Fu Yan finally recovered from his shock, pulling his eyes away slightly to focus on the pearl-like Merman King’s Jewel centered in a beam of light. If his guess was correct, the merman woman likely sought this very jewel at the Heart's Abyss. It seemed Fu Yan had become her sole competitor. “Lalalala…” A melodious song echoed through the water, and Fu Yan immediately refocused on her, a flash of surprise crossing his bright eyes. The merman’s song could hypnotize, and it became clear she didn’t intend to confront Fu Yan physically but aimed to lull him into slumber with her enchanting melody. “Lalala…” Despite the time, Fu Yan found the music captivating, but his reaction time was slipping away. His vision blurred, eyelids growing unbearably heavy, resistant to staying open. Under these circumstances, Fu Yan couldn't help but silently curse. Though the Merman King's Jewel piqued his interest, he didn't feel the need to possess it by force, perceiving it as more fitting for the Merman Tribe given its true potential. Had he known her identity sooner, he would have willingly relinquished it. Yet now, with no chance to explain, he succumbed to her song. As his Star Sword fell straight to the lakebed, Fu Yan's eyes closed completely. “Glug glug…” The next moment, Fu Yan's form went limp, sinking slowly to the lake's bottom like a corpse. Seeing this, the merman woman ceased her song. Named Lan Ning, her primary mission was to retrieve the Merman King's Jewel. She carried a treasure map on parchment, a family heirloom rumored to hold the jewel's secret. Disguised as a solitary practitioner from the mainland, Lan Ning had mingled with the tomb expedition party after meticulous preparation. Though she hadn’t fully deciphered the parchment’s secrets, she knew it led to the Heart’s Abyss Lake tomb. Yet to her dismay, the toxins here proved formidable. Before meeting Fu Yan in the cave, Lan Ning had been badly injured by a poisoned creature. Had it not been for the unique Merman antidote she carried, her recovery would have been uncertain. Encountering Fu Yan again outside the vault caught her off-guard, but she held no intent to kill and reclaim what she considered hers. It wasn’t out of a strong moral compass but an inexplicable sense of threat she perceived from Fu Yan. She couldn’t pinpoint the source, so she chose not to provoke complications. The moment the vault opened, she felt — or imagined feeling — the aura of the Merman King’s Jewel, focusing entirely on it and ignoring Fu Yan and others. Lan Ning avoided lingering on the first two layers, swiftly advancing to the third. Upon confirming the jewel’s presence, her breath quickened with anticipation. Determined to acquire it, nothing could hold her back. Unexpectedly, Fu Yan’s interruption posed a dilemma, whether to eliminate him as a rival. Lan Ning, a powerful cultivator of the Surpassing Realm, viewed Fu Yan, at a much lower manifestation stage, as no real threat by ordinary standards. Yet even when faced with her penetrating gaze, Fu Yan showed no fear. Lan Ning didn’t dismiss him as arrogant; the veiled threat resurfacing in her mind caused her to alter plans. Thus, opting against direct confrontation, she began to sing. Abandoning direct conflict with Fu Yan, she intended to envelop him in sleep through her entrancing melody. Watching Fu Yan helplessly fall unconscious and sink, Lan Ning's eyes flickered with realization. Her plan had worked. Diverting her gaze, she urgently focused on the Merman King’s Jewel, wasting no time in propelling herself forward with her tail to retrieve it. “Splash!” With a swift motion through the water, Lan Ning reached the center beam, eyes riveted on the luminous jewel. Her heart pounded as she reached out to touch it. Instantly, the surrounding water erupted into violent motion, waves emanating outward in tandem, agitating even the air currents. “Buzz.” As Lan Ning grasped the jewel, it emitted a powerful vibration. An intense light shot skyward the next moment. Feeling an instant of searing heat on her palm, Lan Ning reflexively released her grip. The moment it was freed, the Merman King’s Jewel soared into the air. In a blink, a spectral figure emerged over the water’s surface, clad in azure scales, wielding a lengthy trident, his massive tail coiled nonchalantly. Witnessing this, Lan Ning’s eyes widened in shock. This was clearly a Merman King! With no time to react, Lan Ning watched the figure merge into her being, feeling as though her soul was being torn. Discarding all else, she hastily closed her eyes, focusing on a fierce battle of souls. “Splash!” At that fleeting moment, another figure swiftly emerged from the lakebed. Of course, it was Fu Yan. Previously succumbing to the magical allure of the merman’s song, Fu Yan had slipped into slumber, but fortunately, he was merely a puppet at that time, and only his mind had slumbered. Shortly after sinking, Fu Yan’s physical essence sensed and forcibly reawakened his consciousness. Thus, not long after, the underwater Fu Yan regained awareness. Opening his eyes, he observed the strange occurrences and concentrated on Lan Ning, who showed signs of inner turmoil, her fins subtly trembling. This presented a prime opportunity—a single stroke could ensure his victory and claim the Merman King’s Jewel. Faced with this, Fu Yan chuckled softly. In a swift motion, Fu Yan cast forth a formation that enveloped Lan Ning and the Merman King’s Jewel in protective luminescence. Sensing something, Lan Ning reopened her eyes only to find Fu Yan awake, yet lacked time for surprise. Merely her eyes briefly fluttered closed again. The formation Fu Yan deployed was to assist Lan Ning, shielding her through the ordeal. Fu Yan was not one to exploit another's vulnerability, understanding her previous actions were more pacific than malicious, striving more for a dreamlike escape than slaughter. Despite the jewel’s allure, Fu Yan found no profound avarice for it. Having crossed paths, Fu Yan simply aided Lan Ning, leaving the outcome of her battle for the jewel to her abilities. Retracting his hand, Fu Yan, intending to search other corridors for resources in the third layer, noticed another celestial ladder forming above. Perhaps stirred by the prior commotion, this ladder seemed distinct. Hesitating a moment, Fu Yan decided to ascend. Shui Liu Qing and Ji Qing Jue would be along shortly, leaving the exploration to them. With this realization, Fu Yan leapt upward, disappearing swiftly into the ladder, leaving the third layer behind. Upon landing, his surroundings were no longer corridors but a pitch-black expanse where even extended hands were invisible. Once composed, he heard a soft sound. Splash! Splash! Light bathed the area, and Fu Yan squinted, discerning as a ring of candles ignited around him, their flames burning intensely in the profound silence. Passionate yet serene. Fu Yan blinked slowly, quickly adjusting to her surroundings. As she glanced around, she realized she stood at the entrance of a grand hall. The only sound was the crackling of the burning candles. With her thoughts swiftly refocusing, Fu Yan cautiously lifted her foot, intending to delve deeper into the hall. But a quick glance to her right revealed strange engravings on the wall. Curiosity piqued, she edged closer. The engravings came into sharp focus, and Fu Yan found herself surprised. The images depicted a person’s journey through life. Rendered simply, the first image showed a group surrounding a young figure, kicking and taunting. Though lacking any words, the depiction clearly illustrated the individual’s early life, rife with abuse and verbal assaults. Fu Yan continued to follow the story, much like reading a comic. The narrative was straightforward. The person was initially an ordinary individual, enduring trials and tribulations. By chance, they stumbled upon a great opportunity, propelling them onto the path of a prodigy. Their journey was extraordinarily smooth, garnering endless admiration and respect from all cultivators. Naturally, they ascended to immortality. However, the tone shifted dramatically from here. Even after achieving immortality, they didn’t relent in their cultivation, enduring successive tribulations. Though their power grew, so did the severity of the heavenly trials, each near-death encounter graver than the last. The final image on the wall depicted them pointing a sword skyward, facing a formidable heavenly tribulation. Ultimately unable to withstand it, they faded away, yet a smile tugged at their lips at the last moment. A release, perhaps, or a final relief. Above the scene, inscribed in scrawled yet faintly forceful letters, were the words “Path to Godhood.” For a reason she couldn’t quite place, Fu Yan fell into reflective thought, gazing at those four words. Throughout the continent, cultivators generally dedicate their lives to the goal of ascending to immortality, as if reaching that state marked life’s ultimate achievement and triumph for a cultivator. But what happens after becoming immortal? What is the true endpoint in the path of cultivation? Fu Yan recalled a previous conversation with Bai Yue Li. The ancient Demon Lord similarly reached heights unattainable for many, only to meet her end beneath her own tribulation. Does cultivation inevitably culminate in destruction? For the first time, contemplating the mural left Fu Yan feeling adrift. However, she quickly regained composure, her momentary hesitation scarcely affecting her Dao heart. Regardless of the unknowns, she trusted that where there’s a will, there's a way.