The next day, the trio arrived at the riverbank, preparing to enter the water to hunt demons.
An Long whistled, and numerous poisonous insects and snakes covered the shore, establishing a defensive formation. He imperiously announced that this was territory claimed by the Wan Gu Sect and warned others not to interfere. The disciples from the Chi Long Sect responsible for guarding the area and explaining the situation to passersby were trembling in fear at the sight of the poisonous creatures but still chose to stay.
"Water-repelling pearls, fish-skin floatation devices, emergency medicines, glow lanterns, fire-thunder beads, and a few stalks of Air-Holding Grass for emergency use," Song Qing Shi meticulously checked the list of equipment. "Is anything missing?" Many secret realms contained treasures hidden underwater, so these basic underwater essentials were something every cultivator carried, without needing any special preparation.
"No," replied Yue Wu Huan. Because his cultivation level was the lowest and the Blood King Vine was a good lure, he was tasked with attracting the water demons, which would then be killed by Song Qing Shi and An Long, who would be hiding nearby.
To calm his nerves, Song Qing Shi reassured him, "Don't worry; it's simple. I'll be right beside you, ensuring you don't get hurt."
After setting up the insect formation, An Long heard this and couldn't help but scoff, "Just make sure you don't release your Ghost Fire underwater and knock out both the water demon and us. I vividly remember that painful lesson from the past."
Back then, during an adventure in a secret realm, they had encountered a school of man-eating fish underwater. Song Qing Shi released his Ghost Fire to counter the attack but forgot that its poisonous aura would spread through the water, affecting both friend and foe. As a result, both the fish and An Long were seriously injured, causing the latter to spend three whole months in the infirmary at Yao Wang Valley.
To his dismay, this most embarrassing moment of his cultivation journey had been revealed to Yue Wu Huan.
Damn Alaska!
Song Qing Shi's face flushed red with embarrassment, as he hurriedly explained, "I was inexperienced back then; I won't make the same mistake now."
Yue Wu Huan stifled a laugh: "I trust you, Master."
The trio put on their flotation skins and activated their water-repelling pearls. After swimming for a brief period, they discovered an underwater cavern. The exterior of the cavern showed signs of manual carving, suggesting that a cultivator had modified the natural underwater structure for concealment or sanctuary.
On the rocky wall outside the cavern, there was an impressively deep sword mark, penetrating several feet into the stone.
Though not an expert in swordsmanship, Song Qing Shi could tell that this sword mark was extraordinary. Yue Wu Huan was utterly captivated by it.
Could this actually be a relic left behind by Sword Sovereign Mo Yuan?
With growing excitement, Song Qing Shi and An Long concealed their auras and took positions on either side of the cavern's entrance. Yue Wu Huan slowly approached alone. After a brief examination, he extended several tendrils of the Blood King Vine into the darkness, whipping the rocky walls inch by inch, searching for the location of the water demon beast.
Awakened from its slumber by the Blood King Vine, the water demon beast slowly peeked out. Discovering that it was disturbed by a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, it was livid. Several tentacles with vortexing currents extended, attempting to pull him into the cavern.
The moment Song Qing Shi saw the creature, his eyes lit up. This water demon beast was no ordinary specimen; the Water Spirit Pearl within it had turned green, indicating it had lived for at least ten thousand years! Such a pearl was a heavenly treasure and could be used to concoct the highest-quality Azure Water Pills!
Yue Wu Huan grinned, feeling even more determined to capture this rare quarry for his Master. He coiled two tendrils of the Blood King Vine around the rocks outside the cavern, controlling the speed at which his body was being pulled in. The rest of the tendrils rapidly extended into the cavern along the tentacles, directly piercing the water demon beast and extracting the Water Spirit Pearl.
This greatly enraged the water demon beast, which finally emerged from the cavern, brandishing its entire body and lunging at Yue Wu Huan.
An Long watched with interest, secretly hoping for mutual destruction between the demon beast and Yue Wu Huan. Unfortunately, with Song Qing Shi vigilantly standing by, he dared not deviate from the plan. Reluctantly, he revealed himself, seizing the water demon beast and tearing its body open with brute force. Several aquatic insects crawled in through the wound, feasting on this sumptuous, nourishing meal.
The water demon beast writhed in agony, redirecting its attack towards An Long.
Song Qing Shi stepped in front of Yue Wu Huan, severing the entangling tentacles with his alchemic fire, signaling him to step back. Such risky hunting tasks should be left to Nascent Soul cultivators.
Before Yue Wu Huan could even speak, the water demon beast's behavior changed dramatically upon seeing Song Qing Shi.
It hesitated for a moment before its eyes turned blood-red. As if encountering a mortal enemy, it ignored Yue Wu Huan, who had stolen its Water Spirit Pearl, and the pain from An Long's insects, lunging crazily at Song Qing Shi, as if ready to stake its life.
Song Qing Shi was flabbergasted; all he had done was sever a couple of tentacles. Why was it singling him out?
An Long, astonished, mimed a whistle and mouthed, "Qing Shi, did you kill its parents or steal its spouse?"
Song Qing Shi understood the question and frantically shook his head, summoning his alchemic fire once more to meet the attack.
This anomaly from the water demon beast was actually a boon for the hunt.
The creature was not suited for direct combat; it specialized in setting traps and remaining concealed. Once it fully revealed itself, it was like a lamb on the chopping block. Even with the water hindering their movements, two Nascent Soul cultivators working together could easily crush it.
More and more insects burrowed into the beast's body, and ever more tentacles were severed by the fearless alchemical fire. Yet, it remained unyieldingly focused on Song Qing Shi, intent on swallowing him whole.
Calculating quickly, Song Qing Shi allowed himself to be swallowed by the beast. Once inside, he ignited his alchemical fire, transforming himself into a blazing, molten sphere that seared through the beast's belly. He then retrieved the Water Spirit Pearl. Agonized, the demon beast writhed and thrashed, creating massive waves. In a final act of despair, it liquefied its form, ensnaring the trio, and detonated its demon core, propelling them deeper into the underwater cavern.
Swiftly, Song Qing Shi erected a barrier to shield Yue Wu Huan from the explosion's impact. He then surveyed their surroundings.
Inside the cavern, darkness reigned. A distant light beckoned them, and when they followed it, they discovered a hidden utopia that seemed to be part of the adjacent Moon Mountain. Rays of light filtered through cracks in the rocks, illuminating this small, verdant world. Moss and vines were everywhere, creating an otherworldly beauty—truly a secluded haven.
Climbing ashore, Song Qing Shi shook off water droplets and said, "Fortunately, I was quick. I managed to get ten Water Spirit Pearls."
Yue Wu Huan followed, grinning, "I managed to grab three as well."
Pleased, Song Qing Shi suggested, "Let's go back down later and search for any intact Water Spirit Pearls left from its self-destruction, and collect the debris for potion-making."
An Long leaped out, splashing water all over Song Qing Shi's face. He looked around frantically, "Where are my snakes?"
"Shouldn't we find the others first?" Song Qing Shi proposed.
The whereabouts of the Sect Master of the Red Dragon Sect and the other fallen cultivators remained unknown, and an underlying sense of danger pervaded the area.
"Master, something seems wrong," Yue Wu Huan's expression suddenly turned serious. Blood King Vines stretched out, parting the vines covering the rock wall. Behind them were intricate carvings filled with ancient glyphs, which extended throughout the cave. He quickly said, "There's an ancient array here. We should leave immediately..."
These expansive ancient arrays were invariably complicated affairs.
Those missing had likely fallen into it.
Yue Wu Huan couldn't finish his words; a faint dark glow was already emanating from the array.
"It's too late," said Song Qing Shi, resigned. "The water demon beast's purpose was to bring us here."
An Long spread his arms in laughter, "Let's prepare to break the array. How about a little wager? Whoever escapes first gets a kiss from the loser?"
"Absolutely not!" Song Qing Shi pulled Yue Wu Huan, whose cultivation was the lowest, closer to him. He glared at An Long, correcting his improper thoughts, "Gambling is forbidden!"
Yue Wu Huan's expression remained solemn, perhaps because he had never encountered such a situation before. Was he worried?
Ancient arrays could generally be categorized as: death traps, entrapment arrays, heart-probing arrays, test arrays, and so on. Some even contained unsolved puzzles left by powerful beings for future generations. Some were lethal, others merely held you captive until you could break out or died, while others were opportunities left by the ancients for their juniors.
"Don't worry," Song Qing Shi reassured, "It doesn't seem like a death trap. We'll be fine."
The array's glow gradually engulfed them all, bringing with it a disorienting sense of dizziness.
...
When Song Qing Shi woke up, he found himself sitting on an intricately carved mahogany bed, surrounded by mirrors and a vanity table. It appeared he was in a young woman's boudoir? Rising to his feet and taking a few steps, he felt distinctly uncomfortable; something on his head seemed to sway with his movements.
A suspicion emerged in his mind. He rushed to a mirror for a quick look and almost fainted from shock.
What on earth was this delicate beauty in the mirror wearing an embroidered white robe with chain patterns, draped in white fox fur, and adorned with an exquisite makeup and a head full of jewels? Why did she look somewhat like him?
Uneasily, Song Qing Shi touched his face; the beauty in the mirror did the same.
Could this be... him?
He was, after all, a man of remarkable masculinity. Why would this array transform him into wearing such ridiculous attire?
For the first time in his life, Song Qing Shi felt utter panic. He touched his body to confirm his gender and then looked around in horror. He was terrified that An Long might burst in, see him in this comical state, and mock him for five hundred years. He was even more afraid that Yue Wu Huan might enter and see him in this embarrassing condition. He would rather dig a hole to bury himself in, or let his primordial spirit self-destruct...
Frantically, he began to undress, first removing the white fox fur adorned with lotus and carp motifs. He then fumbled to remove the head ornaments. However, having never dealt with women's hairpieces, some ornamental hairpins painfully caught his hair. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he ripped out a handful of hair before finally removing them. Yet, he felt there were still other accessories at the back of his head.
Why do girls have so many intricate adornments?
In his hurried efforts, Song Qing Shi finally managed to remove all the jewelry. Just as he was about to wash his face, he heard increasingly urgent footsteps approaching from outside the door as if someone were about to burst in.
What to do? Was it An Long or Yue Wu Huan? He absolutely could not be seen like this!
In desperation, Song Qing Shi shouted, "Wait! Don't come in!"
Despite his plea, the door was pushed open...
Panicking, and without a second thought, Song Qing Shi dove under the bed.