Into The Sea

As dawn arrived, the morning market in Jinghai Town sprang to life.

The indistinct sounds of vendors selling their wares seeped through the window into the room facing the street. A woman lying in bed stirred, her long eyelashes fluttering as she slowly opened her eyes. For a fleeting moment, she seemed dazed, her memories lingering in the realm of dreams.

It had been many years since she had dreamt of Haochen Mountain.

Lan Wu lay in a daze for a while before finally getting out of bed and walking over to the mirror. Under her expressionless gaze, her beautiful face began to shift and change. Finally, it settled into the ordinary appearance of an average woman.

The young girl lying fully clothed on the bed rolled over, gazing at her with sleepy eyes, “Master, are we getting up so early?” she asked drowsily.

Lan Wu nodded slightly. “The gate only opens for two hours. After this, it won’t open again for sixty years.”

Ah Li rubbed her eyes, asking without thinking, “Then how will we get out?”

“There’s a teleportation formation in the central temple of the Taixu Secret Realm that can transport us out,” Lan Wu explained, turning to look at her. “Which means, if we don’t get out within seven days, we’ll have to wait another sixty years.”

Ah Li nodded, then obediently climbed out of bed and began pulling on her shoes. Lan Wu frowned as she watched her. “Ah Li, maybe you should wait outside while I go in alone.”

Ah Li froze, then ran over and clung to her sleeve, looking up at her with wide eyes, “No way! Before we left, the Second Princess specifically told me to stick to you closely!”

“I know,” Lan Wu answered gently. “But we don’t know what’s in there. If we face something even I can’t handle, I might not be able to protect you.”

“I’m still coming,” Ah Li insisted.

Lan Wu sighed. “You really are a little shadow.”

Ah Li’s pouted in displeasure. “I’m a dragon! Not some little creature. I’m just not fully grown yet!”

Lan Wu chuckled, shaking her head. “Alright, alright. You can come, but you must stay close to me at all times. And no talking to strangers once we’re inside.”

Ah Li nodded seriously. “Of course! They’re all cultivators in there. I wouldn’t want to talk to them anyway.”

Lan Wu gave a slight “mm” and took out two pills, handing one to Ah Li. “Here. Swallow this, and it’ll hide your demonic aura.”

Ah Li obediently swallowed the pill. “Master, do you really think we’ll find any clues in there?”

“Who knows?” Lan Wu frowned, a trace of worry crossing her features. “Fuyou only gave us a direction. We’ve been traveling for months, and nothing has happened. Since this secret realm lies in the same direction, we have to at least take a look.”

Ah Li made a noise of vague understanding. “So we might go in there and find absolutely nothing?”

“That’s right,” Lan Wu tilted her head and smiled. “So, do you still want to go in?”

Ah Li didn’t hesitate. “Don’t even think about leaving me behind, Master! It’s because you’re always running off to the Abyssal Sea and disappearing for years that the Second Princess worries so much. That’s why she wants me to stay with you.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is,” Lan Wu said, arching an eyebrow as she led Ah Li out of the inn. “If I hadn’t spent all these years searching every inch of the Abyssal Sea, how would we have found even this small clue?”

“But it’s too dangerous!” Ah Li’s raised her voice. “That’s the territory of the Sea Demons! You…”

“Hush.” Lan Wu cut her off abruptly, lowering her eyes as she placed a finger to her lips. “Ah Li, we’re not at home anymore.”

Ah Li bit back her words, pouting as she mumbled, “I know, Master…”

Lan Wu patted her head reassuringly and led the way out of the inn. Glancing at the sky, where a few stars still twinkled, she murmured, “It’s almost time.”

Ah Li fell into step beside her, her gaze following Lan Wu’s to the sky. She cautiously reached out and took hold of the edge of Lan Wu’s robe.

Half an hour later, the long stretch of the beach, buffeted by the salty sea breeze, was crowded with people. Lan Wu crossed her arms and blended into the back of the crowd. Soon, over a dozen magnificent flying ships descended from the sky, hovering gracefully amidst the clouds, their forms shifting in and out of view, adding to their mystique.

Lan Wu looked up, reading the words engraved on the side of the flying ships, then took a few steps back. She gauged the distance and decided it wasn’t far enough, so she moved further away from the beach with Ah Li in tow.

Ah Li followed her in confusion and couldn’t help but ask, “Master, why are we standing so far back? They can’t detect our demonic aura, can they?”

Lan Wu paused for a moment and replied softly, “Remember the person we avoided a few days ago?”

“I remember.” Ah Li’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is she here too?”

Lan Wu nodded.

Ah Li curiously glanced at the dense crowd ahead. “But can she see through your disguise?”

“She might not,” Lan Wu said with a wry smile, “but her bird might.”

She could summon Danqing if she wanted to, but after so many years in Ji Lingyue’s possession, who knew what changes might have occurred? If something unexpected had happened to it without her knowledge, that would be disastrous.

Meanwhile, Ji Lingyue stood quietly at the bow of the flying ship, her gaze sweeping over the crowd below. Her gyrfalcon nestled contentedly in her sleeve as she stood motionless, even closing her eyes to meditate after a while.

Unfortunately, there were always people eager to bother her. When Qing Zibai once again tried to engage her in a conversation about the weather, Ji Lingyue opened her eyes irritably and said coldly, “If your mouth can’t produce anything useful, perhaps it should be sewn shut to prevent all this noise.”

Qing Zibai froze, his handsome smile turning stiff and rather comical. Thankfully, a hand reached out and pulled him away from the awkward predicament. Yu Shanye walked over to take his place, twirling a strand of her long hair as she drawled, “I just arrived and heard from Chang Li that you’ve been in a bad mood these past few days. Now I see it’s not just a bad mood, you’re ready to snap at any moment.”

Ji Lingyue coldly withdrew her gaze and closed her eyes again.

“What, now you’re ignoring me too?” Yu Shanye teased.

A humorless laugh escaped Ji Lingyue’s lips. “What are you to me that I should have to acknowledge you?”

Yu Shanye blinked, a knowing smile spreading across her face. “You really are upset.” After a moment, she seemed surprised, “Who managed to get you this angry?”

Ji Lingyue pressed her lips together, refusing to answer.

Yu Shanye looked her up and down, finding the situation increasingly fascinating. After all, in recent years, this person had become more and more like her emotionless, unfeeling master, always maintaining an unperturbed demeanor as if nothing could stir her emotions.

It made her nostalgic to see her simply angry like this.

She couldn’t help wanting to ask more, but Ji Lingyue opened her eyes and stared ahead steadily. “It’s opening.”

Yu Shanye followed her gaze. In the distance, above the sea’s surface, the phantom image of a pavilion gradually emerged. The rising sun’s rays pierced through the clouds and this apparition, falling upon faces showing various expressions.

Blinded by the sudden brilliance, the crowd shielded their eyes. Lan Wu, standing at the very back, straightened, her gaze fixed on the swirling golden aura appearing within the phantom pavilion and said seriously. “It’s opening.“