Into The Sea

Leaving the Sea Palace, Lan Yuan swam towards the High Priestess Temple, her mind heavy with worry. Over a month had passed, and Lan Wu still hadn’t woken up. The meeting with the other sea clans had just concluded, and she felt a deep sense of uncertainty about the future.

She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the road ahead. As she entered the temple, she saw a young merfolk named Qing He sitting at the entrance, engrossed in a thick tome.

“Where’s your master?” Lan Yuan asked, her voice weary.

Qing He jumped, startled. “Your Highness? Oh, Master, Master is in the inner hall.”

Lan Yuan nodded and swam past the densely hanging bone talismans, weaving through the stone shelves and passing through several barriers before reaching the softly glowing inner hall.

Lan Wu lay peacefully in a luminous seashell, while Fuyou stood nearby, speaking with a woman seated quietly beside the shell. Lan Yuan caught a few words and suddenly interjected, “What do you mean she might never wake up?”

Fuyou paused, turning her head. “Your Highness?”

After a moment, she frowned. “I mean, Lan Wu’s injuries are healing, her vitals are normal, and her soul hasn’t left her body. But she still can’t wake up. I… I can’t find the reason. We can only wait and prepare for the possibility that she might never wake.”

Lan Yuan pressed her lips together, instinctively glancing at Ji Lingyue. The woman hadn’t left the temple in the past month, like a silent ghost, guarding Lan Wu’s side.

Just then, Ji Lingyue was gently placing Lan Wu’s hand back by her side. “I understand,” she murmured. After gazing at Lan Wu for a long time, she finally rose to her feet, turning to Lan Yuan. “Please take me back to the surface.”

Lan Yuan was surprised. “You’re leaving?”

“Yes.”

“Where are you going?” Her brows furrowed, her voice turning cold. “Are you tired of living here? Don’t forget, you’re still connected to Lan Wu by the life-and-death contract…”

“I know. It’s because of that, that I must leave.” Ji Lingyue raised her hand, staring at the black mist swirling around her fingertips. “I’ve been thinking a lot these past few days. Everything I’ve experienced, ultimately, points to one cause.”

“I am just too weak.”

She sighed. “In Haochen Mountain, I couldn’t defy my master’s orders and had to watch her endure unnecessary pain.”

“I thought leaving would be enough, but misfortune always finds us. If I were stronger, if I had the power to kill all my enemies, if I was truly a terrifying demon, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.”

Lan Yuan was taken aback, staring at her.

“They say demons are cruel, defying the heavens, and do not enter the cycle of reincarnation after death. But after becoming a demon, I was able to truly protect Lan Wu for the first time.” Ji Lingyue’s voice was low.

“But I’m still too weak. If I use demonic techniques to steal cultivation and grow swiftly, even after breaking through to the early Great Ascension stage, I’m still powerless against those stronger than me.”

Lan Yuan was silent for a moment. “So, where are you going?”

“I’ve heard that in the southern continent, there are countless demons. I’m going there. Perhaps my cultivation will grow faster there.”

“The Flame Lands,” Lan Yuan frowned. “That’s far beyond the borders of Xuan Yuan Continent. Few have been there. It’s said you have to cross endless oceans to reach that place.”

Ji Lingyue: “I will find it.”

After a moment, the woman sighed, conceding. “Fine, I’ll take you to the surface.”

Before leaving, Ji Lingyue glanced back at the sleeping woman. A black butterfly flew from her fingertip, landing on Lan Wu’s chest, its wings folded. Her gaze lingered on Lan Wu’s face. “Wait for me to come back,” she whispered.

As they ascended from the depths of the sea on the back of the black whale, they remained silent. Only when they could see a glimmer of light above did Lan Yuan suddenly speak. “From now on, the sea clans will hide in the deepest parts of the ocean.”

Ji Lingyue watched her back, listening as she continued. “The sea clans have always lived in the human realm, neighbors to humans. Even after joining the demon realm, we remained distant.”

“Now, with what happened to Lan Wu in the demon realm, the Emperor has summoned the leaders of the other clans to discuss the final decision. The demon realm and the human realm are destined for war, but we will no longer follow the Demon Queen into battle. We won’t go ashore. From now on, whoever wins or loses, however many die, it has nothing to do with us.”

“In the end, you still choose to live in isolation?”

“What else can we do? After this, I doubt either realm will accept us.” Lan Yuan clenched her fist, her voice low. “I would like to storm the demon realm and drag out the demons who hurt Lan Wu, but… I can’t do that now.”

The sound of splashing water filled the air, and warm sunlight fell upon them. Ji Lingyue instinctively squinted, gazing at the clear blue sky, feeling as if she had been transported to another world.

“Ji Lingyue,” Lan Yuan said. “You must live. You’re still bound by the life-and-death contract. If you die, Lan Wu will truly be gone.”

“I understand.”

She was about to leave the whale, but Lan Yuan stopped her, sliding off the whale herself and splashing into the water.

“I was wrong to treat you the way I did before. I apologize.”

Ji Lingyue was momentarily stunned, but before she could respond, Lan Yuan patted the whale’s fin and said, “Let it take you the rest of the way.” She smiled, and for a moment, her face seemed as gentle and radiant as Lan Wu’s. “Then, I wish you a smooth journey.”

Ji Lingyue’s long lashes trembled, and a hint of moisture appeared in her eyes, but it quickly disappeared. “Okay.”

She said solemnly, “I will not die.”

***

Before her was a vast expanse of white. She reached out her hand, and it was clean, without any blood or wounds.

Lan Wu was stunned for a moment, then turned to look around.

This world was vast and lifeless, as if she were the only living thing here. After standing frozen for a while, she took a step forward, running aimlessly in one direction. But no matter how far she ran, the scenery around her remained unchanged.

Was this the underworld? If it was, why couldn’t she see the legendary Ox-Head and Horse-Face, or the endless Yellow Springs River?

As if hearing her thoughts, a cold voice suddenly spoke, “This is your spiritual sea.”

Lan Wu jumped, startled. “Who’s there?”

“You don’t need to know who I am.”

“Why?” Lan Wu asked, confused. “If this is my spiritual sea, why are you here? And… didn’t I die?”

“You’re not dead.”

“Not dead?” Lan Wu tilted her head. “Did you save me?”

“Not entirely.” The voice said, “The spiritual core in your body locked your soul in time, buying you time. I was able to protect it after I awakened, saving your life.”

“Then… I need to go back,” Lan Wu started to panic. “I have so much to tell my sister, and, Ah Yue, Ah Yue is waiting for me. She must be worried sick.”

“You can’t go back,” the woman said calmly. “I’ve trapped you here.”

Lan Wu was stunned. “What?”

“I’ve trapped you here. The only way for you to return to the human realm is to break through this barrier yourself.”

“You…” Lan Wu was incredulous. “Why would you do that? If you saved me, why trap me?”

“What use would you be if you went out like this? Haven’t you realized? You no longer have your mermaid pearl.”

Lan Wu froze, suddenly silent.

“You are neither human nor demon now, your cultivation is weak. You’re practically useless. Even if you went out, what could you do?” the voice said coldly. “Keeping you here is safer.”

Lan Wu pressed her lips together, her voice tight. “No…”

“Hmm?”

“The people I love are out there. I can’t stay here forever.”

“Then break through this barrier.”

“Are you toying with me?!” Lan Wu suddenly shouted. “You said it yourself—I’m useless. How am I supposed to break through the barrier you’ve created?”

Just as she finished speaking, a low table suddenly appeared before her, piled high with bamboo scrolls. Lan Wu looked down for a moment, then said incredulously, “You want me to learn this?”

“Yes.”

“There’s barely any spiritual energy here. Even if you want me to cultivate, I can’t achieve any significant power!”

“I don’t expect you to achieve great power, Lan Wu. Look closely at those scrolls.” The voice suddenly grew serious. “There are many cultivation methods in this world that don’t require deep power to master. They don’t require you to be powerful, as long as you are diligent and focused, you will master them.”

A bamboo scroll suddenly flew up, unfolding in front of Lan Wu. The bold characters glowed with a faint golden light.

Lan Wu stared at the title: “Nine Palaces Formation…”

Formations.

An unbelievable idea slowly formed in her mind. She widened her eyes, lifting her head in disbelief. “You are…”

The voice suddenly interrupted her. “I’ve set up eighty-one formations in your spiritual sea. As long as even one remains unsolved, you won’t be able to leave.”

“Eighty-one…” Lan Wu murmured. “How long will it take for me to leave?”

“Who knows?” the woman said softly. “Perhaps ten years, perhaps twenty, perhaps you will never solve them. Lan Wu, it depends on you.”

“Whether you like it or not, you’ve been pampered for too long. You’ve never fought for anything, never truly desired anything. You’re right… the people you love are waiting for you out there. Now, it’s up to you to decide how long you’ll make them wait.”

Translation note:
Ox-Head and Horse-Face – The two guardians of the underworld in Chinese mythology. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ox-Head_and_Horse-Face

Yellow Springs River – The river that separates the living and the dead.