Xie Lian asked, “One of the Four Supreme Beings, Black Water Sinking Boat?”
"Four pests, not four extinctions."
"..." Xie Lian then remembered that he had subconsciously excluded Qi Rong from the four. This was probably because he simply couldn't put "Green Lantern Night Wanderer" on the same level as the other three.
Xie Lian, having crammed his way through the scrolls, had a rudimentary understanding of the "Black Water Sunken Boat." Legend had it that this was a great water ghost living in seclusion overseas. Like the "Blood Rain Seeker," it emerged from the battles of Copper Furnace Mountain. Though it maintained a low profile, it was only in the mortal and celestial realms. According to incomplete calculations, it had devoured at least five hundred renowned demons and monsters from various lands, over four hundred of which were highly skilled water ghosts. The Black Water Ghost Den was its home.
Just as the Ghost Market is Flower City's territory, "once you cross this boundary, there's no law," once you're in their territory, they have the final say. A widely circulated saying in the ghost world: "Red is king on land, black rules the water." This is a reference to this. "Red" naturally refers to the red-clad Blood Rain Scholar, and "black" refers to the Black Water Mysterious Ghost.
Pei Ming said, "Brother Shui, you're really unlucky this time. The Black Ghost, unlike the Blue Ghost, doesn't usually cause trouble. Luckily, it hasn't drifted very far. Turn the boat around before you're spotted."
The others looked at him: "You adjust it? Aren't you in charge of this boat?"
Pei Ming was also puzzled. "No adjustment? This boat should be able to adjust itself. No need to do anything."
However, the rudder didn't budge at all. Pei Ming had no choice but to manually steer the ship himself. As soon as he put his hand on it, his brow furrowed. Xie Lian approached and asked, "Can't push it?"
It couldn't possibly be because Pei Ming wasn't strong enough. Xie Lian was confident in his own strength, but he couldn't push it either. Ming Yi came up to check for a moment and said, "It might be stuck. I'll go check underneath."
Shi Qingxuan said, "Brother Ming, I'll go down with you."
Shi Wudu said, "Come back! Don't run around anymore."
Because he was still undergoing a tribulation, he couldn't afford to be angry or distracted, as this would affect his mood. Shi Qingxuan didn't dare disobey, and returned with a sullen look. Mingyi then went down to the deck to investigate alone. Xie Lian wanted to help, but he knew he wasn't as skilled as the Earth Master in construction, so he wouldn't be able to help. Furthermore, gazing out at the pitch-black sea around him, he remembered something more important. He concentrated and asked, "Are there any fishermen drifting into this area?"
Hua Cheng had excellent eyesight and had been cooperating with Xie Lian's search and rescue efforts. He was the first to spot many of the fishermen. He took a look around and said, "There shouldn't be any. The Black Water Demon Cave is in the South China Sea, so fishermen can't drift that far. Besides, the waters around here are protected by barriers, so ordinary people can't get in without special circumstances. If they do get in, there's no hope. Basically, nothing can float in without sinking."
This was actually the South China Sea. He hadn't expected to drift this far without realizing it. Xie Lian tried, and found that his spiritual communication had indeed been completely blocked. It had been sporadic before, but at least it was working. Now, it was completely silent. Although the sea was calm, he didn't know what dangerous undercurrents were lurking beneath the surface. The sky was getting darker, and he had a bad feeling. He said, "Since no fishermen have drifted this way, if the Earth Master can't repair the boat later, why don't we abandon it and go ashore? The Water Master will return to the tribulation crossing site in the East China Sea, so we can continue the search and rescue."
Pei Ming said, "That's fine." Then he opened the cabin door.
Unexpectedly, after opening the door, he saw the empty cabin instead of the land. His face changed immediately and he said, "The shrinking skill failed?!"
Hua Cheng laughed and said, "Isn't this natural? Since the psychic spell has failed, why is the shrinking technique still usable?"
Pei Ming turned around and looked over here, saying, "Hey little brother, you seem very calm despite your young age. You don't seem worried at all, do you?"
Xie Lian said, “The boat has drifted into the ghost realm and is still sinking. We can’t leave. Let’s find a way to solve this problem first.”
Shi Qingxuan called down below the deck, "Brother Ming, what do you think? Can it be fixed?"
Ming Yi said from below, "It's not broken! Nothing's stuck. It's something else that's causing it to malfunction."
Pei Ming said in a deep voice: "It's the Xuan Gui's magic field."
As he spoke, the entire deck suddenly sank again. Xie Lian looked again and saw that most of the ship had already sunk into the water. Any ordinary ship would have collapsed long ago, but since it was made by immortals, it was still struggling stubbornly, struggling to rise. He said, "There are always exceptions. It's impossible for nothing to float in these waters! There must be something that won't sink."
Hua Cheng said: "Yes."
Everyone looked at him. Hua Cheng crossed his arms and said casually, "There's a kind of wood that can float on the water in the Black Water Demon Cave without sinking."
Xie Lian speculated on several common special woods and said, "Sandalwood? Agarwood? Sophora japonica?"
Hua Cheng said, "Coffin wood."
"Coffin wood?!"
Hua Cheng said, "Yes. No one who accidentally entered the Black Water's den of demons ever returned alive. There was only one exception. That was because a man on that ship was carrying the body of a relative back home. After the ship sank, he floated back to shore on a coffin."
Pei Ming raised his eyebrows and said, "This little brother knows quite a lot."
Hua Cheng also raised an eyebrow and said, "No, you just know too little."
Although Shi Wudu was still meditating with his hand seals, he shifted his gaze over and, narrowing his eyes slightly, said, "Brother Pei, I've wanted to ask before, who is this person? Where does he come from? Why is he with you?"
Pei Ming said, "Well, I'm afraid you'll have to ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. After all, you're his concubine."
Shi Qingxuan said, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about whether we know too much or too little. Now all magic spells are ineffective. Where can we find a coffin?"
Pei Ming said, "It's simple. Come, I'll make one for you right here, so you can know what it means to have enough food and clothing by doing it yourself."
“…”
Hua Cheng said, "It's useless. It must be a coffin that has held a dead person."
There was no other way. We couldn't just build a coffin and put one of them in there. As they spoke, the ship sank a little deeper into the water. The deck where everyone was standing tilted slightly, almost reaching the sea level. Shi Wudu, who had been sitting in meditation very straight, almost tilted his posture. He said coldly, "Forget it! I'll do it."
He pulled out a paper fan, tapped it lightly against his forehead, and unfolded it. On the front of the fan was the word "water," and on the back were three wavy lines. Shi Wudu casually raised the fan and shouted, "Water!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Lian felt the boat suddenly surge upwards, and his feet were immediately several feet above sea level, giving him a sense of security. He wondered, "Can the Water Master Fan even control the waters of the Black Water Demonic Den?"
Hua Cheng said, "It's not the ghost realm's water. He brought water from somewhere else."
It turned out they hadn't been drifting into the Black Water Den for long. Just moments after crossing the boundary, Shi Wudu summoned water from the nearby South China Sea, which surged down from the bottom and lifted the boat aloft. Pei Ming said, "Brother Shui, well done! The rudder is useless, and the boat can't turn. Hurry and use the water to lift it back."
Before Shi Wudu could respond, the ship sank again. It was the ghostly waters that refused to give in, defying the external currents. This time, the sinking was even more severe, the entire deck tilting even more dramatically, top-heavy. Everyone slid toward the bow, trying to steady themselves. Though Shi Wudu had a gentle and handsome face, he possessed a fiercely unyielding temperament. Sensing that something was against him, a shimmering aura crossed his face. He closed his Water Master Fan, then opened it again. The three streamlines surged even more, the currents intensified, and the ship suddenly lifted!
One force was clamoring for the ship to sink, while another force was stubbornly insisting on it rising. The ship rose and fell, like a tug-of-war with both sides at a stalemate. The ship stopped and started on the sea, sometimes sinking and sometimes floating, the waves splashed wildly, and from time to time, there were waves of seawater pouring back. It was terrible. If the people on the ship were ordinary people, they would have been scared crazy by now. Xie Lian held the side of the boat tightly with one hand and Hua Cheng tightly with the other, saying, "What's going on? The boat is spinning!"
It was indeed true. The ship had begun to slowly spin in one direction, spinning faster and faster, sinking deeper and deeper. Xie Lian suddenly realized that the ship had fallen into a massive vortex and was being sucked deep into the center!
He shouted, "Everyone, be careful! There's a fight between the two sides of the water!"
This wasn't Shi Wudu's home turf, after all. While the seawater he'd brought in from elsewhere was powerful, it had crossed the line and was compromised, struggling against the Ghost Domain's ocean currents, putting him at a slight disadvantage. After Xie Lian shouted that, the ship was indeed sucked into the center of the vortex. At the last moment, Xie Lian threw his heart, pulled Hua Cheng, and the two of them, riding on the sword, took flight!
He was originally extremely worried that Fangxin might not be able to fly anymore, but he finally breathed a sigh of relief once he left the deck. Although the flight was crooked, at least it was still able to fly. Looking down from above, the entire sea area was a deep and terrifying pitch-black color. Below, it was obvious that two huge currents of different colors were fighting each other. It was their chasing and biting that formed this huge vortex. After the center of the vortex swallowed the big ship, the two huge currents also dispersed at once. But they have not given up fighting, like two poisonous snakes, they are still attacking each other. Every collision stirred up a huge wave. Xie Lian looked around and said, "Master Wind Master? Master Earth Master? General Pei? Are you all here?"
A dozen feet behind him, Shi Qingxuan's voice came: "Your Highness! We are here!"
Xie Lian said, "You guys are flying swords too..." He turned around and was speechless. He saw Ming Yi standing on the handle of a crescent shovel, and Shi Qingxuan sitting on the top of the shovel, waving at him.
This wasn't a sword, this was a... shovel. This scene was truly unbearable to watch!
Over there, Pei Ming's voice also said: "Where is Senior Brother Shui?"
He was flying the sword alone, and without seeing the water master, Shi Qingxuan also shouted: "Brother? Brother?!"
Xie Lian said, "Don't worry. Shuishi is a water god. He shouldn't sink." But thinking of the power of the whirlpool, he didn't dare to underestimate it. He turned around and said, "Sanlang, hold on to my waist tightly. Don't let go or you'll fall."
Hua Cheng said obediently, "Yeah, okay. But, brother, there's something I must tell you."
Xie Lian asked, “What’s the matter?”
Hua Chengdao: "You can't fly above the Black Water Demon Cave. Something will come out."
Just as he finished speaking, there was a sharp long whistle, and a huge white creature broke out of the water and attacked Pei Ming.
Pei Ming was a skilled swordsman. Seeing the monster approach, he instinctively reached for his sword. However, his sword landed on the ground beneath his feet, and he missed. Fortunately, he reacted quickly, leaping down, grasping his sword and slashing through the air, severing the creature in two. Before his body plummeted, he remounted the sword and rose steadily, his hair untangled. He calmly asked, "What is that?"
After he severed the creature, it let out a wail and fell to the surface, barely visible. Xie Lian squinted his eyes and examined it carefully, saying, "Fish?"
It was indeed a fish, but not an ordinary fish, but a bony fish that was five meters long and two meters wide!
That "fish" had no flesh or scales, just white bones. It had sharp teeth and a mouth, and it wasn't known if it was poisonous. If it bit you, it would be fatal. Pei Ming flew higher and said, "Be careful, there must be more than one of these creatures!"
Sure enough, when he said "one", the second one suddenly jumped up. This time, it attacked Mingyi and Shi Qingxuan!
Unfortunately, the Earth Master wasn't a martial god, so his attack wasn't strong. The Wind Master was also mortal, and Ming Yi wasn't very skilled with the shovel. Although they weren't bitten, they were knocked down and fell into the sea. As they fell, Shi Qingxuan said in despair, "Brother Ming! Remember to use your magic weapon more often from now on—"
Ming Yi said: "Get lost——"
Pei Ming sighed and rushed over to save the group. Xie Lian observed his skills and knew he could handle the situation alone. He thought to himself, "This really can't be blamed on the Earth Master. A shameless priest wouldn't want to use a magical weapon like a shovel..."
At this moment, a chill ran down his back.
Xie Lian immediately regained his composure and said gently, "Sanlang, hold on tight. Be careful, something's coming."
Hua Cheng said, "Okay." He really tightened his arms.
Not long after, four water walls suddenly rushed up from all directions, and four bony fish flew into the air!
These four huge, eerie skeletons looked more like dragons than fish. Their skulls were jagged, their horns sharp, and two balls of ghostly fire burning in their hollow eye sockets, like a pair of large lanterns. Their claws were complete, and their upper bodies, as thick as water tanks, must have been at least six or seven feet above the surface of the sea. Their lower bodies were buried in the sea, and no one knew how long they were. These four creatures surrounded Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, blocking all directions. The two of them were suspended in the air. If they went up, their hearts could no longer fly higher; if they went down, there was a silent and dead sea.
Xie Lian sighed and said, "Then... who should start first?"
After thinking for a while, he put his hands together and said, "Let's go together."
As soon as he finished speaking, the bone dragon to the east screamed and rushed forward first. Xie Lian raised his hand and pointed!
The bone dragon was immediately frozen.
It was a massive beast, yet it was pinned down by a single sword, a single finger, and a single person. It was frozen in place, unable to advance a single step. Its tail and hind claws thrashed frantically, stirring up massive waves in the sea. The other three also charged forward. Xie Lian switched his fingers to claws, grabbing the horn on the head of the skeletal dragon and swinging it around like a weapon. With a resounding whoosh, the three skeletal dragons were instantly crushed into a shattered "thirty" shape by the single dragon!
The four bone dragons screamed as they plunged into the sea, their bones shattered into pieces. Afterward, Xie Lian looked down at the sea littered with broken bones, clapped his hands, and breathed a sigh of relief. Then he turned around and asked, "Is Sanlang okay?"
Hua Cheng smiled and said, "With my brother protecting me, how could anything happen to me?"
Xie Lian felt a bit embarrassed after hearing his words. Hua Cheng would have no problem dealing with this thing, so asking him if he was alright seemed like a deliberate attempt to curry favor. At that moment, the sword suddenly sank, and before Xie Lian could react, they were both plummeting, plunging headfirst into the icy water.
It’s not that she was pulled down by something, but Fangxin is too old and can’t hold on any longer. She has been using it for so long and needs to rest!
The freezing cold seawater poured in from all directions. Xie Lian choked on the water twice before shutting his mouth and trying to swim upwards. However, the water in this dark and sinister den was indeed very strange. Although Xie Lian was a good swimmer, his body sank like a lead block in this water and he could not float up no matter what. He opened his eyes and looked around. The water was also dark and he could not see where Hua Cheng was. He swept his arms around in the sea, but he could not catch anyone except his falling heart. Xie Lian could not help but feel a little anxious. But the more anxious he was, the harder it was to swim up, and the faster his body sank. Fortunately, after a while, it was as if a hand suddenly pushed away the fog. Xie Lian's eyes lit up. The next moment, someone held his hand, put his arm around his waist, and quickly floated up and soon broke the surface of the water. Xie Lian took a few breaths, wiped his face and saw that the person who brought him up was Hua Cheng.
It was strange. Logically, Hua Cheng was dead, and as the saying goes, "dead people sink, dead people sink." He should have sunk faster than Xie Lian. Yet, he seemed so light and airy in the water, floating effortlessly. He looked down at Xie Lian, "Are you okay?"
Xie Lian nodded. However, this scene was so familiar that it reminded him of the last time he'd seen it, and his heart instantly burned. Hua Cheng held him in his arms with one hand, paddling slowly with the other, saying, "Brother, hold on tight. If you let go, you'll sink."
Xie Lian didn't know what to say, so he nodded randomly. Just then, the waters nearby began to ripple, and several sharp bone horns emerged from the surface, like shark fins, rapidly closing in on the two of them. The four bone dragons Xie Lian had knocked unconscious had returned, seeking revenge.
They circled around the two of them for a moment, their gazes fixed on them. Finally, unable to contain themselves, they charged forward. Xie Lian clenched his fists, ready to strike back, when he heard Hua Cheng tsk impatiently from above him.
The bone dragon had already rushed in front of the two of them, but when it heard this sound, the murderous aura suddenly disappeared without a trace. Its sharp fangs seemed to be coming to bite off Xie Lian's throat, but after rushing over, it rubbed the tip of the Fangxin sword and kissed it twice.
Xie Lian: “???”
He was still bewildered when the four bone dragons, seemingly timid, swam away hastily, their tails wagging. Xie Lian was speechless for a moment. Hua Cheng continued to paddle with him, saying as they swam, "Brother, see? If you keep a pet in the future, don't keep this kind of trash."
“…”
Pets???
Xie Lian said, “No, there’s no need for that…”
Suddenly, a water dragon burst from the sea and soared into the sky. Xie Lian looked up and saw Shi Wudu sitting atop the dragon, his hands in a powerful attack seal. His face was filled with rage, as if he was locked in a fierce battle with something. The already restless sea surface became even more turbulent. Xie Lian shouted, "Master Wind Master! Master Earth Master! General Pei? Where are you?"
By the moonlight, he managed to glance around. He saw no one else, but found himself trapped in a vast shadow. He turned and his eyes widened. He saw a wall of waves, overwhelming him and rushing towards him. Then, he could see nothing.
…………
After floating in the sea for an unknown amount of time, Xie Lian finally opened his eyes.
He didn't sit up, but he could tell from the feel beneath him that he had landed. After lying there for a while, gathering some strength, he raised one hand and looked at it. The lines on his palm were wrinkled from being soaked.
Xie Lian felt a slight pain in his lower back, and turning his head, he realized that the object was Hua Cheng's arm. Hua Cheng was lying next to him, apparently holding him tightly.
He was already awake, but Huacheng was still asleep, his eyes tightly shut. Xie Lian sat up suddenly and gently nudged him, "Sanlang? Sanlang?"
Hua Cheng didn't respond. Xie Lian pushed him while glancing around. Although they were already on land, there were no docks, no people, no houses, only dense forest. It felt more like an isolated island than a continent. Furthermore, it was already daytime. Had they been drifting all night? Where could they be drifting to?
After pushing for a long time, Hua Cheng also fell into a deep sleep and did not move. Ghosts cannot drown, so Xie Lian believed that Hua Cheng would definitely not drown. However, there was no guarantee that there were no other creatures in the sea, such as poisonous and thorny bony fish, which would secretly attack him. So Xie Lian touched Hua Cheng's chest, arms, and legs, trying to check if he had any wounds. However, apart from the conclusion that Hua Cheng had a really good figure, he did not find anything else. Xie Lian was stunned for a moment, and a little panicked, muttering: "Sanlang, you are kidding me."
No response.
In a moment of desperation, Xie Lian actually put his head against his chest to listen for Hua Cheng's heartbeat. It was only then that he remembered: how could a ghost have a heartbeat? Unexpectedly, he actually heard one. Xie Lian was startled, then immediately realized what was happening and had a theory.
Hua Cheng’s true form certainly wouldn’t drown, but now that he’s transformed into a seventeen or eighteen-year-old human boy, would he still drown?
Although he still felt that Hua Cheng was unlikely to make such a mistake, there was really no other way. He pressed Hua Cheng's chest several times, but it didn't wake him up. After hesitating for a moment, Xie Lian slowly reached out his hands and gently cupped Hua Cheng's face.
The eyebrows and eyes on this face were too beautiful. Now with his eyes closed, he looked less sharp and more gentle. Holding her like this, looking at her, and thinking about what to do next, Xie Lian really couldn't calm down. He hesitated for a long time, looked around, no one was around, then looked at Huacheng, who was not awake. Finally, he finally made up his mind, gritted his teeth, and whispered, "...I'm sorry."
His voice trembled as he spoke these words. He clasped his hands together, prayed silently for a while, then lowered his head, closed his eyes, and placed his lips against hers.
At the same time, Huacheng suddenly opened his eyes.
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