But on the shore, behind them, there was still no one!
Xie Lian, his heart pounding the entire way, saw this scene and thrust back. The shadow had clearly been struck by his stab, but it was like striking a wave of water, sending out ripples and vanishing on the spot. Hua Cheng tilted his head slightly, frowning as he gazed in the direction the shadow had vanished. Immediately, more shadowy figures appeared in the water, their pale faces and hands the only thing that stood out against the darkness. Xie Lian swung his sword and shouted, "General Pei! Go to the water's edge and look at the reflections! Those things can be seen in the water!"
If it weren't for the ghostly realm, these little ghosts wouldn't have been able to get close to the priest. Pei Ming hadn't seen the enemy just now. Now, sensing something was happening, he stared at the water and, with two swift strikes of his sword, dispatched the swarm of ghosts surrounding him. Shi Wudu finally noticed the strangeness of his reflection, knelt by the water's edge, and asked, "Qingxuan? Are you there?!"
The water was pitch black, and the iron cage was also pitch black, blending into one, making it difficult to detect. Only the hand was white. In a moment, a face suddenly appeared between the bars. It was Shi Qingxuan!
He also seemed unable to see Shi Wudu outside the iron cell. He had a horrifying expression on his face, clutching the bars with both hands, desperately trying to squeeze his head out, as if he was shouting for help, but no sound could be heard. After shouting for a while, suddenly five or six dry, withered hands grabbed his head, face, neck, and shoulders, and dragged him down!
Seeing this, Shi Wudu cursed and was about to jump into the water. Pei Ming grabbed him and said, "Brother Shui, don't do that! How do you know this isn't a trap? The water from the South China Sea can't be diverted. As a water priest, if you enter someone else's waters, wouldn't you be at the mercy of others?"
Shi Wudu patted his shoulder and said only one sentence: "Then please help me keep an eye on it outside." After that, he pushed him away, jumped up, and jumped into the Black Water Lake!
He never resurfaced after entering the water. Pei Ming called out, "Brother Shui!" but couldn't follow him down, knowing full well that there was a "boundary" beneath the lake. It was like the traps in some ancient tombs: outsiders could open the tomb door from the outside, but once inside, the door automatically closed, making it impossible to open it from the inside. Tomb robbers would be trapped and killed. There was no guarantee this "boundary" didn't have a similar trap. Xie Lian said, "General Pei! Don't go down there. There's a corpse right at your feet. Return to the beach and make a coffin, ready to leave. I'll go down!"
Pei Ming said: "Your Highness? Can you do it?"
Xie Lian said, “Your magic power has almost run out by this point. We’re evenly matched. If we fight, I’ll have more experience than you!”
Pei Ming glanced at Hua Cheng beside him, remembering his ability to float. These two men were no less useful here than he was. Without another word, he grabbed the dead imp and rushed out of the forest. Xie Lian turned and said, "Sanlang, please lend me a little magic power... Just a little, just a little!"
Hua Cheng said nothing, but tapped him lightly on the lower back. The tip of his Fangxin Sword instantly blasted out a massive pillar of white light, instantly killing the surrounding imps. Xie Lian remained silent for a moment, then sheathed his sword and said, "I'm leaving!"
The two of them jumped into the water together. However, the bottom of the Black Water Lake, except for the unusually cold water, was nothing unusual. And unlike the Black Water Ghost Cave where people would sink as soon as they entered the water, this water could obviously float people, just like ordinary lake water. Xie Lian felt something was strange and took the initiative to swim downstream, and soon he swam to the bottom of the lake. He didn't see any strange mechanisms underwater, nor did he see any wind masters or water masters. He frowned and thought for a moment, then swam back up. After a while, Xie Lian broke out of the water, took a few breaths, wiped the lake water off his face, and then he found that the scene on the shore was different!
There was an iron cage beside the Black Water Lake, which was the one reflected in the water just now.
But other than that, the rest of the scene by the lake remained exactly the same, and the excessive silence made it seem quite eerie. Shi Wudu had already reached the shore, picking up a large rock and angrily smashing the locks of the iron cage. He was a water priest, and now he had entered the territory of another water master. Unable to control the water within his own domain, he was like a beast with its teeth and claws plucked out. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng came to the case. Shi Wudu's eyes lit up at the sight of Xie Lian, and he raised his hand and said, "Martial God! You're here! Quick, finish it off with your Martial God style!"
“…”
Xie Lian thought, now everyone knows the Martial God's strengths, so he silently stepped forward and kicked the lock, breaking it. Another kick, and the prison door flew open. Shi Wudu rushed in and said, "Qing..."
Unexpectedly, before he rushed in, a bunch of people rushed out first, howling like ghosts and wolves: "Ah ...
This group of people were all disheveled, skinny, with dull eyes and no clothes to cover their bodies. They were so dirty as if they had not taken a bath in ten years. Their ribs were protruding from their chests. They were grabbing with their hands and beating their chests and stamping their feet, which was very scary. They were also howling and screaming like ghosts, like a rushing muddy torrent. Shi Wudu was simply stunned.
However, these people just escaped and did not entangle him, so he stayed for a moment and then ignored them and continued to rush in: "Qing...!"
After only a few steps, he stumbled. The floor was incredibly slippery, and he nearly fell. Furthermore, an indescribable stench emanated from the iron cell. Xie Lian could smell it even from outside, holding his breath. Shi Wudu covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve and continued to charge inside, finally shouting, "Qingxuan?!"
The cell was dark, filled with sobs and strange whispers. After a while, a voice said, "...Brother..."
As expected, Shi Qingxuan was slumped down in the deepest part of the cell, leaning against a wall. The wall held the cell's only high window, and the moonlight filtering in made him appear pale. He was surrounded by a group of filthy, grotesque figures. Some were covered in sores, some were squealing like pigs, some were pretending to be chickens pecking at rice, and some were hugging Shi Qingxuan, crying and calling for their baby. They were all completely insane.
Shi Qingxuan was once a high-ranking priest, and he had never been in such a situation before. Shi Wudu rushed over and shouted, "Get out of here! What kind of ghosts are you!"
Although he and Shi Qingxuan looked similar, their auras were completely different. His magical powers were greatly weakened, yet his strength was even greater. Those madmen were so frightened that they fled in panic, and Xie Lian couldn't help but feel pity for them. Shi Qingxuan also said, "Brother, don't fight! These aren't little ghosts. These... are living people!"
It was absolutely true. Although these people looked more like ghosts than ghosts, upon closer inspection, they were all truly alive. Xie Lian couldn't help but be slightly startled, thinking, "Why would the Black Water Mysterious Ghost keep so many people here?"
Shi Wudu didn't care about these things. He raised the longevity golden lock with one hand and grabbed Shi Qingxuan's arm with the other, saying, "How did you get here? Where are you injured?"
Shi Qingxuan was indeed dirty, with a little blood on his leg, but it didn't seem like anything serious. He said, "We don't know how we got here. A wave hit us and we passed out. When we woke up, we were here. I only have a minor injury, nothing serious! Brother Ming's injuries are more serious."
Only then did they discover Ming Yi lying on the ground nearby. His face looked extremely bad, but not in an unhappy way. His complexion was alternating between blue and purple. Xie Lian asked, "Master Earth Master, what's wrong with you?"
Shi Qingxuan said, "It seems he was bitten by something from the sea. The teeth and thorns of those bony fish are covered with green moss, which are all poisonous! I used all the medicine I had on him, but...sigh."
Xie Lian squatted down, wanting to take a closer look, but the stench nearly made him faint. He looked around and saw wooden barrels filled with slop. There was a stench of sour, moldy food, the putrid smell of pus and blood from ulcers, and even a horrible odor that sounded like a chamber pot hadn't been emptied for months.
Shi Wudu could no longer bear it and said, "Such a disgusting bad taste. The taste of this Black Water Sunken Boat is not very good. Qingxuan, let's go!"
He grabbed Shi Qingxuan and dragged him out, but Shi Qingxuan said, "I'm fine, no need for help." He lifted Mingyi up and then slowly walked out of the iron prison.
However, it was easier to get there than to leave. The crossing to Blackwater Lake was now closed. After several dives and resurfacing, the scenery remained unchanged, proving they were indeed trapped within the Blackwater Lake boundary, unable to escape.
Shi Qingxuan asked, "Where is General Pei?"
Shi Wudu said: "I asked Brother Pei to stay outside. He should be able to think of a solution."
Xie Lian said, “I’ve asked General Pei to build the coffin boat first. We’ll set off immediately once you’re out.”
Shi Wudu said, "If he has built the coffin boat, he can go back and report it first and then come back to find us."
However, Mingyi was already injured. Although he didn't know the severity of the poison, he should have left as soon as possible. He might not be able to wait that long. After pondering for a moment, Xie Lian said, "Although this Black Water Mysterious Ghost lives in seclusion overseas, he shouldn't stay out forever. Does he have to cross an entire Black Water Ghost Den every time he wants to leave?"
Shi Wudu said: "Well, you are right. There must be a place on this island where you can use the technique of shrinking the earth by a thousand miles."
He had originally treated Xie Lian the same, but now that they had shared the same hardships, and Xie Lian had saved Shi Qingxuan time and again, he naturally looked at him differently, and so he gave his approval without hesitation. At this moment, Ming Yi raised his hand slightly, and Shi Qingxuan said, "Brother Ming? What do you want to say?"
As if to conserve energy, Mingyi didn't speak, but simply raised his hand higher. Everyone looked in the direction of his raised hand and saw a dark building standing tall in the depths of the forest.
Mingyi put down his hand and said hoarsely, "Do you know what that place is used for?"
Xie Lian said, “I don’t know. We didn’t see this thing when we came here.”
Shi Wudu narrowed his eyes and said, "That must be the Netherworld Water Palace of the Black Water Mysterious Ghost."
According to rumors, the house where the Black Water Mysterious Ghost resides is called the "Netherworld Water Palace." After making his judgment, Shi Wudu said, "Let's go."
He actually didn't hesitate and headed straight there. Although it seemed reckless, in this situation, what else could he do but leave?
If they had just been wandering around someone else's yard, now they were about to break down their front door. Xie Lian whispered to Hua Cheng, "Sanlang, if it's inconvenient for you, don't come with me."
Hua Cheng's expression was also serious. He said, "Let's go, brother. Leave early."
Xie Lian nodded and said nothing more. But he could vaguely sense that Hua Cheng seemed to have some concerns. Moreover, they were not about the owner of this place, but about something else.
He felt something was amiss, and thought of the many small questions that had accumulated over time, making him feel a little uneasy. Soon, the group, ignoring the group of crazy and frantic people running around, crossed the forest and arrived in front of the dark building.
Upon arriving, they discovered that this "Netherworld Water Palace" was actually a towering palace, comparable in size to the foremost Wind Master Palaces and Water Master Palaces. The hall door was closed, and they ascended several steps. Xie Lian stood outside the door, knocked, and said loudly, "Excuse me for disturbing you. Our intrusion was accidental, and we are truly sorry."
No one answered. He gathered his thoughts and slowly pushed open the door to the main hall.
Originally, based on Xie Lian's years of experience and past practice, even if there was something inside, he wouldn't come out and greet people the moment he opened the door. But he was slapped in the face when he opened the door. The first thing he saw was something terrifying.
In the middle of the empty hall, there was actually a person sitting upright. This person was dressed in black, with a white face.
It turned out to be a corpse!
Xie Lian immediately slammed the door shut.
He thought to himself, "Did I open the door incorrectly? Normally, I wouldn't show you something like this right away."
He wanted to greet him again, but Shi Wudu walked past him, pushed open both doors, and snorted, "Since you're already here, are you still worried that he won't treat you well enough?"
Everyone slowly entered the hall, moving closer to the black-clothed, white bones. Xie Lian examined them carefully, saying, "Whose remains are these? Why are they being enshrined here?"
Mingyi frowned and said, "...General Pei, isn't he alone? It can't be him."
It's not impossible. Shi Wudu was slightly surprised. He looked at it for a few seconds and then said, "It shouldn't be. This corpse is flatter than General Pei."
Suddenly, Shi Qingxuan said, "Wait a minute."
Everyone looked at him, and Shi Qingxuan said, "Isn't this question very simple? This is the Netherworld Water Palace. Of course, the only thing that can be enshrined in the Netherworld Water Palace is..."
Xie Lian understood what he meant and asked, “Black Water Mysterious Ghost?”
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