Fishing

*Boom!* Just as Qin Sang was about to make a move, a sinister, bloody glow abruptly erupted from the floor in the center of the stone chamber, followed by the emergence of a peculiar blood-red vortex. The bloody light and vortex vanished in a flash. "It’s a secret dungeon!" Qin Sang knew it was very likely Fat Chicken’s mother who had sensed their arrival and was now attacking the dungeon’s restrictions. Sure enough, the blood-red light flickered repeatedly, yet the person trapped inside was still unable to break free. Qin Sang hastily urged his demonic banners, laying down an array, and then channeled demonic fire to launch a probing strike. Anxious to save his mother, Fat Chicken wanted to help as well, but Qin Sang stopped him. For the Thunder-Devouring Falcon Demon King to have been trapped here for so long was testament to the formidable power of the secret dungeon's restrictions. He needed the aid of his Heavenly Eye divine ability to gradually unravel the formation and locate its flaws. If all else failed, he would have no choice but to seek help from his senior sister and the others. Judging from the commotion, Fat Chicken’s mother seemed full of vigor. She was far from weak, in a much better state than he had imagined, and had likely suffered little torment. Under attack from both inside and out, the vortex spun faster and faster. Down in the secret dungeon, Jingyu saw this and charged upward with even greater recklessness. Unable to lend a hand, Fat Chicken grew increasingly restless as he saw how stubborn the restriction remained. "Focus entirely on the Thunder Rosary and try to contact your mother! She has been trapped here for many years and should understand the dungeon's restrictions!" Qin Sang barked at Fat Chicken. Dividing his attention was unsustainable for long; he needed direct communication with Fat Chicken's mother so they could combine forces to shatter the ward! Fat Chicken complied at once, spitting out a mouthful of blood essence without hesitation. Swallowing the blood essence, the Thunder Rosary shone with an even more dazzling brilliance. At this moment, only a single restriction separated mother and son. Sensing the sudden surge in the Thunder Rosary’s pulses, Jingyu grasped his intention. Flapping her wings with frantic speed, she gathered lightning before her into a massive thunderball. She merged her mind into the thunderball, doing everything she could to sense the Thunder Rosary. "My child!" A voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum suddenly drifted from the Thunder Rosary. That gentle call spanned two hundred years of time, striking straight at the heart. The familiar voice left Fat Chicken frozen on the spot. "Mother!" Fat Chicken cried out, tears brimming in his eyes. Fortunately, his cultivation was by no means weak, and he forcibly suppressed his surging emotions to get down to business. "Mother, I... Senior Qin and I have come to save you! How much do you know about the dungeon’s restrictions?" Not calling him "Master" but "Senior Qin" had been Qin Sang's instruction. Earlier, Fat Chicken had sworn that as long as Qin Sang rescued his mother, he would acknowledge Qin Sang as his master, but Qin Sang had never taken it to heart. What Qin Sang valued was not Fat Chicken, but his mother’s formidable strength. Seeing one’s own child serve someone as a master—even if that person was a savior—was bound to leave a sour impression. Qin Sang had no wish to antagonize a mother. Jingyu also knew that pressing matters took precedence. Over the years, she had attempted escape countless times and knew the dungeon's restrictions like the back of her hand; she had simply lacked the strength to break through on her own. Now that someone had come to her rescue, a coordinated assault from inside and out gave them great hope. After hearing Jingyu’s explanation, the two instantly settled on a strategy to break the restriction. Qin Sang retracted his sword array and summoned the rest of his demonic banners, channeling demonic fire. Leaving a portion to hold off the black-armored figures, he directed the rest to smash violently against the dungeon's restriction. *Boom! Boom!* The demonic fire struck the blood-red vortex in relentless succession, making the stone chamber shudder violently. Inside the secret dungeon, Jingyu was also bathed head-to-toe in lightning, charging upward with all her might. Their attacks fell continuously upon the exact same spot. The vortex spun faster and faster until it reached its absolute limit, the bloody glow showing signs of unraveling. Neither of them paused for a single breath, bombarding it with full strength. With the help of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, Qin Sang unfailingly pinpointed the restriction’s weakest points every time. *Crash!* At last, the vortex could no longer hold and collapsed into scattered light. A bolt of lightning tore through the air, bursting free of the cage at long last! Qin Sang breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Waving his hand to recall the demonic banners, he wielded his ebony sword once more, wiping out the black-armored figures that had rushed inside. Turning around, he saw mother and son locked in a tight embrace. Watching this scene, a faint smile surfaced on Qin Sang’s face. To cultivate to the late Demon Core stage with one’s mother still alive, able to call out to her from the bottom of one’s heart, was truly a rare blessing. "Little Fatty, let Mother have a good look at you." Jingyu had already reverted to her human form. Cupping Fat Chicken’s head in her hands, she looked him over without pause. Fat Chicken’s eyes darted around, his face flushed with embarrassment. The name "Little Fatty" had everything to do with Qin Sang. Back then, right after hatching, he had been soundly beaten by Qin Sang. When Jingyu returned after forcing back the Wuji Sect Master and his companion, the chick had wailed loudly, crying to his mother about his grievances. Jingyu had initially felt lingering fear mixed with fury. Yet when she heard him complain that Qin Sang had insulted him as a "fat chicken," she had found it exceedingly fitting, and had simply started calling him Little Fatty from then on. She had originally planned to give him a proper name once he reached adulthood, but fate was fickle, and that parting had lasted two hundred years. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Qin, for your rescue. Had it not been for you, who knows how long it would have taken for us mother and son to reunite. If Fellow Daoist Qin has any instructions in the future, Jingyu will spare no effort to assist you." Jingyu soon calmed her joy of reunion. Stepping before Qin Sang, she bowed with graceful deference. Qin Sang smiled and said, "There is a karmic bond between myself and your son, and I have received his help several times as well. There is no need to be so polite, Fairy Jingyu. The Blood Lake is perilous, so in order to bring him along, I had to use this treasure to shelter him from danger. It was merely an expedient measure; once we return, I will release the restriction on him. Please do not worry, Fairy." As he spoke, Qin Sang pointed to the Primordial Concentric Rings on Fat Chicken. He knew the restriction on Fat Chicken would not escape Jingyu's eyes, so clarifying it in advance would prevent any misunderstanding. Jingyu glanced at Fat Chicken, her worries dissipating, and hastily said, "You are too modest! It must be Fellow Daoist Qin’s diligent guidance that enabled Little Fatty to attain such cultivation." Hearing the name "Little Fatty," Qin Sang could not help but chuckle. He nodded and said, "I do treat him as a junior! However, there is actually little I could teach him. That he has achieved what he has today is due to his own efforts. His devotion to saving his mother and his filial piety are truly commendable." Pausing, Qin Sang assumed a solemn expression and said, "I know you two have just reunited and wish to share your longing. But the situation outside is pressing, and we will need your help, Fairy. Let us leave the Black Pagoda first before discussing further." Reluctant to let Fat Chicken return to the rings, Jingyu held him tightly and followed behind Qin Sang as they fought their way out of the Black Pagoda. Though she had been trapped for many years, she had not suffered torture, and her strength was largely intact. Qin Sang had prepared healing pills for her, but it seemed they would not be needed. Breaking out of the Black Pagoda, they reached a safe area and turned to serious matters. Qin Sang briefly explained how they had entered and what their goal was, then asked why she had ventured into the Blood Lake back then and what she had encountered here. Recalling those unbearable memories of the past, Jingyu gritted her silver teeth, her expression turning wrathful as she said coldly, "Back then, I was lured in by someone using spiritual herbs!" "Lured?" Qin Sang was startled. Jingyu nodded. "Think carefully, Fellow Daoist Qin. The Boundless Blood Mulberry is hardly a divine wood of sentient spirit, so why would it suddenly appear without cause, its phantom even projecting out of the Blood Lake? My experience back then was just like that of the seniors who were drawn here by the Boundless Blood Mulberry—except their methods were profound enough that they fished the Boundless Blood Mulberry away from the outside. I, on the other hand, was careless and barged in, only to realize I had walked into a trap when it was already too late."