‘Dingjiao puts on quite a grand display…’
The entire street beside Li Zhouwei was already engulfed in shadow. A crowd of cultivators scattered in flight, rushing toward the exit of the grand formation one after another. In an instant, the area emptied out. Bai Rong muttered:
"This dragon prince…"
Commotion erupted all around as the crowd fled, and the two mortal children had long since vanished. Before Bai Rong could finish his sentence, a streak of silvery-white lightning leaped from the market, bounded several times across the sea, and flew toward the Bishui scale beast. A vigorous, resounding male voice rang out:
"Miao Ye of Thunder Island pays his respects to the Azure-Bearing Dragon Prince of the Clear Sea and Pure Pond!"
Li Zhouwei had met this man before. Years ago, he had come to Lake Wangyue to demand the Duruo Spear. A man of formidable skill, he had secretly inquired about ancestral matters back then; it turned out he was now garrisoned in the South Sea.
Miao Ye rested both hands on his knees and dropped into midair, kneeling before withdrawing his hands. With one knee on the ground and one foot planted, he kowtowed three times in succession, his eyes lowered and his brows cast down, trembling in fearful silence.
Circulating his ocular technique, Li Zhouwei possessed superb vision. The one cracking the whip atop the Bishui scale beast was none other than the flared-jowled, black-armored monster general. Wearing a thoroughly sour expression, he snapped his long whip and barked:
"None of your business! Wait to the side!"
As if granted a reprieve, Miao Ye stepped aside to wait and ordered his men to bring forward blood food. The black-armored monster general shouted them away, saying impatiently:
"The Dragon Lord’s birthday draws near! No blood is permitted in East Sea fare! Take that foul slop away! If the young master sees it, who knows what trouble you'll bring upon yourself!"
The Dragon Lord’s birthday was still nearly half a month away—how could Miao Ye not know? Why else would he have presented blood food? The general had merely seized an excuse to berate him. Bowing and scraping, Miao Ye offered profuse thanks for the reminder and respectfully stood waiting by the side.
As Miao Ye repeatedly apologized, Bai Rong and Li Zhouwei took it all in and walked out of the market together. The fox chuckled under his breath. The surroundings were already deserted; the cultivators in this place had all cleared out.
Stepping out of the water dome, Li Zhouwei looked out to see murky water everywhere. The vast, yellowish-green seabed had once been carpeted in coral and seaweed, underlaid with radiant yellow spiritual materials. Now, it was littered with cloudy silt and stone, swept away by the aquatic tempest.
"Who knows how many decades it takes the Miao clan to harvest those goods, and now they're entirely gone…"
The dragonkind were overbearing, but there was hardly any need to disregard the Miao clan's face so completely. Seeing Li Zhouwei's slight confusion, Bai Rong smiled at him and said in an undertone:
"Thunder Island once obtained a treasure that the dragonkind prized dearly. Both the Black Dragon Branch and the White Dragon Branch sent emissaries to trade for it. After pondering left and right, the Miao clan traded it to the envoy of the Black Dragon Branch…"
Bai Rong wore a hint of gloating amusement as he continued:
"Since they were bound to offend one side anyway, the White Dragon Branch was thoroughly disgusted. With Dingjiao traveling all this way, he naturally has no pleasant attitude to spare. Miao Ye knows this full well in his heart and is terrified of slipping up. Right now, he's at his wit's end."
Li Zhouwei understood then and asked, "What kind of treasure was it? The dragons possess the wealth of the entire East Sea—what could possibly incite a contest among them?"
"The Mingfang Xuanyuan!"
The moment Bai Rong spoke the words, Li Zhouwei caught on immediately.
"So it was for dragon progeny."
The Mingfang Xuanyuan was merely an ordinary Violet Palace spiritual object, hardly a great rarity to the dragons. Yet it possessed the extraordinary effect of aiding the birth of offspring, making it immensely precious!
Li Zhouwei and Bai Rong arrived before the Bishui scale beast. Miao Ye still kept his eyes cast down, not daring to move. He may have recognized Li Zhouwei, yet the deferential look on his face remained entirely unchanged, his aura perfectly steady.
‘A man of deep restraint.’
Li Zhouwei took note of him with a glance. The black-armored monster general came forward with a broad smile, stowed his whip, and said:
"My two lords, please…"
Bai Rong and Li Zhouwei briskly entered the palace together. In an instant, everything behind them dissolved into boundless ripples of interwoven azure and indigo, churning up a water storm. Evidently, the Bishui scale beast had surged forward. Li Zhouwei steadied his footing as a clear laugh rang out:
"My two fellow daoists!"
Standing in the center of the hall was a youth with white horns. His robe was patterned with surging waves and embroidered with flood dragons, and his pale blue eyes held a smile as he looked over. Stepping forward in golden boots, Dingjiao declared resonantly:
"Dingjiao, Azure-Bearing White Flood Dragon of the Clear Sea and Pure Pond, greets Fellow Daoist."
This greeting was clearly directed at Bai Rong. Bai Rong shook out his teal-and-white sleeves, his voice airy, melodious, and gentle—a striking contrast to his earlier demeanor—as he replied:
"Bai Rong, the Lake-Watching Calm-Listening Pure-Hearted Fox, greets the Crown Prince."
"Splendid…"
Dingjiao laughed heartily, seemingly in exceptional spirits. Inviting them both to sit, he then adopted a look of surprise and said:
"To think Fellow Daoist Bai Rong is a Pure-Hearted Fox, with a bloodline so close to the Mount Lord of Dali! It was my neglect. Had I known of Fellow Daoist's identity, I ought to have stepped out of the hall to welcome you personally. The fault lies with me."
"The Crown Prince flatters me."
Bai Rong's eyes were slightly narrow, his features remarkably handsome. Holding his wine cup, he sat upright to one side, speaking in a soft, melodious tone with a well-measured smile, entirely unlike his usual playful self. He said gently:
"I merely received the grace of the Mount Lord's blood pool, reshaping my temperament through my lifebound essence to undergo rebirth. I do not deserve such courtesies."
Dingjiao came to an understanding, nodding and clapping his hands lightly. "Even so, your fortune is profound."
The two conversed warmly for a few moments before Dingjiao turned back to Li Zhouwei and said with genuine gravity:
"Minghuang, the fault was mine last time for neglecting you. Now that this matter has been brought to fruition, I am deeply grateful and will keep it close to heart!"
What Li Zhouwei sought was a favor from the dragonkind, not a dragon spiritual artifact. Formidable though that Mingyang spiritual ring might be, how could his clan possibly use it? He shook his head and said:
"The Crown Prince is too polite. It was entirely Senior Bai Rong who lent his aid; I can claim no credit."
The three conversed for a time. Bai Rong displayed an adept social grace that differed vastly from his previous conduct, eloquently weaving refined anecdotes and offering praise to Dongfang You several times. Dingjiao listened with a smile, and host and guests alike thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
The Bishui scale beast moved with astonishing speed. As time slipped by while Li Zhouwei listened to their idle talk, a subtle tremor finally rippled through the carriage. A long-whiskered monster general stepped forward to report:
"Reporting to my lords, we have reached the Tomb Abyss."
Dingjiao rose and walked downward, leading the two while speaking softly:
"Minghuang might not know of this place, so allow me to explain. This region lies to the south of the South Sea and is called the Tomb Abyss."
The three took flight from the scale beast's back. Before them lay a desolate expanse of sand, dotted with stone islands arranged in radial lines. Directly at the center was a colossal abyss trench; gazing as far as the eye could see, one could not even glimpse the opposite shore of this vast chasm.
On both sides of the great abyss, shattered islands and lands stretched endlessly, some as large as cities, others as small as houses, packed together beyond sight. Seawater flowed along fine grooves like spiderwebs into the great chasm, plunging into infinite darkness below.
Dingjiao gazed into the depths, murmuring softly:
"Before the Celestial Shift, this place was a vast continent comparable in breadth to Jiangnan, though sparsely populated. Back then, Jiangnan had hundreds of millions of mortals, while this land had barely tens of millions.
"During the Celestial Shift… two Immortal Lords fought here, shattering an entire continent to pieces. Not only did spiritual energy vanish entirely, but to this day no living creature dwells here. We dragons call it the Tomb Abyss… counterposed to the East Sea's World Umbilicus."
Bai Rong nodded. Seeming to be visiting for the first time as well, he looked out with keen interest and murmured:
"I have heard that because this place lacks spiritual energy, there is no Great Void here. Even Violet Palace masters must descend to fly manually once they arrive…"
"Indeed,"
Dingjiao said softly:
"This place leads straight to the Netherworld and is also where the Nether Bureau resides. It is said that the servants of the Nether Bureau enter and depart through this rift."
Speaking quietly, he led them steadily downward. The three were swiftly swallowed by the boundless darkness. Watching the torrential seawater plunging furiously on both flanks, Li Zhouwei furrowed his brows and murmured:
"This Tomb Abyss is terrifyingly vast. Has the water of the South Sea truly never run dry? This chasm is hundreds of times larger than the heavenly sinkhole in the North Sea. Even if rain fell over the entire South Sea, it would hardly replenish it…
"Could it be like the Cape of the Sea, where water falling into the depths instantly transforms into water veins and returns to the ocean?"
Dingjiao shook his head and explained:
"The seawater does not pour into the Tomb Abyss everywhere. This spot is merely a drainage breach. If you fly further south, the ground rises higher than sea level, and no seawater falls at all."
Li Zhouwei nodded, then cautioned, "There is no spiritual energy here. If one's magical power is exhausted, disaster will strike…"
"Worry not."
Dingjiao drew a gleaming white bead from his sleeve, considered it carefully, and put it back. He brought out a dark, circular spiritual disc instead. It expanded abruptly, settling beneath their feet. He offered an apologetic smile:
"My carriage rides the clouds, which is truly inconvenient within the abyss."
Bai Rong nodded, though doubt showed on his face. "Yet I have never heard of this chasm leading to the Netherworld… After all, we are unfamiliar with matters of the sea. Could the Crown Prince elaborate?"
He offered an apology, but Dingjiao waved his hand and spoke in a low voice:
"This matter traces back to the era of the State of Qi, when Northern Qi supplanted Wei. The former Wei Prince Li Xunquan raised troops and once controlled the Long Lands, which contemporaries called Long Wei. A senior of my family resided in the State of Wei and befriended an intimate companion, conversing with great rapport.
"Later, a severe drought struck the south. The senior went in person to bestow rain, but upon his return, his close friend had been murdered by enemies. He traveled all the way here, plunged deep into the abyss, and flew straight into the Netherworld. There, he met a Nether Shade Judge and brought the man back."
Li Zhouwei started in surprise, a sudden surge of heat rising in his chest. In a grave voice, he asked:
"Are those who die truly detained in the Nether Bureau as legends claim? Can they truly be saved and brought back?!"
Dingjiao hesitated, then murmured:
"When mortals die, their souls inevitably scatter into nothingness. I hear that every person under heaven is recorded on the roster of the Nether Bureau. If one cultivates the path of the Violet Palace and Golden Core, the Nether Bureau can even discern each person's cultivation and magical arts. As for capturing souls, that should no longer occur nowadays."
"But…"
The fervent hope that had flared in Li Zhouwei's chest was extinguished abruptly. He lowered his head and asked a question, to which Dingjiao replied:
"I inquired about this as well. I heard it was because that man was born before the Celestial Shift and cultivated the path of the Violet Palace and Golden Core… The Nether Bureau detained him in accordance with ancient law. For those born after the Celestial Shift, unless they fail their Golden Core breakthrough, the Nether Bureau pays them no heed at all."
Seeing Li Zhouwei's discomfort, Bai Rong shifted the topic. Recalling something secretly, he said softly:
"What if an immortal cultivator is not recorded on the roster?"
"Not on the roster?"
Dingjiao glanced at him, smiled, and shook his head. "Then they must cultivate the path of shamanic talismans, or practice the ancient methods of qi-ingestion and disposition-cultivation!"
The white fox lowered his head in thought. Li Zhouwei's disappointment lasted only an instant before he regained his composure, asking quietly:
"I have heard of Li Xunquan's name. In those days, uprisings were ceaseless in the north, and quite a few gained momentum. There were two attempts to restore the Wei Li realm, and later another named Li Xuan… but what became of him afterward?"
The Li clan had gathered a great deal of intelligence over the years and paid keen attention to such matters, yet little could be gleaned in Jiangnan. Hearing of it here in the East Sea was a rare opportunity.
Bai Rong glanced at Dingjiao and said softly:
"He was slain by the Qi Emperor. His head was hung over Dianyang City for nine years without ever being taken down."
Dingjiao fell silent as the spiritual artifact bobbed beneath their feet. Li Zhouwei caught his breath, his expression darkening slightly as he looked out into the boundless darkness.
‘What does Dingjiao truly want to accomplish…’
Along the way, Li Zhouwei had gradually come to realize Dingjiao's standing. This Crown Prince of the White Dragon Branch was likely among the most noble of their line:
‘The East Sea is vast, and the Violet Palace beasts under the dragons are numerous. If he truly has a request, could the dragons not dispatch a single great Violet Palace demon to assist him?’
‘Leaving everything else aside, Dongfang Heyun alone is eerie enough…’
Bai Rong was merely a Foundation Establishment fox demon, and the arts he cultivated were not specialized in acute hearing. Perhaps his bloodline afforded some talent, or he possessed a few secret techniques for listening and probing, but could that truly rival a Violet Palace master endowed with a divine ability?
‘The attitudes of these two demons make it clear… this undertaking was forged through the joint efforts of the fox kind and the dragon kind… Just what kind of matter is it that requires my presence as well…?’
‘Bai Rong said Dingjiao wished to befriend me… so he brought me here. Could there be some benefit in it…?’
These thoughts drifted through his mind as they sat in silence for several days. Both Dingjiao and Bai Rong had ceased speaking. Dingjiao remained wordless, while Bai Rong's expression grew intensely focused, his ears twitching faintly.
Slowly, Bai Rong rose to his feet. After listening for a moment, white fur sprouted across his body bit by bit. With a shake of his form, he transformed into a snow-white fox devoid of the slightest blemish.
The fox's two ears stood erect, and at the center of his forehead was a third ear—triangular with the tip pointing upward, resembling a delicate white horn from the side, furry and exquisite.
Revealing his true form, Bai Rong crouched upon the disc as they traveled deeper. Dingjiao remained motionless like a mountain, watching the two quietly. The spiritual artifact flew slower and slower until it finally came to a halt.
Dingjiao said softly:
"There are sounds here. Bai Rong, listen closely. The magical power in my spiritual artifact is nearly exhausted; if nothing can be heard here, we will venture deeper."
Li Zhouwei could hear nothing at all, sensing only an eerie, suffocating silence. Bai Rong paused, then shook his head.
"Please fly a little further."
Dingjiao silently urged the artifact forward, flying for nearly half a double-hour. The surroundings were pitch-black without a sliver of light, as though trapped in an endless, stifling void, before they stopped once more.
Bai Rong twitched his ears and frowned. "It is a man's voice…"
The fox listened for another quarter of an hour before whispering:
"He says…"
Bai Rong seemed uncertain, his expression tense. Flattening himself to listen intently, he froze, muttering in a low voice:
"Dharma… cords burn… scalding, pray… what…"
Li Zhouwei's heart tightened. Dingjiao furrowed his brows, his voice deepening as he asked:
"Are there any other words?"
Bai Rong listened for another spell, circulating his magical power. Purple radiance mingled with mist wound around his form, and the white hairs by his ears turned deep purple strand by strand. After a quarter of an hour, he said in a hushed tone:
"No other words. Only this single phrase."
His expression was filled with shock. Pausing briefly, he continued:
"His voice is at times as loud as a tiger's roar, heart-wrenching and hoarse, mingled with the sound of coughing blood; at other times, it is shrill as a rat's screech, piercing clouds and splitting stone, terrifying beyond measure.
"What he says is…
"‘The dharma cords burn scalding hot, bound too tightly; pray loosen them a little.’"
Dingjiao's brow shot up, revealing a shocked expression interwoven with chill and fury. He fell silent for a moment, then retrieved a jade bottle from his sleeve, cradled it in his palm, and whispered:
"Pure-Hearted Fox, keep listening."
Chapter 668