Translator: Cinder Translations
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A jade box about a foot tall suddenly appeared in Ji Qing's hand.
He opened the box, revealing a black lotus flower.
"Ji Yin, the Earth Burial Lotus can be given to you first, but don't forget our agreement," Ji Qing said.
Song Wen's eyes locked onto the black lotus as though he were a starving wolf seeing prey. Without hesitation, he reached out eagerly to take the jade box.
"Rest assured, I will not break my promise," Song Wen assured.
Ji Qing handed the box to Song Wen.
"Take good care of it. This item is priceless, and losing it would be troublesome," Ji Qing remarked.
Song Wen placed the jade box into his storage ring.
"Stored in the ring, how could it get lost?" Song Wen replied confidently.
A flicker of coldness flashed deep in Ji Qing's eyes, and his gaze at Song Wen carried a hint of mockery, as though he were watching prey unknowingly step into a trap.
Ji Qing waved his hand, dispersing the soundproof barrier. Then, he leaned against a large stone and closed his eyes to meditate.
Meanwhile, Song Wen sat cross-legged under a large tree to meditate.
The moment he received the Earth Burial Lotus, Song Wen noticed a tracking imprint left on it.
Clearly, Ji Qing harbored ill intentions. Once he had used Song Wen, he intended to act against him. In Ji Qing's mind, the Earth Burial Lotus was merely being temporarily held by Song Wen.
However, Song Wen did not fear Ji Qing. Though his cultivation level was inferior, Ji Qing couldn't kill him outright.
With the Earth Burial Lotus in hand, the only material Song Wen lacked to forge his natal treasure, the Blood Sea Seal, was the Five-Colored Gold.
...
Two hours later, Si Xi arrived in the air. After greeting the group, he sat cross-legged beneath another tree to meditate.
Zhu Yin, however, was still absent. Even though the agreed meeting time had passed, she had yet to appear.
"Why hasn't Zhu Yin arrived yet?" Si Xi asked aloud.
Ji Qing's face also showed some doubt. "Let's wait a bit longer. Perhaps something unexpected delayed her."
After waiting for more than another hour, Zhu Yin finally arrived in a rush.
"My apologies, everyone. My master suddenly summoned me and gave me instructions, which delayed me from arriving on time," Zhu Yin explained.
Ji Qing smiled. "Since the Demon Lord summoned you, it must have been an important matter. A short wait isn't an issue. Now that we're all here, shall we set off immediately?"
"Yes, let's not waste any time," Si Xi agreed.
Ji Qing summoned a flying ship. "Please, everyone, board the ship."
The four of them leaped onto the vessel.
The flying ship accelerated sharply, dashing swiftly toward the distant horizon.
After half a month of travel, the ship reached a vast and desolate sea. The waters stretched endlessly, with no islands in sight.
The Valley of Rebirth lay beneath the depths of this sea.
The group disembarked from the flying ship, which Ji Qing then stored away. Leading the way, he dove into the deep blue waters, with the others following closely behind.
After descending for about a thousand meters, the group neared the seabed, where a deep underwater trench appeared below them.
The trench was shrouded in green miasma, which tinted the surrounding seawater a vivid green.
The water within the trench seemed sealed by some unknown force, preventing it from flowing outward, giving it the eerie stillness of a dead lake.
The four of them landed at the edge of the Valley of Rebirth.
Zhu Yin flicked her fingers, sending a shadowy object into the poisonous miasma below.
It was a leaf-shaped object about the size of a palm, entirely emerald green, radiating a vibrant and lifelike aura.
As the green leaf touched the poisonous miasma, it gradually began to wither and discolor. In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the vibrant green transformed into a scorched yellow and then to a deep brown.
Shortly after, the leaf quickly rotted away, turning into black powder that dispersed into the dark green seawater.
Zhu Yin remarked, "This is the Poison Testing Leaf from the Liangyi Sect. Based on the test, the miasma has weakened but remains unsuitable for us Golden Core cultivators to enter. It seems we need to wait here a bit longer."
Ji Qing nodded. "Let's wait, then. As the miasma enters the later stages of its dissipation, the weakening speed should accelerate. It won't be long before it's no longer an obstacle."
The four sat cross-legged at the edge of the trench, meditating as they waited.
Over time, the miasma weakened gradually. The deep green seawater within the Valley of Rebirth started to fade in color.
Interestingly, the miasma at the edges of the valley dissipated much faster than that at the core.
Two days later.
The poisonous miasma near the trench's edge had significantly thinned, turning into a pale green haze.
Zhu Yin released another Poison Testing Leaf. This time, it didn't decay as rapidly as before; it managed to last a full hour before finally disintegrating into fine black powder.
"We can enter the valley now, but proceed slowly. The miasma in the core is still dense and will need more time to weaken to a level we Golden Core cultivators can handle. For now, let's explore the periphery," Zhu Yin advised.
"The Earth Dragon Mushroom is in the valley's core, which is currently inaccessible. Let's retrieve the Frost Bone Wood for Daoist Si Xi first," Ji Qing suggested.
"We'll have to make do," Zhu Yin agreed.
After taking antidote pills, Zhu Yin took the lead, stepping into the valley.
Ji Qing and Si Xi followed closely, leaving Song Wen to bring up the rear.
Testing the miasma with his hand, Song Wen found that the poison at the valley's edge posed no threat to him.
The Valley of Rebirth resembled a basin within the underwater terrain. The trench's slopes slanted downward, and after traveling more than forty miles, the group reached the valley floor.
Ji Qing retrieved a map, which appeared crudely drawn, likely by a previous cultivator who had entered the valley.
After roughly identifying their location, Ji Qing pointed eastward. "The Frost Bone Wood grows alongside Sea Silk, a symbiotic herb. About eight hundred miles in that direction lies a Sea Silk Forest."
The group flew eastward through the pale green seawater.
As they progressed, Song Wen began to notice vegetation emerging on the seabed.
The underwater terrain was rugged, with jagged rocks of varying shapes and sizes.
Sparse patches of algae-like plants grew on these rocks, their forms strange and diverse.
After traveling another hundred miles, the vegetation became increasingly lush.
Brown, ribbon-like plants rose from the seabed, their soft, silk-like fronds floating upright in the water, resembling trees without branches.
These plants, known as Sea Silk, were a unique type of algae native to the Valley of Rebirth.
The dense growth of Sea Silk created what looked like an underwater forest.
"Be cautious of the Sea Silk; beasts may be lurking within," Ji Qing warned.
The four descended to the seabed.
Here, the seabed was no longer rocky but sandy.
As they landed, the fine sand was disturbed, spreading through the water in a hazy cloud.
Suddenly—
A massive shadow burst from the sand, lunging ferociously at the group.
The shadow, over ten meters long, resembled a grotesque fish.
Its body was flat and wide, with a gaping maw. Its entire form was covered in bulbous lumps, and from behind its lower jaw extended a pair of short, stubby legs.
It had used these legs to leap from the sand, launching its surprise attack with startling speed.
(End of the Chapter)