Chapter 45

The next day, the trio arrived at the riverbank, ready to hunt the water monster.

An Long whistled, and countless Gu insects and venomous snakes swarmed the riverbank, forming a defensive perimeter. This was a forceful declaration that the area belonged to the Myriad Gu Sect, forbidding other sects from poaching or causing trouble, and preventing local villagers from accidentally straying into danger. A few junior disciples of the Crimson Dragon Sect, assigned to guard and explain the situation to passersby, trembled at the sight of the Gu insects, huddling together in fear, yet steadfastly remained at their posts.

"Water-warding pearls, fish-skin diving suits, emergency healing pills, night-glow lamps, fire-thunder pearls, and a few stalks of Qi-retaining grass for emergencies..." Song Qingshi meticulously checked the equipment against his list. "Did we miss anything?" Many secret realms contained underwater treasures, so basic diving gear was standard issue for cultivators, eliminating the need for special purchases.

"No," Yue Wuhuan replied. Due to his lower cultivation and the Blood King Vine's suitability as bait, he was tasked with luring out the Water Monster for Song Qingshi and An Long, who would be hiding their auras nearby, to ambush and kill.

Fearing Yue Wuhuan might be nervous, Song Qingshi reassured him, "Don’t worry, it’s very simple. I’ll be right beside you; you won’t get hurt at all."

An Long, having finished setting up the Gu formation, couldn’t resist a jab upon hearing this: "Just don’t unleash your Netherflame underwater and take out the Water Monster along with us two. That painful lesson from back then—I remember it vividly."

Back then, during an adventure in a secret realm, they had encountered a shoal of flesh-devouring demonic fish underwater. Song Qingshi had immediately unleashed Netherflame to defend himself, forgetting that its toxins would spread indiscriminately through the water. Both the fish and An Long suffered severe injuries, leaving An Long bedridden in the Medicine King's Valley for three whole months...

This, the most embarrassing incident since he began cultivating, had somehow become known to Yue Wuhuan.

Damn that Alaskan Malamute!

Song Qingshi’s face flushed with embarrassment as he hurriedly explained, "I had no experience back then—I wouldn’t do that now."

Yue Wuhuan suppressed a laugh. "I believe you, Honored Master."

The three changed into their diving suits, equipped their water-warding pearls, and swam off. Before long, they discovered the underwater cavern. The entrance bore signs of artificial carving, suggesting that a cultivator had modified the natural cave for hiding or seclusion.

On the rock face outside the cavern was a razor-sharp sword scar, its force penetrating several feet deep into the stone.

Though Song Qingshi knew little about sword techniques, even he could tell this mark was extraordinary. Yue Wuhuan, meanwhile, was utterly mesmerized by it.

Could this truly be a relic left behind by the Mo Yuan Sword Venerable?

Their anticipation grew. Song Qingshi and An Long concealed their auras and hid on either side of the cavern entrance, waiting. Yue Wuhuan swam forward alone, studying the area for a moment before extending several strands of Blood King Vine into the darkness, probing the cavern walls inch by inch to locate the Water Monster.

Awakened from its slumber, the Water Monster slowly emerged, furious at the disturbance. Spotting a lowly Foundation Establishment cultivator, it lashed out with several tentacles, each swirling with water currents, attempting to drag him into the cavern.

The moment Song Qingshi saw it, his eyes lit up—this was no ordinary Water Monster. The Water Spirit Pearl inside its body had turned emerald green, indicating it was at least ten thousand years old! A true heavenly treasure. Such a pearl could be used to refine the highest-grade Jade Water Elixir!

Yue Wuhuan smiled, now even more determined to capture this rare prey for his Honored Master. He wrapped two strands of Blood King Vine around rocks outside the cavern, controlling the speed at which he was pulled in, while the remaining vines swiftly burrowed into the Water Monster’s body, extracting a Water Spirit Pearl.

This enraged the creature beyond measure. It fully emerged from the cavern, its entire body thrashing as it lunged at Yue Wuhuan.

An Long watched with great interest, secretly hoping the monster and the "demon" would annihilate each other. Unfortunately, with Song Qingshi glaring nearby, he dared not deviate from the plan. Reluctantly, he revealed himself, grabbing the Water Monster and tearing it apart with brute strength. Several aquatic Gu insects crawled into the wounds, feasting on the nourishing meal.

The Water Monster, in agony, turned its fury on An Long.

Song Qingshi, meanwhile, shielded Yue Wuhuan, using his Inner Fire to sever the attacking tentacles before signaling him to retreat. Hunting was dangerous—best left to Nascent Soul Cultivators.

Before Yue Wuhuan could respond, the Water Monster reacted strangely upon seeing Song Qingshi.

It froze for a moment, then its eyes turned blood-red, as if facing a mortal enemy. Ignoring Yue Wuhuan, who had stolen its pearl, and the pain of An Long’s Gu insects devouring it, it madly charged at Song Qingshi, intent on killing him.

Song Qingshi was baffled. He’d only burned two tentacles—what had he done to deserve such hatred?

An Long, mimicking a whistle, mouthed, "Qingshi, did you kill its parents or steal its wife?"

Song Qingshi frantically shook his head, channeling his Inner Fire to defend himself.

The Water Monster’s frenzy was actually beneficial for the hunt. Normally adept at ambushes and traps rather than direct combat, its exposed form made it easy prey. Even with the underwater environment hindering them, two Nascent Soul Cultivators working together had little trouble overwhelming it.

More Gu insects burrowed into its body, more tentacles were severed by the water-resistant flames—yet it stubbornly pursued Song Qingshi, determined to devour him.

Seizing the opportunity, Song Qingshi let himself be swallowed whole. Once inside, he ignited his Inner Fire, turning into a blazing iron ball that burned through the monster’s stomach to retrieve the Water Spirit Pearls. The Water Monster writhed in agony, its tentacles churning the water into towering waves. Consumed by hatred, it transformed its body into a raging current, engulfing all three before rupturing its demon core, blasting them deep into the cavern.

Song Qingshi quickly erected a barrier to protect Yue Wuhuan from the explosion, then surveyed their surroundings.

The cavern was dark and silent, save for faint light in the distance. Following it, they emerged into a hidden world—likely the interior of the nearby Moon Mountain. Rays of light filtered through cracks in the rock, illuminating a small, verdant realm of moss, vines, and strange beauty. A true sanctuary.

Climbing ashore, Song Qingshi shook off the water, relieved. "Thankfully I acted fast—I got ten Water Spirit Pearls."

Yue Wuhuan followed, smiling. "I managed to grab three."

Song Qingshi beamed. "Later, we’ll dive back down to see if any intact pearls survived the explosion and collect the remains for alchemy."

An Long leaped out, splashing water all over Song Qingshi. He scanned the area urgently. "Where are my snakes?"

Song Qingshi suggested, "Let’s find people first?"

The Crimson Dragon Sect’s leader and the other missing cultivators were still unaccounted for, and this place felt subtly dangerous.

"Honored Master, something’s wrong," Yue Wuhuan said gravely. His Blood King Vine parted the vines on the rock wall, revealing carved lines covered in ancient script that extended throughout the cavern. "There’s an ancient formation here. We need to leave—now."

Such grand, ancient formations were always troublesome.

The missing were likely trapped within.

Yue Wuhuan didn’t finish his warning—the formation had already begun glowing faintly.

Song Qingshi sighed. "Too late. The Water Monster’s goal was to send us here."

An Long laughed, spreading his hands. "Time to break the formation. Want to spice things up? Whoever gets out first gets to kiss the loser—how about that?"

"Absolutely not!" Song Qingshi immediately pulled Yue Wuhuan, the weakest among them, close, glaring at the Alaskan Malamute who clearly wanted to take advantage of the beautiful angel. "No gambling!"

Yue Wuhuan looked uneasy, perhaps unfamiliar with such situations.

Ancient formations could be categorized as: killing arrays, trapping arrays, mind-trial arrays, test arrays... Some even contained unsolved puzzles left behind by whimsical experts. Some were lethal, others merely confined intruders until they solved the array or perished, while a few offered guidance and opportunities.

Song Qingshi reassured him, "Don’t worry, this doesn’t seem like a killing array. With us here, you’ll be fine."

The formation’s glow enveloped them, bringing a dizzying sensation of weightlessness.

...

When Song Qingshi awoke, he found himself seated on a rosewood canopy bed, surrounded by mirrors and a vanity—like a young lady’s boudoir? Standing up, he felt something off about his body, as if something on his head was swaying uncomfortably.

A dreadful suspicion arose. He rushed to the mirror and nearly fainted at the sight.

Who was this delicate beauty in the mirror, dressed in a white *ruqun* embroidered with pearls, draped in white fox fur, adorned with exquisite makeup and a head full of jewels? And why did she somewhat resemble him?!

Hesitantly, he touched his face—the reflection mimicked the motion.

This... couldn’t be him, could it?

He was a proper man! Why had the formation dressed him like this?!

Never in his life had Song Qingshi felt such panic. He checked his body—still male—then glanced around fearfully. The thought of An Long barging in and mocking him for centuries was bad enough, but if Yue Wuhuan saw him like this... He’d rather dig a hole and bury himself, or self-destruct his Nascent Soul.

Frantically, he began undressing, first removing the white fox fur adorned with lotus and carp patterns, then clumsily tearing off the hair ornaments. Having never studied women’s hairstyles, he yanked out several hairpins, painfully pulling out strands of hair in the process. Yet, he could still feel more decorations tangled in his hair.

Why are girls' accessories so numerous and troublesome?

Song Qingshi was frantically working... He finally managed to take off all the jewelry and was about to find water to wash his face when he heard increasingly hurried footsteps approaching outside the door, as if someone was about to burst in.

What to do? Was that An Long or Wuhuan? There was no way he could let them see him like this!

Song Qingshi quickly shouted, "Wait! Don’t come in!"

Yet the door was still pushed open...

Panicking, Song Qingshi didn’t have time to think. He dove under the bed.

Author’s Note:

Qing Shi screamed in protest, "No! I absolutely refuse! Please spare me!" (Dragged away mercilessly by the heartless author for a wardrobe change.)

Wuhuan remarked nonchalantly, "I don’t care about cross-dressing—as long as it looks good." (Qing Shi, learn from his attitude.)