Chapter 174

Chapter 174

In the dark depths of the sea, the sea beasts moved like ghosts.

The leading sea beast's massive silhouette dominated the ocean, and as it passed, all the creatures dwelling on the seabed quickly fled, hiding in nearby underwater canyons or crevices, watching the procession of sea beasts go by.

Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou, riding on the orca's back, were fortunate enough to witness this parade of sea beasts dominating the seabed, gaining a profound understanding of the underwater world ruled by these creatures. At the same time, Wen Qiao keenly realized that leaving the Endless Sea might be more convenient and faster through the seabed than navigating on the surface.

Looking at the dolphin king ahead, Wen Qiao fell into deep thought.

They had traveled for nearly a day before reaching their destination.

This showed that the little dolphin had wandered quite far from home when it ran away, no wonder its family came looking.

"We're almost there."

Lan Jinshang's voice carried through the water, slightly distorted.

After demons transformed into human form, they could learn human speech. Even in their beast forms, they could produce accurate sounds, different from when they hadn't transformed, making communication much easier.

Wen Qiao looked at the large dolphin leading the way, finding it incredible that a demon lord was guiding them.

They were already in the deep sea, surrounded by darkness.

There was very little light in the seabed, and during their journey, they had seen very few lights. Occasionally, passing by certain areas, they would encounter colorful glows, produced by luminescent plants, rocks, or some marine life. The light wasn't bright, but in the pitch-black depths, it was dreamlike and enchanting.

The beauty of the seabed was beyond imagination.

After traveling for some time, suddenly, in the dark depths, points of light appeared, twinkling like stars in the night sky, capturing the attention of the sea beasts.

Wen Qiao noticed that the surrounding sea beasts cheered up, speeding up as they headed toward those points of light in the darkness.

As they approached, Wen Qiao and the others finally saw a vast coral reef. It turned out that the glowing points were luminous stones embedded within the coral, flickering with the movement of the seawater.

Passing through the coral reef, they arrived at the entrance to Star Crossing Gorge.

The large dolphin disappeared, replaced by the bright figure of the woman in blue, who said to Wen Qiao and the others, "Young Master Ning, Miss Wen, this is Star Crossing Gorge."

As its name suggested, Star Crossing Gorge looked as if it was studded with countless stars. The towering rock walls were covered in seaweed, each strand bearing luminescent red fruits that illuminated the entire wall like a gemstone.

The sea beasts were like children returning home, playing around or swimming up to the gorge to nibble on the red fruits hanging from the seaweed.

Lan Jinshang told the group of sea beasts she had led back, "Alright, you may play now, just don't wander too far."

The sea beasts called out to her and scattered, especially the orca, which swam away quickly, fearing being caught again to serve as a mount.

Instantly, only Lan Jinshang and her son, along with Wen Qiao and the others, remained at the entrance to the gorge.

The little dolphin didn't leave with them but stayed close to its mother, occasionally returning to rub against Wen Qiao, showing great affection.

Lan Jinshang didn't stop it, watching the scene with a warm smile.

Led by Lan Jinshang, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou, along with the two furry balls perched on Wen Qiao's shoulders, entered Star Crossing Gorge together.

Star Crossing Gorge was vast, and the canyon wasn't barren. It was dotted with numerous coral reefs and even houses built from materials found in the seabed, tall and majestic. Even ninth-rank sea beasts could fit inside, though sometimes they would break the structures.

However, since they were constructed from seabed materials, they could be quickly rebuilt after being broken.

Aside from the houses, there were also caves on both sides of the gorge, serving as habitats for the sea beasts.

Wen Qiao took a look at this place called Star Crossing Gorge. Many high-rank sea beasts lived here, all ninth-rank, and they didn't conceal their auras. Wen Tuantuan was frightened several times, while Wen Guangun remained calm, even extending his paw to casually pluck a luminescent red fruit and munch on it.

Wen Qiao couldn't help but think of the sea beast that had fallen during its transformation tribulation. That sea beast must have been a ninth-rank demon of Star Crossing Gorge. Unfortunately, it failed to transform successfully; otherwise, another dolphin lord would have joined the ranks.

As they entered the gorge, the sea beasts residing there emerged from their houses or caves, gathering around and observing Wen Qiao and the others.

To be honest, despite knowing that the high-rank sea beasts wouldn't attack recklessly, Wen Qiao still felt immense pressure being surrounded by so many of them.

Lan Jinshang addressed the sea beasts, "These are my guests. You mustn't bully them. Move aside and don't block the way."

The sea beasts dispersed, but they continued to stare curiously at Wen Qiao and the others.

With just dozens of ninth-rank high-rank sea beasts present, Wen Tuantuan eventually calmed down.

Since they wouldn't attack him, why should he be afraid?

Calmly, Wen Tuantuan pulled out a spirit pill from his cheek pouch and slowly chewed on it in front of the sea beasts.

Soaked in seawater, some of the medicinal properties of the spirit pill dissolved, enticing the sea beasts to fixate on Wen Tuantuan, nearly drooling.

Seeing this, the little dolphin spat out a spirit pill and mimicked Wen Tuantuan, slowly chewing on it. However, due to its large mouth, the spirit pill was too small, and it ended up swallowing it whole, no matter how slow it tried to be.

Despite this, the surrounding sea beasts still envied it immensely.

They never expected that after the little dolphin ran away from home for a month, it would return with spirit pills, truly making the beasts envious and resentful.

Lan Jinshang caught sight of this scene and couldn't help but laugh, not stopping the little dolphin from stirring up envy.

Just as she was dispersing the onlookers, a voice suddenly rang out, "Lady Lan, who are they?"

Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou followed the sound and saw a male demon cultivator approaching. He was tall and robust, with well-defined features, exuding a rather domineering aura.

Lan Jinshang smiled warmly and said, "Yansheng, they are my guests." Then she introduced them to Wen Qiao and the others, "Young Master Ning, Miss Wen, this is Hu Yansheng, a demon cultivator of our Star Crossing Gorge."

"Guests?"

Hu Yansheng looked at Wen Qiao and the others with a somewhat unfriendly gaze.

Before he could say anything, Lan Jinshang said sternly, "Yansheng, they are my guests whom I invited back."

Tiger Yansheng swallowed the words about to leave his mouth and lowered his head, responding with an affirmative.

Lan Jinshang didn't say much more to Tiger Yansheng, leading Wen Qiao and the others deeper into Star Crossing Gorge.

Tiger Yansheng stood there, watching them leave, his expression shifting indeterminately.

Wen Qiao could feel Tiger Yansheng's gaze. After all, it was hard to ignore the stare of a transformed demon cultivator. She suddenly felt somewhat relieved that the demon cultivator they had summoned was Lan Jinshang. If it had been Tiger Yansheng, they probably would have had to fight upon meeting, which wouldn't have been a pleasant experience.

Wen Qiao wasn't afraid of a fight, but she also had to consider her husband.

Upon reaching the depths of the gorge, they saw a towering and magnificent underwater palace. The palace was grand and majestic, built with coral pillars and crystal walls, adorned with sea pearls, making it particularly splendid.

It was decorated with beautiful coral reefs, which contained luminous stones that made the entire palace shine brightly in the darkness, impossible to overlook.

This palace was the most magnificent place in Star Crossing Gorge.

Lan Jinshang led them inside.

As they passed through the palace gates, the surrounding water vanished, their bodies feeling lighter as the omnipresent water disappeared.

Wen Qiao stared in surprise.

Wen Tutu and Wen Guangun turned their heads to look around, seemingly searching for how the seawater had disappeared. Weren't they still underwater?

Lan Jinshang said, "There's a Water-Avoiding Pearl in this palace. I think you should be able to stay here comfortably."

"A Water-Avoiding Pearl?" Wen Qiao exclaimed. "Isn't that..."

"The Water-Avoiding Pearl is a Sea Clan artifact," Lan Jinshang said, glancing at them. "The Sea Clan can naturally control water, and the Water-Avoiding Pearl is a manifestation of their ability. In the past, I visited a Sea Clan city, and this Water-Avoiding Pearl was a gift from a Sea Clan friend."

After saying this, she looked at the two of them and didn't say anything else.

At that moment, several women dressed in pink robes came out from the palace to greet them.

They were beautiful, with slender figures, like celestial maidens. However, upon closer inspection, their eyes were dull and lifeless, as if soulless puppets, diminishing their beauty and causing some discomfort.

Wen Qiao looked at these women in surprise. Didn't demons need to reach the King level to transform? But these women... weren't transformed demon cultivators, and they seemed extremely weak.

But they weren't human cultivators either.

The little dolphin had told them that there were only two King-level demon beasts in Star Crossing Gorge: Lan Jinshang and the Tiger Yansheng they had just met. So what were these humanoid women?

Ning Yuzhou's gaze swept over the women, his expression calm, no one knew what he was thinking.

Seeing the reactions of the two, Lan Jinshang couldn't help but smile and said, "They are Haizhuer. If you need anything, just let them know." Then she instructed the pink-robed women, "Take the guests to their quarters."

Two of the pink-robed women approached with gentle smiles and soft voices, "Guests, please follow us."

Their voices were sweet and delicate, their demeanor obedient, every movement like real people.

Although she was very puzzled by these pink-robed women, Wen Qiao didn't ask any questions when she saw that Lan Jinshang didn't intend to explain. She followed Ning Yuzhou as they left with the pink-robed women.

The pink-robed women led them to a room for rest.

When they opened the door, they found tables, chairs, beds, bedding, and other items inside, like a place where human cultivators lived.

After bringing them there and seeing that they had no further instructions, the pink-robed women bowed and left.

Wen Qiao closed the door. Wen Tutu and Wen Guangun curiously examined the room, wondering if they were actually on land rather than underwater.

Lan Jinshang's words revealed a lot of information, especially about those called Haizhuer. Wen Qiao felt that the underwater world of the Endless Sea was far more diverse and full of secrets than she had imagined.

Lan Jinshang had also mentioned another race—the Sea Clan.

Wen Qiao directly asked Ning Yuzhou, "Husband, is the Sea Clan of the Endless Sea different from sea beasts?"

Ning Yuzhou led her to sit in front of a square table and brewed tea using utensils taken from his storage bag.

Only after the aroma of tea floated in the air did he leisurely say, "They are indeed different. It's said that the Sea Clan are the darlings of the ocean. They call themselves the Sea Clan, born in human form, unlike sea beasts who are bound by their animal forms and must go through great hardships to transcend tribulations and transform. Sea beasts that have cultivated into human form do not qualify as members of the Sea Clan."

Wen Qiao nodded in understanding and continued asking, "What are the Sea Clan like?"

"Half human, half fish tail."

Wen Qao blurted out, "So they're neither human nor demon?"

Ning Yuzhou: "…"

Hearing his wife's perception of the Sea Clan, Ning Yuzhou coughed lightly and said, "They can be called merfolk, capable of shedding tears as pearls and weaving water into silk. They can even weave illusions into artifacts. The dragon silk woven by the merfolk has very strong defensive power. If refined into a magic robe, it can withstand an attack from a Great Emperor Realm cultivator."

Wen Qao felt embarrassed, realizing she had misunderstood.

It couldn't be helped. People's understanding of demon cultivators was clear. Once demon beasts cultivated and transformed, they could be called "human," completely free from the constraints of beast nature and form. Hearing about the Sea Clan for the first time, with their half-human, half-fish appearance and retaining characteristics of beasts, they seemed neither human nor demon.

Ning Yuzhou found Wen Qao's straightforward comment about the Sea Clan quite amusing and couldn't help covering his mouth to stifle a laugh.

He hadn't been so amused in a long time.

Wen Qao noticed his laughter and became even more embarrassed, quickly changing the subject, "Husband, what about those Haizhuer?"

The pink-robed women gave her a strange feeling. Despite their dull eyes, like puppets, they had a strong aura of life, indicating that they were living beings, not lifeless puppets.

"Haizhuer are servant beasts created by the Sea Clan using secret techniques. Their original forms are low-level sea beasts without intelligence. After being transformed by the Sea Clan's secret techniques, they take on human form and can understand simple commands. They are special servant beasts created by the Sea Clan to serve them, named Haizhuer by the Sea Clan."

Wen Qao nodded in understanding, "So the Sea Clan is indeed quite powerful."

No wonder Lan Jinshang had a hint of pride when introducing the Haizhuer. Being able to use the Sea Clan's servant beasts was likely a symbol of status and strength among demon cultivators in the sea.

Ning Yuzhou gave a faint smile, not commenting further, pouring a cup of tea and pushing it towards Wen Qao.

Wen Qiao lifted the tea and took a sip, savoring the aroma that lingered between her lips and teeth. Looking at the elegant and dignified man across from her, she felt a sense of long-lost leisure.

Ever since they joined the Red Sky Sect, they were either busy with cultivation or participating in various secret realm trials. Rarely did they have moments like this, as in Dongling, where the two could sit quietly together for a cup of tea.

Now, it was a rare moment of peace.

After finishing her cup of tea, Wen Qiao leaned back in her chair, somewhat languidly.

Ning Yuzhou said considerately, "Would you like to rest on the bed?"

Wen Qiao looked at him, "Will you keep me company?"

"Of course."

Ning Yuzhou chuckled, setting down his teacup and rising to pull up the person sitting in the chair. Just as they were about to lie down together, there was a knock on the door.

The two had no choice but to go open it.

Outside the door stood two Haizhuer holding trays. They spoke in soft, slightly sweet voices, "Guests, would you like to dine?"

Ning Yuzhou glanced at the contents on the tray—cooked sea fish and some spiritual fruits from the ocean—and said, "Bring them in."

The two Haizhuer brought the food inside, asking if they needed any assistance. After being declined, they retreated obediently and demurely.

Wen Qiao kept staring at the two Haizhuer, noticing that while they could understand simple commands, they were not as intelligent as fully sentient beings. Although they didn't require one command for each action, there wasn't much difference.

She soon lost interest.

The meal served by the Haizhuer tasted good, clearly prepared specially for them. After all, sea beasts rarely had the concept of cooking their food before eating. Before transforming, they consumed their meals raw. Even after becoming demon cultivators, despite wanting to be more refined, there was nowhere to cook in the ocean, which was filled with water everywhere.

It was only due to the presence of water-repelling pearls in the palace that fires could be lit to prepare cooked meals.

It was unclear whether Lan Jinshang had specifically learned human cultivator customs or if this was simply how the sea creatures lived, leading Lan Jinshang to adopt these practices.

Wen Qiao and Wen Tutu sampled the cooked sea fish. Though made from the freshest and most delicious sea fish, it still couldn't compare to Ning Yuzhou's grilled meat. It seemed these Haizhuer weren't skilled cooks.

They ate just a few bites before losing interest. The spiritual fruits, however, were shared between Wen Tutu and Wen Guangun.