The little black cloud was unable to enter the secret realm with him. Rong Nianfeng squatted in the pitch-black cavern, looking at the person beside him with an indescribable expression.
“Why are you here?” he asked.
Ye Xingchen squatted beside him as well. After pondering for a moment, he shook his head, “I do not know, but there was nothing I could do. After all, I was already here when I woke up.”
“Then let us part ways right now.”
“I am afraid that will not do,” Ye Xingchen said.
“It has to do even if it will not.”
If an absolute refusal could be forced through, he would definitely choose not to walk with Ye Xingchen. The probability of being caught in the crossfire of an accidental injury was one hundred percent, right?
Ye Xingchen coughed, saying weakly, “I have no strength left. If you ride your flying sword, give me a ride.”
It was not easy to summon someone to rescue him right now.
The communication token could not be used in the merman ruins, and Song Xiuyuan was not by his side, so he could naturally only place his hopes on Rong Nianfeng.
This place was pitch black, and it felt rather ominous.
Rong Nianfeng paused slightly, “Beg me.”
“I beg you,” Ye Xingchen replied without the slightest hesitation.
A great man knows when to bend and when to stand tall.
Rong Nianfeng raised an eyebrow and said smugly, “Fine, your Brother, or rather Sister, Rong is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see this.”
As soon as he got out, he would find a place to drop Ye Xingchen off and quietly make his escape.
After the two of them came to an agreement, they intended to stand up and leave.
Rong Nianfeng: “Do you feel like something is amiss?”
“Yes.” In the darkness, the youth’s voice drifted into his ears, “We are tied up.”
Rong Nianfeng: “…”
Ghost knows how they had managed to say all those words just now while both their hands and feet were bound.
Ghosts!
A sudden flash of inspiration struck him. He bent his waist and leaned over to Ye Xingchen’s side, “Reach into the universe bag at my waist and let them out.”
The warm contact caused Ye Xingchen to freeze slightly, feeling somewhat distracted.
Perhaps due to his prolonged illness and weakness, the palms of his hands carried a distinct chill. It felt somewhat tickling, and Rong Nianfeng instinctively shrank to the side, saying fiercely, “Do not quietly take advantage of me.”
Ye Xingchen: “…”
“It is because the black robe on your body is too much of an obstruction.”
“Oh.”
After a bit of tossing around, Rong Nianfeng released the two little ghouls from the universe bag and had them untie the ropes binding their hands and feet.
Only after the two of them could move freely did he throw the little ghouls back into the universe bag. Sensing Ye Xingchen’s evaluating gaze, he tilted his head, “What, do you want one as a protective talisman?”
Recalling the slimy sensation on his hands from earlier, Ye Xingchen looked at him as if he had seen a ghost and shook his head, “You had better keep them for yourself.”
Rong Nianfeng yawned and did not reply further. He leaned forward against the window, exposing only his eyes, and carefully observed the environment outside the cavern.
Suddenly, Ye Xingchen leaned close, his breath brushing against his neck, causing a slight itch.
He scratched it, turned his head in displeasure, and looked at the person beside him who was also exposing only a pair of eyes, “Stay further away from me.”
Logically speaking, Ye Xingchen’s coughing fit should have improved significantly, but for some unknown reason, he was showing symptoms of a relapse now. He coughed lightly, “This place is only so big, where else can I go?”
Unable to argue, he could only endure the strange sensation and continue staring outside the cave entrance.
The book did not elaborate much on the matter of Ye Xingchen dispersing his entire cultivation. After all, it was a face-slapping, satisfying web novel. It was only mentioned briefly in the early stages; he only knew that Ye Xingchen was sacrificed to a demonic cultivator by his fellow disciples in the merman ruins, and after his spiritual energy was drained, he was thrown into a mass grave.
By the time Immortal Venerable Wuji rushed over, the ghosts in the mass grave had already gnawed him into a bloody mess, and his spiritual root was nearly swallowed up.
Oh, his face was still handsome, though.
Rong Nianfeng curled his lips, thinking that it was indeed the male protagonist’s aura.
He lowered his eyes, contemplating their current predicament.
As for the remaining plot, he could only guess it himself.
In the massive stone cavern, the ceiling was damp and dripping water steadily onto the floor, carrying a distinct chill. Occasionally, the wind would seep through the cracks in the wall, creating low, wailing whimpers.
Outside the cavern, emerald-green water weeds wrapped around the cliffside, concealing the night-luminescent pearls that emitted a faint, milky-white glow.
The voices of people drifted into his ears, scaring Rong Nianfeng into hastily reaching out his hand to press Ye Xingchen’s head down. They hid in the shadows of the cavern, holding their breath as they listened to their conversation.
“The Princess is about to give birth to the little prince in a few days. You must remember to be prudent in your speech and actions.”
“Yes.”
The two individuals following behind whispered secretly, “What little prince? We do not even know what kind of monster will be born.”
“What kind of thing can a filthy demonic creature and a merman give birth to? His Majesty issued an order, saying that no one is allowed to speak of this matter,” the other of the two said.
“If such an embarrassing matter is known to outsiders, where will the honor of our Merman Palace be?!” the woman said shrilly, both angry and anxious, “Although the Princess defiled herself by that demonic creature to save His Majesty, in the end, whether she climbed into that demonic creature’s bed herself is something only she knows.”
“Do not speak of it any further. His Majesty has been in a foul mood lately. For some unknown reason, quite a few humans suddenly arrived. They have all been captured and thrown into the water dungeon. If it is discovered that we are discussing these matters behind his back, we might end up in there as well.”
The voices gradually faded into the distance. Rong Nianfeng breathed a sudden sigh of relief and peeked out again in the direction they had left.
He saw that their upper bodies were draped in merman silk gauze, their long and curly white hair reached their waists, and their pale blue ears were large and thin, pressed tightly behind their faces. The tips of their pointed ears were embedded with strange gems.
Their lower bodies were radiant fish tails, smooth and lustrous like satin, swimming gently in the water and casting beautiful shadows, churning the surrounding water into whirlpools.
Suddenly, one of the palace maids turned her head, her crystalline eyes shimmering with a jade-green color. Beneath her eyes, a tear mole was adorned.
Ye Xingchen covered his eyes and hastily pulled him down.
Only after a good while did Rong Nianfeng snap out of it.
He could vaguely hear the palace maid say, “It feels as though someone is looking at me.”
“It must be an illusion, let us walk faster. The manager will start nagging again in a moment.”
Once the sound vanished completely, Ye Xingchen spoke with a smile, gloating over his misfortune, “That is the illusion technique of the merman race.”
Rong Nianfeng’s heart was beating rapidly. He exhaled a breath and murmured, “A narrow escape from death brings great fortune thereafter.”
He asked again, “Did you discover anything?”
Ye Xingchen nodded, “We should be inside an illusion created by someone right now.”
“An illusion?”
Was it truly this realistic? It felt as though everything was actually happening.
Ye Xingchen seemed to know his inner thoughts, “Yes, I heard that the array core of the merman ruins in Jiuyou is the divine artifact, the Mirror of Reversing Heaven. It can reveal past lives, and it can also become an illusion. If the creator of the array possesses a strong enough will, the illusion is sufficient to mistake the false for the true.”
“Therefore, within the illusion, to them, you truly exist, and they truly exist as well.”
Ye Xingchen held back Rong Nianfeng, who wanted to go out, as he spoke.
Hearing this, Rong Nianfeng’s ears drooped.
“The humans they spoke of just now could not be us, right?”
“What do you think?”
Rong Nianfeng: “…”
He just knew that staying by Ye Xingchen’s side guaranteed a one hundred percent rate of accidental involvement!
Speaking of which, could the creator of this array be that demonic cultivator?
He walked around the cavern anxiously for several laps. When he saw Ye Xingchen pull a couch out from his universe bag, he was nearly driven to fits of anger.
What kind of time was it, yet he was still sleeping?
He said with a gloomy gaze, “You certainly have a large heart.”
Ye Xingchen caught the sarcasm in his voice. He fished out a cloak from his universe bag and covered his body quite calmly, “Rong Nianxue, why are you so silly? Going out right now is simply throwing your life away for nothing. It would be better to wait until nightfall before heading out to scout the situation.”
It was the first time Rong Nianfeng had heard him call his name. It felt strangely embarrassing and scorching hot.
The rims of his ears flushed red, and he slapped his head in an attempt to calm himself down, “A dark and windy night is good, a dark and windy night is good.”
Accidentally catching sight of the water mist rising around him due to the heat, he hastily patted it away, terrified that Ye Xingchen might see it.
Was it not just calling his name?!
And it was not even his real name!
Seeing that he had not spoken for a long while, Ye Xingchen propped himself up slightly. Seeing the person curled up in the corner throwing a silent tantrum, he knitted his brows, “What is wrong with her now?”
The Merman Palace at night was enveloped in a soft white light. Rong Nianfeng squatted in the grass bushes, whispering to Ye Xingchen, “Listen to my command. When I say move, we move.”
Ye Xingchen stretched his back, stood up, and walked straight ahead.
Rong Nianfeng: “…”
“Do not always play your cards contrary to the routine.”
He followed closely behind Ye Xingchen, holding two clumps of water weeds above his head in a self-deceiving manner, hiding in his shadow.
Ye Xingchen stopped his steps, “There is no one.”
Failing to brake in time, Rong Nianfeng bumped into his back. A thin layer of moist mist instantly welled up in his eyes, and he rubbed his forehead in pain.
“Better safe than sorry.”
Where did all these fallacious arguments come from?
Ye Xingchen walked in front. Whenever someone approached, the two of them would hide in the shadows.
Along the way, they managed to gather quite a bit of inside information.
As expected, a dark and windy night was highly suitable for gathering gossip.
The Merman King and his Princess were childhood sweethearts, innocent companions since youth. They had established their marriage covenant early on, and she was wedded as the primary consort with a phoenix crown, embroidered robes, and a grand dowry spanning ten miles.
Until one day, a Grand Preceptor arrived at the Merman Palace.
The Grand Preceptor possessed profound knowledge of astronomy and geography, could predict future events, and held a treasure that could reveal past lives.
At that time, the guardian elders in the palace all looked down upon him. However, the Merman King acted willfully, elevating the Grand Preceptor to an extremely high position and even granting him a seat in the imperial presence.
Who could have foreseen that this Grand Preceptor’s true identity was a demonic cultivator? Taking advantage of a sacrificial ceremony when the clan members left the water and their strength was greatly depleted, he abducted the Merman King and the Princess.
The Merman King possessed the sacred object of the merman race within his body, which could bewitch the minds of men and serve as a great supplement for cultivation. The demonic cultivator coveted this object. When he intended to kill the Merman King to extract the sacred object, the Princess personally enticed the demonic cultivator to save him, holding out until the merman race brought reinforcements from the Xuantian Sword Sect to eliminate that demonic cultivator.
Despite efforts to suppress the matter, it gradually leaked out.
What was even more fatal was that the Princess became pregnant.
The fetus inside her belly resembled a man-eating demonic creature, and no matter what methods were used, it could not be aborted. Even after inviting the divine physician from the Medicine King Valley, it remained a futile effort.
This pregnancy lasted for three years.
The members of the merman race all knew that their revered Princess carried a wicked offspring. It was a malevolent thing that should not exist in this world.
However, since this matter had truly occurred to save their Majesty, any dissatisfaction toward her was endured.
Recently, the fetus in her belly showed abnormal movements, and the Merman King quickly sealed off all information, terrified of outsiders finding out.
“Could the creator of this array be that demonic cultivator?” Rong Nianfeng said thoughtfully.
Ye Xingchen glanced at him, “It does not feel like it.”
“How so?” Rong Nianfeng asked.
The youth pulled his hand. The two of them hid behind the eaves as a group of mermen passed beside them.
“Deliver some food to those humans in a moment, do not let them starve to death,” a coarse male voice said.
“Yes.”
“General, those people are disciples of the upper sects. If they leave and speak of this matter,” a merman lowered his voice, making a slicing motion across his neck with his hand, “Why not silence them all right now?”
The General raised his hand, signaling him not to speak further, “His Majesty has his own considerations.”
The two held their breath until the figures walked far away before daring to exhale loudly.
Rong Nianfeng patted his chest, “Fortunately, I left those two little ghouls in the cavern when we came out. With them acting as a cover, we should not be discovered yet.”
He had also discovered on a certain day that those little ghouls could transform into human shapes.
Speaking of which, it was due to the medicinal pills he had refined. A little ghoul wanted to obtain something for nothing, transforming into Qiu Nian’s appearance. Unexpectedly, it could not speak and was caught by him, resulting in a severe beating.
He followed Ye Xingchen proficiently, “So why do you think the master of the illusion is not the demonic cultivator?”
The plot in the book stated that Ye Xingchen was sacrificed to the demonic cultivator. Unless his mind was deranged and he remembered incorrectly, it could not be wrong.
Ye Xingchen spoke faintly, “Intuition.”
Rong Nianfeng: “Go die.”
After wandering around for a general lap, they still failed to find the cavern where the remaining cultivators were imprisoned.
It was about to enter the latter half of the night, the optimal time frame for infiltrating enemy lines. Rong Nianfeng rubbed his hands together, his eyes sparkling with anticipation, looking eager to try.
Unexpectedly, Ye Xingchen stopped cooperating. He coughed slightly, “I am not doing so well.”
Hearing this, Rong Nianfeng instinctively glanced toward his lower body, “Ah?”
“…”
“I said it is time for me to sleep.”
Rong Nianfeng nodded, “Oh, oh.”
Snapping out of it, his face was filled with shock, “Then what about the plan to infiltrate the enemy’s rear?”
Ye Xingchen paused for a few breaths, “I do not know, we will talk about it tomorrow.”
“If you are not going, I will go myself. You can leave first,” Rong Nianfeng waved his hand.
Who would have thought that right after taking a step, his sleeve would be pulled by Ye Xingchen, “It feels as though you might need to ride your flying sword to give me a lift.”
His coughing grew increasingly severe, and a smudge of red appeared on his bloodless lips.
Rong Nianfeng: “Are you treating me as a flying sword driver now?”
What was a driver?
Ye Xingchen did not know the meaning of this word, only understanding his general intent.
He wiped away the blood trace at the corner of his lips proficiently, “I cannot summon anyone.”
Rong Nianfeng’s gaze narrowed slightly, “Find your own way back.”
After a good long while, above the Merman Palace, one person operated the flying sword in front with a cold face, while the other sat behind, wrapping the snow cloak tighter around his body, vanishing abruptly.
A night watchman who was dozing off rubbed his eyes, opening them wide. Thinking it was his own hallucination, he went back to sleep.
“You chose this large black sword quite well.”
Ye Xingchen hopped down from the sword, curling back into his own couch.
Rong Nianfeng: “…”
Good your head.
He had no desire to head out again either. Pulling a wooden stick from the corner, he sketched the path they had just traversed on the floor.
After staying up for most of the night, his eyes were covered in dark circles.
A clear, cold voice floated down, carrying a hint of hoarseness, “Why are you not asleep yet?”
Rong Nianfeng: “My body feels a bit uncomfortable, I was just about to lie down.”
He looked envyingly at Ye Xingchen’s luxurious little couch, his tone laced with jealousy, “Why are you not sleeping?”
Ye Xingchen spoke, “I feel like I am not doing so well.”
These words seemed to have been heard a few hours ago as well.
Rong Nianfeng rustled as he stood up, reaching out his hand to touch his forehead.
“Wow!” he exclaimed in surprise. Pausing for half a moment, he added, “You truly are as cold as a corpse.”
Ye Xingchen: “There is no need to put it that way.”
No wonder his coughing fit relapsed after entering the merman ruins. It was likely due to being unaccustomed to the local climate.
Rong Nianfeng guessed randomly.
Fearing that the person might truly die, his tone became as resolute as a warrior breaking his own wrist, “If it really does not work, I am willing to sacrifice my small self to fulfill the greater good and warm the bed for you.”
It was absolutely not because he coveted his luxurious little couch!
Ye Xingchen looked at him with pupils dilated in shock, hastily clutching his own clothing tightly, “I would rather freeze to death.”
Rong Nianfeng’s face was filled with disappointment, making another invitation without giving up, “Are you truly refusing?”
Ye Xingchen shook his head, “No.”
With that, he turned his body over, presenting his back to him and speaking no further.
Only the tips of his ears turned red, carrying a hint of panic.
Truly, truly indecent!
The next day, the two of them faced each other with large dark circles under their eyes.
“I feel like our current situation is a bit too ambiguous,” Rong Nianfeng said with a fake smile.
Ye Xingchen pulled aside the several layers of cotton quilts covering his body, “Who told you to stay awake in the middle of the night?”
“What do you know? This is called strategy.”
With that, he picked up the wooden stick and drew a circle, “This is the place we passed by last night.”
He placed another pebble down, “This area is heavily guarded. Presumably, walking deeper leads to the palace, and the array core should be there.”
Ye Xingchen let out a yawn, “We will go check it out tonight.”
Right as he intended to lie back down after finishing the discussion, he saw Rong Nianfeng smile sinisterly, “There is no need to wait until then, I have a method.”
He lowered his head, rummaging a pile of things out of his universe bag with a clatter. Ye Xingchen’s brow twitched suddenly.
After a long while, he looked down at his own fish tail that shimmered with a faint blue light, falling into deep thought.
Rong Nianfeng swam back and forth in the water, even blowing a bubble to enclose himself, pushing himself forward.
He stopped, his eyes looking as though stars had been scattered within them, “How is it? My newly refined Invincible Shapeshifting Pill.”
Ye Xingchen: “You certainly know quite a lot.”
Even the species had changed.
Rong Nianfeng waved his hand, “It is nothing unusual. If not for the lack of water spirit grass yesterday, we would not have needed to be so cautious.”
Hearing him put it this way, Ye Xingchen suddenly recalled the two clumps of grass he had held above his head yesterday.
He had wondered where that grass had gone.
“I heard a palace maid say this morning that the Princess is going into labor today. The palace will definitely have no mind to care whether there is one more person or one less person. We will take the opportunity to find the Mirror of Reversing Heaven,” Rong Nianfeng said.
Seeing that the person had not come out for a long while, he poked his head around, “Do not dawdle.”
Ye Xingchen did not speak either, looking at him and pausing for a few breaths, “I do not know how to use a tail.”
“Ah?”