The boundary of the Wuwang Sea, Yaksha Nation.
The moonlight was shimmering, and the scenery was boundless. Above the waters near the Yaksha Nation, the sky was half clear and half turbid. Black mist lingered in the deep sea, resembling a dark, stubborn, age old blemish.
The moonlight was perfect at this hour. The clear light pierced through the azure seawater, enticing countless giant clam demons to crawl onto the seabed. They opened their shells, slowly extending bits of soft flesh to stretch their bodies to their hearts' content.
Within the pink flesh of the giant clams were rounded, full pearls. Even in the pitch black depths of the sea, they emitted dots of warm white light.
There were yakshas, naked and brandishing steel forks, diving into the sea to search for the large clams. Regardless of gender, if they harvested a pearl of exceptional quality, they would let out a strange cry, calling their friends and companions to celebrate.
Though it was late at night by the sea, it was as lively as mortal farmers during the autumn harvest.
“Hmm?”
A yaksha narrowed its eyes, its two large, lantern like eyes blinking hard.
At the boundary of the Wuwang Sea, a humanoid black shadow seemed to flash by, heading toward the Rakshasa Sea Market.
But the thought was quickly extinguished.
In the Wuwang Sea, even a goose feather would not float. Within the black mist, not a blade of grass could grow, and directions were impossible to discern. No one had ever left that place alive.
Even when they, the yakshas, went pearl diving, they did not dare to wander into it by mistake.
It must have been because it had been soaking in the water for too long, causing its vision to blur.
The yaksha muttered a complaint to itself and dove back underwater, moving as flexibly as a large fish and leaving trails of white foam in its wake.
...
On a deserted stretch of coast, Nan Zhi, wearing her Paper Skin Garment, descended from the embrace of the wind. She adjusted her breathing and circulated her power before taking out a Spirit Beast Talisman. In the next moment, the heavily scarred Ao Mingzhu fell to the ground.
Her injuries were truly too severe.
Despite resting in the Spirit Beast Talisman for several days, the battle that day had been incredibly brutal. Even in her human form, her entire body was covered in hideous wounds. Drops of blood fell onto the sand like blooming red plum blossoms.
“This is... the area of the Sea Dragon Kingdom? We actually made it out of the Wuwang Sea?!”
Ao Mingzhu could not see, but the damp sea breeze carried a comforting scent that was enough for her to identify where she was.
She had actually made it out of the Wuwang Sea alive!
The black mist was chaotic and disordered, with no north, south, east, or west. Even a demon immortal with an innate divine ability for pathfinding could not find the correct direction within it!
Even if a deity transformation stage cultivator fell into the Wuwang Sea, it was impossible for them to leave whole and unscathed!
In the past, there were rogue immortals who did not believe in the legends and entered the Wuwang Sea to explore, only to end up dead with their dao vanished.
Thinking about it, the only ones who could travel freely through this black mist were the people of the Witch race, who were connected to all things and controlled the laws of heaven and earth!
“Master's divine abilities are vast; Mingzhu is utterly convinced.”
Ao Mingzhu was astonished. She no longer had any doubts about the other's identity as a Great Witch and immediately knelt on one knee to show her submission.
“May I ask what Master wishes for me to do?”
“First, the lord of the Rakshasa Sea Market has vanished, and the Sky Demons will surely make a move. I want you to return and retake control of the Sea Market. Increase your cultivation to ensure the peace of the twelve nations of the four directions.”
“Second, notify the three major sects—Qingjing, Wuwei, and Hehuan. Explain the danger of the growing Sky Demons, investigate the origins of the Sky Demon race, and curb the expansion of their influence.”
“Third, collect information regarding Heavenly Fire and Earth Fire in the North Province. Inform me of such news as soon as possible.”
Nan Zhi kept her voice low, not wasting a single word.
“My Witch race has not walked the cultivation world for a long time precisely to avoid the Great Calamity of karma.”
“What I told you before has already revealed heavenly secrets, and I fear it will draw the heavens' ire. I expect heavenly punishment to descend upon me soon.”
“You must never directly mention the matter of the Four Provinces Continent breaking apart to others. Especially regarding me and anything related to the ‘Witch’—there must not be a third person who knows.”
In an instant, a series of conjectures flashed through Ao Mingzhu's mind.
That was it!
Karma!
So that was the real reason why her master had formed a contract with her!
The continent was breaking, a great disaster for heaven and earth. Although the Witch race could hide from the world, this witch felt compassion and could not bear to see all living beings suffer. Therefore, she risked revealing heavenly secrets to save her, attempting to avert the danger of the twelve nations' destruction.
The Heavenly Dao is constant. By rashly interfering in the affairs of the mortal world and rewriting the Dragon Girl's fate of death, the person before her would surely face heavenly retribution.
Only by forming a contract could she temporarily use the power of karma to obscure the heavenly secrets.
So that was how it was?!
“Yes.”
Ao Mingzhu suddenly understood everything. Her expression became solemn as she accepted Nan Zhi's orders.
“I shall obey Master's command. I will return to Haifang Market immediately and will not give those Sky Demons any opportunity to take advantage!”
After saying this, she hesitated for a moment. Opening her sightless eyes and biting her lip, she asked tentatively:
“I only wonder... how I should report back to Master in the future...”
When no answer came for a long while, Ao Mingzhu did not dare to urge her, only waiting with a calm expression.
After a good while, she heard the person before her let out a soft sigh. As if having some reservations, the woman used the wind to send a dharma treasure to Ao Mingzhu.
She reached out to catch it and was startled.
It was cold to the touch. Feeling its shape, it seemed to be a bronze dressing mirror used by women. The bursts of spiritual light upon it proved that it was indeed a deity transformation stage artifact!
Although she could not see, Ao Mingzhu could still feel the ancient and simple aura of the passage of time on the bronze mirror, as if it had been sealed away for thousands or even tens of thousands of years.
It must be that because of its great age and the passage of time, the artifact's spirituality had faded, causing it to drop in rank.
This treasure was definitely more than just a deity transformation stage artifact!
If it were properly refined, it might even be possible to restore it to its original rank!
Even in her father's Dragon Palace, such a treasure would never be given away so casually.
Since her master had produced such a treasure upon her first move, a flash of excitement crossed Ao Mingzhu's face.
“This treasure is called the Yin Yang Mirror of Two Realms. One side is Yin and can condense lunar power; the other side is Yang and can accumulate Golden Crow fire energy. The Yin and Yang mirrors can be separated, and no matter how far apart they are, they can be used to send messages to each other.”
Nan Zhi tried her best to make her voice sound less weak, speaking nonchalantly:
“This mirror is suitable for your cultivation realm. It was originally just a little toy left to gather dust in a corner, so I will give it to you now. If there is a need, I will contact you.”
“Mingzhu thanks Master for the treasure.”
This time, Ao Mingzhu's bow held a bit more joy. The Demon race naturally admired the strong, and by submitting to a Witch powerhouse who had saved her life, she would have a few more bargaining chips in the future struggles within the Dragon Palace.
Furthermore, the chance to receive a deity transformation stage artifact so easily did not come often.
Although she had been heavily injured during this trip to the Wuwang Sea, she had killed that Jiao dragon, slain the great demon Tiancan, and gained a deity transformation stage artifact. How could she not be happy?
“Please rest assured, Master. Mingzhu will not fail your trust.”
Ao Mingzhu gave Nan Zhi a radiant smile before giving her one last lingering “look.” She then transformed into her true body and leaped into the sea. After a few moments, as a few waves washed against the shore, she vanished.
A true dragon entering the water was not something Nan Zhi needed to worry about, even if she was injured.
She stood on the beach, waiting for a while with her hands behind her back.
Only after confirming through her senses that the water blue true dragon had indeed left did Nan Zhi let go of her strength. she summoned two paper figures and took out a medicine shovel to dig up the sand that had been soaked with dragon blood.
When living one's life, one cannot be wasteful.
Dragon scales and dragon blood were all excellent materials for refining formations and drawing talismans.
She had given away a deity transformation stage artifact obtained from the Locust God's tomb, but in exchange, she had gained a spirit beast with Nascent Soul Great Circle cultivation and an entire Jiao dragon corpse.
A massive profit.
“Now, I just hope I haven't bet on the wrong person and that Ao Mingzhu is indeed trustworthy,” Nan Zhi murmured to herself as she looked at the clear blue sky and the faint boundary of the Wuwang Sea on the horizon.
A storm was coming.
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