RIIDMDR chapter 151

After visiting Xu Le’s mother and the newborn pup demon, Nan Xu returned to the mountain and stayed for a few more days. Feeling much better, he decided to enter the next large formation.

Last time, he wasn’t prepared and encountered a formation that felt like a gentle paradise; he almost fell into it. This served as a wake-up call for Nan Xu.

Tingchuan somewhat disapproved of his haste but, more than anything, he didn’t want Nan Xu to risk entering formations again. While waiting outside the formation, his eyes were fixed on its entrance and exit. Tingchuan couldn’t share his worries and anxieties with anyone, yet he couldn’t enter the formation himself. If Nan Xu encountered anything inside, Tingchuan wouldn’t be able to bring him out. He could only wait outside for the sun to rise and set, waiting for Nan Xu to emerge on his own.

This sense of powerlessness made Tingchuan subconsciously want to keep Nan Xu there and tell him not to enter the formation again. But facing Nanxu’s persistence was like facing that boy three thousand years ago who, despite enduring the most intense pain, insisted on moving forward. Those eyes, full of expectation, looked at him, and he knew he could never refuse Nanxu’s wishes.

This time, Nanxu chose a southern mountain peak. He had bypassed this peak before by taking a detour through its base, so he was quite familiar with it.

Perhaps due to his previous experience entering the formation, Nan Xu only stayed inside for three days and two nights this time. The time spent inside the formation was only a week, and he hadn’t expended much energy. He emerged from the formation full of energy and didn’t need Tingchuan to carry him.

This time, the formation concerned Jingyuan. On the way back to the main peak with Tingchuan, Nan Xu was still thinking about what he had seen inside the formation. He had actually entered the seabed inside it.

After Jingyuan returned from Xishan to the South Sea, his tail was severed. This left him unable to walk or transform into his original form, which would have allowed him to swim freely in the sea. An unfamiliar elderly man pushed him forward. Nanxu hurried to keep up with them, frequently glancing at the wheelchair beneath Jingyuan. The wheelchair was made of a special material that resembled seashells and shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight. It was also inlaid with many eye-catching decorations that were unbelievably beautiful. Nanxu would have believed it was the carriage of a demon princess. However, there were no such princesses in the demon realm. The person sitting in that beautiful chair was a cold, aloof young man in black robes, which created a sense of incongruity.

Nan Xu appeared beside Jing Yuan as soon as he entered the formation. Compared to his previous encounters, he was fortunate this time to meet an old friend he hadn’t seen in three thousand years. Nan Xu had recently spent a month in the South Sea with Jing Yuan, so he was quite familiar with his temperament and much less reserved.

However, the Jing Yuan before him three thousand years later was clearly sharper and less composed than he had been. This time, though, he was no longer plagued by incurable chronic illnesses, and the vitality of his youth was evident in his eyes and brows.

Upon entering the formation and seeing Jing Yuan in this state, Nan Xu couldn’t help but smile. However, remembering that the real Jing Yuan had fallen into a deep sleep to preserve a sliver of hope for life and not knowing when he would awaken, his smile silently faded.

Leaning sideways in the wheelchair with a hand to his forehead, Jingyuan saw Nanxu’s laughing-yet-about-to-cry expression and frowned. Then he saw Nanxu panting as he hurried along, as if he disliked his short legs. “Didn’t Yunyi say he’d go to the South Sea in half a month? Why didn’t you go with him?”

Nanxu snapped out of his reverie and looked at Jingyuan. Jingyuan’s cool and aloof posture wasn’t for show. It was because his injury was uncomfortable, and sitting like this was the only way he could feel better. He was probably mostly annoyed at being spoken to because he didn’t want Nanxu to see his predicament.

“Yunyi never takes the usual routes. It’s difficult for me to travel with him,” Nanxu blurted out.

Jingyuan, recalling the Guiquansi on Nanxu’s wrist a few days ago, felt a headache coming on. According to Tingshu, once refined, the Guiquansi was the only medicinal ingredient for a rare disease. Therefore, the demons of Xishan hadn’t burned all the Guiquan Silk but had transplanted it to a hidden location to prevent demons from accidentally touching it. But who could have imagined that Yunyi would lead Nanxu down such a secluded path? If it weren’t for Nanxu’s special constitution, the lively person beside him would be…

Jingyuan pulled himself out of his thoughts and rubbed his temples. Once again, he was reminded of Yunyi’s unreliability. His gaze fell on Nanxu. Given his level of cultivation, he couldn’t even tell what kind of demon the other was. He wondered if Yunyi’s abilities far surpassed his own or if his cultivation was so low that his spiritual power could ignore him. Judging by his age, the first possibility was clearly unlikely. Although the demon realm was vast, news traveled quickly. If a junior clan member possessed exceptional talent and broke through a certain cultivation threshold, the news would spread throughout the entire realm within ten days. Furthermore, the most outstanding young members of the demon realm almost all came from prominent clans; their names were familiar to everyone. Jing Yuan found it hard to believe he possessed profound cultivation, especially since he didn’t even know his own name.

But if the second possibility were true, what kind of physique would he need to weave the Guiquansi into a bracelet as if it were ordinary plant matter without sustaining any damage?

Jing Yuan couldn’t figure it out and remained lost in thought, not saying anything more.

Nan Xu sensed the unfamiliar demon pushing the wheelchair had slowed down to match his pace.

After walking for half an hour, a gust of wind blew in his face, and he smelled the distinct scent of the sea—a scent he had smelled every day during his time in the South Sea.

Sure enough, after walking for another ten minutes or so, they emerged from the forest, and a vast, open sea stretched before them, inspiring awe. This wasn’t Nan Xu’s first time seeing the sea, but the awe he felt was no less profound.

The majestic mountains and the boundless sea were beautiful landscapes born of nature. Nan Xu stood on the shore, gazing into the distance and inhaling the scent carried on the wind.

“We’re almost there,” said Jing Yuan, assuming that he was tired and wanted to rest. After a short pause, he saw that he still showed no sign of continuing.

Nan Xu nodded and instinctively walked toward the sea, just as Tingchuan had led him before. Each step felt like stepping onto a waterbed. He lifted his foot, and the next second, the seawater in front of him parted, revealing a nearly two-meter-wide path in the middle.

Nan Xu froze and looked up at both sides. The water wall was three or four meters high. He had never seen anything like it; his mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.

A gurgling sound came from behind him. Jingyuan stopped and asked him, “Why aren’t you moving?”

Nan Xu rubbed his chin, trying to close his nearly dislocated jaw. He pointed to the water-filled walls on either side and asked, “Did you do this?”

Jingyuan, confused, looked around. “Is anyone else here?”

Nanxu concealed his ignorance and continued walking. However, when Jingyuan wasn’t looking, he reached out and poked the water-filled wall.

Contrary to his expectations, the wall wasn’t soft to the touch. It seemed blocked by some force. As Nan Xu reached out, seawater wet his hands. Jingyuan, sensing his movement, turned around. Nan Xu immediately hid his wet hands behind his back and continued walking as if nothing had happened.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, they reached the end of the path. A water gate stood before them. Jing Yuan turned around to make sure Nan Xu was still following him, then entered the water wall. Nan Xu followed suit.

The seawater didn’t wet his clothes. Whether it was psychological or simply because he wasn’t a good swimmer, Nan Xu’s breathing quickened and his eyes felt itchy as he entered the water.

Nan Xu blinked several times and finally started to feel a little better. He looked around, stunned by the palace before him. It had verandas on all sides, golden brick floors, jade beams, and crystal and jade lamps. The roof was covered with yellow glazed tiles and topped with a gilded bronze dome. It was an exceptionally luxurious underwater palace.

Outside, seaweed swayed and corals abounded, making it look like a fairyland. Nan Xu’s eyes sparkled as he stared in awe. The South Sea was truly vast!

Thinking about living in such a magnificent palace, Nan Xu felt a surge of excitement he couldn’t explain. If the exterior was this beautiful, he wondered, what must the interior be like?

He tried to exclaim, but he choked on several mouthfuls of water instead. Jingyuan: …

Jingyuan turned to look at him in disbelief. He hadn’t expected a demon to drown in his underwater world.

Having swallowed a mouthful of seawater, Nanxu was also somewhat dazed. The itching returned to his brain, and he couldn’t help but rub his eyes a couple more times until they were as red as a rabbit’s.

“How did you manage to choke on water here?” Jingyuan asked.

Having grown accustomed to the sweet water from the various mountain wells, Nanxu furrowed his brows at the sudden influx of somewhat bitter seawater. He became wary and refused to open his mouth again, responding with tight, muffled sobs.

“If you used even a little spiritual power, you wouldn’t be like this. Try again,” Jingyuan instructed.

Following Jingyuan’s instructions, Nanxu tried again, but he only managed to swallow another mouthful of water.

It seemed he had only learned how to hold his breath but not how to open his mouth.

Jingyuan had never encountered a more foolish demon. He had tried to teach it several times, but to no avail. When he saw Nanxu rubbing his eyes repeatedly until they were watering, he knew the seabed wasn’t suitable for him.

“All right, I’ll take you to an island!” Jingyuan said.

The demon pushing the wheelchair behind him heard this and pushed it in another direction. Nanxu pursed his lips, narrowed his eyes, and followed.

The island Jingyuan mentioned was the same one Nanxu had stayed on a few days ago. He had marveled at the grandeur of the palaces on the island previously, but after seeing the underwater palace, he realized how ignorant he had been. The luxury here couldn’t compare to a tenth of that of the underwater palace.

“Most of the courtyards are empty. Just find a place you like to stay,” said Jingyuan.

He had been sitting in his wheelchair all day with the same posture and was quite tired. After settling Nanxu in, he returned to his own quarters.

…

Nan Xu walked behind Tingchuan, feeling regretful. He couldn’t help but think how unfortunate it was that he was a poor swimmer. Even though they had made it outside the palace, he still couldn’t spend the night there. Besides, the underwater hotels in the human world wouldn’t offer much of an underwater experience beyond seeing a few fish, and they often charged tens of thousands for a night. Naturally, Nan Xu couldn’t bring himself to stay there.

Next time, once Jing Yuan woke up, he would definitely plead with him to take him to the sea again. Once the great crisis passed, he would learn to swim and try not to miss a second chance.

Nan Xu silently made this decision, continuing to recall what would happen next.

After this ordeal, Nan Xu finally understood why Jing Yuan had recognized him so quickly. All of the palaces and courtyards on the island looked the same. There were no directional marks on the jade walls at this time. While in the formation, Nan Xu got lost every day, taking a different path each time. Had he not had such a poor sense of direction, he could have probably mapped out the complete layout of the island’s palaces based on the paths he got lost on.

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