Chapter 131: The Palace That Parts the Waters

A human cultivator possessing the power to command water could easily subdue these fledgling demons whose powers had only just begun to manifest.

“Immortal, whom do you speak of?”

Upon hearing Zhou Qing’s words, the Red Dragon Grandmaster—neither man nor shrimp—spoke with terror trembling in his voice.

“You must be the Red Dragon Grandmaster, yes? And you are the immortal couple, I presume? This matter does not concern you. If you wish to avoid trouble, leave now and mind your own affairs. Should you choose to intervene, I will kill you all without hesitation.”

As Zhou Qing finished speaking, the lobster spirit and the crab spirit both sighed in relief, and even the Black Mud Loach Heaven Sage, who was preparing to rush out from the lotus pond, halted upon hearing these words.

That recent collision had shown him he was no match for Zhou Qing. Since his adversary bore no intention of slaughter, why seek death by force?

Not long after Zhou Qing spoke, the lobster and crab departed the Water-Avoiding Palace, leaving only the youth in golden robes, whose face was pale with dread as he stared at Zhou Qing.

At that moment, the golden carp spirit was deeply regretful.

A few days prior, as he sat in meditation upon a tree trunk by the river, sounds from the forest caught his attention and he returned to the water to observe.

Unexpectedly, two figures emerged from the woods—a man and a woman. Upon seeing the woman, the spirit could not tear his gaze away.

Though there is a distinction between human and demon, all creatures have the right to pursue beauty in this world.

Though only a minor demon, the carp spirit had learned much about humans from his uncle. The very moment he saw Lin Yunxi, he understood the meaning of love at first sight.

Her beauty stirred an unprecedented impulse within his heart, and, compelled by that urge, he leapt from the river and abducted her, bringing her to his watery domain.

Now he regretted this act, for he had not anticipated that the red-robed man beside her would be so powerful. Fortunately, Zhou Qing's mastery over water was inferior, which allowed the carp spirit to succeed in bringing Lin Yunxi to the Water-Avoiding Palace.

Though he succeeded in capturing her, he feared Zhou Qing’s pursuit. Thus, the previous day, he had sent the Heaven Sage Loach to inquire around the surrounding waters, but no word of Zhou Qing was found among the local spirits.

Believing Zhou Qing had left, the carp spirit decided to summon nearby demons for a grand wedding feast.

He stared blankly at Zhou Qing, cold sweat beading on his brow. Yet, despite his fear, his desire to possess Lin Yunxi outweighed all else.

He had often heard from his uncle that fortune favors the bold. Thus, if he could kill Zhou Qing, Lin Yunxi would be his forever.

With these thoughts, the carp spirit flicked his sleeve, producing a fist-sized blue orb of light.

This orb was a protective treasure left by his uncle upon departure. He remembered his uncle explaining that its power equaled a full-force strike and was formidable indeed.

His uncle was revered as the deity of these waters, his cultivation unfathomable, his reputation resounding among all the creatures of the forest—the tigers, snakes, foxes all treated him with utmost respect.

So, with his uncle’s power behind him, the carp spirit felt confident in confronting Zhou Qing.

Though his own abilities were limited, it mattered not; if the orb could kill Zhou Qing, he would have nothing to fear.

As Zhou Qing advanced, the carp spirit wasted no time and hurled the blue orb directly at him.

Zhou Qing, charging forward, had no time to evade as the orb struck him squarely.

The blue orb broke through his protective shield and hit him with tremendous force, sending Zhou Qing flying over thirty feet before crashing to the ground.

As he landed, the orb flashed with blue light and silently exploded, sending streams of blue radiance into Zhou Qing’s body.

He felt a familiar sensation—the same as when the dragon’s core entered his body by Ghost King Lake.

Yet he had no time to ponder the nature of this blue energy, for the collision had sent him flying with a force several times greater than that which he had endured from the half-demon's tail in the Snake Forest.

The orb’s blast was even more devastating; had he not been wearing the calamity-avoiding robe, Zhou Qing was certain his body would have been torn apart.

Badly wounded by the carp spirit’s sudden attack, Zhou Qing tried to rise but found his body shattered, utterly drained of strength.

He tasted the salty tang of blood in his mouth, powerless to stop it from spilling down his chin.

After a short while, the carp spirit, sword in hand and terror on his face, approached Zhou Qing. He saw that Zhou Qing, though gravely injured, was not dead.

Seeing Zhou Qing writhing on the ground, the carp spirit edged closer. Zhou Qing’s eyes fixed upon him, and the spirit raised his sword, stabbing down at Zhou Qing.

The sword’s sharp blade was blocked by the calamity-avoiding robe, failing to pierce Zhou Qing’s body. Anger flared in Zhou Qing’s heart; he refused to become a sacrificial victim.

If the carp spirit had aimed for his neck or limbs, the outcome would have been dire.

Despite the agony from the orb’s explosion, Zhou Qing summoned his remaining strength, focusing it in his right hand, and thrust the phantom blade into the carp spirit.

“You—”

The spirit’s sword failed to penetrate Zhou Qing, and instead, Zhou Qing’s blade stabbed into his abdomen. He gazed at Zhou Qing with resentment, hesitated for a few moments, then collapsed, reverting to his true form—a golden carp over four feet long.

“Master—”

The carp spirit lay dead in his original form. The black mud loach leapt from the lotus pond to the stone path by the palace gate, cast a glance at Zhou Qing and the carp spirit, then fled without looking back.