Chapter 708: Jade Water Abyss

‘He really thinks highly of me!’ Lü Zhong grumbled inwardly.

To be honest, he didn’t want to drink this cup of Pearl Spirit Potion.

In the eyes of an Alchemist, this substance was equivalent to “Snow Toad,” and likely came from a Clam Maiden.

This small detail highlighted the difference between the Water Race and the Human Race. The former seemed to favor “farming,” using and taking from Sea Beasts, while the latter preferred “cultivation,” with a penchant for Spirit Medicines and Spirit Pills.

Seeing Lü Zhong’s indifferent expression, the nearby Turtle Daoist and Hei Sha couldn’t help but let a flicker of strangeness show in their eyes. Although the two of them concealed it well, how could someone as meticulous as Lü Zhong fail to notice? He could only sigh silently to himself and pretend to drink, covering his mouth with his sleeve.

‘Thank goodness for the Sleeve Universe Technique!’

Lü Zhong’s concealment was perfect. Even the Golden Meng Water Monarch, who had grown suspicious and had been secretly watching him, couldn’t spot any flaw and began to doubt his own judgment.

Seeing no issue, the Water Monarch had no choice but to return to the matter at hand.

The moment he spoke, the chaotic hall fell silent in an instant.

Even Jin Yuan had to lower his cup.

“I have summoned you all here for a purpose that I am sure you are already aware of. That’s right—it is to retrieve a treasure! This treasure is located in the Jade Water Abyss. Whoever can retrieve it, I, this Monarch, will reward handsomely. All who contribute will also receive a corresponding amount of Pearl Spirit Potion.”

Here, the Golden Meng Water Monarch’s tone suddenly shifted.

“But don’t blame me for not warning you beforehand. The Jade Water Abyss is no friendly place. Even a Demon Saint who is not a master of the water risks perishing inside. The only viable method relies on supreme mastery over water. This is why I have invited the Great Young Master and this fellow Daoist from the Flood Dragon Race.”

Hearing this, the eyes of every Demon Cultivator in the hall fell upon Lü Zhong.

One by one, they all came to a realization.

No wonder the Water Monarch had treated him with such favor, willing to give up four liang of Pearl Spirit Potion. It turned out he coveted the Water Flood Dragon’s Water Manipulation Divine Technique. They figured he wanted to use this member of the Flood Dragon Race to get his hands on the treasure in the Jade Water Abyss.

Facing everyone’s gazes, Lü Zhong remained calm and composed, his expression unchanging.

‘The Golden Meng Water Monarch keeps putting me on the spot like this,’ he thought. ‘He’s definitely up to no good. And considering he possesses the Light-Splitting Water Eye, he must have already discovered the truth about the treasure—that it’s an Innate Spiritual Treasure, something incredibly rare in this realm.’

‘There may be many Demon Cultivators in this hall, but the only ones truly capable of retrieving the treasure are probably me, the imposter, and that Water Monkey. The Water Monarch is propping me up now to escalate the conflict and lay the groundwork for silencing witnesses later.’

Lü Zhong quickly understood the Water Monarch’s intentions.

The Flood Dragon Race and the Golden Water Apes have always been enemies. If the Water Monarch wanted to kill them off afterward to cover his tracks, this was the perfect pretext.

Even knowing this, he still decided to get involved.

It was as he’d thought before: for the chance to obtain an Innate Spiritual Treasure, any risk was worth it. Besides, Lü Zhong didn’t believe his own strength was any less than the Golden Meng Water Monarch’s.

Just then, a voice transmission entered his ear.

“If I were you, I’d choose to give up!” Jin Yuan said threateningly, his eyes narrowed to slits.

“Heh. Since the day I was born, I have torn countless powerful enemies apart with my bare hands. And it’s not the first time I’ve met a baboon like you who dares to threaten me. But here I stand, perfectly fine. Why don’t you, little Water Monkey, take a guess at what happened to those who crossed me?” Lü Zhong replied with a light laugh, meeting the Water Monkey’s gaze.

Now that he understood the Water Monarch’s plan, he decided to play along.

The greater the conflict, the better.

It would be easier to draw attention and thus conceal the truth. Who would ever guess that Shui Lan, the one who would kill the Golden Water Ape, was actually an Immortal Cultivator skilled in transformation?

“Hmph, you’ve got a sharp tongue and sharper claws!” Jin Yuan snorted. His eyes darted around for a moment before he shot Lü Zhong a faint, meaningful glance and sent another transmission. “You don’t actually believe that after you retrieve the treasure, you’ll really receive the Water Monarch’s reward and leave here safely, do you?”

‘Of course not!’ Lü Zhong thought.

Because of their irreconcilable conflict, the Water Flood Dragon and the Golden Water Ape had to die together in the Jade Water Abyss. That must be what the Golden Meng Water Monarch, sitting on his throne, was thinking.

And along with them, the treasure would inevitably disappear as well.

So, regardless of whether he chose to leave now or not, the final outcome was already set in stone.

After patiently engaging in a war of words with the Water Monkey, Lü Zhong finally got the “mediation” he was waiting for. But just as before, the Golden Meng Water Monarch only appeared to be playing peacemaker. In reality, he was fanning the flames by elevating one side and suppressing the other, making their conflict even more intense and irreconcilable.

…

「Jade Water Abyss.」

It was a sea within the sea.

Standing at the edge of the abyss, one could feel fine spray from the waves lapping at their feet.

But this was no ordinary seawater. It was a highly concentrated brine that had been accumulating for who knows how many years, containing an extremely high level of Jade Nether Water Fiend, which gave it a sinister, jade-green appearance.

This was how the Jade Water Abyss got its name.

“It truly is a wondrous place. No wonder it could nurture a Spirit Treasure,” Lü Zhong remarked, a thoughtful expression on his face as he gazed at the “boiling” sea before him.

“So, do you two fellow Daoists have confidence in this?” the Golden Meng Water Monarch asked with a smile, clasping his hands.

“A fifty-fifty chance.”

Jin Yuan answered after a moment of contemplation.

The Jade Water Abyss was far more formidable than he had anticipated. Brine and seawater were two completely different things; the higher the density, the greater the water pressure.

There were no living creatures in the abyss, so there was no need to worry about being attacked.

The greatest enemy on this treasure hunt was the astonishing water pressure below.

At the same time, the Jade Nether Water Fiend within the Sea Abyss could not be underestimated.

The Jade Nether Water Fiend could corrode metal and dissolve bone.

Just as the Golden Meng Water Monarch had said, even a Great Saint would find it difficult to resist its corrosion and might perish here. Therefore, during the descent, the Water Fiend would constantly erode one’s body, forcing them to divert their focus to protection and thus increasing the difficulty of the descent.

Trying to retrieve the treasure from the ten-thousand-zhang-deep Sea Abyss was by no means an easy task.

Even with all his confidence, Jin Yuan only dared to claim a fifty percent chance.

“Fellow Daoist Shui, what about you?” The Golden Meng Water Monarch paused briefly before turning to Lü Zhong.

“Me? I have a slightly better chance than the Water Monkey—about ten percent better.” Lü Zhong deliberately mocked Jin Yuan. This wasn’t a casual remark; he wanted the Water Monarch to believe his provocations were working.

“You!” Jin Yuan’s face changed, but he managed to restrain himself.

“Hahaha, that sets my mind at ease!” The Golden Meng Water Monarch acted as if he hadn’t seen a thing. He turned and gestured to the distant Demon Cultivators, signaling them to begin.

The Pearl Spirit Potion wasn’t free. Those who drank it had to contribute.

How were they to contribute? By scouting the path.

Within the Jade Water Abyss, the concentration of the Jade Nether Water Fiend varied. The task for these Demon Cultivators was to explore and find a safe route to reduce the pressure on the main force—namely, Lü Zhong and Jin Yuan.

The more they had drunk earlier, the deeper they had to dive.

One who was too afraid and unwilling to go down immediately tried to flee, only to be struck dead by the Golden Meng Water Monarch. He became the chicken killed to warn the monkeys.

“Fellow Daoists, did you really think that I, Jin Meng, am some great philanthropist?”

At this point, the Golden Meng Water Monarch dropped the act. The dagger was revealed.

Left with no choice, the Demon Cultivators began to display their various Divine Techniques and obediently carry out their tasks. Their methods of descent were diverse. Some relied on their thick hides and tough flesh, barely completing the task with their last breath, while others possessed the Water Control Divine Technique and finished with ease.

In the end, only a few made it back up alive.

In that short time, the Jade Water Abyss had swallowed at least a hundred lives.

Fortunately, the gains were substantial. After sacrificing so many lives, they had indeed discovered an excellent route.

It seemed to be the “water eye” of the Jade Water Abyss. Not only was the concentration of Jade Nether Water Fiend extremely low there, but the salinity was also lower than in the surrounding area. The Demon Cultivators who descended later all benefited from it.

One after another, they kept breaking the records for descent depth.

As the depth increased, the treasure finally appeared in everyone’s vision.

Visible through the Memory Shells, a massive ball of light pulsed deep within the Sea Abyss. Even through the heavy layers of water, one could feel the extraordinary nature of the treasured light it emitted.

‘It really is an Innate Spiritual Treasure!’ Lü Zhong sighed to himself.

Compared to the resource-depleted land, the oceanic territory occupied by the Water Race was undoubtedly far richer—one could almost say it was inexhaustible. The number of wondrous places in the sea was countless, so the probability of treasures appearing naturally increased. It wasn’t impossible for an Innate Spiritual Treasure to be nurtured here.

The treasure before them was the best proof of that.