The Lake Beneath Sea City

The door closed behind them, cutting Hao Nhien and his two companions off from the last traces of noise coming from the Earth Spirit trading halls.

Earth One continued walking ahead at an unhurried pace.

The staff in his hand occasionally tapped against the stone floor, producing soft sounds through the quiet corridor.

Hao Nhien silently adjusted his True Qi.

The meridians that had just endured Earth Two’s pressure were still burning with pain. It was not severe enough to affect his ability to walk, but it forced him to remain cautious.

What concerned him more were the two men he had just met.

Earth Two’s cultivation was far beyond his.

Earth One, meanwhile, had made that oppressive force disappear in an instant.

Yet from beginning to end, Hao Nhien had been unable to sense either man’s true aura.

At that moment, Little Spirit’s voice suddenly sounded within his consciousness.

“Hao Nhien.”

“This person is a little strange.”

“I know.”

“His cultivation is far beyond mine.”

“Not cultivation.”

Hao Nhien’s steps paused slightly.

“Then what?”

Little Spirit did not answer immediately.

Hao Nhien waited.

All he sensed was an extremely faint fluctuation from the Cosmic Ark, which remained stored with him.

Earth One suddenly spoke from ahead.

“Is something wrong?”

Hao Nhien raised his head.

The older man continued walking.

He did not turn around.

Nor did he appear to be probing them.

“Nothing, Senior.”

Earth One asked no more.

Hao Nhien watched his back.

His caution deepened.

He did not know whether Earth One had somehow sensed the exchange between him and Little Spirit.

He also had no intention of testing the possibility casually.

The corridors behind the headquarters were completely different from the busy trading halls outside.

Voices and noise rapidly faded.

In their place came stillness and a faint damp chill in the air.

Only long stone walls remained on either side.

No decorations.

No glowing formation patterns.

Yet the deeper they went, the more Hao Nhien felt that this place was not nearly as simple as it appeared.

He detected no obvious danger.

No formations obstructing spiritual sense.

Only an indescribable sensation—as though every step were taking them farther away from the Sea City that outsiders were permitted to see.

Lanh Hoa walked behind them, one hand still close to his sword.

Lang Tuyet occasionally studied the stone walls but said nothing.

Hao Nhien could tell that she had noticed something as well.

He simply could not tell what.

Earth One walked slowly.

Strangely, however, the distance between him and the three people behind never seemed to change.

Even when Hao Nhien occasionally slowed while observing the surroundings, Earth One remained at the same distance ahead.

Hao Nhien noticed after some time.

He silently remembered it.

Before long, the corridor began sloping downward.

The chill in the air changed with it.

At first, it had resembled sea wind slipping through cracks in stone.

The deeper they descended, however, the stronger the dampness became.

It felt like a place surrounded by an enormous volume of water.

Lanh Hoa suddenly spoke.

“There is water.”

Earth One nodded faintly.

“Mm.”

Hao Nhien looked ahead.

Based on the slope and the distance they had traveled, they were probably already below the level of the sea outside.

Yet the surrounding walls remained completely intact.

There was no sign of erosion from water pressure.

After another stretch of walking, faint blue light began appearing across the stone walls.

There were no lamps.

No spirit stones embedded in the rock.

The stone itself was emitting a weak glow, just bright enough to illuminate the path.

A thin layer of water covered the surface.

Instead of flowing downward, however, it clung to the stone like a transparent membrane.

Lang Tuyet reached out and touched it.

Then withdrew her hand.

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“It really is wet.”

Hao Nhien looked at the droplets remaining on her fingertips.

Before he could ask anything, the corridor ahead opened.

A large cavern appeared.

At its center lay a circular pool more than ten zhang across, surrounded by black stone.

The ceiling rose high overhead.

The faint blue light from the cavern walls gave the entire space an unnatural stillness.

At first glance, nothing about the pool seemed especially unusual except its deep black color.

But the longer Hao Nhien looked, the stranger it became.

He could clearly see the opposite bank.

He could see the walls.

The ceiling.

The boundaries of the cavern.

Yet whenever his eyes settled on the water, all those limits seemed to recede.

A pool barely more than ten zhang wide somehow gave him the impression of facing an endless sea.

The surface was completely still.

The pale blue light from the cavern walls fell upon it.

No reflection appeared.

Not even Hao Nhien’s shadow formed when he approached the edge.

He frowned slightly.

Little Spirit’s voice suddenly sounded again.

“This…”

“Doesn’t feel like water.”

Hao Nhien’s attention sharpened.

“You recognize something?”

“Not clearly.”

Little Spirit was silent for a moment.

Then continued,

“I can’t feel its boundary.”

Hao Nhien looked at the pool again.

The black stones surrounding it remained perfectly visible.

Little Spirit’s words only made the contradiction stranger.

Lang Tuyet stepped beside him.

She stared at the surface for a while.

“It feels like standing before the sea.”

Only then did Earth One stop.

He looked at the black water.

“Because it is part of the sea.”

Hao Nhien turned toward him.

“The Sea Region?”

“You could say that.”

“But this is clearly beneath Sea City.”

Earth One smiled faintly.

“You have only just arrived in Sea City.”

“You do not yet know what exists here.”

“Do not be too quick to decide that everything is exactly what your eyes tell you.”

Hao Nhien did not argue.

He stepped closer.

Then quietly released an extremely thin strand of spiritual sense and allowed it to touch the water.

The instant it entered, the connection vanished.

There was no attack.

No backlash.

He did not feel his spiritual sense being shattered.

Nor swallowed.

There was simply no response from the part he had sent beneath the surface.

As though he had lowered a thread into an emptiness without end.

Hao Nhien immediately stopped probing.

Earth One walked to a stone not far from the pool and sat down.

He rested his staff beside him.

Both hands settled on his knees.

His posture was as casual as though he had merely stopped to rest.

“Senior,” Hao Nhien asked, “where does this pool lead?”

“There are places that cannot be defined through distance.”

Earth One looked at the water.

“What lies before you is one of them.”

“Then what does it do?”

Earth One did not answer immediately.

After a while, he said,

“There are some things that you may not understand even if this old man explains them.”

“You might as well experience it yourselves first.”

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“How?”

“Touch the water.”

Lanh Hoa immediately frowned behind them.

“Is it dangerous?”

Earth One glanced at him.

“I have never seen anyone die merely from touching it.”

He paused.

“But what each person sees inside…”

“That, I cannot guarantee.”

Hao Nhien’s eyes darkened slightly.

The answer did little to reassure him.

He did not understand the nature of the pool.

Nor did he know what contact with it might cause.

If he were alone, he might accept the risk.

But Lang Tuyet and Lanh Hoa were here as well.

Earth One seemed to understand his hesitation.

“No one is forcing you to try.”

Then he fell silent.

No pressure.

No urging.

Hao Nhien continued studying the water.

He was considering whether to approach it through the Soul Art in another way when Lang Tuyet suddenly stepped forward.

“Let me try first.”

Hao Nhien turned.

“You’re sure?”

Lang Tuyet smiled faintly.

“You’re still thinking, aren’t you?”

“Then let me see what is so special about it.”

Hao Nhien watched her.

Her expression remained calm.

But since entering the cavern, her gaze had repeatedly returned to the water.

He had the feeling her decision was not merely an attempt to test the danger for him.

Finally, he nodded.

“Be careful.”

“I know.”

Lang Tuyet walked to the edge and slowly sat on a low stone.

She extended one hand.

Her fingertip stopped only a fraction above the surface.

After a brief hesitation, she lowered it.

Touched the water.

A tiny ripple appeared.

It spread slowly.

One zhang.

Two.

Then faded before reaching the opposite bank.

Lang Tuyet closed her eyes.

Hao Nhien watched closely from nearby.

At first, nothing changed.

Then her eyelashes began trembling faintly.

The hand inside her sleeve slowly tightened.

Her fingertip, however, remained on the water.

Hao Nhien frowned.

“Lang Tuyet?”

She did not answer.

He was about to step forward when Earth One’s voice came from behind.

“Do not touch her.”

Hao Nhien stopped and turned toward him.

“This old man will not allow her to die here.”

Earth One’s tone was calm.

It did not sound like an empty reassurance.

Hao Nhien watched him for another moment.

Then turned back.

He was still not completely at ease.

But at least he understood that Earth One did not intend to simply let them die.

Time passed.

Lang Tuyet’s brows gradually drew together.

Her hidden hand tightened further.

She remained motionless, as though focused on something no one else could see.

After a while, her expression slowly relaxed.

The corner of her mouth moved.

A faint smile appeared.

Hao Nhien froze slightly.

He had seen Lang Tuyet smile countless times.

When teasing him.

When negotiating.

When discovering something interesting.

Her smile usually came naturally.

This one was completely different.

It was extremely soft.

Touched by an indescribable sadness.

And strangely gentle.

For a moment, Hao Nhien did not know whether he should call her or continue waiting.

Lang Tuyet’s free hand slowly rose.

Her fingers opened slightly.

Stopped in midair.

As though she were trying to touch something directly before her.

Hao Nhien watched carefully.

Her fingertips trembled.

Then slowly curled inward.

The smile disappeared.

A long time passed before Lang Tuyet finally opened her eyes.

She remained beside the pool.

Her gaze stayed fixed on the black surface as though she had not yet completely realized she had returned.

Hao Nhien said nothing.

He waited until she slowly removed her hand from the water and turned.

The moment she saw him, Lang Tuyet stopped.

Her gaze settled on Hao Nhien’s face.

Not the way she normally looked at him.

She simply stared.

For so long that Hao Nhien became confused enough to unconsciously touch his own face.

“What are you looking at?”

Lang Tuyet did not answer immediately.

One hand moved slightly.

In the end, she merely withdrew it into her sleeve.

After a while, the familiar curve returned to her lips.

Though the smile was still somewhat forced.

“Nothing.”

“I like looking at you. Is that not allowed?”

Hao Nhien raised an eyebrow.

“What did you see in there?”

Lang Tuyet went quiet.

She turned toward the pool.

For a moment, her eyes darkened.

Then she slowly shook her head.

“There are some things…”

“I don’t know how to explain them.”

Hao Nhien watched her.

She paused as though trying to find the right words.

Finally, she only exhaled.

“Later.”

Hao Nhien did not press.

Lang Tuyet was not someone who hid meaningless things for the sake of mystery.

If she did not want to speak yet, perhaps she herself needed time to understand what had just happened.

As Lang Tuyet returned to his side, Hao Nhien noticed she was still slightly distracted.

She quickly regained her calm.

But every now and then, her gaze unconsciously returned to the black water.

Earth One had opened his eyes as well.

He looked at Lang Tuyet briefly.

Then closed them again.

He did not ask what she had seen.

Hao Nhien silently noted the reaction.

He still did not know why Earth One had brought them here.

But the man’s attitude suggested that whatever appeared within the pool was not something outsiders were meant to casually interrogate.

At that moment, Lanh Hoa walked past Hao Nhien.

Straight toward the water.

“Lanh Hoa?”

He stopped and looked back.

“I will try first.”

Hao Nhien was slightly surprised.

“I haven’t even said I’m going to try.”

“You will.”

“You know?”

Lanh Hoa looked at him.

His answer came naturally.

“I know the Clan Chief.”

For a moment, Hao Nhien had no response.

Beside him, the corner of Lang Tuyet’s mouth lifted faintly.

She said nothing.

Lanh Hoa paid no attention.

He walked to the edge.

Sat down.

Then placed his hand against the water.

He did not study it first.

Did not hesitate.

A ripple spread.

Then vanished.

Lanh Hoa closed his eyes.

At first, nothing changed.

After several breaths, however, the hand resting on his sword suddenly tightened.

Hao Nhien frowned.

He knew Lanh Hoa’s temperament well.

The man could be hot-tempered when faced with injustice.

But in genuine danger, his decisions were usually so immediate that they seemed to require no thought at all.

Yet now Lanh Hoa sat completely still.

His expression did not change.

Only the hand gripping his sword tightened more and more.

Veins slowly rose along the back of his hand.

More time passed than when Lang Tuyet had touched the water.

Hao Nhien had no idea what Lanh Hoa was seeing.

But the man’s unnatural stillness gradually made him uneasy.

At last, Lanh Hoa’s chest suddenly rose sharply once, like someone surfacing from an impossible depth.

He opened his eyes.

Sat motionless for a moment longer.

Then slowly removed his hand from the water.

He did not look at Earth One.

Nor at Lang Tuyet.

Lanh Hoa rose.

Walked directly back to Hao Nhien.

Then resumed his familiar position behind him.

There was only one difference.

This time, he stood closer than usual.

Hao Nhien turned.

“What did you see?”

Lanh Hoa did not answer immediately.

After a while, he looked down at the sword at his waist.

“Didn’t like it.”

“What didn’t you like?”

Lanh Hoa raised his head and looked directly at him.

“No Clan Chief.”