Chapter 538: Bishui Empress

“Besides the many treasures you obtained, did you find anything else unusual in the Vajra Carp’s lair?” Li Qiye asked hurriedly.

“Well, there was one place,” the Guardian said. “We found a place, but the Sect Leader and the Elders couldn’t figure out its mysteries. There must be something strange about it. However, our Qianli River swept up most of the treasures in the lair this time, making many Great Teaching Territories extremely envious. Because of this, the Sect Leader and the Elders decided to retreat for now to avoid further trouble. The Sect Leader and the Elders took everyone to the Fire Realm to check out the situation. If they don’t find anything, the Sect Leader has decided to withdraw from the First Evil Tomb. He was worried you might return to the Water Realm to find us, so he specifically had me stay behind to inform you.”

It was indeed a great harvest for the Qianli River, but it also attracted the envy of many Great Teaching Territories. Thus, Treasure Turtle Daoist decided to retreat for the time being. He took the Elders and all the disciples to the Fire Realm. If they found nothing there, Treasure Turtle Daoist planned to leave the First Evil Tomb. After all, the Qianli River had already reaped a great harvest this time!

“What’s the place you discovered like?” Li Qiye asked the Guardian.

The Guardian hurriedly said, “It’s a large pool, a very strange one. As soon as you step into it, you start having hallucinations, as if you’ve gone to another place. The Sect Leader said it might not even be a hallucination. Moreover, once you step in, it’s very difficult to retreat. The deeper you go, the smaller your chance of returning. The Sect Leader and the Elders couldn’t figure out its secrets, so they had no choice but to retreat for now.”

“Then I’ll go take a look,” Li Qiye said, rubbing his chin and pondering.

The Guardian hurriedly said, “I’m afraid that’s not a good idea. Many people have gathered there now, countless great sects, including Emperor Immortal Gates like the Ju Que Holy Land and the Insect Emperor Dynasty. They all think we haven’t obtained the most important treasure yet and believe there must be a profound secret inside!”

“That’s precisely why we must go,” Li Qiye said with a smile.

“There’s one more strange thing,” the Guardian quickly added. “The Vajra Carp has disappeared. We chased it into its lair and swept up most of the treasures inside, but there was no sign of the Vajra Carp. It was as if it vanished into thin air after entering its lair. This is exactly why the Ju Que Holy Land and the other Great Teaching Territories believe we missed the best treasure. The Sect Leader and the Elders thought it was possible too, but still chose to retreat for now.”

“The Vajra Carp is gone?” Lan Yunzhu couldn’t help but be surprised. One must remember, the Vajra Carp wasn’t some small fish; it was a gigantic carp that looked bigger than a mountain. A carp that large couldn’t hide so easily.

“It was like it vanished into thin air. We searched the entire lair but still couldn’t find it,” the Guardian said, shaking his head.

“And that is even more reason for me to go,” Li Qiye said, his eyes narrowing into a smile.

The Guardian couldn’t help but say worriedly, “Sir, if you go, the Ju Que Holy Land and the many Great Teaching Territories are hostile toward our Qianli River. I’m afraid they will move against you.”

The Qianli River sweeping up the vast majority of treasures from the Vajra Carp’s lair had naturally displeased many Great Teaching Territories. Some even tried to rob them, only to be swept aside by the Qianli River. Only then did those with malicious intentions not dare to act again.

“So what?” Li Qiye said nonchalantly. “Those who block my path will be killed without mercy—”

Hearing Li Qiye’s domineering words, the Guardian couldn’t help but give a bitter smile. But then he recalled the slaughter of tens of thousands from the Ghost Race during the incident with the Snow Shadow Ghost Clan, and he believed that Li Qiye was a man of his word.

“Guardian, go to the Fire Realm and inform the Sect Leader and the Elders. We’re going to that place,” Lan Yunzhu also told the Guardian.

The Guardian looked at Li Qiye and Lan Yunzhu. He didn’t try to stop them. In the end, he took his leave and departed in a hurry to inform the Sect Leader and the Elders.

“Let’s go,” Li Qiye said hurriedly to Lan Yunzhu. “Otherwise, we might miss what I need.”

The Vajra Carp’s lair was originally a mobile one. But, strangely enough, after the Qianli River locked it down and swept away all its treasures, it stopped moving completely in the sea. Even after the Qianli River withdrew, it remained motionless, without any stir.

The Vajra Carp’s lair turned out to be a huge bay. The bay was shaped like a pair of encircling hands, embracing a large amount of seawater to form an inner lake.

The bay was formed by a mountain range. In the center of this range was a main peak that towered into the clouds. And on the cliffs of the mountain range facing the inner lake, there were numerous ancient caves.

The vast amount of treasures obtained by the Qianli River were found within these ancient caves. By the time the Qianli River had swept through most of the caves, the other Great Teaching Territories had only just arrived.

Now, the Qianli River had withdrawn, but many Great Teaching Territories had yet to leave, including Emperor Immortal Gates like the Ju Que Holy Land.

This was because there was a large pool on the main peak that no one could comprehend. Everyone believed this pool was of great importance, possibly even hiding the Vajra Carp’s supreme treasure.

However, numerous sects had been camped on the main peak for several days, yet many people still could not figure out its secrets.

“The Bishui Empress has arrived—” On this day, a great personage arrived at the main peak, causing the many disappointed Great Teaching Territories to rally their spirits.

“Perhaps the Bishui Empress will be able to see through some of its secrets,” someone couldn’t help but say.

Amidst the crowd’s anticipation, an imperial sedan slowly approached. A woman sat upon it, dressed in a phoenix robe, dignified and noble. Although she was a woman of devastating beauty, her peerless Imperial Power and the solemn dignity on her fair face inspired awe!

“An Empress of the Charm Spirit Clan—” someone sighed softly upon seeing the Bishui Empress.

The Bishui Empress was glamorous yet transcendent, elegant and noble. Her origins in the Charm Spirit Clan destined her for greatness.

The Bishui Empress was the Sovereign of the Bishui Country. Moreover, the Bishui Country was the purest Charm Spirit nation in the Ghost Sacred Realm. It could be said that most of the Charm Spirits in the Ghost Sacred Realm were gathered in the Bishui Country.

In the Ghost Sacred Realm, there were two main gathering places for Charm Spirits: the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom in Nanyao Yun, and the Bishui Country in Xishuicang. But unlike the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom, the Bishui Country was a pure Charm Spirit nation. The Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom, on the other hand, was a kingdom built jointly by Charm Spirits and the Human Race.

There were Four Great Desolations in the Ghost Sacred Realm. Besides Yao Yun, the other three desolations were the domain of the Ghost Race. However, the Bishui Country, a nation of Charm Spirits, was established in Xishuicang, a place dominated by the Ghost Race.

In Xishuicang, not counting the reclusive ancient families of the Hidden Races, there were also behemoths like the Ten Thousand Ancient Country and the Insect Emperor Dynasty. Below the Emperor Immortal Gates, there were also immense territories and ancient great sects like the All Gods Country and the Ghost Zen Clan. Furthermore, all these Great Teaching Territories belonged to the Ghost Race.

How could one suffer another to snore by one’s bedside? All of Xishuicang could be said to be the domain of the Ghost Race, yet the Bishui Country had established itself right here, standing tall for millions of years without falling. Some even said that the Bishui Country was founded even earlier than the Yu Shan Old Immortal Kingdom.

Such a state of affairs was hard to imagine in the Ghost Sacred Realm. But when one considered the Charm Spirit Clan, it made sense. Though few in number, the vast majority of the Enchanting Spirit Race were cultivation geniuses!

Charm Spirits were the darlings of Azure Heaven. In this world, no matter the race, no matter how proud, none would dare boast that their talent or their comprehension of the Great Dao could compare to the Charm Spirit Clan!

There was once a saying in the Nine Realms: the Charm Spirit Clan are born geniuses. Their cultivation is much easier than any other race’s. A realm that would take others ten years of cultivation to reach would only take a Charm Spirit five, or perhaps even four or three years!

One must know, ever since the Wilderness Era, the very first Immortal Emperor was the Guchun Immortal Emperor of the Charm Spirit Clan. Legend has it that as far back as the Desolate Era, the Guchun Immortal Emperor had already shouldered the Celestial Mandate. For an Immortal Emperor to emerge from the Charm Spirit Clan in such a remote era, one could only imagine how heaven-defying the clan truly was.

The arrival of the Bishui Empress caused the spirits of the many Great Teaching Territories remaining by the pool to lift. A Sect Leader from a Great Sect said, “Perhaps the Bishui Empress’s Divine Radiance can probe this strange and magical pool.”

Many members of the Charm Spirit Clan look the same as the Human Race on the outside. However, all Charm Spirits possess something the Human Race does not—Divine Radiance!

Divine Radiance was the innate talent of the Charm Spirit Clan. Some said it was a gift from the heavens, something only the heavens’ darlings could possess. This saying was not without reason. It was precisely because the Charm Spirit Clan possessed Divine Radiance that they were more suited for cultivation than any other race.

Although it was said that the Charm Spirit Clan’s Divine Radiance was innate, it would only awaken after one cultivated to a certain realm.

Once a Charm Spirit’s Divine Radiance awakened, they became geniuses among geniuses in cultivation. After their Divine Radiance awakened, cultivation became as easy as adding wings to a tiger.

The miracle of Divine Radiance lay in its ability to decipher principles, see through illusions, perceive the tiniest detail, and sense the heavens and the earth!

Just imagine, when Charm Spirits cultivated, they had no need to comprehend the profound mysteries of the Great Dao. They possessed Divine Radiance. Under its light, any abstruse Cultivation Technique, any profound principle, would be simplified, the complex made simple and the deep made shallow. Therefore, any Cultivation Technique was effortless for a Charm Spirit to practice.

However, the benefits of a Charm Spirit’s Divine Radiance were far from limited to this. It was precisely because Divine Radiance was so miraculous and profound that it made the Charm Spirits unique.

At this moment, seeing the Bishui Empress arrive, many people’s spirits were lifted, because a Charm Spirit’s Divine Radiance could see through illusions.

This ancient pool before them was extremely strange. No one could comprehend it, and several great personages had even entered without returning. Perhaps, with the help of the Bishui Empress’s Divine Radiance, they could see through the mysteries of this ancient pool.

“I’ve heard the Bishui Empress is profound and unfathomable. Under her Divine Radiance, even a Celestial Destiny Emperor Technique becomes incredibly simple. Perhaps her Divine Radiance can see through this ancient pool.” Seeing the Bishui Empress alight from her Phoenix Sedan Chair, many great figures from the Great Teaching Territories paid close attention.