Fish Soul; Entering the Pool

This little Little White Fish is like the child of this White Dragon Carp. It is only about half the size of a palm, and its whole body is snow-white, but its round eyes are distinctly black.

You Su wasn't the only one who noticed the fish; the sharp-eyed old man also spotted the pure white little creature among its internal organs.

Old Yu's expression was somewhat solemn. He carefully opened the White Dragon Carp's internal organs, wanting to hold the little Little White Fish in his hand, but when he stretched out his hand, he grasped nothing.

The little White Dragon Carp actually flew into the air, dodging Old Yu's grabbing hand!

You Su watched all this with some fear. Since arriving at the sacred mountain, he hadn't been able to see anything without opening his eyes for a long time. The only things he could see directly were evil spirits.

But this little white carp is pure white and incredibly lively; could it also be an evil spirit?

The little white carp seemed to use the sky as water and its fluttering Xiao Yu as wings, swimming freely and at will in mid-air, leaving the three onlookers in awe.

With a "plop," Old Yu suddenly knelt down, his whole body trembling as he repeatedly bowed to the little white carp.

The corpse of the Great White Dragon Carp lay before him, its crimson blood seeping into the boat planks and flowing down to Old Yu's hands. Old Yu stared in horror at the blood on his hands, muttering words of devout repentance.

The little white carp hovered in the air above the "mother's" corpse, its tiny tail swaying constantly, as if quietly watching the old man confessing his sins.

But You Su, standing behind the old man, knew clearly that the little white carp was looking at him.

"Grandpa, it's just a fish. Even if it can fly, you don't need to kneel and kowtow to it."

Although it was the first time the Xiao Yu had ever seen such a strange fish, it felt more amazement than fear.

Old Yu ignored him and continued his worship, chanting for a long time, but the little white carp remained standing still in the air, without swimming.

The old man's face was etched with wrinkles; he couldn't understand why the Divine Fish still wouldn't forgive him. Suddenly, as if he'd grasped something, he turned back urgently and said:

"Young Master Xu! Quickly! Kneel and worship the Water God! We have harmed it! If we do not repent quickly, the Water God will bring down a great calamity!"

Is the Water God that Old Yu mentioned referring to this little white carp?

You Su quietly reached into his clothes and grasped the Evil Warding Token again. The cold touch told him that this spirit fish that could float in the air was not an evil spirit.

But if it wasn't an evil spirit, how could he suddenly see it? Was there something wrong with the Evil Warding Token, or was there something wrong with the fish?

Even the Dream-Eating Ghost and the Grand Duke Jupiter couldn't conceal the Evil Warding Token; could this fish possibly hide it?

Just as he hesitated, the little White Dragon Carp swam swiftly towards You Su!

The fish tail thrashed wildly, drawing a pure white straight line in You Su's pitch-black vision.

You Su raised his sword to stop him, the black sword ringing out clearly, determined to cut the white fish in two.

Old Yu watched all this in horror. Before he could even utter the word "No," the little white carp's body had already been split in two.

But then, another unexpected change occurred! The fish seemed to have no substance at all; the sword merely separated its body briefly as it passed by, before it immediately merged back into one and crashed straight into You Su's chest.

All of this happened so suddenly that neither You Su nor Xiao Yu could react in time to stop it. Strangely enough, the little white carp disappeared instantly after touching You Su's body!

Fearing something might go wrong, You Su hurriedly searched for the spot where the white fish had disappeared, but not only did he find nothing, he also didn't feel anything unusual at the moment of the collision, as if the fish had never existed.

Old Yu stared at You Su in disbelief, his lips trembling, and he was about to perform the bow when he started to stammer.

Unable to find answers to his many questions, You Su quickly helped the old man up, saying, "Old Madam, what's wrong? Please get up."

Old Yu stubbornly remained kneeling on the ground. Seeing this, You Su had no choice but to use some force to lift Old Yu up, saying:

"Old Madam, there's no need for that. Old Madam tell me, what exactly happened?"

Old Yu glanced at You Su, then quickly lowered his head as if he dared not look directly at him, and said:

"Young Master Xu, I'm so sorry..."

You Su's suspicion deepened. "What do you mean by this, Old Madam?"

"Young Master Xu, you may not know this... but have you ever seen a fish with another fish inside its belly?"

You Su was stunned for a moment, then realized the strangeness. Fish reproduce by spawning, so how could the little white carp inside the White Dragon Carp's belly grow into a fish shape?

"Not only have I never seen anything like it, but I've never even heard of it before," You Su replied.

Old Yu then removed You Su's hand that was supporting him and apologized:

"That's because it's a true Divine Fish. The reason this large White Dragon Carp doesn't have any eggs in its belly is because it wasn't born from the White Dragon Carp's mating; it was transformed from the White Dragon Carp by absorbing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. You could say it's the Fish Soul of this White Dragon Carp."

You Su was slightly taken aback, finding it hard to believe that something as simple as a fish could be associated with the concept of a soul.

Old Yu continued, "These White Dragon Carp are not only top-grade spiritual fish, but legend has it that they can also cultivate like immortals. At the highest level of cultivation, they can transform into the legendary True Dragon that controls water, hence the name White Dragon Carp. But this is just an ancient legend that even we old fishermen have almost forgotten. I never thought that I would actually see a white carp that is about to transform into a dragon today!"

"You mean that having Fish Soul means the fish is about to transform into a dragon?"

"That's for sure! A dragon is a dragon, and a fish is a fish. Even if a carp leaps over the Dragon Gate, its fish body can't transform into a dragon's body; it has to rely on its soul to transform!"

Old Yu was just an ordinary man; these strange and supernatural things were merely legends to him. Now that he had witnessed them with his own eyes, he was deeply shocked.

He glanced again at You Su, who seemed lost in thought, his old brows drooping as if he had aged many years in an instant, and sighed softly:

"If I had known it was destined to transform into a dragon, I would never have let you kill it... It was meant to become Water God, but because of my greed, you've incurred a heavy karmic burden. You just severed its Fish Soul, completely extinguishing its hope of becoming a dragon. Remember this: never go into the water lightly! Killing a future Water God will bring the water's revenge!"

Fishermen have an innate reverence for water, and they inevitably tend to deify mythical creatures that can control water, which is why they call them Water God.

You Su, who also came from humble origins, naturally understood this principle. He understood that the gods these mortals spoke of were merely honorific titles for powerful beings, not actual deities wielding authority.

Moreover, You Su knew very well that he had not actually killed the Fish Soul; it had simply disappeared.

What just happened happened in the blink of an eye. Old Yu was old and frail and did not see the strange reunion of the Fish Soul, which is why he thought You Su had completely killed the White Dragon Carp that was about to transform into a dragon.

"Old Madam, you don't need to scare me. There are no gods in this world, only immortals."

You Su had no intention of explaining further to Old Yu. He didn't believe that killing a fish would lead to being rejected by all water.

He was also curious why this old man, in his twilight years, was so ignorant, unlike people of this era. In this age of immortals and Technique Method, why did he still remember those ethereal myths and believe in those ancient legends?

"Why won't you believe me? I'm the one who got you into this mess. I can't just watch you die. You must remember this: never go into the water again!"

Old Yu stamped his foot in frustration, but still insisted on his advice.

"Grandpa, a dragon is a dragon. No matter what, a fish can't become a dragon. Besides, dragons have all died out long ago, so it's not some kind of Water God. It's just a more mystical fish. In other places, many spirit beasts can cultivate divine souls. This isn't unique to the White Dragon Carp. You don't need to worry about it."

The Xiao Yu, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, her tone filled with unwavering certainty.

"You!"

Old Yu glared at Xiao Yu, his expression somewhat reproachful, as if to say, "How can you not even believe me?" But then he remembered that this wasn't his biological granddaughter at all, and could only sigh deeply, as if talking to himself:

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault..."

As the old man muttered to himself, he walked to the White Dragon Carp that had been gutted. He bowed several times, then stuffed the scattered organs back in, and finally dragged the huge fish carcass and threw it into the lake.

With a loud splash, this unexpected episode seemed to have come to an end.

Old Yu sighed and returned to his room, leaving only You Su and Xiao Yu on the deck where a faint smell of fish and blood lingered.

"Little Xiao Yu, do you know what use it is for a spirit beast to cultivate a divine soul?"

After learning that the girl was not actually Xiao Yu, You Su always referred to her as "Xiao Yu Girl".

Xiao Yu glanced at him and replied:

"Only humans are born with a divine soul. Cultivators also possess Divine Sense and Sea of Consciousness because they have a divine soul. When a spirit beast refines its divine soul, it gains intelligence, opens its meridians, and can become Divine Beast. The most powerful Divine Beast may be nearly as strong as Void Glimpse Venerable."

You Su was naturally aware of this. It was rumored that the Eleventh Elder of the Beast Taming Peak of the Xuanxiao Sect possessed a Divine Beast strength was comparable to that of a cultivator in the Void Glimpse Realm. He immediately asked the question that he was truly curious about:

"Then why did it disappear just now?"

Although Old Yu didn't witness the Fish Soul healing, You Su was certain that the Xiao Yu did.

The Xiao Yu pondered for a moment before saying, "I don't know either. To this day, people still know very little about the divine soul. But you don't need to worry. Judging from the size of its divine soul, that fish just now was probably only newly enlightened and posed no threat to you."

You Su nodded and said nothing more. He wiped the blade of the Ink Pine Sword and looked into the unseen depths of the lake.

Jade Ring Pool truly lives up to its reputation as one of the eleven Spiritual Life Blessed Land in the world, as it can even allow a fish to cultivate a divine soul.

But a fish that can possess a soul just like a human should logically be intelligent, so why would it leave the Jade Ring Pool that helped it evolve and run to this Jade Ring Lake outside?

Was it accidentally swept out by an underground current? Or...?

They escaped?

We're almost there.

Old Yu opened the door and came out, carrying three large bags filled with odds and ends.

The boat's speed had noticeably increased by this point, and a sharp wind swept across their cheeks.

Old Yu squinted at the lake in front of him; it was less a lake and more a large waterfall stretching across it.

All the lake water cascades down here with a deafening roar, and the air is thick with moisture as if it were pouring rain. Once you fall into this waterfall, there is no end to it.

Even though this experienced old man had passed by this place many times, he still couldn't believe that this was just an illusion created by the immortals of Jade Ring Pool. For mortals who had mistakenly entered this place, this magnificent waterfall was enough to make them desperately turn back.

"This must be the protective array around the pool," You Su sighed.

"Indeed, Young Master Xu, I hope you truly have the fortuitous opportunity to reach the Jade Ring Pool, otherwise this fake waterfall will seem real to you. As for where it will carry you, I cannot guarantee you."

You Su smiled. He trusted the Third Elder's judgment, and besides, they had already come this far; there was no turning back.

Xiao Yu looked calmly at the waterfall in front of her. Holding the fortuitous opportunity she had obtained from Old Yu, she was naturally not afraid of this Formation Technique.

A lone boat, with three passengers, sailed towards the magnificent chasm in the water.

Just as the boat was about to plunge into the abyss with the huge waves, it miraculously floated in mid-air, as if a celestial being had lifted it up and carried them to the other side.

A tremendous pressure followed, but it was quickly dissipated. They passed through the protective array of the pool and finally reached the waters of Jade Ring Pool.

Here, there is no longer any mist obscuring the view, only warm sunshine and a clear breeze, several picturesque green mountains resembling those in a traditional Chinese ink painting, and an exquisite dock built at the foot of the mountains.

A magnificent immortal in a blue robe stood on the dock, his appearance incomparably handsome. He raised his hands, as if summoning the calm lake water beneath the fishing boat, to pull it over. The fishing boat moved forward smoothly, yet there was not a ripple beneath it; the water was as still as a mirror made of glass.

The ship has docked.

"Old Yu, it's been quite a while since your last visit," the blue-robed immortal greeted the old man.

Old Yu was somewhat flattered and quickly moved the three large bags of treasures and Spirit Stone beside him forward:

"Jade Immortal Master, I've finally saved enough money! I hope you can save my granddaughter!"

The handsome man, known as Jade Immortal Master, smiled gently and flicked his fingers, sending the three bags of 'consultation fees' flying ashore.

"You're a good grandfather, we will cure your granddaughter."

Old Yu immediately burst into tears, knelt on the ground, and said with overwhelming gratitude:

"Thank you, Jade Immortal Master! Jade Immortal Master is truly compassionate!"

Jade Immortal Master maintained his refined smile and replied, "You should thank Jade Ring Pool, not me."

"That's right! Xie Jade Ring Pool!"

Old Yu was both moved and excited, but You Su felt an inexplicable awkwardness in her heart as she listened.

He couldn't judge whether the immortals charging fees for healing mortals was right or wrong, only feeling that it didn't seem to have much to do with the concept of compassion.

Besides, would this Jade Ring Pool Immortal Master really care about the scrap metal collected by a mortal? How poor must that immortal sect be?

"I never expected that Old Yu would bring two distinguished guests to Jade Ring Pool this time!"

Jade Immortal Master smiled faintly as she glanced at You Su and Xiao Yu's faces, a gesture that was neither offensive nor offensive, but rather felt like a gentle breeze.

Since he knew Old Yu, he must have seen what Xiao Yu looked like. So when he saw the perfectly healthy Xiao Yu in front of him, he saw through her disguise at a glance.

"We are deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly. Please, esteemed guests, come ashore for a chat."

Jade Immortal Master opened his arms and greeted them warmly.

Xiao Yu frowned slightly and asked coldly, "Jade Immortal Master doesn't ask who we are, how does she know we are distinguished guests?"

Jade Immortal Master laughed heartily, "We already knew who you were when you two approached Jade Ring Pool. Throughout the Five Continents, you two are both of exceptional status. How could you not be considered honored guests to Jade Ring Pool?"

You Su felt a chill run down his spine. He had only been in the sacred mountain for a short time and hadn't achieved anything particularly remarkable. He hadn't expected that the mountain's reputation would grow faster than he had ever been.

What surprised him even more was that he hadn't even seen through Xiao Yu's disguise, yet Jade Ring Pool knew the other party's true identity.

It seems that although Jade Ring Pool appears to be closed off, it actually only blocks information from within the pool itself, while collecting information from the outside world quite comprehensively.

Before he could react, the Xiao Yu had already stepped over the plank and leaped onto the dock, its movements as graceful as a wild goose.

You Su followed, turning back to thank Old Yu.

Old Yu ignored him, waving goodbye to Xiao Yu with some reluctance. Xiao Yu, however, remained indifferent, seemingly having completely reverted to her true nature except for this outward appearance.

"Old Yu, wait here. Someone will come to take your granddaughter away. Xiao Yu is different from you; she has immortal roots and shouldn't be just a mortal fisherman. Once she's fully recovered, I'll have her enter the Jade Ring Pool. You can come and visit her often then."

The Jade Ring Pool Immortal Master waved his hand, his blue brocade robe billowing, and he turned around:

"Distinguished guests, please follow me."

The two followed, heading towards the rolling green hills ahead.

Old Yu behind him knelt on the deck and began to kowtow devoutly.

"Xie Jade Ring Pool, Xie Jade Ring Pool..."

There's a lot I want to write about this dungeon, so please don't blame me for being slow-paced, although I don't think it's slow at all.