Jiani, You Can't Do This

He had only a few decades left to live. How could he not be anxious?

"Big Brother! With your bloodline, you can definitely do it. You're just short on resources."

Lei Jiani comforted him.

At the same time, she felt she had treated Zhou Er unfairly.

Zhou Er had become her Dao Companion without asking for anything.

Besides, she knew he was desperate to make progress in his cultivation so he could return and avenge himself on his enemy.

However, advancing to the Demon King Realm was no easy feat for the Demon Race.

They needed a great many spiritual treasures, or the Demon Core of a senior.

If Zhou Er could swallow a Demon King's Demon Core, his chances of advancing would increase by at least fifty percent.

That was the fastest and safest way for the Demon Race to advance.

The problem was that her father and mother were still in their prime. They weren't even in a hurry to choose an heir, so naturally, they wouldn't leave behind their Demon Cores.

Unless a Demon King died nearby.

Then her father might be able to seize the Demon Core. Otherwise, the difficulty of Zhou Er becoming a Demon King was indeed too great.

Of course, Zhou Er wasn't part of the Demon Race. He wanted to break through to the Golden Core realm.

Now that his body was so powerful, it wasn't impossible for him to form a Golden Core using the Demon Race's methods.

"Big Brother! I'll ask my father to keep an eye out for you, in case a Demon King dies."

Lei Jiani said earnestly.

"Jiani, thank you."

Zhou Er pulled Lei Jiani into his arms.

Lei Jiani's figure had long since returned to that of a young woman, her body supple but firm, alluring without being vulgar. She was both light and graceful, with naturally enchanting curves. Every movement, every still moment, revealed her enticing, easy elegance.

As Cang Hao was being looked after by his maternal grandparents, the couple indulged in a little tender affection.

Aside from not being able to find Zhou Er a Demon Core right away, Lei Jiani had treated him well.

Over the years, Zhou Er had also found quite a few items and acquired some Water Attribute-related traits.

They increased the power of his Water Attribute Spells.

Lei Jiani had taken Zhou Er's desire to advance seriously and made a special trip to discuss it with her parents.

Father Lei and Mother Lei also felt that Zhou Er had built up enough strength and really needed to find a Demon Core soon so he could break through.

" as it happens, the Tianyi Secret Realm will open next year. Why not go with Cang Er?"

Lei Ze thought of the greatest secret realm in their East Sea, the Tianyi Secret Realm.

The Tianyi Secret Realm was the legacy left behind after a Divine Lord died.

It opened once every sixty years, and any member of the Water Race in the East Sea below the Golden Core realm could enter to explore and search for treasure.

Lei Jiani was just about to agree when she remembered that she still had Cang Hao to look after. Hesitation crossed her face.

"Dad! If we all go to the secret realm, what will happen to Xiao Haohao?"

Lei Jiani couldn't bear to leave him.

"Xiao Haohao can stay with your mother and me. Don't you trust us?"

Lei Ze said.

Lei Jiani hesitated.

When she returned, she told Zhou Er about it.

"The Tianyi Secret Realm? What is that?"

Zhou Er still didn't quite understand.

"It's the resting place of a Divine Lord who died near the East Sea a thousand years ago."

Lei Jiani explained.

It was the custom beneath the sea for the flesh and blood of fallen great figures to nourish the younger generations of the Water Race.

The legacy of a Divine Lord could even become a secret realm, nourishing the younger generations for thousands of years.

To prevent conflicts among the Water Race and ensure the secret realm's resources could be harvested sustainably, the East Sea Dragon God had established a rule: the secret realm would open once every sixty years, and only descendants of the Water Race could enter.

Her father, Lei Ze, was the current leader of the Thunder Eel Clan, so he naturally had many passes for entry.

"Now the Tianyi Secret Realm is nearing its end. The inheritance of Divine Lord Tianyi is about to appear. Whoever obtains it may not become a Divine Lord, but they'll at least earn a Heavenly King Seat."

Lei Jiani said nervously,

"So competition inside the secret realm has been fierce these past few years. Many members of the Water Race have fought each other. I'm afraid that if we all go, and none of us come back, what will happen to Xiao Haohao?"

Seeing Lei Jiani's panicked expression, Zhou Er stepped forward, pinched her cheek, and said,

"Jiani, you're only at the Mid-Stage Second Tier. You're still too weak. Why not stay home? I can go by myself. Just wait for the good news when I return."

Only after he had comforted her for a long while did Lei Jiani finally calm down.

If not for Cang Hao, she would have been willing to die alongside Zhou Er in the secret realm.

After one thing led to another, the day of their departure finally arrived. To Zhou Er's surprise, Lei Jiani's older sister, Lei Jiaxin, was going too.

Lei Jiani and Mother Lei stayed behind in Thunder Dragon City to look after Cang Hao.

"My dear, keep an eye on Big Sister while you're there. She's cultivating anew and is only at the beginner Demon General level. Of course, your own safety comes first. Xiao Haohao and I will be waiting at home."

Lei Jiani reminded him as they said goodbye.

"I know. You take good care of yourself at home, too."

Zhou Er nodded.

After saying their farewells, Zhou Er set off under Lei Ze's guidance.

Lei Ze brought the two of them tens of thousands of miles away, to the entrance of the Tianyi Secret Realm, where members of all kinds of aquatic races had gathered.

Lei Ze was a Demon King under the command of Eight-Armed Heavenly King Youluoduo, so he went to greet Heavenly King You first.

After exchanging greetings, Lei Ze introduced his second son-in-law to Heavenly King You.

"Your Majesty!"

Seeing Heavenly King You, who had four pairs of arms in all, Zhou Er bowed respectfully.

"No need to be so formal! We of the Water Race don't have as many rules as those on land."

Heavenly King You said with a smile, waving his hand.

All four hands moved at once, stirring up a wave.

After a few brief words, Heavenly King You and Lei Ze stopped paying attention to the younger generation and began catching up with the other Demon Kings and Heavenly Kings.

"They're all a sorry lot."

Lei Jiaxin looked over the other demons and said disdainfully.

Few of the demons here had shed their aquatic features as completely as she had.

Though Lei Jiaxin hated the Human Race with all her heart, she still liked their appearance.

She was especially pleased with her own legs now: long and shapely, perfectly proportioned, without an ounce of excess flesh.

Hearing Lei Jiaxin say that, Zhou Er asked,

"Big Sister, don't you have any friends here this time? Aren't you going to catch up with them?"

"No need. Once we enter the secret realm, we'll be competitors. We're the only ones who are still family and can trust each other."

Lei Jiaxin said.

Though the Water Race was mostly simple and honest, that didn't mean they were free of wicked schemes.

Once they entered the secret realm, no one knew what awaited them. A friend they'd trusted might even stab them in the back.

After waiting several days in the waters near the secret realm, the time for it to open finally arrived.

Before the secret realm opened, Lei Ze gave Zhou Er and Lei Jiaxin a few instructions.

"Jiaxin, Cang Er, once you're inside, take whatever you can find, but don't fight anyone over it. Your safety matters most."

Lei Ze cared more about his daughter and son-in-law's safety than about what they might bring back.

His daughter and son-in-law were still young. They would have other opportunities in the future; there was no need to rush.

"I know, Dad!"

Lei Jiaxin said impatiently.

"Yes, Father-in-law!"

Zhou Er responded as well.

"All right, that's enough. Go stand inside that circle in a moment. The Five Great Heavenly Kings will send you into the secret realm. Once you're inside, work together and stay safe."

Lei Ze pointed out the spot to them.

Zhou Er already knew where it was, so he nodded.

When the time came, the descendants of the various aquatic races swam into the circle of the Teleportation Array.

The five Heavenly Kings took up positions in five directions and formed hand seals. The water around them began to ripple, and the descendants of the aquatic races vanished amid the waves.

When the water settled, they found themselves in a completely unfamiliar place, with gigantic white bones scattered everywhere.

As soon as they entered, the descendants of the various aquatic races gathered into small groups and headed off in different directions.

Zhou Er looked at Lei Jiaxin and asked,

"Where should we go first?"

"See that flesh down there? Even one bite would be a huge windfall for us. We'll gather as many resources as we can around here for now. When the Heavenly Kings call us back, we'll meet up again."

Lei Jiaxin pointed toward a nearby lump of flesh, red streaked with white.

This was the flesh of the true body of Tianyi Water God. Even after a thousand years, it had not decayed, and it continued to nourish the creatures in the sea.

Of course, things didn't decompose as quickly at the bottom of the ocean, either.

And it wasn't just flesh. The secret realm held even more of Tianyi Water God's inheritance, waiting for those with the eyes to find it.

Zhou Er nodded, and he and Lei Jiaxin swam in a direction with fewer people.

After swimming for a while, they finally came across the true flesh of a Divine Lord.

Seeing it, Zhou Er dug off a piece and swallowed it.

He didn't eat much more. He had no idea how many thousands of years the Divine Lord's flesh had been there, but it still looked decent.

Lei Jiaxin didn't care about the flesh. She looked all around, searching for the best way forward.

After Zhou Er had filled his Taotie Space, he followed Lei Jiaxin farther in.

As they swam along, they encountered a group of members of the Shark Race.

The Shark Race members all had several rows of gill slits on their faces, sharp teeth, and well-developed muscles.

"They're under Eight-Armed Heavenly King You."

The biggest Shark Clan member recognized Zhou Er and Lei Jiaxin at once.

"Run!"

Lei Jiaxin immediately pulled Zhou Er and swam in the opposite direction.

As they swam, Lei Jiaxin explained,

"Eight-Armed Heavenly King You and Heavenly King Sha have always been at odds. I heard the Shark Clan likes to hunt the descendants under Eight-Armed Heavenly King You."

Only then did Zhou Er understand.

Though they were all under the East Sea Dragon God, the Five Great Heavenly Kings had plenty of grievances with one another.

They kept up a show of harmony on the surface, but once they entered the secret realm and no one else was around, they bared their fangs.

Fortunately, the other side wasn't paying attention to them for the moment. Perhaps things weren't as bad as Lei Jiaxin imagined.

Just as the two of them had gotten away from the Shark Clan group, a half-naked Shark Clan Strongman suddenly rushed out of a fork in the path.

The Strongman grinned, baring several rows of fangs, and said,

"You little brats under Eight-Armed Heavenly King You! Why do you run every time you see us? Come on, let's have some fun!"

As soon as he finished speaking, three more members of the Shark Race appeared and surrounded the two of them.

Zhou Er could feel Lei Jiaxin trembling, so he shielded her behind him and shouted,

"What do you want?"

"What do we want? We want to have a taste of the two of you, of course."

The Shark Clan Strongman sent a wave surging outward, then accelerated and punched at Zhou Er, opening his jaws to lunge at him at the same time.

After dodging the attack, Zhou Er sprayed Qingming Cold Poison into the water around them.

The poison spread through the water, and the sharks' movements immediately slowed.

When they realized something was wrong, the Shark Race members quickly retreated.

Zhou Er seized the chance to escape with Lei Jiaxin, who had also been affected by the poison, in his arms.

Once Qingming Cold Poison was released into the water, it was diluted significantly. It couldn't hold the sharks back for long.

The sharks chased close behind, and Zhou Er fled in a panic.

If he had been alone, he might have had a chance to escape. But with Lei Jiaxin in his arms, he was much slower.

Of course, he couldn't abandon Lei Jiaxin, either. She was, after all, his elder sister in name.

If he were the only one to make it out when the secret realm ended, it would be hard to explain things to Lei Jiani and the others.

Lei Jiaxin gradually recovered as well, and she kept thinking of a way out.

Suddenly, she spotted a giant clam large enough to hold the two of them.

It was a Mid-Stage Second Tier Ancient Giant Clam, and its shell was sturdy enough to withstand the Shark Clan's attacks.

"Let's hide inside that shell."

She climbed down from Zhou Er's arms, took his hand, and slipped into the Ancient Giant Clam's shell, closing it at once.

Once the shell shut, the space inside grew cramped, leaving Zhou Er and Lei Jiaxin pressed close together.

Zhou Er could feel Lei Jiaxin's full, soft body against him, her curves visibly compressed. Their faces nearly touched, too.

Lei Jiaxin could feel the warmth of Zhou Er's body.

But they were in a life-or-death crisis, and neither of them had the attention to spare for such things. They tensely sensed the ripples in the water around them, tracking the sharks' movements outside.

A few Shark Race members chased them there. Knowing that the two had hidden inside the Ancient Giant Clam, they called out,

"We're leaving! You can come out now!"

"Boss, they can't be stupid enough to fall for that, can they?"

One of the fatter Shark Race members said.

"You idiot, if you don't say it out loud, how would they know?"

The Shark Clan Strongman in the lead smacked the man.

After struggling for a long while and still failing to do anything about the Ancient Giant Clam, the Shark Clan members had no choice but to leave.

After all, their main goal in entering the Tianyi Secret Realm this time was to seek treasure. Killing the enemy faction's prodigies was merely a side task.

Once they sensed that the Shark Clan members outside had left, the two inside the Ancient Giant Clam let out a sigh of relief.

However, there was another problem now.

How were they supposed to get out?

Zhou Er could already feel the clam flesh wrapping around them, trying to digest them.

Lei Jiaxin was even more flustered. Between their awkward movements and the clam flesh squirming around, she and Zhou Er were getting closer and closer. She could especially feel her legs tangled with his.

"Big Sister, let's change positions."

Zhou Er felt Lei Jiaxin's soft flesh shift twice and spoke.

He wanted to adjust into a more comfortable position.

The more they adjusted, the closer they got. Zhou Er's hand even accidentally landed on Lei Jiaxin's shapely rear.

Zhou Er adjusted again, and his hand slid onto her thigh.

Lei Jiaxin felt it too, and was terribly embarrassed.

After an awkward stretch, Lei Jiaxin finally caught her breath and said to Zhou Er,

"Jiani doesn't have legs this smooth, does she?"