Cold Whale Nine-Colored Water

In the Ancestral God Secret Realm, Chen Qing had already sent Venerable Beishan on his way. After all, his Inheritance Token had been shattered, so there was little point in staying here—and just looking at him was irritating. Chen Qing had simply handed him over to the Chaos City Lord. Even if the Ouchui Race were assigned menial labor, they would be no worse off than before. The powerful beings in the secret realm were now all gathered at the Land of Divine Gift, so Chen Qing had no need to join the crowd. There was, however, one place he absolutely had to visit.

The Cold Whale Nine-Colored Water was an extremely frigid pool. Up close, a waterfall tens of thousands of light-years high poured down from the void, and the pool itself was hundreds of light-years across, its depths unfathomable. They call this a pool?

Chen Qing stood beside it. The endless, multicolored sea stretched before him, its nine hues layered together like auroras gliding through the water. Countless droplets danced through the void like jewels, and the myriad lights reflected off one another, making the entire surface look dreamlike. For all its beauty, the place was extraordinarily dangerous. Even a Venerable standing nearby would have his divine body shattered into its most basic particles if splashed by the water.

The original story had mentioned that the special lifeform Cold Whale was born here, but little was known about its race. After all, Cold Whales were powerful—probably top Overlords. Combined with the unfathomable Nine-Colored Water, this place was practically a natural Domain Supreme Treasure and origin supreme treasure, both at least at the pinnacle level.

"This water is connected to the origin, and it can even nurture life. I hope it can guide me in completing my secret technique and help me comprehend the sixth layer of the secret patterns!"

Compared with fighting, quiet research suited me better. Whether it was the Fusion Law or the Law Origin, there were suitable places to study them in the Primal Universe. The trouble was that none of the living beings knew the way forward; everyone had to feel their way along, and they were even driven to compete with one another. The atmosphere grew more and more chaotic as everyone tried to outdo everyone else.

But if he wanted to settle down and cultivate here, he couldn't avoid the Cold Whale. And how was he supposed to communicate with it? If all else failed, he could try offering a Supreme Treasure in exchange. Even just sitting nearby would be fine. But the Cold Whale had never left this place. What sort of Supreme Treasure would attract it?

"Heart Imprint Heaven and Earth."

As Chen Qing pondered, he closed his eyes and carefully sensed the wonders of the Nine-Colored Water in the pool. "How fascinating. No wonder it's called Nine-Colored Water. The 'colors' in it are actually different Law fragments mixed into the water, which produce nine distinct hues."

The fragments in the Nine-Colored Water followed no discernible pattern, but their fusion with the water was intriguing. Or rather, the water could fuse with those fragments in a remarkable way. That method was incredibly subtle; even Chen Qing could barely sense it. But he was certain it involved something deeper. Could it be a Fusion Law related to water?

No wonder even a Venerable's divine body couldn't withstand it. Universe Masters either comprehended spacetime or had achieved at least the seventh level of Law fusion, so their divine bodies could naturally withstand such a chaotic fusion. Just as Chen Qing was marveling at this, he suddenly spotted a lifeform racing up from the depths of the pool. It was nearly a million kilometers long. "Is that the Cold Whale? Its divine body is so huge—its Gene Level must be several thousand times!"

In a moment, the Cold Whale burst out of the water, then abruptly stopped. Huge waves churned and rolled outward, one layer after another, until they reached Chen Qing's feet. Seeing the human standing there without moving, a glint flashed in the Cold Whale's eyes. Its deep voice reverberated all around them. "Human, whatever gives you the confidence to withstand the frigid water, I let you off this time for the Ancestral God's sake. But now you must leave!"

Chen Qing took a small step forward and bowed before looking up at the Cold Whale. "Venerable Cold Whale, Qingyu only wishes to borrow this place for cultivation. I'm willing to pay you for it."

"Heh. Pay me? Since when has the Human Race been so generous? Do you have a Peak Supreme Treasure?"

"Fine. One Peak Supreme Treasure. It's a deal!"

"..."

A smile spread across Chen Qing's face. It was only one Peak Supreme Treasure. How could that compare to the importance of his path? He had originally wanted to ask the Young Ancestral God for help, but if he could settle this with a Supreme Treasure, he wouldn't have to owe anyone a favor.

"As long as you're not afraid of dying, do as you please. Just don't forget to leave the treasure behind when you go!"

The Cold Whale glanced at Chen Qing and plunged back down. The water suddenly exploded around him. This time, without the Cold Whale controlling its power, the splash served as a little lesson.

"So stingy!"

Drenched to the bone, Chen Qing muttered under his breath. Luckily, he had already stored Little Cloud inside the Cyan Jade Armor. He looked at the droplet on his hand and gently rubbed it between his fingers. Aside from being heavier and colder, it really did feel like water.

Once the ripples on the pool gradually settled, Chen Qing's mind stirred. A phantom tendril extended from his body and lightly touched the water's surface. He focused his will on the Green Lotus, and his eyes lit up. This strange fusion became clearer, like ripples on the water. He could even quietly store Nine-Colored Water inside the lotus pod. The Green Lotus's pod had thirty-six seed spaces, each about one light-year in diameter. Once he became an Immortal, they could form Lotus Seed-like divine power crystals that would constantly replenish his main body's divine power. If he filled them all now, one Peak Supreme Treasure wouldn't be enough. He just didn't know if the Cold Whale would notice.

It was another rare day for the three of them to be together in Nine Star Bay. They lay on the grass, enjoying a brief moment of peace. "Come to think of it, have your avatars finished gestating?"

"My Wind Nether Sparrow only has a hundredfold Gene Level, so it was ready sooner. I've made decent progress with spatial traversal. I'll probably comprehend instantaneous movement first."

At the mention of her avatar, Jiang Fang's eyes brightened. Ever since she'd left the secret realm, comprehending Laws had felt much more difficult, even in the Initial Universe. Now it was going more smoothly. "Wind Nether Sparrow? In that case, make sure you comprehend the Law of Wind during the World Lord stage too, so you'll be prepared for the future. But don't get trapped in the sinkhole of time!"

Chen Qing looked through some information as he reminded her. If the Water-Space fusion didn't go well, they could consider Wind-Space fusion, or even Wind-Water fusion. Either way, it would give them a little more hope.

"What about Sister Yao Rao?"

"My Light Butterfly has a hundred-and-twentyfold Gene Level. It'll be ready in a few more years. I've been comprehending Time Acceleration, though, so the timing should work out."

Yao Rao straightened her back, then curled up against her arm again. "Should I also comprehend the Law of Light while I'm at it?"

"If the Light Butterfly is favored by time, then it's the embodiment of light. Of course you shouldn't give it up. It'll make the path of Law fusion easier for you later."

"Do we have a chance to follow the Beast God Path too?"

Yao Rao perked up. Though she hadn't been at the Ancestral God Secret Realm last time, she now knew how precious the Beast God Token was. "The Beast God Path is just one kind of Fusion Law. It's more suited to combat, so it's not a great fit for you two. It only seems so precious because there aren't any other clear paths for fusion. I'll figure something out later."

Chen Qing quickly talked Yao Rao out of it. Even if he couldn't find a solution himself, Duan Donghe had detailed guidance. He couldn't let them get anxious.

"Don't get ahead of yourself!"

Yao Rao shot him a flirtatious look, then pressed herself against him, content. She knew the young man was worried about them. Exchanging a knowing look with Jiang Fang, they both lay against Chen Qing's chest, quietly savoring their happiness.