A Request Concerning the Endless Sea
The Endless Sea, the graveyard of the Jiaoren.
Countless Jiaoren were born here, and died here.
Their remains sank to the seabed, where they gave birth to even more marine life.
Here, the most powerful overlords are neither the high-level Demon Beast in the sea, nor the reclusive cultivators on the islands in the sea.
They are golden-tailed Jiaoren have lived in the sea for generations and can stir up storms!
The Jiaoren Race revere those with golden tails, and all who ascend to the throne of the Jiaoren Emperor possess golden tails. This is a secret belonging to the Endless Sea, and also a secret belonging to the Cloud Mulberry Realm.
At this moment, Sang Ying was unaware of these inside details. She simply followed the instructions of her elders and entered the Thousandfold Formation safely and unharmed via a side path.
Jing Shouyue personally controlled the formation, allowing Sang Ying to successfully reach the formation where the golden-tailed Jiaoren was located.
The scene was the same as before, and the same beautiful Jiaoren with a golden tail was still there.
The Jiaoren swam freely in the pool, her beautiful golden tail leaving a trail in the water. In a daze, Sang Ying even felt that gold dust was falling from her tail.
The Jiaoren seemed to notice Sang Ying's distraction and deliberately lifted her tail out of the water, scattering water droplets on the ground in the sunlight.
The enormous golden tail drew Sang Ying's full attention, and even though she was splashed with water, she showed no intention of backing down.
"So cute! Do you want to come down? I'll play with you!" The golden-tailed Jiaoren found it amusing to see Sang Ying staring at her so intently.
She beckoned to Sang Ying, her coaxing manner exactly the same as when Sang Ying first came to challenge the formation.
Sang Ying shook her head, her expression much gentler than before. "No need, you can play in this pool by yourself."
"Tsk, how boring, just as hard to fool as your master." Golden Tail rolled its eyes and sank its tail into the water.
Sang Ying watched the golden light slowly disappear, her eyes filled with a sense of loss and reluctance.
"Hehehe... you little cultivator, you're still as fun as before." Golden Tail let out a string of laughs. "Alright, I'll stop teasing you. I heard you're heading to the Cloud Mulberry Realm?"
Sang Ying knew that she was about to get serious, so she immediately straightened her posture. "Is that so? So, Senior, is there anything you need to tell me?"
"I need your help with something. Little cultivator, do you know about the Endless Sea of the Cloud Mulberry Realm?" The Jiaoren opened his arms, looking at his fingers in the sunlight.
Sang Ying controlled her expression, not letting herself show surprise. "Of course I've heard about that. After all, it's the most famous place in the Cloud Mulberry Realm. Even those of us who haven't been there have heard of the Endless Sea. I heard that the Jiaoren Race live there?"
"Hehe, you cultivators probably only know this much about the Cloud Mulberry Realm." The Jiaoren chuckled again. "But it's not your fault. The Cloud Mulberry Realm is xenophobic; even if they have any secrets, they would never tell you... Don't look at me like that. Even though I'm trapped here now, I'm still a person of the Cloud Mulberry Realm. If you want to get information from me, you're going to be disappointed."
Sang Ying withdrew her gaze, but wasn't exactly disappointed.
The Jiaoren continued, "The Endless Sea is indeed where Jiaoren live. The matter I need you to do requires you to travel Endless Sea. I won't ask you to do anything else. When you arrive in the Cloud Mulberry Realm, if you have time, go to that beach and blow this conch shell. Someone will hear the sound and come looking for you. Then, give her this scale."
The Jiaoren's golden tail sank to the deep bottom of the water, and even its luster seemed to have dimmed somewhat.
Tell her she doesn't need to wait for me. I'll go back to see her once my heart has completely calmed down. Until then, tell her not to come looking for me and to stay where she is.
Hearing the Jiaoren's melancholy voice, Sang Ying suddenly became curious about her past.
She replied, "I have remembered all your instructions, senior, and I will definitely do my best to help you complete them. However, may I have the honor of knowing your name, senior?"
The Jiaoren didn't seem to care much. "It's just a name, I can tell you without worry. My name is Jin Le'er. My father gave me this name so that I would live a carefree and joyful life. But in the end, I still failed to live up to his expectations."
After saying this, Jin Le'er left the conch shell and scales with Sang Ying, then turned and sank into the water, clearly unwilling to let Sang Ying continue asking questions.
Sang Ying could tell from her attitude that the past wasn't a pleasant experience for Jin Le'er. She didn't ask any further questions but turned and left.
The passage of the Thousandfold Formation opened again for Sang Ying, and when she came out, Jiulian, Jiang Zhuoxue and the others were waiting for her.
Seeing her emerge unharmed, Jiulian seemed relieved. "It seems that the golden-tailed creature treated you quite well."
Sang Ying, still puzzled, replied, "Senior Jin has indeed been very tolerant and kind to me."
"Kind?" Jiulian's expression twisted slightly, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Ha, this is the first time I've ever heard someone say she's kind. Alright, this is fate between you two. She entrusted this matter to you because she trusts you. If you don't mind the trouble, you can help her out. After all, she'll be staying in this Thousandfold Formation for thousands of years to come!"
Thousands of years—that's an incredibly long time even for cultivators, let alone a Jiaoren confined to a small tree-lined pond.
"I've made myself clear to you. Since you've decided to go, you've surely considered the consequences, so I won't repeat myself. I'll just say one thing: if you encounter danger and can't handle it, run. As long as you survive, no matter what you suffer, your master will help you get back. Living is the most important thing." Every word Jiulian spoke touched Sang Ying's heart. At this moment, Sang Ying felt that the best thing she had ever done in her life was releasing Jiang Zhuoxue and bringing him to the Immortal Spirit Realm.
Because she came here, all the hardships she had suffered found comfort and reward.
"I understand, Master, don't worry," Sang Ying replied earnestly.
Jiulian patted her disciple's head and waved for them to go and prepare.
The Upper Realm is fraught with danger, and Sang Ying and Jiang Zhuoxue will likely need to make considerable preparations to save their lives.
On the night before setting off for the Cloud Mulberry Realm, Sang Ying, unusually, did not fall asleep. She sat in her room, examining the scales Jin Le'er had given her for a long time. Even after being separated from her body, the golden scales still emitted a faint glow, which was especially noticeable at night.
Sang Ying examined it for a long time before finally spotting a strange wave pattern.
She let out a heavy sigh. It seemed that the upcoming trip to the Cloud Mulberry Realm might be more complicated than she had imagined!
A note from the author:
Wasn't Sparrow very diligent today?
See you tomorrow!