ragginovel Chapter 2439 Yangmo Lake
Chapter 2439 Yangmo Lake
Chapter 2439 Yangmo Lake
"According to you, the territory of the Ice Island Lord is larger than the domain of the Demon Saint in the Demon Realm."
The Vermilion Bird perched on Qin Sang's shoulder as Qin Sang flew slowly and steadily over the sea, speaking to her.
They privately referred to that previous small world as the Demon Realm.
"How can that be the same? Besides, those aquatic creatures may not even acknowledge this island lord," Zhuque retorted lazily.
Qin Sang nodded; the demon realm indeed could not compare to the spirit realm.
With so many demon saints in a small world, and all concentrated on both sides of the Lotus Crossing Great Swamp, even though this small world is very special, it still feels a bit crowded, and the demon saints can only accommodate each other.
As far as they knew, the territory of this Ice Dew Island lord was vast, containing countless islands, but 'island lord' was an honorific title referring specifically to the lord of Ice Dew Island. When the demon cultivators here mentioned other island lords, they had to include the island's name or use another honorific title.
However, the lord of Ice Island might not be able to control such a vast territory. Just like in the Great Zhou Dynasty, many places within the Great Zhou only nominally respect the Zhou king. Such superficial compliance is not uncommon, especially among the unruly demon race.
"Ok?"
Zhuque suddenly raised her head and chuckled, "We're here! It's just ahead! That little catfish is still keeping its word and waiting for us."
The little catfish was a friend that Suzaku had made before. Although it was called "little," it had already transformed into human form and could be considered a powerful figure.
Qin Sang was unfamiliar with the demon race in the spirit realm, so she planned to conceal her identity and familiarize herself with the customs of the North Sea.
As they spoke, a small island came into view. Half of the island was lush and green, while the other half was a sandy beach. Two men stood on the highest rock.
Qin Sang glanced at them and saw that the two men looked about 70-80% alike. One had a calm and composed appearance, while the other looked a bit immature. They must be father and son.
They all have two long whiskers resembling those of a catfish around their mouths, clearly indicating that they are catfish demons in human form. The whiskers are a remnant of their incomplete transformation, or perhaps they left them intentionally.
The son is Zhuque's friend, whose real name is Heiyun, and Zhuque calls him Little Catfish.
The other party also saw them. Hei Yun was overjoyed, and a cloud of mist rose up as he waved repeatedly, "Little Zhu, we're here!"
Xiao Zhu...
Qin Sang's eye twitched. Zhu Que was quite adept at pretending to be young.
The old catfish stood on the rock, squinting as it surveyed the area.
Qin Sang arrived at the edge of the island in the blink of an eye, flashed to the old catfish, cupped his hands and said, "I was not keeping an eye on him before, and the little guy ran around everywhere and did not know any manners. I hope he did not cause you any trouble, fellow Daoist."
"Hehe, Little Zhu's cultivation is even a notch higher than my son's. When he gave my son some pointers before, I pondered them carefully and found that I also benefited greatly. He is truly a young talent! I am overjoyed that my son has made such a friend," the old catfish stroked his whiskers and smiled. "I am Blackwater. May I ask how you should address me, my friend?"
“Fellow Daoist, you can call me Mingyue,” Qin Sang said, turning to look at Zhuque and the little catfish playing, his expression like that of a kind old father.
“Fellow Daoist Mingyue,” the old catfish pondered for a moment, then asked in confusion, “Judging from your demeanor, you are no ordinary person. I also have a wide circle of friends, so why have I never heard of you before?”
"This shows that my reputation is still not big enough," Qin Sang smiled, noticing a hint of suspicion in the old catfish's eyes, and said seriously, "To be honest, my cave is not nearby. I got lost and wandered into this place by mistake."
Before she could finish speaking, Qin Sang heard the little catfish behind her exclaim, "Ah? Little Zhu, are you guys from the Arctic? That's amazing! Is it very dangerous there? They say there are terrible ice storms there. My dad said he doesn't dare go north..."
The little catfish was guileless and a chatterbox. Before Qin Sang and Zhuque could even think about how to get information out of him, he spilled everything he knew.
The sea area north of where Binglu Island is located is known as the North Pole of the North Sea. It is vast and boundless, and not safe. Cultivators from Binglu Island dare not easily enter the North Pole. It is said that some demon cultivators did not believe in evil and went to the North Pole in groups to find the end of the North Pole. In the end, except for those who escaped halfway, they all disappeared.
The old catfish was at the late stage of the Transformation Realm, not far from breaking through to the Divine Transformation Realm, and everyone feared the Arctic.
"It seems I should thank Qingyuan for sending me to the vicinity of Binglu Island," Qin Sang thought to herself.
"How long have you been back from the Arctic? Did you encounter the previous ice storm? Dad said that such a big ice storm is a once-in-a-millennium event. Do you know what caused it?" The little catfish asked like a curious child.
The old catfish, feeling a bit embarrassed, scolded him and sighed, "My son has only recently taken human form. He was spoiled by his mother and never left the house. I apologize for making you laugh, fellow Daoist."
"Likewise! Likewise!"
Qin Sang showed an expression of shared misfortune.
As they spoke, clouds rose from beneath the old catfish's feet, carrying them away from the island.
Qin Sang and Zhu Que were going to attend a Dharma assembly with the catfish father and son.
From the old catfish, Qin Sang learned about the customs of the nearby demon race and discovered that they were quite different from those in the demon realm.
There is no so-called demon city here. Demon cultivators mostly live in groups and usually cultivate in their own caves. They only gather when large and small Dharma assemblies are held every once in a while.
Of course, there are also powerful demons who like to recruit subordinates and occupy islands as kings, but they don't deliberately build cities like humans do.
The sights and sounds in the demon realm are very different from those here; this can only be explained as unique customs arising from a special environment.
The old catfish is the patriarch of a catfish clan. He is going to the Dharma assembly to purchase the items needed for the clan's cultivation.
"So, you two were swept here by the ice storm?" Old Catfish asked curiously, seeing that Qin Sang didn't seem to mind.
"Indeed!"
Qin Sang sighed, "To be honest, fellow Daoist, I am still confused. I really don't know what happened in the Arctic to cause such a huge ice storm! I was completely disoriented and couldn't tell east from west. I have never felt so powerless before. When I came to my senses, I was in this vicinity."
“This is a natural disaster, which we cannot resist. You should be happy that you have survived,” the old catfish comforted him.
"Thank you for your understanding, fellow Daoist. But I don't know how far this place is from home, or when I can go back. My home..." Qin Sang said, then shook his head and sighed.
The old catfish, also a clan leader, empathized and said, "Fellow Daoist, don't worry, there will definitely be a way! I will introduce you to a few..."
As he spoke, the old catfish seemed to remember something and glanced at the Vermilion Bird on the little catfish's shoulder. "Young friend, you still can't transform into human form?"
"Although it can transform into human form, it is not complete. Some features are difficult to conceal. But what's the problem?" Qin Sang asked.
"This Dharma assembly mainly features aquatic creatures..."
Upon hearing what the old catfish said, Qin Sang immediately understood that there was racial discrimination within the demon race. The surrounding area was full of aquatic creatures, and birds and beasts were not well-received here.
It seems my prediction was correct; the Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan, both overlords of the demon race, are not necessarily on good terms.
Ignoring Zhuque's protests, Qin Sang stuffed it into her sleeve, saying, "That should solve the problem."
During the rest of the journey, Qin Sang managed to extract some more information from the old catfish. The old catfish also kept probing Qin Sang, but Qin Sang managed to cover it up without making a sound.
"arrive!"
After flying for more than an hour, the old catfish pointed to the surface of the water beneath it.
After entering the water, the catfish father and son became noticeably faster. If they hadn't been taking care of Qin Sang and Zhu Que, they would have caught up from the water.
Qin Sang followed the catfish father and son down into the sea. They didn't feel it was very deep when they saw a large patch of pale white light. Upon closer inspection, they saw a huge white object in front of them, which turned out to be a massive skeleton.
It was an unknown behemoth, its flesh and blood long since rotted away, leaving only stark white bones floating in the water. Although it was not as large as the clam shell Qin Sang had seen before, it was definitely a colossal creature.
Moreover, the skeleton is very well preserved, with the spine like a keel, flat and broad like a piece of land, and the ribs on both sides like steep and strange peaks.
At this moment, there were already some figures on the spine, with varying levels of cultivation. Only a few could transform into human form; most were demons.
Qin Sang felt as if she had entered a catfish's lair. As far as the eye could see, more than 80% of the creatures were various kinds of catfish, and the father and son catfish beside her were black catfish. These catfish demons came from different tribes, but all belonged to the catfish clan, forming a large and diverse group.
“This is the skeleton of a rainbow whale. It was discovered by the elders of the previous generation and later refined into a magical artifact, which has been passed down from generation to generation as the throne of the elders,” the old catfish pointed to the fish head, where a layer of water rippled, blocking their view. “It will only float up during the Dharma assembly, and it will sink back to the seabed after the assembly ends.”
"With such a large skeleton, how powerful was this rainbow whale in its lifetime?" Qin Sang asked in surprise.
“I don’t know either! It’s said that the bones were severely corroded when they were found, so they could only be used to make magic tools. Otherwise, we could have made a few spiritual treasures,” the old catfish said with a regretful expression. “I wonder if the clan elder is still here. It would be great if we could find the clan elder’s attendants. They have seen a lot from following the clan elder and might know where your hometown is.”
Qin Sang examined the whale skeleton.
The so-called elders are elected by the catfish tribes. They are highly respected and preside over important matters, but they do not interfere in the internal affairs of each tribe.
Judging from some details, the elder of the catfish clan is at least at the Refinement stage.
‘Wow! ’
The old catfish displayed a bone, around which a curtain of water appeared, with a gap in the middle.
Qin Sang followed and stepped onto the whale bones, which felt as stable as the earth.
"I need to meet with a few fellow Daoists first. Please wait a moment and follow me patiently. If anything goes wrong, I will also be implicated," the old catfish instructed Qin Sang.
Qin Sang readily agreed, as he also wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the demon race in the spirit realm.
Next, Qin Sang followed the old catfish to some places. The old catfish introduced Qin Sang as an old friend who had come to join in the fun after hearing about the grand Dharma assembly. Zhuque and the little catfish, unable to contain their boredom, wanted to go out and play, but Qin Sang and the old catfish suppressed their urges.
After some haggling, the old catfish got what he wanted and led Qin Sang to a secluded spot. He said apologetically, "Fellow Daoist, you heard that the clan elder is not here at the moment, and his attendants have also been taken away by him. Fellow Daoist, would you like to wait for the next Dharma assembly, or..."
"Didn't you say that the clan elders don't leave easily? I wonder where they went?" Qin Sang asked.
He didn't want to wait that long.
He sensed that there were no other powerful auras here, perhaps they were well hidden. He had originally intended to find an opportunity to meet with the clan elders, but since this place wasn't suitable, he would try another location.
"Then we'll have to ask the other fellow Daoists. Does anyone know?" The old catfish shook his head and was about to take Qin Sang out to investigate when he suddenly heard several muffled drumbeats.
In an instant, the entire whale skeleton became noisy.
The old catfish asked in shock, "What happened? Why did this Dharma assembly end so quickly?"
The drumbeats signaled the end of the ceremony, the sinking of the whale bones, and the impending departure of all the demons within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Keep in mind, the ceremony had only just begun; the old catfish had only acquired some ordinary items, and the most important auction hadn't even started yet.
After a period of chaos, the demon cultivators rushed out, asking everywhere what had happened.
The old catfish, indeed, had a wide circle of friends. After much effort, he finally learned the truth: "It was a few close followers of the clan elder who were ordered to return and take away the whalebone throne!"
"Has something happened to the clan elder outside?"
Qin Sang pressed for an answer.
The old catfish shook its head. "It shouldn't be anything serious, otherwise the elders would have already ordered us to go into martial law. There is a rumor, though I don't know if it's reliable, that something has suddenly happened at Yangmo Lake and the elders are on their way there."
"lake?"
Qin Sang was surprised. How could there be a lake in the sea?
“I’ve heard about it too. The water in Yangmo Lake is different from the surrounding area. It’s like a lake in the sea, hence the name. It’s said that Yangmo Lake is a forbidden area enclosed by the island owner, and it’s extremely dangerous. I wonder what might happen there,” the old catfish said with a puzzled look.
There is only one owner of this island!
I never expected that I would run into something so big as soon as I arrived here.
Qin Sang pondered to himself. The elders of the Catfish Clan were heading towards Yangmo Lake, and the Island Master of Ice Dew Island would certainly not be absent either. In that case, he might as well go directly to Yangmo Lake.
Thinking of this, Qin Sang took out a wooden ring and slapped it into the old catfish's hand. "I can't wait that long, so I'll take my leave now. I apologize for bothering you for so long."
Before she could finish speaking, Qin Sang ignored the catfish father and son's attempts to stop her and vanished into the depths of the sea.
"Is a baby about to be born? Let's go snatch it!"
The Vermilion Bird leaped out of the sleeve, dancing with joy.
"What if the Ice Island Master is a demon saint?" Qin Sang paused, turned around to look behind her, and waited for the whale bone.
"Then let's run!" Suzaku said nonchalantly.
The sun shone brightly on the sea surface, but it was pitch black underwater. Qin Sang waited for a while and then saw a faint light flickering in the distance. On a whim, she went closer and saw that the huge whale bone had transformed into a whale boat, moving silently underwater.
The whale boat was extremely fast and very agile, so it seemed that this vehicle was not as simple as the throne that the old catfish thought.
Qin Sang quietly followed behind the whale boat and discovered that the whale boat was heading in the direction of Yangmo Lake, so the rumors seemed to be true.
After speeding underwater for a while, they left the catfish clan's territory. Not long after, Qin Sang sensed a powerful aura approaching the whale ship. The newcomer was a demon cultivator in the Void Refinement stage.