The Journey of Immortal Cultivation

No wonder it’s a Dragon Child, not easy to deal with. Yuan Hou immediately realized that although these strange fish had bitten the Dragon Child and exhausted a great deal of its energy, they had also brought it the most precious thing—food. Each Yabala was larger than a Nangying and even more nutritious, high in protein. So, the weaker the Chi Wen became, the more it couldn’t resist the desire to eat.

However, this delay was quite serendipitous for him. Yuan Hou simply smiled and said, "Very well." With a flash of light in his palm, he took out a dark green, round fish scale. The scale was only the size of a Yuanqian, with beautiful spiral patterns, appearing perfectly round and small, occasionally reflecting a faint light.

Without wasting any time, Yuan Hou used his finger to rub the scale along its spiral pattern three times. Immediately, the scale began to emit a gentle radiance. A deep, alluring voice echoed within this space: "Who calls upon me?"

Just these four words, ethereal and drifting, near and far, carried a certain rhythm, exceptionally elegant and moving. To the human ear, it was indescribably pleasing and melodious, leaving one wishing she would continue speaking, seemingly unmatched by any other woman’s voice in this world. Simultaneously, a mist began to rise from the rocks beside Yuan Hou.

The mist condensed and took shape, soon forming the silhouette of a young woman, seemingly with a fish body and human head, her hair curly and falling behind her. She reclined on the rocks, further accentuating her infinitely graceful figure.

This silhouette seemed incredibly familiar... Ning Xiaoxian curiously asked, "Could it be a mermaid?"

"Mermaid?" Changtian scoffed disdainfully, "It’s nothing but a red-haired Sea Demon from the Endless Sea, with deep cultivation at most. Ignorant fishermen who’ve only seen their silhouette have romantically dubbed them with such a name. Why do you think it never reveals its true form? Seeing only the figure one might think it’s beautiful, but in reality, its face is hideous with protruding eyes, a giant mouth, and bared teeth!"

Thinking she might get a glimpse of the legendary mermaid, she sighed softly in disappointment. There are quite a few creatures in this world bestowed with the prefix "beauty," besides mermaids, there are also beauty snakes, beauty flowers, and so forth. Most are mere fanciful associations by people; genuinely beautiful Banshees often take human form. Only the human body is most suitable for cultivation, so most demons, even if they change their appearance, focus their efforts on human form.

The figure in the mist moved slightly, surprised: "Oh, so it’s you!"

From Yuan Hou’s vantage point, he should be able to see its true form. Yet, unmoved, he said indifferently, "The favor you owe me, you shall repay this time. There is a weakened Chi Wen in the lake, now is the perfect opportunity for you to act."

The Sea Demon didn’t respond but started gently singing, swaying its fish body.

The most beautiful melody Ning Xiaoxian had ever heard was played at the grand ceremony at Guangcheng Palace, by the Wind Chime of the Music Palace. The music contained towering mountains and flowing water, the vicissitudes of the Mortal World, and a tune that reminded listeners of the five flavors of life—experiencing sweet and sour, the youthful recklessness of riding horses, the sorrow of a wandering life, the desolation of drifting through the world, the fulfillment of mutual love... a single melody calling, lingering in one’s heart, unforgettable for a long time.

But the Sea Demon’s song was different—its most magical aspect was making people "forget!"

Its song was as dreamy as a dream, soft as silk, without any lyrics, winding a thousand times, as though the singer, upon finishing, would vanish forever from the Mortal World. This song, unlike what Ning Xiaoxian had imagined, was neither coy nor stirring, only cleansing human hearts, again and again, teaching one to escape suffering, making one forget troubles.

Forget, just forget, just need to forget. All suffering, all troubles, will cease to exist! No longer remembering worries, no longer remembering the path, no longer remembering duty, no longer remembering responsibilities, also... no longer remembering oneself!

This is the true sound of enchantment, the true entrance to a realm of solitude.

Changtian turned his head, seeing Ning Xiaoxian’s eyes gradually showing fascination, knowing that the song had indeed moved her. She could quickly break free from the tune of the Wind Chime’s music, but was unwilling to awaken from the comfort of forgetting everything. In truth, who could bear such a heart? The most powerful aspect of the Sea Demon’s song lay in its lack of seduction, lack of artifice, even carrying three parts of poignancy and three parts of pity, just so one would unknowingly sink into a state of self-forgetfulness.

In her heart, ultimately, there were many sorrows, many past events. Compassionately, Changtian kissed her forehead and gently patted her shoulder: "Wake up!"

This gentle call had the ability to awaken thoughts, instantly pulling her out from the state of solitude. Before her, Changtian’s golden eyes were deep and mysterious, vividly inexpressible, clearly showing that the Sea Demon’s song could not shake his will in the slightest. She felt a twinge of guilt in her heart, knowing that her Dao Heart was unstable, while also acknowledging the Sea Demon’s innate power was immensely strong, able to affect her even through the Demon Eye; if its True Body was present, who knows how compelling its song would be in bewildering the mind.

The Vortex ceased, and the water surface of the Underground Lake returned to tranquility at some unknown time, having long since stopped the Chi Wen’s feeding motion, slowly sinking to the lakebed.

It had actually given up the food, instead... fallen asleep.

After being imprisoned and tormented for a long time and fighting twice with the monsters summoned by Yuan Hou, the Dragon Child was already at the end of its strength. Just as its stomach had rarely felt warm and full, it lay exhausted, with the Sea Demon’s song striking its Achilles’ heel. This song helped it forget the humiliation and pain it constantly endured, forget that there were still enemies watching greedily before it, thus sinking into the sweet sleep.

The Sea Demon completed its mission and withdrew its power. The mermaid figure on the rock vanished, turned back into drifting mist. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)