The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 38: This Seat's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Even before deities, Chu Wanning maintained his composed demeanor. He said calmly, "Does Divine Lord recognize me?"

"How could I not?" The God of Chou Chen smiled gently. "Many years ago, you came to Jin Chengchi to seek a sword. Your spiritual power was profound and pure; I almost couldn't resist meeting you then. How is the weapon working out for you?"

"Divine Lord is referring to which one?"

"Ah." The God of Chou Chen was slightly startled before he chuckled. "Look at my memory, I forgot that I gave you two."

Chu Wanning replied, "It's alright. Tianwen is excellent."

"Tianwen?"

"It's that willow vine."

"Oh, I see. So that's how it is." The God of Chou Chen laughed. "You named it Tianwen? What about the other one? What's its name?"

Chu Wanning answered, "Jiu Ge."

"How about that Nine Songs?"

"It's quite cold down there, not much use for it."

Gouchen Palace Lord sighed. "A bit of a shame."

After finishing their conversation, Gouchen Palace Lord turned around with his hands behind his back and said softly, "Moonwatcher, I'll take them down. The spiritual energy in the water is thin, and it won't do you any good. You should return sooner."

The old dragon nodded, creating a tremendous wave with a swoosh, his shimmering scales glistening as he dove into the depths.

In the meantime, Chu Wanning placed waterproof talismans on the other three. Seeing this, Gouchen Palace Lord couldn't help but look at Chu Wanning twice more, thinking to himself: Among cultivators, few have such mastery over their spells. I wonder who his master is?

But Chu Wanning's aloof demeanor made it clear that he wasn't interested in idle chatter, so Gouchen didn't want to push his luck. Once everyone was prepared, they waded into the chilly Jin Chengchi together, diving beneath its surface.

Thanks to the talismans, Mo Ran and the others moved just as they would on land. As they descended deeper, an immense underwater world gradually unfolded before them.

The lake bed was covered in fine, soft sand, with intersecting pathways and swaying water plants. Exquisitely constructed houses and cottages lined the streets. In these alleys and lanes, various spirit beasts and immortal creatures roamed about, creatures that could never coexist peacefully on earth living harmoniously here.

Gouchen Palace Lord explained, "Jin Chengchi is rich in spiritual energy, forming a natural paradise. Creatures who settle here often stay for generations, so many things are different from the mortal world. If you're curious, feel free to explore."

As they conversed, they spotted a snow-white rabbit demon with crimson eyes riding on a Bengal tiger with a white forehead stripe. The rabbit was draped in an elegant white robe, exuding nobility and arrogance as it continuously scolded the tiger to go faster. The tiger, on the other hand, appeared submissive, with its head lowered and eyes averted, devoid of any intimidating presence.

The crowd couldn't help but be speechless: "............"

Gouchen Palace led them along the main thoroughfare, where bustling shops lined both sides, filled with all sorts of spirits and demons. As they walked further, they reached a lively marketplace, where chaos reigned and the spectacle was surreal.

"Gouchen Palace rarely interacts with the outside world. Most of their needs are exchanged here," Xue Meng explained.

"It's said that Gouchen Palace was formed from your blood. If that's true, they must rely on your spiritual energy for sustenance. Does that make you the ruler of this place?" Xue Meng inquired.

"Not quite," Gouchen Palace replied with a faint smile. "Too much time has passed. I've been away from the divine realm for years, and my spiritual energy is no longer what it once was. Recalling events from the creation of the world feels like a dream now. How much does it truly relate to who I am today? At present, you're merely facing a humble swordsmith."

With that, he guided the group through the bustling market. The creatures dwelling in the pond had long since become accustomed to Gouchen Palace's presence and had forgotten its divine origins. Upon seeing him, they paid little attention, continuing with their own sales pitches.

"Fish-blood buns, freshly steamed fish-blood buns!"

"Serpentine Snake's shed skin, excellent fabric for clothing! Only three more yards left; once it's gone, you'll have to wait for my next molt!"

"Selling cuttlefish ink, freshly produced by this young master this morning. It's perfect for outlining with an eyebrow pencil—hey, missy, don't leave!"

Amidst the bustling marketplace, cries of vendors filled the air, while extraordinary sights and phenomena dazzled the eyes incessantly.

A headless ghost sat before its stall peddling combs and cosmetics, its long fingernails—adorned with vibrant crimson cloves—grasping an antler comb. It rested its blood-splattered skull upon its knees, gently combing its hair as it softly entreated, "Esteemed patron, why not take one of these fine bone combs for yourself?"

Xue Meng's eyes widened as he gazed left and right, taking note of an apothecary nearby. Within it, an array of merfolk bustled about, their hands occupied with rare and unfamiliar herbs, the likes of which Xue Meng had never before encountered. Recalling his mother's fondness for cherished medicinal plants, he was just about to step closer for a closer examination when a shrill, grating voice sounded from behind him: "Make way! Make way! Let me through first!"

Xue Meng recoiled, turning his head to look but failing to spot anyone. Emperor Jiu Chen of the Upper Palace chuckled and said, "He's right beneath your feet. Take a closer look."

Sure enough, when Xue Meng focused his gaze once more, he was astonished to see a cluster of tiny pebbles seemingly following in his footsteps.

"Well, I've truly seen it all. Even stones can walk. Is it a stone spirit?" Xue Meng muttered.

Chu Wanning, however, replied, "It's a fùbàn."

"A what?"

"..." Chu Wanning gave him a faint glance. "If Mo Ran doesn't listen in class, that's one thing, but how come you aren't paying attention either?"

Xue Meng was entirely focused on martial arts, but he lacked interest in history and literature. Nevertheless, he would feign attentiveness during lectures under Chu Wanning's imposing presence, though he usually didn't retain anything. Now caught red-handed by his master, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Mo Ran clapped his hands and chuckled. "If you say that, Master, I won't be happy. I really did listen attentively to this part."

Xue Meng challenged him. "Oh? Then tell us about it?"

"The bai'e is a type of insect with an inherently greedy nature. Whenever it sees a beautiful stone, it wants to carry it on its back. Eventually, it's often crushed to death by the pile of stones it gathers."

Mo Ran gazed at Chu Wanning with a smile. "Master, tell me if what I said was right or not."

Chu Wanning nodded and replied, "Bai'es are already extinct in the mortal world. I never expected to find one here."

When Gouchen Upper Palace heard this, he laughed. "That's because there's a small pharmacy here, so it managed to survive. Look, it's right over there."

They saw the bai'e struggling to move towards the pharmacy's steps. Suddenly, it cried out, "I can't take it anymore! Quick, call a doctor to save my life!"

A green dragon swiftly emerged from within. Clearly, it had dealt with this situation many times before. It casually fetched a white porcelain bottle and poured some golden-red medicine onto the bai'e while chuckling leisurely. "Looks like Yu Gong has had quite a productive day, huh?"

The bai'e called Yu Gong grunted. His voice was lazy, obviously enjoying the soothing effects of the medicine. "Hmph, not bad, not bad. If I carry another hundred stones back tomorrow, I'll have four billion eight million five hundred and sixty-seven stones at home."

Mo Ran: "............"

Chu Wanning: "............"

Shi Mo murmured, "So you've already gathered that many?"

The green flood dragon sprayed the ant-lion with the potion and said, "Remember to come here earlier tomorrow. If you're any later, I'm afraid this strength-enhancing dew won't be effective anymore."

"I know, I know. I'll come early, early," the ant-lion replied perfunctorily. Suddenly, it caught sight of a lovely pale yellow pebble in the corner and yelled, "Little loach—no, Doctor Flood Dragon, that stone looks nice. Could you please pick it up and put it on my back? Then I'll have four hundred and eighty million five hundred and sixty-one stones tomorrow."

Xue Meng couldn't help but walk over and ask, "What do you need so many stones for? Are you building a house?"

The ant-lion's voice echoed from under the pile of stones, shrill and arrogant. "What? A mortal? Oh my, how long has it been since I last saw a mortal... You ask what I need these stones for? Of course, not to build a house! How dull would that be?"

Shi Mo also couldn't resist his curiosity. "Then what do you use them for?"

The ant-lion answered confidently, "Counting!"

"............"

Everyone was left speechless.

Skipping over unrelated details, after strolling around, Gouchen Palace Lord led them back to his residence.

In a corner of the street stood a colossal seashell, functioning like an ordinary world's screen wall. Upon turning into the courtyard, they saw it divided into six sections, spacious and magnificent. Side rooms, halls, corridors, and gardens were adorned with seaweed and pearl curtains that swayed gently with the water's movement. Some rooms were dimly lit, while others were illuminated with flickering yellow candlelight. Murmurs of guqin and xun music could faintly be heard from within.

Just like in the pharmacy, the servants in the divine's mansion were also members of the Jiaoyu clan.

Some of these Jiaoyus still had their tails, while others, for ease of walking on land, had transformed their dragon tails into legs. However, they still weren't accustomed to wearing shoes and went about barefoot.

Noticing the odd looks on the four, Gouchen Palace Lord smiled, as light as a wisp of smoke: "Don't be surprised, Mo Ran. I am friends with Wangyue, so we live together. He used to be the East Sea prince, and these servants followed him here after he settled down."

Wangyue referred to the black dragon, Old Dragon.

Since Mo Ran had obtained the Divine Weapon from the black dragon in his previous life, he felt a special connection to it. Hearing Gouchen Palace Lord's words, he couldn't help but laugh: "So where is he? With his massive size, he should have resumed his dragon form when he returned to the water, right? Otherwise, there wouldn't be enough space here for him."

Gouchen Palace Lord nodded, pleased. "Of course, but he's quite old now, so his strength isn't what it used to be. He must have gone up to the surface earlier and is resting now. If you wish to meet him, you'll have to wait until he wakes up."

As they spoke, a Jiaoyu with long brown hair drifted over gracefully. He bowed to Gouchen Palace Lord before speaking with a refined, ethereal voice:

"The Divine has returned. Prince Yue Ming has already informed me of the situation. Is the Divine planning to escort our guests to the Divine Armory immediately?"

Gou Chen Upper Palace did not answer straight away but instead cast a gentle glance at the guests. Seeing that they had no objections, he nodded. "That works well too. Kindly have the kitchen prepare some light wine and dishes for a banquet when we return from the Divine Armory."

They passed through the deep courtyards and arrived at the final section. In the center of the courtyard stood a towering willow tree, its kind seemingly different from those in the mortal realm. The trunk alone was as thick as ten grown men's embrace, its bark old and gnarled, while thousands of willow branches hung down like a veil of emerald green.

Xue Meng's voice was dry with amazement. "Wow, how old is this tree?"

Gou Chen Upper Palace replied, "I've never calculated its age, but it must be over a hundred thousand years old."

Xue Meng exclaimed, "What kind of tree can live that long?"

"Trees naturally live longer than humans, and this one has been nourished by Jin Chengchi's spiritual energy. So it's not actually that surprising. Please follow closely behind me; the entrance to the Divine Armory lies within a hollow in this willow tree." As Gou Chen spoke, he suddenly paused and looked at Xue Meng.

"As much as possible, avoid touching the hanging branches. This tree has become sentient and can feel pain."

But his words came a little too late, as Xue Meng had already plucked a leaf.

With a loud "Ah," Xue Meng cried out, and simultaneously, a faint, ethereal groan echoed in the void. It seemed like a hoarse voice was softly sighing, "Ouch."

Xue Meng was struck as if by lightning, hastily flinging the leaf away with a pale face, exclaiming, "What's going on? Why is there blood?"

Sure enough, blood flowed from the broken willow branch in a steady stream. The leaf he had discarded seemed to possess a life of its own, twitching and convulsing on the ground before gradually calming down. After a while, it withered and curled up, lying at a distance.

Gou Chen Shangguan said helplessly, "I already told you it has become sentient. Why is Young Master still…" He shook his head and went forward to inspect the severed branch, using spiritual energy to soothe the bleeding willow.

Chu Wanning said, "Xue Meng, come to my side. Don't move around carelessly anymore."

"Yes, Master," Xue Meng replied, hanging his head in shame as he approached.

Fortunately, this small incident didn't cause too much trouble. Chu Wanning apologized to Gou Chen Shangguan, who, being the Primordial God, was magnanimous, simply smiling and saying, "This young master is quite hasty in his actions."

Xue Meng's face flushed red, and he followed behind Chu Wanning, walking with his head down without a word. As they conversed, they passed through the lush weeping willows and arrived in front of the thick trunk. Upon closer inspection, they realized that the willow tree was even more enormous than it had appeared from afar. Initially, they thought ten men could encircle it, but now they realized they had underestimated its girth.

In the middle of the trunk was a tree hole, which was more like a massive archway large enough for three burly men to pass through simultaneously. Several intricate barriers were set up in front of the entrance, which Gou Chen Shangguan dispelled one by one. Then, he turned back with a smile and said, "Beyond this lies the Divine Armory. It's a bit cramped and disorganized, so please don't laugh."

Mo Ran, curious, followed behind Gou Chen Shangguan, ready to enter, but Chu Wanning, seemingly nonchalantly, held him back, saying softly, "Take your time." Chu Wanning then proceeded ahead himself.

Mo Ran was familiar with this kind of behavior from Chu Wanning. In their previous lives, when the four disciples fought monsters and demons, Chu Wanning would always lead the way. Back then, Mo Ran thought his Master had a short temper and was proud, unwilling to be left behind by his juniors. However, Mo Ran had been reborn and no longer viewed things the same way. As he watched Chu Wanning's white robe disappear into the darkness of the tree hole, a faint hesitation arose in his heart.

Is this person rushing ahead truly due to impatience and arrogance?

The author has a message to share:

We're starting to search for weapons now. Here's some additional information about the preferred arms of the three main characters.

Chu Wanning:

In his possession are the divine weapons Tianwen, Jiu Ge, and Huai Sha.

Master is proficient in mecha manipulation, barrier crafting, offensive spells, and healing arts. However, his individual defense is exceedingly frail. To put it in gaming terms, he is a glass cannon—fragile yet boasting high burst damage and a relentless offensive prowess akin to that of a berserk hound.

Mo Ran:

In my previous life, I possessed divine might that defied the heavens, but in this lifetime, up until this chapter, I have only a humble beginner disciple's sword, Broken Sword.

The Imperial Sovereign was proficient in the number one forbidden technique in the cultivation world, and his offense and defense were equally impressive. In gaming terms, he was a stable damage dealer who rarely made mistakes.

Xue Meng:

Longcheng, though not divine, is an exquisite curved blade crafted by the Treading Snow Palace of the Upper cultivation Realm, Kunlun.

The young master has fully inherited his master's prowess, being a fierce monster-slaying mad dog with high attack and burst damage. However, due to his inability to create barriers, his defense is even weaker than his master's.

Shi Mo:

Healing relies solely on his skilled hands; when asked about weapons, he has none.