Chapter 131: Don’t Move, I’m Coming Over

Xiu Qingcheng stood by the riverbank, her hands on her knees, bending over to look at the rolling and surging river water.

Clearly, she was someone who had experienced many storms and waves, and had even fought underwater just a few days ago, but now, looking at the turbulent river water in the chill of spring, Xiu Qingcheng actually felt a bit apprehensive in her heart.

Perhaps the current calm on the shore magnified the terror of the surging river water infinitely.

“Master, we can set off.”

Meng Yingxing finished the several sets of so-called “warm-up exercises” Xiu Qingcheng assigned him and walked to her side.

Xiu Qingcheng straightened up, cupping her hand in a hollow shape against her lips, covering most of her expression.

“Later, rely on your own water skills to explore the river bottom first.
If the secret realm Li Mo mentioned isn’t far from the surface, immediately condense a water-repelling barrier with spiritual power to go to the secret realm.”

“If you can’t find the secret realm immediately, wait until you can’t hold your breath anymore before using force to repel the water.”

Meng Yingxing nodded, indicating he had firmly memorized what to do underwater.

“Alright, set off!”

With a wave of Xiu Qingcheng’s hand, Meng Yingxing jumped into the river water with her.

Meng Yingxing’s whole body was wrapped by the river water; the bone-chilling cold temperature scraped his skin from all directions, and at the same time, all the sounds his ears received were shrouded by a layer of dullness.

Even the thundering sound of the river’s surging waves turned into muffled, soft noises.

After entering the water, Xiu Qingcheng, whose spirit body was unaffected by the water flow, patted Meng Yingxing’s arm, and only then did Meng Yingxing dare to open his eyes.

When fighting with Hua Bukai before, Meng Yingxing didn’t have time to admire the scenery at the bottom of the river; looking at it now, it was just like that.

Before his eyes was a expanse of dark blue; he could only see the vague outlines of objects beneath the river water.

The water surface above flowed with ripples; light twisted as it struck into the river, swallowed by the deep darkness at the bottom before it could survive for long.

‘In this kind of place… will there really be a secret realm?’

‘You go over there, I’ll go check over there; don’t go too far from me.’

Xiu Qingcheng pointed at Meng Yingxing, then pointed to the left side of the river.

Then she pointed at herself, and pointed to the right side of the river.

‘If one side has a situation, the other side comes over immediately.
If an accident happens, return to the surface immediately, understand?’

Xiu Qingcheng communicated with Meng Yingxing using consciousness in her mind.

Sometimes Xiu Qingcheng really felt this private communication channel with Meng Yingxing was very useful; they could communicate freely even underwater.

Meng Yingxing pressed his lips tightly together and nodded forcefully to Xiu Qingcheng.

After receiving Meng Yingxing’s response, the two separated immediately, swimming towards the deep water areas in two directions.

According to what Li Mo said, the secret realm should be at a depth of about three hundred meters at the bottom of this water area.

This depth was undoubtedly unreachable for ordinary people, but for spirit cultivators with spiritual power protecting their bodies, it was acceptable.

As Xiu Qingcheng swam deeper, the light striking down from the surface became dimmer before her eyes, and sounds gradually faded from her ears.

Swimming a few meters deeper, there was darkness where no outlines of scenery could be seen, and all around was dead silence.

Xiu Qingcheng suddenly stopped swimming forward.

She stayed in place, as if stunned.

No light, no color, no sound, no noise.

Even the few swimming fish visible just now had disappeared.

It was as if Xiu Qingcheng had returned to the time when she was alone in the Divine Weapon Pavilion.

Nothing there, and nothing would be there.

Xiu Qingcheng felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her back.

‘Hey, Disciple.’

Meng Yingxing, who was focused on searching for the secret realm before him, suddenly heard Xiu Qingcheng’s voice in his mind.

He thought his master had discovered something and didn’t notice the slight, string-plucking-like tremor in Xiu Qingcheng’s tone.

‘Master, is there a situation on your side?’

‘Cough, nothing, just wanted to check if you have any situation.’

Xiu Qingcheng said calmly.

‘Master, we’ve only been separated for a few minutes.’

Meng Yingxing still felt it was strange.

‘Where are you right now?’
Xiu Qingcheng asked subconsciously.

‘A few hundred meters behind you, Master.’

Meng Yingxing looked back and could see Xiu Qingcheng’s beautiful figure staying still in the water.

Xiu Qingcheng remembered to look back only then, seeing once again the twisted light and shadow falling from the water surface, and Meng Yingxing’s back view, which suddenly increased her sense of security.

On one side was loneliness and deep darkness; on the other side was the light of a spring day and her disciple’s side.

Xiu Qingcheng clenched her five fingers, startled to realize her fingers were icy cold.

Perhaps there was nothing in the Divine Weapon Pavilion, but now, there was someone standing behind her.

Xiu Qingcheng was silent for a while before continuing to say to Meng Yingxing:
‘I thought about it; with your current cultivation, I feel more at ease following by your side.’

‘You stay where you are and don’t move; I’m swimming over now.’

Meng Yingxing nodded obediently.

‘Master, I’ll wait for you.’

‘Mn.’

Xiu Qingcheng felt much lighter instantly; with a thought, her spirit-state body immediately floated quickly towards Meng Yingxing’s position.

A few seconds after Xiu Qingcheng left her spot, a pair of pupils, blood-red like fresh blood, flashed past in the dark river water, and then, at the limit of where light could reach, a python-like giant body swam through the water.

Meng Yingxing held his breath and stayed in place; not long after, he waited for the smiling Xiu Qingcheng.

Xiu Qingcheng wasn’t wrong; now that she was by Meng Yingxing’s side, Meng Yingxing also felt less tense in his heart.

This was the sense of security brought by a master.

‘Without Master by your side, you must be very scared, right?’

As soon as Xiu Qingcheng arrived at Meng Yingxing’s side, she couldn’t help teasing him.

Towards this kind of painless teasing, Meng Yingxing naturally followed Xiu Qingcheng and smiled faintly.

‘Mn, Master being by my side makes me feel much more at ease.’

Under the disciple’s compliment, Xiu Qingcheng’s face inevitably showed a look of “really can’t do anything with you.”

‘We’ll search from this side now, and turn back later.’

‘Yes, Master.’

The two swam side by side, heading deeper into the river water.

This time, with Meng Yingxing by her side, Xiu Qingcheng’s brain no longer engaged in wild fantasies.

‘Master, let me pull you.’

Xiu Qingcheng condensed herself into a tangible state, reaching out to hold hands with Meng Yingxing.

Probably because the young boy was full of vitality, even in such cold water, Xiu Qingcheng could feel a tiny bit of warmth from Meng Yingxing’s palm.

Seeing Xiu Qingcheng holding hands with him, Meng Yingxing was stunned for a moment.

If he remembered correctly, this seemed… maybe… to be the first time Master held hands with him?

Holding hands didn’t matter; he only knew now that Master’s hand had no temperature but was very soft, and he wanted to hold it in his palm forever.

Meng Yingxing’s heart indulged in slight flights of fancy.

With Xiu Qingcheng pulling Meng Yingxing, the speed of the two increased significantly.

Back and forth, they had practically searched this entire area, but still couldn’t find the secret realm Li Mo mentioned.

Just as Xiu Qingcheng was about to give up, Meng Yingxing suddenly tugged at her hand, signaling her to look not far away.

Xiu Qingcheng looked closely, only then seeing a place over there where the space presented a strange distortion.

If not for looking incredibly carefully, she would have almost thought it was a trace left by surging water currents.

‘This should be it, let’s go!’

Xiu Qingcheng pulled Meng Yingxing and swam over quickly.

After they arrived at the entrance, Xiu Qingcheng reached out to touch it; that strange distortion immediately twisted and shook significantly again—a massive barrier covered in incantations flashed past within the distortion.

Xiu Qingcheng and Meng Yingxing’s eyes lit up immediately.

They were right; this place with spatial distortion was indeed the entrance to a secret realm.