Volume One Hidden in the Azure Abyss Chapter Forty-Eight

The young man's gaze dropped to her, then he spoke in a cold voice, "Take Jiang Ji back to heal his wounds." Nan Shuang wanted to ask something further, but seeing the chill in the youth's pitch-black eyes, she shrank back. She led Jiang Ji away.

The youth opened his hand, and blue immortal light gradually glowed and brightened in his palm. At last, he transformed into his true form and leapt into the river. There were things he wished to investigate for himself.

Just as dawn was breaking, Jin Li was no longer in her sleeping chamber; even Geng Yuan was absent. Jin Li regarded the river before her with a calm expression. The sky was on the verge of light, yet it refused to brighten. But within the sea of divine consciousness at her brow, waves surged tumultuously. Her divine sea had never reacted so fiercely—something must have happened to either herself or Geng Yuan.

She formed a graceful orchid gesture, then pressed her fingers together to form a seal. Between her palms, a golden disc slowly appeared. She raised her hand, and the golden disc instantly expanded, enveloping the river waters. Beneath the golden radiance, the surging river calmed in an instant, as if not a single breeze stirred its surface.

She descended alone.

Peeling aside the deep blue curtain of the river, she continued deeper. The water grew ever darker, fathomless. She was not skilled in swimming, but fortunately could use immortal arts to shield herself.

Gradually, her eyes adapted to the dim light. She was getting closer; the sea of divine consciousness at her brow grew hotter and hotter—she was drawing near to Geng Yuan.

At that moment, she saw a crystal coffin. Water weeds crawled over its surface, claiming it as their own. Only upon close inspection could one see that this was indeed a coffin. The riverbed was astonishingly deep, and the water weeds winding about the coffin grew abundantly from below, but their roots were nowhere to be seen.

To be ensnared by these water weeds meant certain death. The riverbed was like another underwater forest. Thick, verdant weeds swayed densely in the current. But as she navigated around the tangled underwater woods, she turned to find that amidst the mass of weeds, corpses were entwined. Strangely, these bodies had not become bloated by the water; in fact, they possessed an uncanny beauty.

Their skin was pure white, flawless as jade—were they statues or people?

She drew near—it was a crystal figure.

No.

It was a merman.

A crystal merman.

The ancient race of crystal merfolk, long extinct.

She gazed at their tails ensnared by weeds, their faces full of sorrow, hands powerless as they struggled upwards.

But how could merfolk have perished here? They were masterful in water—how could the illusionary river claim their lives?

What happened in ancient times?

Just then, she caught a trace of blood in the water—it was Geng Yuan.

She hurried toward the source, only to witness something even more horrifying.

Within the thick water weeds, chains grown with thorns were as robust as the trunks of mature trees. Twined together, they formed a vast sphere; atop the thorns, a sealing spell was layered, the runes corroded by demonic energy and exuding blood.

Before this immense spherical seal, a human was utterly insignificant.

She saw a brilliantly colored tail drifting in the water. The youth, his back to her, remained motionless. His tail was covered in wounds; in one hand he held the Cangyuan Palace, and from the other, blood diffused into the water. His silver hair blossomed beneath the river like a flower.

He seemed lost in thought.

But in the dim water, she saw scattered pearls.

Those were his tears.

The sea of divine consciousness no longer burned; it grew calm, but Jin Li was filled with endless sorrow.

She moved closer to Geng Yuan, calling softly, "Geng Yuan."

The youth's body stiffened, even his tail froze. He put away the Cangyuan Bow and slowly turned. His expression was anguished; his dark eyes were lifeless, as though no light could reach them.

Yet when he saw Jin Li, in that instant, grief overflowed in his eyes and tears fell in torrents. His lips were bruised blue, his mouth moved soundlessly, trembling as he uttered a moaning whisper. The words were unclear, but Jin Li heard them distinctly.

"...A Jin...I...my...my father...is...a demon."

She saw the youth for the first time so utterly despairing and helpless, and her heart twisted in pain.

She rushed to him, embracing him tightly. His eyes were red, and as she drew near, his sobs grew louder, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Jin Li stroked his back, soothing him again and again, her divine consciousness continually comforting him.

His wounds were neither slight nor grave, but numerous.

As she released her own primordial power, suddenly the massive iron cage array trembled, as though someone within were about to awaken.

The youth cried himself into unconsciousness. Jin Li placed him into a shell the size of her palm and put it away.

Everything around her was disturbingly strange.

What had Geng Yuan seen to cause such grief?

Though all before her was a cage suffused with demonic souls, it did not resemble a demon's cocoon; rather, it seemed to suppress something.

Yet what was being suppressed was not a demon.

This sealing spell was indeed the work of a divine maiden—yet why was it here, rather than at the Weak Waters, where it should suppress the Demon God?

She drew closer. Through the gaps she could see chains crossing inside—the chains were soul locks, meant for binding demonic spirits. But why would soul locks suppress demons?

She touched her brow and activated Phoenix Sight.

In a flash of golden light, she saw everything within.

The soul locks pierced a merman's body. The merman's gaze was lowered, numb and lifeless, almost the semblance of death.

A massive tail was impaled by thorns; his whole body hung like a puppet, battered and bruised, wounds overgrown with moss.

Enchanting, yet truly grotesque.

His chest, however, was a void—a black hole where his heart should have been.

His heart had been gouged out.

If this was Geng Yuan's father, he was the ancient Sea God who had allied with the Demon God and fallen under the penalty of the stars.

The Sea God had not perished, but had his divine essence extracted, his heart cut away, his Pearl of Springs seized, and had been sealed here for ten thousand years.

The creator of this spell was ruthlessly cruel.

A demon-sealing spell, meant to destroy gods.

Yet the demonic souls entwined above no longer seemed to be a seal, but a refinement.

Someone had placed the Sea God in the Illusory Dust to refine him, intending to turn him into a demon merman.