The small orchid boat continued downstream, but the Wu River Fairy no longer sang. Her eyes simply stared at Xuan Yi.

Xuan Yi hugged Fucang’s arm even tighter with her other hand and smiled at her with dazzling brilliance.

The Wu River Fairy said softly: “The goddess is graceful and charming. You and Fucang Shenjun are truly a match made in heaven. Now who knows how many goddesses and female demons will have their hearts broken.”

“Female demons?” Xuan Yi was stunned. Goddesses she could understand, but what did female demons mean?

“The celestial gods of the upper realm are noble, pure, and unparalleled in the world. What female demon doesn’t dream of finding a noble shenjun to be infatuated with?” The Wu River Fairy covered her mouth and laughed. “Years ago when the Third Imperial Son of the Heavenly Emperor descended to the lower realm to experience the tribulation of reincarnation, he was obsessively pursued by a koi demon. I hear even today the Third Imperial Son still cannot forget her. With such precedent, one can hardly blame female demons for being restless with desire.”

As they spoke thus, the light orchid boat had already sunk to the riverbed and parted the waters to move forward. The riverbed was covered in ravines everywhere, with densely packed pitch-black water plants floating like tangled hair. Not a single fish or shrimp could be seen.

Xuan Yi looked around. Just as she was about to speak, she saw the Wu River Fairy leap with her body and jump into the pitch-black ravines of the riverbed, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

…It was obvious there was a trap ahead waiting for them to jump into. Xuan Yi sighed.

Fucang suddenly spoke: “Watch me when the time comes.”

Gu Ting’s disappearance was suspicious. Nine times out of ten, a formidable demon clan was manipulating things behind the scenes. To be able to capture a divine being so quickly, there must be spellcraft involving soul-confusing demon poison or the like. Although he knew some sword arts, his age limited him after all. He didn’t have much confidence that he could rescue Gu Ting alone. Fortunately, he had encountered this princess of the Zhuyin Clan. This clan had always been valiant in battle and feared no magic. He had given Chun Jun to Xuan Yi—with the Zhuyin Clan’s abilities plus Chun Jun’s power, even if there were formidable demon clans, they wouldn’t gain any advantage against her.

Watch him? Watch him what? Xuan Yi turned her head in bewilderment, only to see he had already jumped into the ravine and was reaching out to part the densely packed pitch-black water plants.

“Senior Brother Fucang.” She called to him mysteriously, rarely being sincere. “I’m not the kind of Zhuyin Clan member you think I am.”

She absolutely couldn’t fight and kill. He couldn’t possibly think she was divinely brave and invincible, could he?

Fucang’s brows furrowed. Suddenly he saw the surrounding water plants begin trembling as if mad, as though unable to withstand his divine power. The pitch-black water plants melted inch by inch like snow. From the broken sections seeped something as fresh and red as blood. He hastily retreated several zhang, but who knew this riverbed was covered in water plants—each one shattered at his slightest touch. The riverbed was instantly dyed red over a large area. Fortunately, there was an invisible barrier around his body, and the bloody water couldn’t get close.

Just as he was about to turn around to warn the dragon princess to be vigilant, unexpectedly, as soon as he opened his mouth, an extremely sweet scent drilled into his mouth and nose. The scenery before his eyes instantly became blurred.

Not good! That bloody water carried the scent of demon poison! His legs gradually went weak. Forcibly suppressing the dizziness, he urgently said: “Be careful and on guard!”

But he saw that peculiar dragon princess turn and flee, disappearing in a flash far away. Fucang felt a breath stuck in his throat, seeing only stars dancing before his eyes.

After a moment, Xuan Yi came whooshing back, flying with all her might. Behind her, with great momentum, countless water plants like tangled hair resembled wildly dancing arms, chasing closely.

“Senior Brother Fucang! I’m coming to save you!” she urgently shouted, plunging into the demon poison without hesitation and heavily collapsing onto him, not moving at all.

What happened to the Zhuyin Clan being immune to all magic?! Fucang only wanted to curse out loud.

The bright pearl on Chun Jun’s sword hilt flickered several times. Fucang gritted his teeth and, using his last bit of strength, tried to take the sword in his hand. However, after pulling twice, he couldn’t retrieve it—this already unconscious princess had surprisingly great strength and was gripping the sword tightly.

He pulled urgently. Her tightly closed eyes suddenly opened a crack and glared at him most unfriendly.

She was pretending.

The last thought flashed through his mind, and Fucang—not knowing whether in anger or joy—fell into complete unconscious darkness.

Xuan Yi kept her eyes tightly shut, carefully listening to the movements around her. Before long, countless water plants rolled them up from head to toe. In an instant, light and shadow shifted darkly. They were pulled and dragged into the River God’s residence, falling onto cold, damp floor tiles.

Oh? She could control the River God’s residence? The earth and water deities of the lower realm all built their residences in places as tiny as mustard seeds—the so-called “one grain of sand, one world.” These young divine beings were still far from reaching such a realm. Just what kind of divine being was this Wu River Fairy?

With a tinkling of rings and pendants, the Wu River Fairy stopped beside them and watched for a long time. She reached out wanting to grab Fucang, but unfortunately Xuan Yi was holding Chun Jun in her hand, and her entire body was collapsed on top of him. She seemed extremely wary of Chun Jun. After hesitating for quite a while, she finally sighed with resentment: “Hmph! Heaven’s treasure sword!”

With that, she actually turned and left.

Xuan Yi opened her eyes and first looked around in all directions.

This was indeed the River God’s residence, except the deity’s residence that should have been bright and clean was now covered in gray fog. On the pitch-black floor tiles, a scarlet-colored grand formation slowly flickered like breathing. She was about to examine carefully what kind of formation this was when she heard the Wu River Fairy’s voice drifting eerily from within the River God’s hall—

“I didn’t expect this little shenjun to be quite stubborn. What are you doing keeping your eyes closed? Afraid to see my face? Is my face not beautiful? I know—you’re afraid that if you look at me, your heart will be moved. You must not be very old, right? Do you want elder sister to teach you some fun things?”

Immediately following, a rather familiar voice suddenly rang out: “Killing the River God of Wu River and taking her place, even seizing divine power without authorization, gnawing and eating divine beings—your crimes are monstrous!”

Oh my, was that Senior Brother Gu Ting’s voice? He had been captured too? It seemed something serious was happening to them.

The Wu River Fairy said in a soft voice: “You can’t use your divine power here, so stop struggling… By the way, just so this respectful and proper little stickler knows—weren’t you looking for your master’s pearl necklace? It’s right here in the formation’s center, being nurtured by your divine power. How about it? Are you at ease now? Come, stop hiding.”

Gu Ting gave a muffled groan. Immediately following, things crashed and smashed chaotically in the hall. The commotion was quite substantial.

Xuan Yi didn’t bother with that. She turned her head to search for the “formation center” the Wu River Fairy had mentioned. Sure enough, she saw several massive broken stone pillars not far away. The light of the scarlet-colored grand formation continuously surged out from there, spreading throughout the entire residence. Judging from the formation’s effectiveness, it should be the legendary Seven Fiends Grand Formation specifically used to deal with celestial gods—it could seize divine power.

However, no matter how formidable a grand formation was, it ultimately had to follow the rules of the Five Elements and Yin-Yang, which meant it was useless against her.

Xuan Yi leisurely stepped over Fucang and walked toward those broken stone pillars. At the formation’s center was a stone platform. Upon it was an open giant clam. Pale golden liquid gently swayed inside, with a string of lustrous white pearls soaking in the liquid.

It appeared this was Master’s pearl necklace.

She reached out and easily passed through the flickering red lights of the grand formation, fishing out the pearl necklace soaking in the giant clam. Before she had time to examine it closely, she saw scattered all over the ground beneath the stone pillars piles of withered bones, all shattered beyond recognition, with teeth marks still visible on them.

These shattered bones were lustrous and white, just like beautiful jade—precisely the bones of divine beings. Xuan Yi couldn’t help but furrow her brow—no wonder the pearl necklace looked so bright and shiny. The Wu River Fairy must have captured passing deities with the Seven Fiends Grand Formation to strip their divine power to nurture the pearl necklace. After the divine power was completely stripped, she ate them.

Demons that ate people were very common, but demons that dared to eat divine beings—this Wu River Fairy was probably the first from ancient times to the present. She must be insane. This was a capital crime with absolutely no room for redemption. Was she certain no divine beings from the upper realm could kill her, or was she wholeheartedly seeking death?

In the noisy hall, Gu Ting had already begun crying out in alarm, mixed with the Wu River Fairy’s teasing laughter. It seemed she not only ate divine beings but was also a licentious female demon.

Xuan Yi went about her business, walking a small half-circle along the edge of the residence. She tried pushing the hall doors—they didn’t budge an inch. Then she confirmed that relying on herself alone, there was absolutely no way to get out.

She sighed faintly, turned around, and walked back. Spreading her handkerchief on the ground, she slowly sat down.

Countless snowflakes drifted down eerily from mid-air. Very quickly they had whitened Fucang’s hair and shoulders. In less than a quarter-hour, the white snow had already submerged his knees. Probably because of the sudden bone-piercing cold, Fucang suddenly moved, slowly opening his eyes.

The first scene that entered his vision was Princess Xuan Yi sitting leisurely across from him.

She was sitting on her handkerchief hugging the Chun Jun sword, clean and refreshing from head to toe. Her face bore a trace of mocking smile as she examined him without the slightest courtesy. And the pearl necklace they had searched for over a month was now hanging on her slender, white wrist, glittering brightly.

Fucang looked at her for a while, then said lightly: “Comfortable sitting there?”

Xuan Yi nodded elegantly: “Quite comfortable.”

“Could you trouble yourself to move Chun Jun and place it in my hand?”

Xuan Yi gazed at the rustling snowflakes, absentmindedly: “Didn’t you already give this sword to me as a love token? How can you cross the river and tear down the bridge?”