Chapter 22:

Yao Yao injected some confidence into the little demon.

Everything she said was sincere, children don’t speak empty words. In her heart, Chong Yan was the best.

With his head lowered, Chong Yan’s icy fingertips warmed up slightly.

He lifted his gaze slightly.

At this moment, countless eyes were fixed on the giant deep sea snake.

Chong Yan had experienced the feeling of being judged by those gazes before, but it was different from the disgust, fear, and hatred people had for him. The current gazes were filled with excitement, joy, and anticipation.

Chong Yan lowered his gaze slightly, but he saw Yao Yao looking up at him instead of looking at the “god” in the sea.

So Chong Yan curled his fingertips slightly, perhaps she didn’t think the snake was attractive.

Chong Yan felt a sense of relief.

But also a sense of unease.

Meanwhile, the black snake that had everyone’s attention seemed very pleased with itself.

It seemed to know that it was beautiful and deliberately swayed and frolicked in the deep blue waves.

The long, extended snake tail was almost like an artistic depiction, and if it weren’t for maintaining a bit of dignity in front of everyone, the snake might have twisted itself into a bow.

After confidently and seductively showcasing itself, the black snake disappeared into the sea once again.

So many people, yet it couldn’t find the person who had thrown the pearl. But it didn’t matter; they would meet again. It would find her later.

As the tsunami settled back into the sea, the crashing waves splashed onto the shore. Lan Congsu wiped the sweat from his face, not daring to lift his head.

The totem that the Lan family had worshipped for thousands of years had unexpectedly appeared before their eyes. It was something his ancestors had never imagined. They never expected that the Sea God would be summoned by a girl cultivator’s pearl.

Other cultivators on the shore followed his lead and paid their respects to the Sea God, hoping to gain good fortune at the extreme of the Eastern Sea.

Although they were all cultivators with bodies much stronger than ordinary people, in the presence of such a gigantic creature, reverence was instinctual.

Just like the ancient demon that had caused such a stir in Spirit Continent not long ago.

Although everyone cursed and condemned the ancient demon with their words, no one could look away from the shocking sight of its colossal, damaged body. It left a deep-seated fear of terrifying giant beasts in their hearts.

Fortunately, the god of the deep sea was not as brutal and wicked as that devil.

The deep sea was vast and profound, filled with endless dangers, but the strength of sea creatures was directly related to their size. After witnessing the appearance of the enormous Sea God, it was unlikely that anything larger would appear in those depths.

After the sea surface regained its calm, Lan Congsu, wiping his sweat, stood up from the ground and walked towards Yao Yao.

“Miss Yao Yao, congratulations on receiving the blessings of the Sea God.”

Yao Yao had just calmed down the little demon and looked up. “Oh, really?”

It seemed that the big black snake was giving her face.

Lan Congsu looked at her with reverence. She had no idea that, for the Lan family, this was a matter of faith. They would receive her with the highest respect during the upcoming banquet. If  Yao Yao truly obtained the final treasure at the extreme of the East Sea, the Lan family would consider her the most precious envoy of the Sea God.

Also… Lan Congsu felt a little embarrassed. Then, the Lan family would be even more sincere in their proposal to the Chang Sword Sect.

Yao Yao was completely unaware and not particularly interested.

Su Yilin, on the other hand, was puzzled by her nonchalant tone. How could that large sea spirit ore, so rare, be less valuable than a pearl?

Li Cangyan looked deeply at Yao Yao.

She had received the blessings of the Sea God, which meant that she was now the most likely person to find the heart of the ancient. The mysterious flame had told him that he had to obtain the heart, or else his fate would undergo a change.

He had to strive for Yao Yao’s heart.

Li Cangyan approached Yao Yao, wanting to get closer, but for some reason, he felt an invisible resistance.

So he had to keep a distance of several meters and looked at her intently. “Yao Yao, I know you have always been a righteous woman who understands the greater good. You must know the consequences if the heart of the ancient demon falls into someone else’s hands.”

“Since you’ve escaped from that devil, you should be well aware of his terrifying wickedness,” Li Cangyan’s swollen face was still filled with righteous words. “This time, we must join forces to help each other, right?”

Yao Yao chuckled lightly.

Behind her, Chong Yan looked at the person in front of him with indifference.

That day, he had cast a spell on the rose, severely injuring his divine body.

Meeting again, with his divine and form restored to seventy percent, he can tear him apart.

In fact, it was very simple.

Even simpler than tearing apart the black snake from earlier, much simpler.

But Chong Yan touched his chest and felt fine. Probably because he knew that the paired jade pendant and hairpin were fake. He had shattered the jade pendant, and she had dropped the hairpin.

Perhaps it was also because at this moment, the small hand behind him was poking him.

She was writing in his palm.

“Don’t…listen.”

He should not listen.

Chong Yan looked at her strokes, speaking quietly in secret, right in front of her “fiancé,” right in front of everyone, whispering to him.

“He…is…sick.”

Yao Yao didn’t care about Li Cangyan at all.

After all, according to the plot, the male lead would also encounter various dangerous situations underwater. That was his blessing, so Yao Yao let Li Cangyan’s words go in one ear and out the other, openly scolding him in front of the little demon.

Chong Yan looked at his palm.

It tickled. He endured it for a moment but couldn’t help but grasp her fingertip.

He didn’t know what it felt like to smile, nor had he ever smiled before. But with his large palm holding onto her finger, it felt like holding a soft and gentle cat-tail herb.

So, in a place where no one knew, the ancient demon gently, and somewhat clumsily, lifted the corners of his lips.

“Alright, everyone.”

Lan Congsu clapped lightly.

Due to the sudden appearance of the Sea God, the ceremony to enter the sea for the Canglan Grand Event took longer than usual.

“All of your guides have been cast. Qiongyan Island thanks everyone for their participation. For those who were not accepted by the Sea God, there is no need to be disheartened. We will meet again. Those who have been welcomed by the Sea God can follow me to cross the bridge and enter Qiongyan Island.”

There were mixed sounds of joy and sorrow from the crowd.

Lan Congsu had finally finished presiding over the event and could lead everyone to the island. He made a special note to take care of Miss Ji Yao. All the elders and patriarchs of Qiongyan Island had come forward, eager to meet the person who had summoned the Sea God.

“Miss Ji Yao, please come this way.”

“Oh, okay.”

Yao Yao looked around but still didn’t see her brother’s figure. She didn’t know if he could catch up.

But now that she had such strong strength and Chong Yan by her side, she felt safe wherever she went. So she left a message for her brother on the location bracelet and prepared to enter with everyone.

But Yao Yao suddenly remembered Chang Sword Sect is located in the north, and how the people there had been kept away from rivers and seas since childhood. She wondered if her brother could handle being at sea without getting seasick.

After thinking about it, Yao Yao secretly left a bottle of seasickness pills hidden on the floating bridge to the island.

She had heard that sword cultivators were the poorest in the cultivation world, not to mention that Ji Rong was a genius sword cultivator focused solely on cultivation. Yao Yao had prepared the equipment for him and clapped her hands, thinking that having money was really great.

She hopped and skipped while walking.

“Let’s go, let’s have a meal.”

The Canglan Feast, flourishing by the sea.

Under the guidance of the attendants, the cultivators entered the banquet hall of the Lan family.

The Eastern Sea truly lived up to its reputation as a prosperous place second only to the capital. The hall was extravagantly built, with the East Sea Pearl shining in all directions, surrounded by layers of finely carved rosewood.

In the center of the hall, there hung a huge disc. The center depicted the totem of the Eastern Sea domain, the black snake, and the outer rim was engraved with ancient characters.

But what caught Yao Yao’s attention the most was the table.

Before everyone even took their seats, the table was already filled with a dazzling array of fresh delicacies.

And she was directly led to the seat of honor at the feast, even the head of the Lan family personally greeted her.

When Su Yilin and Li Cangyan entered, they could only sit at a lower position than Yao Yao. Su Yilin bit her lip in response.

The cultivation world had strict rules regarding banquets, and Li Cangyan, as the revered Sword Saint of Spirit Continent, with the backing of the capital, should have had a higher position. Yet, he was seated lower than Yao Yao.

The Lan family had actually heard some rumors. After their failed attempt to kill the ancient demon, they had heard some rumors. The capital’s actions were actually to protect Li Cangyan, and this time, the Canglan Grand Event did not invite representatives from the capital because someone was supporting Li Cangyan.

So, logically speaking, the Lan family should attach great importance to her and treat her with the highest respect.

But faith is more important.