Chapter 9 – Exploring the Depths of Zishang Lake

She walked to the icy white magnolia tree, with Stinky obediently coiled around her shoulder.

Last time, she hadn’t paid much attention, but now, as she looked around, she noticed a pavilion not too far from the lakeshore. The two-story pavilion floated above the mist, its whole body carved from amethyst, its ornate patterns still dazzling even from afar.

“That… isn’t that the legendary Pavilion Among the Clouds?” Stinky exclaimed. “Wow, it’s so beautiful!”

She asked, “What’s the Pavilion Among the Clouds?”

“It’s where the Grave Lord resides.”

“He looks pretty young. Why do you always call him ‘old man’?”

Stinky blinked his big round eyes. “The Grave Lord is over twenty thousand years old, his divine power unmatched. He governs the resting place of all spirit beasts in the Mystic Realm. Who would dare disrespect him?”

“Tw-twenty thousand years…” She clicked her tongue. “Oh my god, I’m not even twenty yet. I guess I should be calling him super-ultra-mega-old man!”

“Master, if you don’t mind, you can call me ‘old man’ too.” Stinky crossed his little wings over his chest, solemnly. “I’m over two hundred years old—still older than you by a long shot.”

She flicked her forehead hard against his. “Look at you showing off. Tired of living already?”

Stinky rubbed his sore forehead, eyes brimming with tears, not daring to say another word. His master had quite the temper.

“Gu-gu-gu—”

Her hungry stomach growled again. She was starving.

“Doo-doo-doo—”

That was another stomach growl—but not hers.

She gave Stinky a disgusted look. “Your stomach rumbling sounds like farting.”

Stinky chuckled sheepishly. “Master, I’m really hungry too.” His soft, childish voice carried a pitiful tone.

She remembered he hadn’t eaten in a month. A little monster with no parents, wandering everywhere, barely scraping by—her heart ached a little for him.

She glanced at Zishang Lake, mentally preparing herself. “Come on, let’s try. Maybe I can take you home for a proper meal.”

Not knowing what she had in mind, Stinky just followed her toward the lake.

When her feet touched the water, she realized that thanks to eating the Ice Severing Herb, the water no longer felt unbearably cold—only slightly chilly.

Step by step, she waded in until the water reached her waist. A few more steps and she knew she’d lose footing.

“Master, what are you doing in Zishang Lake?” Stinky asked nervously.

“Going home.”

“Your home’s inside Zishang Lake?” His expression screamed disbelief.

“Stop talking nonsense and follow me.”

“I’m worried something might happen to you. The lake is full of spirit beasts, vicious and deadly. They eat people. I can’t protect you from them…” Stinky’s voice trembled.

“You mean those glowing things?” She pointed to the streaks of white light swimming near the lakebed. “That’s fine. I still need to try—see if I can return.”

The moment she said that, her feet lost contact with the bottom, and she floated in the water. She plunged her head under and swam toward the depths.

The bottom was unimaginably far away.

She didn’t know how long she had been swimming; the lake floor never came into sight. She wondered if she had made the right decision.

Fortunately, she could breathe and see freely underwater as though she were on land. So long as her body held out, she would keep going. She had already come so far—there was no turning back now.

The spirit beasts swam about, ignoring her and Stinky. Relieved, Stinky thought, As long as Master is safe, I’m safe too.

“Master, how can you hold your breath this long?” Stinky was baffled by how comfortably she moved.

“I’m not holding my breath.” She exaggerated a deep inhale. “I’ve always been able to breathe underwater, like a fish. Don’t know why.”

“Wow, Master is so special.” Stinky’s voice swelled with pride.

“It’s nothing special.”

“But your body holds sealed spiritual power—very strong spiritual power.”

“Yeah right. With your weak cultivation, how accurate can you be?”

“Our Devour-Spirit Serpent clan is different from other monsters. We can sense the spiritual energy levels of others more clearly.”

“I’m just an ordinary person from the modern world. How could I have spiritual power like you monsters? You must be mistaken. If anything, it’s probably just… body heat!” She laughed at her own joke.

At last, they reached the lakebed. She looked around—there were countless round black holes in the ground, each holding a white, egg-sized stone. Rare herbs sprouted between the holes, and rainbow-colored fish swam back and forth.

She swam closer. The stones looked faintly transparent. Stinky flapped his wings excitedly. “Master, those are demon cores! Wow, I’ve never seen so many in one place.”

“What are demon cores?”

“They’re the essence of spirit beasts. If the cores are here without their bodies, it means those beasts are long dead. Their cores are entombed here.”

“So this is like the underworld of the Mystic Realm… a place where the dead spirit beasts rest forever.” She nodded solemnly.

The sight of thousands upon thousands of cores arranged in eternal repose filled her with awe. Each one represented a life—a story of survival, bloodshed, or peace.

Then, not far away, one of the stones began to glow faintly as she approached.

Take it.

The voice echoed in her mind, urging her toward it.

Curiosity tugged at her hand. The moment she touched it, the hole erupted into a whirlpool.

The entire lake surged, spinning toward the vortex.

She was instantly sucked in. Stinky tried to pull her back with his tail, but he too was dragged into the swirl.

They were swallowed by the black hole together.

When she opened her eyes again, Mu Shuiqi found herself back at Sacred Snow Mountain.

But strangely, Zishang Lake was nowhere in sight.

She sent Stinky to scout the mountain, but there was no trace of the lake.

Instead, Stinky reported seeing people combing the slopes, calling her name.

After a moment of thought, she guessed that Cui Mengmeng must have gone to get help when she couldn’t find her.

“Stinky, we’re no longer in the Mystic Realm. We’re back in my home world. You’d better hide in my pocket and don’t come out. If people here find you, they’ll take you away for research. And trust me, humans here are terrifyingly good at research.”

“What kind of research?” Stinky’s eyes widened.

“The kind where they cut you open.” She gestured with her hands seriously.

Within a second, he dove straight into her pocket, trembling.

She went to meet the rescue team, and sure enough, Cui Mengmeng was there.

“Oh my god, you’re alive! Thank heavens!” Cui Mengmeng hugged her tightly, sobbing hysterically. For a moment, she truly thought she had lost her forever.