Two days later, Mo Qi arrived at the Divine Mist Sect. On his way, he had already decided to hand over the formula and refining method for the Mist Dissipating Pill and guarantee that he would no longer refine it. If necessary, he could also help them develop and improve the Mist Non-Mist pill, rendering the Mist Dissipating Pill ineffective.
Unexpectedly, when Mo Qi met Zhong Gui, before he could speak, he heard Zhong Gui say with a smile, "Congratulations, Deputy Sect Master Mo. You are the hundredth visitor to my sect this year and have earned an opportunity to trial in the Black Water Abyss. Moreover, the Black Water Abyss has been experiencing unusual phenomena and continuous divine light recently, suggesting that a spiritual treasure is about to emerge. Coupled with the abundance of spiritual herbs in the Black Water Abyss, which are highly beneficial for alchemy, Sect Master Mo will surely reap abundant rewards and endless surprises on this trip."
Mo Qi's first impression was that this was a conspiracy.
However, such a trial opportunity held immense temptation for Mo Qi. In smaller sects, there were no personal trial grounds; only major sects possessed such advantages.
Trials were both challenges and opportunities. As Zhong Gui mentioned, encountering a spiritual treasure was not impossible. Furthermore, he had indeed heard Wu Fan mention before that the Black Water Abyss contained many spiritual herbs suitable for refining pills with peculiar effects. Therefore, after considering for a few breaths, he agreed.
As soon as Mo Qi agreed, Zhong Gui thrust a delicate and beautiful girl into his arms. "This is Zhen Zhen, a candidate selected by our sect after countless choices and rigorous assessments to participate in this trial. You two can travel together for mutual support."
Upon seeing Zhen Zhen, Mo Qi found her to be frail and delicate, with black hair and fair skin that shimmered like pearls. He feared she might be blown away by the wind. She looked less like a female cultivator and more like a sheltered young lady who had lived in seclusion.
Mo Qi immediately dismissed his suspicions about Zhong Gui. He reasoned that if the other party intended to plot something, they would have chosen a formidable individual. This person before him was clearly harmless.
Zhen Zhen had been quite worried. After all, her cultivation was only at the Spirit Condensation stage. Facing the unknown dangers within the Black Water Abyss alone was a daunting prospect. Seeing that she had a companion, she felt slightly relieved.
The Black Water Abyss was located at the foot of Willow Peak.
As for how far down it was, some said that if you kept going down, nearing hell, you would arrive. Of course, this was just an exaggeration; one could not actually reach hell.
Initially, the path was lined with dense forests, and small wild beasts occasionally darted past, disappearing into the bushes. Zhen Zhen, however, was easily startled, screaming in fright at the sight of these small creatures, and would grab Mo Qi's clothes with a pale face.
Mo Qi even thought that fortunately, they were not well acquainted. If they were, she would surely have clung to him.
He once again doubted if Zhen Zhen was truly here for cultivation. With her current level, venturing out for trials would likely result in her death ten thousand times over!
"Perhaps you should go back. There are more terrifying things ahead, potentially ten thousand times more so," Mo Qi finally mustered the courage to say after much deliberation.
Zhen Zhen's eyes suddenly became incredibly determined. "I will absolutely not go back." With that, she walked ahead.
Mo Qi shook his head and quickened his pace to catch up.
At this moment, the spirit of the artifact in his storage bag stirred again. Mo Qi knew it wanted to come out, so he took it out.
The spirit chattered incessantly, undoubtedly wanting its freedom. Mo Qi knew that once released in such a dense forest, it would vanish into the woods in an instant, making it difficult to recapture. However, forcing something unwanted would not bring happiness. If he didn't let it escape, he would have to keep it confined, which would be meaningless.
Fine, let it be. Mo Qi released his hand.
"So cute!" Zhen Zhen turned her head, her eyes shining, and extended her jade-like hand.
Unexpectedly, the spirit truly flew over and landed in her palm. Zhen Zhen gently stroked its head with her other hand. The spirit closed its eyes, as if greatly pleased.
Hmm? Is this spirit also lecherous?
"Alright, I'll give it to you," Mo Qi said generously.
Zhen Zhen shook her head. "A gentleman does not take what others love. I will keep it for you temporarily." With that, she turned and walked forward. The spirit looked back at Mo Qi, as if making a face, and then remained hovering above Zhen Zhen's shoulder as they moved forward.
Mo Qi suddenly had an illusion, as if Zhen Zhen had transformed into someone else.
Along the way, they encountered no danger or anything particularly unusual. However, they did find many rare spiritual herbs. Mo Qi would stop from time to time to pick them and store them in his storage bag.
After walking down a slope, they entered a valley. It seemed that spiritual energy was emanating from the surroundings. The spirit began to circle in the air, making sucking sounds. In a moment, its entire belly bulged, making its head appear disproportionately small, almost sunken into its stomach, looking quite comical. Zhen Zhen let out a chuckle.
Mo Qi couldn't help but smile as well.
Beyond the valley, they entered a cave. This so-called cave was merely a space with a roof, covered in various vegetation, unlike ordinary caves. The cave had a sloping surface that extended downwards infinitely, as if leading to the depths of the earth.
The cave had a strong echo. A single drop of water could create endless reverberations, sending chills down one's spine. Zhen Zhen would occasionally step forward and grasp Mo Qi's clothes. The momentary change in her demeanor was once again overshadowed by the dominant impression.
It seemed that the spiritual energy here was the most abundant, and the spirit absorbed it with even greater delight. Its belly was about to burst, and it made whimpering sounds. Mo Qi immediately said to Zhen Zhen, "It wants to release the excess spiritual energy to you."
Zhen Zhen appeared troubled and said with a hint of disgust, "How should I absorb it? With my mouth? Then I don't want it."
Mo Qi took out a spiritual energy bag from his storage bag, specifically designed for absorbing spiritual energy, and placed it over the spirit's mouth. He pressed a protrusion on its back, and with a hiss, the spirit's belly deflated. However, the spiritual energy bag did not swell at all, appearing to remain the same size. Mo Qi then removed the spiritual energy bag from the spirit's mouth. This spiritual energy could be used for future alchemy. The spirit continued to absorb spiritual energy, and when it had accumulated enough, Mo Qi would put it into the spiritual energy bag. This process was repeated more than ten times before the spiritual energy bag showed a slight bulge.
Mo Qi then remembered that he also had a trial spirit beast in another storage bag, which also enjoyed absorbing spiritual energy. He thought it would be good to let it out for a feast.
The next moment, he released the spirit beast. Its massive form startled Zhen Zhen. However, the spirit beast had clear eyes and an innocent demeanor, quickly earning Zhen Zhen's affection.
She would often walk up to stroke the spirit beast's feathers, and the spirit beast would occasionally turn its large head down to let her pet it, closing its eyes in a docile manner.
The spirit beast and the spirit also got along exceptionally well. The spirit would hover above the spirit beast's head, sometimes playfully stepping on it with its short legs. The spirit beast would occasionally lift its head and pounce at it, even opening its mouth to bite, but never truly sinking its teeth, only lightly touching it with its teeth before raising its paw to scratch.
The spirit beast continuously searched for surrounding spirit grasses to devour. Sometimes, the spirit would exhale the spiritual energy it had absorbed to it, creating a very harmonious scene. Zhen Zhen, watching this, blushed and turned her face away, unable to bear looking.
However, the spirit beast's movements were earth-shattering and caused immense commotion, startling the surrounding birds and beasts, and causing rocks to tumble down. The scene was truly dramatic.
Moreover, Mo Qi worried that its spiritual power would increase too quickly and its size would become unmanageable, making it difficult for him to control. Thus, he put it away again.
Through studying the secret techniques of the Divine Pill Sect, he had a clearer idea of the pills needed to restore its body shape. However, he was currently struggling to find one of the ingredients: Yellow Cypress Heartwood.
For now, he could only wait for the right time. Once the ingredients were gathered, he could refine the body-restoring pills, and then he could release it at any time.
At this moment, light suddenly filtered down from ahead. Upon walking forward, they saw that the sky above had no ceiling, allowing them to directly gaze at the firmament of the small space. It was like a skylight, with vines or small trees growing on all four walls. Some vines, as far as the eye could see, hung straight down like celestial beards.
After passing through the skylight, they re-entered the cave. A river now flowed beside them, heading downwards through the cave. The river water was dark, and it was unclear what had been mixed into it.
Following the river, they continued forward, unimpeded. There were no more sudden appearances of small animals darting about. Zhen Zhen became incredibly relaxed, skipping joyfully and sometimes playfully interacting with the spirit.
However, Mo Qi's expression grew increasingly tense, and his eyes became more solemn. He seemed to smell the scent of blood mixed in the air.
At this moment, footsteps approached from the opposite direction, indicating someone was coming. Mo Qi couldn't help but slow his pace. Zhen Zhen immediately moved closer to Mo Qi.
Turning a corner, three people emerged from the opposite direction. They were three young individuals, two men and one woman, wearing Taoist robes, but they were not from the Divine Mist Sect. The three people clearly showed surprise upon seeing Mo Qi and Zhen Zhen. The two groups, after exchanging glances with a hint of hostility, eventually passed each other.
Only after turning the corner and no longer seeing the three individuals did Mo Qi, with a hint of confusion, ask Zhen Zhen, "How are people from other sects here?"
Zhen Zhen replied, "Although the Black Water Abyss appears to be within the territory of the Divine Mist Sect, it is located beneath the surface. Below, it is a vast network of interconnected passages leading to many places. In other words, one can travel from here to many locations, with the closest being the Annan Realm and the Primordial Sea."
Mo Qi's shock was indescribable. He couldn't help but swallow. "The Annan Realm is south of the Nine Divine Realms. The southernmost part of the Annan Realm connects to the Primordial Sea. It takes a full day of aerial travel from here to the Primordial Sea. How can this underground cave also lead to the Primordial Sea? Who built this cave? How much manpower and resources would it have taken?"
Zhen Zhen shook her head. "It wasn't built by anyone; it has existed since its inception. According to ancient legends, the entire Southern Continent is a giant dragon. Its tail connects to the Heavenly Court, its body hangs above the Primordial Sea, and its head reaches into the sea, submerging into the water. Below the surface of the Southern Continent, there are everywhere interconnected caves, with rivers extending within them, said to be the dragon's bloodline! The dragon's internal organs are also distributed in certain locations."
Mo Qi was so shocked his heart felt as if it would leap out of his chest. "The entire Southern Continent? I've heard that the Southern Continent not only includes our Nine Divine Realms but also the Annan Realm, the Northern Territory, and the Qionglu Realm. The Nine Divine Realms alone are vast beyond description. If the entire Southern Continent is a dragon, how enormous must that dragon be?"
Zhen Zhen nodded. "It is indeed quite large. From south to north, the Southern Continent comprises the Annan Realm, the Nine Divine Realms, the Northern Territory, and the Qionglu Realm. This means the Annan Realm is at the dragon's head, and the Qionglu Realm is at its tail. The Qionglu Realm borders the Heavenly Court and is its gateway. No mortals reside there; only cultivators have the qualifications and ability to survive."
"So, does the entire Southern Continent merely resemble a dragon, or was it once a living dragon that later died and transformed into mountains and rivers?" Mo Qi asked curiously.
Zhen Zhen glanced at him with an expression that suggested he had hit upon the key point. "This dragon is called the Ancestral Dragon, said to be the progenitor of all dragons. In ancient times, the dragon clan waged war against the Heavenly Court. A large number of dragons entered the Heavenly Realm, almost overthrowing it. At that time, the gods of the Nine Heavens intervened forcefully, turning the tide of the Heavenly Court's defeat, and were on the verge of capturing all the dragons that had entered the Heavenly Realm. Below the Heavenly Realm was a barrier with sentries, preventing the dragons from retreating into the sea through the sentries. They were in a perilous situation. After exhausting their last ounce of strength in their battle against the gods of the Nine Heavens, the Ancestral Dragon transformed into a bridge, piercing through the barrier and sentries, directly connecting to the Primordial Sea. The dragon's descendants retreated along the Ancestral Dragon's body, fighting as they went, and finally managed to retreat safely into the sea."
As Mo Qi listened to the dragon's story, he felt a sense of epic grandeur and magnificence, becoming somewhat entranced.
Zhen Zhen continued, "Besides the Southern Continent, there are also the Eastern Victory Continent, Western Harmony Continent, and Northern Furnace Continent on the Primordial Sea. The Primordial Sea is divided into the Four Seas: East, West, North, and South, each guarded by a Great Dragon King. The Eastern Victory Continent is in the East Sea, the Western Harmony Continent is in the West Sea, the Northern Furnace Continent is in the North Sea, and the Southern Continent is in the South Sea. The Four Seas are connected, forming a circle, with Mount Buzhou, the Celestial Pillar, at its center. Of the Four Continents, only the Southern Continent hangs in the sky above the Primordial Sea, while the other continents are directly situated within the Primordial Sea."
Mo Qi was completely stunned. His vision had previously been confined to the Nine Divine Realms, and he had never imagined such a vast expanse beyond them.
Suddenly, a thought struck him, making his scalp tingle. "That means we are currently inside the dragon's belly?"
Zhen Zhen nodded seriously and continued, "Therefore, if we walk straight down from our current position and can find an exit, we can directly reach the sky above the Primordial Sea. However, apart from the southernmost tip of the Annan Realm, there are no exits elsewhere."
Mo Qi found it somewhat strange. "Don't dragons need to defecate?"
Zhen Zhen chuckled and did not answer him, as she did not know either.
"Then where is the Asura Realm located?" Mo Qi continued to ask.
"The Asura Realm is not in this world; it is in another world," Zhen Zhen replied.
Although Mo Qi did not understand what "Dao" was, he seemed to grasp something.
"So," Zhen Zhen continued, "those people just now, we don't know where they came from. They could be from the Nine Divine Cultivation Realm, or from other cultivation realms, or even from other continents."
Mo Qi suddenly looked at Zhen Zhen with great admiration, causing a blush to spread across her face.
"How do you know so much?" Mo Qi suddenly asked.
"This isn't much of a skill. I've just read more books on strange tales and anecdotes. I had no hope of advancing my cultivation, so I turned to focus on other things to pass the time. I'm just not ambitious," Zhen Zhen said sheepishly.