"Do you feel anything?" Li Hong looked at Fang Chengqian beside him.
The latter nodded, his expression grave.
While Li Hong and Fang Chengqian were discussing how to search Weiyang Lake, Li Wuze walked over to Lin Yun's side. Seeing him approach, Lin Yun took two steps back.
"You're not thinking of making a move again, are you?" As he spoke, he quickly observed Li Wuze's panel. Thankfully, the guy had no intention of attacking.
"Don't worry, I mean no harm." Li Wuze smiled. "My skills were inferior. There's nothing more to say. Elder Li asked me to look after you two."
Look after us? Lin Yun knew this meant Li Hong still didn't fully trust him. Until the Flowing Cloud Sect made their move, Li Hong would not place his absolute trust in him. Lin Yun was willing to tell him the truth because he was preparing a way out for himself, looking for a new home. Given that his Yuan Embryo had yet to be born, he thought the Beast Taming Sect was probably the most suitable target. Perhaps he could get some clues about the Yuan Embryo from them.
Over by the lake, Li Hong took out a white jade tablet. Strange runes were carved on it, and at this moment, a shimmering light was flowing across its surface.
"This is the right place," Li Hong's voice was a little excited. He could confirm that the spirit pet was here, under Weiyang Lake.
Fang Chengqian glanced at the bottomless lake. "Elder, I can't shake the feeling that this Weiyang Lake has an evil aura about it."
"No matter what, let's go down and see first." Just then, Li Hong looked at Lin Yun and Bai Zhuqing. "You two are going down as well."
Because of Lin Yun, Li Hong was even less courteous to him now. But at the same time, he was genuinely worried that Lin Yun would cause trouble on land.
To be honest, Lin Yun didn't want to go down. Who knew what was under there? What if the legend of the giant python was true? But looking at Li Hong now, there was probably no room for negotiation.
Bai Zhuqing didn't object.
In the end, with Fang Chengqian leading the way, Lin Yun and Bai Zhuqing entered the water together. Li Hong took out a translucent, azure pearl. "This is called a Water-Repelling Merman Pearl. Carrying it on your person will ensure you can breathe smoothly underwater, but it needs to be powered by yuan energy."
Lin Yun tucked the pearl into his robes and then jumped into Weiyang Lake. Under the drive of his yuan energy, it felt as if a membrane had formed around him, which could convert the oxygen he needed.
Subsequently, Bai Zhuqing and Fang Chengqian also entered the water.
Fang Chengqian quickly took the lead. "The spirit pet our sect lost is several zhang long. If you see it, let us know." After giving his instructions, Fang Chengqian began to move. Bai Zhuqing was also searching very seriously.
Weiyang Lake was bottomless. Even though the water was clear, seeing what was at the bottom was extremely difficult. In addition, being underwater, even with the Water-Repelling Merman Pearl, movement was still very inconvenient.
Lin Yun's movements were slow. He followed not far behind Fang Chengqian with some effort. After all, he knew that Fang Chengqian was the one who would find the spirit pet.
Nearly a quarter of an hour passed like this. Suddenly, Fang Chengqian shouted, "I found it!"
Lin Yun hurriedly swam over. He wasn't curious about the spirit pet, but wanted to see what other secrets were hidden at the bottom of Weiyang Lake.
It was a Crimson-Mane Flame Lion. Lin Yun had seen it described in the Strange Records of Mountains and Seas. The Crimson-Mane Flame Lion possessed the bloodline of the ancient Qilin. Once it matured, it was an extremely rare and powerful spirit pet in the cultivation world. The one before them was at least at the peak of the Void-Gazing Realm. And it died so easily here?
"Let's go up first," Fang Chengqian said faintly.
Just as they were ascending, Fang Chengqian suddenly saw a dark spot below him, and a red light flashed past. "What was that?" he exclaimed subconsciously.
Lin Yun knew that was the mysterious cave Fang Chengqian was fated to find.
"Let's report what's down here to Elder Li first before deciding." Fang Chengqian was a cautious person. He knew this cave was definitely not simple, but he wouldn't rashly go down to explore it at this moment.
After the three of them reached the shore, they explained the situation underwater. When Li Hong heard that the Crimson-Mane Flame Lion had been killed, his face turned grim.
"How could this be? Under this Weiyang Lake..." Li Hong couldn't finish his sentence. A spirit pet as strong as the Crimson-Mane Flame Lion had been killed directly. It was clear that the perpetrator was no small fry. And it was in Weiyang Lake, no less. At this moment, the only thing they could connect it to was the giant python from all those years ago.
Fang Chengqian had carefully observed the corpse. He shook his head. "From the wounds on the body, it looks more like it was bitten and devoured by some kind of fierce beast."
Just then, Lin Yun looked at Fang Chengqian, and his panel had already changed.
[Name]: Fang Chengqian
[Realm]: Ninth Level of the Void-Gazing Realm
[Destiny]: Southern Border Poison Man (Blue)
[Fate]: Evil Triumphs Over Good (Green), Poison Master (Blue), Deeply Scheming (White)
[Outcome]: ...dies under the Nine Yin Lightning Tribulation in his later years.
[Recent Turning Point]: Is grievously injured in a sneak attack by the Flowing Cloud Sect and falls into Weiyang Lake, his fate unknown.
Is the Flowing Cloud Sect about to make its move?
Lin Yun immediately looked at Li Hong and Li Wuze.
[Name]: Li Hong
[Realm]: Fourth Level of the Myriad Laws Realm
[Destiny]: Spiritual Connection (Purple)
[Fate]: Beast Master (Blue), Beast Speaker (Green), Death Calamity (Black)
[Spiritual Connection]: Can communicate with all kinds of exotic beasts, increasing the success rate of beast taming.
[Beast Master]: Can tame two additional beasts of a higher level than himself at the same realm. [Death Calamity]: Having triggered the karma of the Heavenly Dao, death is certain. Anyone who妄图 to change this calamity will be implicated.
[Outcome]: Fights a great battle with Elder Liao Changping on the Flowing Cloud Sect's Weiyang Mountain. The spirit pets under his command are almost all killed. He fakes his death to escape pursuit but, clinging to a single breath, passes away five days later.
[Recent Turning Point]: Is ambushed by Liao Changping on Weiyang Mountain. Is defeated in the fierce battle and dies five days later.
Liao Changping... so it's him. Lin Yun's fists clenched tightly. It seems Gu Xiande really wants me dead.
[Name]: Bai Zhuqing
[Realm]: Second Level of the Yuan Sea Realm
[Destiny]: Covered in Misfortune (Gray)
[Fate]: A Millennium of Decline (Green), Everything Goes Wrong (White), Stubborn Donkey (Blue) [Outcome]: Is captured alive by Elder Liao Changping on Weiyang Mountain, framed as a traitor to the Flowing Cloud Sect, and handed over to the Disciplinary Hall for severe torture. After suffering endless humiliation, he refuses to collude with them and is eventually forgotten, dying in prison many years later in utter despair...
[Recent Turning Toint]: Is captured alive on Weiyang Mountain.
Bai Zhuqing gets captured alive?
Lin Yun looked at the panels of the several people, his heart incomparably heavy. Since the Flowing Cloud Sect was making a move, they were definitely coming to kill them. He just hadn't expected Gu Xiande to be so blatant about it.
"Elder Li, this disciple also discovered a huge cave under the lake," Fang Chengqian added.
Li Hong nodded. "It seems the story of the giant python must be true. Let's go down and take a look."
Just then, Lin Yun stepped forward and blocked them.