Chapter 28: Beneath the Surface

Tang Pei shook his head, dismissing the earlier friction, and turned his attention to Xiao Yifeng.

“Junior Brother Xiao, you are a newcomer, so you might not know this: our Enforcement Tokens are linked. If you encounter an emergency, infuse your Qi into the token to broadcast a distress signal to the rest of the squad.”

His expression darkened as he addressed the entire group. “I will say this one last time. If you see that Heavenly Luo Crocodile, do not try to be a hero. It has impenetrable scales and immense strength. It is not something a Qi Condensation cultivator can fight head-on. Signal immediately and retreat. Understood? Good. Let’s move.”

Without waiting for a reply, Tang Pei summoned his flying sword and shot off toward the left fork of the river, chasing after Li Lifang.

The remaining four disciples turned to the right fork. They flew upstream for a short distance until they reached the divergence point where the tributary split again.

Lin Mi stopped, a playful smile curling her lips as she looked between Xiao Yifeng and Ling Sisi.

“Well, this is where we part ways,” she said, her voice dripping with teasing innuendo. “You two be careful now. especially you, Junior Sister Sisi… don’t get eaten.”

She winked, cast a meaningful glance at them, and then flew off with Zhu Ming, leaving a trail of laughter in the wind.

Ling Sisi’s face turned crimson, burned by the older woman’s implication.

Soon, the riverbank was silent, leaving only the two of them.

“Junior Sister Ling,” Xiao Yifeng said gently, breaking the awkward silence. “Shall we?”

Ling Sisi nodded mutely and fell in step behind him.

Xiao Yifeng held the Water-Avoiding Pearl in his palm and channeled his Spiritual Energy into it. A soft azure light bloomed from the sphere. Without hesitation, he leaped into the rushing waters of the tributary leading toward the Qiankun Hall.

As soon as he submerged, the pearl activated. A spherical barrier of light expanded around him, pushing the water outward. It created a dry, breathable pocket of air roughly three feet wide.

A splash echoed beside him as Ling Sisi dropped into the water, her own pearl creating a matching bubble of light.

They summoned their flying artifacts beneath their feet. Surprisingly, the Water-Avoiding Pearls negated the water’s resistance almost entirely, allowing them to glide through the depths as swiftly as they flew through the sky.

They patrolled upstream, navigating the submerged currents. Schools of silvery fish darted through the water weeds, and the sunlight filtering from the surface painted the riverbed in dancing patterns of gold and green. It was a breathtaking, otherworldly scene.

Noticing Ling Sisi’s continued silence, Xiao Yifeng spoke up. “Junior Sister Ling, thank you for speaking up for me back there.”

Ling Sisi shook her head frantically. “No, no… I should be the one thanking you. I’m sorry, Senior Brother Xiao. I used you as a shield. I’ve caused you trouble.”

Xiao Yifeng glanced back at her. “Trouble? You saved me from patrolling a river alone. I am grateful. Why do you say it is trouble?”

“Because… now Vice-Leader Li will hate you even more,” she whispered, her face flushing with guilt.

“Oh?” Xiao Yifeng feigned surprise. “Is there a story there?”

Ling Sisi bit her lip. “Before you arrived, Senior Brother, I was always paired with Li Lifang. He… he has feelings for me, I suppose. But I don’t feel the same way. I’ve rejected him multiple times, but he refuses to give up.”

She looked down at her feet, her voice trembling slightly. “He is the Vice-Leader, so I didn’t dare to offend him too harshly. But recently, his behavior has become… excessive. He keeps pestering me.”

“Zhu Ming is too scared to help, and Senior Sister Lin just watches. I was desperate to get away from him. When you arrived—a True Disciple—I thought Li Lifang might have some reservations about bullying you. I’m so sorry.”

She looked like a child who had been caught stealing candy, her expression a mix of innocence and fear.

Xiao Yifeng laughed softly.

“I didn’t realize there was such a drama behind the scenes,” he said with a grin. “But honestly, Li Lifang’s attitude toward me was already rotten before you opened your mouth. One more grudge won’t kill me. Don’t worry about it, Junior Sister.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother Xiao!” Seeing that he wasn’t angry, Ling Sisi let out a breath she had been holding. Her gratitude was palpable.

“Think nothing of it. Besides, I came out ahead,” Xiao Yifeng waved his hand dismissively, deciding to tease her a little. “I’d much rather patrol with a beautiful girl than a rat-faced man.”

Ling Sisi’s face turned the color of a ripe tomato. She stuttered, unable to form a reply.

They drifted in comfortable silence for a while before Ling Sisi’s curiosity got the better of her.

“Senior Brother Xiao… when did you enter the sect?”

“5 years ago,” Xiao Yifeng replied. “I believe I’m a year or so senior to you.”

“Ah?” Ling Sisi’s eyes widened. “So you really are… the one they talk about? The only disciple Wuya Hall has accepted in the last decade?”

“That sounds like me,” Xiao Yifeng said, amused by her reaction. “What exactly do they say about me? I’m curious. Don’t hold back.”

Ling Sisi hesitated, her fingers fiddling with her sleeves. “They say… well, they say you have Ding-grade Lower aptitude. That you’re worse than a servant disciple. They say no one else wanted you, and you only got into Wuya Hall through the back door… that they only took you in because they were desperate.”

She realized how harsh that sounded and quickly waved her hands. “But Senior Brother, you’re already at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation! I have Yi-grade Middle aptitude, and I’ve been here for 4 years, yet I only just reached the seventh layer recently. The rumors must be nonsense…”

“Actually, they aren’t wrong,” Xiao Yifeng admitted cheerfully. “My aptitude really is Ding-grade Lower. Though, for the record, I didn’t use a back door.”

Ling Sisi stopped moving, staring at him in shock. “What? But… how is that possible? With Ding-grade Lower aptitude, how could you cultivate so quickly?”

“Why? Do you think low aptitude forces one to be slow?” Xiao Yifeng smiled enigmatically. “In the path of cultivation, talent is just the starting line, not the destination.”

“No, I didn’t mean…” Ling Sisi stammered.

Xiao Yifeng chuckled, but his mind drifted. In his past life, he had been slow. Painfully slow. Servant disciples like Zhu Ming, who had been grinding for 10 years just to reach this point, were the norm for people with his talent. It had taken a lifetime of struggle—and a demonic path—to change his fate.

Seeing Xiao Yifeng fall silent, Ling Sisi panicked, thinking she had offended him.

“Senior Brother,” she said earnestly, her face red again. “I really didn’t mean anything bad. I just think you are amazing. To have such speed with that aptitude… please don’t be angry.”

Xiao Yifeng looked at the flustered girl. She was like a frightened rabbit, blushing at the slightest breeze. He couldn’t resist.

“Hmph. Actually, I am very angry,” he said, keeping a straight face. “How do you intend to compensate me?”

“I… I… I…” Ling Sisi froze, her mind short-circuiting as she searched for a way to apologize.

“I’m kidding,” Xiao Yifeng broke into laughter. “Relax, Junior Sister. I’m not that petty.”

Ling Sisi let out a huff, stomping her foot on her flying sword. “Senior Brother Xiao! Senior Sister Lin loves to tease me, and now you’re doing it too! I’m ignoring you both!”

“Alright, alright, peace,” Xiao Yifeng said, reigning in his amusement. “We’re approaching the deeper waters. Let’s focus. We need to clear out any beasts above the fourth layer to protect the mortals downstream.”

Ling Sisi rolled her eyes at him but nodded.

They continued their patrol. The river was mostly calm, filled with mundane fish and swaying water weeds. The underwater landscape was bizarre and beautiful, a silent world untouched by the chaos above.

“Listening to the Captain, I thought this place would be swarming with monsters,” Ling Sisi marveled, looking at a school of glowing minnows. “I didn’t expect it to be so peaceful.”

“The Spiritual Qi inside the Wentian Sect is dense,” Xiao Yifeng explained. “Intelligent beasts prefer to stay near the source. Unless they are lost or cast out from their pack, they won’t swim toward the mortal world where the Qi is thin.”

He pointed ahead, where the water grew darker. “However, the Captain mentioned the Green-Eyed Swimming Fish prefer the deep undercurrents. We should be close. Let’s go.”

They dove into the darkness.

The current here was fierce, tugging at their protective bubbles. The light from the surface vanished, replaced by an inky blackness. Visibility dropped to zero; they could only see a few meters ahead by the glow of their pearls.

Jagged reefs jutted out from the gloom, and strange, deep-water creatures glided past like ghosts. Occasionally, they passed air pockets trapped in the ceiling of the underwater caverns.

After navigating the treacherous currents for a while, a massive wall of light suddenly appeared in the darkness, cutting across the entire width of the underground river.

Xiao Yifeng reached out and touched the barrier. It hummed with power.

He nodded to himself. So that’s why we didn’t see any beasts upstream.