At that moment, the young woman also caught sight of Zhang Fan and the still-unconscious Lu Xueqi lying beside him. Clearly she had not expected to find any living souls at the bottom of the Abyss of Undead Spirits, and her expression shifted as a jolt of surprise ran through her.
Then she caught a clear look at Zhang Fan's face, froze for a moment, a flicker of surprise crossing her features — and then she smiled.
"What a small world!" She came gracefully toward him through the darkness, like a beautiful lily in full bloom.
Zhang Fan rose to his feet and positioned himself in front of Lu Xueqi—whether intentionally or not—for whoever had descended into this Death Spirit Abyss, where dark-spirit demon beasts roamed, would be no ordinary person.
As the young woman drew closer, Zhang Fan finally saw clearly: pinched between the slender jade fingers of her right hand was a white flower that emanated a faint white radiance, casting light upon the earth around her — what rare and unusual species it might be, he could not say.
Yet Zhang Fan had no time to spare for the flower now. Though his heart still harbored some wariness toward this strange woman, whatever the case, catching sight of her here in the dark and desolate depths of the Dead Spirit Abyss, he felt an immediate sense of closeness.
"Grandma." Zhang Fan had intended to say something more courteous by way of greeting, but when the words came out, only these two remained.
The maiden glanced at him and smiled. "Is this not Zhang Fan, Young Hero Zhang of Qingyun Mountain? How did you come to wander into such a ghastly place? This is no place for the likes of you."
Zhang Fan was taken aback. "How do you know I am a disciple of Qingyun Sect?"
The young woman smiled but gave no answer.
Zhang Fan furrowed his brow, sensing that this young woman was far from ordinary. He was still turning the thought over in his mind when he heard her let out a soft laugh. "Young Hero Zhang, how long have you been here? Have you found the Cave of Dripping Blood yet?"
Zhang Fan was momentarily stunned. "What Blood-Dripping Cave?"
The young woman let out a soft hum, her smile gradually fading, yet she remained perfectly composed as she spoke: "Young Hero Zhang certainly knows how to play dumb. If you so-called righteous cultivators weren't after what lies within the Dripping Blood Cave, why would you ever come to a dark and filthy place like this?"
Zhang Fan was left bewildered by her words, yet he vaguely grasped that there was a Blood-Dripping Cave somewhere here — one that likely held something of great importance. Yet before descending the mountain, he had never once heard his master or his sect leader martial-uncle speak of it. That, however, was not what occupied his thoughts at this moment. Instead, he had caught the meaning behind the girl's words, and said in a low, measured voice: "You call our righteous path hypocritical — then who, pray tell, are you?"
The young woman flicked her water-green dress, and the flower pinched between her fingers traced an arc through the air, following the sweep of her jade-like hand. The white light left a trailing streak in the darkness—as though it, too, were loath to part from this gloom—and lingered there a long while before slowly fading away.
"Am I not the very Demon Sect demoness you all so deeply despise?" She smiled beguilingly.
Zhang Fan's heart sank, a sudden pang of loss washing over him — yet the feeling was gone in an instant, vanishing without a trace. He let out a quiet snort, steadied his mind, and raised his guard.
Ever since he joined the sect of Qingyun Mountain, he had heard his masters and senior brothers teach him time and again how the demon cult's evil practitioners brought calamity upon the world, their cruelty knowing no bounds. The sect rules of Qingyun further forbade any dealings or association with those of the demonic path—they were mortal enemies, bound never to share the same sky.
But the girl showed no sign of harbouring any deep-seated hatred or any intention to strike immediately. Instead, her gaze drifted past Zhang Fan to what lay behind him, and after a brief glance, she suddenly smiled. "Looks like this elder sister is about to wake up, isn't she?"
Zhang Fan turned to look, and sure enough, he saw Xueqi stir slightly, her lips moving twice before she slowly opened her eyes. Overjoyed, Zhang Fan spun around and called out, "Granny's awake!"
Unexpectedly, Lu Xueqi's face suddenly flashed with alarm, and she struggled to say: "Heart…"
Before Zhang Fan could react, a strange fragrance suddenly assailed his nostrils. In a flash of white light, a pristine white flower appeared before his eyes.
In the darkness, beneath the Abyss of the Dead—what flowers could possibly grow here? Zhang Fan recoiled a step in shock, yet saw the flower stir on its own without a breath of wind, as though smiling faintly at him from midair. It gave a small nod, and in an instant the bloom burst apart, its petals scattering—each one snowy white and delicate, yet at their edges a dim green light flickered to life as they came flying toward him.
Even without knowing the girl's identity as a member of the demonic sect, a single glance at those strange flowers was enough to tell that something was wrong. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Zhang Fan stumbled back several steps in a panic. In the chaos he raised the fire poker in his hand as a shield, and as the swiftly shooting petals met the dark cerulean radiance of the poker, most were deflected—yet a few barely grazed past, coming dangerously close to wounding him.
Zhang Fan's heart had yet to settle from the shock, and he cursed inwardly—these demon cult fiends were indeed every one of them treacherous and cunning; his Master, Mistress, and Senior Brothers had spoken words of profound truth, not a single one wrong. But at that very moment his gaze swept the scene, and he saw the young woman's figure stir—she was flying straight toward Lu Xueqi.
Zhang Fan's heart lurched. Seeing Lu Xueqi gravely wounded and barely able to fight back, while the distance between them grew ever wider, he swept his hand in a sharp gesture and called forth the Fire-Stoking Staff, charging straight at the green-clad girl.
Hearing the rush of wind, the girl in green smiled serenely and raised her right hand to meet it in midair. In an instant, every petal came streaking back like lightning, converging upon the flower bud. The bloom between her fingers, shedding a faint white luminescence, surged forward to meet the oncoming strike. The moment the pale white glow touched the dark-cyan radiance of the fire poker, the two forces clashed and held each other suspended in the air, locked in a stalemate for a brief moment—neither gaining the upper hand—before each flew back to its own side.
In the darkness, a soft exclamation tinged with surprise suddenly rang out.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Fan caught the fire poker and hurried back to Lu Xueqi's side, stepping in front of her to shield her from the sinister and treacherous demoness of the Demonic Sect, preventing her from resorting to further schemes.
However, the "treacherous and sinister" demoness suddenly halted at that moment, advancing no further, and simply let Zhang Fan return to Lu Xueqi's side — while the look in her eyes as she watched Zhang Fan held unmistakable astonishment.
In that exchange just now, she had been fully confident that the rare "Heartbreak Flower" in her hand would easily subdue Zhang Fan. Yet to her astonishment, when the Heartbreak Flower clashed mid-air against that fire-stoking stick, the peculiar fragrance—which should have traveled through the weapon to pierce straight into the heart and paralyze a person in an instant—was deflected back entirely, with even a faint hint of backlash, leaving her utterly stunned.
Zhang Fan stepped in front of Lu Xueqi, helped her to her feet, and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright, Senior Sister Lu?"
Xueqi gave a slight shake of her head, and only then did Zhang Fan breathe a sigh of relief. He turned, his voice seething with fury: "Shameless fiend — nothing but a cowardly sneak attacker!"
The look of surprise in the girl's eyes vanished at once, replaced by a thin flush of anger. She let out a soft hmph. "Just you wait — I'll show you what this demon is capable of!"
Even as she spoke, she moved to act. Zhang Fan immediately tensed, but his heart sank. Lu Xueqi was leaning against him, limp and drained of strength—clearly gravely wounded, most likely because the poison had yet to be purged. The demoness of the demonic sect standing before him was unpredictable and inscrutable; once they came to blows, he feared he would have no way to protect Senior Sister Lu.
Unfortunately, the world rarely bends to one's wishes. Zhang Fan's mind was spinning with rapid thoughts, yet he suddenly realized that things were going from bad to worse.
In the darkness, another light flickered to life — yet it was nothing like the green-robed girl's. Though it was light, it was deep in hue, so dark that one might almost have mistaken it for black light amid the shadows. From within that dim radiance, a faint, spectral silhouette emerged and came to a stop beside the green-robed girl. It was a tall woman, clad entirely in black, her face concealed behind a veil — the very companion who had traveled alongside the girl at Shanhai Garden that day.
Then, beneath Zhang Fan's astonished gaze, one beam of light after another blazed to life in the darkness. Some five more figures materialized, robed in yellow — the very attendants who had accompanied the young woman at Shanhai Garden that day. Incredibly, every last one of them had arrived here as well.
Zhang Fan felt his throat go dry. Beneath the weight of so many eyes upon him, he could not suppress the chill that crept through his body. Just then, he suddenly heard Lu Xueqi's faint, feeble voice at his ear: "Go quickly—these people's cultivation is no less than ours. We cannot meet them by force."
Zhang Fan turned his head, only to find that pale yet beautiful face right beside him — no worry, no fear written upon it, as though all of this were the most ordinary thing in the world. He paused for a moment, shook his head, pressed his lips tight, then turned back once more to face those who had appeared so mysteriously from the Demonic Sect.
"Biyao, be careful," the masked woman said, her gaze fixed on the two people ahead before finally settling on the fire poker in Zhang Fan's hand. She murmured, "That black rod has something odd about it."
Bi Yao — that is, the green-robed young girl — what had Auntie noticed?
The masked woman she called Aunt You wore an unreadable expression, yet a trace of bewilderment could be heard in her voice: "It seems like… that malevolent aura from just now was far too similar. But how could someone of the righteous path possess such a thing? They wouldn't be able to control this bead either—and besides, this, this is a short rod. What is going on?"
Bi Yao let out a cold snort. "Let's see just how fearsome this thing really is!" She stepped forward, and the figure in yellow standing behind her advanced in unison. Zhang Fan took one look and knew the situation was dire — though he had every intention of fighting, the gap in strength between the two sides was simply too vast. He had no choice but to support Lu Xueqi as they fell back.
The black-robed, masked woman carried an oppressively ghostly air about her. She drifted straight forward through the darkness at Biyao's side, almost like a specter from the underworld, and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear: "The short staff in that young man's hands is steeped in a terribly fierce and murderous energy—did you sense it?"
Biyao glanced at Zhang Fan ahead, his posture tense and guarded, then gave a small nod.
The veiled woman paused momentarily, then spoke thus: "But I sense that the fierce power within this short rod has yet to be fully unleashed—as though suppressed by something. In my view, this rod most likely bears some connection to our Holy Sect. This young man's identity is deeply suspicious. We would do well to think thrice before acting."
Bi Yao furrowed her brows. "Auntie, what should we do about the milk?"
The masked woman's voice turned flat: "Just bring it back for Father to see. The Sect Master is learned and wise — he will surely know what this object is!"
Bi Yao thought for a moment. "Alright."
Even as they spoke, their feet never stopped moving, pressing steadily forward. Without the consent of the two of them, the yellow-robed figures standing nearby had no cause to intervene. One side advancing, the other giving ground—by the time the exchange was done, quite a distance had been covered.
Zhang Fan supported Lu Xueqi as his anxiety deepened with every step, yet gradually the sound of rippling water reached his ears — it seemed they had wandered back to the very cove where they had begun.
Bi Yao was momentarily taken aback, then turned to the veiled woman and said, "Aunt You, is this the Heartless Sea?"
The masked woman fell silent for a moment, then sighed softly, "Sentiment exists only to suffer at the hands of the heartless! Indeed — this is the most mysterious of the Five Seas: the Sea of the Heartless."
Perhaps because of her youth, Bi Yao took no notice of the bitter undertone in the masked woman she called Auntie You's words. She was brimming with excitement — she had heard from her father long ago that the Merciless Sea lay hidden deep underground, a Sea of Nine Nethers, and moreover that the Dripping Blood Cave beneath the Death Spirit Abyss sat right at its shore. It seemed that after three days of searching, they were finally close to finding it.
The masked woman fell into silence, not uttering a single word.
Bi Yao found it somewhat odd, glanced at her, then promptly dismissed it from her mind. Turning her head, she said, "As for me, I'll capture you all first, then go find that Dripping Blood Cave!"
With a wave of her hand, the five yellow-robed figures stepped forward in unison, ready to strike. Behind Zhang Fan stretched the boundless, merciless sea swallowed in darkness; before him, the demonic cult members had closed in from every direction. Truly, there was no path forward and no retreat—he stood in the depths of a deadly trap, with nowhere left to turn.
Xueqi felt wave after wave of cold wind sweeping in from the Merciless Sea at her back, chilling her to the very heart. Her body was weak and aching, and a faint dizziness and nausea had begun to creep over her — the residual poison, it seemed, had yet to be fully purged.
Clever as she was, she needed no deliberation to see how this would unfold: if Zhang Fan were to look after her, the only outcome would be death for them both.
She turned her head and looked toward Zhang Fan. The young man still seemed somewhat tense at this moment—his body drawn taut, the hand supporting her gripping firm with that same nervousness—and in his eyes there was even a yearning for life, a dread of death.
Yet he clearly showed none — not even the slightest hint of retreat.
"Zhang Shidi." She called out softly. Zhang Fan heard her — his shoulders shifted slightly, as if he were about to turn around — but somehow, in the end, he never did.
"Sixth Senior Sister, up on that platform—and even just now she saved me and shielded me without leaving." Zhang Fan's heart surged with emotion. He had meant to say something grand and stirring, but when the words rose to his lips they seemed to vanish without a trace. In the end, all he could manage was a dry, flat "without leaving."
Xueqi fell silent.
A sudden unease stirred in Zhang Fan's heart — had his words somehow offended her? He could not say why, but ever since the day he first laid eyes on Lu Xueqi, he had always felt a faint dread toward this cold, frost-hearted woman.
A cold, icy wind swept in from the Merciless Sea, lifting a few loose strands of the silent woman's long hair, letting them drift softly across his neck and cheek.
The waves of the Merciless Sea seemed to surge up all of a sudden.
Deep in the darkness, as though heaving a sigh, a wind swept through — like the Merciless Sea baring a ferocious grin, gazing with cold mockery upon the people of the mortal world.
Bi Yao smiled, leading five yellow-robed figures to close in and encircle them.
Zhang Fan stepped back, but felt only a sudden chill beneath his feet — he had stumbled straight into the bone-piercing cold of the sea.
Just then, upon the increasingly churning Merciless Sea, a monstrous wave suddenly surged skyward—its roar deafening to the ears, its crest soaring what appeared to be several zhang in height. A gale swept into their faces, and every soul standing on the shore went pale, nearly losing their footing where they stood.
The masked woman standing at the rear suddenly blanched, crying out urgently, "Bi Yao, fall back!"
Bi Yao's heart gave a start. Knowing that Aunt You was a woman of vast experience and keen judgment—even her father had always held her in the highest regard—she had no time to think further, and promptly withdrew.
She moved, and the five yellow-robed figures retreated along with her. Only Zhang Fan and Xueqi, who stood nearest to the water's edge, were caught completely off guard—the towering wave crashed down on them full force, soaking them to the skin; but it was the bone-piercing cold that cut through every inch of their bodies and made them truly miserable.
Then, everyone turned their gaze toward the merciless sea, which had just erupted into chaos. Upon the pitch-black waters, two enormous lights slowly kindled, flickering with an eerie green luminescence—yet those lights were deeply strange, for they took no ordinary round shape. Instead, they were elongated from top to bottom, and at their centers, a pair of thin, ink-black slits cut through the glow, radiating a cold and murderous intent.
"It's it, it's it." The masked woman shuddered. "This creature still hasn't died!"
Bi Yao cried out in alarm, "A beast? Aunt You, what on earth is this thing?"
The masked woman fixed her gaze upon the two halos of light drawing ever closer to shore across the storm-tossed, merciless sea, a faint tremor of dread edging into her voice. "The Black Water Serpent."
Bi Yao was greatly shaken, scarcely daring to believe it, and cried out in astonishment: "Was this demon creature not slain by the sacred beast Huangniao in the Great Western Marshes a thousand years ago?"
The masked woman said urgently: "The rumors say as much, yet it has appeared here today. I cannot say why, Luo Biyao — this Black Water Serpent is a primordial demon beast of unrivaled ferocity. Nothing but its nemesis, the Yellow Bird, can destroy it. We must retreat at once."
Bi Yao stepped back two paces, then suddenly turned her head and said: "But that one——"
The masked woman kept shaking her head. "That's too many—hurry up and leave."
Biyao was still hesitating, yet Zhang Fan and Lu Xueqi — standing at the water's edge, their clothes soaked through by the crashing waves — had in that very instant nearly forgotten to breathe.
As they drew closer, the two could see clearly that those two enormous lanterns — nearly two men tall — were in fact a pair of gigantic eyes. Ever since entering the Ancient Ten-Thousand Bat Grotto, Zhang Fan had encountered one strange, colossal eye after another: from the aged and great Scarlet Demon Eye to the massive eye of the pig-headed demon beast. Yet every last one of them, compared to this pair before him now, was like a mustard seed set against Mount Sumeru.
The sea wind swept in fast and full against the face, carrying with it not the faint tang of salt one might expect, but a suffocating stench of blood and rot that drove straight into the nostrils.
An immense black serpent materialized slowly before them. Its lower half lay coiled with its body submerged in the seawater, and the entire crowd together was not even a third the girth of that titanic frame. Yet even the upper half of the Black Water Mystic Serpent's body and its head, rearing upright into the air, already towered dozens of zhang above the ground. Its eyes, suffused with a faint, eerie green radiance, now gazed down from above upon the group of people below — who were no more to it than a trail of ants.
Zhang Fan had never known that creatures of such immense size could exist in this world. He had once believed that the Water Qilin — the revered spiritual beast atop Qingyun Mountain's Connecting Peak — was the largest spiritual beast beneath the heavens. Yet compared to the Black Water Serpent now before him, the Water Qilin was, in sheer size, no different from a dog.
Not to mention him — even Lu Xueqi at his side, and Biyao of the Demonic Sect and the others, had never once laid eyes on so colossal a beast. For a moment they all stood rooted to the spot, utterly unable to make a sound.
Note 1: *Classic of Mountains and Seas, Great Wilderness South Classic*: South of the Black Water, there dwells a dark serpent that feeds upon elk. There is Wu Mountain, to whose west dwell yellow birds. The Emperor's medicines; eight sacred precincts. The yellow birds at Wu Mountain stand watch over this dark serpent.
Further annotation — *Divine and Demonic Beasts*: Black Water Serpent (*Xuanshe*): A colossal snake, black of body, white of belly, and green of eye. Its girth exceeds four *zhang* and its length surpasses one hundred *zhang*. It feeds upon immortal herbs and does not perish, its lifespan extending beyond ten thousand years. It dwells in the great marshlands of the west, though some accounts hold that it makes its home in the sea.