Chapter 118: A Real Water Monster

The buoyancy of the water intensified, and the air bubbles no longer sank on their own. Tang Wei had to channel all her spiritual energy, striving to counter the buoyancy as she slowly descended into the depths. After an indeterminate amount of time, she finally reached the bottom. Recalling the cave entrance Ouyang Qihua had mentioned, Tang Wei scanned the area with her spiritual sense. Perhaps due to the immense underwater pressure, her perception—usually unfailing on land—was restricted to a mere ten meters. With no other choice, she directed the air bubbles to drift laterally using her spiritual power. After a grueling effort, she finally discovered the faint outline of a cave in the northernmost corner.

Having heard that the ancestors of the Four Great Families and the Four Great Sects had been torn to pieces by the barrier here, Tang Wei dared not be careless. She moved forward with extreme caution, sensing the dense spiritual energy radiating from the cave mouth. Her spiritual sense, however, could not penetrate the interior; it seemed the barrier was also capable of repelling such probing.

Since the barrier could block her spiritual sense, finding its exact location became simpler. Tang Wei slowly swept her perception inward from where she stood. Finally, less than a meter from the cave entrance, she detected an obstruction preventing her sense from advancing further. Realizing this was the barrier, and having come this far, she knew she had to investigate. Her focus sharpened to a razor's edge, her body poised for an immediate escape, yet she continued to inch forward. When she sensed the barrier directly in front of her, she stopped and reached out tentatively. Her hand met something that felt like transparent glass—invisible, yet tangible. Contrary to Ouyang Qihua’s warnings, it did not unleash a soul-shattering rebound; it merely stopped her progress.

Recalling the intelligence left by the Ouyang ancestors, she knew this barrier existed solely to block cultivators below the Golden Core stage. Since she was already a Golden Core cultivator, she should be able to pass. Channeling her spiritual power to its limit, she leaned forward gently. To her surprise, she passed through with ease, feeling no resistance at all.

Behind the barrier, there was no water. It seemed the ancient cultivators of China truly possessed remarkable skills. Before Tang Wei could examine the interior, her thoughts were interrupted by a voice: "To think that someone in modern China has actually reached the Golden Core stage!" As the voice faded, Tang Wei felt a powerful spiritual sense lock onto her, followed by an astonished exclamation: "How is this possible? Little girl, are you not even a hundred years old?"

Knowing she had encountered a master, Tang Wei replied respectfully, "Indeed, Senior. I am not yet forty; strictly speaking, I am thirty-four this year."

At her words, a figure lunged out. Suddenly, a head larger than her entire body appeared before her, startling her into stepping back. She looked closely and thought, *My god! What on earth are you?* If it were a snake, it had two legs; if it were a dragon, it lacked scales. Its massive head blocked half the cave entrance, and two long whiskers trailed to the floor. Tang Wei could not yet discern the full length of its body.

The creature spoke urgently: "How did you reach the Golden Core stage in only thirty-four years? I recall that the spiritual energy on Earth is no longer suitable for cultivation."

Though initially terrified, Tang Wei quickly regained her composure. Knowing she could not speak of Zi Xuan, she offered a half-truth: "My master invented a formation that can convert harmful substances in the air into spiritual energy, so we are unaffected by the lack of ambient essence."

"To think such a talented person exists! Little girl, who is your master? Are they from the Four Great Families or the Four Great Sects?"

"Um, Senior... I am not sure how I should address you?" Tang Wei deflected the question, secretly hoping to uncover the creature's identity. She also wondered why it was so intent on knowing her lineage. Could it be that the ancestors had left behind secret orders permitting only the heirs of the Four Great Families and the Four Great Sects to pass? The Eight Great Families were already so cunning; surely these ancient monsters were even more so. *Caution is the better part of valor,* she thought. As it turned out, Tang Wei was right; her rare moment of cleverness had likely saved her life.

"Hmph! I am a descendant of the Black Dragon. You may call me Senior Black Dragon." The creature seemed pleased by her respect, and its tone became noticeably friendlier.

"Senior Black Dragon, why do you live here? I recall this is the teleportation array to the cultivation world left by our ancestors!" Tang Wei pouted inwardly. *A descendant of the Black Dragon? If you were truly that powerful, you wouldn't be stuck here guarding this array for those old monsters.* Even someone as unthinking as she could see the logic. Still, she remained wary of why such a powerful entity would be left to guard the entrance. She decided against revealing her background. Perhaps influenced by Zi Xuan, her mind felt sharper, and she continued to probe for information.

"You... wait, little one, you still haven't told me which family you belong to!" The Black Dragon hadn't had to think much in a thousand years, but it wasn't dim-witted; it realized the girl hadn't identified herself yet and shouldn't be told the secrets of the place.

Tang Wei felt a spike of anxiety. *So close!* But she remained calm, feigning curiosity. "Senior Black Dragon, why must you ask which family I represent? Is it possible that only one of our Eight Families is permitted to pass?" It seemed one had to be shrewd to survive in this society. Following Zi Xuan had made her seem slow for a while, but her mind had opened up within days. She now knew how to imply she was one of the Eight Families without specifying which. And truly, was she not? The Shi and Ouyang families were practically under the Tang banner anyway.

To cut off its line of questioning, Tang Wei took out the medicinal soup she hadn't finished earlier. "Oh, by the way, Senior Black Dragon, you have been here for a thousand years; you must have missed the food of the mortal realm. I happened to bring some in my storage space. A small token of respect—would you like to try it?" She thought to herself, *Once you’ve eaten my food, you won't have the nerve to keep pestering me. As for why you are guarding this place, I don't care to know yet. When my cultivation is higher, I'll ask whatever I want. For now, my life is what matters most!*

The Black Dragon had initially been dismissive, having spent thousands of years in the mortal realm. But when the rich, spiritual aroma of the milky-white soup reached its nostrils, it began to drool. It figured it had simply been too long since it tasted human food.

To maintain its air of superiority, the Black Dragon said, "Hmph! A respectful little girl, knowing to offer the best to her elders. I shall make an exception and accept your offering." In truth, the portion was barely enough to fill a gap in its teeth, but the tantalizing aroma was irresistible.

As it took the soup, the Black Dragon felt a surge of energy upon smelling it. It took a tentative sip, and the liquid, flowing down its throat, sent a wave of potent spiritual energy directly into its dantian. It had not felt such a sensation in ages. It let out a cry of excitement, startling Tang Wei, who retreated a few steps. The dragon shot her a disdainful look, then downed the rest of the soup. Realizing it was gone, it sighed with regret: "Little girl, this is good stuff, but there is far too little! Do you have more? Leave some for your Senior Black Dragon."

Tang Wei feigned excitement. "Senior, have you realized that this soup can increase one's cultivation? I told you! How could my medicinal soup be ineffective?"

The Black Dragon’s eyes lit up. "Little girl, did you brew this yourself? Excellent! Quickly, brew a large pot for your Senior Black Dragon!"

"This... um... that might be difficult," Tang Wei said, stalling to pique its interest further.

The Black Dragon fell for it. "What? Is it so hard to brew a pot of soup to honor your senior?"

"Senior, you misunderstand. It is not that I am unwilling, but the ingredients are incredibly rare. They contain..." Tang Wei listed several of the most precious medicinal herbs, which were indeed impossible to find on Earth today. "I dare not hide the truth from you, Senior. I spent a long time in China collecting these just to brew this one pot. I haven't even had the heart to drink it all myself; I was hoping to find more in the cultivation world. If you trust me, I will brew more for you the moment I gather the ingredients. I intend to return anyway, and if you like it, I shall surely bring back more for you to enjoy!"

*Keep spinning those tales, Tang Wei,* she thought. *Let's see if you can fool this so-called Black Dragon.*