Having fled the area devastated by the tsunami, Jiang Wang still felt a lingering dread.

Fortuitously, he was with Zuo Guangshu. Fortuitously, Guangshu’s mastery of water had reached a sublime level, nigh on the apex achievable at his current cultivation realm, and he possessed the formidable River God Divine Ability, a power of the highest echelon in controlling water. Without these boons, Jiang Wang truly would have found himself in dire straits. The Weng Fish, driven solely by instinct, had summoned forth a deluge, yet in the boundless expanse of the ocean, it manifested a force akin to terrifying heavenly might. Amidst such an all-encompassing tsunami, despite his myriad lethal techniques, Jiang Wang found himself with scant means to counter it.

His only recourse would have been to forcefully carve a path with the Buzhou Wind and charge ahead with the Tianfu State’s surging power. If he had charged in the right direction, perhaps it would have been well and good. However, if he had become lost and aimlessly drifted within the turbulent waters of the rampant sea domain, he feared he would have been utterly exhausted to death. And getting lost was a highly probable outcome. In the face of such terrifying heavenly might, contacting the Starlight Holy Tower, which stood distant in the starry sky, was exceedingly difficult. A single lapse in concentration would lead to a loss of direction.

However, Zuo Guangshu, having manifested the River God’s body, had no such worries. So long as he was within the water, the water would provide him with answers. Even if Zuo Guangshu had been in the Divine Arrival Realm that day, blooming the fruits of the River God Divine Ability, such a massive flood would not have occurred.

*Hua la la!*

When the wind calmed and the waves subsided, the entire River God Divine Chariot reverted to water, sinking back into the sea. The Li Dragon that pulled the chariot vanished alongside it. Zuo Guangshu also dissolved his River God body; his battle armor and cloak had long since dispersed. Only his temple hair remained damp, sticking to his face, leaving him looking utterly spent.

Although Jiang Wang hadn’t truly exerted himself, focusing solely on observing his surroundings, having traversed the tsunami left him inevitably disheveled. The two brothers exchanged glances and burst into laughter. Before entering the Mountain Sea Realm, one had declared his intention to maintain the Wu Yu Yan Armor throughout, always in his peak state, while the other had vowed to sweep through the Mountain Sea Realm… They had barely entered and were immediately given a humbling lesson, thoroughly taught by the strange beasts within the Mountain Sea Realm. Zuo Guangshu no longer had the energy to don the Wu Yu Yan Armor, and Jiang Wang was likewise devoid of any sharpness or edge.

“Being human still requires a low profile, ah!” Jiang Wang sighed deeply.

Zuo Guangshu directly sat down cross-legged on the water’s surface and began adjusting his breath, weakly stating, “Jiang Big Brother, I’ve always been very low-key. It was you who said you wanted to sweep through the Mountain Sea Realm…”

Jiang Wang stretched out a finger and drew a circle of fire on the sea surface with his Samadhi True Fire, encompassing both himself and Zuo Guangshu within it. “You should adjust properly first, no need for idle chatter!”

This circle of fire served as both a warning and a deterrent. At this moment, Zuo Guangshu, having dissolved his River God body, had his temple hair soaked with water vapor, and his magnificent blue robe clung to his body, making him appear even thinner. Coupled with the slight injury he had sustained earlier, his complexion was inevitably pale. While describing a male as “delicate and pitiful” might not be appropriate, there were truly no more fitting words to describe him at that moment.

Jiang Wang, on the other hand, remained in a complete state, quite leisurely pondering the situation. If viewed from high above, this scene and situation would surely enter a painting. Taking the azure blue, mirror-like sea surface as the canvas, a circle of fire lines formed a striking vista within the painting scroll. Red flames burned upon the azure sea. Within the vibrant flames, one person in a green shirt fluttered, his temperament calm, standing gracefully; the other in a blue robe, handsome and bright, sat in concentrated meditation… The picture was unexpectedly harmonious. It would have been even better if they weren’t speaking.

After “escaping disaster” to this point, Jiang Wang repeatedly pondered. At this moment, he suddenly remembered why he had said the “Mountain Sea Strange Beast Records” sounded familiar to Zuo Guangshu. General Xiu Yuan Xiu Da of the Prison Lightning Army had specifically instructed him to find time to read a book called “Strange Beast Records,” saying it was a basic reading material at Jixia Academy and could enhance his understanding of this world. He had originally planned to do so, but Feng Gu’s sudden death entangled him in that terrifying vortex, and for a time, he couldn’t remember anything else. Later, when he remembered again… the storage box containing the “Shi Knife Chiseled Sea” had already been opened. All were ill fates.

“Little Guangshu.” Jiang Wang asked directly, “What is the difference between the ‘Mountain Sea Strange Beast Records’ you mentioned and the ‘Strange Beast Records’?” To save face in front of his younger brother, he added, “It’s just that ‘Strange Beast Records’ that recorded the Negative Rain Bird.”

Zuo Guangshu, while adjusting his breath, casually said, “‘Strange Beast Records’ can be considered enlightenment reading material. ‘Mountain Sea Strange Beast Records’ is more complex. Its full name should be ‘Mountain, Sea, and Strange Beast,’ recording many things, and it is also very ancient.”

Jixia Academy’s basic reading material became enlightenment reading material here with the Little Duke Zuo! And Noble Lord Jiang had only heard of it, never even glanced at a single page… Of course, with the profound foundation of Huai State Duke Manor, the knowledge Zuo Guangshu had access to from a young age was definitely not ordinary, and indeed, one couldn’t compare.

“Cough, wait until I return to Qi State, I’ll also find it and read it.” Big Brother Jiang said very studiously, “Actually, I often read books, but my affairs are really busy, sometimes too busy to manage.”

Zuo Guangshu, on the contrary, didn’t doubt him, just casually said, “It should be very difficult to obtain in Qi State. This book is quite ancient. Later, I will send you a set. Before entering the Mountain Sea Realm, I should have let you read through it, but there wasn’t enough time. Anyway, I’ve already read it, so it’s better to simply focus on cultivation and preparing for battle.”

Qi State had just recently dominated the Eastern Domain, and its historical foundation was definitely not as deep as Chu State’s. This was reflected in many aspects, and ancient books were just one of them. Jiang Wang, of course, didn’t mind, but another word caught his attention: “A set?”

“Yes, ah, Mountain Classic, Sea Classic, Great Wasteland Classic, Strange Beast Classic… Collectively called the Mountain Sea Strange Beast Records.” Zuo Guangshu casually said, “Each classic is further subdivided. It’s hard to explain in a few words. You’ll know when you read it later.”

One or two books were still acceptable, but a set…

“You said we were in the Yang Water earlier, where should we be now?” Jiang Wang asked in a serious tone. He stared at Zuo Guangshu, his eyes filled with a critical gaze. The current urgent matter still lay in the situation within the Mountain Sea Realm, in how to seize the Nine Phoenix Chapter… Where was there leisure for idle chatter? Young people’s words were truly excessive, the conversation drifting further and further!

Zuo Guangshu didn’t detect Big Brother Jiang’s critical gaze, shaking his head: “I don’t know either. Positioning within the Mountain Sea Realm is very difficult to ascertain. Only when we see definite landmarks, or encounter strange beasts with extremely strong territorial consciousness like the Weng Fish, can we know where we have arrived…”

“Then do you know where to find the Nine Phoenix Chapter?” Jiang Wang asked again.

“Whether the Nine Phoenix Chapter will appear this time is still up in the air,” Zuo Guangshu said. “But I know where the Nine Phoenix is. According to the ‘Mountain Sea Strange Beast Records,’ it should be in the North Pole Heaven Cabinet Mountain. That place is also very dangerous. Besides the Nine Phoenix, there is also a god with a tiger’s head, human body, and four hooves holding a snake in the mountain, named Qiang Liang… But my grandfather has made some preparations for me.”

Jiang Wang knew of the North Pole Heaven Cabinet Mountain. Xiang Bei had an extremely strong defensive Dao technique with the same name, which he personally broke at the Guan He Platform.

“Is the Nine Phoenix Chapter related to the Nine Phoenix?” Jiang Wang asked. He didn’t know how strong that Nine Phoenix was, but if the existences within the Mountain Sea Realm were all as strong as that Weng Fish, they would indeed be very hard-pressed to achieve anything. Perhaps they could truly only rely on the means of Huai State Duke.

“It should be related, they both have Nine Phoenix in the name, right?” Zuo Guangshu said. “But actually, I’m not certain either.”

Jiang Wang was thoughtful: “Is this Mountain Sea Realm constructed according to the ‘Mountain Sea Strange Beast Records’? Then what we see and experience, is it real or fake?”

Zuo Guangshu thought for a while and shook his head very seriously: “I can’t distinguish clearly. Jiang Big Brother, can you distinguish clearly?”

“If I could distinguish clearly, I wouldn’t be asking you,” Jiang Wang said. The Mountain Sea Realm was too fantastical, too magnificent, simply like a place where all imagination was piled up and realized, and it didn’t seem like a truly existing world. But the people here, what they saw, heard, smelled, and felt, all of it was real… It was clearly a real world! Did this world truly have a world named “Mountain Sea Realm,” and was the Nine Chapter Jade Bi merely the key to shuttling between two worlds? Or was it to say, the mountains and seas were all empty? When the true is mistaken for the false, the false becomes true, and when the false is mistaken for the true, the true becomes false.

What kind of person was Huang Wei Zhen, exactly? The more he understood, the more mysterious he felt the man was. The more he experienced within the Mountain Sea Realm, the more he felt this person was vast and immeasurable. Jiang Wang couldn’t help but ask this question aloud.

After thinking, Zuo Guangshu said, “Actually, to us Chu people, Huang Wei Zhen is also a mystery. After all, he has been dead for nine hundred years, and the truth of history always withers constantly within time. Today, we know a part of his achievements, know his legends, but cannot know all of his past.”

“Nine hundred years ago, he suddenly died, and until now, many theories are still spread. Conspiracy theories exist, tragedy theories exist, but all lack evidence. Perhaps the most convincing one is that he made a desperate gamble, attempting to impact the realm above the Transcendent Apex, and unfortunately failed.”

“As for the origin of the Mountain Sea Realm, there are also two theories. One is that Huang Wei Zhen left a key after his death, connecting the mysterious Mountain Sea Realm. The other is that Huang Wei Zhen exhausted his remaining power at the time of his death to create the Mountain Sea Realm. And both of these theories have many believers.”

Truly strange and bizarre. Even the people of Chu country couldn’t determine what kind of place the Mountain Sea Realm was. Perhaps it was because cultivators above the Divine Arrival Realm couldn’t enter, and cultivators below the Divine Arrival level lacked the ability to peek at the truth…

While speaking, Zuo Guangshu stood up, his divine light radiant.

“Adjusted well?” Jiang Wang asked.

“Almost, I just needed to replenish some power,” Zuo Guangshu said, activating the Wu Yu Yan Armor, suspending within a light blue mist. Jiang Wang was also wrapped in a fiery red mist. Just looking at their appearance, these two people were truly imposing. Saying they were the “strongest combination in the Mountain Sea Realm” wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

“Which direction should we go next?” Noble Lord Jiang naturally put down his battle-hardened dignity and handed over the power to lead – who told him not to read the “Mountain Sea Strange Beast Records”? Who knew that Zuo Guangshu was also very hesitant: “North Pole Heaven Cabinet Mountain, should be in the north, right? Looking at the name, the extreme north?”

“Haven’t you read the ‘Mountain Sea Strange Beast Records’ thoroughly?” Jiang Wang asked angrily.

Zuo Guangshu had an innocent look on his face: “The records in the ‘Mountain Sea Strange Beast Records’ are very simple, ah. It only says ‘there is a mountain, named North Pole Heaven Cabinet Mountain,’ there is no other account.”

“Then take out your grandfather’s prepared means, ah,” Jiang Wang said in a heavy tone: “Although I am the same as you, I don’t want to rely on elders… But things have come to this point, we have no other choice.”

Zuo Guangshu shook his head: “Grandfather only prepared means to interfere with Qiang Liang, he didn’t manage anything else. This time, all the preparations for the Mountain Sea Realm were done by myself. The Mountain Sea Purgatory was also intelligence I collected myself and had people build.”

Jiang Wang was silent.

“North Pole Heaven Cabinet Mountain, should be at the north end, right?” Zuo Guangshu tentatively asked again.

“Should be, right.” Jiang Wang was even more hesitant.

“It’s just the north side!” Zuo Guangshu forcefully nodded, as if affirming himself, and also as if giving Jiang Wang confidence.

“Then the problem comes.” Jiang Wang pointed to the sky: “There is no great sun in the sky, which side is north?”

Zuo Guangshu was silent for a while, looked at Jiang Wang, and said, “Jiang Big Brother, you are an Outer Tower Realm cultivator.”

Jiang Wang was also silent for a while.

After silently connecting to the Starlight Holy Tower for a while, he opened his mouth and said, “I can still connect to the power of the Star Tower, but I cannot determine the position of the Star Tower. Perhaps because of the relationship with the Mountain Sea Realm…”

Zuo Guangshu thought for a bit and said, “You said that after entering night, you can respond to the Star Tower again. Can’t you see your starlight in the night sky? That way we can determine the position.”

Jiang Wang had originally wanted to say, my Star Tower is incomparably brilliant, even the scorching sun cannot cover its glory. But then he thought, perhaps the starlight within the Mountain Sea Realm was just relatively dim. Then it might indeed be possible to see the starlight clearly at night.

“Perhaps, right.” He had to say so. Suddenly, he had no confidence in this trip to the Mountain Sea Realm… Little Guangshu was still too young, ah. Before entering the Mountain Sea Realm, they practiced seven and eight, this purgatory and that purgatory, how could they not practice how to determine their position within the Mountain Sea Realm!?

“Then we wait until evening…”

Zuo Guangshu’s words were half-spoken when, without warning, the sky suddenly darkened. It wasn’t the kind of darkness caused by the tsunami brought by the Weng Fish, but the pitch blackness of night descending, devoid of light. It was the celestial phenomenon of day and night alternating. Of course, this wouldn’t affect the mutual vision of two transcendent cultivators.

Zuo Guangshu cast an encouraging glance – try it?

Jiang Wang thus tried. He exerted his full strength to respond to his first Star Tower, and could even vaguely hear the sound of the chains on the base of the Star Tower, where that old dragon was. The sky was still black, with nothing there. He could feel his Star Tower and connect to the power coming from it, but he just couldn’t see his own starlight in the sky of this Mountain Sea Realm, and couldn’t distinguish the direction.

“Jiang Big Brother, what do you see there? Is that not your Star Tower?” Zuo Guangshu suddenly lifted his finger and asked.

Jiang Wang followed the direction of his finger and looked, only to see a point of bright light flickering in the sky.

“No…”

*Hong long long!*

A world-shaking thunder sound cut off his words. Immediately after, that point of bright light in the sky transformed into a huge lightning bolt, spanning the long sky. Jiang Wang exhausted the power of his Qian Yang Pupil and saw a cyan-colored, hornless, single-footed cow in the high sky very far away, its body shining with light like the sun and moon. It was driving violent lightning and flying near at an extremely terrifying speed. Terrifying electric light emitted from its body, spreading across the entire sky. In the long night, it flashed out a short, temporary daylight. And every time it let out a roar, it was followed by startling thunder rolling. A giant sound that shook heaven and earth.

Jiang Wang and Zuo Guangshu silently retracted the striking mists that covered their bodies. Hiding in the water definitely wouldn’t work with this kind of lightning-driving strange beast. What if it, like that Weng Fish, casually entered for food? A casual strike of lightning could cover the water domain, leaving people nowhere to hide. But the sea surface was boundless at a glance, and there was indeed no place to hide.

Jiang Wang shook out a hidden cloak with a backhand, draped it over Zuo Guangshu’s body, and then placed the red makeup mirror in his palm: “Hold it tightly, don’t move.” Then he hid himself inside the red makeup mirror. This set of actions was as smooth as flowing water.

*Hong long long!*

The sound of thunder approached. *Hua la la*, in a moment, heavy rain poured down. Zuo Guangshu, draped in the hidden cloak and holding the red makeup mirror, stood silently in the rain. He felt a bit lonely. A bit helpless. Honestly speaking, he already knew the environment of the Mountain Sea Realm was dangerous, but he truly didn’t think it would be so dangerous. Wasn’t the Mountain Sea Realm infinitely vast? Wasn’t the land vast and the beasts sparse? The people who entered before seemed to have a hard time encountering just one strange beast. How is it that they encountered them one after another, again and again? Grievance, tension, not daring to move.

Jiang Wang hid inside the red makeup mirror, not even daring to directly use the red makeup mirror to observe that lightning strange beast, only letting his gaze fall on the electric light behind that strange beast. He waited patiently for a good while, seeing that the electric light went far away, then leaped out from inside the red makeup mirror. The hidden cloak’s role was already very limited for strong cultivators at the Divine Arrival level. But this lightning-driving strange beast hadn’t come specifically for Jiang Wang and Zuo Guangshu, so it just flew past quickly, not paying much attention.

Zuo Guangshu hadn’t dared to approach and observe the Kui Niu for the first time, fearing it would detect him. At this moment, he turned back to look, but couldn’t even see the electric light and couldn’t help but ask: “Already gone?”

Jiang Wang opened his Voice-Hearing Immortal State again, listened quietly for a while, then said: “Should be gone, the residual sounds are already very far away. What is the origin of this big guy? It feels much stronger than the Weng Fish, ah…”

Zuo Guangshu returned both the hidden cloak and the red makeup mirror to Jiang Wang, also with lingering fear: “This is a Kui Niu, it should live on Liu Bo Mountain. But this time it’s flying in the air, so I don’t know where it’s going.”

“We don’t care where it goes,” Jiang Wang sighed, “The problem is where we should go now…”

Zuo Guangshu thought for a bit and said, “Jiang Big Brother, you are rich in experience and have seen a lot. Look at the current situation…”

Jiang Wang said, “You have read a lot of books.”

Zuo Guangshu said, “Jiang Big Brother, your cultivation is profound and your strength is powerful.”

Jiang Wang said, “You have read a lot of books.”

Zuo Guangshu: “You are the big brother, I, as the younger brother, still need to rely on you.”

Jiang Wang said, “You have read a lot of books.”

Zuo Guangshu: …

“How about we just walk casually, while walking we look, and decide based on the situation?”

“That’s exactly what I intended!”

Recommend a doujin song, search for “Red Maple Song” on Bilibili. You must listen to the White Bone No Life Song part, that part truly struck me.