Chapter 284 — The Changing World

"Elder, we would like to go into the pool and take a look. " "You may be giants, but you must still be careful.

This pool is unfathomably deep. It has drowned I know not how many of my children.

" The yellow spirit old woman hastily called for someone.

"I will have them prepare a long vine. Tie it to yourselves and go down; if you cannot hold your breath, follow the vine back up.

" "No need. " Shen Mu drew a long breath.

The wind howled around him as he drew an unknowable amount of air into his chest, and then he leaped into the pool. Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang hastily drew breath as well and jumped in after him. The three of them each roused their arts.

Ling Yuxiu cultivated the Nine Dragons Emperor Art, and her body swam like a flood dragon; Si Yunxiang roused the Creation Heaven God Art, and she darted through the water like a fish, swimming toward the bottom.

The pool was truly bottomless. They dove for a long while, and the surroundings grew darker and darker, yet still they did not reach the bottom, and the pressure grew greater and greater. Suddenly light appeared ahead. The walls of the deep pool gradually widened, and on the stone walls hung night pearls the size of baskets, giving off a faint, ghostly glow.

"Bigger than the night pearls in the imperial palace! " Ling Yuxiu exclaimed in surprise. The further ahead they went, the more night pearls there were. They dove several hundred zhang more, and the pressure felt heavy enough to crush their lungs.

Their eyes grew bloodshot, their eardrums rang, and to dive further would surely risk their lives. Shen Mu was about to call the two women back and return the way they had come, when at that very moment they saw a great cauldron.

The deep pool had finally reached its bottom. At the bottom of the deep pool sat a great cauldron, over ten zhang in length and breadth, immense in size. A faint current of water welled up from within it.

Yet all around the great cauldron was empty and void—no water at all.

Instead there was air, and it was bright as day. Shen Mu swam forward, passing through the curtain of water, and his body immediately plunged downward. He hastily planted both feet on the ground. Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang also swam out from the water and landed on the ground, their bodies dripping wet. Shen Mu glanced at them. Si Yunxiang hastily wrapped her arms around her chest—but Ling Yuxiu seemed oblivious.

Si Yunxiang hurriedly nudged her with her shoulder and whispered, "He's looking at you!

" Only then did Ling Yuxiu realize. She hastily turned her back and used her yuan qi to shake the water from her body. Shen Mu withdrew his gaze and thought to himself, "It's not as if I haven't seen it before. Last time when she was sleeping at my place, I saw it.

Her chest muscles being bigger and whiter than mine is nothing remarkable—her strength is no match for mine. " The three of them dried their clothes and looked around.

This place must be the seafloor. Outside was the dark, sunken seawater, and they could see chimneys on the seafloor belching black smoke, occasionally spouting a jet of lava.

Now and then strange sea creatures, drawn by the light here, swam over, revealing enormous bodies—monsters of unknown kind. Before them stood rows of ornamental columns, giving off a serene radiance. Further ahead they could see a vast expanse of white mist, and dimly, enormous palaces appeared within it.

Beneath their feet was white marble, laid out smooth and level.

Rubble was scattered all around. Behind them, around the great cauldron, there were still some pillars—the ruins, surely, of a great hall. The water rose from the great cauldron without joining the seawater. The yellow spirits of the island had drunk the water welling up from this cauldron, and thus awakened their sentience and became spirits.

"I have seen a place like this before. " Shen Mu's heart trembled slightly. "In the Wilderness there is the Yong River Dragon Palace. Its layout is much the same as this, though smaller. That is the dwelling place of the Yong River Dragon Emperor, where the Dragon King governs the Yong River. " "Could this be a dragon palace too?

" Si Yunxiang was somewhat excited. "It is not a dragon palace. " Ling Yuxiu shivered and lowered her voice.

"I do not sense the aura of a dragon. On the contrary, I sense an aura deeply hostile to dragons.

. .

There may be a god here! " "Even if there is a god, it is a dead god. " Shen Mu stepped forward and swept his sleeve.

Countless pieces of rubble flew up and fell to one side, revealing a toppled stone stele.

The writing on the stele was very ancient, and it read: "Qushan Divine Temple. " "The Qushan God? " Shen Mu frowned. "Is there a mountain god at the bottom of the sea?

" Si Yunxiang shook her head.

"There cannot be a mountain god at the bottom of the sea—unless this place was once land.

. . "