Qin Mu picked up this yellow essence root and examined it from every angle. Other yellow essence roots poked their heads out from beneath leaves, from within grass clumps, from crevices in rocks, and from under the sand. Seeing the giant holding their companion aloft, they cried out in alarm, then with zero sense of loyalty dove even deeper into hiding.
Qin Mu studied the creature carefully. He could see that its two legs were formed from many rootlets twisted together, a skirt woven from grass wrapped around its waist, and a beard resembling rootlets growing on its face.
In its hand it still clutched a spear fashioned from bamboo twigs. The spearhead gleamed bright white, made of some peculiar metal. Qin Mu was taken aback and pinched this tiny, needle-sized spear to examine the metal of the blade more closely.
He could not tell what metal had been used to forge it. What was strange, however, was that the metal bore traces left behind by runic inscriptions. Judging by the yellow essence root's attire and equipment, it was impossible that they could be proficient in runic arts or anything of the sort.
So where had the metal on the spear come from?
Perhaps it had woken up, for the yellow essence root was trembling violently. Suddenly a green leaf bud popped out from the top of its head with a soft *plop*. It was far too nervous, and the leaf bud was growing rapidly.
Qin Mu chuckled. "Stop playing dead. I'm not going to eat you. I just have some questions."
The yellow essence root mustered its courage and opened its eyes. Seeing Qin Mu's smiling face, his teeth gleaming brightly, it let out a resentful shriek and fainted dead away.
From across the island came a roar of battle cries. Another hundred or so yellow essence roots came charging over with fierce momentum, clearly a rescue force. But the moment they saw Qin Mu pinching their companion, they immediately wheeled around and fled at full speed.
Qin Mu was stunned. He shook his head. "Zero sense of loyalty..."
He flicked the leaf on the forehead of the yellow essence root in his hand. It came to once more. Qin Mu released his grip, and his qi lifted the creature up, letting it float before the three of them. "Stop playing dead. If you play dead again, you really will die. I'm asking you — why are there so many yellow essence roots on this island?"
The yellow essence root answered in a trembling voice, "I don't know. You'd have to ask the ancestor!"
Qin Mu frowned. "Where did your spears come from?"
"I don't know. You'd have to ask the ancestor."
Qin Mu sighed and set it down. "Lead us to your ancestor."
The yellow essence root landed on the ground and began walking toward the center of the island. A small head poked out from a nearby clump of grass and shouted furiously, "Traitor!"
Qin Mu reached out and grabbed the yellow essence root from the grass as well. "You can guide us too. Take us to your ancestor."
This one immediately wilted, slumping in dejection as it became a traitor alongside its companion. The first traitor, meanwhile, suddenly looked quite pleased with itself, as though being the first to surrender was something to be proud of.
"There are too many yellow essence roots on this island."
Si Yunxiang was astonished. They had only realized the strangeness of the place once they reached the island's interior. Trees throughout the area bore small houses hanging from their branches, roughly the size of bird nests, woven from green vines into the shape of houses and hung beneath the branches. From a distance, they looked like large green apples.
As they walked closer, the doors of these tree-houses opened. Many yellow essence roots stood behind the doors, peeking out and observing with curiosity, forming an extraordinary world among the treetops.
On the ground, many more yellow essence roots had built houses from small stones, forming a city. But even this city was no more than a single acre in size.
The two yellow essence roots trudged into the listless city. The yellow essence root soldiers guarding the gate stared dumbfounded at Qin Mu and his two giant companions, too shocked to speak, let alone mount any resistance.
"There must be tens of thousands of yellow essence roots here!"
Si Yunxiang was deeply shaken. She whispered, "Cult Master, if we could capture all these yellow essence roots and sell them, we'd be rich beyond the wealth of nations!"
Qin Mu stopped outside the city and did not enter. He shook his head. "Why would we do that?"
Si Yunxiang was puzzled. "The strong prey upon the weak. Isn't that the rule of the Great Ruins?"
"Holy Maiden, the survival of the fittest in the Great Ruins is not quite what you imagine."
Qin Mu explained, "The exotic beasts in the Great Ruins do hunt and consume the weaker among them, but once they are full, they will not carry out unnecessary slaughter. That is survival of the fittest — it does not mean everything weaker must be killed and devoured. These yellow essence roots are sentient beings with intelligence. They have even built their own civilization and kingdom. When we come upon their territory, it is an exchange between civilized beings and civilized beings. What kind of civilization launches an extermination of another's nation and race upon first arrival?"
Si Yunxiang fell into thought.
Before long, many yellow essence roots escorted a carriage out of a resplendent mansion in the city. It came to a stop before the city gates. Seated atop the carriage was a white-haired, white-headed old woman who rose unsteadily to offer a bow. "It has been a long time since we have seen outsiders. The little ones were a bit flustered. This old woman offers her greetings."
"Elder, you are too polite."
Qin Mu returned the bow with full courtesy. "My humble sister and I were merely passing through your fine land. We have disturbed your people, and I ask your forgiveness."
Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang saw that this yellow essence root old woman was barely a foot tall, pitifully small, yet Qin Mu observed every propriety without the slightest slowness of courtesy. They had to stifle their laughter. Still, the two women also followed proper etiquette and bowed.
The yellow essence root old woman said, "My humble home is far too small to accommodate the frames of three giants. I cannot invite you inside, and I must ask your pardon. You three are merely passing through?"
Qin Mu smiled. "We are passing through and wished to rest a while. We noticed something rather unique about your nation and so we intruded. May I ask, Elder, why are there so many yellow essence roots here?"
The old woman smiled. "It should be a matter of the soil and water. When I first woke up, I was beside a spring. Suddenly I gained sentience, and from me many branches grew, until my children grew ever more numerous."
"A spring?"
Qin Mu was surprised. "Could the Elder lead us to see it?"
The yellow essence root old woman laughed. "There is no reason you cannot." She ordered the others to drive the carriage out of the city, and led them to a spirit spring in the heart of the island. The spring was not large — merely a deep pool of six or seven zhang in diameter — but its bottom was unfathomable. Many yellow essence roots came here to draw water, yet no matter how much was taken, the water level in the pool never diminished.
Qin Mu took a small amount of the spring water and opened his Shenxiao Heavenly Eye to examine it. His expression grew grave. He could see that the spring water contained a strange and extraordinary power.
The yellow essence roots on the island must have been drinking this water for years, which was why they had become spirits. Moreover, their bodies bore no demonic energy whatsoever.
"This spring is no ordinary thing." Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang could also see that something was extraordinary about it, and exchanged a glance.
Qin Mu rose and said, "I noticed that your weapons are rather unique. May I ask where they came from?"
The yellow essence root old woman replied, "The children found those things. They washed out from the spring."
"Washed out from the spring?"
Qin Mu regarded the deep pool. He was silent for a moment. "Elder, we would like to enter the pool to have a look."
"Even though you are giants, you should still be careful. This pool is bottomless. I have lost more children to it than I can count."
The old woman quickly called for people. "I will have them bring a long vine. Tie it around your bodies and go down. If you cannot hold your breath any longer, follow the vine back up."
"That won't be necessary."
Qin Mu took a long, deep breath. All around him, howling winds rose as countless volumes of air were drawn into his lungs. Then he leaped into the pool. Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang also quickly drew breath and jumped in.
Each of them activated their cultivation technique. Ling Yuxiu practiced the Nine Dragons Emperor Art, and her body swam like a great flood dragon. Si Yunxiang activated the Celestial God Creation Art, moving through the water like a fish, diving toward the bottom.
The pool was truly bottomless. They had been diving for a long time, yet the surroundings grew ever darker, and they still had not reached the bottom. The pressure grew greater and greater.
Suddenly, a light appeared ahead. The walls of the deep pool gradually widened, and set into the stone walls were night-luminous pearls the size of baskets, casting a faint glow.
"They're bigger than the night-luminous pearls in the imperial palace!" Ling Yuxiu exclaimed.
The further they went, the more night-luminous pearls they encountered. They dove down another several hundred zhang and felt pressure so crushing it was as though their lungs might burst. Their eyes filled with blood, their eardrums hummed — another descent and their lives would be in danger. Qin Mu was about to call to the two women to turn back when, at that very moment, they saw a great cauldron.
The deep pool had finally reached its bottom.
At the base of the deep pool sat a massive cauldron, over ten zhang long and wide. A weak current of water flowed from within it. Yet all around the cauldron there was no water at all — instead there was air, and it was bright as daylight.
Qin Mu's body moved through the water screen, and he immediately dropped downward. He hurriedly planted both feet on the ground. Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang also swam out of the water and landed, their bodies dripping wet.
Qin Mu glanced over. Si Yunxiang hastily crossed her arms over her chest, but she saw that Ling Yuxiu seemed utterly unaware, so she nudged her with her shoulder and whispered, "He's looking at you!"
Only then did Ling Yuxiu realize, and she hurriedly turned her back, using qi to shake the water from her body.
Qin Mu averted his gaze and thought to himself, It's not like I haven't seen it before. I saw it last time she slept at my place. Her chest is bigger and whiter than mine — not that it matters. Her strength is still less than mine.
The three of them dried their clothes and looked around. This place appeared to be the ocean floor. Outside was pitch-black seawater. They could see smoke rising from the occasional chimney on the seabed, and the occasional spurt of magma. From time to time, strange sea creatures attracted by the light swam close, revealing enormous bodies — monsters of indeterminate kind.
Ahead of them, tall ceremonial pillars rose in a row, radiating a serene glow. Further forward they could see a layer of pale mist, and through it they could make out the vague forms of enormous palaces.
Underfoot was white marble, laid perfectly flat. Debris lay scattered all around.
Behind them, around the great cauldron, stood several more pillars — the remains of what must have been a great hall.
The water rose from the great cauldron without joining the surrounding seawater. It was from this spring water flowing out of the cauldron that the yellow essence roots on the island had gained their sentience and become spirits.
"I have seen a place like this before."
Qin Mu's heart trembled slightly. "In the Great Ruins, there is the Dragon Palace of the Yong River. Its layout is much the same as this, though smaller. That was the residence of the Dragon King of the Yong River — the place where the Dragon King governed the Yong River."
"Could this also be a dragon palace?" Si Yunxiang asked excitedly.
"It's not a dragon palace."
Ling Yuxiu shivered and said softly, "I don't sense the presence of dragons. On the contrary, I sense a presence that is extremely hostile to dragons... I fear there may be a god here."
"Even if there is a god, it would be a dead one."
Qin Mu strode forward and waved his sleeve. Countless fragments of debris flew aside, revealing a toppled stone stele. The characters on the stele were ancient, and read: Qu Mountain Divine Temple.
"The Qu Mountain God?"
Qin Mu frowned. "Are there mountain gods on the ocean floor?"
Si Yunxiang shook her head. "There cannot be mountain gods on the ocean floor. Unless this place was once land..."