Chapter 146

The Kun of the Universe-Roaming

"The north wind is cold, the rain and snow fall thick. You are kind and love me, let us walk hand in hand... The north wind is whistling, the rain and snow are swirling..."

The ethereal singing, coming from who knows where, fell into the clear waters and seemed to ripple slowly within a great crystal. Inside that crystal, one could vaguely see a tiny boat, with dots of human figures scattered at its side like gnats in crystal. Only when one drew near could it be seen that they were several young girls, swimming around the boat, their forms moving with such ease and agility, like swimming fish, truly delightful to behold.

Amidst the faint sound of water, a girl in white swam onto the boat, leaned against the deck by the gunwale, and looked up, saying, "Those merfolk are singing again. They have gathered in the upper water layers, and their song drifts down as if celestial music were falling. It seems the merfolk gathering is almost upon us."

Beside her, another girl in green swam over. Her hair was not tied up, but draped over her cheeks, spreading and rippling in the water like aquatic grass, adding a touch of cuteness to her. The girl kept spinning in the water, her hair floating along with her, and she laughed, "Sister Rong, look, look, do I look like a merfolk?"

Before the girl in white could answer, a woman in colorful clothes poked her head out from the deck and laughed, "Unless they go ashore, merfolk never wear clothes. If you want to look more like them, shouldn't you take off your clothes?"

The girl in white also said, "Miss Ci, if you keep spinning like that, I fear your head will spin right off, and you'll cause the Cold Rain Flowers to wither as well."

Both Both Ruan Ci then slowly stopped spinning, tipped over toward the bow, and slowly sank to lie on the deck, pouting, "If the Cold Rain Flowers were so easily withered, then truly no one could come here."

Although these Cold Rain Flowers were extremely sensitive to fluctuations in magic power, they bloomed on the surface of the Cold Rain Marsh, while the cultivators' magic boats were actually swimming deep within the lake. This was the reason why Qi Refining cultivators could not set foot here; the pressure of the marsh water at this depth was enough to turn a Qi Refining cultivator into pulp. Even for an average Foundation Establishment cultivator, unless their foundation was deep, it was difficult to move freely at such depths. Such heavy pressure naturally absorbed the ripples stirred up by Both Both Ruan Ci and the others, preventing them from reaching the lake surface at all. Otherwise, there were many other creatures in the deep marsh waters outside the Cold Rain Flowers; if any creature moved at will, it would be transmitted to the surface, and the Cold Rain Flowers would never be able to grow here.

The group frolicked in the lake water, not out of a lingering sense of childhood, but to adapt to this unique way of moving in water and to gauge how much faster their magic power was being consumed under such heavy pressure and extreme cold compared to usual. Although the Cold Water Marsh was a great marsh, the cold air emitted from the cold water was even more intense than ten-thousand-year black ice. If Both Both Ruan Ci's body had not been tempered several times, she feared she would not be able to move so freely; just that bout of wild play would have exhausted her magic power, and she would have had to return to the boat cabin to meditate and regulate her breath.

Her cultivation base was deeper than Ruan Rong's, so it was natural for her to last longer, but in front of Xu Shao, Both Both Ruan Ci still held something back. She lay on the deck for a good while and even took out the Fire Rat Fur cloak gifted by Qu Qu Tan Yue from her storage pouch, draping it over herself. Seeing this, Xu Shao laughed, "This Fire Rat Fur is very rare; it would fetch a high price even in a place of fire-element. It seems Elder Zixu dotes on you, little girl."

Both Both Ruan Ci said, "My master is the stingiest. Under him, I have to fetch my own tea to drink; how could this be a gift from him? It was a friend from an outside sect who knew I was coming here and specifically gifted it to me. It seems I owe him another favor."

When she mentioned this friend, her tone was intimate and natural, and the others had their own thoughts. Xu Shao laughed, "Hey, is the friend who gave you the Fire Rat Fur trailing behind us right now? I vaguely sense several magic boats following us. When we stop, they stop; when we go, they go. It seems the boats aren't all filled with enemies."

Both Both Ruan Ci blinked and said, "Is Senior Sister Xu calculating whether, if the opportunity arises, you should kill everyone following us?"

The group could not cultivate in the boat, and with Xu Shao there, the journey was quite peaceful, almost feeling like a pleasure trip. Over the days, they had become very familiar. Xu Shao and the three girls were on good terms, but her personality was lively, and she was more compatible with Both Both Ruan Ci. They joked without restraint, and there was no factional divide. Hearing this, she laughed, "Forget it, don't try to frame me. I have already stepped half a foot into the Nascent Soul realm; wouldn't it be just adding to my troubles to go kill Foundation Establishment cultivators now? I am actually counting on you, the Sword Envoy, to spread your wings and show your skills. With the Donghua Sword Qi in your possession, it is not impossible for you to kill enemies across realms. As for Junior Sister Rong, her cultivation is still a bit shallow, but since you can unleash sword qi, it is fine for self-protection."

Ruan Rong laughed, "Senior Sister is truly good at slacking off. With you here, I fear our chances of encountering strong enemies are few. We have been in here for so many days and haven't even met other fellow Daoists; I imagine they are all hiding far away, not daring to show their faces. When the Cold Rain Flowers bloom, there won't be a fight, so I fear I won't need to use much of this sword qi before reaching Core Formation."

When she spoke of the Donghua Sword Qi, her attitude was open and frank, making it difficult to guess how much sword qi she actually held—before Core Formation, one could not draw the sword, and the only sword qi that could be used was the little that leaked out accidentally when refining Donghua. This was the Sword Envoy's trump card for saving their life. Ruan Rong had not even used it in the Immaculate Sect, yet now it seemed as if she still had plenty. Speaking of this, she seemed a bit regretful and said to Xu Shao, "Since I entered the sect, I have truly had no chance to use it. Miss Ci used it a few times, but that was during her meridian opening. According to her, even Jin Dan cultivators are no match for the sword qi. Senior Sister Xu, what about you? Could you withstand the sword qi I release?"

Xu Shao asked curiously, "Who did you use this sword qi to chase?"

"It was the Silkworm under True Person Ouyang," Tupu giggled, "That big meat worm is the most cowardly. After returning to its nest, it wove a cocoon to hide and only dared to come out after several years."

Xu Shao laughed for a good while as if hearing it for the first time, then said, "How is he the same as me? If you want to know, why not release a wisp of sword qi at me? You'll see if I can catch it or not, won't you?"

Ruan Rong reached into her bosom, seemingly very tempted, but she was steady after all. After hesitating for a moment, she shook her head and said, "Picking the Cold Water Flowers is the top priority for this trip. If the sword qi has any impact on the water surface, I fear it will only add unnecessary trouble. Let's talk about it after we leave the Cold Rain Marsh."

Both Both Ruan Ci, however, was eager to try and called out, "Sister, I still have plenty of sword qi left. How about..."

Ruan Rong still forbade it, and Qi Yueying begged Both Both Ruan Ci to be steady. Both Both Ruan Ci then stopped. Xu Shao poked her forehead and laughed, "You are truly much naughtier than your sister, still like a child—oh, you should look to the left in a moment."

As she spoke, she urged her magic power, and the magic boat changed direction, swimming toward another place. A brilliant light shone in Tupu's eyes as she looked around for a while and said, "Miss Shao, this is not the direction toward the flower fields."

The Seven Star Abode sending Tupu was not without purpose. The geomagnetism here was chaotic, the scenery was extremely monotonous, and there were no landmarks to serve as guides. How the cultivators entering would find the Cold Rain Flowers depended entirely on their own means. Some cultivators even came from afar, entering the marsh excitedly, only to get lost and never come out again. But Tupu had a photographic memory and would never lose her way when revisiting a place. After the group entered the marsh, they first saved themselves a lot of trouble in finding the way.

Xu Shao said, "I know, but it's rare for Tupu to come here, so it's good to visit a few more places. We won't go too far and can find our way back."

While speaking, the magic boat had already traveled thousands of miles. In their senses, they could already feel a heavy spiritual pressure constantly moving ahead, giving a very powerful sense of oppression, at least at the Nascent Soul level. Both Both Ruan Ci frowned and said, "Senior Sister Shao, that is—"

Before she could finish, from a distance of several hundred miles, she could already sense something slowly swimming in the crystal-like water. Even from such a distance, one could vaguely see a fish shape. She ran to the deck and stared intently. In that vast field of vision, a giant fish, whose length was hard to know and whose width was invisible, was moving slowly. Its whole body shimmered with starlight and was vaguely transparent, as if the fish's body contained its own world. Although it was right there, it gave people a feeling of being out of place, as if this fish was destined to be untouchable. Although the group was only a few dozen miles away from it, if they continued forward, they could only pass through the fish's body and could not truly make contact with it.

"This is... the Universe-Roaming Kun?"

Qi Yueying was also extremely surprised, "But... but how can this beast survive in the Langhuan Zhou Tian? How did it get in?"

The magic boat had gradually stopped. Xu Shao stood at the bow, looking at the giant fish with her hands behind her back for a long time before sighing, "Yue Niang can be considered thoughtful. After all, we are Shangqing disciples, and our knowledge is broad. In many great sects, the disciples are completely ignorant of things outside the heavens. Little do they know, there are countless creatures and infinitely magnificent scenes in the universe. This Universe-Roaming Kun is a cosmic exotic species that can freely travel between the virtual and the real, born with Nascent Soul cultivation. This Kun is born to absorb the void things in the cosmic silence to grow continuously, almost having no natural enemies. Because it likes to be close to the laws of the extreme realm, it also often appears in various heavens to gather the Dao rhymes of the extreme realm. This young Kun was probably attracted by the freezing laws in the Cold Rain Marsh."

Hearing the origin of this fish, Both Both Ruan Ci also felt very fresh. Looking at the giant starry fish swimming freely in the world, she felt relaxed and happy for a while, with endless yearning, as if she herself had become a Kun fish, moving leisurely in the universe. What she saw in her eyes were infinite star numbers, which seemed to be arranged and operated according to some supreme principle, and there was also the chaotic time in the imaginary numbers, which occasionally appeared behind the starry sky, and she swam in the only gap between the virtual and the real. Although her body was huge, she still had plenty of room, because this size dimension could also change at any time in the imaginary numbers. Although she was huge, she was only a grain of dust in the universe, so how could she not travel through this manifestation of the cosmic law at the boundary between the virtual and the real?

She didn't know how long it had been, but her heart shook slightly, and she naturally woke up from her meditation, only feeling that there was a bit more realization in her sea of consciousness, as if she had a little more certainty about dealing with the incoming imaginary numbers in the future. It's just that this realization was not as direct as the growth of magic power, and it was hard to say how much she had benefited. Looking at the others, some were still immersed in it, lost in thought and not yet awake.

The Universe-Roaming Kun swam toward the distance on its own, as if it were unaware of the group and didn't care at all. Both Both Ruan Ci looked at its mountain-like body, feeling very envious, and couldn't help but feel a trace of concern, secretly thinking, "I wonder if it can get out of the Langhuan Zhou Tian. It wouldn't be that it has been trapped here since the ancient times when the Dao Ancestor Dongyang established the Dao rhyme barrier, would it?"

She herself could not enter or leave the Langhuan Zhou Tian because it was decided long ago. For millions of years, I fear that apart from Sister Sister Xie Sister Sister Xie Yan Yan Huan, no cultivator in the Langhuan Zhou Tian could leave. Both Both Ruan Ci didn't feel too aggrieved or stifled. But seeing the Universe-Roaming Kun, a hope welled up at a glance, only wishing that this free creature could always be so free. Being inexplicably trapped in one place seemed very cruel to it.

But Xu Shao probably couldn't answer this doubt, so she could only wait until she went out to ask True Person Wang. She didn't know how long it had been, but everyone slowly woke up. Ruan Rong let out a long breath and asked the exact question Both Both Ruan Ci was thinking, "Has it always been here? Or did it swim here by chance from the universe?"

"I have never heard of a Universe-Roaming Kun staying in the Cold Rain Marsh before," Tupu said, "It should have been attracted by the freezing laws and swam here from outside the heavens."

She looked at the Universe-Roaming Kun with very fiery eyes and said, "What is reflected on the body of this Kun is the real star numbers at this time, which is not the same as what we see in the sky. I don't know if any Cave Heaven True Person has been here to observe the star signs through this fish. This is one of the few opportunities in the Zhou Tian. After we go out, we must report it to the Lord immediately."

Both Both Ruan Ci couldn't help but think of the time above the Treasure Cloud Sea when the Cave Heaven True Persons flew out of the Zhou Tian to look up at the star sea. Hearing Tupu talk about this, it seemed that this opportunity was extremely precious, and her heart also throbbed. She secretly thought, "It seems... it seems that this Zhou Tian is sealed by the Dao rhyme barrier, although there are benefits, there are also many bad places. Not everyone in the Zhou Tian likes to be tied in a great heaven like this, never able to leave. It's just... if there is no Sister Sister Sister Xie's determination and opportunity, how easy is it to want to leave here?"

"What did Sister Sister Sister Xie go out to find? Could it be a way to break the Dao rhyme barrier? It shouldn't be... She only has a bit of true spirit, and even her Dao foundation has been abandoned, so it is no longer possible to achieve the Dao. If she doesn't become a Dao Ancestor, how can she fight against the Dao Ancestor? However... before she escaped from the Zhou Tian, she betrayed Shangqing and changed her cultivation method, which cleared the suspicion of the Shangqing leader, so that the Shangqing sect did not have to face the pressure from the Dao Ancestor."

Although Dao Ancestor Dongyang seemed to ignore the Langhuan Zhou Tian and didn't even pass down the Dao lineage sect, his control over the Langhuan Zhou Tian was very tight. Both Both Ruan Ci didn't think that the Shangqing sect had the confidence to openly support Sister Sister Xie Sister Sister Xie Yan Yan Huan's departure, nor did she think that the Shangqing sect was not qualified to play against Dao Ancestor Dongyang. The Dao Ancestor was omnipotent, but the day of achieving the Dao was the beginning of the Dao struggle, and he might not have much energy to strictly monitor all sects. What's more, the Dao Ancestor could only promote cause and effect and guide the situation. Perhaps it was just like the principle of the cultivation method that Qu Qu Tan Yue had mentioned before, the incarnation devouring the master, just like the Cave Heaven True Person winning the game against the Dao Ancestor. Although the conditions were very harsh and the probability was very small, it was not impossible to succeed.

However, this reverie was only for a moment. She was soon frightened by her own great irreverent thought. It was not that Both Both Ruan Ci dared not play against the Dao Ancestor, but that sealing the Zhou Tian was generally more beneficial than harmful. Except for some cultivators who practiced the Heavenly Star cultivation method, Both Both Ruan Ci found it hard to imagine what kind of cultivator would take such a big risk to go against the Dao Ancestor just to unlock the Dao rhyme barrier and let the Heavenly Demons invade the Langhuan Zhou Tian unscrupulously.

According to Qing Jun, her thoughts were not easily sensed by the Dao Ancestor, but Both Both Ruan Ci did not dare to indulge too much. She just thought about it occasionally and then turned her mind away, asking, "How did this big fish cross the Dao rhyme barrier and come here?"

"This is a desperate situation of water element. The so-called desperate situation is a place where a certain law is particularly rich and pure," Xu Shao said, "All great heavens will naturally have many desperate situations. Although the Zhou Tian is under the protection of the Dao Ancestor, the Dao rhyme of the Dao Ancestor is not strong in the desperate situation where a certain law is the main one, and there is even a faint intention of exclusion. Therefore, these desperate situations have naturally been channels for many strange things to come and go between the great heavens since ancient times, and they are also one of the channels for Heavenly Demon invasion."

She was still reluctant to part with the young Kun, looking at it from afar, "If it were in other Zhou Tians that are not so strictly forbidden, this Cold Rain Marsh would be countless times more lively than it is now, and there would be no Cold Rain Flowers growing. Those drops of cold rain are originally strange things that seeped in from the Dao rhyme barrier, and together with the freezing laws and Dongyang Dao rhyme here, they nurtured the spiritual flowers. If the barrier were slightly opened, countless strange things would come here, and how many creatures would multiply. Spiritual materials like Cold Rain Flowers that cannot be disturbed would not be able to survive at all."

After all, she was a nine-turn Jin Dan, having formed the core nine times. Even an ordinary Nascent Soul True Person would probably not be able to compare with Xu Shao's knowledge. Her beautiful face revealed a faint look of yearning, and she told the strange things about this water-element place in detail. Everyone was fascinated, and Qi Yueying sighed, "It seems that this place is rich in freezing laws, which excluded the Dao rhyme power of Dao Ancestor Dongyang, so it was taken advantage of by the Universe-Roaming Kun. However, does this Kun swimming around here mean that the freezing power here is stronger than elsewhere?"

Xu Shao seemed to be still thinking about the past glory of this place. When asked by Qi Yueying, she also came back to her senses, "Naturally. Don't you feel that it is colder here than outside? Well, your knowledge has also increased. We are fortunate to see this strange encounter. I don't know if it's because of the Sword Envoy's light, but let's go back quickly."

Speaking of basking in the light, everyone couldn't help but look at Ruan Rong. Ruan Rong did not notice this, but stared at the bottom, her lips moving, muttering, "Senior Sister Xu, look, what is this?"

As soon as the words fell, Qi Yueying's expression changed greatly, and she shouted, "Quickly enter the boat cabin! This is a law eruption! The freezing power is spreading up!"

Everyone couldn't help but follow Ruan Rong's gaze. At this time, they really saw a white ice pillar slowly taking shape in the extremely deep and black part of the Cold Rain Marsh. They were all terrified and turned to flee into the boat. But it was too late. As soon as they saw the ice pillar, they felt a bone-chilling coldness covering their limbs, and their movements became slow and sluggish, as if they were frozen and solidified, about to fall into a deep sleep like this.

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Updated, sorry for the long wait, everyone. I had sliced meat and vegetable noodles for lunch today, with soy-sauce duck, comfortable, comfortable.

I only wrote one chapter yesterday, sigh... This fragmented draft, but "Borrowing the Sword" has indeed not missed a single update in 700,000 words, which is relatively ideal. I plan to see if I should ask for a few days off to rest after finishing this dungeon.

I'm getting ready to watch "The Queen's Gambit"!

Thanks to the little angels who cast overlord votes or irrigated nutrient solution for me between 2020-11-05 11:59:33 and 2020-11-06 11:59:52~

Thanks to the little angel who cast a hand grenade: "Meaning is not big" 1;

Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: "Half-acre Square Pond", "Shao Xia", "Yu Yu Wan Yao", "Gao Gao", "Side Door Left Dao" 1 each;

Thanks to the little angels who irrigated nutrient solution: "lele" 43 bottles; "Ma Ma Daidai riding a horse", "At ease", "Mai Dong" 20 bottles; "True Sword Must Kill kira", "Liang Shi", "Luo Luo Xiangjun", "Li Yi", "Saltwater Potato", "Shao Xia", "Liang Mei", "Miluo Dao" 10 bottles; "Yun Shui Shui" 5 bottles; "Meaning is not big", "Open it, I count 1233" 3 bottles; "Dan Dan" 2 bottles; "Jing Jing Jing Jing Jing", "player", "Dao Dao", "aria" 1 bottle;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!