Chapter 182: Pearl Lake

The boat is piloted by a beautiful boat maiden, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with sleek black hair, and a water‑drop emblem embroidered on her sleeve.

Isn't that the emblem of the Dan Tai Immortal Sect?

Could it be that all the girls steering the boats are disciples of the Dan Tai Immortal Sect?

Zhang Xingyu looked up and scanned the surroundings.

Sure enough, every boat's maiden was a young, beautiful woman dressed in the uniform of the Dan Tai Immortal Sect.

He wondered what the sect's leader was thinking, to have these delicate girls row the boats.

As a man—and especially a man who cherishes beauty—Zhang Xingyu felt a deep unease.

"Junior sister, may I help you row?" Zhang Xingyu offered to the boat maiden.

The beautiful boat maiden blinked: "Senior brother, can you row?"

Uh! It seems I really can't.

Zhang Xingyu shamefully sat down at the side of the boat.

Opposite him sat a slender old man and a masked girl.

The old man was fair‑featured, with two long whiskers hanging from his chin, his eyes cold.

The girl's skin was pale, her eyes vacant, a thin veil of white gauze covering her face.

Seeing this woman, Zhang Xingyu felt she looked familiar.

He thought for a while, then finally recalled.

This woman looks a lot like Bai Yujing!

How did the White Bone Spirit end up in Dan Tai Immortal City?

At this moment his senior brother Yun Feiyang was in Dong Sheng Immortal City with Xiao Longnu.

Could it be that the White Bone Spirit had her lover snatched away and fled alone to the southern Zhan Continent?

Very possible!

The White Bone Spirit's eyes were empty, her body gaunt, likely bruised by a blow like Senior Sister Ou Yang's.

Zhang Xingyu nodded to the woman: "White Bone Spirit! What a coincidence, never thought we'd meet again!"

The woman stared blankly at her own toes, unmoving, and gave no reply.

The middle‑aged man opposite said softly, "Young lad, you must have the wrong person. I am Lu Changfeng, and this is my daughter Lu Xiaofeng, not the White Bone Spirit you speak of!"

"Ah, Senior Lu, my apologies."

Zhang Xingyu, puzzled, bowed his hand to the old man.

Could there truly be two people so alike?

Might the White Bone Spirit be Lu Xiaofeng's twin sister? Could this Lu old man have an unspeakable story with the White Bone Spirit's mother?

Uh, that's too twisted.

Zhang Xingyu dared not think further.

The boat maiden turned the oars, and the small boat carrying the three drifted slowly toward the lake's center.

The sky was clear, a gentle breeze brushed, and the lake surface glittered with rippling light.

As the boat passed, ripples spread across the water.

The beautiful boat maiden rowed at an even pace while opening her voice to sing.

"The wind softly lifts my sail, the boat sways gently with the breeze, carrying me to the place I long for day and night..."

Zhang Xingyu sat at the boat's edge, quietly listening, his hand lightly skimming the lake water.

The lake water was icy, the song like celestial music, gently whisking away his lingering heat.

After the boat had traveled a distance into the lake, Zhang Xingyu reluctantly withdrew his hand from the water.

The nearer they came to the lake's center, the colder the water grew.

Near a small island in the lake, the water was almost freezing, and a thin black mist rose on the surface.

Strange, shouldn't the lake's mist be grayish?

Why is the mist over Pearl Lake black?

The lake's light shimmers bright, the mountains hazy, the rain also strange.

Soon, the once‑clear sky began to drizzle a fine rain.

The raindrops struck the face like knives cutting flesh.

Zhang Xingyu cupped his hand to catch the drops, noticing a streak of black within them.

Strange, even in this pristine Xianxia World, acid rain can fall.

With no other choice, everyone summoned spiritual energy to keep the rain away from their bodies.

Zhang Xingyu looked up at the slender boat maiden.

"Junior sister, why is the rain over the lake black?"

The boat maiden frowned and replied softly, "Pearl Lake was once a place of exquisite scenery, but in the past one or two years the rain falling on its surface has gradually turned black."

So it's only been a year or two.

It seems something around the lake must have changed, like on Earth where industrial pollution turns rain acidic.

The small boat docked at the shore of the nearest island.

This island is called Nine Pearl Island, the smallest island on Pearl Lake.

The ninth Cloud Platform for this competition is built on this island.

This Xian Miao Grand Assembly set up nine Cloud Platforms: the first through sixth host the ten great sects and ten major cultivation families, the seventh through ninth host the medium‑size sects and cultivation academies.

Zhang Xingyu leapt onto the shore, watching the boat drift slowly toward another island.

Once on the island, he followed a path and soon reached the island's centre.

A towering cloud platform rose in the middle of the island, with people on it competing.

A few groups of spectators sat beneath the platform?

Zhang Xingyu quickly found Xu Yun Lao Dao and the other junior brothers and sisters.

Xu Yun Lao Dao sat in the front row on the north side of the cloud platform.

A cloud fan floated above his head to shade him, and fragrant tea and spiritual fruit were placed before him.

Two disciples stood behind the elder, holding aloft a banner that read "Nan Hua Immortal Academy Must Win".

Beside the elder, Fang Shiwen sat silently in the lotus position.

His eyes still lacked any spark, as if the contest above had nothing to do with him.

On the platform, the duel had entered a feverish stage.

The two sides of the duel were young disciples from Nan Hua Immortal Academy and Su Yang Immortal Academy.

Both cultivators were around the tenth layer of Qi cultivation.

One of them was tall and thin, wearing the Nan Hua Immortal Academy uniform.

The student's name was Hong Ruofei, who had voluntarily introduced himself to Zhang Xinyu yesterday.

Hong Ruofei's opponent was a sleazy fat man.

The fat man wielded an artifact that resembled a turtle shell.

Hong Ruofei's flying sword struck the turtle shell, but could not affect it at all.

Hong Ruofei seemed a bit impatient.

Sweat already beaded on his face, and the flying sword in his hand wavered.

This was a sign that his Spiritual Aura was about to run out.

The fat man's face broke into a smug smile.

Before the battle began, he had already devised a defensive‑counterattack duel plan.

Relying on his high‑tier artifact's extreme defense, he used a turtle‑shell tactic to drain the opponent's Spiritual Aura, then delivered a fatal blow when the opponent's aura was exhausted.

The blade aura of Hong Ruofei's sword vanished.

Cold sweat streamed down his face, and the flying sword fell to the ground.

"Hahaha, you were the one cutting me just now; now it's my turn to cut you!"

The chubby boy smugly sheathed his defensive artifact and then raised his flying sword.

"Damn!"

Hong Ruofei muttered softly.

"Good! Junior Brother Wang, well done!"

Below the platform, beside the Nan Hua Immortal Academy crowd, another group shouted loudly.

"Shameless!"

The junior brothers and sisters of Nan Hua Immortal Academy cursed.

Xu Yun Lao Dao turned to a nearby plump elder and scolded, "Su Gaoxuan, that chubby guy surnamed Tang is indeed of the same vein as you!"

The plump elder laughed heartily, "You're flattering me; indeed my disciple is as clever as I am!"

"Pah! I'm saying he's as sleazy and cunning as you were in your youth!" Xu Yun Lao Dao jeered with a smile.

"Hahaha, that youngster surnamed Long on the stage, isn't he also as stupid as you were when young?" the plump elder named Li Gaoxuan retorted sarcastically.

On the platform.

The chubby man surnamed Tang raised his long sword and laughed at Hong Ruofei.

"Senior Brother Long, will you concede yourself, or shall I kick you off the platform? You decide."

"Right now!"

Hong Ruofei let out a loud shout, and the flying sword that had fallen to the ground suddenly rose.

The flying sword pierced the chubby man's defense and stopped directly at his chest.

"Ah! You cheat!"

The chubby man paled loudly.

"Hahaha, aren't you the same?"

Hong Ruofei sheathed his flying sword, bowed to the chubby man and said, "I accept!"

Having said so, he leapt down from the platform.