Chapter 151: The Domain of Fine Rain! Arrival at the Archipelago!

Chapter 151: Realm of Drizzling Rain! Arrival at the Archipelago!

Chapter 151: Master of the Water Mansion, Peak Rain Treasure Disc!

Inside the Water Mansion, within a vast and spacious grand hall.

"The sixth inheritance has finally been passed. Although it is merely the first tier, it at last grants the possibility of moving forward."

A middle-aged female Daoist was engaged in bitter cultivation.

Bathed in blood, she fought fiercely against the giant serpent capable of shifting into multiple phantoms, taking a full three months to finally defeat her opponent.

As for the might of the phantom technique, she had yet to fully master it, only capable of instantaneously casting a fleeting shadow, relying primarily on her own foundational heritage to battle.

"If I continue to fight, there is still hope. Once I clear these nine trials, what is the Xuanzhi Temple?"

This female Daoist was deeply engrossed in her cultivation.

Suddenly, with a resounding rumble, the entire grand hall trembled slightly.

The water ripples overhead were collapsing, and upon the stone tablet ahead, lines of dazzlingly brilliant characters emerged.

"The inheritance has reached its end; the main hall contracts, and all else collapses!"

"Could it be..."

"This... What is this?"

Quietly, lightning gathered around his body, Yin and Yang colliding to transform into thunderbolts.

With a single thought, this middle-aged female Daoist activated the wooden talisman.

"However, the master's current blood-qi tier is likely still somewhat lacking. Once you reach the Divine Aspect realm, you should be able to open the first layer."

"My natural aptitude was never sufficient to reach this place anyway. So be it, so be it..."

"However, when the human race first pioneered this grand era back then, the Water Mansion suffered damage that has yet to be repaired to this day. The master will still need to find a way to refine and restore it personally."

Said the Chi Shadow.

"Currently, the power the Water Mansion can wield is exceedingly minimal, almost a dead zone, retaining only the function of inheritance."

At this moment, at the very end of his life, he instead began to break through.

"Master, since you have inherited the Water Mansion, you should also know the truth... The Water Mansion itself is an invincible supreme secret treasure. If it can be fully refined and sacrificed, one can enter the azure netherworlds and the nine nether realms, remaining undestroyed through all calamities."

"Failed? This immortal talisman is actually useless?"

The First Island Master of the Isles of Immortals wore a look of bitter agony.

In this fleeting instant.

Some were shouting in long wails, while others silently chanted.

The middle-aged female Daoist's expression shifted drastically as she abruptly sprang to her feet, her entire body trembling violently.

The middle-aged female Daoist stood there in a daze.

...

"Has it ended?"

She was utterly unwilling to accept this!

She had only just comprehended the sixth inheritance, defeated the dual-bodied giant python, and possessed the wooden talisman with a ten-percent certainty of leaving safely before coming here. Yet at this moment, she faced the most terrifying scene imaginable—everything was about to be destroyed, turning completely to nothingness, and her final hope was shattered!

"The Water Mansion's inheritance is over? We will surely all be destroyed. With this space collapsing, nothing could possibly survive."

"I can only use the power of this talisman to escape this Water Mansion first."

On the East Sea Heavenly Rankings, attaining a certain tier granted certain abilities, such as the qualification to evacuate from any inheritance realm.

"Aside from that, there are three deeper layers within this mansion, sealed by the previous master's restrictions. The master will need to refine them using your own blood-qi to open them."

"Impossible! I will not die here!"

Yet, smoke billowed from the wooden talisman, hissing sharply, only to be instantly obliterated by the water ripples, leaving no further movement.

"Currently, within this Water Mansion, there are nine grand halls in total, all evolved from the void. They can manifest at any time or be annihilated."

Despair filled his heart; instead, he grew instantly calm, and a trace of sudden enlightenment surged within him.

It was not just a single grand hall—the other three grand halls were similarly shaking, water ripples flowing, on the verge of collapsing, drowning and destroying everything, shattering and erasing this space completely.

"No, no... This isn't real!"

Seeing this scene, he could only accept reality: only destruction and total death awaited.

Within the Water Mansion.

"With the inheritance claiming its master, this grand hall will collapse, and the space will be annihilated. I am going to die!"

At this moment.

Bai Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Is there nothing within this Water Mansion that I can use?"

She refused to believe it!

"How is this possible? The Water Mansion has found a master? How many years has this Water Mansion existed, and why has it chosen a master at this very moment?"

"My efforts were all in vain? Indeed, it was destined to be so. Everything will be annihilated, including myself."

The Chi Shadow spoke with utmost honesty.

"There are several secret vaults within the Water Mansion, all of which have fallen into disuse. I occasionally scatter some spiritual herb seeds within them, experiencing a cycle of withered and flourishing each season, but that is of little consequence."

Filled with unwillingness, she gritted her teeth and drew out a wooden talisman.

Endless terror gripped her, and her whole body shook uncontrollably.

Hearing this, he felt that his current cultivation tier was far too low, seeming utterly incapable of utilizing the Water Mansion.

To completely refine the Water Mansion required an endless amount of blood-qi, not to mention that repairing it was virtually impossible.

Even opening the next layer of restrictions was beyond his reach.

"That is not necessarily the case."

The Chi Shadow pondered for a fleeting moment, then with a flip of its hand, produced an object.

"Too many people have lost their lives in this inheritance. Over the long years, I cleared away most of the treasures or discarded them in the grand halls, keeping only the most precious ones for my own collection."

"As for treasures the master can currently wield, this is the one."

In its palm rested a jade disc, upon which countless ancient talismans surfaced and flowed. Within every single talisman resided a terrifyingly formidable power, representing the horrifying might of heaven and earth.

Bai Xuan even vaguely sensed that within this jade disc lingered a wisp of Dao aura, as if an endless torrential rain were falling, drowning an entire expanse of the ocean!

"This jade disc is a Superior Grade Treasure Artifact!"

In the Chi Shadow's voice, there was a measure of high regard for this jade disc.

"Furthermore, this jade disc is extremely close to becoming a Dao Artifact. Once it achieves the Dao, it will undergo a complete transformation, soaring through the nine heavens, capable of suppressing the fortune of an entire clan."

"However, the creator's conceptual approach was too shallow and narrow, ultimately straying onto a heterodox path and failing to achieve ultimate success."

"This jade disc is named the 'Peak Rain Disc', and it is an auxiliary treasure!"

"This item was forged purely through the Dao of Qi Refining, making it difficult to fully compatible with blood-qi. However, driven by pure divine will, its power remains the same. The master's 'Cloud-Riding Thought' has already entered the initial threshold, which is sufficient to urge this treasure disc."

"Within this treasure disc reside nine layers of formations. For the time being, the master is likely only capable of utilizing around the third layer, but its power will be enough to protect yourself."

"Having this jade disc also perfectly aligns with the master's water element affinity."

The Chi Shadow exhaled, and with a rumble, a long scroll of runes emerged, densely packed with cloud seals.

"I do not possess the specific driving method for this treasure disc in my possession, but over the years, I have deduced its sacrificial refinement method; it is close enough."

"The Peak Rain Disc... A Superior Grade Treasure Artifact, then."

Bai Xuan took the Peak Rain Disc.

The corpses and residual treasures he had seen in the grand hall were simply things the Chi Shadow couldn't be bothered to manage. Perhaps once every few thousand years, it would reboot the grand hall and sweep away whatever remnants remained.

The most precious treasures had all been gathered away by the Chi Shadow itself.

"The master must be cautious. The value of this item is exceedingly precious; anyone below the True Immortal or True God realm would harbor covetous thoughts toward such an artifact that approaches a Dao Artifact."

The Chi Shadow rumbled, "As for the Water Mansion, you must be even more cautious. Still... as long as the master does not expose yourself, even if a True God were to step into my domain, I would have nothing to fear."

This Chi Shadow was immensely confident.

Even in its dilapidated state, the Water Mansion possessed terrifying might, harboring endless divine power and surpassing ordinary tiers by a wide margin!

"Are there any other treasures?"

Bai Xuan toyed with the Peak Rain Disc in his hand.

This jade disc felt ice-cold to the touch, yet possessed a faint warmth. Countless talismans circulated and evolved within it, ceaseless and unbroken, resembling a vast ocean of unfathomable depth.

Aside from the Water Mansion itself, this treasure disc was the most powerful artifact Bai Xuan had ever laid eyes on.

"Other treasures? Ah, right."

The Chi Shadow remembered. "There are several other figures currently undergoing trials within this Water Mansion. Since the master has completed the trials, it is time for these people to be eliminated and sent away."

Its claws extended, and with a casual wave, amidst a rumbling vibration, the space shifted, manifesting nine grand halls.

Inside four of the halls, some were cultivating, some wailed in long lamentations, and living beings remained, not yet dead.

In one grand hall, the corpse of the Scaled Venerable lay stretched across the floor, astonishment and reluctance frozen on its expression at that final moment.

It had been slain by the Yin-Yang Thunder Dharma, its entire skeleton battered to pieces, its flesh and blood burned to charcoal, thoroughly dead.

"Kill them all?"

Bai Xuan's gaze swept over them, pondering for a moment, and he shook his head.

These people had merely come to undergo trials; there was no need to slaughter them all, and his ship, the *Sea-Swallower*, currently lacked a few experts to anchor down the situation.

"Bring them all over."

Bai Xuan commanded.

"Understood, Master."

The Chi Shadow complied gracefully.

With a single thought, amidst a rumbling roar, those nine grand halls instantly collapsed, and the space shifted!

...

Inside one grand hall.

"Damn it, I must escape this grand hall. This Water Mansion... I must escape! Ten thousand swords flow as one, open for me!"

A young man looked like a madman as hundreds of flying swords shot out from around his body, integrating with his 'Cloud-Riding Thought' to evolve into a sword formation. Each flying sword was an ordinary magical artifact, but combined, their power was terrifying.

Clang, clang, clang!

He battered the stone doors of the grand hall, attempting to blast open a passage and escape from within.

Naturally, this was to no avail; the stone doors remained completely motionless, as eternal and unyielding as antiquity, without leaving the slightest trace.

Right at that moment.

Rumble!

Everything collapsed, transforming into a vortex that sucked him right in.

Inside another grand hall.

"Yin-Yang Thunder Dharma... So that is it. This is internal introspection of one's own heart and mind, operating and transforming Yin and Yang!"

The First Island Master of the Isles of Immortals snapped his eyes open. With a boom, lightning unleashed, splitting the air dozens of meters away, the sky crackling and exploding as if capable of destroying all tangible forms and shattering everything!

At this moment, joy flooded the heart of the First Island Master of the Isles of Immortals, a glimmer of life and hope resurfacing.

"Open!"

Daring not to linger, he immediately launched a full-power strike, executing the Yin-Yang Thunder Dharma in an attempt to blast open the stone door. But amidst the thunderous shockwaves and a wave of dust and smoke impact, the stone door manifested, yet remained completely unmoved.

"Am I truly going to die here?"

The First Island Master wore a bitter smile.

Since even the Yin-Yang Thunder Dharma was useless, he had no other methods left!

Rumble!

In an instant, everything collapsed, sweeping him into the vortex!

"I'm dead?"

"Where is this? There are still nine pillars; we are still inside the Water Mansion, I'm not dead!"

In an instant, a massive vortex surfaced.

Four figures emerged, all wearing expressions of astonishment.

A young man surrounded by hundreds of flying swords emanated a sharp aura mixed with yearning.

A middle-aged female Daoist wore a stunned expression, cautiously guarding herself.

An old man wore a dazed look, rumbling thunder still echoing and reverberating around him with residual might.

There was also a man of massive proportions, standing over five meters tall, completely bald, covered in tattoos, with blood-qi surging forth like the sea.

They laid eyes upon that massive black shadow, and the young figure standing before it, who appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen years of age.

"This is..."

"Just now, everything was about to be destroyed. Did this youth save us?"

None of these people were fools; the answer surfaced in their minds in the blink of an eye.

They saw Bai Xuan and the Chi Shadow, and Bai Xuan likewise saw them.

"Master."

The Chi Shadow's voice echoed in Bai Xuan's mind. "If the master wishes to let these people go, that is acceptable. However, now that the Water Mansion belongs to the master, this secret must never be leaked."

"Just like the residual stances of the Chi Spear—they must never be exposed. Anyone who witnesses them must be killed without exception! While other divine abilities might have inheritances obtainable across the seas and ten provinces, the Chi Spear is the sole exception, existing only within the Water Mansion."

"Even though experts across the seas are few, one must exercise the utmost caution... I possess a blood pact here, bound by the seas themselves. Even if they leave this place and enter the grand era, the moment they violate it, the momentum of heaven and earth will instantly backlash, obliterating their very souls even if they are Pure Yang Divine Demons."

The Chi Shadow's voice was extremely solemn.

"I know."

Bai Xuan understood in his heart.

With the Water Mansion located here, there was actually nothing to fear; even if experts arrived, the Chi Shadow could easily annihilate them.

However, if the inheritors were slaughtered, that would spell trouble.

Clear on this, Bai Xuan finally spoke.

"You were all destined to be destroyed right here; with the inheritance ending, you were meant to die."

Bai Xuan's voice rumbled like a giant dragon, thunderous and vibrating, startling the few individuals below.

"However, I am now granting you a path to survival!"

Bai Xuan looked down from above, his eyes like lightning.

"Swear the blood pact and serve me for fifty years, never speaking a word of the Water Mansion's secrets, and I will spare your lives and let you leave this Water Mansion!"

"Of course, you may also choose the alternative path: sharing the fate of the other inheritors and perishing within this Water Mansion."

Bai Xuan's voice was exceedingly calm.

His majestic tone caused the few people below to fall into deep contemplation.

"Fifty years?"

"It is a long time, but by comparison, completely acceptable!"

These individuals were all experts; naturally, they understood that before an invincible inheritance spirit like the Chi Shadow, attempting to defy Bai Xuan or haggle was out of the question.

They had only two paths to choose from: servitude, or death!

"I am willing to submit!"

The young man was the first to yield. "...I am willing to serve Your Excellency for fifty years!"

His eyes burned with boundless yearning, and the hundreds of flying swords around him vanished in a flash as he dropped to one knee.

"My name is Xu Xingjian, returned from two hundred years ago. I originally intended to explore one of the most powerful inheritances in this ocean... I am unwilling to die just like this; fifty years is nothing."

Faint wisps of Dao essence flickered around Xu Xingjian, exceptionally sharp and terrifying. Though that Dao essence remained shallow, its might was formidable.

This was an ancient sword cultivator, appearing far younger than his actual years, possessing a terrifying strength that placed him at the very forefront of the Heavenly Rankings.

"I am also willing to submit."

The remaining three exchanged glances.

"My Dao title is Liu Shen, the premier figure of the Isles of Immortals. Having lain dormant for two hundred years, I emerged today believing my talismans and divine will methods were near-invincible, only to foolishly come to this watery abyss to comprehend the Water Mansion. Truly, I was far too arrogant."

True Monarch Liu Shen sighed, bowing deeply toward Bai Xuan.

"My name is Yu Wenhan, the Supreme Elder of the Xuanzhi Temple, one of the major powers of the East Sea."

After much internal deliberation, the middle-aged female cultivator let out a sigh.

She had considered holding out to the end, but facing death—being crushed into dust by the Chi Shadow as easily as squashing an ant—she remained unwilling to die!

As for the bald, muscular man, he let out a low roar.

"I am unwilling to submit!"

His eyes were savage and unruly, a bloody stench radiating from his body as his blood-qi rumbled.

"You merely completed the inheritance before I did! In a true life-and-death battle, you might not necessarily be my match!"

The next instant.

Without moving his body, Bai Xuan drew a breath, causing Yin, Yang, water, and fire to manifest. They merged in a flash, transforming into a streak of lightning that cleaved outward with startling speed.

Boom!

Ferocity still lingered on the bald man's expression, but in the blink of an eye, he shattered completely, turning to ash that blew away in the wind!

"Yin-Yang Thunder Dharma!"

"That is the Yin-Yang Thunder Dharma... What terrifying might! This is even more terrifying than that horned dragon!"

The remaining three were utterly stunned.

How could they know that Bai Xuan had fought the phantom of the thunderous dragon countless times, using his own body to test the thunder dharma over and over again? The proficiency of this thunder dharma was nearly engraved deep within his iron bones, impossible to erase.

Now, with a single thought from him, thunder moved in an instant, and its immense power far surpassed that of an ordinary dragon!

At this moment, all three of them bowed their heads toward Bai Xuan.

"Sign the blood pact!"

With a long roar from the Chi Shadow, a rumble echoed as fresh blood burst forth from the bodies of the three, combining with the endless water ripples to transform into a long scroll of runes.

The power contained within this scroll was terrifying enough to easily destroy these four people tens of thousands of times over.

The tier of this blood pact was far too dreadful; once signed, it was impossible to violate.

Having signed the blood pact, the three of them felt a wisp of aura wrap around them, sinking deep into the depths of their souls. Exchanging glances, they knew defiance was out of the question.

"Master."

The Chi Shadow looked at Bai Xuan. "The residual stances of the Chi Spear... You must cultivate them diligently."

"The Azure Python Transforming Dragon Technique is already sufficient for your current cultivation; it is one of the most stable foundational treasure arts. As for subsequent cultivation, once you reach the grand era, there will be further inheritances to explore step-by-step, allowing you to climb to the peak. When the time comes, I will remind the master."

"Only the Chi Spear is unique across the ten provinces, the seas, and the boundless grand era. To repair the Water Mansion and step into a higher, eternal, and undying realm, you must comprehend it!"

"This inheritance of the Chi Spear is incomplete because the portion belonging to the True Dragon was stripped away from heaven and earth when it left the grand era."

"The rest requires the master to pioneer it yourself, to forge a complete supreme divine ability. Taking that step will be a matter for the distant future... But the path of longevity is endless; the master will eventually achieve it!"

It held boundless expectations for Bai Xuan.

"I know."

Bai Xuan wore a solemn expression.

With the inheritance concluded, he could not yet take the Water Mansion with him and had to leave temporarily. The next time he returned, he would open the restrictions, enter the deeper depths of the Water Mansion, and perhaps even refine it to carry upon his person.

"The grand era, the grand era... I wonder what scenery the grand era holds?"

With a single step, Bai Xuan vanished into thin air alongside the other three.

...

Above the ocean surface.

"A storm is coming!"

Cries of alarm rang out aboard the Isles of Immortals fleet.

Rumble! Endless dark clouds hung low, and giant waves surged hundreds of meters high across the sea, sweeping past with a force capable of smashing a warship to pieces!

"Pill of Sea-Pacification, Wind-Calming Array!"

True Monarch Liuxing was barking orders.

On the Isles of Immortals fleet, rune-inscribed warships linked together, all their runes flowing simultaneously as numerous Daoists channeled their respective vessels, directing energy toward the central treasure orb.

Boom!

The treasure orb awakened, erecting an invisible barrier that smoothed out all wind and waves. Within a radius of ten miles, everything turned peaceful, impenetrable to the storm!

"Fortunately, we have our heritage and can barely hold on... But if the First Island Master doesn't return soon, we truly won't know what to do."

The various island masters wore expressions of utmost solemnity; though the Isles of Immortals fleet was powerful, it could not endure indefinitely in such a storm.

Right at that moment.

Swish!

Four figures manifested, immediately startling the Daoists of the Isles of Immortals.

"What people?"

"It's the First Island Master! The First Island Master has returned!"

The return of True Monarch Liu Shen brought the greatest possible good news to the entire Isles of Immortals fleet, instantly lifting everyone's spirits.

The four island masters, however, felt a shock in their hearts as they laid eyes upon the other two figures. They could sense the terrifying oppressive aura emanating from them—strength surely no less than that of the First Island Master, exceedingly formidable!

"The contention of the seas... truly, experts are as numerous as clouds."

"There are simply too many powerhouses; ordinary experts cannot hope to preserve themselves amidst this."

Shock gripped the hearts of the several island masters. At True Monarch Liu Shen's command, they hurriedly invited the group into the flagship's grand hall, treating them with the utmost courtesy reserved for supreme honored guests.

Before the spacious grand hall of the Isles of Immortals flagship hung a plaque inscribed with the two large characters "Myriad Immortals", exuding an immortal and transcendent aura.

Inside the hall.

"The storm has risen; I must depart immediately for the Central Archipelago to seize the treasure ship inheritance."

Bai Xuan's voice was very calm.

"What say you?"

Before him, the three experts exchanged glances, their expressions solemn.

The blood pact they had signed dictated that... within fifty years, should Bai Xuan perish, they would die alongside him!

Within the East Sea, this rule was an ironclad prohibition; anyone who violated it would instantly drop dead, leaving no room for negotiation regardless of how formidable their strength might be.

"This old man will go with you."

True Monarch Liu Shen spoke up. "Take the Isles of Immortals fleet as well. Since I set out this time with our entire force mobilized, we can handle some odd jobs for Your Excellency."

He was decisive, harboring no hesitation.

If Bai Xuan were to head to the archipelago alone and die in battle, his own death would be far too aggravating. He would rather lead the entire Isles of Immortals forward than simply lie dormant!

(End of this chapter)