Great Demon Sun Wukong

The next day, as soon as dawn broke, Xi Zhao, Rogue Heart Sword Hero, and Sun Wukong made some brief preparations before embarking on their journey to the Canglan Water Realm. With a clear destination in mind this time, they did not delay along the way. Whenever they encountered ferocious beasts that were not too powerful, they would swiftly exterminate them; for those that lived in groups or possessed fierce auras, they would go out of their way to avoid them. Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire

In short, what would normally be a three-day trek, took only half the time for the trio as they flew most of the way, arriving at the Canglan Palace of the Canglan Water Realm. Of course, when they were still some distance away from the Canglan Palace, they were discovered by the people of the Canglan Water Realm, or to put it more accurately, the people of the Canglan Water Realm were waiting for their arrival.

From this, both Rogue Heart Sword Hero and Sun Wukong could not help but reassess the capabilities of the woman with the foresight from the Canglan Water Realm. The trio's trip to the Canglan Palace was not disclosed to Si Ye that day. Yet now, someone was already waiting for them, which indicated that their movements had been completely anticipated by that woman.

After Xi Zhao and his companions followed a disciple of the Canglan Water Realm for about twenty li, they indeed found no more road ahead of them. According to the map, there should have been a large mountain in front of them, and the Canglan Palace was located at its base. However, as far as the eye could see, there was no mountain to be found—instead, there lay a vast lake.

Furthermore, calling this expanse of water a sea wouldn't be an exaggeration, and seeing the trio's puzzled and astonished expressions, the disciple of the Canglan Water Realm said with some pride, "There used to be a big mountain here, but it was later moved by us, and then Sir Si Ye and several of the elders worked together to transform this area's landscape into an ocean. Our Canglan Palace is beneath these waters."

Upon hearing this, the shock in the hearts of Sun Wukong and his friends intensified yet again. Moving mountains and creating oceans, they were capable of such feats as well. While relocating a mountain in the Patrolling Celestial World was not too difficult, creating an ocean from scratch was an entirely different challenge.

First, you would need to create an enormous basin and then conjure up an ample amount of water to fill it. Of course, easier said than done; the difficulty in actually making an ocean was beyond imagination. Looking out at the boundless sea, Xi Zhao and his companions were suddenly skeptical of Si Ye's words. The notion of creating an ocean from nothing, and yet lacking the power for self-preservation, who would believe such a thing?

Setting aside the current combat power of the Canglan Water Realm, simply finding the Canglan Palace in this vast ocean was no small feat. Moreover, attempting to seize the Canglan Palace would inevitably mean engaging in battle underwater. Unless one possessed the innate Water Attribute of a Water Controller, their strength would be severely compromised. Taking Netherworld World as an example, fighting against the Canglan Palace in this sea, the odds of victory were no better than fifty-fifty.

Although the Flame God might be worthless, Sun Wukong was not proficient in water battles either, and aside from Xi Zhao, the situation would not be easy for anyone else. The three companions exchanged silent glances, each seeing shock and solemnity in the other's eyes. They had originally thought the Canglan Water Realm to be the weaker party, but now, gazing upon the sea, they no longer believed that to be the case.

"Xi Zhao, do you think that if Flame God unleashed his full strength and burst forth without care for the consequences, could he evaporate this ocean?" Sun Wukong asked while clicking his tongue. Sun Wukong had always disliked water battles since his days in the Pangu Realm; although his strength had multiplied countless times since then, his aversion remained unchanged.

Xi Zhao shook his head and said, "Based on my understanding of water and ice, this ocean is definitely not ordinary water. Unless Xi Zhao merges with the Burning Fire Stele, there's no way for him to evaporate the sea by himself—even if he self-destructs."

Hearing Sun Wukong and Xi Zhao's conversation, the disciple of the Canglan Water Realm turned around and laughed, "As expected of the former Demon Monarch, your insight is exceptional. Although this sea might seem like any ordinary ocean, in reality, the waters here are Hidden Profound Heavy Water. Moreover, it's highly corrosive. If someone with the Fire Attribute tries to evaporate this ocean, a terrifying poisonous gas will be released as the water evaporates. That gas is highly beneficial for our Bright Water Dragon clan but deadly to others!"

Upon hearing this introduction, Xi Zhao and his companions couldn't help but take a sharp breath. The Canglan Water Realm was truly no simple matter. Of course, the three said no more and, after each receiving a Bright Water Dragon Pearl from the disciple of the Canglan Water Realm, plunged directly into the sea.

Wearing the Bright Water Dragon Pearls, they created a space within a ten-meter radius where the sea water could not invade, similar to the air above. This allowed the three of them to follow the Canglan Water Realm disciple as if they were flying through the air, diving deeper towards the seabed.

Upon entering the water, the disciple of the Canglan Water Realm transformed into his true form, resembling one of the four great Spirit Beasts of the Azure Dragon from Sun Wukong's time in the Pangu Realm, except his scales were dark green. Seeing this scene, Sun Wukong was suddenly reminded of the time he went to the East Sea Dragon Palace to demand weapons during his days at the Flower Fruit Mountain in the Pangu Realm.

It took more than a quarter of an hour to reach the seabed, with the green light emitted by the Bright Water Dragon Pearls revealing the way. Considering their speed, a quarter of an hour's descent could span hundreds of thousands of li—could this ocean really be nearly a million li deep?

While the trio were stunned, the disciple of the Canglan Water Realm had already reverted to human form and then landed on the seabed. Sun Wukong and his friends followed suit but immediately began scouring the area, finding no trace of any palace or similar structures. What was going on? Wasn't the Canglan Palace supposed to be at the bottom of the sea?

The three of them didn't have to speculate much longer when a disciple from the Canglan Water Realm suddenly pressed both palms onto the ground. Slowly, a stone platform began to emerge from the ground. The platform was roughly five to six meters wide and shaped like a square. On top of the platform, there was a faintly visible Array. Xi Zhao could tell at a glance that the Array was, in fact, a teleportation Array designed for precise positioning.

At this sight, how could the three not understand? To reach Canglan Palace, one would need to use a teleportation Array. Was this secrecy not a bit too excessive? Without someone from the Canglan Water Realm to lead the way, who would have thought that a massive lake in the Patrolling Celestial World, as vast as the ocean, would contain a palace of the Canglan Water Realm? Moreover, this palace was not just at the bottom of the sea; it was concealed within an entirely different space.

Yes, a different space indeed. The moment Xi Zhao and the others stepped onto the teleportation Array, they found themselves transported. Then, with a flash of light from the Array, the four appeared inside a palace. This palace was bathed in a pale blue glow. At the very center of the palace stood a World Suppressing Stele, as tall as a person. Seeing this, the three could confirm that this place was indeed Canglan Palace.

"Welcome to Canglan Palace, esteemed guests from the Netherworld World," said a crisp and melodious voice as soon as they appeared. The three guests looked up and saw a line of people who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Leading them was an extremely delicate and beautiful woman.

Behind the woman stood the three individuals who had previously visited the Netherworld World—Si Ye, Liang Ji, and Ghost Jade—were all present. The rest of the Canglan Water Realm's people followed them. Seeing them, Xi Zhao and companions dared not neglect their manners. They stepped forward from their spots, approached a few steps, then nodded slightly and said, "Heh, I never would've guessed that Canglan Palace was so well-hidden. Even without our alliance, I imagine it wouldn't be easy for other powers to find this place!"

After Xi Zhao finished speaking, the woman leading the Canglan Water Realm flashed a gentle smile and replied, "It's no surprise that the Demon Monarch still carries such grace and charm. The reason Canglan Palace has gone to such lengths to conceal itself is because we don't possess sufficient combat power. But let's save the details for later, and may I ask our honored guests to allow this humble girl to offer you a banquet to cleanse the dust from your travels!"

This woman was none other than Yi Xuan, the powerful seer of the Canglan Water Realm. Since the moment she witnessed Xi Zhao and his companions' arrival, she conducted herself with dignified grace, her tone carrying playful and lively undertones, naturally endearing her to others. What everyone failed to notice, however, was that the moment this woman named Yi Xuan saw Xi Zhao, her body involuntarily stiffened, and when she looked at Xi Zhao, her eyes revealed an array of indiscernible emotions.

In contrast, Xi Zhao appeared completely at ease, so much so that Sun Wukong and Rogue Heart Sword Hero became quite puzzled. Inside the Netherworld Palace, Xi Zhao had displayed an extreme trust towards this woman named Yi Xuan, and his trust had extended to unconditionally trusting the entire Canglan Water Realm in association with her. This made the Rogue Heart Sword Hero and the others wonder if there was some sort of past connection or a very close relationship between Xi Zhao and Yi Xuan.

But now that they were face to face, neither Xi Zhao nor she exhibited any signs of recognition. There was none of the excitement one would expect from old friends reuniting, so Sun Wukong and Rogue Heart Sword Hero were understandably confused.

Hearing Yi Xuan's words, Xi Zhao nodded and spoke no more. He followed the others from the Canglan Water Realm and entered a room deep within the Canglan Palace. Sun Wukong had thought that the so-called welcoming ceremony might only involve some light refreshments or tea, followed by discussions of alliance details.

However, when they entered the room and the door was opened, Sun Wukong and Rogue Heart Sword Hero's mouths watered instantly. Before them was a large table filled with an assortment of delicious dishes, primarily various kinds of seafood. Some were familiar to Sun Wukong, and others were unnamable. But whether recognized or not, all were cooked to aromatic perfection.

"Please take a seat, guests. Forming an alliance with the Netherworld World is a fortuitous event for our Canglan Water Realm, so our honored guests needn't be courteous. Please help yourselves and enjoy to your hearts' content!" After saying this, Yi Xuan sat down first, followed by the rest in an order of precedence. When everyone was seated, Sun Wukong and Rogue Heart Sword Hero both looked toward Xi Zhao, their eyes filled with questions.

Xi Zhao smiled and said, "Rest assured, I find Miss Yi Xuan trustworthy. And the Canglan Water Realm will surely be our most steadfast ally, even surpassing the Genesis Divine Nation!"

Before Rogue Heart Sword Hero and Sun Wukong could voice their confusion, Yi Xuan suddenly addressed them, "Great Sage Equalling Heaven, Sun Wukong, and the foremost disciple of the Supreme Sword Sovereign, Rogue Heart Sword Hero, your reputations precede you, and I've long been aware of your esteemed names. But I wonder if you've ever heard the saying: 'Know the ends of the heavens, hidden in the north of the great mountains!'"

Xi Zhao interjected, "And there's also a verse: 'Blazing with the pride to swallow rivers and mountains, for the sake of one's glory, though strings may snap, the tune remains unbroken, and dauntlessly slice Chaos at the waist; if asked about success or failure, whether in laughter or in tears, in life or death, gathering or parting, let us indulge in utmost joy. Even if a withering wind buries our bones in the cold, our spirits penetrate the heavens, as we patrol the skies.'"