Two Realms: I Will Become the Immortal Emperor

Chapter 406: Chapter 377: Only a Mighty Dragon Crosses the River

”Elder Meng, Senior Chen, I’ve come to deliver a map. This is a map of the outer areas we’ve charted beneath this sea region recently, which we offer to Jinyun Valley. To date, we have discovered hundreds of Aquatic Race beast packs, including those at the Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core realms.”

”It also marks some of the undersea undercurrents.”

”As for the deeper areas, we only have a rough outline. Our cultivation is too low to venture further, so please forgive us, True Masters.”

Fei Li raised both hands, a Jade Scroll resting in his palms.

Meanwhile,

the cultivator dressed like a fisherman also knelt and offered up a Jade Scroll:

”True Masters, this is a map of the sea region, drawn over generations by our families who live in the Black Tortoise Calm Sea. My elder brother unintentionally offended you both earlier, and I beg for your forgiveness. From now on, we coastal clans will await your command.”

With that, he immediately lowered his head.

Meng Changtu nodded slightly. With a casual wave of his hand, he drew the two Jade Scrolls to him.

He then infused them with True Essence, and two maps instantly materialized before them.

The sea region, with its chaotic Spiritual Qi, spanned tens of thousands of miles. The seafloor beneath it contained numerous small islands. Green areas marked the territory of Qi Refining Aquatic Race members, yellow for Foundation Establishment, and red for Golden Core. It also showed numerous whirlpools, marking the locations of powerful undercurrents.

One map alone was incomplete, but when combined, the two gave them a clear overview of the Aquatic Race’s distribution throughout the sea region.

The center of the Chaotic Sea Region, however, was still shrouded in mist on the map.

”What do you want?”

Chen Che put the map away and turned to look at them. This map would not only help them avoid most casualties but also allow them to clear out the Demon Beasts in the region much more efficiently.

”We dare not ask for too much.”

Fei Li said respectfully, ”We only hope the True Masters will permit us to hunt the Aquatic Race here.”

”We dare not ask for anything either,” the fisherman-like cultivator said, letting out a sigh of relief and kowtowing hastily. ”We only hope the True Masters will forgive our offense.”

His elder brother, Xu Ping, had been killed on the spot for making insolent remarks about a Golden Core True Master.

It was a classic case of disaster striking from a loose tongue. Offending a Golden Core cultivator with mere words could very well bring annihilation upon all the coastal families, so they had naturally rushed here at the first opportunity to apologize.

”I see.”

Meng Changtu nodded slightly. He swept his gaze over the two men, making their hearts leap, before finally speaking:

”Then you are permitted to hunt. You will hand over thirty percent of your catch. Furthermore, fighting amongst yourselves is forbidden. Violators will face the consequences.”

”Thank you, Elder Meng.”

The two were overjoyed.

’In this world, might makes right. The one with the bigger fist sets the rules. If the roles were reversed, they would have claimed this entire sea region as their private hunting ground. Why would they ever allow others to enter...?’

”Go on.”

Meng Changtu waved his hand, dismissing them.

The two men bowed low, then bowed once more to Chen Che, before hastily departing.

”Do you know why I still demanded thirty percent from them?” Meng Changtu asked, looking at his son-in-law.

”They offended us. If we didn’t accept their apology and compensation, they’d be left feeling anxious, worrying we’d settle the score with them later?” Chen Che replied earnestly.

”Exactly.”

Meng Changtu wasn’t surprised that Chen Che understood this. His son-in-law’s insight was far superior to that of an ordinary person. He had always worried that, due to his youth, Chen Che didn’t understand the complexities of human relationships.

Only later did he realize that his son-in-law understood these things perfectly well; he just couldn’t be bothered with them most of the time.

”Our purpose here is to clear out the Aquatic Race, not to monopolize the Black Tortoise Calm Sea,” Meng Changtu continued. ”By setting some rules, we stabilize the situation and prevent any further trouble down the line.”

Chen Che nodded.

He glanced back toward the coast, from where the faint sound of cheering could be heard.

Evidently, news of their decision had already reached the shore.

”So, I guess that makes us the ’mighty dragons crossing the river,’ right?” Chen Che said with a smile, looking at the map before them.

’And weren’t they?’

’They were just passing through, and the local bullies had already bowed their heads in submission.’

”Only a mighty dragon dares cross the river,” Meng Changtu replied. ”Otherwise, you’re liable to be swallowed up by the local bullies.”

Meng Changtu set aside the other matters and began to study the map in earnest. After a moment, he spoke up:

”Do you think this misty area on the map could be where the Undersea Palace is located? Even the aftereffects of a battle between Golden Core cultivators couldn’t possibly cover such a vast area or last for this long.”

”It’s highly likely. Didn’t Ye Yuanji mention something about this?”

Chen Che affirmed with a nod.

’Before his death, Ye Yuanji had revealed quite a bit about the Black Tortoise Calm Sea. He’d said the palace was destroyed, reduced to little more than a ruin. Seventy percent of the treasures within were now buried at the bottom of the sea.’

”That’s a genuine Traveling Palace of a Nascent Soul True Monarch! A single treasure from inside could be worth more than all of True Master Chixia’s wealth combined. With this map, we have a golden opportunity!”

Meng Changtu glanced at Chen Che. His son-in-law was a strange one; he didn’t seem the least bit tempted.

’How strange...’

”I doubt much is left.”

Chen Che clicked his tongue and slowly shook his head. ”If there were anything left, it wouldn’t be our turn to find it.”

’He knew full well that they were just here to do the grunt work.’

”True enough,” Meng Changtu admitted, ”but I’ll never be able to rest easy if we don’t at least go take a look.”

Meng Changtu truly couldn’t accept it.

”Then let’s go take a look.”

Chen Che agreed, getting to his feet.

’They had come all this way, after all. Besides, if they wanted to clear out the Demon Beasts, they would have to venture into the heart of the sea region sooner or later.’

The two immediately dove, sinking toward the seabed. While the surface of the sea was battered by wind and waves, the world beneath seemed calm—but this was an illusion. In reality, it was filled with undercurrents invisible to the naked eye. The sheer volume of water, combined with the immense pressure, was something that not even a cultivator of the highest Realm could withstand.

The terrifying pressure of the deep sea could instantly crush a cultivator’s body. For cultivators, the ocean floor was one of the world’s greatest forbidden zones.

Of course.

To contend with the ocean depths, Magical Artifacts like the Water-Repelling Bead had naturally been created.

About a thousand feet down, the surrounding water was still blue. Sunlight filtered from above, and schools of colorful fish turned the underwater world into a dreamlike scene.

Here, they could still see other cultivators. Some used the Water Avoidance Technique, others carried Water-Repelling Beads, all of them appearing like bubbles as they hunted members of the Aquatic Race.

By the time they reached three thousand feet, the water’s color had deepened, taking on an inky blackness. Ordinary members of the Aquatic Race grew scarce, replaced by Demon Beasts exuding immense auras.

The number of cultivators thinned out here as well. It was mostly Foundation Establishment Cultivators, with only the occasional, adventurous Qi Refining Cultivator daring to dive this deep.

By seven or eight thousand feet, all ordinary life had vanished.

Gazing around, it was like they had entered a land of absolute darkness, so black you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

Under the sweep of their Divine Sense, however, the two perceived a vast undersea forest. Countless colossal trees grew from the seafloor, their branches and leaves swaying slowly and rhythmically with the current, as if caressed by a gentle breeze.

There were even countless jagged rocks shaped like Demon Beasts, covered in kelp and strange shellfish. Just like the surface world, the seafloor had its own forests, deserts, mountains... even fire and ’birds’...

Atop a tall mountain, lava flowed continuously from the peak, providing the only source of light. Looking up, they could faintly see dark shadows flitting past—members of the Aquatic Race that lurked in these waters.

Standing on an undersea volcano, Chen Che frowned slightly.

The immense water pressure and chaotic Spiritual Qi were affecting his Divine Sense, reducing its range by about twenty percent. Even the circulation of his True Essence was growing sluggish. If they kept descending, the interference would only grow stronger.

In other words, without even doing anything, just by entering this region of the sea, their strength had already been suppressed by twenty percent.

Chen Che slowly shook his head.

”No wonder the seafloor is considered a deathtrap for cultivators. Only those at the Golden Core realm can even come here. An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, even if they managed to force their way this deep, would likely be unable to move an inch. If they encountered a Demon Beast, death would be certain.”

”The map is accurate,” Meng Changtu said, checking it and pointing ahead. ”If we follow this chain of volcanoes, we should reach the center of the Chaotic Waters.”