"Aaaahhhhhh!" Zhao Yunxiao screamed as he shot into the sky.
"Stop making such a big fuss. Is this your first time flying or something?" the sea serpent was dumbfounded as it flew alongside Zhao Yunxiao.
If Zhao Yunxiao was actually listening to what it was saying, he could at least have replied that this was indeed the first time he was being sent flying through the air in such a manner.
However...
"Aaaaaahhhhhh!" Zhao Yunxiao continued to scream as he felt himself rapidly gaining altitude.
The sea serpent flicked one of its two whiskers, sending a ball of energy over to smack Zhao Yunxiao on the face.
"Ouch!"
The impact was not too strong, just enough to make Zhao Yunxiao exclaim in pain. But more importantly, that also stopped him from screaming any longer.
"By the way, I've removed the mark that you left behind. So don't even think about anyone finding out about this."
Zhao Yunxiao: "..."
Indeed, the moment the sea serpent mentioned that it wanted to kidnap him, Zhao Yunxiao realised that it would be unlikely for him to avoid such an outcome.
Therefore, he had secretly left behind a mark with his essence energy without hesitation.
As long as any member of the Black Tortoise Sect came to look for him in his room and noticed this mark, they would be able to identify it as a request for help.
Or at least, that was the original plan.
Unfortunately, the sea serpent still managed to find out about it, erasing that possibility altogether.
"Are you not afraid that you will be found out by the elders of the sect?" Zhao Yunxiao asked with his long hair fluttering wildly in the wind.
For some reason, he was gradually starting to get used to being sent flying through the air like this.
Unexpectedly, being wrapped in this casing of water actually felt rather solid and safe once he got past the fear of it all. It was like a reliable shell that protected him while he was being thrown through the air.
Wait, that was not what he should be thinking about right now!
"Elders of the sect?" the sea serpent sounded a little surprised initially, but immediately broke out into laughter right after. "Hahahaha! Within the entire Origin Lake Sect territory, there is not one person who is my match right now! Not to mention the fact that there is no way any of those brats you call elders can find me, even if they do for by some ungodly coincidence, I will have no issue taking care of them all at once!"
Zhao Yunxiao frowned upon hearing that.
As a proud member of the Black Tortoise Sect, he was naturally unhappy to hear what this sea serpent had to say.
Not one person in the Origin Lake Sect territory was its match right now?
He Luoxuan was also one of those people present!
How could he feel good hearing a mere spirit beast look down on an elder of his Black Tortoise Sect?
It was not as though the sea serpent did not know of He Luoxuan's arrival at the sect grounds either. The entire entourage literally entered the Origin Lake Sect territory under its watch.
Of course, it was also possible that the sea serpent simply had no idea about just how strong He Luoxuan truly was, mistaking him for being at the same level as the elders of the Origin Lake Sect just because they had the same title.
Still, thinking back to their arrival at the Origin Lake Sect actually caused Zhao Yunxiao to lose a bit of confidence.
When they were entering the Origin Lake Sect territory, did He Luoxuan manage to notice the sea serpent watching them?
He probably did, right?
Zhao Yunxiao was actually not too sure about that.
He did not remember anyone reacting to the sea serpent in any way, He Luoxuan included. Though it could also be because he did not feel threatened by it whatsoever.
Zhao Yunxiao was not sure which it was, but he definitely hoped that it was the latter.
At this moment, he suddenly noticed that they were nearing the main hall where He Luoxuan and the inner disciples were currently having a meeting with the Origin Lake Sect elders.
Without realising it, his heart was filled with hope once again.
Perhaps now that they were this close, He Luoxuan, as powerful as he was, would notice his presence and realise that he was being kidnapped!
But at the very next moment, Zhao Yunxiao's eyes started to glaze over.
All of a sudden, Zhao Yunxiao was no longer certain if he wanted He Luoxuan to notice his presence anymore.
That was because when he looked down towards the main hall where He Luoxuan currently was, Zhao Yunxiao inevitably also saw his own naked body showing through the transparent casing of water.
If He Luoxuan were to take action right now and rescue him from the sea serpent, it would surely cause a commotion in the sect.
Wouldn't the entire Origin Lake Sect enjoy a free look at his precious jade-like body then?
Either get kidnapped by the sea serpent or expose himself to the world... Zhao Yunxiao actually found it difficult to decide which one was worse!
In any case, he never had a choice in this matter in the first place.
All he could do was wait and see what happened next.
Trapped in the casing of water, Zhao Yunxiao flew right over the main hall, heading deeper into the Origin Lake Sect territory.
And during this time, there was not a hint of movement coming from within the main hall.
There was no way that He Luoxuan would not notice someone flying overhead, so it was likely that the sea serpent somehow managed to successfully hide his presence along with its own.
"So, where are you taking me?" Zhao Yunxiao asked with a sigh, having finally given up all hopes of being rescued.
"Where do you think we are heading towards?" the sea serpent asked in return.
Zhao Yunxiao looked forward upon hearing that, and his face paled.
They were headed right into the deepest regions of the Origin Lake Sect territory – the core grounds of the sect!
"Wait! The core grounds of the sect are strictly restricted to outsiders! I will die if I get caught!" Zhao Yunxiao shouted in panic.
"Getting caught should be the least of your concerns right now," the sea serpent's composure was in direct contrast against Zhao Yunxiao. "I've been going in and out of this place repeatedly, making it my home for the past centuries without getting caught. What makes you think that I will suddenly get caught now?"
Centuries?
Zhao Yunxiao shuddered.
That explained why this sea serpent was so resourceful.
He did not know about combat capabilities, but after living for centuries, anyone would be able to develop a key trait that they were good at.
Perhaps this sea serpent's was the ability to hide its presence.
If that was the case, it could explain how the sea serpent managed to hide from even He Luoxuan.
But that was still just the sea serpent itself!
It was true that nobody seemed to be able to see the sea serpent, but they could see him just fine!
Unfortunately, the sea serpent did not seem like it was open to address his concerns, and the powerless Zhao Yunxiao could only go wherever the sea serpent wanted to bring him.
Before long, a beautiful lake started to come into view.
The moon could barely be seen today. In its place, the numerous stars in the night sky were reflected on the surface of the lake, appearing like small glittering crystals that floated on the water.
Even from afar, Zhao Yunxiao felt himself being drawn in by the inexplicable allure of the lake. It was as though the lake was the only thing worthy of attention in the world.
Zhao Yunxiao had a fairly good idea on where this was the moment he saw the beautiful lake.
Origin Lake – the mystical lake deep within the core grounds that the Origin Lake Sect had taken its name from.
It was said that the Origin Lake Sect only existed because of the Origin Lake.
Had it not been for the Origin Lake, there was no way that the Origin Lake Sect would ever have the resources or capabilities to rise up as an influential faction.
Now that Zhao Yunxiao was here in person, he could understand what these people meant to a certain extent.
Just the world origin energy density in the surroundings of the Origin Lake alone was already multiple times that of other areas in the sect.
To be able to cultivate in an environment like this would be nothing but beneficial to cultivators, equivalent to halving the effort and doubling the benefits!
"Hold your breath."
"What?"
Zhao Yunxiao was confused for a moment, but not for long as he noticed the Origin Lake quickly becoming bigger and bigger before his eyes.
Of course, the Origin Lake itself never changed in size.
On the contrary, it was them who were diving down from the skies, rapidly closing in on the Origin Lake as they fell.
Shit!
Zhao Yunxiao managed to take a deep breath just before he slammed headfirst into the water, mercilessly breaking up the beautiful image that had been on the surface.
With a loud splash, Zhao Yunxiao felt the cold sensation of water washing over his face.
As for the rest of his body, they had already been encased in water from the start, and that did not change even after entering the Origin Lake.
There was a clear distinction between the casing of water and the water of the Origin Lake, the casing of water seemingly already having taken a permanent solid form that protected Zhao Yunxiao from the elements.
Even after entering the lake, Zhao Yunxiao and the sea serpent did not stop moving.
Zhao Yunxiao could see himself sinking deeper and deeper, the distance between him and the light on the surface continuing to increase with each passing second.
Before long, he had dived so deep that the light on the lake surface was no longer visible.
His surroundings had become pitch dark. Despite his honed senses as a cultivator, Zhao Yunxiao could not even see himself, not to mention the sea serpent.
All he knew was that he had not stopped sinking.
Just how deep was this Origin Lake?
Wait, if he kept going further and further like this, would he eventually end up drowning here?
Cultivators might be able to hold their breaths for extremely long periods of time, but there was still a limit.
If he really did end up drowning here, who knew how long it would take before someone finally managed to find and retrieve his naked corpse?
Maybe he should make some sort of marking to make it easier for others to identify his corpse in the future?
Just as he was thinking that, Zhao Yunxiao suddenly had to squint his eyes as a spot of light started appearing in the distance.
It was only a dim source of light, but still seemed ever so brilliant in this environment of near total darkness, almost blinding Zhao Yunxiao for a moment.
This dim source of light slowly grew bigger and brighter as he approached, to the point where it suddenly became so intense that it completely took over his surroundings.
Zhao Yunxiao widened his eyes in surprise as it became clear where the light was originating from.
Right here, deep in the depths of the Origin Lake, was a grand palace emanating brilliant and illustrious lights that illuminated all directions.
Just from a single glance, Zhao Yunxiao could tell that this palace was likely no smaller than the Sect Market of the Black Tortoise Sect, the biggest structure in the Outer Grounds.
And because of its presence here, the floor of the lake became clear as day, almost as though the palace was a sun specially created for the underwater world!
Who knew that there would be such a thing hidden in the depths of the Origin Lake?
The sea serpent swam up in front of Zhao Yunxiao before turning to look at him.
And with the light from the palace as backdrop, the sea serpent said with an obvious hint of pride in its voice.
"Welcome to my home."