Dragon Boat Secret Realm 5: Pure Water Island

The mud pool sat at the island’s heart, roughly the size of a pond, appearing utterly ordinary.

Nestled in a grove, it wasn’t foul-smelling but carried a rich, earthy scent.

Its lower layer was gray-brown mud, topped with a shallow, clear water film. Seeing it, Su Qing felt an urge to dive in and roll until coated in mud—a lingering influence from the boar’s legacy.

Recalling last night’s delectable roasted pork, that urge vanished.

The pool’s presence raised the surrounding humidity noticeably. In moments, Su Qing felt her skin nearly condensing water droplets.

Such dense water spiritual qi.

But it wasn’t just water qi—its healing properties likely stemmed from wood spiritual qi too. Quietly circling the pool, Su Qing spotted traces of low-to-mid-grade first-tier Five-White Flowers.

Named for their five white petals, these were common low-tier healing herbs for cultivators. Mild and non-conflicting, they were ideal as compounding agents or mashed for wound poultices.

Not precious, but essential for cultivation journeys. Why not gather some? Su Qing collected enough for her needs, storing them in her bag for future use.

Five-White Flowers thrived in wood qi-rich environments, confirming the pool’s deep wood spiritual qi.

Feeling no wood qi on the surface, she scooped a handful of mud, sensing its depths. As expected, rich wood qi permeated it.

With both wood and water qi—prime for healing—this pool was a veritable sanctuary.

By full daylight, the pool buzzed with life. Birdsong echoed, and squirrels, rabbits, foxes, and deer emerged from the jungle. Birds dipped into the clear upper water, preening their feathers.

Yesterday’s boar attack on the shore hinted at the island’s size—large enough for three-meter beasts. Now, it seemed even bigger, teeming with diverse wildlife.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps shook the ground, rippling the pool’s surface. Squirrels and rabbits perked up but didn’t flee; birds stayed calm. The newcomer likely wasn’t aggressive.

Using her breath-concealing technique, Su Qing hid in the foliage. Slowly, a mountain-like white rhinoceros lumbered into the pool, submerging itself.

Sunlight warmed the pool as the rhino relaxed, sinking until only its nostrils, mouth, and a curved, jade-like horn remained visible.

A low-grade third-tier spirit beast—White Jade Rhino—equivalent to early Golden Core.

Terrifying.

Her first-level concealing technique could evade Foundation Establishment cultivators. She’d thought it sufficient for the realm, where participants ranged from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment. Who’d expect a Golden Core beast?

Thankfully, it was herbivorous, uninterested in meat—especially human. Its gentle nature and Su Qing’s weakness let it ignore her.

Searching the boar’s memories, she found a faint impression: this rhino was strong, meddlesome, and not to be trifled with.

She recalled rumors that high-level spirit beasts or plants could become a region’s enforcers, inheriting part of its will. They’d act against major threats or invasions but ignored minor issues, acting like ordinary beasts.

As long as she caused no trouble, it likely wouldn’t bother her.

She wondered about Jiang Shuang—before departing, he’d said he’d seek refining materials in the eastern seas. Hopefully, that naive boy wasn’t deceived or injured.

Observing longer, Su Qing noticed an unspoken rule: no conflict at the pool. Predators and prey, like rabbits and foxes, coexisted peacefully, suggesting a truce zone.

With the rhino present, she didn’t dare enter the pool. She collected a large bucket of mud and quietly retreated to the shore.

Swallowing her water-repelling pearl, she dove back into the sea.

After three days swimming, she’d self-taught herself to swim. With the pearl, drowning wasn’t a concern—just adjust posture to move forward.

Sinking deeper, she followed the current, catching up to the leisurely jellyfish swarm after half a day. Their tentacles greeted her familiarly, and the venom’s sting drew a satisfied sigh from Su Qing. *This* was the feeling.

Potent venom.

For a cycle, she swam with them. When the stings grew intense, she surfaced, summoned her basic spirit boat, and applied mud to her wounds.

The mud’s qi was weaker than the pool’s, but sufficient. It soothed her wounds, the faint wood qi aiding recovery.

When healed, she stowed the boat and rejoined the jellyfish.

They didn’t stray far. After a month of swimming, Su Qing realized they circled the island, one lap per month. The qi-rich current looped the island too, suggesting something at its base sustained this uniform flow.

What it was, she didn’t know.

Her low cultivation made her wary of exploring too deeply.

Unable to decide, she focused on body refinement. After three weeks with the swarm, ordinary jellyfish venom no longer harmed her—no redness, her poison resistance significantly improved.

The Overlord Jellyfish opened its tentacles to her, interpreting her persistence as a desire to join its clan. After months of venom “marination” dulled her human scent, it turned, pulling her to the swarm’s front with its long tentacles.

It seemed to endorse her as a jellyfish clan member, generously offering a prime spot.

Despite her struggles and overwhelmed reaction, it forgave her adjustment period, keeping its tentacles on her.

So toxic—this damned Overlord Jellyfish!

She nearly died.

Cursing inwardly, Su Qing relied on her built-up resistance. After three days of dizziness, her body metabolized the venom, restoring her vigor. The jellyfish, however, sank to the seabed, still clutching her.

What a jerk!

The enhanced venom doubled her refining results. Though she felt she’d brushed death, she survived, stronger—a win.

After three months with the swarm, she seized a chance when the Overlord dozed, broke free, and sped to the island on her spirit boat.

Three months underwater, with occasional surfacing, left her feeling like she was sprouting gills. To preserve her land-dweller dignity, she needed weeks on shore.

Approaching cautiously, she found no boar ambush this time.

Yet something felt off—too quiet, chilling her. Her temples throbbed wildly.

In cultivation, she’d learned to trust her instincts.

Without hesitation, she slapped ten high-grade first-tier lightness talismans on herself, surged her qi, and bolted for the sea.

As she fled, figures emerged from hiding.

“Trying to run? Taste my miasma poison!” a voice sneered.

A purple-black halo flashed, and yellow-green toxic mist exploded before her.

Made from swamp miasma and ten venomous insect powders, it could corrode flesh and meridians below Foundation Establishment, reducing victims to blood puddles.

Though she fled quickly, her early Qi Refining aura suggested she’d have no return, despite her alertness.

Seeing the mist, Su Qing closed her eyes and covered her mouth and nose. In this crisis, panic faded; her heartbeat slowed, replaced by unprecedented calm.

Her qi split—half propelled her leap, half formed a continuous defensive shield around her.

Spiritual qi body protection.

The mist eroded the shield, which reformed, only to be eroded again. When it touched her skin, it burned fiercer than second-tier jellyfish venom. Such a heavy-handed attack for an early Qi Refining cultivator?

Her three months of poison resistance training held. The mist invaded only a tenth of her body, painful but not worsening, as her skin remained intact.

She dove into the sea, not even swallowing the pearl, desperate to reach the depths.

She’d been wrong—land was perilous; the sea was her refuge.

…

“She escaped. Poison Old Man, your skills are lacking,” a raspy voice mocked, belonging to Flower Face, cloaked in black, features obscured.

“Hmph, just a matter of dying on land or sea,” Poison Old Man retorted confidently. “A touch of my poison ensures half a life lost below Foundation Establishment. Want to try?”

Flower Face scoffed, “Talk is cheap. You let her go—who knows if she’s dead?”

“Enough. Even if she lives, she won’t dare return. Our goal’s met,” a one-eyed burly man interjected, quelling the dispute. His single eye flashed with menace. “The riffraff are cleared; focus on the task.”

“Per the intel, the Water Spirit Pearl should be on this island.”

Poison Old Man yielded to One-Eye, dropping his spat with Flower Face. He mused, “Strange. Pure Water Island is the farthest in the Five Elements Islands. We rushed via secret tunnels to get here so fast. How did a low-cultivation girl arrive just after us? Does she have a tunnel too?”

Flower Face sneered, “You let her escape—who can ask her now?”

Poison Old Man bristled, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

One-Eye barked, “Enough! Delay further, and the Master will have our hides!”

The word “Master” silenced them like a taboo. They ceased bickering, each lost in thought, and hurried to the island’s center.

…

Su Qing dove deep until her lungs nearly burst, then popped the water-repelling pearl into her mouth.

Fresh air flooded her lungs, bubbles escaping as she felt alive again.

Looking up, the water was dim, but she saw circles of dead fish floating above, their eyes lifeless.

All killed by the toxic mist.

Evil cultivators struck with lethal intent, leaving no reaction time. Had she not fled swiftly, she’d be dead.

Where there’s opportunity, there’s danger. She hadn’t provoked them; they must know of a hidden opportunity here, clearing out bystanders to secure it.

She’d just been unlucky.

After escaping, she checked her poisoning. Three months of refining made her resilient, and her qi shield helped. Only a tenth of her body was affected—painful, but not deteriorating.

Far from the island, she swam further, scanned with divine sense for trackers, then surfaced. She summoned her boat to heal.

Unfamiliar with this poison, she took three detox pills for safety, applied mud mixed with Five-White Flower juice to her wounds, and meditated with spirit-absorbing pills, drawing sea-surface water qi to heal.

Three days later, the venom was purged, and she felt fully restored.

Opening her eyes, she pondered.

Should she retaliate?

They tried to kill her. If she had the power, she’d strike back. Problem was, she didn’t. Before diving, she glimpsed three attackers: two late Qi Refining, one Foundation Establishment—unclear if early or later.

An early Qi Refining cultivator challenging Foundation Establishment seemed foolhardy.

But the island’s highest power wasn’t them—it was the White Jade Rhino, the island’s enforcer. The boar’s memories suggested the greatest opportunity lay at the mud pool, the island’s qi-richest spot.

Opportunities tied to spiritual qi; the denser, the better for treasures. The pool’s near-liquid water and wood qi had a reason. The rhino guarded it, soaking there.

If the trio disturbed the opportunity, angering the rhino, its Golden Core strength could crush them. She could join in then.

But maybe they’d prepared for the rhino, possibly defeating it. Then she’d need to flee to avoid being caught.

Thinking it over, she couldn’t let it go.

Not just for the 2,000 task points—enough for the full *Gale* sword technique and a high-grade first-tier heart method. She hadn’t provoked anyone; why should she be bullied and watch them take the treasure?

Her concealing technique hid her from Foundation Establishment cultivators. Spying should be safe.

Stowing her boat, she swam back toward the island.

A sudden thought struck like lightning. Swimming with the jellyfish, she’d noticed the qi current circled the island uniformly.

In other words, the qi formed concentric loops.

Thus, the treasure generating this flow likely lay at the circle’s center—the island’s heart, where the mud pool sat.

Was the treasure in the pool? Or perhaps in the sea beneath it?

Could the pool’s water be seawater welling up from below?

If the opportunity was underwater, had the trio discovered it in three days, or were they still searching the surface?

These theories flooded her mind. She didn’t know which were correct without verifying.

They were exposed; she was hidden, prepared.

No need to hesitate. Opportunities required risks. She’d scout first. @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

…

The closer she swam to the island’s underwater center, the stronger the sulfur scent grew.

Su Qing frowned: likely an underwater volcano. Active or dormant? Dangerous?

The calm fish schools suggested safety. After a quick judgment, she swam on.

Gradually, she saw rust-red ores and black solidified lava. Curious, she touched a cold lava chunk, its once-scorching heat long gone.

Safe.

She picked up a rust-red ore, finding no qi. A pity—Manqing Sword could’ve used it.

Squinting ahead, she glimpsed the volcano’s shadow.

The closer she got, the more cautious she became.

Oddly, the qi didn’t intensify as expected. Was her theory wrong?

Unsure what awaited at the seabed’s center, she moved silently, holding her breath and concealing technique, inching forward. Then, something cold and slimy touched her—

Like snake scales or corpse fragments.

Her qi surged, propelling her four meters away.

A long tentacle dragged her back.

It was the Overlord Jellyfish, its featureless umbrella body staring blankly, as if saying: *Why run? Don’t you recognize me?*

Heart pounding, Su Qing was speechless.

*Sister, you’re terrifying!* Why wasn’t it drifting in the current? Here to catch her?

Lacking a brain or speech, the jellyfish moved toward the dead volcano, its tentacles urging her along.