Dragon Boat Secret Realm 6: Golden Silk Wood

After days of interaction, the Overlord Jellyfish had become Su Qing’s most trusted companion on the island and its surrounding seas.

It seemed to regard her as part of its swarm, never harming her.

When she tried to slip away, it would wave its long, transparent tentacles to pull her back, secreting a bit of venom to “soothe” her nerves.

It likely worried she’d get lost and stray from the group.

In the jellyfish swarm, venom secretion was a playful, affectionate act. Having survived and built resistance, Su Qing gradually embraced this painful yet joyful “play.”

She matched the jellyfish’s pace.

Through its translucent body, she glimpsed the dormant volcano and vibrant fish schools.

Sensing its aura, she noticed the Overlord Jellyfish showed signs of breaking through. Its energy was harmonious, like an overflowing cup.

She wondered: *Did it come here to break through, leaving its swarm? Does it think I’m here for the same reason?*

Moving forward, the jellyfish suddenly floated upward, its umbrella body pulsing as it ascended. Its tentacles swayed like floral vines in the water. @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

Su Qing kicked her legs, following. The jellyfish’s tentacles rested on her shoulders, guiding her gaze downward.

Her eyes widened.

It was indeed a volcano—a dormant one. Yet, its crater held a shimmering blue “lake,” like a sapphire embedded in the sea. In the dim seabed, this glowing blue water radiated soft, vibrant light, as if proclaiming itself the heart of the ocean’s vitality, sustaining all life.

A volcanic lake.

Could such a thing exist underwater?

Looking closer, she realized it wasn’t water but dense, viscous water-attribute spiritual liquid, pooling into a lake.

At its center floated a transparent blue pearl.

The Water Spirit Pearl gently spun above the liquid, likely the source of the dense water qi forming the lake.

Encircling the pearl were golden threads. Su Qing’s gaze followed them upward, from a low angle to level, then craning her neck.

She saw a golden plant—no, a tree, massive despite lacking emerald leaves. Its golden branches stretched upward, branching and weaving into the island’s underside.

The golden threads were its roots, entwining the Water Spirit Pearl, absorbing its water qi and emitting a faint glow.

Su Qing realized the mud pool’s abundant wood qi came from this plant.

This was the island’s opportunity.

The spiritual liquid accumulated faster than the plant absorbed it. When Su Qing arrived, the lake was nearly overflowing. Now, it was on the verge of spilling.

The Overlord Jellyfish hovered above the lake’s edge, waiting. As more liquid spilled, countless marine creatures floated up, gathering around the radiant Golden Silk Wood and the blue liquid.

Fish, shrimp, shellfish, turtles, and hybrid plant-animal beings formed a miniature food chain. Predators and prey alike, all spiritually awakened, their auras harmonious, on the cusp of breaking through.

Though safe with the jellyfish, Su Qing felt uneasy, never finding its tentacles so comforting.

The Golden Silk Wood was peculiar.

Its branches were iron-tough, but its fine tendrils were soft. Fish nibbled them, and Su Qing noticed these were often injured. The golden tendrils entered their wounds, stitching them like needle and thread.

A treasure.

Tugging the jellyfish’s tentacle, she pointed at the tendrils, asking if she could take some.

The jellyfish gently nudged her forward.

Permission granted.

Swimming to the tree, Su Qing felt its sanctity up close, like a mythical being communing with heaven and earth’s qi. She filled a storage bottle with golden tendrils and qi-rich seawater.

Done, she returned to the jellyfish. Heaven and earth were vast, but the jellyfish was king.

Sensing her unease, it enveloped her again.

Fully resistant to its venom, she felt no pain.

Waiting—

Finally, the liquid enveloped the crater’s edge, forming a glistening rim. As surface tension broke, countless streams poured out simultaneously!

Instead of mixing with seawater, the Water Spirit Pearl flashed, and the liquid formed a ring, spreading outward from the crater.

Instantly, blue-white light surged, engulfing everything, stirring a spiritual qi storm. Ocean currents roared, upheaving the seabed.

Su Qing was swept away like a kite in a gale, nearly flung to the horizon. Only the jellyfish’s tentacles kept her anchored.

The dense qi ring hit her, flooding her dantian, forcibly raising her to Qi Refining Layer 4.

Every cell in her body awakened under the water qi’s flood, chattering as if countless voices argued within, vibrantly alive.

Her consciousness began to fray under the intense qi. She couldn’t even regret, feeling herself dissolving into a drop of water, a fish, merging with the ocean.

Was she growing a fish tail?

Then, something cool and slick enveloped her. The Overlord Jellyfish’s translucent, pale blue umbrella sheltered her, shielding her from the qi’s direct assault.

In her fading consciousness, she saw a chaotic yet beautiful blue world through its body. Marine creatures, blessed by the Water Spirit Pearl, advanced, transforming with joyful cries.

The blue pearl and radiant Golden Silk Wood lingered in her vision.

…

Waking, Su Qing found herself half-dead, dragged by the Overlord Jellyfish. Familiar small jellyfish greeted her with venom, their tentacles tickling her face. She sneezed, fully alert.

She was back in the qi-rich current with the swarm.

The current’s qi was diluted spiritual liquid from the volcanic lake.

It clicked.

She understood the island’s ecosystem. The Water Spirit Pearl sustained it, splitting its liquid: one part fed the Golden Silk Wood, which converted it to wood qi, nourishing the island’s surface. The rest spread to the seabed’s creatures.

The island’s land and sea ecosystems revolved around one pearl. Removing it would collapse both, wiping out all life.

The evil cultivators were here for this opportunity—likely the pearl, the wood, or both.

Both treasures were beyond Su Qing’s grasp. She knew they were valuable but couldn’t discern their tier.

Swimming to the swarm’s front, she saw the Overlord Jellyfish, now larger with longer tentacles, showing signs of high-grade second-tier after the qi surge.

Had its intelligence grown too?

Touching its tentacle, she silently thanked it: *Thank you.*

Without its protection, the qi would’ve torn her apart. Lacking features, she couldn’t tell if it understood, but its tentacles gently wrapped her, secreting more venom—likely a sign of joy.

Accustomed to the water, Su Qing sat on an old sea turtle’s shell, meditating to stabilize her cultivation. Her solid foundation prevented root damage from the forced advance. @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

Excessive qi could turn one into fodder for resources rather than absorbing them.

Three days later, her cultivation stabilized at Qi Refining Layer 4. She opened her eyes, reining in her qi.

The turtle, seeing her awake, craned its neck and croaked.

Su Qing tossed it dried meat from her storage bag. Satisfied, it munched, stretching its neck.

Jumping off, she teased, “You old turtle, not yet a spirit beast, but sharp as if you were. They say turtle shells divine fortune. Can you tell if I’ll have good luck or bad?”

The turtle shamelessly lingered, begging for more meat.

“Eat, eat, eat—always eating. The island’s at risk, and you’re still eating,” she grumbled, tossing more meat. “Why not eat those evil cultivators?”

Shooing the greedy turtle, she looked at the shimmering water above, took a deep breath, and surfaced.

This time, she chose a more hidden landing spot.

…

“Drilling so long, and still no Water Spirit Pearl!” Flower Face complained. “Is this artifact even working?” @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

The mud pool, once serene, was empty of bathing animals. A black artifact spun rapidly within.

The third-tier high-grade Nether Snake Fang Drill, jet-black with a carved venomous snake at its tip, bore obscure runes. Used for tapping spirit veins or finding mines, it could pierce crusts and tear space when infused with qi.

But it consumed vast qi, beyond most cultivators’ control. The evil cultivators set a qi-gathering array, channeling qi through a person to activate it.

“Always impatient!” Poison Old Man snapped at Flower Face. “A third-tier artifact isn’t easy to wield! A Golden Core cultivator could maximize it, but you’re mere Qi Refining—expect a grind!”

One-Eye, mid-Foundation Establishment, was the strongest. Ideally, he’d operate it, but he delegated to Flower Face and Poison Old Man, staying vigilant to prevent ambushes.

Qi flowed through the array into Flower Face, who channeled it into the drill, enduring cycles of depletion and refilling—a grueling process.

His form shrank, voice hoarse. “This back-and-forth is exhausting. That third-tier White Jade Rhino’s horn better be mine, or this trip’s a total loss!”

Angrily, he jabbed at Poison Old Man. “If you hadn’t poisoned that rhino, its blood, meat, and bones could’ve fetched a fortune on the black market. Now they’re tainted by your gu poison!”

Poison Old Man retorted, “Without my master’s thousand-times-refined King Gu Worm, you think we could subdue a Golden Core beast? Keep dreaming and do your job.”

The artifact drained them. Flower Face grumbled, “Why not search from the seabed? The pearl’s likely there.”

“The seabed’s first hurdle is the toxic jellyfish swarm,” One-Eye said grimly. “Not to mention later obstacles—all deadly. On land, we move freely. With the rhino gone, nothing threatens us.”

The drill churned the pool into a dark vortex. Suddenly, the island’s stone base shifted, gushing clear seawater.

Water and wood qi surged, intoxicatingly dense.

Even One-Eye wavered, cycling qi thrice to steady himself, eyeing the others warily to prevent scheming.

“Don’t stop. Keep digging.”

His cultivation outstripped theirs. Flower Face greedily inhaled qi but only muttered, not daring to pause.

As digging deepened, the sticky mud peeled away, revealing a golden thread.

Pure gold, it shimmered mesmerizingly in the sunlight, exuding a rich, golden wine-like fragrance.

Poison Old Man erupted in joy, diving into the pool, kneeling, and cradling the thread. “High-grade fourth-tier Golden Silk Longevity Wood! We’re rich!”

Golden Silk Longevity Wood: iron-hard branches, soft pluckable tendrils that detoxified, crafted artifacts, formed arrays, and birthed life. Growing in water qi-rich areas, it converted water qi to wood qi. Flowerless and leafless, consuming it healed, detoxed, and extended lifespan—100 years for Qi Refining, 50 for Foundation Establishment, 30 for Nascent Soul.

Lifespan was the foundation for defying fate. An extra year meant a chance at breakthroughs; decades were priceless. Its versatile properties made it a marketless treasure.

Good things stirred greed. One-Eye gripped his blade, speaking softly, “Finish this, and we split it. Fail, and the Master won’t spare us. No life, no treasure.”

Suppressing his ecstasy, Poison Old Man slapped himself twice, forcing calm. “Of course, of course!”

As more wood emerged, wood qi thickened, intoxicating them like a drug.

…

On shore, Su Qing hid in a safe spot.

She donned the high-grade third-tier robe from Tang Yueling, infusing it with wood qi to dull its vibrant red to plain green.

Too high-tier for her, it drained qi heavily, so she rarely wore it. But now, facing a life-or-death moment, she needed her best gear.

She swallowed ten each of detox, restoration, and rejuvenation pills. Detox preempted poisoning; restoration preserved her vitals; rejuvenation primed her blood and qi to a feverish peak.

Meditating, she absorbed the pills’ effects in ten breaths.

Confirming their integration, she meticulously polished Manqing Sword—blade and hilt gleaming. Erasing her traces, she stealthily scoured the island, soon finding the White Jade Rhino.

It lay curled on dew-kissed grass—the boar’s favorite tender-rooted spring meadow.

Its massive body slumped, head low, its once-pristine jade horn now purple with venom. Its snowy skin, dulled by poison, bore purple and yellow spots.

Half-closed white lashes framed lifeless eyes. A dozen rhino birds hopped on it, calling futilely to their companion.

Yet it still breathed.

Releasing gentle wood qi to signal harmlessness to the birds, Su Qing approached, retrieving the bottle of golden tendrils in seawater.

The tendrils gleamed with vitality.

Prying open the rhino’s mouth, she poured in ten bottles of detox pills and all the tendrils. Fortunately, its weakened state prevented挣扎, or it might’ve drawn the evil cultivators.

Its size made poisoning it hard—and saving it harder.

Having seen fish regrow flesh with the tendrils, she bet on their potent healing to revive the rhino.

Praying silently—a Qi Refining cultivator couldn’t face Foundation Establishment—she urged it to recover fast, or she’d have to flee.

As the tendrils entered, the rhino’s mountain-like body shuddered. Its drooping lashes snapped up, eyes blazing gold.

The birds screeched, flapping upward. Su Qing’s brow twitched, glancing afar.

Golden light erupted above the mud pool, like a treasure’s birth.

Had the evil cultivators reached the Golden Silk Wood?

Looking down, the rhino seemed still, but its skin quivered rapidly, as if undergoing drastic internal changes. Golden veins spread across its surface, purging the ominous purple and yellow spots.

A sign of recovery?

Before she could check, the rhino stood, neck jerking. It retched painfully, expelling golden threads wrapping a blood-red worm.

The poison’s source. Su Qing cast a fire spell, incinerating the worm and threads to ash.

The rhino rose, eyes open. Warm spiritual force enveloped it, unleashing terrifying pressure. Grass and trees swayed without wind; dew floated, framing it like a mythical beast.

Golden Core pressure.

As thanks, it bent, touching her palm with its restored jade horn, like a bow.

Facing such a creature, Su Qing faltered. Pointing to the golden light, she whispered, “Look there—”

Words were unnecessary. White clouds formed under its hooves, carrying it skyward, vanishing instantly.

The golden light—was it a celestial omen? Would it draw more treasure seekers?

Time to leave.

But first, she had one small task.