Dragon Boat Secret Realm 7: Water Spirit Pearl

“Wrong!” One-Eye barked. “This isn’t fourth-tier Golden Silk Longevity Wood.

Longevity Wood has no illusory fragrance! This is fifth-tier Parasitic Golden Silk Wood!”

Parasitic Golden Silk Wood shared all the properties of Golden Silk Longevity Wood—detoxifying and birthing myriad things. But as a parasitic plant, it emitted a beguiling fragrance and, while benefiting its host, siphoned their spiritual energy and flesh.

Golden Core cultivators could coexist with it, even refining it into treasures. Below Golden Core, however, parasitism meant one fate: becoming the wood’s blood fodder.

Yet, it didn’t attack unprovoked. Without ingesting it or spilling blood on it, it remained inert—a high-tier, low-harm spirit plant.

Realizing this, One-Eye snapped out of the fragrance’s trance.

A bloody scent hit his nose. To his horror, his hand was buried in Flower Face’s chest, sticky blood dripping onto the golden threads below.

He remembered: in the illusion, Flower Face lunged for the Water Spirit Pearl, forcing One-Eye to unleash a lethal strike…

A flash of gold. Countless dazzling threads slithered up Flower Face’s trembling body, burrowing into his flesh. Nourished by blood, the wood glowed vibrantly. A breeze passed, and Flower Face was gone. @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

His black robe fell, revealing a humanoid mass of writhing golden threads, creeping toward the others.

Sensing danger, Poison Old Man abandoned the artifact, his cloak dissolving into black mist as he vanished.

No matter, One-Eye thought. Without wounds or blood, the wood wouldn’t touch him—

Withdrawing his bloody hand, he prepared a strange fire to burn the wood. A chill crawled up his spine. Turning, he saw a flawless white rhino horn gleam in the jungle.

Above it, a spark of space-tearing light.

Smoke and startled birds surged skyward—

…

Poison Old Man prided himself on his vigilance. At the first shiver, he activated his strongest escape technique, fleeing a hundred meters instantly.

The effort drained his qi, compounded by the Nether Snake Fang Drill’s toll. His dantian spasmed, sweat beading on his forehead.

But no matter—Water Spirit Pearl, Golden Silk Wood—nothing trumped his life!

Live long, and anything was attainable.

He ditched those fools!

The blue sea neared, its breeze promising freedom. A smug smile curved his lips.

Then, a massive heavy sword aimed for his back.

Who?!

Furious, he saw a green-robed female cultivator wielding a sword nearly her height, smashing toward him!

“You? You’re alive?!” Recognizing Su Qing, Poison Old Man laughed bitterly. “Surviving by luck, you dare seek death!”

He waved his sleeves, dozens of black sparks bursting into toxic mist.

Prepared, Su Qing infused qi into her green robe, turning it fiery red. Like a fireball, she plunged through the mist, her robe incinerating it cleanly.

Poison Old Man gaped. “Impossible!”

No time for another move. Manqing Sword’s tail quivered, purple qi exploding. White airflow roared, its recoil propelling Su Qing toward Poison Old Man as he neared the sea.

She stomped his chest. In his disbelieving gaze, she gripped the sword with both hands, aiming its tip at his heart.

Desperate, he raised qi-infused arms to block. Blood seeped through his fingers, but the sword pressed down relentlessly.

Such strength—how could she be early Qi Refining?!

Was he to die here? Impossible—he had other tricks…

“Urgh—please—”

His plea was cut short. Manqing Sword’s third purple qi burst, white airflow surging. The force drove Su Qing and Poison Old Man into the sea.

The sword pierced his heart.

His terrified expression froze as purple-red blood gushed, diluted by seawater, attracting fish. A gu worm emerged, but seawater dissolved it into black mist.

Su Qing shooed the blood-hungry fish. So indiscriminate—weren’t they afraid of poison?

Poison Old Man was utterly dead, no trace of life.

Her first kill, yet oddly, she felt nothing—no pity for a life lost.

Evil cultivators seemed formidable, but head-on, they were pathetically weak. No surprise.

She lingered, ensuring he was truly dead, with no revival possible. Taking his storage bag, she retreated. Behind her, fish swarmed, devouring his body until nothing remained.

The island’s commotion was too loud, likely drawing treasure seekers. If the evil cultivators had allies nearby, she couldn’t win. No returning.

Her body refinement was nearly complete, and the island’s resources no longer served her. Better head to the next island before chaos arrived. @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

As for others destroying the Water Spirit Pearl, Su Qing’s power was limited—she’d done what she could. The White Jade Rhino’s recovery should secure the island.

Decided, she swam south, as planned, seeking seabed spirit mines.

But passing the island’s outer current, her mind blurred. The next moment, she was back at the island’s underwater center!

The Water Spirit Pearl still bathed in the clear volcanic lake, nourishing the golden sacred tree sprawling across the seabed.

What happened? Why was she back? Was the island trapped by an array?

No—it couldn’t be. She’d moved quickly.

The pearl glowed, as if it held the world’s only vitality.

*Don’t you want the Water Spirit Pearl?*

Su Qing frowned. Who’s speaking?

“Strange, you’re unaffected by the illusion array. Do you carry someone’s legacy? Only the blessed can resist illusions and break myriad barriers.”

The golden tree blazed with light. Countless golden threads sprouted, rushing toward her like a net.

She slapped lightness talismans on herself and fled, but the threads outpaced her, snaring her ankle and dragging her to the tree. Raising Manqing Sword to strike, the threads swiftly cocooned her and the sword into a golden chrysalis.

Now she—and her sword—were still.

But her mouth wasn’t. “I only ate a boar on this island—nothing else was my doing. The evil cultivators did the rest. Humans differ; I wouldn’t do such vile things. Seek justice from them. If you’re avenging the boar… its memories showed no backer like you.”

Had she known, she’d have fled after consuming its core.

She hadn’t expected the Golden Silk Wood to gain sentience and speak. But, growing near the Water Spirit Pearl with abundant qi, it made sense.

The problem: why didn’t it speak earlier? Knowing its strength, she’d have stayed clear. The evil cultivators likely perished digging it up.

“What a mess,” the wood grumbled. “I asked two questions, and you answered neither.”

“Legacy?” Su Qing shook her head. “I don’t know—maybe Sword Sect’s blessing.”

Actually, it was her otherworldly soul, resistant to illusions.

The wood didn’t press. It repeated, “You truly don’t want the Water Spirit Pearl?”

Her answer was ready. “No.” She added, “But if you’d share some tendrils or spiritual liquid, I’d gladly accept.”

Simple reasons.

Taking the pearl would doom the island’s life. The Overlord Jellyfish, if sentient, would curse her for bringing ruin. She couldn’t do that.

Also, it was too valuable for her to hold. Without high-tier concealment artifacts, carrying it would invite endless ambushes from the moment she left.

Too much trouble. No thanks.

“The desiring often fail; the indifferent often gain,” the wood mused. “You saved this island once and made the right choice, meeting the conditions. Per my master’s rules, you deserve a reward. Let’s see what I should give…”

Su Qing blinked. “Your master?”

“You didn’t research before entering?” A hint of pride colored its voice. “My master is this realm’s creator—Vast Realm True Monarch, Chou Yange.”

Before she could react, it turned into golden light, entering her nose and mouth, plunging into her dantian.

Panicked, she tried expelling it with qi.

Was it safe to ingest? Even trusting it, not in her body!

But her cultivation was too low. Against this high-tier wood, she was fish on the chopping block.

Was it seizing her body? Making her fodder? What could she do?

The wood’s voice was exasperated. “With your poor aptitude, what’s the point of seizing you? Why abandon godwood for a mortal?”

It decided her reward. Her aptitude was near-mortal; it would “till her soil.”

A golden seed shot into her wood spirit root, sprouting instantly. Golden threads surged, weaving through her meridians, ruthlessly clearing blockages and doubling their width.

Golden light glowed on her skin.

The wood was forging her internally. Long silent, it worked and commented, “This is the widest I can go—any more, and you’ll break. Humans are fragile.”

Gritting through pain and numbness, Su Qing said, “Don’t you think entering someone’s body without consent and critiquing it is rude?”

“Rude? That’s a human concern,” it replied, puzzled. “I’m strong—that’s enough.”

“I know a polite spirit plant.”

“It’s likely useless. If it was hunted like me, it’d have no time for manners.”

Oddly convinced, she conceded it had a point.

Widening her meridians was agonizing. She endured at first, but soon pain silenced her, sweat soaking her, blood in her mouth from bitten lips.

Silent, the wood muttered, “Is the outside world’s qi so thin? How’d you get such poor aptitude?”

Like a diligent farmer, it toiled on her barren “land,” breaking clods, weeding, and loosening soil, turning her abysmal aptitude into merely poor.

She seemed to faint from pain, silent. Bored, the wood considered probing her sea of consciousness but froze. “What was I doing? Right, fixing her pathetic wood root.”

Three months later, a golden thread exited her mouth. It summoned spiritual liquid drops, injecting them into her.

Waking, Su Qing felt at one with the world, exhaling turbid qi, her body lighter than ever.

Inspecting inwardly, her meridians flowed smoothly, her wood spirit root extended. Her aptitude had improved.

Her wood root’s development reached 75%, from average to excellent. Other roots were unchanged, but her widened meridians would speed future cultivation.

A blue bead hovered in her dantian, dripping liquid to nourish her wood root. “Water Spirit Pearl?” she asked, confused.

“Not the real one,” the wood said. “It carries its aura—a substitute. With it, you’re eligible for the Dragon Boat Trial.”

“Water Spirit Pearl? Dragon Boat Trial?” Su Qing was lost. “What’s the connection?”

“You know nothing!” the wood snapped. “Why enter the Five Elements Islands without knowing the Dragon Boat Trial? Listen: this realm has five islands—gold, wood, water, fire, earth—called the Five Elements Islands. Each has a spirit pearl. Per my master’s rules, collecting all pearls summons the Dragon Boat, granting access to its legacy.”

“I don’t know about the other islands. But for Pure Water Island, you hold the Water Spirit Pearl, qualifying for the trial.”

Su Qing mused. In game terms, she’d cleared the Pure Water Island dungeon, earning the pearl to enter the Dragon Boat dungeon.

Vast Realm True Monarch’s condition for clearing Pure Water Island was protecting it, not seizing the pearl like the evil cultivators.

This made sense.

The Dragon Boat Secret Realm was the True Monarch’s heart. She’d never grant legacy to those who ravaged it, only to juniors who cherished her creation.

The evil cultivators knew more but missed this, letting Su Qing stumble into the reward.

Why had she landed on Pure Water Island? Pure luck?

She didn’t understand.

The wood’s voice was tired. “I’m exhausted. Leave—I won’t see you off. I’ll sleep until the next realm opening.” @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

It returned to its body as golden light, the threads on Su Qing fading.

Though roughed up, she’d gained an opportunity.

“Thank you, Golden Silk Wood,” she said earnestly, adding, “And your master, Vast Realm True Monarch.”

It ignored her thanks to itself but perked up at the True Monarch’s name, thinking, *This human’s quite polite.*

Lazily, it urged, “Go—others are coming. You’re too weak to fight any.”

Su Qing swam outward, meeting the Overlord Jellyfish. It tilted its head, wrapping her hand with a tentacle. She shook it gently, a simple farewell, and swam farther.

The jellyfish tilted its head, puzzled—where was this human off to?

The confusion was brief. It led its swarm, drifting contentedly in the pearl’s qi current.

The island basked in sunlight, a gentle breeze blowing. All was well.

Another splendid day.

…

When Yu Huayi arrived at Pure Water Island with Yanyi Sect disciples, a high-tier barrier blocked them from landing or approaching underwater.

“The qualification’s been taken,” she frowned, pondering. “So fast—who did it?”

Recalling reports from other disciples: the Gold Spirit Pearl remained, the Wood Spirit Pearl was just taken by the Qi family, and no news on Earth or Fire Pearls. Shen Liuye was heading to Fire Dawn Island for the Fire Pearl. With the Water Pearl gone, Yu Huayi aimed for the nearest Breath Earth Island for the Earth Pearl.

Checking her map, the journey spanned half the sea. Without sect elders’ resources, she’d miss the Dragon Boat legacy.

Gritting her teeth at Pure Water Island’s barrier, she fumed. Who acted so fast, making her trip futile? Her sect’s spies tracked all capable contenders, yet no word came!

Taking a wooden fish from her storage bag, she told the disciples, “This tunnel can’t reach Breath Earth Island directly but lands within ten miles at Ziluo Island. We’ll go there, then detour.”

Infusing qi, a black vortex of spatial power appeared.

“Let’s go!”