Chapter 706: Chapter 365: The Jade Girl’s Uniqueness, Fateful Encounter, Cutting a Big Beard, Ghost-faced Bodhisattva_2
Riding a sword through the waves, galloping within the lake. Though the speed was fast, one had to be constantly alert to the risk of capsizing. Li Xian occasionally took out a compass to observe, steering eastward. The lake’s weather was strange, sometimes cold as bone, sometimes with blazing sunshine.
Suddenly crashing into a lotus pond, the lotuses were towering inside, their petals half a person’s width. Li Xian sheathed his sword and leaped, landing in the heart of a lotus, and with a strong push, the lotus didn’t sink.
Li Xian was overjoyed, using his sword to cut the lotus vines, using the lotus as a boat, leisurely drifting through the pond. In the lotus pod were several dozen lotus seeds, roughly the size of a fist. Li Xian feared they might be poisonous, but his curiosity got the better of him. Remembering his Pure Yang Body and perfect constitution with strong poison resistance, he opened the lotus husk and tasted a bit.
The taste was bitter, with a slight sweet aftertaste. It indeed had poisonous properties, causing dizziness and drowsiness. Although Li Xian’s resistance was strong, he couldn’t discern heaven from earth temporarily. Lying horizontally in the lotus pod, he recovered after half an hour and dared not to indulge further.
This was "Drunken Lotus," a unique species in Dongran Lake, with a single lotus selling for a hundred taels of silver. The seeds could be brewed into liquor, which would be extremely potent! Jade City’s "Thousand-Year Drunken Dream," Sword Lake Manor’s "Drunken Sword," all required Drunken Lotus as an ingredient.
Though Li Xian’s experience was limited, his culinary skills were not. He immediately thought of the wonderful use of "brewing wine." But circumstances didn’t permit, so he temporarily suppressed the idea. Having stumbled upon the lotus boat, although slightly slower, it was very stable, unafraid of capsizing.
Thus was the mysterious Dongran Lake, danger hidden within beauty, beauty hidden within danger. In an instant, ten days had passed.
On this night, unable to find an island to rest, Li Xian drifted leisurely on the lake. He tasted the lake’s perils, relying on the Five Element Strange Evade, Heavy Pupil Eye Power, and perfect perception to avoid them beforehand and resolve them perfectly. Gradually, he explored the way of survival.
Having not heard of incoming enemies for a while, he reckoned Zhao Ranran had already given up.
At night, he closed his eyes, cultivating his five organs. His whole being emitted a glow, his hair softly floating. Like a fairy in a lotus, difficult to encounter in the world. Yet suddenly sensing something strange in the lake, the water suddenly boiled, countless glowing spots emerging thereafter.
The entire lake area was fantastically unmatched, as if a divine miracle descending to earth. Li Xian stretched out his hand and caught two glowing spots, discovering they were tiny insects. Non-toxic and harmless, he released them back to the earth. Li Xian mused: "The lake’s wonders are endless. Someday, if I achieve martial arts success, I will compile the encounters and scenes in the lake into a style called ’Dongran Long Fist’ or ’Dongran Long Sword,’ surely with great power. Once wielded, wouldn’t it scare off countless small villains."
Traveling on the lotus, wandering at will. Suddenly glimpsing an old wooden boat, with a black shadow on it. The shadow was extremely gaunt, seemingly fishing.
Li Xian’s heart tightened, thinking: "I remember Vice Envoy Yan once told me, there are various mysteries in the lake, both dragon species inhabiting and experts in seclusion. Such characters, with unpredictable moods, are hard to determine as good or evil. If I provoke, life and death are unpredictable."
He immediately quietly unsheathed his sword, using the blade to stir the water and silently escape. Trying his best to escape quietly and far away. Yet regardless of how stealthily he paddled, the lotus boat slowly retreated, pulled by an invisible force.
Li Xian’s heart was greatly shocked, looking back. Seeing the mysterious guest on the black boat, with a gaunt face, protruding eyes, sunken cheeks, broken nose, large ears. A horrifying abnormal appearance, like a ghost manifesting.
Li Xian secretly thought it was bad, exerting his Inner Qi to stir the waves. Yet the lotus boat continued to slowly flow backwards, closer to the black boat. He sighed loudly: "Alright, alright, it seems the senior has spotted me. It’s useless to flee further." Knowing the vast disparity in strength, he decided not to resist, letting the flow take him, slowly approaching the black boat.
The mysterious guest spoke hoarsely: "I was about to drink, but caught a Drunken Lotus. My willingness to bite skill seems somewhat accomplished."
Li Xian cupped his hands and said: "Senior, I greet you. You originally wanted to fish for Drunken Lotus, ah! Then I’m sorry for disturbing, I won’t disturb anymore." Immediately taking out the Sinking River Sword, riding the sword as he moved.
The mysterious guest leisurely said: "You ate one lotus seed, my liquor has one less jar. Would you please return it?" Li Xian’s face twitched: "This..."
The mysterious guest coldly said: "If you can’t return it, I’ll throw you into the medicine grind, crush all your flesh, tendons, bones, and membranes, then place them in a steamer, refined for forty-nine days. Use you to brew liquor and steep wine."
While speaking, he reached out a palm towards Li Xian, the motion slow yet containing an inevitable force. Li Xian utilized Magic Dao Golden Light, dodging to one side. His heart sinking with fear: "This person is strange, better not engage him." Observing the surroundings, the vast lake area offered little to utilize.
Seeing the perilous situation, Li Xian immediately held the Jade Water Pearl in his mouth, diving to the lake bottom, seeking a thread of vitality among thousands of deaths. The mysterious guest said: "Alright, just kidding. If you truly dive to the lake bottom, that would be courting certain death."
Li Xian, stepping on the Sinking River Sword, remained silent, vigilantly watching the mysterious guest from afar. The mysterious guest said: "Below this lake area, resides a big fellow. Hehe, it’s quite ferocious. The golden dragon over there keeps its distance. You, little fellow, in its eyes you’re a bug. Yet it’s greedy by nature, it won’t even spare a bug. How... don’t believe me? Want to take a look at the lake bottom?"
Li Xian calmly said: "I don’t dare not to believe, but I ask the senior to leave me a way out. Allow me to depart."
The mysterious guest slyly laughed: "You, compared to the previous young lady, lack insight." Then said: "But your composure is good. Follow me, I won’t harm you."
Steering the boat towards a place. Seeing Li Xian still hesitating, he added: "If I wanted to harm you, you would’ve been dead already. Don’t judge me by my frightening looks, I am a healer."
Li Xian thought: "This senior has an eccentric temperament, yet what he says makes sense. If he intended harm, I’d be at his mercy even if I tried to escape recklessly. If he truly doesn’t want to harm, following him wouldn’t hurt to explore." Summoning courage, he followed towards the black boat.
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