Chapter 338: Underwater Dual Cultivation
“A separate price?” Jiang Chen asked, an eyebrow raised in surprise.
“If you wish for me to be your partner in Dual Cultivation, you must first present the betrothal gifts, and then we must be properly and formally wed.”
Her words stunned everyone into silence.
The sea was home to countless demon races, but among them, the merfolk were second only to the dragons in both reputation and influence. They often cooperated with humans, and the two races shared a close relationship. Intermarriage was not unheard of.
But for a princess of the merfolk to be working as a hostess in the Sea Demon Pavilion’s Deep Sea Hall… it was simply unbelievable.
Jin Fugui’s interest was piqued. A wide grin spread across his face as he asked, “What kind of betrothal gifts?”
Xuan Zhu replied, “At the very least, one of the following: a Water Spirit Pearl, Liquid Water Essence, or a Water Spirit Fruit. Furthermore, I cannot remain on land for extended periods. Therefore, my partner and I could either meet occasionally, or he must be willing to reside in Mystic Heart City.”
Hearing this, a peculiar expression crossed Jiang Chen’s face. *How are these betrothal gifts the exact same items I acquired in the Water Spirit Palace?* he thought.
Jin Fugui and Mo Yu were intrigued, but they possessed none of the required treasures. As for Tie Zhu, the thought didn’t even cross his mind. Just being here was a stroke of incredible luck. Marrying a mermaid princess? Dream on.
Xuan Zhu’s beautiful eyes swept over them. “Immortal Lords, do you have any other questions?”Jiang Chen waved a dismissive hand. “We can discuss the dowry later. For now, let’s proceed with the service.”
His Wood Spirit Root was being suppressed by his other elemental affinities, and it desperately needed the nourishment of a Water Spirit Root. Besides, Mystic Heart City was a bustling hub with immense market potential for wine, pills, and even spirit weapons. It could easily replace the loose cultivator market of Green City.
And a crucial fact remained: nearly all aquatic demons were born with a Water Spirit Root. Some with noble bloodlines even possessed mutated variants. This mermaid princess before him, even without a mutation, had royal blood. To marry her for a single Water Spirit Pearl or a Water Spirit Fruit would be a surefire investment.
Still, that was a matter to consider after experiencing the service and participating in the Thousand Sails Event. With his long lifespan, he could afford to wait. There was no need to rush.
Xuan Zhu gave a slight nod. “Very well. The Immortal Lords may now choose your cultivation attendants.”
Without exception, all four men chose the mermaids. Their selection was anything but random; it was meticulous. They considered every aspect: beauty, figure, voice, and perceived experience.
In the end, Jiang Chen chose a mermaid named Ming Zhu.
Jin Fugui chose one named An You.
Mo Yu chose one named Ming Bo.
And Tie Zhu chose one named Di Liu.
It was well known that the Deep Sea Hall of the Sea Demon Pavilion offered the highest standard of service. Their specialty was the “Deep Sea Hunt.”
Typically, this took place at a depth of one to three hundred meters, sometimes even deeper than five hundred, as proximity to the undersea dragon vein enhanced the effects. But the deeper one went, the greater the danger. The Sea Demon Pavilion, naturally, wanted no harm to befall its guests. The service was thus modified to take place in the waters surrounding Mystic Heart City, allowing the client to choose a depth, location, and environment that suited them for the Yin-Yang harmonization of Dual Cultivation.
The four men separated, each entering a private room. Inside, besides a large bed, an underwater entrance took up nearly half the space. One could perform the cultivation in the room, but the effects would pale in comparison to being fully submerged.
Jiang Chen’s attendant, Ming Zhu, looked like a human girl of seventeen or eighteen. Her frame was petite, and she wore a sea-blue dress woven from mermaid silk. The loose neckline revealed her delicate collarbones, and a choker of white pearls adorned her neck. Her hair was soft and black, free of any complex ornaments save for a fresh sea anemone pinned behind her ear. Its pink and white petals occasionally wept a single, salty drop.
Her features weren’t stunning in a conventional sense, but she possessed a clean, spiritual grace. Her eyebrows were as fine and pale as a crescent moon, and her pupils were a translucent light brown. The corners of her eyes turned down slightly, giving her a look of timid gentleness. She had a small nose and lips that curved into a subtle, constant smile. Her hands were long and slender, her skin pale and tender. Her nails shimmered with the iridescence of mother-of-pearl, and the pads of her fingers bore patterns more intricate than any human’s.
Ming Zhu lifted her gaze, her voice as soft as spun sugar. “Immortal Lord, will you choose the room or the water?”
Jiang Chen smiled. “I know you can’t stay on land for long. Let’s go into the water.”
A smile bloomed on her face, revealing two small, sharp canines. “Excellent! I’ll go in first, and you can follow.”
With a soft splash, she slipped into the pool. Her dress instantly melted away, floating beside her on the surface. Her entire being seemed to come alive, like a spiritual plant finally receiving water, radiating a vibrant energy. Her fishtail swished gently in the cool water, stirring faint currents. Her tail fin fanned out, a full yard wide, and was covered entirely in silver scales that shimmered like moonlight.
Her black hair billowed out around her, drifting like seaweed. The anemone in her hair unfurled in the water, its petals beginning to glow with a soft fluorescence that danced with the silver light of her scales.
Underwater, Ming Zhu shed her earlier restraint. She waved enthusiastically. “Come on in, Immortal Lord!”
Jiang Chen walked to the edge of the pool. “How will I breathe once I’m under?” he asked casually.
A cultivator could, of course, survive without oxygen for some time. But they were going deep, well over a hundred meters. Without some precaution, an accident could be fatal.
Ming Zhu pointed to her pearl choker and chuckled. “These pearls are from a Water-Breathing Clam. They contain a pocket of space inside, filled with air. If you need to, just hold one in your mouth. Each one will last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn.”
Jiang Chen nodded, shed his robes, and stepped into the water.
Ming Zhu reached out, her cool fingers gently closing around his palm, and began to guide him down into the depths.
Ten meters down, the golden rays of the sun still pierced the surface. Deeper still, they entered a forest of weeping silk coral. Pink branches cascaded downwards, and at their tips hung fist-sized jellyfish. Their translucent pink-and-white bells pulsed gently, their tentacles swaying in the current. If one touched Jiang Chen or Ming Zhu, it would shyly curl into a ball.
At a hundred meters, the light shifted to a deep, ethereal blue. The pressure began to build, a slight heaviness in the water, but for a cultivator at the late stage of Foundation Establishment like Jiang Chen, it was nothing. Seeing he was unaffected, Ming Zhu relaxed, though her grip on his hand tightened.
A school of fish appeared ahead, their streamlined bodies gleaming like polished silver. They showed no alarm at the pair’s arrival, as if this were a common sight. Jiang Chen found it fascinating and reached out to touch one. At his light contact, the fish shivered as if shocked and darted away with a flick of its tail.
They continued their descent past enormous, hollow clams, their shells half-open and empty. The pearls had clearly been harvested by the local Dan divers long ago.
At three hundred meters, the pressure was immense. It was unnervingly silent, the only sound the thrum of his own heartbeat in his ears. The light here was a ghostly green, illuminating massive reefs that towered like sunken mountains. Their surfaces were pocked with countless honeycomb-like holes.
Perhaps sensing their arrival, two small lights suddenly blinked on from within one of the holes. Then four, then eight. The number multiplied with astonishing speed, soon reaching hundreds, then thousands.
At a glance, the entire reef transformed into a submerged galaxy, a night sky glittering with a thousand stars.
Ming Zhu suddenly pressed herself against him, her warm body a stark contrast to the cold water. She murmured against his ear, her voice soft and alluring, “Immortal Lord… shall we begin our Dual Cultivation here?”