East Splendor Continent, Zhao You Mountain.
This towering and peculiar mountain rises abruptly, piercing the clouds, appearing like a celestial pillar holding up the heavens. In East Splendor Continent, it is renowned as "Little Buzhou."
Atop this peak lies the Zhao You Heavenly Pool. At night, the constellations of the Milky Way are reflected within, creating a magnificent spectacle. The pool’s depth is unknown, with legends claiming it connects directly to the Nine Netherworld. Thus, it is often described as "reaching the Heavenly River above, linking to the Netherworld below."
This time, Zhang Yan passed smoothly through Little Lang Mountain, encountering no disturbances, and arrived at this location without trouble.
This is the domain of the Three Pools Great Demon Gui Congyao. Standing at a vantage point here allows one to take in all the surrounding scenery. This Demon Lord has a penchant for solitude, so cultivators rarely pass through this area.
To ensure safety, Zhang Yan summoned Luo Xiao to accompany him by his side. Together, they ascended the mountain, flying upward along its ridges.
After flying for a day and night, around noontime the following day, the two finally reached the summit.
Before them lay an expansive sapphire-blue lake, stretching several thousand miles.
The lake surface was tranquil and mirror-like, its clarity seeming to have been washed clean. Rarely crossed by birds and shrouded by an aura of Clear Qi, the surroundings were adorned by rolling clouds that surged as if an ocean in motion—majestic, vast, and extraordinary.
As Zhang Yan stood there, taking a cursory glance, he immediately noticed the rich abundance of Spiritual Energy in the area, comparable to that of his spiritual paper Island. The cloud seas around him surged, giving an illusion that one could almost touch the heavens above. It stirred an intense urge to embrace this profound expanse of nature.
Moved by the scene, he clasped his hands behind his back and recited deeply, "Commanding the sky to stir the clouds, absorbing Qi to savor celestial meals, braving the Gang Wind unyielding, forging ahead to open the Heavenly Gate!"
Luo Xiao heard this, covered her mouth lightly, and chuckled. She said, "Master, what noble spirit you possess. Surely, this quest to locate the Cloud Sand is already well within your grasp."
But Zhang Yan shook his head. If this Zhao You Heavenly Pool were only a hundred miles in circumference, it would be manageable. However, as far as the eye could see, it stretched endlessly. Zhou Chongju had merely told him that the Water Attribute Cloud Sand was located at a depth of a hundred fathoms but said no more when asked for specifics. Who knows exactly where it might be?
So there was no choice but to search for it himself, trusting that his senior brother wouldn’t be so careless as to mislead him.
However, since this was the domain of the Great Demon Gui Congyao, they dared not fly recklessly across the area, lest they provoke the demon. After discussing with Luo Xiao for a moment, they both decided to split up and search. With the Essence Blood Oath binding them, they were not worried about losing contact with one another.
Upon entering the water, Luo Xiao reverted to her original form, transforming into a three-zhang-long giant python and began searching westward along the lake’s edge.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yan plunged into the water and utilized the Small Wave Division Skill from the Lan Yun Secret Volume, allowing him to move at a respectable speed underwater.
Gradually, he descended to a depth of a hundred fathoms, where various enormous strange fish swam back and forth. The lake water was chillingly icy, but fortunately, his cultivation allowed him to endure it.
He continued his search eastward, and about three to five days later, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sensation, as though the item he was searching for was nearby.
Carefully searching once more, he indeed discovered a shimmering blue section along a cliff face near the lake shore. Upon closer inspection, his eyes gleamed with delight. This was a sapphire-colored vein of Ripple Sand, resembling ribbons woven through the cracks of the rock. Among them was a considerable amount of Cloud Sand, which glimmered transparently like crystals. Clearly, these were of high grade.
He scanned the area repeatedly, and finally, his gaze settled on one particular piece of Cloud Sand.
This Cloud Sand was not very large, yet it exuded extraordinary spiritual nature—immaculately polished and full of life. Seeing it almost made him feel as though it was alive. Compared to it, the others of its kind seemed mundane and earthly.
Unexpectedly, he had found it so easily. Zhang Yan felt a surge of joy in his heart. After glancing around to ensure there was no danger, he cautiously reached out to pick up the Cloud Sand. However, he did not immediately stow it away. Pausing for a moment, he scanned the surroundings for any unusual movements.
After a long while, he still detected no anomalies. Only then did he exhale lightly, placing the Cloud Sand into his sleeve. Just as he was about to leave, sudden torrents of water surged from all sides, enveloping him and dragging him deeper into the Heavenly Pool.
Startled, Zhang Yan prepared to resist, but he quickly realized that the force was irresistibly powerful. His vision darkened, and an overwhelming drowsiness washed over him.
He did not know how much time had passed when he opened his eyes again. He found himself in a luminous cavern of milky-white jade. Through the translucent window, streaks of mist drifted by, and the surroundings were adorned with Bright Pearls, dazzling shells, and various colorful gemstones, creating a kaleidoscope of shimmering hues.
He was seated atop a jade chair, while directly opposite him was a jade bed. Sitting upright upon it was an elderly Daoist dressed in a Feather Robe and Star Crown.
This person had a youthful face with white hair, as round as the full moon, and held a horsetail whisk in his arms. After seeing Zhang Yan regain consciousness, he gazed at him gently and asked, "Judging by your attire, could you be a disciple of the Mingcang Sect?"