Chapter 1715: The Riddle Of Mansion Water (I)

The waves surged violently, towering into the sky.

Rumble!

Purple lightning filled the heavens as dark clouds swept in amid chaotic winds. The spiritual energy over the sea churned in disorder, forcing several streaks of escaping light that had been traversing the sky to descend and halt upon the water.

Dense green light rolled across the sea like a massive, hunched beast, illuminating the waves with countless flecks of jade. An enormous treasure cauldron loomed in the sky, pinning the light to the surface of the sea.

The green light finally revealed its true form, transforming into an enormous softshell turtle with a green shell, twin horns on its head, and razor-sharp claws and fangs. Countless white corals and jewels covered its shell, shedding droplets of Mansion Water radiance below.

Its jade-green eyes, each as enormous as a doorway, snapped open with a vicious, icy gleam. It opened its great maw, revealing rows of ghostly, gleaming white fangs. "You, Daoist Master... truly take a mile whenever you are given an inch!"

The treasure cauldron overhead trembled faintly. A green figure finally emerged and came to a leisurely stop in the sky amid the torrents of Pristine Water pouring down from it.

He smiled mildly as he said, "Great king is being far too unreasonable. I merely wish to obtain one item through a fair and amicable exchange. How am I taking a mile when given an inch?"

The green-backed softshell turtle withdrew its dharma body and dropped through the air, transforming into a powerfully built old man with a broad forehead and square face.

Clad in thick, scaled armor, he cast the man a cold glance and sneered. "If this is truly an amicable discussion, why did you use a spirit artifact to establish a formation? You have sealed every direction, above and below. Does any part of this resemble a willingness to negotiate?"

Chi Buzi lowered his hand and gathered a string of dark green beads into his palm. With a gentle stroke, they scattered clear radiance that transformed into a terrace. Only then did he smile and say, "After all, the great king spends most of your time in the deep sea, and each slumber lasts for years on end. It was no easy feat to catch you awake. I could hardly leave the great king standing in empty space while speaking with me, so I used this spirit treasure to establish a formation and serve as our residence. This way, I would not be neglecting my hospitality."

The powerfully built old man transformed from the demon king immediately choked on his words. After a brief pause, he replied, "I have finally witnessed the depths of your shamelessness, Chi Buzi."

He was also a demon king who had cultivated for many years and had crossed the Purple Mansion Threshold long ago. With his extraordinary bloodline, he was not necessarily afraid of this junior before him. However, a battle between them would inevitably shake heaven and earth. He had survived all these years precisely by keeping a low profile; he truly had no desire to invite trouble.

Chi Buzi smiled faintly, seemingly understanding his thoughts. Entirely unperturbed, he sat down beside the table, took some wine from his sleeve, and said with a smile, "I have long heard of Senior Zeng Zan's great name. [Mansion Water] is exceedingly rare. How confident is the great king... of succeeding now?"

Zeng Zan stared at him and replied calmly, "It is not as though Fellow Daoist Chi is unaware of my circumstances... With my limited abilities, seeking the Dao has always been difficult, and I have little hope of succeeding in this lifetime. My only thought is to prepare myself to be reborn with a Dao-attaining body in my next life, then seek a Golden Position..."

Chi Buzi understood what he meant by being born with a Dao-attaining body. He simply intended to reincarnate as a human and seek the Golden Core through either the Purple Mansion and Golden Core Dao or the Spiritual Cultivation Dao.

Chi Buzi clapped politely, and said, "Fellow Daoist possesses impressive means. Have you ever considered seeking a Surplus or Intercalary Position?"

The two divine ability cultivators were not close, so Chi Buzi would never have raised the matter without reason. The question was not truly about Zeng Zan, but about something weighing upon Chi Buzi himself.

Zeng Zan studied him briefly before asking calmly, "Does Fellow Daoist Chi intend to seek an Intercalary Position or a Surplus Position?"

Chi Buzi took a sip of wine and met his eyes without attempting to conceal his intentions. "I cultivate Pristine Water, yet I have come to meet you, a true cultivator of Mansion Water. Is my intention not easy enough to guess? Which Dao stands closest to Pristine Water should be more obvious still."

Zeng Zan narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression seemingly indifferent. "Oh? Does Fellow Daoist have designs on Mansion Water?"

Both were figures at the level of Grand Daoist Masters, making this an extremely sensitive matter. If Chi Buzi attained Mansion Water and their positions conflicted, the situation could easily develop into an irreconcilable struggle to the death!

Chi Buzi stared at him before abruptly raising his brows. "Senior has weathered countless vicissitudes. It is impossible that you know nothing about the [Xinyou Pristine Marsh Seal], so why bother testing me?"

Zeng Zan naturally knew that Chi Buzi possessed four divine abilities. Since Chi Buzi had now exposed the matter, he no longer bothered pretending and remarked with interest, "You now possess four divine abilities. Pristine Water already has a master who will not permit you to proceed, while the nature of Pit Water cannot be challenged. That leaves Converging Water, Mansion Water, and Valley Water. Why must you set your sights on Mansion Water?"

The old demon laughed and continued, "Reincarnation offers such a fine path, yet you refuse it. So be it. Converging Water favors an Intercalary Position, but you insist on rejecting that as well. Is that not rather irrational? Or do you distrust the dragons?"

Reincarnation?

Chi Buzi scoffed at the idea. He knew just how petty that person could be. They had planted a contingency within his soul, and he was only being allowed an opportunity to attain the Dao because he remained useful. If he reincarnated, what value would he have left? Dropping dead on the spot would be getting off lightly.

Zeng Zan had cultivated for many years, and his Dao conduct was even higher than Chi Buzi's. He naturally understood that Valley Water was the path of reincarnation. Since Chi Buzi had no intention of reincarnating, only two paths remained before him.

Chi Buzi looked at him quietly with a gloomy expression. "Converging Water favors an Intercalary Position, yet over the past thousand years, many have sought Converging Water with nary a single success to be seen. The entanglement between Pristine Water and Converging Water is far too terrifying. I suspect... it is connected to the dragons' pursuit of Truth."

"Oh?" Zeng Zan's expression shifted slightly before he smiled and said, "Perhaps your predecessors simply lacked sufficient Dao conduct. If you attain Converging Water and free yourself from Pristine Water, would that not naturally place you on the same side as the dragons? While the dragons pursue Truth, why would they reject another source of assistance? Naturally, they would help you.

"Since you believe that lord of Pristine Water will never release you, your chances of succeeding without the dragons' assistance will be even smaller!"

Yet Chi Buzi's eyes remained clear and entirely free of doubt, while his expression turned somewhat cold. "The True Hornless Dragon was a Great Sage. How could it not have known that one person cannot possess two Dao Fruits? There was a reason for its fall, and the transformation between Pristine Water and Converging Water conceals a great terror.

Converging Water clearly favors Intercalary Positions, and the dragons have countless descendants, yet Converging Water currently has only a single Fruition Position.

“There must be some arrangement behind this. If I rashly involve myself, I will inevitably perish. Besides, consider what age we now live in. To pursue an Intercalary Position between Pristine Water and Converging Water at this particular moment would not make me an ally in the Dragon Monarch's eyes. It would mean I was either a fool or an enemy."

Zeng Zan stared at him for a long time before nodding. "Impressive."

Chi Buzi smiled coldly and replied, "If I instead seek an Intercalary Position in Mansion Water, can the dragons not still stand behind me? In this game, Converging Water is a path to certain death. Only Mansion Water offers a sliver of hope."

Although his tone was confident, his gaze remained fixed upon Zeng Zan's face. The old demon pondered quietly for a long while before Chi Buzi raised his brows and continued, "I know you only contemplate reincarnation because you cannot attain a Surplus Position.

“Back then, Dongfang... Back then, the descendants of the Hornless Dragon brought about the loss of Mansion Water's vastness, and no Surplus Position has been attainable ever since. When the final True Monarch occupying a Surplus Position of Mansion Water also perished, the lakes and marshes beneath Heaven declined overnight... Senior, you intend to reincarnate so that you may likewise attain an Intercalary Position in Mansion Water.

"If someone like me attains an Intercalary Position in Mansion Water first, would I not be perfectly placed to test the Dragon Monarch's intentions on your behalf?"

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