Chapter 339: In Perfect Harmony

With the fog completely dispersed and visibility excellent, Ji Yuan flew through the clouds directly above the fleet, at a not-too-high altitude. Combined with the giant whale's impressive emergence from the sea, the scene of the massive creature carrying the immortal into the distance was witnessed by most of the crew members on the decks of all the ships.

With Ji Yuan gone, a difficult decision fell upon Qiao Yong and the entire fleet. Before Qiao Yong could even gather the key personnel from each ship, nearby vessels were already frequently calling out or using simple gestures to inquire about what to do.

Qiao Yong looked into the distance, then glanced around.

"Do you want to go home?"

His deputies and crew members all looked at him. No one answered, but the longing in their eyes was palpable.

"Alright, gather the ship captains. We'll discuss heading back. If there's any blame to be had, I'll bear the responsibility! Go!"

"Yes, sir!"

Several deputies beside him responded with excitement.

Originally, returning would have brought punishment upon the entire fleet. However, with the words of the immortal named Ji, it was now highly probable that they would be pardoned, or at least any penalties would be limited in scope.

Qiao Yong looked towards the southwest. They had sailed a long, circuitous route overseas, but with their compass, they had continuously recorded and charted their course, so they at least knew the general direction back. The southwest, they believed, was the legendary Eastern Cloud Continent, though they had no idea how far away it was.

On the giant whale's back, Ying Ruoli still looked back at the distant fleet.

"Uncle Ji, they just believed it like that? Mortals' desires are very strong. Even if this isn't their personal desire, they fear the emperor's will."

The Dragon Lady, of course, wasn't doubting her Uncle Ji's credibility. It was more about something they had paid a huge price for and painstakingly searched for eight years. How could they simply be sent away by a single sentence, even when an immortal had appeared?

Ji Yuan didn't look back, merely stating calmly,

"When I first left, they believed me fifty percent. After they gather their key officials for discussion, it will be seventy percent. And once those officials return to their ships and the news spreads throughout the fleet, it will be one hundred percent. As for what happens next, it's not hard to guess. If the old emperor is still alive, with his deep desire, hearing this news won't harm them. If the old emperor is dead, the new emperor will likely show leniency to these loyal subjects who have endured so much. Besides, the Imperial Advisor is still there."

Ying Ruoli thought for a moment, then smiled, no longer troubled. Instead, she gently tapped the whale and said to General Giant Whale,

"You've been swimming for almost two months. How much longer?"

"Please don't worry, Lady Ruoli, we will be out of the East Sea soon. However, when we reach the section that bypasses the Desolate Sea, the ocean will become much wilder. The aquatic creatures there are not constrained by the True Dragons of the Four Seas and are just as untamed. Please, Lady Ruoli and Mr. Ji, be cautious."

Ying Ruoli replied indifferently,

"Do you think I haven't been to the Desolate Sea? And as for Uncle Ji, you certainly don't need to worry about him."

"Yes, yes!"

General Giant Whale gathered all its strength and swam, picking up speed from before.

Ten-odd days later, the color of the seawater subtly changed, appearing somewhat murkier. As expected, the waves became more turbulent, and fierce winds raged almost constantly. Sometimes, even celestial gales would sweep down to the sea surface, churning up monstrous waves.

This described the conditions on the surface; the seabed, while seemingly more stable with abundant fish and shrimp, also showed changes in its spiritual water energy. These wisps of energy surged through the currents like underwater gales, making cultivation difficult without finding a calm spot.

General Giant Whale visibly struggled to swim here. Celestial gales almost invariably raged where there were towering waves, so whenever this happened, the whale would dive deep underwater and traverse by submerging.

The journey, which had been smooth until now, became exceptionally bumpy. An ordinary person on the giant whale's back would surely have felt dizzy and nauseous.

However, there were calm spots, but General Giant Whale warned that such places were likely favored by the demonic beasts of the Desolate Sea. It was best to avoid trouble and bypass them directly.

Ji Yuan and Ying Ruoli agreed. So, after circumnavigating this small section of the Desolate Sea for a few days, they finally re-entered the relatively calm waters of the Four Seas, this time arriving in the North Sea.

The East Sea and North Sea only border each other in a small inner section, with a large portion of their outer edges separated by the Desolate Sea. However, the distance wasn't too far, and now that they were in the North Sea, General Giant Whale breathed a sigh of relief.

Gazing into the distant sea, General Giant Whale spoke with a hint of excitement.

"Swimming northeast for two or three more days at most, and we'll reach the Dragon Rock Island of the Sovereign Mother!"

Hearing this, Ying Ruoli visibly grew excited. Ji Yuan noticed her subconsciously clenching her skirt hem.

"Now we should think about that wicked dragon. You only know he's from the Desolate Sea, but you have no idea if he has any friends, family, or influential connections. You'll need to ask your Sovereign Mother about this."

"Yes, Mr. Ji is right!"

General Giant Whale replied earnestly, but was inwardly extremely excited. That wicked dragon was doomed; it would die no matter what!

Although already exhausted, General Giant Whale paid no mind to its fatigue. Instead, it accelerated again, swimming frantically towards Dragon Rock Island.

Two days later, the exhausted General Giant Whale sank to the seabed. Opening its mouth, it voraciously sucked in large schools of fish, shrimp, and crabs from around it to replenish its strength.

After General Giant Whale had recovered slightly, it carried Ji Yuan and Ying Ruoli forward for another half day. Soon, an island shrouded in dark clouds appeared in the distance, with lightning occasionally striking its surface.

"Dragon Rock Island? Why are there persistent thunderclouds?"

Ying Ruoli was half excited, half confused.

"It's nothing, nothing! Lady Ruoli, please rest assured. These dark clouds mean everything is fine. The Sovereign Mother has been constantly bothered these past years and always gets sulky. When she's angry, thunderclouds gather over Dragon Rock Island, thundering but never raining!"

Ji Yuan looked down at General Giant Whale. "Anger creating thunder... that's not weak for a dragon-flood dragon, is it?"

"Your Sovereign Mother seems quite powerful. Why doesn't she deal with that annoying wicked dragon herself?"

"Mr. Ji, the Sovereign Mother is naturally powerful, but that wicked dragon is also formidable. According to the rules of dragon-flood dragons, if..."

Knowing Ji Yuan was unfamiliar with the matter, Ying Ruoli said with a slight blush,

"According to the ancient rules passed down among dragon-flood dragons, in such an entanglement, if Mother were to personally fight that wicked dragon, it would be fine if she won. But if she lost... then..."

Ji Yuan quickly raised a hand to stop the Dragon Lady from continuing.

"I understand, I understand. But wait... then you came to fight that wicked dragon?"

Ying Ruoli quickly waved her hand and shook her head, her head moving like a rattle-drum.

"I'm different, I'm different! I'm essentially here for revenge, which has nothing to do with the ancient rules. Even if I were to lose, it would only mean death at most, but I won't lose! Not only do I have Uncle Ji's Azure Vine Sword, but my own cultivation alone is enough!"

The Dragon Lady gradually calmed down. She spoke with extreme confidence, and indeed had the capability to back it up.

"Let's go see my mother first!"

"Yes!"

General Giant Whale dived underwater, swimming towards the area beneath Dragon Rock Island. Before they even approached the island, they encountered a small group of strange-looking aquatic spirits blocking their path. The leader was covered in fish scales but had a third of a human's appearance, with a long tail behind it, indicating it had refined its transformation bone.

"Stop! This is Dragon Rock Island, where my master and mistress reside. No approaching!"

Before General Giant Whale could speak, Ying Ruoli narrowed her eyes, reached out, and instantly grabbed the creature that had spoken, pulling it before her. Gripping its neck, she asked coldly,

"Your master? What's his name? Where is he?"

"Ugh... you, ugh, how dare you... My master is, Hua Long..."

Ji Yuan saw that Ying Ruoli was about to crush the creature in her anger. He quickly conjured a wisp of sword qi, flicked his finger, and struck the spirit's nape. The creature cried out in pain, its eyes rolled back, and it fainted.

"Keep this one for directions. Deal with the rest."

As soon as Ji Yuan finished speaking, General Giant Whale let out a "hehehe..." laugh and opened its enormous mouth, sucking violently once more.

The remaining dazed spirits thrashed wildly in the water, attempting to escape, but they all ultimately fell into the giant whale's mouth. The sound of bones being crushed echoed, signifying they had become General Giant Whale's sustenance.

There was also a water mansion beneath Dragon Rock Island, mostly hidden within hollow grottoes under the island. General Giant Whale's arrival overjoyed the aquatic creatures of Dragon Rock Island; two fish maids were so delighted that they rushed outside the Sovereign Mother's chamber.

"Reporting, Sovereign Mother, General Giant Whale has returned!"

Inside the room, a woman clad in blue robes rose from the edge of the bed.

"Did he really bring Mo Rong?"

"We haven't seen Master Mo, Sovereign Mother. You'll know if you come outside!"

The fish maid's joyous words brought a slight unease to the woman's heart. Could that fellow have arrived?

Stepping out of the grotto palace, she saw General Giant Whale's enormous body prostrate on the seabed. Before it stood a man and a woman. She didn't recognize the man, but the woman, from her demeanor to her appearance, shared many similarities with herself.

Both mother and daughter stared blankly for a moment.

"Are you... Ruoli?"

"Mother! It is Ruoli who has come..."

Ying Ruoli finished the sentence in a low voice, then approached the Dragon Mother with slightly hesitant steps.

"Mother... how have you been these past two hundred years?"

"You've truly grown up... What about your brother? How have you both been?"

Ying Ruoli's heart rejoiced. The fact that her mother asked about her and her brother meant she wasn't truly heartless. She quickly took a few steps closer, wanting to reach out and hold the Dragon Mother's hand. The Dragon Mother instinctively recoiled, but the Dragon Lady disregarded it and directly embraced her mother.

"We've been very well, but we've missed you dearly, Mother!"

At this, the Dragon Mother's hands hovered awkwardly at her sides, neither rising nor falling. Eventually, she too embraced Ying Ruoli.

Ji Yuan, standing to the side, saw that although the Dragon Lady's head was bowed, she was clearly smiling happily. Perhaps this single embrace made the entire journey worthwhile for her.

"Please rest assured, Mother. As long as this wicked dragon dares to show his face, I will slay him. If he doesn't appear, I will seek him out and deal with him properly!"

Just as the Dragon Mother was about to speak, the Dragon Lady continued.

"Your daughter is not so naive, Mother. Besides having confidence in my own cultivation, I've also brought help. This is Uncle Ji, Father's closest friend, a Daoist immortal with profound magical powers. With Uncle Ji's immortal sword at my disposal, no wicked dragon can stand in my way!"

"Ying Hong's friend?"

Only then did the Dragon Mother look solemnly at Ji Yuan.

Ji Yuan found it awkward to address her as "Mrs. Ying," fearing it might displease her, and calling her by her given name seemed equally inappropriate. So he simply cupped his hands in greeting and said,

"Precisely. My name is Ji Yuan!"

From Ji Yuan, there emanated neither immortal, demonic, nor evil aura; he appeared simply mortal. Yet, his mere presence standing on the seabed was unnatural, suggesting his cultivation was profoundly deep.

"Did Ying Hong send you?"

Ji Yuan smiled.

"Naturally, it was Elder Ying's request. He actually wanted to come himself, but he feared you wouldn't welcome him, so he held back. However, he was concerned Ruoli might not succeed, so he specifically entrusted me to assist her!"

Ying Ruoli turned her head, slightly surprised, to look at Ji Yuan, only to find her Uncle Ji subtly raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, yes, exactly! Uncle Ji is immensely powerful and loves to wander the world; I couldn't possibly have that much influence. It was all because Father intervened that Uncle Ji decided to help!"

"Hmph!"

The Dragon Mother let out a cold snort and said nothing more.