Even Trade (I)

Something in the water moved. Except, it was as if the whole ocean moved with it. It seemed like a whole mountain had risen from the sea floor. The demon and human Spirit Kings looked like tiny pebbles in front of this thing… this behemoth that defied common sense.

"Grrrr…" There was another deep growl followed by great waves of spiritual energy.

The underwater world trembled. The five trapped and pitiful figures trembled.

It all eventually came to a stop. The water became calm. The ocean was still dark but the glow of spiritual energy illuminated a wall of rocks that covered their field of view.

Then, the wall stirred and rose up, revealing a smooth, glassy surface of pure black. It was a huge eyeball; it was the size of a small hill. The layer of rock, which was its eyelid dropped down as it blinked once. Every movement it made was slow but filled with unfathomable power. Even a blink was enough to cause a tsunami.

"What do we do?" Gong Liyun asked in a whisper to Huang Wuji and Hai Dan.

"I don't know, what is this thing?" Huang Wuji asked.

Hai Dan shushed them both quickly, "Don't say anything unless you want to die. It hasn't killed us yet so don't anger it any further."

The two demons seemed to have come to the same conclusion and did not move a step, staying still but close together.

After a while, the great eye blinked again and the whole mountain before them rumbled.

"Humans… demons…" The voice was deep as the sea, "Why have you invaded my ocean?"

There was an awkward silence as the human and demon sides looked at each other.

Qin Shui'er nudged Senior Brother Ancient Black and sent a quick sound transmission. The ancient shade rose up and then spoke.

"Senior, we mean you and the tortoises of this ocean no harm. We were being chased by the humans and didn't realize where we were going."

"We chased you? We chased you?" Huang Wuji blurted out angrily, "You two killed so many human Spirit Lords, do you think you don't deserve death?"

The huge creature growled as if laughing, "Death… humans and demons certainly enjoy killing each other all the time. So boring… and pointless!"

While causing crushing ocean waves, it laughed some more but the five Spirit Kings dared not argue. They understood that this being was far stronger than them. It was an existence at the Spirit Emperor Realm, an absolute ruler of this domain of water.

Eventually, it was Qin Shui'er that dared to speak up again, "Senior Deepworld Tortoise, please, can you let us go? My senior brother and I promise we will never enter these waters again."

The expression on Hai Dan's face became ugly at the shuimu's words. She didn't know if they were true but a deepworld tortoise was beast species known only in ancient writings. It was a creature of supreme power and longevity. It was an innate master of dual attributes, of water and earth. It could slumber in the deepest ocean or dig through the underworld at will. It was an existence that was only one step away from a divine beast.

The issue with this beast wasn't that it was bloodthirsty and tyrannical. It was the exact opposite. It liked to eat and sleep and cherished peace. Few could beat it in a fight except divine beasts or archdemons but it rarely fought. It liked to hide away in far corners of the world and live out its eternally long lifespan without worry.

"Grrrr… a shuimu?" The beast said with great interest in its voice. Its massive eye blinked twice, then thrice as it examined Qin Shui'er, "A sprite of the seas… Yet you are hanging around with this kind of fellow… Tsk, tsk. I had heard some things in the past. I didn't think they were true but it seems they were. The world is always changing like so… it really is better to sleep and ignore these unnecessary problems."

Qin Shui'er bit her lip, wondering what the heck was going on. She didn't know what a sprite was and she had no idea what kind of gibberish the old tortoise was muttering.

"But, out of all of these little ones, I can consider meeting you a pleasant surprise." The tortoise said. "So, I will let you and your friend leave."

"Senior tortoise, this one is named Qin Shui'er. I sincerely apologize for waking you. Thank you for your mercy." Qin Shui'er said with a bow.

"Hmm, you can call me Ancient Blue. Anyways, I am sleepy now… you can go."

"Wait!" Hai Dan shouted, unable to bear it anymore, "Senior Tortoise, you can't do that!"

But as soon as she uttered those words, the sea began to shake once more. Invisible waves of spiritual energy emanated from the huge beasts like tidal waves as great pillars of earth shot up from the sea floor. They formed a mountain range that separated the two demons from the humans.

After the rumbling stopped, a vast wall of earth and stone bisected the unseen depths. The tortoise let out a growl in satisfaction and closed its eye. Without another word, Qin Shui'er grabbed Senior Brother Ancient Black and swam away.

The three human Spirit Kings could do nothing but watch. After the two demons had disappeared for many minutes, the great eye of the tortoise opened once more.

"Little humans…"

Huang Wuji, Gong Liyun, and Hai Dan all tensed up. This fearsome turtle had let the demons leave so easily so they had no idea what their fate was going to be. If the beast wanted them dead, even if they struggled, it would be pointless.

"Grrr… why are you so tense? I'm not going to kill you. You three can leave but do me a favor. Don't follow the little water sprite."

The three of them quickly bowed.

"Thank you, Senior Ancient Blue!"

"Thank you."

By the time, they had finished bowing, the gigantic beast before them had disappeared. Its swimming speed was incomprehensible despite its size. The power of Spirit Emperor Realm beast was truly something to behold.

"Well… that was interesting." Gong Liyun said, "I thought you said there were no giant tortoises?"

Hai Dan had a blank expression as if still in shock, "This Ancient Blue must be the cause of the folk tales. It was actually a deepworld tortoise… amazing! It must have lived for over a hundred thousand years."

Huang Wuji let out a breath and chuckled, "Who knows, these turtles are known to have the strongest defense in the world and are the toughest to kill. Some might have been around since the beginning of the world. Thank the heavens it had such a personality, otherwise, we would have all died. Letting the demons go in exchange for living a few more years… seems like an even trade."

With that, the three of them swam upward. Along the way, they discussed the matter of the demons and how to deal with the aftermath, especially the sects that had lost their sect masters.

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