Volume Two: No Way Forward Amid Mountains and Rivers Chapter Eighteen: Three Sharks

Lan Sheng and Lan Shan sat upright on the Misty Cloud Beast, Lan Sheng gazing at the approaching whirlwind with a look of stoic resolve, as if prepared to face death.

Lan Shan, meanwhile, was inwardly weighing the balance of power between the two sides. Although Qin Ying once possessed the cultivation of a second-rank Deity, she had yet to recover from the grave injuries suffered last time for Zhuo Hua’s sake; at best, she now barely reached the first or second rank of the Spirit level. Moreover, with her current possession, her strength was further diminished—she could only just count as a Heaven Calamity expert.

As for Lan Sheng, his cultivation was equally difficult to define. Though he had passed through the Auspicious Cloud Tribulation, it was by desperate and expedient means—a shortcut, really. His escape from the Auspicious Cloud Void was likely more due to Zhuo Hua’s intervention than his own merit. At most, he was an eighth or ninth-rank Immortal, barely brushing the threshold of the Deity level.

The opposition, by contrast, approached with overwhelming force—swift and agile, riding the wind, accompanied by rain, thunder and lightning shrouding their form in unfathomable mystery. From Qin Ying’s years of experience, she was certain that more than one person lurked within that whirlwind. The realization furrowed Lan Shan’s brow. Possessing the little carp’s body to accompany Zhuo Hua was meant only for covert observation; she had brought no magical artifacts, never expecting they would be the first to face calamity. She cursed her misfortune in silence.

She tapped the rigidly seated Lan Sheng. “Brother Lan Sheng, now is the time to release the Tranquil Lantern—soon it will be too late.”

Lan Sheng snorted dismissively, “Do not be afraid, sister. It’s just a drifting, pitch-black gust! When I was in the Auspicious Cloud Void, any random hurricane within the Great Red Spot was hundreds of times more immense than this thing. Such a trivial matter need not trouble you. Sit atop the Misty Cloud Beast and let me shatter this ugly, dark cluster myself—afterward, I’ll take you to the temple fair.”

Lan Shan cursed the fool inwardly, but could not show it on her face. She knew Lan Sheng’s hot-blooded temperament—once his spirits were roused, no amount of persuasion would avail. So she coaxed him with gentle words, “Brother Lan Sheng, I know your courage is boundless, venturing into the Auspicious Cloud Void with the Primordial Lord. But I am inexperienced and timid. If you could give me the Tranquil Lantern, holding it would soothe my heart.”

Lan Sheng was delighted by her flattery, laughing heartily as he casually tossed the delicate Tranquil Lantern over his shoulder.

Lan Shan, caught off guard by his nonchalance, lunged to catch it, just managing to seize it before it flew away. She shot a glare at the oaf ahead, inwardly scolding, “I cannot fathom what Zhuo Hua saw in this blockhead—he’s clearly missing a few screws. If matters take a turn for the worse, I’ll withdraw my spirit at once rather than have it dissipate here in vain. Pity the little carp’s body…and this fool as well.”

As she mused, the whirlwind was already upon them, so close she could feel the fierce current battering her, making it hard to breathe—she had to summon her inner force to resist it.

Yet the whirlwind behaved oddly; it halted several paces away, no longer advancing. Lan Sheng had his aura gathered to the utmost, vital points shielded, ready to spring into action at the first sign of hostility.

Lan Shan saw the cyclone pause exactly at the reach of their aura’s strike, and realized their adversary’s cultivation was profound—they clearly understood the full extent of their power. Her unease deepened; she gripped the Tranquil Lantern tightly, prepared to undo the Binding Talisman and send a plea for help at the slightest provocation.

So the two sides stood in tense silence for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, until a thunderous voice boomed from the whirlwind: “Is that Prince Lan Sheng of Changshan ahead?”

Lan Sheng was startled to hear the blackened whirlwind speak, but replied without hesitation, “I am he.”

The whirlwind rumbled affirmatively, then asked, “Do you carry the Changshan treasure, the Crystal Raiment of the Tian Clan?”

Only then did Lan Sheng realize this was no mere tempest, but a formidable wind-magic wielder with hostile intent, seeking the Crystal Raiment. Yet he showed no fear. Steeling his spirit, he responded loudly, “I am Lan Sheng, prince of the Immortal-blooded Lan clan of Changshan. State your name, for Lan Sheng’s sword does not slay nameless ghosts.”

The whirlwind erupted in laughter, the sound thundering forth, shaking the air and striking terror into the heart. After the laughter faded, a voice laced with disdain replied, “We are the Three Shark Wind Gods of Lingbo Ocean, come to claim the Crystal Raiment. If you are wise, surrender it at once; otherwise, we will summon thunder to smite you, and your bones will be buried in the bellies of Lingbo’s fish.”

Lan Sheng’s brow furrowed; he cursed his luck. This was his first official assignment for the Cloud Palace, and he hadn’t even reached his destination before running into such a formidable adversary.

He recalled his studies at the Imperial Academy, where the Grand Preceptor had lectured from the “Gazetteer of Lanling”:

At the dawn of creation, ancient behemoths roamed unchecked. The Immortal Maidens and Primordial Lords subdued myriad demons, pacifying the world. Only the dragons of Kunpeng Sea, the sharks of Lingbo Ocean, the eagles of Beilun Continent, and the whales of the Vast Ocean refused submission. The war between the Immortal-born and the Four Demon Tribes dragged on for ages, until at last both sides sought to end the slaughter through negotiation.

The Cloud Palace allowed the four tribes to retain a corner of their royal courts and bestowed upon them heavenly titles, on the condition they publicly pledged allegiance to the Cloud Palace, swearing eternal fealty—should they rebel, the world would unite to destroy them. Over the years, many young nobles of the Four Demon Tribes studied in the Cloud Palace—partly as hostages, to deter any thoughts of rebellion, and partly so the Immortals might study their vital energies and develop countermeasures.

Of the four, the shark tribe of Lingbo Ocean was the most fickle, cunning, and sinister—their king was this very self-styled Three Shark Wind God before him. The three brothers, millennia-old shark spirits, were said to have been the first demon clan to submit to the Cloud Palace. The trio apprenticed there, learning the Xuanhuang Heart Method. The Immortal Lady of Lanling admired their cleverness and guided their cultivation, but Lord Zhuo Hua distrusted their guile and trickery, deeming them unfit for the profound Xuanhuang Dao, and the Xuanhuang Mirror’s prophecy foretold disaster for the Illusion Tribe at the sharks’ hands. Though the Lady of Lanling pleaded on their behalf, in the end they were expelled from the Cloud Palace.

Legend held that, beneath the Cloud Sky Stele, on the Path of Departure, the three swore a venomous oath: Never to enter the Xuanhuang Gate again, and to stand as demon lords defying heaven.

Back in Lingbo Ocean, they trained assiduously, their ancient behemoth bodies hardened by years of secret study, and with stolen fragments of the Xuanhuang Heart Method, they reached the Immortal level. Leading the shark tribe, they wreaked havoc in the Eastern Sea, attacking merchant ships and ravaging the coastal kingdoms of Beilun and Central Divine Continent. When the Lady of Lanling vanished into the void, Lord Zhuo Hua, enraged, led the Cloud Palace’s stars against the three sharks and their aquatic legions in a brutal war on the waves. Though the sharks had home advantage and popular support, fate favored the Cloud Palace; the decades-long conflict drained the sharks of strength, until they too submitted, becoming the appointed Lords of Lingbo under the Cloud Palace’s rule.

Yet today, it appeared the three old shark spirits were about to rebel once more.