Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 534: Sea Tribes and Ice Region

The sea tribes were a subset of the demon race; they had long made the oceans their home. One notable example was the dragon race. While dragons could be found in the Demon Region, many also dwelled in the East Sea, where they were regarded as part of the sea tribes.

As soon as the six entered the Water Branch’s sea region, darkness enveloped their vision. Only when the massive shadow gradually moved away could they discern what it was.

“That’s a whale, a creature unique to the East Sea. It has yet to gain spirit intelligence.”

Next, they encountered a group of living beings with fishtails, all female with exquisite features. Their voluptuous figures had key areas covered by seashells, and their eyes were a sea-blue hue.

“These are jiao-folk,[1] also known as fishfolk.[2] Legend says they originated from ancient humans and great fish demons after shapeshifting. They move in groups, with females going out to hunt while males tend to domestic affairs.”

Suddenly, another merfolk swam past, her undulating tail more elegant than the previous fishfolk. After casting a brief glance at the group, she continued on her way.

“Is that a lone jiao-folk being ostracized?”

“No, that’s Senior Sister Tang Fuling, a Water Spirit Root cultivator. She’s researching how Water Spirit Roots can spray seawater. Lately, she often dresses up as a member of the sea tribes.”

Lu Yang grew more curious. “What’s difficult about spraying seawater from a Water Spirit Root?”

“Of course it’s difficult! A Water Spirit Root is formed by water; how could it generate salt?”

Lu Yang had to admit that it was indeed difficult.

“Wait, but why research this at all?”

Bai Ming looked embarrassed. “Dirty linen shouldn’t be aired in public. I can tell you, but please keep this to yourselves. We can’t let this reach the imperial court’s ears.”

“Don’t worry, our lips are sealed,” Meng Jingzhou guaranteed with sincerity. It is true. Our identities as the young creed leader and four holy sons of the Heavenly Court Creed remain undisclosed to this day, a testament to our strict confidentiality.

Of course, from another perspective, this secrecy stemmed from self-preservation. They feared for their lives should their hidden identities be revealed.

“Senior Sister Tang likes money. She heard smuggling salt can earn quick bucks, so she’s planning to do just that.”

Meng Jingzhou, “...”

No wonder you were afraid of this reaching the imperial court’s ears.

“With so much seawater here, why not just evaporate and dry it to produce salt?”

“Senior Sister Tang said that one should take responsibility for their own actions. Using seawater to produce salt would make it too easy for the imperial court to trace back to our sect.”

“Damn, she’s thought this through so thoroughly,” Li Haoran marveled. She’d even considered the potential consequences. Such meticulous planning is almost catching up with Qin Haoran’s.

“Those are the turtle tribe, shark tribe, and clam tribe.” Bai Ming pointed to each of the sea tribes in turn.

The turtles carried heavy shells, the sharks bore gills on their faces, and the clam maidens were singing. These sea tribes recognized them as guests of the Five-Elements Sects and nodded in greeting.

“It’s a pity supreme sea tribes like the dragons and kunpeng fish-bird[3] refuse to leave the East Sea and live in our sect. Even when they’re willing to come, it’s merely to sightsee and broaden their horizons before returning,” Bai Ming lamented. He never had the opportunity to meet these sea tribes.

“The Kunpeng Tribe once asked me for a favor,” the Everlasting Immortal Fairy remarked casually. I’ve naturally met them before. Even their old ancestor would have to bow respectfully before me.

“What kind of favor?”

Favor in sparing their lives or making them more delicious when cooked?

The Unbeatable Golden Core’s warning made Lu Yang bite back his remark.

“Have you heard people’s description of the Kunpeng Tribe? ‘In the northern sea is a fish; its name is Kun. The Kun’s size—no one knows how many thousand li it spans. It transforms into a bird; its name is Peng. The Peng’s back—no one knows how many thousand li it spans.”[4]

In ancient times, when celestial bodies still existed, the Kunpeng Tribe inhabited a planet called the “Northern Sea.”[5]

“I’ve heard those lines before. What about it?”

“Back then, the Kunpeng Tribe’s old ancestor came looking for me, saying inconsistent measurement standards between tribes—particularly regarding ‘li’ and ‘meters’—made it impossible to accurately ascertain the size of the Kunpeng Tribe's members. Thus, he asked if we Five Ancient Immortals could standardize the measurement system. Since we’d been thinking about this anyway, we granted his request.”

Lu Yang, “...”

Are you sure this is how that passage is supposed to be interpreted?

“Why does it feel a little cold?” Tao Yaoye asked after they had been swimming for some time.

While Golden Core cultivators were impervious to extreme temperatures, they could still sense the temperature in the outer world.

“Ahead lies the Ice Region. It was constructed through arrays by the first Water Branch Elder. Over the years, successive Water Branch Elders have reinforced it, causing it to expand and the ice to grow ever thicker. Not many people go there usually. Would you like to take a look?”

Ice-type cultivation techniques were a side branch of the water element; Ice Spirit Roots were a variant of Water Spirit Roots. Similarly, the Ice Region was a place essential to cultivators with Water Spirit Roots.

As they spoke, a massive iceberg drifted into view, making even the gigantic whales appear as tiny as ants before it. Ninety percent of the iceberg was submerged beneath the surface, while less than ten percent peeked out.

“It’s a rare opportunity. Let’s go have a look then.” Meng Jingzhou chuckled. The last time he came to the Five-Elements Sect, he was focused solely on mastering spells and didn’t tour the Five Branches properly.

To the north of the Great Xia Dynasty lay a bitterly cold zone called the Extreme North. Hardly anyone from the Dao-Seeking Sect had set foot there, much less Lu Yang and his four companions. With sparse lifeforms and scarce cultivation resources beyond ice, there was little reason to venture there.

As they progressed deeper into the Ice Region, the cold became cold-chilling. Even their golden cores couldn’t protect them. Everyone experienced firsthand what extreme cold meant, their spirit energy circulating thirty to forty percent slower. However, none said to stop as they pressed forward.

“Alright, this is far enough.” Bai Ming couldn’t bear the cold anymore, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

The group collectively sighed in relief; someone had finally called a halt—they too couldn’t hold out any longer.

“Since the Ice Region was built by the first Water Branch Elder, doesn’t that mean this place is filled with millennia-old, ten-thousand-year-old ice, and maybe even hundred-thousand-year-old ice?” Man Gu mused aloud with sparkling eyes. Having lived in the perpetually hot western side of the continent, he had never seen this much ice.

“Of course, ten-thousand-year-old and hundred-thousand-year-old ice are plenty around here, but they’re practically useless.”

“Useless? I heard they’re very valuable.”

Bai Ming waved his hand and cleared up Man Gu’s confusion. “That’s just unscrupulous merchants hyping it up and inflating its value by cooking up flashy nonsense, claiming it has a historical foundation and ten thousand years of cold energy that is immensely beneficial to cultivation. It’s all a scam—as if the older something is, the more valuable it becomes. Think about it, the spirit qi we inhale has been around for millions and billions of years, but why isn’t anyone selling it?

“And this water and these stones too. They’re far older than a hundred thousand years.”

Lu Yang nodded to Bai Ming’s points. He inadvertently noticed Meng Jingzhou staying silent and was bewildered. “Old Meng, what’s wrong? Don’t you love to speak at times like this?”

Meng Jingzhou transmitted an auditory message to Lu Yang. “Shh, don’t say anything. It was our Meng Family that hyped up the ten-thousand-year-old ice.”

1. You can think of jiaoren as Chinese merfolk whose tears turn into pearls. The Chinese term is made up of the character “jiao” and “human/person.” ☜

2. The exact term used in the Chinese version is “fish human/person.” ☜

3. Kunpeng is a mythical fish that turns into a peng bird upon leaving the water. ☜

4. This is the opening line of the first chapter in Xiaoyao You (Carefree Wandering) by Zhuangzi. ☜

5. Beiming is a sea in the extreme north where the sunlight never reaches. ☜