That patch of silvery white was pure and beautiful, but in his eyes it was not even half as beautiful as Han Tao's golden dragon tail.
He composed himself, sat up straight, and said without looking to the side, "I want to know the records about the Witch Clan."
The merman on the other end of the line had probably never seen someone so straightforward before. He blinked, his beauty, so different from that of humans, was enough to captivate anyone.
"You can call me Meng Bai now." The merman's voice was clear and pleasant, his pupils gleaming with a faint silver light. "Why does the Immortal Master want to find records of the Witch Clan?"
Fu Mingxu's pupils showed a hint of blue. He curled the corners of his lips and replied, "Just out of curiosity."
Would anyone really come to the floating city out of curiosity about something? Meng Bai didn't know. All it knew was that the person opposite it seemed to possess a powerful aura, an aura that made it unable to harbor any thoughts of deception, as if doing so would plunge it into endless punishment.
But Fu Mingxu knew, because the inherited memories told him that the Merfolk existed since the beginning of time, and were beings nourished by the chaotic energy, with a deep-seated fear of the chaotic energy hidden in their blood.
He watched as tiny silver-white scales emerged between Meng Bai's eyebrows, and the entire shark seemed to be in a state of extreme tension.
Fu Mingxu's mind stirred, and the flowing chaotic energy caused a slight stinging pain in his ankle.
He saw that, in the instant the chaotic energy became denser, a flash of demonic energy appeared between Meng Bai's brows.
The demonic energy was so well concealed that even Meng Bai himself seemed unaware of it. The luminous pearl above his head emitted a faint glow, and the fine, silvery-white scales seemed to shimmer with an unnatural light.
Fu Mingxu seemed oblivious to the change and continued, "Could it be that the Merfolk don't know about the existence of the Witch Clan?"
He got up to leave, but Meng Bai, as if waking from a dream, hurriedly said, "Of course I know!"
A look of pain flashed in its eyes as it added, "The records about the Witch Clan are hidden in the Mermaid King's Palace. You will only have the chance to enter if you take the Mermaid Pill."
After saying that, a look of confusion appeared in Meng Bai's eyes.
Fu Mingxu flicked his fingertip slightly, inadvertently sending out a wisp of chaotic energy. By the time Meng Bai regained consciousness, he had already sat back down with a natural expression.
"What's wrong with me?" Meng Bai felt a sense of absurdity, as if he had just had a daydream.
The chaotic energy was withdrawn, and the human who had come to inquire sat upright. He lifted his veil, revealing a face that could topple empires, but with an undisguised deep disappointment on it. "Since you don't know either, I won't bother you any longer."
His pupils were surrounded by a bluish-green ring, and his words left Meng Bai with no room for doubt.
After Fu Mingxu left, he only remembered that the other party had asked about the witch clan, while he himself said that the records on this matter had long been lost.
Fu Mingxu left the main road without looking back. As night deepened, he found a secluded corner, slightly opened his palm, and there was a blue pill.
This is the Mermaid Pill that Meng Bai mentioned. According to him, only by consuming this Mermaid Pill can one enter the Mermaid Palace, and only by making a deal with the Mermaids can one obtain this Mermaid Pill.
As night falls, the seawater loses the red of the sunset and is tinged with the black of night.
There is no moon tonight, and even the waves that ripple are pitch black.
Just as Fu Mingxu scraped out a bit of the medicinal powder and put it in his mouth to savor it, the island that had been hit by the giant wave suddenly shook. He was caught off guard and almost fell to the ground.
A sudden storm struck, the pattering raindrops and howling wind creating a unique symphony of the night.
Li Chixue appeared out of nowhere, and many human and demon cultivators followed behind him, running haphazardly.
The merman Meng Lian suddenly appeared, a cluster of cold white flames floating in his hand, making the scales on his light blue temples appear even paler.
He shouted, "It's just some shaking and sudden weather changes under the island. There's no need to worry. You've all got the Shark Pills, which proves you're qualified to trade with us."
Amidst the roaring waves, he laughed loudly: "Everyone only needs to take the Mermaid Pill to temporarily transform into the appearance of a mermaid and enter the deep sea."
"This is just a small island used to house the teleportation array; the real floating city is in the deep sea."
"Of course, the effects of the shark pill will only last for ten days. When the time comes, I hope everyone will not be tempted by the scenery of the deep sea and will come ashore in time."
His clear explanation and subsequent joking remarks dispelled the initial panic among the crowd. While Fu Mingxu was still carefully analyzing the ingredients of the shark pill, many people had already taken the pill and jumped into the sea.
It's not surprising that they wouldn't have any doubts, since the teleportation array connecting Jianxiao City to this place was jointly maintained by the Qingheng Sect and the Merfolk.
Li Chixue had obviously thought of this as well, and her face turned frighteningly cold.
The arriving cultivators plunged into the deep sea like dumplings being dropped into a pot. Meng Lian remained unfazed and smiled slightly at Li Chixue, who was still standing on the island: "Fellow Daoist Li, do you wish to accompany this person who cannot make a deal?"
Fu Mingxu seemed not to have heard the meaning behind his words, and chuckled: "Although I can't do the previous deal, I am very interested in the merfolk's floating city. I brought a lot of things with me, maybe I can exchange them for what I want down there."
He was certain that if he couldn't get to the real floating city, he certainly wouldn't be able to stay here and wait for the teleportation array to reopen.
Meng Lian turned her gaze to him, as if trying to see if he was telling the truth.
Although he was certain that the other party knew what he had been trying to find out, Fu Mingxu remained calm and allowed him to examine him.
There was no need for him to wear the veil anymore, and sure enough, he heard the other person say, "It's a pity that you are not one of us merfolk with such a beautiful appearance."
Fu Mingxu smiled shyly, pursed his lips, and said, "You flatter me."
He subtly gave Li Chixue a look, signaling her not to make any rash moves.
When the other party handed him a shark pill, he swallowed it without hesitation.
Li Chixue had no time to stop him before she saw him jump into the sea.
The icy seawater made Fu Mingxu shiver. He cursed inwardly and then stuffed seven or eight different pills into his mouth before he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
But when he saw that he had actually transformed into a pale blue fish tail, he couldn't help but let his pupils tremble slightly.
A note from the author:
Fu Mingxu: Oops, I have a tail now...
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 68
Fu Mingxu stared at the bluish-green fish tail for a long time before slowly recovering. He moved his tail again, taking about fifteen minutes to get used to it.
Previously, a string of bubbles would rise from his mouth, but after transforming into a fish tail, he could breathe freely. The coldness of the seawater disappeared, and he felt extremely comfortable, as if he had always lived in this sea.
But Fu Mingxu knew that all of this was simply because he had ingested the Mermaid Elixir and developed the habits of a Mermaid.
With a slight thought, the Heaven and Earth Mystic Mirror appeared in his hand. He picked up the mirror, and his face was reflected on its smooth surface.
The headband and dark hair floated with the direction of the water flow, looking very silky.
New pale blue scales appeared on his temples. He couldn't resist picking at them in front of the mirror, but stopped immediately after feeling the pain.
It seems his plan was correct; the Mermaid Pill didn't just temporarily transform them as Meng Lian claimed. If the pill's effects were allowed to fully manifest for ten days, those who swallowed it would truly be completely transformed into mermaids.
But why did the Merfolk develop these pills and then deliberately trick others into swallowing them?
Even if these people could completely transform into merfolk, what use would it be to them? It's not like the merfolk have an excess of rice and need more people to help consume it, is it?
The tail trailing behind Fu Mingxu swayed back and forth as he pondered, and the Heaven and Earth Mystic Mirror in his hand was still open, giving the impression of him looking at himself in the mirror.
The tail's color changes from light blue to dark blue starting from the waist and abdomen, with two red lines at the bottom, adding a touch of vibrancy to the dark blue.
He recalled the trace of demonic energy between the mermaid's white eyebrows and felt that things were becoming increasingly complicated.
His mind was in turmoil, and he had a headache. He waited patiently for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before he finally saw Li Chixue's figure.
He stared at the other's legs, which moved like a fish swimming, and couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you have a tail?"
In the seawater, as he spoke, his tail swayed slightly, and the pale blue scales on his temples shimmered, complementing his already exquisite eyebrows and eyes, creating a breathtaking beauty.
Although Li Chixue was somewhat prepared, she was still quite shocked when she actually saw Fu Mingxu like this.
The astonishment in his eyes was too obvious, making Fu Mingxu a little uncomfortable. "You knew there was something wrong with the shark pill, right? That's why you didn't eat it."
Li Chixue finally came to her senses, her voice a little low: "I didn't have time to tell you."
"Don't worry, once this is over, I'll take you back to Qingheng Sect, and there will definitely be a solution."
Fu Mingxu wasn't surprised, nor did he think Li Chixue needed to tell him anything. He didn't answer her last words, but instead asked, "What else do you know?"
He assumed the other party knew some secrets of the merfolk, such as where the palace containing their books was located.
To his surprise, the other party shook his head and replied only, "Apart from the problem with the shark pill, I don't know anything else."
Disappointment flickered in Fu Mingxu's eyes, and he regretted treating him as a fellow Daoist to explore the mysteries together. But the man had already arrived, and besides, he had the identity of the Qingheng Sect, so acting together might be more convenient.
Thinking this, he didn't say anything else. He twitched his tail and swam somewhat clumsily towards the direction of the water flow, saying, "Let's go, let's see what a real floating city looks like."
He struggled to swim at first, mainly because he wasn't used to having a tail. After swimming about a hundred meters, his swimming style became more standard, and with a flick of his tail, he used the force of the current to swim far away.
This mermaid pill is indeed powerful, causing him to be assimilated into the habits of mermaids without realizing it. If it weren't for the previous pills he had taken with him, he really wouldn't have dared to swallow this mermaid pill directly.
Li Chixue followed silently behind him. Although she had no tail, she swam as fast as him. The two of them soon arrived at the outer perimeter of the floating city.
The moment Fu Mingxu arrived, a group of small fish suddenly darted out from beside the coral reef, circling his tail as if confirming something. Before he could shoo them away, the fish scattered, and then he was pulled into the barrier in front of him by a force.
Li Chixue tried to pull him, but the group of small fish suddenly darted out and knocked his outstretched hand away.
The two faced each other across a barrier. Every time Li Chixue tried to make a move, many small fish would dart out from the coral reefs beside them.
An hour later, Fu Mingxu's tail was tired from staying there. He saw that Li Chixue was not in danger, so he guessed that she was not liked by the little fish, or that she had not taken the mermaid pill. In short, she could not enter for the time being.
Li Chixue clearly understood this as well, and he waved to Fu Mingxu, indicating that the other party did not need to wait for him.
Fu Mingxu thought for a moment, assuming he had another way, then flicked his tail and left.
After he left, the group of small fish indeed stopped attacking. Li Chixue spoke in a clear voice towards the coral reef that was at least two people tall: "Lord Han, since you've come, why don't you show yourself?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the water beside him seemed to be squeezed and pushed aside by the airflow, and the mountain-like pressure almost made him draw his sword.
Han Tao emerged from the coral reef, his brows slightly lowered, his half-open golden eyes seeming to hold fragments of ice, looking at Li Chixue without joy or sorrow: "You are very smart."
Li Chixue knew what he meant and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Lord Han, you flatter me."
The two had different levels of cultivation, one higher and one lower, yet each possessed their own unique charm.
Han Tao didn't say much to him. He should have understood what he meant when Li Chixue noticed him manipulating the small fish.
"Born with a sword physique, the leader of the sect." His gaze swept over the other's shoulder and drifted into the endless sea. "You should know very well what I'm trying to say."
It is both advice and a warning.
Li Chixue froze, a face as radiant as the moon and captivating as the heavens flashed into his mind. He pursed his lips, seemingly a little unconvinced, but could only hide his resentment.
He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and nodded with difficulty: "I understand."
Han Tao was pleased with his sensibility. He was not a cruel and murderous dragon, but if someone wanted to steal his partner, then everything would be different.
He knew all too well how popular the person he loved was. Since he couldn't keep Fu Mingxu by his side, he could only nip any potential changes that might arise in the bud.
The two exchanged only a few words, and after the conversation ended, Han Tao did not linger. He stepped past her, his imposing aura undiminished, yet he automatically avoided Li Chixue and moved to the nearby stream.
Han Tao entered the barrier without any hindrance and walked in the direction Fu Mingxu had gone.