At least, he wouldn't know the specifics until he got out of there.
“Let’s follow them.” Fu Mingxu was certain that there was something important at the bottom of that pit, and Bai Huazhi already knew that this was the ruins of the Witch Clan.
Not only did he know, but he must have been here before. However, for some reason, the passage he used before was no longer accessible, which is why he needed to come in from the birthplace of the demon spirit.
This reason might be related to his current identity as a demon.
Qi Muyuan must have come in from elsewhere.
If that's the case, could all of this be related to his father? Did his father leave him a map and ask him to find it simply because he was trapped here and couldn't get out?
Where exactly did Wuwang Island go?
Before the old problems have been answered, new problems have already arisen.
Fu Mingxu originally thought that the mysteries above his head were decreasing and that a clear sky would slowly emerge. But what he didn't expect was that with each additional step he took, another layer of mystery would appear.
But the answer will eventually appear, as long as he keeps moving forward.
“Wuwang Island should be located below the pit.” Han Tao’s gaze lingered on the edge of the pit, and he loosened his grip on Fu Mingxu slightly. “Wuwang Island couldn’t have simply vanished, unless it recognized a master like the Dragon and Phoenix Realm.”
These words were like a wake-up call. Fu Mingxu suddenly snapped out of his reverie, his voice trembling with excitement: "You're right! Wuwang Island isn't necessarily on the mainland."
"It might be in the deep pit!"
The map his father left him was certainly not useless; he was too young then, and even if he knew some things, he couldn't do anything about it. Only when he gained cultivation could he find a way to enter this place.
Fu Mingxu's gaze towards the deep pit became fiery, and he even forgot the tingling sensation on his scalp caused by the silver snake earlier.
The white mist was getting thicker and thicker, seemingly urging the two of them to go down.
Hesitation leads to trouble. Fu Mingxu and Han Tao exchanged a glance, and without further hesitation, they jumped into the deep pit.
As the two figures descended, the white mist quickly surrounded them, and the rustling sounds within the mist stimulated their eardrums.
The entire ruins of the Wu tribe were once again completely shrouded in white mist. The tall statue with a human body and a snake tail stood silently, just as it had in the past ten thousand years, protecting the safety of the Wu tribe behind it.
As the full moon disappeared, seven stars appeared above the white mist, forming the Big Dipper constellation and hanging in the air.
However, these seven stars were dim and without light; if the sky hadn't been so dark, they would probably have been hidden from view.
Not far from the Big Dipper constellation, above the spot where Fu Mingxu and the others entered, a small star appeared out of nowhere.
It remained in a slightly lower position, its size no more than half that of the seven stars, yet its brightness was astonishing.
Like the morning star before the dawn breaks after the darkness.
...
The wind whistled past his ears. The moment he jumped, Fu Mingxu felt dizzy and nauseous. A feeling of nausea rose from his stomach and assaulted his throat.
He felt as if he were spinning and falling rapidly from the highest point of the sky, with countless stars flashing past him, their starlight stretched into long white lines in his vision.
He resisted the urge to reach out and grab it, but dared not close his eyes tightly.
The little mermaid screamed in Han Tao's arms, her small round face scrunched up, calling out for her mother in a pitiful voice.
As soon as the two landed, the thin threads seemed to snap and transformed back into a sky full of starlight.
This is the innermost heaven, and also the innermost realm.
Fu Mingxu softened and hugged the little mermaid, but his gaze remained fixed on the distant island.
Under the twinkling starlight, silver waves surged endlessly, and an island sat in the center of these waves, shrouded in black mist.
“It’s extremely pure demonic energy.” Han Tao followed the direction he was looking and concluded, then looked down at the little mermaid in his hand that had returned to its original form. “He’s too heavy, don’t carry him.”
The little mermaid, who had been dormant in the Mirror of Heaven and Earth for a long time, had grown to the size of a human baby. She could only shrink into Han Tao's clothes when she controlled her form.
The topic had taken a strange turn, and Fu Mingxu subconsciously shifted his position, unable to resist saying, "It is a bit heavy."
Little Mermaid Fu Baobao's little mouth pursed even more, but she knew it wasn't the time to cry, so she obediently shed two tears.
Fu Mingxu felt heartbroken watching the pearls roll away. Although he was certain that he was no longer able to have children, the presence of the two people on the little mermaid was undeniable.
"Don't talk nonsense." He glared at Han Tao, tapped his toes, and said, "Quickly pick up the pearls on the ground."
Han Tao pursed his lips, silently bent down to pick up the pearls from the ground, and then skillfully put them into a small storage bag.
Fu Mingxu was earnestly admonishing the little mermaid: "Never cry easily, or if someone sees you, they'll definitely steal you and sell you!"
The little mermaid was so frightened that she stopped sobbing and immediately stretched out her chubby hands to cover her eyes. Her white fishtail trembled again and again. "Why did you sell me! Don't sell me!"
Fu Mingxu grinned, gestured to him with his chin, indicating that he should look at the storage bag in Han Tao's hand, "Look, because pearls are valuable."
Now, the little mermaid was so frightened that she turned back into the tiny mermaid she was when they first met, and obediently let Fu Mingxu stuff her into Han Tao's clothes again.
Looking down at the bulge in his chest, Han Tao finally couldn't help but ask, "Can you put it in a storage bag? He won't die."
Fu Mingxu couldn't bring himself to be ruthless towards this little mermaid who had appeared out of nowhere and carried the blood of both of them. He snorted twice in response to Han Tao.
The little incident eased Fu Mingxu's tension and anxiety about not being able to find his father here. He took a step forward, turned his head and asked, "Why don't you stay here and I'll go in and check first?"
Han Tao currently has not only an unresolved demonic seed within him, but also a corrupted demonic spirit. He fears that the excessively concentrated demonic energy might have an impact on him.
Under the starlight, everything around was pitch black, except for the silver waves surrounding the island, which were particularly eye-catching.
Although Fu Mingxu disliked it, he was not afraid.
"No need." Han Tao was naturally worried about him going alone. He thought for a moment, then held out a hand in front of him. "Look."
What are you looking at?
A wisp of demonic energy appeared in Han Tao's palm, the energy carrying wisps of golden light, as if the two had merged into one.
Fu Mingxu was shocked and immediately checked his forehead.
However, there were no magical markings on his forehead, and the golden pupils in his eyes were free of any impurities or gloom, clearly reflecting his own face.
"I didn't tell you before because I was afraid you'd worry." Han Tao withdrew his demonic energy, and his hand transformed into a claw, with two orbs of energy, one black and one gold, appearing in his palm.
For a moment, Fu Mingxu didn't know whether to look at the majestic dragon claw or at the two distinct and completely different masses of gas.
“So,” he took a deep breath to calm himself, “you refined the demonic spirit, the demonic spirit devoured the demonic seed, and you can use both demonic energy and spiritual energy at the same time, right?”
As expected, Han Tao nodded.
Fu Mingxu's face showed no joy at all, like "Han Tao is indeed amazing." His brows were furrowed, and his heart was filled with deep worry.
Han Tao sighed, as if explaining or as assuring: "When I was unconscious before, the demonic energy in my body was boiling. The moment I felt my destiny being broken, I wanted to seize this opportunity and take a gamble."
"Since the demonic energy and the demonic seed have led me to demonic possession, I might as well let the demonic spirit recognize me as its master and devour the demonic seed, thus directly controlling the demonic energy."
"Fortunately, I succeeded."
"Mingxu, the demonic energy won't make me a demon, isn't that good?"
Fu Mingxu knew that he wanted to completely eliminate this hidden danger, and as he wished, he succeeded.
But he couldn't help but add, "What if you fail?"
Han Tao gently brushed the strands of hair that had fallen over his shoulders behind him, her movements extremely tender. "I won't fail."
Now that he had succeeded, Fu Mingxu knew there was no need to continue asking "what ifs".
Now that their concerns about demonic energy had disappeared, there was no need for the two of them to stop moving forward.
Fu Mingxu walked forward in silence. After taking only two steps, he felt a weight on his arm and was pulled into a broad, warm embrace.
"Don't be angry." Han Tao's voice rang out above his head, carrying an undeniable sense of panic. "Don't ignore me."
Fu Mingxu didn't move. After a moment of silence, he let out a long sigh and then hugged him back. "Although I'm a little angry at your presumptuous decision, you know your body better than I do."
Perhaps the string in his mind that had been taut, called "Han Tao cannot become a demon," suddenly disappeared, and he was still a little dazed.
“Let’s go there.” Fu Mingxu stepped away from his embrace. “Bai Huazhi and Qi Muyuan probably went there too.”
Han Tao looked down at him, the starlight adorning his brows, adding to his aloofness.
The two walked towards Wuwang Island, and upon closer inspection, Fu Mingxu immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
It turned out that the silver waves were not the silver snakes they had seen before, but real water waves.
Silvery water ripples.
Even if that's not the case, Fu Mingxu felt that the silver waves were closely related to those silver snakes.
It's too much of a coincidence, and too similar. It's best to be cautious.
The two stood at the edge of the silver waves, then flew together toward the central island.
The dense demonic energy did not hinder their progress. Fu Mingxu thought he would see a desolate island, but after entering the swirling demonic energy outside, what first came into view was a scene resembling springtime.
With its fragrant plants, fluttering peach blossoms, weeping willows by the lake, and two or three thatched cottages, it is clearly a beautiful scene on earth.
Just by looking at the weeds growing haphazardly on the ground, you can tell that no one has lived here for a long time.
"There's a formation." Han Tao stopped him from moving and flicked a wisp of spiritual energy from his fingertip onto the peach tree.
The key point of the formation was very conspicuous, as if the person who set it up did so on purpose, as if afraid that people would not notice it.
When spiritual energy is applied to it, apart from making the peach blossoms fall even more violently, there are no other changes.
Fu Mingxu didn't think Han Tao had chosen the wrong key to the formation. He thought of the demonic energy swirling outside and his mind stirred slightly. "Perhaps, it is the demonic energy that is useful."
Upon hearing this, Han Tao had no doubts. He flicked his finger again, and a pure demonic energy entered the peach tree.
The beautiful scenery changed in an instant; the place that was just overgrown with weeds was transformed into a path leading to a thatched cottage.
For some reason, when this road appeared, Fu Mingxu's heart pounded exceptionally hard, as if an innate blood connection was urging him to keep going.
"A way out of the battle." Han Tao skillfully took his hand, lowered his eyes and asked, "Do you want to go?"
Fu Mingxu nodded solemnly: "Of course."
Without hesitation, the two stepped onto the path and walked step by step toward the thatched cottage.
The peach blossoms are still fluttering incessantly, I wonder how many times they have silently bloomed here.
A thick layer of dust settled on the stone table I passed by, and swirling peach petals fell, leaving faint traces.
"Squeak."
He gently pushed open the door of the thatched hut, and the flying dust was pungent, causing Fu Mingxu to sneeze loudly.
Han Tao quickly cast a simple dust-removing spell on him, but didn't pay attention to converting the demonic energy at his fingertips.
A powerful burst of spiritual energy suddenly shot out from the thatched hut, like a strong gust of wind sweeping Han Tao away.