CH 89

Thank you to TinaVu for the ko-fi~

The not-so-bright jiaolong, finally threatened by the prospect of losing its remaining head scales, gave up the benefit of being petted on its head. Although, for a jiaolong, having a bald head wasn’t exactly abnormal.

Compared to the earlier vibrant red frog, there was no need for deliberation—jiaolongs were undoubtedly on a higher level in terms of rank and lineage. This is precisely why the enormous frog couldn’t withstand the pressure from the jiaolong, causing it to leave the water’s edge and find refuge in the forest.

Shu Shuishui was finally freed from the task of petting the jiaolong. He soothingly patted the jiaolong’s head and said, “Hello there, Xiao Jiaojiao. Do you know where this place is?”

The person next to him, who was on guard, almost instinctively rubbed their ears, suspecting they had misheard. Xiao Jiaojiao? Could this be right? This massive creature was clearly not to be trifled with; how could it be addressed this casually? What if it got upset? Just one bite and both of them would fit between its teeth.

However, in the midst of the person’s bewilderment, the jiaolong seemed to be triggered by something. It suddenly soared into the air, causing the water in the pond to cascade out like a waterfall, pouring down.

With a splash, countless water droplets flew and drenched both Shu Shuishui and the other person.

The jiaolong, incredibly, appeared to be jubilant like a child. It circled in the air above the pond, then dove back into the water, splashing water everywhere. Shu Shuishui and the other person had to step back to avoid the boiling pond water.

Shu Shuishui’s heart skipped a beat; it felt like something was about to burst out from deep within. However, in the end, nothing happened. He could only helplessly purse his lip and reveal an indulgent smile. This jiaolong, despite not being particularly intelligent, was somewhat adorable.

For the first time, Shu Shuishui realized that even a bald creature could be cute.

The bald jiaolong frolicked in the water, churning it like mad. Many fish and shrimp from the water were tossed onto the shore, looking dazed.

Shu Shuishui’s eyes lit up immediately. Ignoring the water droplets falling around, he stepped on the sharp-edged pebbles and lunged toward a joyfully splashing large fish.

It was indeed a lunge; in his excitement, Shu Shuishui momentarily forgot that he was now human-shaped and believed he was still a furry little creature. He crashed down heavily, attempting to suppress the splashing fish.

With a bang, a sound echoed.

The person who had stayed put to avoid the water winced instinctively. It felt painful on his behalf. “Brother, are you okay? Is there something bothering you?”

Shu Shuishui was in pain as well, struggling to get up. The fish beneath him seemed somewhat dazed from the impact, but its tail still stubbornly wagged. Shu Shuishui quickly reached out and held the fish’s head. “I’m fine. It’s my first time being human. Please guide me.”

The person was utterly baffled and awkwardly scratched their head. “Mutual guidance, mutual guidance.”

In truth, the person was still in a state of confusion. Ever since they encountered the red mutated frog, their journey through the copy seemed to have taken an unusual path. Especially now, hiding behind rocks to avoid the splashing water caused by an unknown creature’s merriment, with a strange person not far away.

The person couldn’t really decide if they should leave now. The surrounding forest was dense with vegetation, making it seem likely that there were many mutated creatures around. If they encountered something else, they might not survive more than a few seconds. It seemed better to follow this peculiar person; at least they seemed capable.

Considered somewhat capable, Shu Shuishui resolved the floundering fish. Then, he placed the fish into his spiritual storage and went on to pick up more fish, shrimp, and a few crabs. His collection efforts were quite serious.

The jiaolong in the pond seemed to have finally calmed down. It floated on the water’s surface, its massive head peeking out and moving along with Shu Shuishui’s actions. After noticing Shu Shuishui collecting fish and shrimp, the jiaolong tilted its head in thought and then submerged itself.

In an instant, with a splashing sound, enormous waves surged onto the shore, bringing with them countless fish and shrimp—various species and sizes of fish.

As Shu Shuishui watched the fish splashing around in front of him, he felt somewhat dazed.

The jiaolong, having thrown countless fish and shrimp onto the shore, quickly stuck its head out again. It approached Shu Shuishui and gently bumped its head against his head, seemingly seeking praise.

Shu Shuishui: “…” His spiritual storage was limited, and he couldn’t use it all to store a mountain of fish and shrimp. So, he could only select a dozen or so plump fish. As for the rest, Shu Shuishui threw them one by one back into the pond.

Upon seeing this, the jiaolong seemed puzzled for a moment. Then, with a somewhat aggrieved hum, it dove back into the water, but when it saw that Shu Shuishui continued throwing fish back into the pond, it took flight again, tail curling up and pulling all the fish back into the water.

The fish and shrimp in the pond were probably feeling rather bewildered today. However, those who could survive in this pond were likely creatures that hadn’t yet awakened their spiritual awareness.

Shu Shuishui reached up and gently tapped his own cheek, the location of his cheek pouch in his dormouse form. “These will last me a long time. Thank you, Xiao Jiaojiao.”

The originally slightly aggrieved jiaolong, upon hearing the nickname “Xiao Jiaojiao,” happily flipped in mid-air. Having calmed the jiaolong down, Shu Shuishui felt a bit troubled. He had thought that communicating with a jiaolong of this level would be smoother than with the frog. However, it seemed that the jiaolong’s intelligence was limited as well. Even though it was about to transform into a dragon, it still acted like an unknowing child. “Xiao Jiaojiao, I’m going to leave now. I still need to find someone.”

The jiaolong, which had been merrily tumbling about, abruptly stopped its movements. An expression of panic, loss, and disbelief appeared in its big eyes. It leaned closer, then swiftly encircled Shu Shuishui, surrounding him as if it were a coiled dragon, unwilling to let him go.

The person hiding behind the rock initially thought the monster was about to attack. However, after observing, they realized the monster was merely enclosing the person without any intent to strangle like a snake.

Shu Shuishui hadn’t expected the jiaolong to react like this. It seemed that the jiaolong understood what he was saying but didn’t know how to communicate in return. Shu Shuishui felt quite distressed for a moment. He patted the jiaolong’s stubborn head in a soothing manner. “Xiao Jiaojiao, though I know I’m fluffy and cute, I’m an actual mouse, and now a genuine human. I can’t abandon Gu Gu.”

The jiaolong turned its head away, seemingly uninterested in what Shu Shuishui was saying. It had an air of ‘say whatever you want, I’m not letting go’ about it.

Shu Shuishui tried to reason with it for a while but realized that the jiaolong was single-minded and stubborn. No matter what was said, it had no effect. Shu Shuishui eventually sighed in helplessness. “Well, how about this, Xiao Jiaojiao? How about you come with me?”

The jiaolong’s massive head then turned around, blinking its eyes and vigorously nodding its head. It pressed its head against Shu Shuishui’s leg, which led to Shu Shuishui stumbling and falling. But unexpectedly, he landed right on top of the jiaolong.

The jiaolong instantly soared into the air, circling at a low altitude, seemingly waiting for Shu Shuishui to get accustomed.

Adapting was a bit challenging—it was more thrilling than riding an elevator. Shu Shuishui felt like he was reliving the sensation of secretly riding a roller coaster in Shu Bao’s pocket. The jiaolong’s enormous body glided through the air, undulating and spiraling, behaving like a satisfied child.

The person hiding behind the rock was initially dumbfounded, but they quickly reacted, emerging from their hiding spot and waving their hands desperately. “Brother! Brother! Take me with you!”

Still reeling from the shock of flying, Shu Shuishui heard the plea, lowered his head in thought, and then asked, “Does Xiao Jiaojiao want to bring him along?”

The jiaolong circled once in the air before landing back on the shore. The man took a step back reflexively—this monster was truly frightening. It was at least thirty meters long, with scales that gleamed coldly, claws sharp as knives, and orange vertical pupils. It looked like a creature not to be trifled with.

The jiaolong rubbed against Shu Shuishui, then swiftly turned around and plunged back into the pond.

The man approached cautiously and whispered, “Brother, why did it go back in? Shouldn’t we take the chance to escape now?”

Shu Shuishui shook his head decisively. “If we have a mount, why would we walk? My feet don’t have shoes, and my jiojio don’t want to walk.”

The man: “…” If one doesn’t want to walk, they don’t want to walk. Why blame it on shoes and feet? And what kind of strange pronunciation was “jiojio”? Where was this person from? It felt like they hadn’t heard this accent before.

“Brother, I’m Lin Huang, from Cang Nie Star,” the man introduced himself, despite his confusion.

Shu Shuishui extended his hand for a shallow handshake, calmly responding, “Brother, I’m Shu Shuishui, from Cang Zhan Star.”

Lin Huang nodded, then glanced at Shu Shuishui’s attire. “Mr. Shu, why are you dressed like this? Did something happen?”

Shu Shuishui scratched his head. Well, if one thought about it, something did happen; he suddenly transformed. “Yeah, it was a hasty situation, didn’t have time to put on pants.”

Lin Huang coughed awkwardly. “I understand! I understand! You and your partner seem to have a good relationship.”

Shu Shuishui was slightly surprised. “Didn’t expect you to be quite perceptive. Indeed, Gu Gu and I have an exceptionally good relationship. The best, unbeatably good!”

Lin Huang fell silent for two seconds, then burst into laughter. “I really like how straightforward Mr. Shu is.”

Shu Shuishui tilted his head. “Straightforward? Can that word be used like this?”

“Of course.”

Shu Shuishui said, “Oh.”

With a splash, the jiaolong emerged from the water again. However, this time, it held something in its mouth—branches and vines tangled together. It was hard to discern through the curtain of water, but it looked somewhat like branches.

It wasn’t until the jiaolong swiftly dashed in front of Shu Shuishui, releasing what it carried in its mouth, that both individuals could see what the jiaolong held.

Shu Shuishui was truly astonished now, thoroughly puzzled.

The man was equally bewildered, pointing at the items on the ground. “Th-these… why do they look like its horns? And there are so many, one, two, three, four…”

Shu Shuishui saw it too—they were dragon horns! Piled up like a small mountain, a total of eight pairs! But why? Why did the jiaolong have so many dragon horns?

Such a huge heap of horns… Could it be that jiaolongs molt their horns? Shu Bao had never mentioned that! Or perhaps this was an unconventional jiaolong, not following the usual path? But if jiaolongs molted, how would it transform into a dragon? Wasn’t the maturity of dragon horns a sign of a jiaolong’s transformation into a dragon?

Shu Shuishui wasn’t a native of the cultivation world. He was having trouble understanding. Gazing at the dragon horns piled like a small mountain, Shu Shuishui was at a loss. Despite not growing up in the cultivation world, he knew that these dragon horns were valuable. Even if they weren’t true dragon horns, the horns from a transforming jiaolong were undoubtedly treasures beyond compare. “Xiao Jiaojiao, are these all yours?”

The jiaolong nodded and then used its head to nudge the horns toward Shu Shuishui’s location, the meaning clear—these are for you!

Shu Shuishui helplessly spread his hands. “But there are so many, I can’t fit them all!” It seemed that only Shu Shuishui would face the predicament of struggling to fit priceless treasures.

The jiaolong paused for a moment, then slumped to the ground in a despondent posture, as if it wanted to give up the horns but was reluctant to do so.

Watching the jiaolong in this state, Shu Shuishui suddenly recalled the treasures Shu Bao had given them. There were several storage rings among them.

Rings! A sudden realization struck Shu Shuishui and he retrieved a ring from the spirit storage. It was the one obtained in Li Meng’s copy, and the other one was worn by Gu Langu’s hand.

As if suddenly remembering something, a sly smile curled at the corner of Shu Shuishui’s mouth, but it vanished in an instant.

Lin Huang coincidentally caught that fleeting smile, and his heart skipped a beat. At that moment, the person before him had undergone a complete transformation in temperament! Lin Huang struggled to find words to describe the feeling. When he first saw Shu Shuishui, his initial impression was purity—pure like a light, airy cloud, like a fluffy ball of cotton candy, gentle, soft, and sweet.

Especially when Shu Shuishui smiled, his eyes curved, as if the whole world unconditionally believed in him.

However, in that very instant when Shu Shuishui took out the ring, there was a concealed, sly smile that turned his pure aura into that of a little fox—cunning and playful, with a hint of arrogance.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t recognize me?” Shu Shuishui looked up and happened to catch Lin Huang’s stunned expression.

“No, no, no!” Lin Huang hurriedly denied it three times subconsciously. “I was just thinking about something else.”

Shu Shuishui made a soft sound of acknowledgment. “What are you so lost in thought about?”

“Nothing, what do we do next?” Lin Huang looked away, his heart racing. He was contemplating whether his decision to stay had been a foolish one. This sudden change in Shu Shuishui made him uneasy. Not only could he control mutated creatures at will but that smile from earlier had left a shadow that couldn’t be dispelled.

Shu Shuishui didn’t press further, redirecting his attention to the ring. As expected, the ring’s size was a perfect match for his ring finger, tailored perfectly. Was it really a coincidence? Li Meng and himself, Wu Lan and Gu Langu, were they truly unrelated? This question resurfaced in Shu Shuishui’s mind once again.

Putting the ring on his ring finger, the moment the ring was in place, an ordinary-looking ring emitted a stream of light. Immediately afterward, Shu Shuishui’s mind automatically received a segment of information, revealing the true functionality of the ring.

“Escape the cycle of life and death, transcend the three thousand voids, soul’s intent undying, karma unceasing.”

In just a few words, the entire explanation of the ring was conveyed. Shu Shuishui’s heart pounded. As a practicing rodent, he naturally understood the concept of the cycle of life and death, as well as the meaning behind “transcending the three thousand voids.”

The cycle of life and death referred to the cycle of reincarnation dictated by the heavens—a cycle only escapable by ascending to immortality. “Transcending the three thousand voids” referred to breaking through the shattered void and the three thousand worlds. These were barriers that only immortals could cross.

The concept of three thousand worlds was used in the cultivation world. To explain it in terms of this world, it could be understood as parallel universes and parallel dimensions. Each dimension had its own set of rules, and only cultivators with formidable strength, those who had undergone tribulations and ascended to immortality, could breach these barriers.

However, ascending to immortality remained a legend, something that Shu Shuishui, born on Earth, didn’t even dare to think about. Even Shu Bao had said that among those who could ascend, they were one in a million, highlighting the level of difficulty.

And this ring, it possessed the ability that only those who transcended tribulations and ascended to immortality could wield. Perhaps this was beyond the realm of artifacts—what category lay above artifacts? A super-artifact?

No wonder Li Meng and Wu Lan could ultimately achieve their desires. Even though Li Meng had a unique identity, with this ring, no universal laws could restrain them. No matter how they cycled through reincarnation, they would eventually meet. Their souls would be undying, their karma unending.

Shu Shuishui touched his ear, feeling oddly delighted. With this, didn’t he and Gu Gu also have such a bond? If Shu Shuishui were still in his furry state, his ears would likely be twitching uncontrollably.

With a thought, Shu Shuishui stored all the dragon horns in front of him in the ring’s space. Throughout history, ring-like spiritual tools were the easiest to imbue with storage attributes, and this ring that transcended spacetime was even more so. For it, space was both boundless and meaningless. The spatial attribute of the ring surpassed that of fixed storage spaces. Owning this ring was akin to having an infinite space.

Beside him, the vigilant Lin Huang was momentarily stunned, but he opened his mouth and refrained from saying much. Perhaps it was a spatial folding device? Even though this sleek half-body outfit didn’t seem to show where the folding device could be concealed.

This time, Shu Shuishui jumped onto the dragon voluntarily, but he didn’t ride it. After all, being in a vacuum state felt a bit strange. Shu Shuishui sat sideways on the dragon’s back and pinched the dragon horn to indicate that he was settled.

The dragon soared into the air. Just as Lin Huang, who was still standing on the ground, was in a daze, a massive claw suddenly reached out, scooping him up, and rapidly ascending into the sky.

Suppressing the scream that rose to his throat, Lin Huang was truly starting to panic a bit. He had ridden in flying vehicles before, but this was way more thrilling! He hastily shouted up, “Brother! Brother! Can you give me a seatbelt? This is too exhilarating, I can’t handle it!”

Hearing this, Shu Shuishui patted himself and realized he wasn’t carrying anything. After rummaging through his spiritual storage for a while, he found a driver’s license—an illustration he had drawn when he was still a dormouse, back when he first played with toy cars.

Shu Shuishui said, “No seatbelt, but I have a driver’s license. Do you want it?”

Lin Huang felt like he might have misheard. “What? What did you say?”

Shu Shuishui handed the self-made driver’s license to the dragon, which the dragon held in its mouth and then pinched with its free claw, passing it to Lin Huang.

Lin Huang subconsciously took it, opened it against the wind, and after reading its contents, he fell silent. Meanwhile, Shu Shuishui continued shouting from above, “How about it, brother? Do you feel a bit safer?”

Lin Huang: “…”

If it weren’t for being afraid of provoking this monster, he really wanted to angrily throw away this driver’s license! Are you kidding me? Safer my foot! And could someone explain the “not specified” entry in the age column? “Mr. Shu, what’s up with your age on this?”

Shu Shuishui said, “Well, don’t pay too much attention to the details. I do have a driver’s license, you know. Driving a toy car is a piece of cake for me. Riding a dragon is nothing. Brother, hold on tight. We’re going to accelerate.”

Lin Huang: “…”

He became even more anxious. What should he do now?

Translator’s corner: 

The driver’s license made its appearance again HAHAHAHAHHAHHAHA!!!