314: Weak Water

On the outskirts of the Weak Water Pool, the pale blue weak water stretched out beneath their feet like an endless mirror. As soon as Feng Ming leaped out from his storage ring, Zhao Peng's voice rushed over with a hint of urgency.

"Boss! Look, Madam and the others are over there!"

Feng Ming looked up and indeed saw Jiang Shuwan, Feng Mian, and the others standing at the edge of the Weak Water Pool, waving vigorously toward them. Their sleeves fluttered in the cool breeze, and their faces were filled with the joy of a long-awaited reunion.

There were nineteen days left until the end of the Liangzhou Trial. After nearly a month of wandering separately, they had finally converged here.

Jiang Shuwan almost lunged into Feng Ming's arms, her nose rubbing against his lapel. Her voice carried a hint of soft, piteous grievance: "Husband, you've finally arrived. I thought... I thought I'd have to wait until the Trial ended to see you."

Feng Ming gently patted her back, his fingertips brushing through the stray hairs at her temples. His tone was gentle: "I've made you worry. Am I not perfectly fine?" After comforting her, his tone shifted as his gaze swept over the group. "Where's Qianqian? Has she not met up with you yet?"

Jiang Shuwan lifted her head from his chest and nodded, her eyes reflecting a touch of admiration. "Qianqian said she wanted to push for the top ten of the heaven ticket ranking one more time. Even if the hope is slim, she doesn't want to leave any regrets. She said that Opportunities can be sought after the Trial ends, but the top ten spots will be gone if she misses them."

Upon hearing this, Feng Ming raised his hand to summon the light screen of the heaven ticket ranking. His gaze fell on Lu Qianqian's name. She had barely three hundred heaven ranking tickets, while the tenth person on the list had at least four hundred and twenty.

In the final nineteen days, gathering over a hundred more tickets would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

"That girl has more grit than I thought." Feng Ming chuckled and withdrew his gaze, not intending to stop her.

He understood Lu Qianqian's obsession with entering officialdom. Since she wanted to give it her all, he would let her be. Whether she succeeded or failed, it was her own choice.

Besides Lu Qianqian, Feng Ming was also somewhat puzzled. "Didn't we say before that many Cultivators wanted to follow me? Why don't I see them here?"

Feng Mian took a step forward and patted his shoulder, his tone steady. "I stopped them. If they came now, they wouldn't just be unhelpful; they'd be a nuisance. I've already told them to gather in Liangzhou City after the Trial ends. You're about to enter the Weak Water Pool to find Zhang Bai. Those people have varying levels of cultivation; they'd struggle just to protect themselves in such a perilous land, let alone help you."

Feng Ming felt a warmth in his heart and nodded. "Big brother has arranged things properly. That was exactly my intention."

His trip into the Weak Water Pool was meant to be a solo mission; having too many people would only tie his hands.

After briefly inquiring about everyone's experiences and gains outside, Feng Ming revealed his plan: "I'm going into the Weak Water Pool to find Zhang Bai. Madam Bai has already reached an agreement with the Zhang Family. As long as I meet up with him, he will hand over the herbs."

Hearing this, Jiang Shuwan quickly took out a Jade Slip from her storage ring and handed it to Feng Ming. "Qianqian left this before she departed. She said if Zhang Bai hasn't moved, he should be near the Stone Array deep within the Weak Water Pool."

"Also, Feng Da has already contacted you, right? For Zhang Bai's sake, Madam Bai has practically laid out all of the Zhang Family's assets. Everyone in the Zhang Family has relented; as long as you don't make things difficult for Zhang Bai, the herbs will certainly be presented with both hands."

"Feng Da already told me." Feng Ming took the Jade Slip and injected spiritual energy with his fingertips, instantly imprinting the route information inside onto his mind.

"Madam Bai is quite loyal and righteous. Last time, Qianqian was able to escape from Zhang Bai's hands because of her mediation. Don't worry, as long as Zhang Bai cooperates, I won't make things difficult for him."

Hearing this, Jiang Shuwan finally breathed a sigh of relief. She held his hand and urged, "Husband, the Weak Water Pool is one of the Three Great Perilous Lands. There is only weak water inside, and you cannot fly. You must be extremely careful."

Feng Mian also frowned, his tone carrying a bit of worry. "Second brother, how about we accompany you? You can only travel on foot inside. We're really not at ease with you going alone."

"Don't worry, big brother." Feng Ming smiled, a flash of confidence in his eyes. "If I go alone, I'll be faster. Many things aren't better just because there are more people."

Seeing that his mind was made up, Feng Mian stopped insisting and simply gave his arm a heavy pat. "Alright, be careful with everything. We'll wait for you to come back."

"Husband, you must come back safely." Perhaps because of her pregnancy, Jiang Shuwan's emotions were easily stirred. She held Feng Ming now, her eyes slightly red.

Feng Ming nodded with a smile, then said his goodbyes and turned to step into the Weak Water Pool. The pale blue lake water beneath his feet was cool but not biting. When one stepped on it, it felt like walking on level ground, without sinking at all.

But looking up, the surroundings were nothing but the vast weak water, with no end in sight. There was no vegetation or rocks—only this "water surface" beneath his feet, which felt empty and eerie.

Among the Three Great Perilous Lands, this place could be said to be the most unique. There were no Opportunities and no dangerous Yao Beasts, but one couldn't fly either, having to rely entirely on their legs to move forward.

Countless Cultivators who entered this place often didn't get far before turning back due to boredom and confusion. Thus, this place was also known as the "Opportunity-less Perilous Land."

However, Feng Ming didn't believe in such things. After his Mental Energy Breakthrough, his Gale Thunder Control Technique had already allowed him to comprehend the art of Shrinking the Ground to an Inch.

Flying was forbidden in the Weak Water Pool, but Shrinking the Ground to an Inch wasn't flying; it was instantaneous movement. Would it also be restricted?

With a testing mind, Feng Ming spread out his Mental Energy to its full extent.

But in the next moment, he frowned. His Mental Energy, which could normally cover thousands of miles, was severely compressed here. Even at full power, it could only spread out to a range of a thousand meters with himself as the center.

"This Weak Water Pool is indeed not simple." A thousand-meter range was a distance that could be reached in an instant in the outside world, but here it was the limit. Fortunately, although his Mental Energy was suppressed, it hadn't completely failed.

He took a deep breath and activated the Gale Startling Thunder Technique, attempting to perform Shrinking the Ground to an Inch.

In the next second, the space around him distorted slightly, and his figure instantly vanished from the spot. When he reappeared, he was already a thousand meters away.

"It worked!" A flash of joy appeared in Feng Ming's eyes.

Although he could only move a thousand meters at a time, which was far less free than in the outside world, it was worlds apart from other Cultivators who could only travel on foot.

With this ability, his speed in finding Zhang Bai would be at least several times faster.

Lu Qianqian had said that she and Zhang Bai had walked for ten days inside the Weak Water Pool before reaching the Stone Array. With Shrinking the Ground to an Inch, Feng Ming was confident he could finish this journey in two to three days.

Over the next three days, Feng Ming followed the route in the Jade Slip, continuously performing Shrinking the Ground to an Inch as he zipped through the vast weak water.

Moving a thousand meters at a time, his speed was incredibly fast. Along the way, there was nothing but weak water. Only the occasional breeze proved that this area was not completely dead.

Three days later, Feng Ming's figure appeared at the edge of a Stone Array. This place was different from others; beneath the water's surface, countless massive rocks protruded. The rocks crisscrossed to form a natural stone formation, exactly the landmark Lu Qianqian had described.