4: comminicate

"This domain... belongs to me!"

A hoarse yet majestic voice, imbued with nascent Demonic Power, rippled through the water, creating an invisible wave.

This declaration was not merely born of high spirits; it was Gao De's test of his newly acquired power, a deterrent to all hidden existences in this body of water.

The effect was immediate.

Several Grass Carp swimming nearby instantly stiffened, then frantically thrashed their tails, fleeing in panic to the far end of the pond, as if sensing the arrival of a natural predator. A few Old Turtles retracted their heads, tightly closed their shells, and sank deep into the mud. Even the ignorant Water Insects seemed to perceive the sudden, heart-pounding (or fish-pounding) oppressive sensation in the aquatic environment and ceased their activities.

The pond, at this moment, fell into a deathly silence.

Gao De felt this sense of control, where all beings bowed before him. The human Soul within him and the Yao Race's instincts fiercely intertwined, eventually merging into a purer will — to survive, and then, to climb to the Peak!

The Legacy information flowed even more clearly in his consciousness.

Human Race Cultivation progresses step by step: nine layers of Qi Refining to build the Dao foundation, then Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Soul Transformation. It emphasizes comprehending heaven and earth, condensing magical power, and the transcendence of the Divine Soul.

However, for the Yao Race, especially those like him with dragon blood Scales, the path is more direct and brutal!

First-tier Demonic Beasts are equivalent to the Human Race's Qi Refinement Stage. The core is to strengthen the Demonic Body and stimulate Bloodline potential. Whether it's sharp claws, fangs, thick skin, hard Scales, or the preliminary control over innate elements like water, fire, wind, and lightning, all power serves this body. Their intelligence is still nascent, acting mostly on instinct, much like his previous state.

Second-tier Demons represent a critical qualitative change! When the Demonic Body becomes strong enough, the ancient Legacy in the Bloodline awakens further, and more importantly — intelligence fully develops! At that time, they will completely shed their muddled state, possessing wisdom no less than, or even surpassing, ordinary humans. They will be able to understand Legacy more deeply, Cultivate Cultivation Techniques, use skills, and even begin to learn auxiliary arts like Formations and Alchemy. Many powerful Yao Race beings truly embark on the path of Cultivation starting from the second tier.

As for fish, snakes, and pythons transforming into True Dragons, that is a glorious yet cruel evolutionary path that runs throughout. Each purification of the Bloodline and transformation of form is accompanied by immense risks and the plunder of resources.

"Second-tier... full intelligence..." Gao De murmured to himself, his hoarse voice carrying a hint of longing.

Although he now possessed a human Soul, limited by his fish brain and low Realm, many thoughts were still sluggish, like observing the world through frosted glass. Only by Breaking Through to the second tier could this barrier be completely shattered, allowing human wisdom and the Yao Race's powerful body to perfectly Fuse!

And the Dragon Transformation Merit and Bone Refining Art were precisely the keys to reaching the second tier, and even higher levels.

He no longer wasted time. His massive body slowly sank to the deepest part of the cave, concealing all his aura. He began to actively guide the extremely sparse Spiritual Qi in the water, along with his own Bloodline Power, to systematically temper every scale, every inch of muscle, and every bone, according to the Dragon Transformation Merit method.

Especially the Transverse Bone in his throat; under the continuous scouring of the Bone Refining Art, the obstructive feeling was gradually disappearing. He believed that it wouldn't be long before he could truly speak human words and express himself fluently.

Cultivation knows no time.

The pond remained calm, but secretly, the hierarchy was established. Gao De became the uncrowned king of this water domain, and no creature dared to easily approach the area of his cave. Occasionally, some oblivious or newly arrived aquatic creatures, harboring a trace of spiritual intelligence, would mysteriously disappear within a short time.

Gao De's aura, under the operation of the Dragon Transformation Merit, grew increasingly solid and profound.

One day, he was immersed in refining a calcium-rich Spiritual Seashell, attempting to strengthen his bones. Suddenly—

"Splash!"

A sound, distinctly different from fish swimming or objects falling into water, came from the surface.

Gao De instantly awoke from his Cultivation state. His Breath Concealment talent instinctively activated to its extreme, making his entire Demonic Body seem to transform into a true stubborn rock. Only his Spiritual Sense cautiously probed upwards.

On the water's surface, a... palm-sized, exquisitely crafted wooden boat floated?

No, it wasn't a wooden boat. It was a Magical Artifact! Emitting faint spiritual energy fluctuations.

Immediately afterward, a slightly annoyed, childish voice came from the shore:

"Oh no! My 'Green Wave Shuttle'! How did it go out of control again!"

Gao De's Spiritual Sense "saw" a boy, appearing to be around eleven or twelve years old, dressed in Green Wave Sect Utility Disciple attire, leaning over the edge of the pond. He was staring eagerly at the small boat Magical Artifact in the water, trying to nudge it back with a branch.

He was a low-level Disciple, his cultivation... probably only at the first or second layer of Qi Refining, with a weak aura.

Countless thoughts flashed through Gao De's mind instantly.

Kill him to silence him? No, the risk was too great. Even an inconspicuous Utility Disciple's disappearance could attract patrols. Moreover, the other party hadn't discovered him.

Seize the Magical Artifact? That Green Wave Shuttle didn't seem to be of high grade, but for him, a fish, it was useless and would only expose him.

Then... a bold plan quickly formed in his mind.

He needed information about the outside world, intelligence about the Green Wave Sect, and more Cultivation resources. This ignorant Utility Disciple might... be a Breakthrough.

He cautiously manipulated the water flow, using the preliminary application of Water Control Art to create an extremely subtle, seemingly natural push, helping the "Green Wave Shuttle" slowly drift towards the shore.

Seeing this, the boy on the shore immediately showed joy: "Huh? It's drifting back?"

He quickly reached out and scooped up the small boat, carefully wiping off the water stains, muttering, "Luckily it's not broken, otherwise this month's Spirit Stones would have been saved for nothing..."

Just then, a hoarse, deep voice, as if emerging from deep-water mud, abruptly sounded in his mind:

"Little... one..."

The boy's body stiffened abruptly, his boat-wiping motion paused, and he looked around in terror: "Who? Who's talking?!"

"Look... in the water..." The voice was intermittent, seemingly very unpracticed.

The boy trembled and looked at the water surface as instructed.

In the underwater shadow near the shore, a pair of cold, pale golden vertical pupils were silently watching him. In the depths of those pupils, ancient wisdom and a trace of... majesty that made his Soul tremble seemed to be contained.

The boy was so scared that he sat down on the ground, his face pale, his lips trembling, almost screaming.

"Don't... fear." The voice sounded again, trying to keep its tone steady. "I... am the Water Patrol Emissary of this pond... seeing your Magical Artifact fall into the water... helped you..."

The boy's eyes widened, looking at the faintly visible, massive black shadow in the water, far exceeding ordinary fish, and those double pupils. His mind was in chaos.

Water Patrol Emissary? A... Water Patrol Emissary in the pond?

He had heard that some Spirit Beasts and even Mountain Guardian Spiritual Venerables in the Sect possessed intelligence and could communicate with people, but in this pond... "You... what are you?" The boy mustered his courage and asked tremblingly.

The black shadow underwater was silent for a moment. That hoarse voice, with a hint of arrogance, echoed in his mind again:

"I am... the Water Patrol Emissary of the Lake Water Mansion."

"Little one, how about we make a deal...?"