Chapter Forty-Seven: The Lotus Pond

Up ahead, at last, a new coastline appeared. Seeing the long stretch of sea on the horizon, Qin Shuang could not help but feel a surge of excitement within. Crossing the Sea of Thousand Tribulations meant he had successfully passed two of the tests of Shanhaitian, leaving only the final challenge before he could depart from this realm.

The first two trials, though arduous and perilous, had brought immense rewards. Qin Shuang had never imagined that his soul would reach the realm of Divine Being so swiftly—indeed, even attain the grade of Superior Divine Being. Along with his insights into space, it was now merely a matter of time before he advanced to the Lower Celestial Deity. One thing Qin Shuang was certain of: he would reach the Celestial Deity realm earlier than children from typical Divine Being families. In the Divine Realm, the transition from Divine Being to Celestial Deity was a formidable threshold.

Even the Divine King, in Qin Shuang’s eyes now, was something he would inevitably achieve. Fully comprehending the laws of space no longer seemed so distant or unattainable.

The trials of Shanhaitian were fraught with danger; a single misstep could cost one’s life. Yet Qin Shuang found himself strangely fond of this sensation. Now, he finally understood why his father's progress was so rapid and why so many were astonished by it. His father, from a tender age, had endured rigorous tests of survival, forging his path step by step on his own. Qin Shuang now held even more reverence for his father.

He had reached the shore. The tranquil beach was empty save for Qin Shuang himself. A breeze, tinged with the scent of the sea, swept past him, and Qin Shuang had not felt so relaxed in a long time.

“There are words on the wall!”

He soon discovered that, carved into a section of the cliff by the coast, were several characters.

“Congratulations on passing the trial of the Sea of Thousand Tribulations. Break the stone wall to receive your reward for passing the test. This is also the passage to the final trial, the 'Lotus Pond.'”

With a roar, Qin Shuang shattered the stone wall without hesitation. The smile on his lips deepened. The reward he had received from the Mountain of Myriad Sovereigns had already amazed him. He was intensely curious about what the Sea of Thousand Tribulations would bestow.

The broken wall revealed a long passage. At the entrance, a stone platform stood, and Qin Shuang strode forward quickly. His reward this time lay in the box atop the platform.

“A Second-grade Primal Treasure, ‘The Thousand Faces Garment’!”

Qin Shuang had not expected that passing the Sea of Thousand Tribulations would earn him a second-grade Primal Treasure as a reward. According to the description, this garment could freely transform his appearance, and also disguise the aura and characteristics of cultivators from the Golden Egg stage up to the Lower Celestial Deity. Without the cultivation of an Upper Celestial Deity at its peak, no one could see through the true realm beneath the Thousand Faces Garment.

Moreover, the garment possessed remarkable defensive capabilities; even Upper Celestial Deities, without a Primal Treasure, would struggle to breach its protection.

“A fine item—haha, now I have a Primal Treasure too!” Refining such a treasure would take considerable time, so Qin Shuang did not rush but carefully stored the garment away.

Second-grade Primal Treasures abounded in the Purple Profound Palace, but this was the first he had earned by his own merit, making it far more meaningful to him than even a first-grade Primal Treasure.

“Lotus Pond—let’s hope for an even greater surprise!” Smiling, Qin Shuang entered the passage with confident strides.

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“Lotus Pond—it truly is the Lotus Pond!”

Qin Shuang stared, dumbfounded, at the pool before him. While traversing the passage, he had imagined countless possibilities for the Lotus Pond trial, but never had he expected that upon emerging, he would find himself in what resembled a giant barrel. Sheer cliffs surrounded him, and at the center, a modest pool lay, crowned with a single blooming lotus.

The place was small, yet full of restrictions. Qin Shuang was astonished to find that not only was his immortal sense unusable, but even flight and jumping were impossible. He could only proceed like an ordinary mortal, walking forward. The bottom of this barrel-like enclosure exerted tremendous pressure.

The Lotus Pond was not large, circular in shape, with a circumference of just over five hundred meters. The space outside the pond was limited, too. Qin Shuang emerged from a mountain cave; around the Lotus Pond were three similar caves, though he could not enter them, nor could he return through the cave he had just exited.

His path was sealed. Glancing at the remaining three caves, Qin Shuang speculated as he walked to the edge of the pond and squatted down, gazing blankly at the water.

“Thud, thud—”

A cave echoed with noise, and soon, a young man burst forth. With immortal sense suppressed, Qin Shuang could not discern his cultivation. The newcomer eyed Qin Shuang, surprised to see someone had arrived ahead of him. Qin Shuang smiled and nodded in greeting.

“Thud, thud—”

Just as Qin Shuang was about to speak, the other two caves resonated simultaneously. He and the young man exchanged startled glances, both looking toward the source of the sounds.

“Damn cave, so little light, and they won’t let us fly. Wasted so much time!” From the two caves, nearly simultaneously, two more figures rushed out. One grumbled loudly, and Qin Shuang’s mouth hung open, stunned as he stared fixedly at the newcomer.

“B-Big Brother, you…”

Qin Shuang was truly taken aback. He had never imagined that here, in the final trial of Shanhaitian, he would encounter his own elder brother. Judging by Qin Si’s appearance, he too had struggled greatly to reach this place.

“Little Shuang! Wonderful—haha, I finally see you again!” Qin Si’s reaction was far more composed than Qin Shuang’s. He was momentarily surprised upon seeing his brother, but quickly rushed forward, stretching out his arms to embrace Qin Shuang tightly, then nodded and smiled, letting go.

“Well done! You’ve advanced so much in cultivation in such a short time!” Even though their immortal senses were restricted, the physical contact allowed Qin Si to easily sense the change in Qin Shuang.

“Big brother, how are you here?” Qin Shuang still hadn’t recovered, staring at Qin Si in astonishment. To him, Qin Si’s presence here was utterly inconceivable.

“It’s nothing. I was just uneasy about a runaway kid, so Mother forced me to come check on him. Who would have thought he’d go wandering everywhere, and I’d have to chase after him!” Qin Si looked up and laughed casually, though he framed his search for Qin Shuang as Mother’s idea, so as to warm his brother’s heart.

“Big brother…”

Qin Shuang’s eyes grew moist. He guessed that Qin Si must have followed him into the Mortal Realm, meaning Qin Si had been protecting him in secret all along. With Qin Si’s cultivation as an Upper Celestial Deity, Qin Shuang could never have discovered his presence.

As for entering Shanhaitian, Qin Shuang surmised that Qin Si had tracked him to the Infinite Continent and, upon finding him entering with the spirit beast, had followed suit. Judging by Qin Si’s appearance, he too had suffered much in this harsh place—all for the sake of protecting his little brother.

“Thank you, Big Brother!” Qin Shuang lowered his head, striving to control his emotions. At that moment, all lingering resentment vanished from his heart. Qin Si’s presence here had swept away all past grievances.

“Silly boy, aren’t we brothers?” Qin Si hugged Qin Shuang again, laughing heartily. Qin Shuang’s reaction filled his elder brother with relief—this journey had not been in vain.

Qin Shuang did not know that Qin Si had entered the Infinite Continent before him, not after, but such details no longer mattered. Whatever the process, Qin Si had come to protect him, and had never stopped trying.

“Lucky young men, congratulations on reaching the site of the final trial in Shanhaitian—the Lotus Pond!” A robust voice suddenly echoed overhead. The four who had entered the Lotus Pond all looked up, searching for the source.

“The Lotus Pond is the last trial. I will now explain its requirements and method. Of you four, only one can leave. That means three of you will remain here forever!”

Qin Shuang and Qin Si both shuddered, exchanging glances. In that look, they understood each other perfectly—for both, the chance would be given to their brother.

“To leave, that is the trial. The method is simple: whoever obtains the lotus at the center can activate its teleportation, departing this place. Furthermore, this lotus is the final reward of Shanhaitian—whomever obtains it, I congratulate you, for it is a treasure coveted by even Divine Kings!”

“Well, I won’t disturb you further. I eagerly await to see who will be the final lucky one!”

The voice faded. All four pairs of eyes were fixed upon the lotus in the pond. Qin Shuang and Qin Si’s display prompted the other two strangers to edge closer together, seeking an alliance. There were four here, but only one could leave; seeing the two brothers, both strangers instinctively sought a partner.

“You two, well…” Qin Si suddenly smiled at the pair as they drew near. Seeing them halt, he blinked and continued with a smile, “My brother and I have finally reunited. We hardly wish to part again!”

Qin Shuang looked at Qin Si in surprise; the other two seemed relieved, only for Qin Si’s next words to instantly raise their guard once more.