A flash of light flickered and vanished, and Fang Yuan suddenly appeared on a small island.
"So I've come here again." Fang Yuan smiled faintly.
The task he had taken this time was to come to this island and collect trench black oil from the nearby sea.
This was the very first task he had taken in his previous life when exploring the Dragon Whale Paradise — one he was more than familiar with.
"This life's Dragon Whale Paradise has many changes compared to the previous one."
"Not only has the location where the Azure Dragon Whale appears shifted, but there are more participating Gu Immortals, and the tasks themselves have changed in content and quantity."
"Having completed more than ten tasks, only then did this oil-collection task appear."
In his previous life, it was precisely this task that had allowed him to rescue the mermaid girl Xia Lin. He had used her as a chess piece to enter the mermaid city and compete in the Saintess selection, then follow the trail to the Sea of Remorseful Crying, ultimately obtaining the Remorse Gu.
As soon as the Remorse Gu flew into his hand, a Venerable's method had activated instantaneously, bringing Fang Yuan back to the Stone Lotus Island in the River of Time. It was thanks to this that he had bypassed Heavenly Court's interception in his previous life and successfully inherited a portion of Red Lotus's true legacy.
But after being reborn, Fang Yuan had devised a far superior plan.
In the previous great battle within the River of Time, Fang Yuan had destroyed six of Heavenly Court's Gu Houses, shattered the River-Sealing Lotus-Locking Grand Formation, and slain a massive number of Gu Immortals. Only Nine Spirits Fairy Lady and Feng Jiu Ge had escaped.
As the cost, that Stone Lotus Island had been destroyed along with it.
Without Stone Lotus Island, the Venerable method on the Remorse Gu could never be activated.
This time, Fang Yuan intended to properly conquer this Dragon Whale Paradise — obtaining the Remorse Gu was merely one of his objectives.
The entire small island was laid bare under Fang Yuan's scouting killer move, without a single secret to its name.
The island was thoroughly ordinary. Its resources were sparse, with a small fishing village settled upon it, a single Yuan Spring of mediocre quality, and among the villagers, a handful of Gu Masters while the majority were mortals.
Fang Yuan did not rush into the fishing village. Instead, he plunged straight into the sea.
Beneath the waves, a pack of Shuttle Sea Spiders was hunting.
Fang Yuan circumvented them and continued deeper.
When he approached the trench, he spotted a school of Clam-Jaw Sharks prowling nearby.
Though Fang Yuan's strength was extraordinary, he had no wish to engage without cause. He simply concealed his presence and arrived before the black oil.
The black oil was immortal-grade material, posing a grave threat to Gu Masters. Once tainted by it, certain Food Path Dao Marks would be inscribed directly onto the Gu Master's body.
For Gu Masters, this was often a fatal complication.
On the one hand, because alien Dao Marks repelled one another, it would typically cause the oil-collecting Gu Master's strength to plummet. Gu Masters who walked the Food Path were exceedingly rare.
On the other hand, Gu Masters themselves possessed mortal flesh. After prolonged exposure, they could hardly withstand the black oil's erosion.
The black oil in the trench twisted and intertwined, resembling a mass of grotesque serpents. They appeared nearly motionless, but upon closer observation, one would notice they were still slowly flowing along the seabed.
Fang Yuan activated his methods, and wherever he went, the black oil parted like water, scattering in all directions.
"I recall it should be around this spot." Fang Yuan pushed aside a clump of black oil, but did not find the blue-scaled mermaid Xia Lin from his previous life.
His heart sank slightly.
Perhaps, with his rebirth, Xia Lin's circumstances had changed as well, and she was no longer trapped here.
"But it's more likely she's nearby. After all, compared to my previous life, this is several days earlier." After a moment's thought, Fang Yuan did not immediately give up. Instead, he intensified his efforts, dispersing every trace of black oil in the surrounding area.
The black oil contained quite a number of things — sea beast bones, ores, and more. The blue-scaled mermaid Xia Lin was among them, already unconscious.
Her face bore no resemblance to Xie Hanmo, yet her bearing carried a striking similarity. A complicated light flickered in Fang Yuan's eyes.
He gave a gentle breath, and a bubble enveloped Xia Lin.
With treatment administered, Xia Lin's eyelids twitched, and she managed to crack open the faintest slit. Then she lapsed back into unconsciousness.
When she truly awakened, she found herself lying in a shallow pool of water.
The sky stretched vast, the sea wide, the sun shining bright in a clear sky.
The broad leaves of several large trees cast a dense shadow overhead like parasols, covering her entire body.
A gentle breeze caressed her skin, tender as a lover's hand, filling Xia Lin with a wave of comfort.
"Wasn't I swallowed up while collecting the black oil?" Xia Lin's memories gradually surfaced. "That's right — it seems someone saved me. I saw a blurry white figure in the dark depths of the sea."
Her body was still limp and weak. Xia Lin propped herself up with some effort and looked around, but spotted no one.
"Who exactly saved me?" Doubt grew in her heart. She glanced down and saw the pool of water she was half-reclining in.
The pool held a pool of clear water, so transparent the bottom was visible. Her blue-scaled fish tail shimmered with a gentle glow beneath the light.
"This must be my benefactor's arrangement," Xia Lin thought. A warmth rose unbidden in her chest. This was not seawater — for a weakened mermaid, it was the most fitting remedy there was.
"You're awake." Just then, the leaves were parted, and Fang Yuan walked in.