3041 Sudden Development
Rean was happy Little Fisha made her decision. "That's good for you, especially since your race seems to be related to some Divine Beast Race of the Sea Races. Otherwise, the Blood Reformation Pill wouldn't have revealed that hidden bloodline in your body. I don't know which one it is, but it will definitely be of great help to you in the future. Make sure to not waste that opportunity."
Rean finished his words and turned to the exit. "Well then, let's go, Foliana. Time to go back before they close the Spiritual Canyon."
"Okay!" Foliana happily agreed. "Little Fisha, it was good to meet you."
"Wa-wait!" Little Fisha jumped ahead to the exit and entered the water of the Spiritual Pond again. "I can at least bring you back to the entrance of the caves. There can't be a faster method."
"Then we will be counting on you," Rean and Foliana accepted the offer.
---
Outside, the various elders still watched all the events in the Spiritual Canyon. It took some time, but they also finally let Kuslau go after Kuslau refused to answer their questions all this while.
Still, Rean was the main focus on quite a few of them through the monitoring ability of the formation. It's just that his movements made them confused. Rean kept moving everywhere inside the Caves of the Pond before hiding in some corner. When the Swordhorn Fish got close, he would come out and move somewhere else before hiding again. It was truly strange.
Obviously, that wasn't Rean, but a projection Sister Orb created after she hacked into the formation. Her only job was to make sure 'Rean' never bumped into the other cultivators who entered the caves to acquire the algae. After all, it would look strange if 'Rean' passed by those cultivators, but those cultivators didn't even notice he existed.
Suddenly, 'Rean' left his cover and began to make his way out of the caves. At some point, he met with Foliana, and the two joined together on their way out.
The truth was obviously not that. Sister Orb just created that story in the formation. The Real Rean and Foliana were very close to that position, though.
"Alright, this is it, Little Fisha," Rean patted the big Swordhorn Fish head. "You were a very nice mount. Hahaha!"
Little Fisha didn't like it, though. 'Don't treat me like a youngling! I'm almost 150 years old, okay?'
"Then I won't," Rean took his hand away immediately. She was a Stage Six Demon Fish, equivalent to a Nascent Soul Cultivator, so that age made sense. If anything, she was quite ahead compared to most at the same level, obviously thanks to the Spiritual Pond.
*Zush!*
Yet, Little Fisha immediately swam back under Rean's arm. 'Forget what I said. Pet a little more...'
"Hahaha!" Rean patted the female fish. His hand was naturally comfortable with his Light Element affinity, so it felt very good regardless of who he touched.
Folaina didn't know what to say. Little Fisha wanted to kill them just a few days ago, but look at her now. Truth be told... Foliana was a little jealous. He wanted to be patted on the head as well. It truly felt very good.
Rean glanced at her and raised his other arm. "This hand here is free, you know?"
"H-Hmph! What are you talking about? I'm 35, okay? My young face is obviously because of my cultivation, that's all." Foliana pretended she didn't know anything.
"Is that so?" Rean didn't mind and used both his hands to continue patting and rubbing Little Fisha, which obviously made Litthe Fisha even happier. "Who's a good girl? Little Fisha is! Yes, she is!"
The more Rean played with Little Fisha, the more jealous Foliana became. She ended up getting used to Rean's behavior after these last three days.
*Zush!*
Suddenly, one of Rean's hands was grabbed and brought onto a certain girl's head. Rean glanced at Foliana, who had her eyes closed and a face redder than her Red Lightning. "You should have been honest to yourself from the start. Hahaha!"
A few minutes later, Rean finally let Litthe Fisha go. "Alright, thanks for bringing us near the entrances. Good luck in the future, Little Fisha."
Little Fisha looked somewhat sad, but she made up her resolve. "I should be the one to thank you. I will talk to the other Swordhorn Sea Race members, and we will try to make our way out. At the very least, I will. Can... can we meet again in the future?"
Rean shrugged. "Who knows? Just make sure to not talk about what happening in the Inheritance, okay? That would be bad for Foliana here."
"Alright!" Little Fisha answered happily. Rean and Foliana then bid farewell to Little Fisha and made their way out. At the same time, Sister Orb merged Foliana and Rean's projections to their real bodies, making it look like they had never left the monitoring area. Finally, Rean and Foliana exited the Spiritual Pond.
The people around noticed them, some feeling surprised that there were still people in the caves up to this point. By now, everyone was just enjoying the Spiritual Pond last moments.
*Zush, zush, zush, zush...*
As soon as Foliana appeared, the cultivators Rean found on his way down the caves came to receive her, including Lins. "Lady Foliana, you are alive!"
Foliana sighed and nodded. "I told you I was fine, didn't I? I had my own way to avoid danger down there."
Lins sighed, glancing at Rean. "Did he try anything?" He was given the task of protecting Foliana by the Royal Palace, so he had to make sure the girl was okay. Foliana had access to the hidden library, after all.
"Oh! I just met him on the way back to the surface. Don't worry, Rean and I know each other. We took part in the same Festival Contest, remember?" Foliana just came up with an excuse.
"Right..." Lins had his doubts, but he knew Foliana wasn't lying about the festival. Everyone saw Rean in the platforms back in the palace during the contest. He also knew Foliana had a talk to Rean and Roan after the contest was over. "Please refrain from doing such a thing again. We would be quite in a bad spot if something had truly happened to you."
"I will keep that in mind," Foliana nodded. "Anyway, the closure is approaching, right? Let's go out."
"Understood," Lins answered and looked at his companions. "Everyone, we are leaving. Let's go."
Meanwhile, Rean was talking to Kuslau's other disciples, Laica and the others. "Good to see you guys are fine."
Laica felt the same. "You caused quite a commotion a few days back, no? I heard how you trashed several cultivators again here in the pond."
Rean had already forgotten that. "Oh, that indeed happened. I guess that's the reason no one is trying their luck anymore. Anyway, I got quite a lot of Algae. Don't mind me, though. You still have a few extra minutes, so you should enjoy the Spiritual Pond until the last moment. I will wait for you guys."
"Alright!" Laica, Tubutu, and Lesyu nodded, quickly returning to the Pond while Rean just sat there in midair, waiting. He got the algae Kuslau wanted and quite a lot of the Pristine Elemental Liquid in the pond. There was plenty for Roan to use as well, so you could say all ended well.
When the closure approached, Laica and the others finally left the pond and began to make their way back. The rest of the cultivators there didn't stay for long either since they knew the Spiritual Canyon would close soon.
*Rumble!*
However, before the last groups, including Rean's, could make their way out, the ground began to tremble.
*Crumble!*
Following that, all the caves that led to the Spiritual Pond underground began to collapse, forcing everyone back. Rean flashed, grabbing Laica and the others and flying back as well.
*Crash!*
The caves finally came down, leaving no escape to the outside. "What the hell?!"
Everyone got trapped... and the Spiritual Canyon was about to close soon. Once that happened, the slaughter formation would activate, and anyone who wasn't supposed to be in the Canyon would be killed!
And as always, any Golden Tickets and Stones are welcome. ;)