Hui flew through the opened roof and out into brilliant blue. As far as the eye could see, blue in all directions, and more sunlight than his eyes could bear after the dark of the tower. He raised his hands against the glare, blinking his way back to vision.

Above, blue sky. Below, still blue water, reflecting the sky like a mirror. Hui and Xi Sanji flew between sky and sea, the only disturbances in a perfectly blue world.

Hui twisted his lips. I’m not seeing a whole lot of treasure.

Ah! The pill’s dissipating. Whatever it was supposed to do, it’s done it. Or… in other words, it was the key to unlock this space.

But what is this space?

Patience. First will figure it out.

Hui crossed his arms. Yeah, yeah. And since I’m the only one doing work, I’ll see you weirdos later. Lifting his hand off his arms, he dismissed all the clones, thought-clones included. All the things the clones had done merged into his brain in a wave of overwhelming information and pain. Hui tensed, hands tightening on instinct. Ow ow owowow… it’s like a cold headache! The worst! Ugh. I guess that’s what happens when I give them a thought-intensive task… I have to prepare to take some of the backlash when I remember everything they did all at once afterward.

A hand touched his. “Are you okay?” Xi Sanji asked.

“Mmm. Yes. My apologies, Elder Sister, I’m merely suffering for my own mistakes.”

“I’m familiar with that sensation.” Xi Sanji laughed.

Should I praise Elder Sister for being self-aware? Hui wondered to himself.

Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to their surroundings. Sky and water, and not much else. Is this a punishment realm? But… why? It’s not as if we did something horrible… I think. I’m not really sure what Mortal did, but from his memories, it seems to be mostly pill cultivation. To be fair, we have no karma with pill cultivation, so for all I know, his attempts to pill cultivate broke every moral and went contrary to all virtues, breaking all taboos, but… no, it doesn’t seem any worse than anything Xi Sanji did.

So if it’s not a punishment realm, is it a reward realm? But if it’s a reward realm, then where’s the reward? Could it be… He looked below his feet, at that mirror-still water. Curious, he dropped down toward the surface and knelt just above it, dipping a finger into the water.

No energy stirred, except for the distant sensation of a great gulf of water-elemental qi.

Hui tasted his finger experimentally. Hmm. Salt water. We’re over some strange ocean. I wonder… is this a secret realm, or did we simply get teleported somewhere else in the world? I suppose it could be a teleportation trap. The punishment is figuring out how to get back to Eight Tiers Palace.

Hui pursed his lips. If that’s the case, then won’t they come running after their hostage sooner rather than later? This is a grand escape plan on my part, except for the part where it’s no plan at all. I suppose I could try flying back to the Southern Sect Conference, if it turns out to be a teleport trap, but… no, my gut instinct says there’s more to it than that.

As he thought, Xi Sanji flew around him, investigating the space. She vanished off to the horizon, only to reappear a few seconds later behind him. “Ah!”

“Hmm? Elder Sister, does this space loop?” Hui asked, tilting his head.

Xi Sanji opened her mouth, only to scowl. “Stealing my thunder.”

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“Er, many apologies,” Hui said, bowing quickly. I only guessed the obvious!

I suppose that rules out flying home, though. Not that I was really considering it. For one, I need to keep playing the hostage!

But if this isn’t a teleportation trap, then it’s either a reward or a punishment. Which one? Is it a reward that’s already been looted dry? Er, wet? He glanced down at the sea below. In any case, has someone else already taken everything? Or is this a punishment? It could well be. We are essentially trapped here. Giving us nothing else would make it a punishment.

I’m sure I could break out, but… let’s investigate fully first. There’s no need to break out of the realm before I ensure there’s no treasure here.

“Sea… and sky.” Hui looked up at the sky above them. A moment later, he hurtled upward, shooting into the sky.

“Eh? Where are you going?” Xi Sanji followed after him, her brows slightly furrowed, pink hair thrashing around her face.

High up in the sky, Hui looked down. The ocean appeared about a hundred meters below him. He frowned. I flew higher than that. So there’s bounds on the sky as well.

Are there bounds on the depths of the sea? Or could it be underwater treasure? He paused for a moment, then sighed. I didn’t want to get wet, but I guess there’s no other option. I can always dry out afterward. Turning the other way, he plunged into the sea.

Water splashed up around him and closed over his head. In a few moments, the sea’s twilight swallowed him up. Bubbles brushed by him, emerging from the folds of his robes as he sank deeper and deeper. As the water grew darker, Hui extended his divine sense. All around him, nothing but water extended in all directions, as far as he could sense. Above, below, left and right, forward and back, nothing but water. On and on, endlessly descending. If not for Xi Sanji at his side, he might have been suspended alone in space or flying through the sky, for all the nothing around him.

If I entered a point where I looped in the water, would I even notice? Hui wondered. He reached his hand out, clenching it. No… I think it’s still changing. The pressure is getting more intense.

…Can cultivators get the bends?

Damn. I hope not. Not that I couldn’t wait out decompressing, since I don’t really need to breathe anymore, but it would be so boring.

Further down. Further. Hui extended his senses again. I’m still sensing a steady change in pressure… that means I’m still going down. I’ve been going down for longer than I could go up or sideways, judging by how long it took Xi Sanji to come back around. Is down the secret? Is this where the treasure is?

He looked around him, at the utter black darkness, interrupted only by a few stray, small bubbles fleeing upward. I sure hope it is. Otherwise I got wet for nothing.

Down, down, down. At last, a glimmer of light met Hui’s eyes. He dove, kicking through the deeps toward the light. Technically, I can just fly through the water, and at the speed I’m moving, that’s effectively what I’m doing, but it feels weird to not kick and still move in the water. Though I guess if you aren’t kicking and you’re moving in the water, you’re probably headed downward… ha. Hopefully not with concrete boots on…

Beside him, Xi Sanji surged ahead. Hui frowned after her, then widened his eyes and gave chase. Hey! Come back here! Whatever’s at the bottom of this space is mine. I saw it first! I solved the puzzle! It’s my treasure, dammit! You aren’t allowed to snipe the treasure!

He sped up, using a tiny amount of seventh-stage energy to push himself faster.

Xi Sanji looked back, startled. What was that? Some kind of monster—

A tiny blur sped past her, hurtling toward the shining point.

Her eyes narrowed. Popping a pill, she sped after Hui, drawing on the energy in the pill to move even faster. Two can play that game!

Xi Sanji drew up alongside him. Equally startled as she had been, Hui stared at her. Were you suppressing your true cultivation, too? No way. He scanned her with his divine sense, narrowing his eyes. Oh, a pill, huh? Petty tricks! I—

Hold on, hold on! Don’t let the heart demon take control. So what if she’s the first there? She can be the first to encounter the traps! I’ll swoop in second and take the prize. Yes, yes. This is the proper way. There’s no need to fight over spoils yet, when we still don’t know what they are, or more importantly, how many traps might guard them! Hui nodded sagely to himself and let her pull a little ahead, though not too far. I don’t want to let her have all the loot just because I’m not going to let caution steal all my loot.

Ahead of him, the distant gleam grew brighter and brighter. A golden palace glimmered in the depths of the sea, standing on the sea floor.

Hui raised his brows. The Sea-King’s Palace, perhaps? But why would it be here, in a pill cultivation sect’s secret inheritance zone… rewards place… puzzle solving location?

Only one way to find out. Letting Xi Sanji keep her ever-so-slight lead, Hui dropped toward the palace.