Ning Tao's legs widened, as he propped up the ice surface with his arms. He used his palms, feet and the friction of the ice to keep himself from sliding down. He watched Qing Zhui below him. She was standing on a block of ice as the water rippled below her. He did not know what she had discovered.

Qing Zhui's back was touching the ice wall, so as not to be hit by Ning Tao and Jiang Hao sliding down.

They would soon slide to the bottom. Ning Tao hit out with his arms and legs, forcefully drawing to a halt just above Qing Zhui's head.

From overhead came the sounds of wind and chafing. Ning Tao raised his head frantically to look, and the sight stunned him. His pupils widened by 50%.

Jiang Hao who was sliding down in a similar position could not halt on time. Her entire person rammed like a sh.e.l.l against Ning Tao's body.

Bam!

They crashed and both sank to the bottom of the ice crater.

Crack!

The ice at the bottom of the crater cracked. The two of them fell into the icy-cold water.

Under the reservoir, the water was bone-chilling. There was an underwater cave at the bottom. Jiang Hao had frozen the entire reservoir, and naturally, the river could no longer flow. But the water in this cave was lower than the bottom of the reservoir and so had not frozen. Rays of light emerged from underwater. Although the light was very weak, it conspicuously lit up the dark environment.

What Qing Zhui had discovered was obviously this gleaming cave at the bottom of the reservoir.

Suddenly, the cold water from the dark river retreated by itself, leaving Ning Tao's body. His body seemed supported by a transparent “oxygen mask.” Not only him, but even Jiang Hao whom he was holding had also broken free from the water, as his “oxygen mask” encased her.

It was not the spiritual power he released which had repelled the water, but the Heavenly Gem Magic Garment. It was impervious to water and fire, and could repel them. After he fell into the water, the garment had repelled it.

Jiang Hao was originally very nervous, but when she discovered herself able to breathe normally and not in any contact with water, she soon calmed down.

Ning Tao and Jiang Hao landed at a spot near the cave gleaming with light. Since the Heavenly Gem Magic Garment could repel water, he and Jiang Hao could not break their fall in water. Instead, they felt themselves drifting like in outer s.p.a.ce. If there was no booster or rope, they would keep drifting down until they hit some object.

Qing Zhui plunged headlong into the cold flowing water. Her snake tail trembled and she went in pursuit of Ning Tao and Jiang Hao like a flying fish. They had not dropped far and she soon overtook them. She reached out and grabbed Ning Tao's belt, and then discovered to her surprise that her hand grabbing that belt was repelling water. But it was just that hand. The rest of her body was still immersed in water.

Jiang Hao's body could repel water thanks to Ning Tao's Heavenly Gem Magic Garment. Ning Tao was hugging her, which was no different from her wearing the garment.

But Qing Zhui was a born snake demon. She could breathe through her scales in a mire, let alone underwater. She shook her snake tail and tugging Ning Tao's belt, brought Ning Tao and Jiang Hao to that glimmering spot.

It was good for this whole family to work together. The only thing which embarra.s.sed Ning Tao was that Qing Zhui was pulling his belt. His b.u.m was now exposed. Actually, she could have pulled his hand or leg, but she chose his belt instead. This was what made him so embarra.s.sed.

In the blink of an eye, they were nearing that glimmering spot.

The light had emitted from a horizontal cave opening. There seemed to be a hidden s.p.a.ce behind it.

The opening was very narrow. Qing Zhui finally released Ning Tao's belt and pushed him on his waist. Ning Tao and Jiang Hao went through that glimmering opening, in the direction of the current. She followed closely behind them. Her snake tail trembled and she too entered that narrow opening.

Beyond that cave opening was a pool. Ning Tao and Jiang Hao were standing at its bottom, waiting for Qing Zhui. Ning Tao was hugging Jiang Hao. The Heavenly Gem Magic Garment had caused him and Jiang Hao to repel water. Theoretically speaking, since he was wearing the magic garment, Ning Tao could have gone deep-sea diving. Even the world-renowned, 11,034-meter deep Mariana Trench would hold no fear for him. He could even visit the moon.

Qing Zhui raised her hand and pointed overhead. The light above them was even more intense. Quite clearly, the rays of light they saw in the reservoir were from above, although they did not know what was emitting the light.

Ning Tao said, “Let's go up and investigate.”

Qing Zhui reached out and grasped Ning Tao's hand. Her snake tail shook and she pulled Ning Tao and Jiang Hao to swim up.

The Heavenly Gem Magic Garment had undeniable water-repelling properties. But it also had its shortcomings. Ning Tao and Jiang Hao could not propel themselves through a reactionary force, but were instead drifting about as in outer s.p.a.ce. They needed an external force to help them surface.

It was a pool shaped like a funnel, somewhat parallel to the surface of the reservoir, forming a corresponding “U” shape. Ning Tao, Qing Zhui and Jiang Hao swam from the right side of the “U” shape to the left.

Swoos.h.!.+

Three heads surfaced from the water. In that instant, they were all flabbergasted.

This place was like dreamland.

It was clearly a cave, but there were trees and gra.s.s in it, as well as swarms of fireflies flitting about in their midst. Overhead in the roof of the cave was a narrow fissure. One could see faint moonlight s.h.i.+ning through it, and even a slit of the dark blue sky with stars twinkling.

The spiritual energy here was abundant. Ning Tao did not need to summon the state of looking in his eyes. He could deduce this simply from his nose smelling the clear, spring-like fragrance of its spiritual energy.

“What is this place?” Qing Zhui could not help but ask.

“Let's go up and look.” Ning Tao stepped on the pebbles and walked to the edge of the pool. As he walked, the pool water made way for him. He did not feel as if he was walking in water, but on a pebble-strewn path in the pool.

Without Ning Tao's embrace, although Jiang Hao was still wearing the Heavenly Gem Magic Garment, she was soaked in water. She trod gingerly to the sh.o.r.e, pressing down the garment to keep it from flapping and exposing her intimate parts.

Qing Zhui's snake tail had vanished. She walked in the direction of the sh.o.r.e but soon stopped, staring at Ning Tao and Jiang Hao go up.

Ning Tao turned back and stared at her, asking curiously, “Why are you still in the water? Come up the sh.o.r.e.”

Qing Zhui asked embarra.s.sedly, “Um… Brother Ning, could you lend me your pants?”

Jiang Hao had burst her clothing thanks to her demon energy which made her a female King Kong. Qing Zhui had torn her skirt and underpants when she turned into a snake demon. If Jiang Hao wasn't there, she would not have minded. After all, she had given herself completely to Ning Tao. But Jiang Hao's presence made her feel embarra.s.sed and bashful.

Ning Tao smiled wryly and took off his pants. He said as he did so, “When we return, I will find some suitable spiritual materials and make you a special pair of pants.”

“Great!” Qing Zhui smiled happily.

Ning Tao threw her the Heavenly Gem Pants. He was left only with a pair of underpants and shoes.

Qing Zhui put on the Heavenly Gem Pants underwater and then walked up the sh.o.r.e. The family of three walked to a forest, one clad only in a windbreaker, another in a pair of underpants, and the third in a torn skirt and oversized pants. It was an awkward sight.

At the end of the pebbled sh.o.r.e, they arrived at the edge of a forest. Ning Tao suddenly halted his steps.

There was a pathway at the end of the sh.o.r.e, leading up into the forest and its interior.

“Is someone staying here?” Jiang Hao pointed at the plot of land and said, “Someone had weeded this land.”

Qing Zhui spat out a long tongue, wriggling in the air. A few seconds later, she retracted it and said, “There's someone here. He's in the forest!”

Ning Tao was silent for a moment before saying, “You girls stay here first. I'm going in to look.”

Jiang Hao said, “No way! Anyone who can live here must be quite extraordinary. He must be either a demon or a pract.i.tioner, and may be very powerful. It's dangerous for you to go alone. Let us join you and we can take care of one another.”

Ning Tao said, “I won't be in any danger, trust me. Stay here and I will be out to look for you girls later. I will give you an explanation then.”

“But…” Jiang Hao wanted to speak but checked herself. She was still very worried.

Ning Tao reached out his hand and patted her shoulder. He smiled. “When have I ever fought an uncertain battle? Trust me, I won't be in any danger. Besides, you two aren't wearing much. If you were to fight, you would expose yourselves. That would be my loss, wouldn't it?”

Jiang Hao rolled her eyes speechlessly at Ning Tao. Since he had said this and Qing Zhui had not asked to join him, she had to give in.

Ning Tao stepped on the path beyond the pebbled sh.o.r.e and walked into the forest.

“Brother Ning, be careful. When you fight, give a loud bellow,” Qing Zhui said.

Ning Tao nodded and quickened his steps.

Jiang Hao wanted to follow him, but since Qing Zhui did not move, she could not either. She asked somewhat dejectedly, “Qing Zhui, aren't you worried about him?”

Qing Zhui replied, “I am.”

“So why didn't you ask for us to join him?” Jiang Hao asked.

Qing Zhui said, “I am his demon slave, his destined concubine. A concubine has to listen to her master. I must heed whatever he says. Since he asked me to remain behind, I stayed.”

Jiang Hao sighed. “Such feudalistic mindset. You have to change your thinking. Men and women are equal, and furthermore… ”

Qing Zhui interrupted Jiang Hao's words and gave a sweet smile. “Sister Hao, show me how a brawny girl looks like. I like the way you look when you grow bigger. Such domineering, heroic demeanor! Brother Ning was staring at you with straight eyes. You have thoroughly bewitched him, even me! Your b.u.t.tocks were this big then!”

She made the shape of a large circle seriously.

Jiang Hao was speechless.

In the forest, Ning Tao trod past a row of trees and a thatched hut entered his sight.

Its grayish roof was strewn with straw. Its stone walls were brown and its door and windows were made from wood. A bamboo fence encircled the hut and the garden within. The earth in the garden was greenish. The garden was not big, occupying an area of about a dozen square meters.

It was a spiritual field.

Fruits, melons and vegetables were growing in this spiritual field. They did not seem ordinary. Since there was such abundant spiritual energy here, even if one were to grow a cuc.u.mber plant, one might end up with emerald cuc.u.mbers or some other kind of spiritual material.

If ordinary pract.i.tioners and demons were to see a spiritual field of this size, they would be so excited as to yell. But Ning Tao was not agitated at all in his heart. The spiritual field he had cultivated in Sky Clinic was twice as big as this one.

Ning Tao walked towards the gate of the fenced courtyard.

Someone suddenly turned on a lamp in the room.