The Eight Empresses Betrayed Me, Only to Deeply Regret It After Being Reborn

Chapter 31: The Pure Water Pearl:

For now, battles were sparse.

The Ancient Battlefield of Prodigies was filled with treasures, and the sheer abundance in the first layer alone allowed many cultivators to collect suitable treasures without much conflict.

The Pure Water Pool was one of the most sought-after treasures, and at least a thousand people were already soaking in it.

This vast pool, with its crystalline waters, was Yue Hongling’s first target.

Her reason was simple—her aptitude was the weakest among them. The Pure Water’s effects were significant, and she couldn’t miss the chance to improve her potential.

However, her real goal wasn’t just the water—it was the Pure Water Pearl hidden at the bottom of the pool. The water itself was ordinary but had been transformed into Pure Water due to the pearl’s presence.

Yue Hongling had already dived deep into the pool, heading straight for the bottom.

The others weren’t fools. They quickly followed her, attempting to dive deeper.

But the pressure at the pool’s depths was immense, akin to that of the deep sea.

The deeper they went, the more crushing the pressure became, as though a massive mountain was pressing on their bodies.

At a depth of one thousand meters, only a handful of people managed to continue.

By the time they reached one thousand five hundred meters, only three people were left.

At two thousand meters, the overwhelming pressure caused all three to bleed from their seven orifices, their bodies unable to endure.

Yue Hongling remained resolute and fearless.

One of the three gave up, leaving only Yue Hongling and Shangguan Wuchang still descending.

Shangguan Wuchang watched Yue Hongling with admiration. A woman with such tenacity was rare and perhaps worthy of becoming one of his Dao Companions.

“The path is long, but may I ask for the lady’s name? I am Shangguan Wuchang, of the Supreme Empire,” he said with a smile, transmitting his voice.

“I know who you are,” Yue Hongling replied, also using voice transmission.

“Oh?”

Shangguan Wuchang’s lips curled into a smile. Of course, his name was well-known.

“Shangguan Huanling is your sister, isn’t she?” Yue Hongling asked.

“My younger sister rarely shows herself in public. I’m surprised the lady knows of her. Could it be you’re from the Supreme Empire?” he asked, somewhat intrigued.

“No. By the way, how much farther can you dive?” Yue Hongling inquired.

“Another thousand meters shouldn’t be a problem,” Shangguan Wuchang replied confidently.

Yue Hongling nodded as if confirming something, then suddenly threw a punch.

“Boom!”

The force of the punch stirred massive waves, and the shockwave surged toward Shangguan Wuchang.

His expression changed as he raised his halberd, shattering the punch’s impact.

However, the sheer force within the punch left him stunned.

“Fearless Seal!”

A massive seal formed in Yue Hongling’s hands, radiating an even more terrifying power as it hurtled toward Shangguan Wuchang.

“Boom!”

Shangguan Wuchang felt an overwhelming force crash into him, sending his body hurtling upward.

“How dare you!” he roared, brandishing his halberd and charging at Yue Hongling.

But Yue Hongling met him head-on with her bare fists, her body glowing with radiant runes. Blow after blow collided with the halberd, forcing Shangguan Wuchang to retreat.

What kind of monster was this?

Shangguan Wuchang was both horrified and bewildered. In the Supreme Empire, he was a top prodigy. While there were those more talented than him, they could be counted on one hand.

Yet now, he had encountered someone who outmatched him with seemingly little effort.

“Get lost!” Yue Hongling shouted.

Her hands formed another seal, this one almost tangible. With a deafening crash, the seal struck Shangguan Wuchang, sending him flying.

The buoyancy of the water pushed him farther away, and the distance between them grew.

Yue Hongling had no interest in further entanglement with Shangguan Wuchang. She believed her senior brother would deal with him later.

Her priority now was obtaining the Pure Water Pearl.

Based on her senior brother’s account from the previous life, the pearl lay at the lake’s bottom. The pool was said to be three thousand meters deep.

But whether Shangguan Wuchang was bluffing about diving another thousand meters or not, Yue Hongling had decided to eliminate him first before continuing.

She resumed her descent.

At two thousand five hundred meters, a suffocating pressure enveloped her completely.

The unique composition of the Pure Water made its pressure a thousand times greater than that of ordinary water, unbearable even for Infant Stage cultivators.

But Yue Hongling pressed on. She felt her limit was far beyond this—perhaps even four thousand meters.

After all, her senior brother had managed to retrieve the pearl without much difficulty.

Yet she recalled how exhausted he had been afterward, forcing her to care for him tirelessly. Her cheeks flushed at the memory, though she wasn’t sure if it was from the pressure or the recollection of those moments.

Finally, she reached three thousand meters.

The water had turned a dark, oppressive shade of blue.

Yue Hongling froze in confusion.

She had reached the supposed depth, but the bottom was nowhere in sight. Below her was an inky blackness, obscuring everything.

Had something changed?

Gritting her teeth, Yue Hongling tested her limits and continued descending.

At four thousand meters, the pressure was so immense that it felt like her heart had stopped beating. Still, the lakebed was nowhere in sight.

Yue Hongling pushed forward.

At five thousand meters, her bones began to fracture, and her flesh showed signs of necrosis.

Her eyes were bloodshot, her face a mask of disbelief.

She glanced at her mangled body and thought back to the way Lu Ye had emerged from the lake in her previous life.

Wasn’t the pearl supposed to be at three thousand meters?

The depth of the lake didn’t match her brother’s account.

Crushed by suffocating fear and despair, Yue Hongling remained unyielding. Tears, unbidden, slipped from the corners of her eyes.

She wasn’t afraid. Her cultivation technique was powerful, and she retained memories of her past life as an Emperor. She had faced horrors far greater than this.

But what about her senior brother, Lu Ye?

In her previous life, he had been a mere novice, fresh from the sect, barely capable of handling a simple kill.

How had he summoned the determination to continue diving into such a nightmarish abyss, knowing there might be no end in sight?

He had lied to her, telling her the pearl was only three thousand meters deep.

Why had he lied?

Grinding her teeth, Yue Hongling plunged deeper.

Her bones cracked audibly with every movement.

She had no idea how deep she had gone when a faint blue glow finally appeared before her.

Though her vision was blurred, she fumbled toward the light and grasped the Pure Water Pearl.

Her battered body yearned for the pearl’s power.

If she allowed it to merge with her, her body would instantly heal, and its aptitude-enhancing effects would be at their peak.

Merge with it now!

This wasn’t the pearl’s temptation but her body’s desperate plea, screaming for relief from its imminent collapse.