Junior Sister is skilled in subduing demons.

Chapter 197 With You Here, I'm Not Afraid

As soon as the divine tortoise agreed to lead the way, its mischievous nature couldn't be contained.

Just as Shen Anzhi and Ge Wensong settled firmly on the tortoise's back, before their fingertips could even fully trace the shimmering bronze patterns, it suddenly sank downwards, and the icy lake water rushed over their ankles.

The two exclaimed in surprise and gripped the protrusions on the edge of the turtle's shell tightly. As their knuckles turned white, they heard the divine turtle laughing "gurgle gurgle" underwater, like a naughty child who had secretly hidden candy.

"Hey! Senior Turtle!" Ge Wensong's voice was laced with laughter: "If you keep causing trouble, we won't be so polite!"

Before the words were even finished, the divine tortoise suddenly leaped upwards, its entire body carrying them three zhang (approximately 10 meters) above the water. A massive spray of water cascaded down like a silver river, instantly soaking Anzhi's cloak. Icy water droplets dripped from her hair into her collar, but she wasn't annoyed. Instead, she tapped the tortoise's shell with her finger: "If you keep causing trouble, I'll let the Demon-Refining Gourd absorb your fish!"

The divine tortoise seemed to be afraid of the threat and finally put away its playful nature, carrying them steadily towards the center of the lake.

As the turtle shell broke through the water's surface, the wonders of the lakebed gradually unfolded. Instead of mud, the ground beneath one's feet was covered with a layer of colorful crystals, refracting flowing rainbow light, as if the entire starry sky had been crushed and spread on the bottom of the water.

On both sides stood palaces sculpted from ice, with glittering light points wrapped in the icicles on the eaves. Where the golden light of the magic mirror swept across, images of the past appeared in the ice bricks: the afterimage of a swordsman from Mount Shu riding his sword, the smoke from the chimneys of the Qiang people farming, and... a black and white ball rolling around with a bamboo stick.

“This is…” An Zhi’s eyes widened in surprise, the images overlapped with his memories.

The divine tortoise spoke slowly, its voice rough like old tree bark: "The Mirror Lake of the Spirit Abyss hides the reflections of the Three Realms. What you see is all what your heart desires." It paused, then suddenly tilted its head: "Little girl, that fat beast you always think about is currently in the mountains with that monkey from Mount Emei."

Anzhi's heart warmed instantly. Just as she was about to ask more, a huge whirlpool appeared ahead. The water spun rapidly like a silver chain, making a whooshing sound, and even the air seemed to tremble. She subconsciously moved closer to Ge Wensong, her fingertips accidentally touching the back of his hand, the warmth of which made her heart skip a beat.

"Divine Turtle, shall we go in?" Anzhi's voice held a barely perceptible tension.

The divine tortoise didn't respond, only nodded slightly, and the next second it carried them into the vortex. In that dizzying moment, Anzhi felt his internal organs churning. The surrounding light and shadow rushed backward, a tunnel of light woven from red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple, and the howling wind in his ears seemed to blow away his very soul.

Shen Anzhi abruptly closed his eyes, only to be tightly grasped by a warm hand—it was Ge Wensong's palm, calloused from years of sword practice, yet more reassuring than any talisman.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Ge Wensong's voice rang in my ear, carrying the crisp scent of pine mixed with snow water. "I've been through the eye of the storm in Huangshan, much tougher than this."

Anzhi gripped his hand tightly in return, her fingertips tracing the lines of his palm. Suddenly, the force of the whirlpool seemed less terrifying. "Mmm," she murmured, gently resting her face against his shoulder, where the warmth dispelled the chill of the water.

Their hands were clasped tightly together, letting the whirlpool carry them through, as if the mere touch of their fingertips could withstand any storm in this world.

After an unknown amount of time, the divine tortoise suddenly swung its tail, carrying them out of the water. Anzhi opened his eyes abruptly, instantly frozen in place by the sight before him. They were floating on the surface of an underground lake, the water as smooth as black jade, reflecting the stalactites hanging overhead. The stalagmites resembled inverted icicles, gleaming faintly in the darkness.

On the opposite shore of the lake, a majestic snow-capped mountain pierced through the clouds. Its body was not ordinary white, but rather shimmered with a faint golden light, as if it were built from millions of gold bricks. The mountaintop was shrouded in flowing golden light, and the eaves of palaces could be vaguely seen hanging in the clouds. The spires of pagodas pierced the sky, and the wind chimes on the eaves tinkled softly in the wind, but the sound was indistinct, like the chanting of sutras from a thousand years ago.

At the foot of the mountain, a golden ribbon of light meanders like a river, stretching from the lakeside all the way to the foot of the mountain, as if the sacred mountain had specially laid out a guiding carpet for them.

"This is...the sacred mountain?" Shen Anzhi's voice trembled, and his fingertips unconsciously touched the precious mirror at his waist.

The sacred mountain reflected in the mirror was even clearer than what was in front of us. Ancient runes were engraved on the floating palaces, which were gently flowing with the golden light.

The divine tortoise snorted, "At least we didn't go the wrong way." Taking advantage of the two's distraction, it quietly turned around and tried to slip away, but Ge Wensong grabbed its shell and pressed it down: "Senior, wait a minute, how should we deal with the snow lion?"

The divine tortoise turned its head helplessly, pointing its paw at the golden band of light at the foot of the mountain: "Follow the light, and you will meet the mountain-guarding monk. But that snow lion..." It clicked its tongue: "Its white fur is purer than snow, but its claws can shatter ice and crack rocks. You'd better be careful."

Seeing the worry in the tortoise's eyes, Anzhi suddenly smiled: "Thank you for reminding me, senior." She let go of his hand; "You should go back quickly, or all the fish in the house will be stolen."

As if granted a pardon, the divine turtle flicked its tail and plunged into the water with a "plop," leaving a trail of water splashing at their feet as if bidding farewell.

Anzhi and Ge Wensong exchanged a smile, then turned to look at the sacred mountain on the opposite bank.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the underground lake, casting dappled shadows on the golden band of light. A mountain breeze swept across the lake's surface, carrying a faint scent of sandalwood.

“Look at the light on the mountaintop,” Ge Wensong suddenly said, his voice filled with amazement. “Doesn’t it look like the demon-slaying sword that Senior Lingjizi spoke of?”

Anzhi nodded, his fingers gripping the sword hilt tightly: "Once we get the sword, we'll go to Qiang City."

“I’ll be with you.” Ge Wensong’s voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable firmness. He suddenly grasped Anzhi’s hand, the warmth of his palm passing through his fingertips: “Sister Anzhi, whether it’s a snow lion or a black python, with me here, you don’t need to be afraid.”

Anzhi looked up at him; the sunlight gilded his eyelashes, and his usually smiling eyes were now filled with seriousness.

She suddenly remembered his figure rushing towards her during the avalanche, his hand tightly gripping hers in the whirlpool, and the extra half-piece of sugar he would secretly add every time he handed her a pancake. "Wen Song," An Zhi said softly, a gentle smile curving her lips, "Actually... with you here, I've never been afraid."

Ge Wensong's ears turned bright red. He scratched his head and held her hand even tighter: "Then...shall we go?"

"Let's go." The two walked side by side toward the lake shore, the pebbles under their feet making a soft, crunching sound that was particularly clear in the silent underground lake.

Golden light flowed beneath their feet, the warm glow creeping up their shoes as if infusing them with strength. In the distance, the sacred mountain loomed in and out of the clouds, its summit gleaming with golden light, as if awaiting something.