The fairy forced me to marry into her family, so I retorted by throwing myself into the Pool of Fate

As we fell into the cave, everything around us instantly went dark.

Li Ping plummeted straight down with a thud.

The water in the cave was icy cold, and the chill seeped into his body, making his limbs stiff and almost suffocating.

Just then, Li Ping seemed to step on a boulder and stopped falling.

He struggled and finally managed to surface.

Li Ping gasped for breath, his voice echoing in the cave for a long time.

Looking up at the hole above him, he was about to use it to escape.

But as soon as he lifted his foot, his heart skipped a beat.

"Why is this stone so soft?"

Looking down, I realized that what I was standing on wasn't a stone at all, but a piece of iron-gray scales.

Its scales were flat and wide, stretching for several feet.

"This is?"

Just as they were wondering, two beams of green light suddenly shot out from ahead.

The green light, like a human eye, swept over him from head to toe.

It was only then that Li Ping realized what was happening.

What he was stepping on was some kind of living thing.

Li Ping was terrified and immediately swam towards the edge.

He was incredibly fast, dashing several meters away in an instant and reaching the cave wall in the blink of an eye.

Looking back now, the enormous creature in front of them turned out to be a whale.

"Anything I recognize is fine."

Li Ping felt a little relieved and then took a closer look.

This whale has a broad, flat back covered with a layer of iron-gray scales, quite similar to the Himalayan whale.

Ironback whales have ordinary bloodlines and are not considered any special species; they are only used for transporting goods at sea because of their size.

It is said that the Hong family on the island kept several of them.

But the one in front of him was much larger than any iron-backed whale he had ever seen.

The cave is spacious, yet its body almost fills the entire space.

Even more strangely, it had a pair of eerie green eyes.

Unable to gauge the opponent's strength, Li Ping dared not make any rash moves.

Suddenly, those green eyes blinked.

Li Ping quickly cupped his hands in apology: "This junior got lost and wandered into this place by mistake. I hope you will forgive me, senior."

The iron-backed whale's green eyes darted around, then it remained motionless.

There was no response from the other party, and Li Ping was afraid of provoking it, so he dared not make any moves.

And so, both sides were at a standstill.

After a long while, Li Ping couldn't hold back any longer and was about to speak when he saw the Iron-backed Whale speak in human language:

"Young man, considering this is your first offense, leave behind three drops of your essence blood and depart on your own."

Li Ping shuddered, his pupils shrinking sharply.

Demonic beasts do not consider spiritual roots in their cultivation; they only value bloodlines.

The higher the bloodline grade, the greater the potential, and the ability to speak is the most direct dividing line for judging the quality of bloodlines.

In all these years, he has never seen a talking monster on the eight islands in the outer sea.

And what lies before us...

But why does it speak in such a formal and literary way?

It didn't sound like the tone of a great demon, but rather like that of a human cultivator.

Li Ping was surprised but did not rush to respond.

After waiting a moment, the iron-backed whale did not become angry as expected; instead, its green eyes began to dart around.

Li Ping was suspicious, but after a moment's thought, he suddenly let out a cold snort:

"You little demon, how dare you put on airs and fool the immortals! Do you even know where you are?"

A string of bubbles rose from the back of the iron-backed whale, and it actually took a step back.

Li Ping felt reassured and shouted sharply:

"This island is the abode of immortals. How dare you, a mere demon, seize it? I will certainly report to Immortal Hong and have him come and capture you."

Upon hearing this, the Ironback Whale's expression changed drastically: "Immortal, spare my life! This lowly demon entered this place by mistake and had no intention of occupying it."

That's it? You dare to act all high and mighty in front of me?

Li Ping smiled coldly, about to take control of it, when suddenly his expression froze.

Suddenly, the iron-backed whale shrank, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed from a colossal creature into a finger-length creature, resembling an inconspicuous fish.

Inside the vast cave, it is impossible to find its trace without careful concentration.

In a daze, the little thing swam towards him and gently landed in his palm.

Li Ping looked down and examined the scene, his heart already filled with turbulent emotions.

Ordinary demonic beasts, the weaker their bloodline, the more they rely on their size to act ferociously.

Those with truly noble bloodlines can shrink or expand their bodies at will, even transforming into human form, thereby breaking through the shackles of cultivation.

The iron-backed whale in front of us changes size as easily as drinking water.

"Immortal, this little demon did not do it on purpose, please be merciful." The little one wagged its tail.

It seems unaware of its own strength?

Li Ping shook his head inwardly and sent a wisp of his divine sense into its body.

Hmm? Such little demonic power?

This whale possesses extraordinary abilities, yet why is its cultivation level inferior to mine?

But in any case, it poses no threat to me right now.

Having made up his mind, Li Ping no longer held back and said sternly, "Quickly explain where you came from."

"This little demon was originally a beast kept by the Hong family. One day, it accidentally discovered that it could shrink, so it secretly slipped away," the little one said. "But in the vast ocean, I didn't know where to go, so I could only wander aimlessly. Until one day, I smelled a trace of spiritual energy and followed it to this place."

They're from the Hong family?

Li Ping looked surprised and asked, "From what you're saying, you came directly from the sea to this cave?"

"There's a path inside this cave that connects to the sea outside," the little one said, turning his head to point to a spot in the cave.

Li Ping looked closely and indeed there was a narrow gap.

"Immortal, please don't tell Immortal Hong that this little demon doesn't want to be captured and kept in captivity anymore." The little one looked terrified. "That place is too small, dark, and smelly. This little demon almost suffocated there before."

Seeing that Li Ping's expression remained unchanged, it pressed its whole body against his palm, rubbing back and forth to please him.

Li Ping coughed lightly: "If you don't want to be sent back, you'd better be obedient."

"Rest assured, Immortal, I will do whatever you say."

Li Ping nodded: "How long have you been here?"

"About a year."

"Have you noticed anything unusual during this time?"

"Abnormal?" The little one tilted his head and thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Apart from you, there doesn't seem to be anything abnormal."

No?

Li Ping looked puzzled and was about to ask again when the little one suddenly spoke up:

"Oh right, not long ago it seems..."

"What do you mean?" Li Ping pressed.

"Immortal, this lowly demon asked if I could have a drop of your essence blood?"

Li Ping couldn't understand its thought process and asked疑惑地问道, "What does it need my essence blood for?"

"Even I don't know, I just have a feeling that it will bring some benefit."

Benefits? Could it be another instance of Xuan Shui Ning Lu (Mysterious Water Condensation)?

Li Ping snorted coldly and said forcefully, "Don't push your luck. If you don't talk, I'll send you back to the Hong family and lock you up right now."

The little one had no choice but to speak:

"That day, the little demon was fast asleep when suddenly there was a noise from above. I wanted to go up and take a look, but as I swam upwards, I became panicked, and the panic grew stronger."

Those who enter the Dao are said to have sudden whims, and those with profound cultivation can even sense their own fortune and misfortune.

No one dares to underestimate this.

Moreover, it came from a demonic beast with extremely high bloodline.

Li Ping secretly noted it down, then asked, "The specific date?"

"Yes, about three months ago."

Before, Li Ping was unsure whether the Hong family's plan was good or bad.

But after hearing what the iron-backed whale said, he had already made up his mind.

The Hong family's actions in Lingquan were by no means a matter of chance.

As for the specific cause of the trouble, further investigation is needed.