Chapter 247: Chapter 156: You Su’s Special Trait (2)

"Miss Ji? My apologies! I was just dreaming of my junior sister and accidentally spoke in my sleep."

Ji Xueruo obviously didn’t believe him. She quietly smoothed out the part of the ground where You Su had rested his head, fixing the creases:

"As long as you’re not dead."

The little white fish, without anyone noticing, swam between the two and said, "You were just immersed in this god’s illusion, watching the past of Hidden Water and Hidden Earth. How could you possibly see your junior sister?"

You Su coughed awkwardly, "Why do you have such a big mouth?"

The little white fish sensed something was off and suddenly said, "I see! You little rascal, you’re afraid of being caught playing both sides, aren’t you!"

The little white fish acted like a mischievous little girl, leaving You Su exasperated. In the dream, Hidden Water was a deep-thinking white dragon bearing great burdens, yet its reincarnation was a lively white fish. Could this malevolent spirit, born from Jade Ring Pool, truly save this threatened great swamp?

"Stop talking nonsense!"

It was Ji Xueruo who spoke first. She was like a stern mother, and indeed, the little white fish was cowed, swimming lower in its shame.

"Tell us, what do we have to do to help you?"

You Su also sat up straight, waiting for the little white fish to speak, after all, this fish represented their only hope.

"Are you sure you want to help me?"

The little white fish’s childlike voice suddenly turned serious, "If you fail, it could mean eternal damnation."

Ji Xueruo sneered, "Stop pretending; if you really didn’t want our help, you should have overturned our boat when we entered the pool. Watching us plunge into such peril without any chance to turn back, and now feigning to warn us—I won’t thank you for that."

The little white fish froze in mid-air; even its tail stopped moving. It said slowly:

"Thank you, I’m not a responsible water god."

Since its birth, it had been hiding within Jade Ring Pool, more concerned with its own survival than its deceased kin.

Ji Xueruo paused, then gently replied:

"No need to thank us, I understand your desire to protect your people, but we are helping for our own survival too. Tell us what to do next, it might just be a hopeless situation after all."

As a leader of her clan, Ji Xueruo could empathize with the little white fish’s transition from shirking to accepting responsibility.

The little white fish shook its head and said:

"With just your power, it is indeed a dire situation. But you are the keys, the keys to unlocking their seals. Only when their powers are restored can we handle both the hidden earth below the water and those corrupted beings above."

"They?" You Su furrowed his brows.

"Do you really think that my people shut themselves away willingly because they’re tired of Jade Ring Pool?"

Ji Xueruo and You Su exchanged a look, startled:

"So it’s not that they don’t want to go out... it’s that they can’t!"

You Su agreed, "During the battle with Shenxi, there was such a commotion, yet no one appeared. Thinking back, it doesn’t make sense. Even if they were indifferent, it’s unlikely they would stay behind closed doors while their patriarch fought."

The little white fish nodded emphatically: "Exactly, they have no idea what’s happening outside."

"It’s an illusion! They’ve all fallen into an illusion!"

Ji Xueruo quickly deduced, Hidden Earth, tainted by the Master of Dreams, also gained the power of dreams. He used the dreams to make those who trusted him among the Jade Clan people his minions, while those who refused to serve him were put into a perpetual slumber.

"Not just my people, but those foreigners caught in Jade Ring Pool; many of them are not dead but trapped in the illusions crafted by Hidden Earth. When they completely give up, they will truly become part of Hidden Earth’s power."

"And your mission is to awaken them!"

As if echoing the little white fish’s rising tone, its form rapidly expanded several times:

"Hidden Earth’s physical strength has weakened with millennia, but conversely, he has become more familiar with the authority bestowed by the Dream Master! Therefore, illusions are his greatest reliance! Hidden Earth’s illusion technique is very strong... If I weren’t also skilled in this art, I might have already been deceived into his trap. But illusions have a fatal flaw: once the prey sees through them, the illusions are as effective as clapping hands to scare a tiger—not useful at all!"

Amidst the tense atmosphere, the little white fish deliberately used a common mortal saying, amusing even the stern-faced Ji Xueruo.

"Easier said than done, how do we help them escape the illusions?"

Ji Xueruo was unsure, as mental techniques are often the rarest and most obscure, and despite her high talent in the arts, she hadn’t comprehended any involving the mind.

The little white fish spat out a small bubble, which floated towards You Su. He popped it effortlessly, dismissing the imagined naked woman from his mind without hesitation.

The little white fish, feeling a bit fearful, swam farther from You Su:

"Have you not realized? Whether it’s Hidden Earth’s tentacles or the illusions I placed on you, you ultimately see through them."

Ji Xueruo recalled the times they entered illusions; the first time You Su saw through the fake tentacles, the second was merely a dream, and the third she saw through the fake You Su herself.

But can this really prove they can see through all of Hidden Earth’s illusions?

That seems too easy...

The little white fish appeared to read her thoughts and scoffed, "Little girl, do you think you’re quite impressive?"