Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts-Chapter 385 - Awakening Something (Two in One - )

“What a beautiful sight.”

Zhu Cici and her companions arrived at the Coral Sea, their eyes instantly lighting up.

This vast Coral Sea stretched endlessly, with all kinds of coral standing tall like a vibrant forest. Flowers that one would only expect to see in the Dragon Palace at the bottom of the sea bloomed in full splendor, while schools of colorful fish weaved through the surroundings.

Zhu Cici felt as if she had stepped into a fairyland.

It was a scene impossible to witness on land.

But as she admired the view, a thought of Xu Ming suddenly crossed her mind.

“If only Xu Ming were here too.”

A sigh escaped her heart.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about inviting Xu Ming to come along.

But after what happened yesterday, she now felt a little awkward facing him—let alone asking him to join.

But it’s fine!

Once the Four Seas Grand Ceremony was over, she would still have chances to reach out to Xu Ming. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future!

“Cici, let’s check out that area.” Ling Bisheng suggested.

Seeing the brightness in Zhu Cici’s eyes, he felt certain that coming here had been the right choice.

Perhaps, he could leave an even better impression on her.

“Alright, let’s go take a look.” Zhu Cici nodded, but instead of responding to Ling Bisheng alone, she called out to all her companions.

This left Ling Bisheng feeling a little disappointed.

It seemed that even though Cici felt a sense of loss in her heart—even though there was now an empty space in it—he still wasn’t her first choice to fill it.

Before long, Zhu Cici and her group arrived at a lake.

At first, they thought they were seeing things.

But no—it was real.

There was a lake right here, beneath the sea.

Honestly, if not for the fish constantly swimming through the air like birds, they might have thought they were back on land.

Because within this Dragon Palace, there were mountains, water—everything was just like the land above.

By the lakeside, quite a few cultivators sat fishing with rods in hand.

Fishing inside the sea—with a rod—into a lake.

If someone heard this, they probably wouldn’t believe it.

Some were fishing, while others were selling fishing rods. Many locals of Dragon City had set up stalls by the lake, selling bait and rods, and business seemed to be booming.

Fishing on land wasn’t anything special.

But fishing underwater, now that was a unique experience.

Almost every visitor had to give it a try.

Zhu Cici and her friends also noticed a few sea clansmen with dragon horns on their heads approaching the lake.

They guessed—unsurprisingly—that these were likely the royal descendants of the other three seas.

Every Four Seas Grand Ceremony, young elites from across the oceans would come to participate—not only to make an impression on their elders but also to broaden their horizons.

Zhu Cici and her group quickly withdrew their gazes, not paying the newcomers much attention.

But while Zhu Cici ignored them, the same couldn’t be said in reverse.

Even in this breathtaking landscape, beauty was not in short supply.

Yet Zhu Cici’s elegance was simply too extraordinary.

The aura she carried made it impossible to look away once she caught your eye.

Sure enough, the royal members from the other seas soon took notice of her.

They pointed in her direction, murmuring among themselves.

Zhu Cici, however, remained completely indifferent.

Having been a focal point of attention her entire life due to her striking appearance, she was long used to it.

“Look, those royal elites from the other seas are coming this way.”

Fang Yu reminded his companions.

A few of them turned their heads and saw a group of young dragon clan members walking toward Zhu Cici.

The dragon clan youths carried a look of anticipation, while the two dragon clan girls had expressions tinged with arrogance and disdain.

Miao Feng and the others could understand their dissatisfaction.

These two dragon clan girls were already exceptionally beautiful, with elegant figures, and their noble status made them even more distinguished.

From childhood, they had always been the center of attention.

But now, a girl even more stunning than them had appeared—and not just by a small margin.

She was so breathtaking that everyone’s gaze was drawn to her.

Naturally, they felt an unpleasant sense of their radiance being overshadowed.

“Are you all from the White Deer Academy?”

A few dragon clan youths approached Zhu Cici and her group, offering a respectful greeting.

“Indeed.” Zhu Cici returned the courtesy with a slight bow, as did Fang Yu and the others.

“And you are?” Zhu Cici asked curiously.

“Pardon my rudeness. I am Ao Jin, the Third Prince of the Eastern Sea.” The young prince introduced himself. “This is Ao Yin, the Fourth Prince of the Southern Sea; Ao Tian, the Second Prince of the Western Sea; and these two ladies are my younger sister, Ao Yin’er, and my cousin, Ao Zizi, the Seventh Princess of the Western Sea.”

“Zhu Cici of White Deer Academy, a pleasure to meet you.” Zhu Cici smiled. “May I ask what brings you to us?”

“It’s nothing much. We’ve long heard of the renowned White Deer Academy and also about a certain Miss Zhu, who is said to be peerless in both talent and beauty. We had always hoped to meet you in person.”

Ao Jin spoke with remarkable politeness, his words carefully chosen.

In just a few sentences, he had already praised Zhu Cici several times.

With his refined appearance and elegant demeanor, most young women would have been utterly delighted by such compliments.

Unfortunately for him, he was speaking to Zhu Cici.

In terms of status, Zhu Cici was not just the only daughter of the First Marquis of Qi, but also the personal disciple of the White Deer Academy’s headmaster.

Her rank was, without question, higher than that of this dragon prince.

And in terms of beauty—she ranked in the top ten of the Beauty List.

So these well-crafted words and flattery didn’t even make a dent in her heart.

Miao Feng and the others, standing beside her, nearly rolled their eyes.

“What do they mean by ‘such an extraordinary presence’?”

They all knew perfectly well—these guys were simply mesmerized by Zhu Cici’s looks.

“You flatter me.” Zhu Cici responded with a smile.

Even though she was fully aware of their intentions, she still returned a polite bow to express her gratitude.

“Since we’ve met, why don’t we explore together—if you all don’t mind?” Ao Jin suggested.

“Of course, please, be our guests.” Zhu Cici responded graciously.

As a representative of White Deer Academy, and given that they were nobles from the Eastern, Southern, and Western Seas, she couldn’t refuse—doing so would be seen as disrespectful.

“Please, Miss Zhu.”

The group sat down together, engaging in casual conversation.

Zhu Cici didn’t even have to respond all the time—Yu Wenxi and the others naturally joined in, keeping the conversation flowing.

“Everyone, how about a little competition?” Ao Yin suggested, turning toward Zhu Cici’s group.

“A competition?” Yu Wenxi asked curiously.

“That’s right.”

Ao Yin nodded with a smile.

“This lake is called the ‘Ten Thousand Fish Lake.’ It is home to many rare and precious sea fish. Every time the Coral Sea blooms, the Dragon Empress allows everyone to fish here for three days.”

“Of course, only fishing is allowed—nets and other methods are prohibited.”

“So how about we have a little contest? From now until noon, let’s see who can catch the most and the most valuable fish.”

“The person who ranks the lowest... will be responsible for treating everyone to lunch. What do you all think?”

“I think that sounds good.” Ling Bisheng nodded. In his heart, he had no intention of losing to these noble youths.

“Let’s go, let’s go! That old man over there is selling fishing rods. Let’s buy one.” Ao Zizi, clearly intrigued, urged the group forward.

After purchasing their fishing rods and bait, they cast their lines into the lake and began fishing.

“Brother, why does this feel so tedious?”

Ao Yin’er sat beside her brother, her expression tinged with boredom.

She was used to seeing fish darting through the water every day, and now they were fishing?

She knew perfectly well what her brother and her other two cousins were really thinking.

To the scholars of White Deer Academy, her brother and cousins were merely engaging in polite formalities—and they were clearly interested in Zhu Cici, so they had come over to get closer to her.

What they didn’t realize, however, was that the level of interest her brother and cousins had in Zhu Cici was far deeper than they could ever imagine!

This time, it wasn’t just her brother—her other cousins had also received a direct order.

At the Four Seas Grand Ceremony, they were to get close to Zhu Cici by any means necessary.

The ultimate goal?

Win Zhu Cici’s heart and bring her into the dragon clan.

In all fairness, Zhu Cici’s background, status, beauty, and talent made her more than worthy of becoming a dragon clan princess consort.

But to Ao Yin’er, the level of importance their fathers and uncles placed on Zhu Cici felt excessive—as if there was another reason behind it all.

“You just don’t understand.”

Ao Jin glanced at his sister and chuckled, shaking his head.

“Zhu Cici has no shortage of admirers. Even though our status is high, don’t forget—she is the personal disciple of White Deer Academy’s headmaster. That alone makes her position equal to ours, if not higher.”

“Winning her over won’t be easy. We need to approach her slowly, figure out what she likes, and appeal to her interests. We can’t rush this.”

Ao Yin’er rolled her eyes. “And fishing is going to help you win her over?”

Ao Jin only laughed. “Why not? Who’s to say it won’t?”

He didn’t say anything more, simply gazing at the calm lake.

Despite his relaxed tone, his expression told a different story—he wasn’t just here to fish.

He was waiting for something.

Something important.

—

Meanwhile...

Following Lord Turtle’s advice, Xu Ming made his way to the Coral Sea, seeking a man known as “Mister North Sea.”

Curious, Xu Ming had asked, “Who is this Mister North Sea?”

Lord Turtle had only smiled and said, “You’ll understand once you meet him.”

Since he wasn’t going to get a direct answer, Xu Ming didn’t ask further—he simply headed toward the Coral Sea.

On the way, he noticed many others traveling in the same direction.

The Coral Sea’s annual Flower Season had begun.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

Yes, Flower Season.

The Coral Sea was merely a general term.

In reality, it was a massive underwater garden, and during this time each year, every sea flower in the Coral Sea bloomed at once.

Most of Longdu’s (Dragon Capital) citizens made a point to visit the sea of flowers.

And this year, with the Four Seas Grand Ceremony coinciding, even more foreign guests were drawn to the spectacle.

—

Upon arriving at the Coral Sea, Xu Ming was genuinely stunned.

Even for someone like him—who loved flowers and nature—this sight was breathtaking.

The Coral Sea was unbelievably beautiful.

Countless citizens and cultivators wandered among the flowers, seamlessly blending into the scenery.

It felt less like a real place and more like a painting—a harmony between people and nature.

Without hesitation, Xu Ming ventured deeper into the flower sea.

According to the location given by Lord Turtle, Mister North Sea resided in the depths of the garden, within the Blue Jade Coral Forest.

Apparently, it was easy to find.

However, halfway there, Xu Ming suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Something felt... off.

He instinctively looked up toward the sky above.

Something was wrong.

Activating his Dao-Pattern Eyes, Xu Ming focused his gaze on that distant point—trying to see what lay hidden there.

Xu Ming’s Dao-Pattern Eyes had already evolved three times.

Now that he was at the Dragon Gate Realm, almost nothing could escape his sight.

Immediately, his brows furrowed.

About a mile away, Xu Ming saw an intense concentration of literary qi swirling above the lake.

The qi was so thick and dense that drops of black ink were steadily falling into the water below.

That alone would have been strange enough.

But on the ground, Xu Ming saw another unusual energy—a mysterious spiritual force that seemed to be trying to connect with the literary qi above.

It was as if the literary qi was attempting to awaken something deep within the lake.