Chapter 831: Hard

He navigated the view back to the seaweed.

The Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor quickly wiped away her tears, looking at the image in the Sky-Monitoring Mirror. Jiang Fan kept zooming in on the image until the faces and expressions of the two individuals became clear.

"Is that him?" she wondered, gazing at the handsome and sharp-eyed South Sea demon.

The Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor frowned. Her frown deepened when she saw the seductive sea demon beside him.

Jiang Fan was surprised: "You know him?"

"He's scum," the Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor replied with disgust. "But it's unlikely he's the one who captured the Crown Prince. He lacks both the courage and the motive."

Jiang Fan nodded. "My point isn't to accuse him of abduction," he said. "Instead, look closely at their expressions—his and the female sea demon's. Something's off."

The Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor peered intently. She then noticed that both individuals looked startled and suspicious.

"Oh? Have they encountered danger? Is it a powerful enemy?" she mused. "Even though this scoundrel is morally corrupt, his strength is exceptional. Even I might not be able to defeat him." She instantly realized. Her eyes narrowed. "Is there an unknown powerful individual nearby?"

Before she could prompt him, Jiang Fan continued to expand the search area. Under their close scrutiny, finally, a mysterious figure cloaked in black was spotted searching the vicinity. And behind the mysterious person, lay a small mountain, pressing down on a fractured seabed.

The Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor grew agitated, seizing Jiang Fan's arm tightly once more. "That's wrong!" she exclaimed. "That's the famous Cross-Patterned Seabed; it's riddled with cracks underground. The terrain around here is flat; there are no mountains! This mountain... must have been moved from somewhere else to cover a specific fissure."

The answer became immediately clear. The Crown Prince was very likely beneath that fissure. Someone had trapped him down there, allowing the strange power of the Sea Spring within him to erupt, transforming him into a hideous monster, just as had happened to the Third Princess years ago.

"We found him! Jiang Fan, we found him!" She clutched Jiang Fan's arm, shaking him excitedly.

Under the Demon Emperor's strength, Jiang Fan's body swayed back and forth like a rag doll. His brains felt like they were about to turn into curdled tofu.

"Oh! My apologies, my apologies, I got too excited." The Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor realized her actions, quickly cupping Jiang Fan's head and gently rubbing it. "Are you alright?"

Jiang Fan, naturally, didn't blame her. He stood up woozily and said, "Enough talk. Let's go to that location immediately."

But just as he straightened up, he saw someone watching them with a grim expression. Their eyes seemed to blaze with fury.

The Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor looked up, a sheepish expression on her face, and quickly released Jiang Fan. "Tower Master Wei," she began, "Jiang Fan and I were... looking for the Crown Prince."

Wei Wuji was seething with rage. He had been expending all his energy, desperately searching for the Crown Prince. Yet, the Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor and Jiang Fan were hiding in the coral, embracing and caressing each other. He felt like a complete fool. And if that wasn't enough, the Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor actually claimed they were looking for the Crown Prince! Two people furtively hiding in the coral to search for the Crown Prince. Had the Crown Prince turned into a sea worm or some other sea creature? Did they need to squat in the coral to find him?

And another thing: Hadn't she just called him "Old Wei"? After all that pulling and tugging with this boy, she was back to "Tower Master Wei"?

The Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor couldn't explain, as it would expose Jiang Fan's Sky-Monitoring Mirror. Besides, she felt no need to explain anything to Wei Wuji. She spoke with a serious expression: "No more talking. Jiang Fan has already helped me locate the Crown Prince. That place is somewhat dangerous, so there's no need for you to go, Tower Master Wei. You should stay in the palace and ensure your disciples are safe. Jiang Fan and I will go alone. Farewell!"

Without further ado, she grabbed Jiang Fan and swiftly headed toward the location.

Wei Wuji was incensed. His gaze on Jiang Fan was filled with intense jealousy. "What's so special about that kid, anyway?" he muttered. "And the Crown Prince, whom my Trace Light and Source Tracing couldn't locate, he can find? The Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor actually believes his nonsense? Fine. Let's see how you'll have the nerve to come crawling back, begging me to help you continue the search, once you realize you've been tricked. Hmph!"

Half an hour later, the two of them passed over the seaweed patch. The man and woman were gone, presumably having slipped away unnoticed. The mysterious black-robed figure had also vanished. Jiang Fan squatted within the seaweed, but even using the Sky-Monitoring Mirror, he couldn't detect the figure.

"Did he leave?" the Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor pondered.

Jiang Fan shook his head. "Probably not," he replied. "He's likely on guard against the man and woman from earlier, fearing their return. Most likely, he's employed some form of invisibility. Watch me flush him out!"

He pulled out the Yin Marrow Tiger Talisman. With a light tap forward, an endless stream of Yin energy continuously poured forth. It stained the surrounding seawater black, spreading out in all directions.

Just as it was about to envelop the mountain, a surge of energy suddenly sliced through the Yin qi, and a deep voice boomed, "Who's there?"

Killing intent flashed in the Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor's eyes. "I'll go kill him. You rescue the Crown Prince."

With that, she instantly darted towards the invisible powerful figure. Angrily, she unleashed a powerful water-based innate ability.

The latter was greatly startled. "The East Sea Demon Emperor? How... how is it you?" Evidently, they had never expected the East Sea Demon Emperor to pinpoint their location so precisely.

"Hmph!" she scoffed. "Let's see if you're one of those wretched Taoists from Mount Sanqing!" The Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor immediately engaged him in a fierce clash. The opponent, pale with shock, had no choice but to fight back.

In moments, the seabed was churned up, and mud and sand billowed everywhere. As they fought further and further away, the entire seabed became incredibly murky.

Jiang Fan, sensing the ripples had vanished and the danger was gone, approached the relocated mountain. The mountain was substantial. He activated his Indestructible Blade, unleashing a two-hundred-zhang lightning sword that cleaved down powerfully from above. With a thunderous crash, the mountain split apart. The immense disturbance caused the mud and sand to churn even more violently. Jiang Fan even had to temporarily close his eyes.

*Whoosh—*

A sound of rushing water indicated someone had flown out from the fissure beneath the mountain. Once the surroundings cleared slightly, Jiang Fan finally saw who had emerged. Her figure was tall and graceful. She wore a pink dress, and her long black hair cascaded like a waterfall. Her features were refined and exquisite, captivatingly beautiful even without makeup. Her eternal youth and vibrancy were the envy of all powerful figures in Taicang Dazhou.

Who else could it be but the Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor?

"Sister Treasure Pearl?" Jiang Fan froze for a moment. "You defeated that person so quickly?" He stepped forward, looking to her left and right. "Where's the Crown Prince?"

The Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor said nothing, merely stepping silently closer. She gently took Jiang Fan's hand, her eyes filled with tender affection.

"Uh—" Jiang Fan felt something was off. He tried to pull his hand away. "Sister Treasure Pearl, we need to find the Crown Prince first," he urged. "He's still down there."

But then, to Jiang Fan's disbelief, the Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor actually guided his hand toward her chest.

Jiang Fan was startled, exclaiming, "Sister Treasure Pearl, what are you doing? You shouldn't! You really shouldn't!" He was utterly bewildered. Was the Treasure Pearl Demon Emperor out of her mind? How could she do such a thing? He tried to pull free, but couldn't. His hand finally made contact.

Jiang Fan was frantic. "Wake up, Sister Treasure Pearl..."

"Wait!"

"It's hard?" He suddenly froze. The expected softness wasn't there. Instead, it felt rock-hard.