The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

Although Lu Xiaosan was trembling in Wen Ying's arms, he still held the Buddhist prayer beads tightly in his hand, so that the two of them would not suffocate.

"Little Fish, what are you doing here?" Wen Ying asked with a smile as the fish swam over, swaying back and forth.

She reached out her hand, and the fish, as if they were sentient, began to circle around her.

But Lu Xiaosan wasn't so happy. He only glanced at it sideways and saw the fish with dead eyes and a white belly staring at him, circling back and forth. It could bite him to death at any moment.

He felt a chill run down his spine at the sight, and quickly pulled his head back. He unconsciously tightened his grip, hugging Wen Ying's frail body so tightly that it made her creak.

"Ouch, ouch, you're hurting me," Wen Ying said, patting Lu Xiaosan.

Lu Xiaosan stammered, "Please...please stop playing with that fish...let it...let it go quickly..."

Seeing this, Wen Ying couldn't help but feel puzzled and asked, "Why? Brother Lu, you're not... afraid of fish, are you...?"

Wen Ying rolled her eyes and said with a playful smile, "Let's stop here, Little Fish. This guy is a coward and can't stand having you next to him."

She made a farewell gesture to the fish, and the fish seemed to understand, turning in a circle before swimming away into the distance.

Lu Xiaosan was deeply ashamed when her secret was exposed.

He didn't want to be labeled a coward. But he was even more afraid of the terrifying fish coming again, so he had no choice but to suppress his apprehension. His face flushed red, half from embarrassment and half from holding back his anger.

Seeing his expression, Wen Ying quickly smiled and reassured him, "Alright, alright, let's hurry and find the flowing lotus grass while we can still go into the water..."

“Okay…” Lu Xiaosan trembled as he slowly released his grip on her.

In his heart, he didn't want to stay at the bottom of the lake for even a second longer.

But he had already lost all face, and if he returned now, even the last bit of dignity he had left would be lost. So he had no choice but to bite the bullet and face the consequences.

In order to prevent Wen Ying from seeing him in such a disheveled state again, he deliberately floated ahead with the bead in his hand and said coldly, "I'll lead the way. Keep an eye on the flowing lotus grass."

"Oh..." Wen Ying's tone was disappointed. Just moments ago he had been so attentive to her, and now he was speaking coldly to her...

The two went out in silence, and every time a fish swam past them, Lu Xiaosan's heart would skip a beat. It took him a long time to calm down after making sure the fish had swum far away.

After seeing so many of them, Lu Xiaosan simply closed her eyes and let things take their course.

"Brother Lu! Brother Lu! We're going to crash into the shore!"

"Brother Lu! You're going the wrong way, it's a dead end!"

Wen Ying shouted from behind, and began to realize that he was walking with his eyes closed.

But knowing he was afraid yet strong-willed, I took the initiative to hold his hand, hoping to lessen his fear.

Lu Xiaosan resisted and deliberately shook off his hand, but Wen Ying seemed angry and gripped his hand tightly again…

Feeling her gentle yet authoritative hand, Lu Xiaosan finally found support and gradually followed his heart, ceasing his struggle.

With this, he finally felt at ease, slowly opened his eyes, and swam towards the deepest part of the lake.

But no matter how far they searched, they found no trace of the flowing lotus grass…

As they went deeper into the lake, the surrounding waters became increasingly turbulent, slowly converging into whirlpools.

The only saving grace is that there are almost no fish left to be seen here.

Lu Xiaosan was overjoyed. "Haha, judging from this situation, the depths of that whirlpool are probably only inhabited by demons and have no fish. Isn't that paradise?"

Thinking of this, he quickened his pace, hoping to get revenge on Wen Ying as soon as possible.

After the two plunged in, although they were protected by the golden shield, they still felt the turbulent current of the whirlpool, as if it could turn them into dust at any moment.

Wen Ying couldn't help but ask, "Is it really okay to go any deeper?"

Lu Xiaosan twirled the Buddhist beads in his hand, making the surroundings glitter, before proudly saying, "Just hold on to me, and I'll make sure you're served comfortably."

Wen Ying laughed and said, "Okay, I've been waiting for you to say that." After saying that, she hugged Lu Xiaosan tightly around the waist, and her happy face rested on Lu Xiaosan's back.

This sudden intimacy caught him off guard. He wanted to resist, but when he turned around and saw her looking at him with a happy smile, he was filled with a mixture of infatuation and pity...

He quietly became lost in her soft, delicate body...

Lost in thought, he suddenly heard Wen Ying make a soft sound in his ear.

Immediately, progress became difficult; the immense resistance of the water made it sway left and right, like a lone boat on a treacherous sea, constantly at risk of being torn to pieces by the storm.

Lu Xiaosan steeled himself and said, "Hold on tight! I have a feeling the Flowing Lotus Grass is definitely inside!"

"Mmm!" Wen Ying said, her eyes closed, holding him tightly.

The next section revealed a complete absence of life. All that could be seen was darkness, with only faint glimpses of white waves created by the turbulent currents.

Although it was pitch black, the two gradually felt the world spinning around them. They no longer had any ability to move forward and could only let the enormous vortex tear them apart.

Lu Xiaosan used all his strength to clench the prayer beads to protect the two from the lake water. If the golden shield were to break even slightly, the two would be torn to pieces by the violent waves.

They endured this for a long time, and slowly they began to feel that the vortex was pulling them into its deepest part.

Lu Xiaosan struggled to open his eyes in the spinning world, only to see everything around him violently swirling and sinking. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Damn, this stuff is really swirling! It's like I can't help but be swirled up!"

He turned around and saw Wen Ying hugging him tightly, just like a little rabbit that had been greatly frightened.

His protective instincts surged instantly, so he took her hand and said, "Don't be afraid, it'll be over soon... soon..."

Seeing Wen Ying nod vigorously, Lu Xiaosan felt a ticklish sensation in his heart.

This comfort put them both at ease.

Soon, the surroundings were plunged into complete darkness. The dizziness gradually subsided, replaced by a feeling of rapid descent.

A feeling of reversed breathing suddenly filled my entire body.

The two felt their bodies become light and airy, as if their senses were slowly failing them. They tried to scream but couldn't make a sound.

After a long time, they were still falling. Lu Xiaosan couldn't help but wonder, "This... this should have reached the bottom of the lake by now, why are we still falling? Where are we being taken?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the feeling of falling suddenly stopped.

The two crashed heavily to the ground. Thanks to the protection of the Buddhist beads, they did not feel pain upon landing; instead, they experienced only a violent jolt.

They lay on the ground for a while before helping each other to their feet.

Only then did I realize that the view was bright and open, revealing a completely different world:

The azure sky was filled with glittering white stars. No, not only stars, but also countless golden fireflies, each a tiny golden speck of light drifting gently in the air.

Looking into the distance, one sees a vast expanse of blue sky; upon closer inspection, it turns out to be trees—shady trees with blue leaves, which are everywhere at the bottom of East Lake.

Not only trees, but also endless grasses are the color of the sky.

If one had to find something unusual, it would be the towering white stone pillars that can be seen everywhere.

They are all magnificent and imposing, stretching as far as the eye can see, like the remnants of once-glorious architecture.

The magnificent scene, beyond description, left the two of them speechless with astonishment.

Lu Xiaosan gently extended her hand out of the halo, no longer feeling the pressure of the water flow.

The surrounding lake water has turned blue, quietly nourishing every plant and tree here.

What's most breathtaking are these golden fireflies that live underwater.

"Wow." Wen Ying stared in disbelief at everything before her, her blue eyes quickly merging into this blue world.

That's why swarms of golden fireflies surrounded her as soon as she arrived.

Wen Ying gently stretched out her slender hand beyond the circle of light, and the golden fireflies, as if finding a home, quickly adorned her arm like a tender branch shimmering with golden light.

"Look!"

Lu Xiaosan laughed, "The big firefly that's shining with golden light is surrounded by the little fireflies that's shining with golden light, tsk tsk tsk."

The fish in the lake have been replaced by golden fireflies, which is definitely paradise for Lu Xiaosan.

The only drawback is that one still needs Buddhist prayer beads for protection even in this paradise.

"boom!"

A loud bang suddenly came from afar, and the surrounding area was shaken.

Wen Ying and the fireflies in her hand were both startled. She pulled her hand back, and the fireflies scattered into a sky full of golden light.

Looking towards the source of the loud noise, they saw a huge red object suddenly emerge from the ground and swim rapidly toward the two of them.

Upon closer inspection, one can see its writhing body, its pulsating round mouth, its hateful round eyes that are cold enough to freeze a person to death, its dense red scales, and its two white whiskers floating against the current at the edge of its mouth.

Lu Xiaosan couldn't help but gasp. This was... a fish... and a gigantic one at that... everything was enormous...