Bai Sha’s position inside the Exquisite Bowl was poor, preventing her from seeing the appearance of Liu Xueqin’s senior. She could only tell from the voice that he was male.
As the other party mentioned her, Bai Sha’s whole body tensed, feeling as if a terrifying gaze had locked onto her.
At that moment, Liu Xueqin gave her answer: “This disciple recently heard that the Devil Maiden wanted some pets to pass the time. Seeing that this Great White Shark was quite cute, I captured her to see if it might earn a smile from the Devil Maiden.”
“I see.” The deep male voice replied, “Did you also come with that intention? Very well, send it to the Heaven and Earth Vat. As for whose pet the Devil Maiden will choose, that will depend on luck.”
Upon hearing this, Bai Sha understood.
The Devil Empress Di Xuan.
That name, which she had heard countless times before, had appeared once more.
Just because the other party wanted pets to pass the time, many Devil Cultivators within the Heavenly Devil Palace, while dealing with Demon Cultivators, had incidentally captured any Demon Cultivators that looked decent enough on the outside.
These captured Demon Cultivators would be sent to a place called the Heaven and Earth Vat, where they awaited the Devil Empress Di Xuan to come and select a pet she fancied.
‘To think I would be reduced to a pet candidate.’
Bai Sha felt quite speechless at this outcome.
However, being able to stay alive for the time being and learn more about the situation meant this wasn’t a total loss.
After Liu Xueqin nodded in agreement, she took Bai Sha away.
It wasn’t long before Liu Xueqin entered one of the cabins aboard the Heavenly Devil Ship.
Bai Sha looked out. This cabin wasn’t very large and contained no miscellaneous items, only a single black water vat presented before her eyes.
“Little white shark, what happens next is all up to your fortune. If you are chosen, I will also receive a small reward. You must do your best.”
Liu Xueqin’s voice came, brimming with laughter.
Immediately after, Bai Sha was flung out of the Exquisite Bowl and dropped directly into the water vat.
Bai Sha plunged into the water of the vat, a sensation akin to returning to the vast ocean washing over her.
She looked around, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
This place seemed like a real ocean. All kinds of undersea landscapes that existed in the sea could be seen here. The expanse seemed boundless, without end.
Was this the Heaven and Earth Vat?
Bai Sha pondered the name of the vat. Named after Heaven and Earth… Could it be that this place formed a world of its own?
Bai Sha beat her tail fin, attempting to swim upwards. But before she had traveled far, she sensed a barrier obstructing her. No matter what she did, she couldn’t cross that barrier to reach the water’s surface. She was completely confined within this Heaven and Earth Vat.
Seeing this, Bai Sha was not surprised. She turned around to observe the internal conditions of the vat.
In the distance, she spotted the figures of several other Demon Cultivators.
A gold-colored Starfish, a Butterfly Wing Fish resembling a butterfly, a dazzlingly colorful Rainbow Eel, a glowing Fluorescent Sea Squirt…
All sorts of Demon Cultivators, each one looking extremely resplendent from mere appearances. Clearly, they had all been captured as pet candidates, just like Bai Sha.
‘Compared to them, I am just an ordinary Great White Shark. I don’t seem to have any real competitive edge. Liu Xueqin, choosing me was probably a miscalculation on your part.’
The thought flashed through Bai Sha’s mind.
Using her pectoral fins to paddle through the seawater, she swam towards the nearest Demon Cultivator.
It was the butterfly-like Wingfish. If seen from a distance, one might even mistake it for a butterfly in the water rather than a fish. The fins on her body spread out like wings, their colors exceptionally dazzling.
Sensing Bai Sha’s approach, the Butterfly Wing Fish looked over with caution.
Bai Sha didn’t get too close. She stopped when the distance was appropriate and asked, “I come with no malice. I’ve just been thrown into this Heaven and Earth Vat and don’t understand the situation here. Could you explain some things to me?”
Hearing this, the Butterfly Wing Fish’s vigilance didn’t lessen. A female voice emerged from her: “Even if you ask me, I can’t give you any answers. All I know is that the Heaven and Earth Vat is a powerful Magical Tool. Since we’ve been locked inside, it’s absolutely impossible to leave, unless we become the Devil Empress Di Xuan’s pets.”
After saying this, the Butterfly Wing Fish turned and left, clearly not wanting to speak much with Bai Sha.
Bai Sha didn’t mind.
She swam through the seawater, wanting to see where the boundaries of the Heaven and Earth Vat lay.
But this proved to be a futile effort. She discovered that after swimming a certain distance, she was merely swimming in place, completely unable to travel any farther. She and the other Demon Cultivators were all restricted to a specific area of water.
‘Is the Heaven and Earth Vat really only this small? Or are we simply not allowed to go to the more distant areas?’
Bai Sha had no way of knowing.
Regardless, she couldn’t break through the boundary and had no choice but to turn back.
At this point, she no longer wished to interact with the other Demon Cultivators. Finding a nearby undersea cave, she entered and settled down, planning to wait for changes to occur.
Whatever changes happened, they would become part of her accumulated knowledge.
But Bai Sha hadn’t been inside the undersea cave for long when a voice from another Demon Cultivator echoed from a distance: “A Demon Core Stage Demon Cultivator is gathering everyone to discuss how to escape! All Demon Cultivators who hear this, please gather at the center! A Demon Core Stage cultivator is gathering…”
The sentence was repeated over and over.
Hearing the voice, Bai Sha felt some surprise. She poked her head out to look and saw a figure, already blurred in the distance, moving away.
‘Gathering everyone to discuss how to escape? What wishful thinking.’
Bai Sha retreated back into the undersea cave, having absolutely no intention of gathering.
Yet over the next few hours, different Demon Cultivators passed by the vicinity one after another, shouting the same words, urging everyone to answer the summons.
Bai Sha paid no heed to these words, believing it was an impossible task.
Until one voice came through.
“It’s you? What are you doing here? All the Demon Cultivators are gathering now, why aren’t you going?” A female voice rang out right outside the undersea cave.
Bai Sha looked up. The speaker was the same Butterfly Wing Fish she had seen earlier.
“Aren’t you going either?” Bai Sha asked in return.
“No, I will go. I’m just helping to call more Demon Cultivators to gather. You should come with me too,” the Butterfly Wing Fish urged.
Bai Sha asked, puzzled, “Didn’t you just say earlier that leaving this place is absolutely impossible? Why do you now think there’s a chance to get free?”
The Butterfly Wing Fish was silent for a moment before answering, “If it were just myself, of course, there would be no chance. But the one gathering everyone is a Demon Core Stage Demon Cultivator. An existence like that… perhaps there might be a way.”
Bai Sha looked deeply at the Butterfly Wing Fish. “Are you serious? The Heaven and Earth Vat is on the Heavenly Devil Ship. Outside this one ship are countless more Heavenly Devil Ships. What does a single Demon Core Stage Demon Cultivator amount to in the face of this? No, to be precise, I don’t even believe that this fellow has the ability to escape from the Heaven and Earth Vat itself.”
