I felt like I had become a giant balloon, not one filled with air, but with true energy. It was much like that state of exhilaration when one has had a few drinks at a restaurant, my body thrumming with power!
"Come on!" I shouted, my voice booming like a gong. "Kick me down!" For now, I only possessed the strength; the initial impetus still required the divine power of the Whale God.
The Whale God chuckled and pushed me into the pool. She then stepped down with her foot, using the force to ascend into the sky. I, like a torpedo, headfirst, dove to the bottom of the water.
Ah, another line of poetry comes to mind: "Fish glide in shallow water!"
I descended faster than the Yellow Orb Demon Core had, reaching the bottom in only five seconds. The water pressure here was immense, my ears feeling as if they would burst. There was no time to admire the scenery at the bottom of the celestial pool in the dim light. In truth, there was nothing to admire; no aquatic plants, no fish, just a large, clear water tank.
Clutching the Demon Core, I pushed off the pool floor with my feet and, like a torpedo, rocketed back to the surface, even leaping out slightly.
The Whale God had also returned to the water, reverting to her previous state. We faced each other, beginning to discuss how to handle the Demon Core.
"How about we let Lin Xi and the others keep it?" I suggested.
The Whale God pouted. "I don't want to. I'm afraid they'll sell it."
"You can't swallow it yourself, you can't leave it outdoors, and you can't give it to Shabbya. So, what should we do?" I pondered. "Uh, do you know about the Sharp Warrior Bank?"
It was the last resort for safekeeping. It seemed like in those TV dramas, when valuable items were deemed unsafe domestically, people would deposit them there.
The Whale God shook her head and spoke to herself, "Actually, there's another way."
"What way?"
"Store it within someone else's body. However... it requires fulfilling one condition." the Whale God said.
"What condition?" I asked.
"I'm trying to recall... it was so long ago, what was the condition..."
Well, the Whale God was forgetful too, and to forget something so important!
I thought for a long time, the true energy she had given me almost dissipating. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "I remember!"
"What?"
"Find a person of mutual affection, and during the union of yin and yang, deposit the Demon Core within their body," the Whale God stated in a pedantic tone, as if reciting an ancient passage.
"What does that mean? I don't understand."
"This is recorded in the *Bai Ze Tu*. I don't know if it's effective, but I want to try," the Whale God smiled. The King of Hell had mentioned the *Bai Ze Tu* to me; it was a book on par with the *Shan Hai Jing*, but unfortunately, it was largely lost now, at least not as well-preserved as the *Shan Hai Jing*.
"How do we try? We're in the middle of nowhere. Where are we supposed to find such a person?" I asked with a wry smile.
The Whale God stared at me, her smile growing brighter.
"No way... Uh, we're not that familiar with each other... Is this really appropriate... Hey, hey, don't force yourself on me..."
Perhaps the higher the level, the shorter the duration? Her speed was even faster than Yaoyao's. Before I could even react, it was over. I felt utterly drained, and the yellow light was gone!
"Where's that orb?" I asked.
The Whale God pushed away from me, licking her lips. "It went into your mouth."
I smacked my lips. "That big? How did it get down?"
I hadn't felt the orb enter my mouth, only the sensation of her agile little tongue on my lips.
"Don't believe me? Look for yourself?" the Whale God chuckled.
I looked down into the water. "Nothing here."
It was too dark; I couldn't see anything underwater.
"The Art of Qi Perception," the Whale God prompted.
I activated the Art of Qi Perception. Because I had just expended a lot of energy, it took me three tries to successfully activate it.
This time, I could see it. Within my abdomen, there was a circular aura, like a three-dimensional yin and yang symbol, rolling back and forth within me. However, it wasn't yellow, but the highest grade: black!