It wasn't long before Nie Kong realized that the structure before him was not an entire palace, but merely a colossal gate, spanning almost the entire width of the trench.

Flanking the gate stood two towering jade pillars, radiating an intense cerulean luminescence that enveloped the entire entrance.

Minutes later, two figures landed before the massive door.

Stepping forward a few paces, Nie Kong was immediately struck by a surge of pressure, almost terrifying in its immensity. Only then did he notice that the two azure pillars, resembling monumental anchors, were entirely condensed from Water Spirit Energy. The moment one stepped within the scope of that blue light, the body felt as if submerged in a vast ocean.

"Sea God Palace."

Reading the three characters inscribed on the plaque, a faint smile touched Nie Kong's lips.

This place was indeed extraordinary. No wonder they hadn't seen a single guard from the Fish Spirit Clan nearby. With the gate of the Sea God Palace standing here, even if some ill-intentioned individuals managed to locate the Fish Spirit Clan's dwelling, they would struggle to advance an inch against that pressure without considerable strength.

The reason Nie Kong remained unaffected by the crushing force was ultimately down to the 'Spirit Link Battle Robe.'

This robe had been passed down through countless generations of the Red Star Clan chiefs. While it couldn't resist physical attacks, it was perfectly capable of neutralizing formless impacts. As the pressure surged forward, it simply slid around Nie Kong's body like water before ever making contact.

Had it not been for the robe, Nie Kong might have been forced back to his original position by the sheer coercion.

Seeing Nie Kong's effortless demeanor, a flicker of surprise crossed Yu Tinglei’s eyes.

As a member of the Fish Spirit Clan, he naturally possessed means to resist such pressure. What surprised him was that Nie Kong seemed completely immune; how could he not be astonished? The illusion covering the trench was the Fish Spirit Clan's first barrier, and this gate was the second. Without a local guide, unless one’s cultivation reached the Celestial Spirit Realm, forcing entry would be impossible.

"Brother Nie Yan, please,"

Yu Tinglei took a quiet breath and ushered Nie Kong forward.

As they crossed the threshold of the gate, the surrounding seawater rippled into a series of shimmering waves, and both figures vanished simultaneously. In an instant, Nie Kong felt the scenery shift dramatically. The trench had transformed into a vast, sunken valley, where grand, ancient, and exquisitely beautiful architecture rested, a truly magnificent sight.

The valley spanned perhaps a dozen li across, and the air was remarkably clear, no longer thick with seawater as it was in the outside ocean. Especially among the buildings, streets crisscrossed, and figures of men, women, young, and old were visible everywhere. Yet, the place wasn't noisy or bustling; instead, it exuded a distinct sense of tranquility and peace.

"To think the Sea God Palace, hidden beneath the deep sea, is such a beautiful city," Nie Kong had witnessed countless bustling metropolises in his past life, but viewing this underwater settlement now filled him with awe. He wondered how much effort the Fish Spirit Clan had poured into creating this place.

"Indeed. Our Fish Spirit Clan has labored for several thousand years to bring the Sea God Palace to its current scale," Yu Tinglei replied, a touch of pride in his expression. He then smiled, "Brother Nie Kong, let's hurry. My mother must be getting anxious after such a long absence."

Guided by Yu Tinglei, the two swiftly traversed a series of streets.

What struck Nie Kong as strange was that despite passing many Fish Spirit Clan members, not a single one greeted Yu Tinglei. Instead, Nie Kong drew many astonished glances; the expressions of the clan members seemed to betray that he was clearly not one of them.

After a while, the pair arrived at a small, azure lake right in the center of the town.

The water was perfectly clear; through the surface, Nie Kong could distinctly see the aquatic grasses and countless fish, large and small, darting beneath. In the very heart of the lake, a towering structure stood sentinel, its shape uncannily resembling a large fish standing upright, its tail vertically breaching the water's surface.

"Sister Tinglei!"

Suddenly, two slightly childish, sweet cries rang out.

The voices originated from underwater! But as Nie Kong followed the sound, he froze.

Tinglei... Sister?

Was Yu Tinglei female? His gaze involuntarily fell upon Yu Tinglei's handsome face. Nie Kong’s mind briefly stalled. Yu Tinglei was indeed strikingly beautiful, yet there was nothing about his appearance to suggest he was cross-dressing.

The voice, the hair, the brow, the throat, the chest...

Everything proclaimed his masculine identity.

"Splash!"

At that moment, water splashed outward from the lake's edge. Two lovely small fish leaped out and, as they landed on the shore, their bodies rapidly expanded. The instant they touched the ground, the two small fish transformed into a pair of graceful maidens with delicate, beautiful features. Large expanses of milky white, tender skin were revealed, though their waists, hips, and chests were veiled by two clusters of deep blue, ethereal light. On closer inspection, the things concealing their private areas were actually clumps of aquatic weeds.

This transformation did not surprise Nie Kong.

Members of the Five Great Spirit Clans possessing direct lineage could switch freely between their true form and their mental aspect. Even Nie Kong, who carried the bloodline of the Yin Ruins Half-Spirit Clan, could transform into the mental aspect form of the 'Purple Luo Illusory Spirit Incense,' just as he had done when first entering the Underworld the previous year.

"Sister Tinglei, is this an outsider?"

"Oh! I remember now! One of the two people we saw beneath Sword King Island last year was him! We were both nearly frozen stiff by the seawater back then."

"Hey, it really is him. Sister Tinglei, didn't you say he went to the Fallen Abyss? Why is he back now, and here at our Sea God Palace? I remember Sister Tinglei mentioned his name was Nie Kong. Brother Nie Kong, was the Fallen Abyss fun?"

The two young girls first glanced at Nie Kong quite naturally, then, as if discovering a new continent, they started chattering animatedly, full of liveliness and charm.

Yu Tinglei waved his hand in exasperation. "Xiao Li, Xiao Man, that's enough. You two go back to playing. I still need to take him to see the Fish King."

"Alright then."

The two little lasses responded with a touch of sullenness, drooping their heads before transforming back into small fish, leaping into the lake, and diving into the underwater weeds to resume their play with a flick of their tails.

Afterward, Yu Tinglei walked into the lake and began gliding forward across the water's surface.

Nie Kong followed hesitantly, heavy with confusion. After floating for about a hundred meters, seeing that Yu Tinglei still hadn't spoken, he couldn't help but probe tentatively, "Brother Tinglei, are you really a woman?"

"That’s right."

Yu Tinglei chuckled sweetly.

Nie Kong was instantly taken aback. He had fully expected Yu Tinglei to offer some kind of evasion, but instead, she admitted it immediately, rendering all the carefully rehearsed retorts he had prepared useless.

He hadn't expected Yu Tinglei to be the Princess of the Fish Spirit Clan, not the Prince. What did she look like? The thought flashed through his mind, and Nie Kong couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Whether Yu Tinglei was a prince or a princess, and what her appearance was, what did any of that have to do with him?