173. Arriving at Snake Island: Treasures Everywhere

What drove Xie Wuji to the verge of a breakdown was that, two hours into the giant jellyfish's voyage, the two women had actually fallen asleep. By this time, everyone else was also fast asleep, but how could Xie Wuji possibly sleep?

Suddenly, a long, fair leg pressed down onto Xie Wuji’s abdomen. Xie Wuji was struck with terror. Turning his head, he saw that it was none other than Tang Xueyan. She seemed to be fast asleep, her side profile looking breathtakingly beautiful, delicate and fresh like a lotus emerging from the water. Xie Wuji could even see tiny water droplets clinging to her long eyelashes.

"This is going to be the death of me," Xie Wuji muttered inwardly. He tried to move Tang Xueyan’s leg away, but instead of pulling back, Tang Xueyan pressed her entire body closer, leaning right against Xie Wuji, causing him immense torment.

Xie Wuji glanced at Tang Xueyan and closed his eyes before she could notice, because Tang Xueyan’s head had somehow ended up resting right on his shoulder.

He could clearly smell the fragrance of Tang Xueyan's hair. It smelled somewhat like lemon, yet also like jasmine. Of course, none of that mattered now; what mattered was that Xie Wuji was in sheer agony.

He quietly shifted a bit toward Song Xiaoyu. Yet just as he moved, Song Xiaoyu suddenly turned over and threw her arms around Xie Wuji’s arm.

Once again came that sensation of being completely enveloped, a tactile feeling that drove Xie Wuji nearly mad.

He felt like a hamburger at that moment, or perhaps a meat sandwich, squeezed helplessly between the two women pressing in from left and right.

"Brother Wuji... I want to have babies with you. Tell me... would a boy and a girl be nice? Oh my, Brother Wuji, you're so naughty!" With that, Song Xiaoyu playfully tightened her embrace.

Xie Wuji closed his eyes tightly. "Oh dear lord, is this some kind of divine punishment?"

He tried hard to shift his body, but there were other people nearby. If not for Song Zhong and the others being present, Xie Wuji—being a red-blooded man—would likely have lost his self-control long ago and gone all the way.

And that precisely was the most agonizing part.

Though the journey lasted only half a day, to Xie Wuji, every moment felt like a year.

When they finally reached the end of the ordeal and Xie Wuji saw the jellyfish surface, he let out a long breath of relief.

"All right, everyone get up, wake up! A bunch of good-for-nothings, falling asleep after just this short distance," a Snake Island elder said with a yawn.

"Who can blame us when this spirit beast is too comfortable? Whether you suffer from insomnia or fatigue, the moment you sit on this creature and take a spin in the ocean, it feels like returning to your mother's womb. There's just no describing the feeling," another elder remarked.

Xie Wuji quietly slid his arm out and shifted his posture, reluctant to wake the two women. But the moment he stood up, the two women instinctively drifted toward each other.

Suddenly, they collided and embraced.

Tang Xueyan’s nose twitched, and her eyes snapped open.

"You—you're taking advantage of me!" Tang Xueyan exclaimed.

Song Xiaoyu woke up as well. "Apologies, I'm not into women."

The two of them immediately locked horns, leaving people utterly speechless. Meanwhile, Xie Wuji got to his feet and stealthily made his way to the shoreline. Raising his head, he was instantly stunned by his surroundings.

Was this an island?

Not at all. In his view, it was a massive expanse of land stretching beyond the horizon. The beach was littered with green structures, seemingly carved entirely from massive green boulders, forming pillars and houses alike.

The architectural style was unlike anything Xie Wuji had ever seen. The walls were inlaid with numerous treasures—gemstones and seashells alike. Xie Wuji even spotted a giant clam shell being used as a rooftop!

"Such a waste of natural treasures..." Xie Wuji lamented.

"What is?" Tang Xueyan bounced over, supporting the Snake Beauty.

Xie Wuji said, "This stone must be aquamarine, a precious gemstone! And look at that giant clam! If we used it to carve prayer beads, just think how many we could get. Are these things worthless around here?"

"How could these be valuable? Stones and shells like this are everywhere; you can pick up handfuls of them," Tang Xueyan replied.

Xie Wuji felt as though he had stumbled into a treasure island.

Walking forward along the path, this extravagant, prodigal decoration made Xie Wuji's heart ache. If not for the people around him, he probably would have rushed over right then and there to pry the shells off the walls.

Deep-sea pearls the size of grapes were embedded as decorative accents on the buildings, while multicolored sea jade stones had been cut and pieced together to form mosaic flooring.

Upon reaching a pyramid-like structure, Xie Wuji saw that the entire pyramid was a vibrant emerald green, covered everywhere with serpent totoms.

Moreover, the shape of the pyramid didn't resemble the Egyptian pyramids; it looked somewhat more like the Mayan pyramids of the Americas, crowned at the very top by a giant cobra totem. Naturally, this cobra was unlike ordinary ones.

As Xie Wuji understood it, a cobra should only have two eyes, but this cobra had eight—four on each side.

Furthermore, this cobra totem was quite peculiar: while its head was that of a cobra, everything below the neck was the body of a human.

This human body wasn't particularly muscular; it looked rather lean, with very long limbs and small yet exceptionally dense muscles.

The entire statue was rendered with startling realism, as if a genuine monster had been transformed into this form.

Xie Wuji was left awestruck by the architecture, and the others were no exception. Song Zhong and the others, who had never set foot on Snake Island before, were left gaping in disbelief at the sight before them.

Once Xie Wuji officially stepped inside the Snake Island pyramid, he found that the interior was a compressed city. Shaped like a giant inverted wok where the pyramid served as the conical lid, the enormous dome enclosed a vast expanse of buildings.

The area spanned was as grand and expansive as the Imperial Palace in the capital.

All around stood guarding disciples, their weapons uniform, each wearing a ceremonial crown tipped with the likeness of a serpent.

"Wuji, you were previously our external elder, but now that you have arrived on Snake Island, you are a formal elder of our sect," the Snake Beauty said weakly, slowly instructing him on these details.

"Please, Island Master, take care of your health. You can brief me on these matters once you have recovered some of your strength," Xie Wuji said, cupping his fists.

"Actually, you ought to become the Island Master of Snake Island right now, since you command the Immortal Heaven Sword Array. But everything must follow a process. I have overseen Snake Island for over seventy years, so an abrupt change in leadership would inevitably spark unnecessary turmoil," the Island Master said.

Xie Wuji smiled. "You misunderstand, Island Master. I harbor no ambitious designs on your position."

What Xie Wuji spoke was the absolute truth. He was merely using Snake Island as a temporary stronghold to cultivate his strength. When the opportune moment arose, he would find Ding Desheng and clear his name; otherwise, no matter where he went outside this island, he would forever be branded as a master-killer.

The Island Master smiled meaningfully. "Is that so? The elders of Snake Island originally numbered eight; with you included, we are now nine. Apart from myself as the primary Island Master, there is also a deputy Island Master. I intend to enter seclusion to heal my wounds in the coming days, so all affairs will be managed by the deputy Island Master."

"I wonder who this deputy Island Master might be..." Xie Wuji glanced toward Tang Qingrou.

Tang Qingrou patted Tang Xueyan’s shoulder. "My daughter is the deputy Island Master. During my recent assassination attempt, she managed Snake Island impeccably. Therefore, in the coming days of my seclusion, I hope you, Wuji, will render much assistance to my daughter."

"That goes without saying." Seeing a vacant pedestal inside the main hall, Xie Wuji realized it was meant for a weapon. After a moment of thought, he placed the Immortal Heaven Sword Hilt directly into the statue's hands.

Tang Qingrou asked, "Wuji, what are you doing?"

"The Immortal Heaven Sword Hilt was obtained by the Island Master at the risk of her life, so by all reason and logic, it belongs to you. Right now, the sword scabbard has not vanished, so I am unable to wield it anyway. Leaving it here—who knows? Perhaps one day the right opportunity will arise, and it might be restored!" Xie Wuji said.

Tang Qingrou replied, "Then let it rest here for the time being..."