The Whale God transformed!
Immediately after, her body began to descend. It seemed the Whale God had caught me on her back in mid-air and was now diving towards the water with me. I instinctively tried to grip the fur on her back, but it was wet, slippery, and fine, much like the scarf from the Sable's transformation. I couldn't get a hold and was left to fall with her.
With a thunderous roar!
The Whale God hit the surface of the Heavenly Pond. Even in the torrential downpour of the rainy night, with visibility poor, I saw a massive wave of water splash outwards in all directions, like water from a high gorge reservoir reaching its warning line, releasing the surging floodwaters in an instant.
However, I was unharmed and felt little impact, likely due to the Whale God's thick layer of fat cushioning the descent. I quickly activated my qi sensing technique to observe Lin Xi and Chen Ke. They were hundreds of meters away, so I didn't need to worry about them running off. The Whale God had thrown me hundreds of meters away during her aerial maneuver, and I distinctly felt the temperature drop significantly in this area.
The Whale God’s body bobbed up and down a few times before finally stabilizing. I shielded my forehead with my hand, trying to distinguish between her head and tail. She was so enormous; it felt like standing on a ship, and I couldn't tell. Only when she slowly began to move could I finally discern it – the direction of movement must be the head!
I stooped and walked towards her head. It felt like a long distance before I saw two openings, resembling hobbit homes. Further ahead was a slope. These openings were likely the Whale God's nostrils, the things used to spout water. I hadn't noticed a dorsal fin on my way here, so this might be the only place I could secure myself. I tried to grab the vertical septum between the two nostrils, like gripping a doorframe. It was somewhat hard, possibly cartilage. The Whale God showed no signs of discomfort, but her forward speed clearly increased.
Gradually, I noticed the rain had stopped. The Whale God maintained a steady, straight course. By the time we reached the opposite bank of the Heavenly Pond, not only had the downpour ceased, but the dark clouds overhead had also cleared. Only a small portion of the sky still held lingering clouds; the majority had returned to clarity. On the western horizon, there were even some remnants of the sunset's afterglow.
Indeed, the weather was fickle. The rain seemed to have lasted less than ten minutes in total, fulfilling the saying from the public restroom: "Here today, gone tomorrow," though in my case, it had certainly washed over me.
After the heavy rain, the temperature had risen slightly. But wearing "The Emperor's New Clothes," I still felt freezing. Furthermore, sailing against the wind, the biting air cut at me like a knife. My body hairs seemed to freeze, and I couldn't help but shiver.
The shivers traveled from my feet to the Whale God, and she clearly sensed it. She stopped, and her body began to shrink. I went from standing to squatting to grip her nostrils. Finally, she returned to her normal whale size of ten meters. Suddenly, she flipped over, throwing me into the water.
The air temperature was several degrees below zero, while the pond water was above zero. Upon entering the water, I immediately felt a significant relief.
Perhaps this is the principle behind winter swimming?
By the time I wiped my face, the Whale God had returned to her human form, floating about a meter in front of me, watching me silently.
"That was a bit thrilling, wasn't it!" I said with a smile.
"Big?" the Whale God asked.
"What?" I replied. Isn't that a question usually asked by men to women?
However, I observed her position both above and below the water and nodded, "Big! Very big!"
"...I'm asking about my true form, is it big?" The Whale God sank a little, concealing her considerable appendage.
"I didn't get a very clear look," I admitted truthfully. My standing position and angle weren't good for seeing the full picture.
"Want to see again?" the Whale God asked.
"Sure!"
The Whale God tilted her head back and performed a somersault in the water. Her toes brushed past my stomach, chest, and chin before she dived into the water like a mermaid, swimming towards the center of the Heavenly Pond.
After swimming about two hundred meters, the Whale God ascended a hundred meters, transformed, and plunged down, repeating the scene I hadn't fully witnessed before. It was indeed spectacular. The colossal waves she created washed me ashore, nearly scratching my body. To avoid exposure, I quickly scrambled back into the water...