Indeed, there was a hidden realm beneath the lake, and the lair of the Black Ox Demon turned out to be a vast prairie!
Of course, since oxen eat grass, having a great prairie makes perfect sense.
At the end of the prairie stood a hill, and atop the hill was a palace complex. The carp spirit, having transformed into human form, entered the palace unhindered.
Inside the great palace, there were no guards or attendants, seemingly no one on the entire prairie.
When the carp spirit rushed into the palace's main hall, it fell to its knees immediately. At that time, Yusuf Zuck, who was hidden on the carp spirit, caught sight of the pitch-black brute seated on the royal throne.
The brute was three meters tall, with particularly large nostrils and a ring pierced through them. His face was dark, not as dark as an African, but nearly so.
