Chapter 165 The Realm of Trials (Sixteen)

Amidst the boundless crimson waves, a hundred-foot-tall Bodhi tree stands. Looking down, the sea of ​​blood seems bottomless; looking up, the dome is pitch black. In a corner of the blood-red sea that is not easily noticed, there is a small barrier that can only accommodate two people. It is well hidden among the piles of limbs and broken bodies of primordial spirits, like a drop of crimson blood.

Jiang Gu looked out through the blood membrane of the barrier and saw the young man sitting cross-legged under the Bodhi tree. He had changed into a brand new set of clothes, but it was not the one Jiang Gu had given him. Instead, it was a pure white robe with wide sleeves and the front of the robe was open, revealing a slender waist.

In the blink of an eye, the young man was in front of Jiang Gu, along with that familiar aura from his sleeves.

Jiang Gu recognized these as his own clothes. He only had a few pieces of clothing in his storage bag, and the repair seals on them were ones he had set himself.

Wei Feng was half a head taller than him, and his shoulders and back were only slightly wider, so his clothes fit him well.

Jiang Gu said coldly, "Put your clothes on."

"My back hurts. The Bodhi branch is too tight and uncomfortable." Wei Feng frowned and tugged at his clothes. The loose belt was about to fall off. A red mole on his left abdomen was half-hidden in his V-line, and his waist was so white it was dazzling.

Jiang Gu withdrew his gaze from his waist and met his slightly drooping eyes.

This guy always knows how to play the victim and is very good at assessing situations. He's completely different from his previous violent, resentful, and prickly self. He probably really wants to get out.

He moved closer, staring intently at Jiang Gu, and naturally reached out to grab Jiang Gu's hand. He was being rather unpredictable these days, so Jiang Gu let him hold his hand, treating it as a way to appease him.

"Master, what did you say to Jiang Xiangyun?" He lowered his head and played with Jiang Gu's fingers. He called out "Master" very skillfully, as if he was not the one who had previously called him by his full name in a disrespectful manner.

“The people from the Burning Platform Palace are also in the Trial Realm. If I want to rescue you, I need help.” Jiang Gu wasn’t used to discussing his plans with others. He looked at Wei Feng, “How much do you know about Xiao Qingyan?”

Wei Feng's lips instantly tightened, and he slipped his fingers between Jiang Gu's, interlocking them, and said coldly, "I don't understand."

“Xiao Qingyan has a scar on his arm just like mine, and the scar on my side of my neck reacts to both him and you. If I am a Jade Rank cultivator, he is most likely a Jade Tribulation cultivator—”

His fingers were instantly gripped tightly, and Wei Feng raised his head and said fiercely, "I am the one who robbed the jade!"

Jiang Gu's eyebrows twitched slightly. "Is that so?"

"Jie Yu is the person most deeply involved with Jade Rank, the key to Jade Rank's tribulation. What is he anyway, worthy of being associated with you?" Wei Feng sneered through gritted teeth. "What a load of bull, a destined person, he just stole it—"

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, glaring angrily at Jiang Gu, "You're trying to trick me again!"

Jiang Gu remained noncommittal. It seemed that he was indeed the jade stepping stone that Wang Yue was looking for, and his judgment in the Chaolong Secret Realm was correct. Wei Feng was his tribulation-crossing partner.

Jiang Gu felt a sudden sense of relief. He found it hard to describe the feeling. Personally, he didn't want Wei Feng to be the one undergoing his tribulation, but he didn't want it to be Xiao Qingyan or anyone else.

"Did he steal your heart? Or your Yuan Dan?" Jiang Gu finished the rest of the question for him.

Wei Feng frowned deeply, but he knew he couldn't hide it from Jiang Gu. He grabbed Jiang Gu's hand and carefully recalled, "I'm not very sure. After Song Sui and I were captured by Lu Liyu and taken to Wangyue, we were separated. At first, they only cut off part of my primordial spirit and put it into Song Sui Tower, seemingly to determine if I was a Jade Rank Tribulation Jade, but they couldn't be sure."

So they threw me into the Tower of Life and Death. Inside, I was forced to remain in my original form, but I was still too weak. They were adept at tormenting people with illusions. In the end, they cut off my tail, stripped me of my scales, and dug out my core and heart. They then made the most of me, taking a liking to my ghost markings and transforming me into a spirit pet that could heal itself with them. A year passed like this. My flesh was torn apart, and the healing power of my ghost markings was almost nonexistent. I was supposed to be sent to the auction house, but Chu Guanshan suddenly appeared and took me to the Heaven and Earth Pavilion.

This part was almost identical to what Wei Feng had said before in Jiexiang, but Jiang Gu's face still turned cold when he heard him say it so casually.

"Chu Guanshan healed my nearly depleted primordial spirit, took me in as a spirit pet, and put me into the Evil Ghost Division. For those two years, I was constantly killing people and devouring primordial spirits, and my cultivation level soared. However, I didn't have a heart or a primordial core. Just like you said, Master, that body simply couldn't support my primordial spirit. It could only be achieved by constantly consuming my lifespan. Two years later, my body was already at its limit, so Chu Guanshan forcibly separated my body from my primordial spirit. But I had secretly collected the part of the primordial spirit they had initially thrown into Songsui Tower using ghost patterns. These hadn't been fully integrated yet, and the separation wasn't complete. So, by some twist of fate, I gained a split spirit. This split spirit remained in my body, always maintaining its original form, and served as the lowest-ranking spirit pet under Chu Guanshan."

Wei Feng paused here, "After the Eight Pavilions rebelled, most of the Trial Realm was destroyed. The Tribulation Jade Primordial Spirit that was used to support the entire Trial Realm was exhausted, and its ability to select Jade Ranks was greatly reduced. I don't know how they confirmed that I was a new Tribulation Jade, so Chu Guanshan dismembered my Primordial Spirit and suppressed it into the Tenth Realm underground to support the operation of the entire Trial Realm again."

"Oh, and there's a larger piece that I put into the training pool to nourish the Sorrowful Fire." Wei Feng twitched the corner of his mouth. "But I have a Ghost Mark, and Song Sui gave me a drop of Song Sui's breath that can make my consciousness immortal, so I opened up the tenth level of the realm myself and used the Ghost Mark to sew up my primordial spirit. After two years, I finally managed to fuse it into a human form."

He shifted his shoulder uncomfortably. "It's because this Blood Bodhi is connected to the entire Ten Realms, and its roots have penetrated into my primordial spirit, so it's always a little painful, and I can't sleep."

He didn't show much expression, but he seemed aggrieved when he talked about not being able to sleep well. "So I really don't know where the Yuan Dan and heart went, but I have a keen sense of smell. Xiao Qingyan has an aura that belongs to me. Half a year ago, I controlled my divided spirit to track him down and followed him for several months, trying to devour his Yuan Shen. But he had too many magical artifacts and life-protecting seals, so I never succeeded. When you came to Wangyue in the flying boat, I was thinking of taking advantage of the chaos to rob you, but I ended up finding you. It was a pleasant surprise."

He recounted his experiences in Wangyue in a straightforward and ordinary tone, and finally said with a smile, "I thought I would never see you again in this lifetime."

Jiang Gu remained calm, seemingly unaffected, and said indifferently, "Has Chu Guanshan been monitoring you all along?"

“Yes, that’s why there are some things I can’t tell you outside the border town. It’s not that I’m deliberately deceiving you.” Wei Feng looked at him with his dark eyes. “I know that you’ve always been concerned about me, thinking of me day and night. You even communicated with me spiritually to cure my poison and were willing to become my Daoist partner. You’ve treated me so well, I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you.”

This statement is not entirely correct; it is utterly absurd and outrageous, turning black into white.

"We are master and disciple, we will not become Daoist partners." Jiang Gu said coldly, "It's fine if you're distracted and can't think straight, but you don't need to join in the nonsense."

Wei Feng pretended not to hear him at all, looking at him with teary eyes, "Master, I will do whatever you ask me to do, I will listen to you."

He held Jiang Gu's hand, leaned down slightly, rested his chin on Jiang Gu's shoulder, put his arm around Jiang Gu's waist, and hugged him tightly, whispering, "As long as you don't leave me again."

Jiang Gu's expression was cold. He couldn't understand why Wei Feng's attitude had suddenly changed. He subconsciously became more vigilant and wary. But when Wei Feng's warm spirit embraced him and the familiar aura began to permeate the air, and the fabric on his shoulders was finally soaked again, he no longer wanted to be too harsh on this disciple who had suffered so much.

"No." He raised his hand, patted Wei Feng on the back, and gestured for him to leave.

Wei Feng refused to comply. He raised his head, but did not remove his hand from Jiang Gu's waist. He lowered his reddened eyes and leaned in to kiss him, but was stopped in place by Jiang Gu's primordial spirit.

Wei Feng said in a muffled voice, "Even the divided spirit and that little primordial spirit that hasn't developed intelligence can kiss, but I can't. I've never kissed one."

Jiang Gu's expression shifted unpredictably. With a slight effort, he shook the person away and frowned, saying, "Don't be ridiculous."

Wei Feng swallowed hard, as if he had suffered a great injustice. "I also want to communicate with the divine, but the spiritual transmission is not very meaningful at all."

Actually, that's not true. He clearly sensed it all, but he insisted on confusing the issue. Even though they were facing a crisis, it didn't stop him from having fun. After talking so much, he couldn't just leave without getting any benefit.

Jiang Gu's forehead veins throbbed, and he said in a deep voice, "There's no need to mention this matter again. Since you were able to contact Chu Guanshan, tell him that you found the jade steps."

He forcefully changed the subject, and Wei Feng clicked his tongue in annoyance, but said with a pitiful expression, "Oh."

“Tell him that the jade steps belong to Xiao Qingyan.” Jiang Gu pondered for a moment. “If he doesn’t believe it, there’s no need to explain further. He doesn’t get along with Yanyutai, so he will definitely have doubts about Xiao Dan.”

Wei Feng nodded absentmindedly, then suddenly realized something and looked up sharply. "How do you know he's at odds with Yan Yutai?"

“The Misty Rain Terrace won’t allow the Jade Steps to ascend successfully. The Tribulation Jade has no other use besides selection; there’s no need for it to exist as a complete primordial spirit. Since Chu Guanshan allowed your divided spirit body to move around outside and also allowed you to fuse your primordial spirit and cultivate in this sea of ​​blood, you must have reached some kind of agreement. Since these things conflict with the interests of the Misty Rain Terrace, Chu Guanshan must have his own selfish motives.” Jiang Gu patiently explained to him, “Of course, this is just a guess, but your reaction has already confirmed that this guess is correct, understand?”

Wei Feng nodded hesitantly, then asked tentatively, "Do you know what I want to do?"

Jiang Gu looked at him with an ambiguous expression and gave a light scoff.

Wei Feng felt a tickle in his heart from Jiang Gu's words. Jiang Gu was definitely aware of his feelings for him, but he just wouldn't respond. Wei Feng even had the illusion that he was being deliberately teased and played with. He gritted his teeth, annoyed by Jiang Gu's cleverness, yet inevitably a little envious.

“I’ve already told you so much.” He lowered his eyes in frustration, squeezed Jiang Gu’s palm, and said bluntly, “Master, give me some benefits, otherwise I really can’t stay here alone for even half a quarter of an hour.”

That's downright shameless.

Jiang Gu wanted to retort coldly. He could accept it when others negotiated terms and offered benefits, but when Wei Feng went through all the trouble to save him, he was now begging for something in return. However, seeing Wei Feng's pitiful state, he swallowed his words.

"Stay for another half an hour." Jiang Gu intended to leave immediately.

Wei Feng was naturally dissatisfied. He wanted to kiss Jiang Gu, touch Jiang Gu, and even have a spiritual connection with Jiang Gu, but Jiang Gu obviously wouldn't agree. Their relationship had finally eased up, and he didn't dare to force it, so he could only nod.

Even if Jiang Gu stayed for another half hour, he had no intention of catching up with him. He sat cross-legged in the barrier and began to regulate his breathing and cultivate.

Wei Feng was so angry he wanted to bang his head against a tree. He stared at Jiang Gu for a long time, and when he realized that the other party really had no intention of opening his eyes, he simply sat down next to Jiang Gu and stared blankly at Jiang Gu's face.

A clear, cool spiritual energy slowly permeated the barrier, covering the branches on his back and setting up an array that temporarily severed the connection between his primordial spirit and the Bodhi tree. The calming talisman slowly lit up in the air. Wei Feng felt his eyelids getting heavier and heavier. He forced himself not to close his eyes, not wanting to fall asleep like this, but in the end he couldn't resist the overwhelming drowsiness. His body slumped and he fell into Jiang Gu's arms.

He had grown up a lot and was no longer the boy that Jiang Gu could pull into his arms. Jiang Gu was never particular about such things, so he simply let him rest his head on his lap and fell into a deep sleep.

Jiang Gu lowered his eyes and stared at Wei Feng's sleeping profile. He raised his hand and stiffly touched Wei Feng's messy hair.

"I thought I'd never see you again in this lifetime." Wei Feng's seemingly casual voice still seemed to echo in my ears.

He rarely regretted anything, nor did he believe that he and Wei Feng had a deep master-disciple relationship. In recent years, his desire to find Wei Feng was more about retrieving his tribulation-crossing tool than about any other feelings.

After the crushing defeat at Songsui Tower, he reviewed the battle countless times to remind and spur himself to become stronger, but he never thought it was his responsibility. He believed that Wei Feng was too weak and the opponent was too strong. He was always clear in his conscience. Whether Wei Feng was alive or not was important, but not that important. Heaven would always leave him a way out.

But now, looking at Wei Feng who was still alive, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

If only he could have caught Wei Feng back then.