Chapter 173 Misty Rain Pavilion (Part 1)

Jiang Gu opened his eyes the moment his primordial spirit returned to its place.

A murky, dark, and icy-cracked primordial spirit obediently lay on his body, enveloped in a layer of brilliant gold. He held Wei Feng's primordial spirit in one arm and took out a wooden puppet shell that he had prepared in advance from his storage bag with the other hand. He activated the mind-concentration array and healing array inside and slowly placed Wei Feng's primordial spirit into it.

The sensations of the body and the primordial spirit are ultimately different. Wei Feng's breathing was even and uneven, and there was a deep weariness between his brows. Jiang Gu listened to the chaotic and noisy sounds outside the room and added a soundproofing array to Wei Feng.

But as soon as Jiang Gu moved, Wei Feng opened his eyes warily. The moment he saw it was him, he drooped his eyelids wearily, reached out and hugged Jiang Gu's waist tightly, and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Master, I'm tired."

Naturally, he was exhausted. First, he forcibly broke free from the Blood Bodhi, then recklessly killed Chu Guanshan, and even devoured the entire Trial Realm.

"Rest when you're tired." Jiang Gu let him bury his head in the crook of his neck without saying a word to stop him.

Wei Feng groaned for a while, then forced himself to lift his head and said sleepily, "The Trial Realm has been destroyed, things must be in chaos outside. We need to get out of here as soon as possible."

While saying this, she casually and firmly clung to Jiang Gu's waist, her gaze sliding from Jiang Gu's eyebrows and eyes all the way to his lips. Her Adam's apple bobbed unconsciously as she swallowed, and then she guiltily looked up at Jiang Gu, her little thoughts written all over her face.

"..." Jiang Gu ruthlessly tore the person off his body.

Wei Feng looked at him with a wronged expression. Jiang Gu pretended not to see it, got up and walked to the window, looking outside. Soon, a warm body pressed against his back. Wei Feng skillfully rested his head on his shoulder and persistently hugged his waist. "Master, let's go back to Pingze."

He really didn't want to stay in this godforsaken place of Wangyue for another second.

"It's not that easy." Jiang Gu had barely finished speaking when there was a knock on the door.

Wei Feng immediately let go of his arm. Jiang Gu turned around and glanced at him indifferently. Wei Feng guiltily touched the tip of his nose, his ears turned red, and he looked away. He looked at the floor, then at the ceiling, and then tugged at his clothes, as if he was very busy.

baffling.

Jiang Gu opened the door, and the people who came in were Jiang Xiangyun and Yao Li.

Yao Li stood at the door as usual, looking at the restless crowd outside. Jiang Xiangyun immediately spotted Wei Feng behind Jiang Gu, and with an expression of "I knew it," he said with a smile, "Seventh Brother is indeed a master strategist."

Their primordial spirits were severely damaged, and the room was filled with a strong smell of blood, but they also gained a lot.

Jiang Gu looked at Wei Feng.

Wei Feng turned his head away, not very willingly. What he had swallowed was his, and there was no reason for him to spit it out.

“Wei Feng.” Jiang Gu’s tone was slightly somber, carrying a hint of warning.

Wei Feng then reluctantly spat out half of the trial realm.

"There are ten levels in the Trial Realm, divided into the first five and the last five. The last five levels have very few magic treasures and a lot of ferocious beasts, and their practical use is not as good as the first five levels. You got a good deal." Wei Feng crossed his arms and looked at the smiling Jiang Xiangyun with displeasure.

"Then I'll gladly accept it." Jiang Xiangyun readily accepted half of the trial realm, then looked at Jiang Gu, "Seventh Brother, what are your plans next?"

"What does the eldest young master think of Xiao Qingyan?" Jiang Gu asked instead of answering.

Upon hearing Xiao Qingyan's name, Wei Feng immediately perked up, his killing intent almost uncontrollable. Jiang Xiangyun pondered for a moment and said, "Spoiled and pampered, with no cunning, he seems more like a puppet."

He paused, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Seventh Brother, you wouldn't really be thinking of making a move on him, would you? You were so ruthless when you were in the Second Realm, I'm afraid Xiao Qingyan will tell Xiao Dan, and we won't have a peaceful life from now on."

He took the opportunity to express his dissatisfaction. Jiang Gu had promised them that they could get away unscathed and that the Jiang family wouldn't be dragged into it, but he had deliberately exposed himself to Xiao Qingyan, which would obviously cause trouble.

"Then why did the eldest young master bring out Lu Liyu's primordial spirit?" Jiang Gu twitched the corner of his mouth.

Although the situation was chaotic at the time, Jiang Gu personally witnessed Jiang Xiangyun stuffing Lu Liyu's primordial spirit into the storage bag—he sensed that Lu Liyu's primordial spirit still had a breath left and originally intended to kill it completely, but Jiang Xiangyun beat him to it.

An awkward silence fell over the room.

After blocking the people back, Jiang Gu felt a little better. He opened the spirit pet bag, and two people rolled out of it.

One of them was Xiao Qingyan. He looked at Jiang Gu and the others as if he were facing a formidable enemy. After all, he had personally witnessed them join forces to kill Chu Guanshan. When he saw Wei Feng grinning and approaching him, he staggered back and almost fell.

The other was Hu Jingchen, who looked completely bewildered.

Ever since he was severely injured by Wei Feng in the Wind and Moon Secret Realm, he had been locked in a spirit pet pouch to cultivate. He had lost track of time while cultivating in the dark and cramped space. He looked at the unfamiliar room in front of him with curiosity, and the boy's clear voice was filled with a hint of excitement, "We've come out of the Wind and Moon Secret Realm?"

These two are both incredibly annoying. Wei Feng really wanted to call them both out, but with Jiang Gu present, he could only watch them coldly from the sidelines.

Seeing that no one answered, and keenly sensing Wei Feng's menacing gaze, Hu Jingchen decisively shut his mouth.

Jiang Xiangyun looked at Xiao Qingyan in front of him and slowly laughed: "Seventh Brother is so thoughtful, placing Xiao Qingyan's body by his side so early on."

Once the primordial spirit returns to its place, it will naturally return to the body immediately. In this way, even if Xiao Qingyan's primordial spirit escapes from the second level, it will eventually be trapped.

"We can't let them actually have something on us," Jiang Gu said.

Jiang Xiangyun smiled and looked at Xiao Qingyan, "Killed him?"

Xiao Qingyan's expression changed, and he forced himself to calm down and said, "Why must you two be so ruthless? I have life-protecting restrictions set up by my father and several pavilion masters. If you forcibly take my life, they will know it was you immediately."

"Don't worry, Young Master Xiao, we won't kill you," Jiang Gu said. "In fact, we'll help you."

Xiao Qingyan looked at him with surprise and doubt.

“As you can see, Chu Guanshan originally intended to kill you. Now that Chu Guanshan and Wen Ziheng have both fallen, the position of Pavilion Master of Tiandi Pavilion will be vacant.” Jiang Gu looked at him. “We can help you take this position. Haven’t you always wanted to prove yourself to your father?”

Xiao Qingyan was somewhat bewildered by his words, "Me? Pavilion Master?"

Jiang Xiangyun, who was standing next to him, laughed and said, "You are Xiao Dan's son, and several of your brothers hold important positions in the Misty Rain Pavilion. Even those who are not so favored can become pavilion masters. Isn't your sixth brother the head of the Golden Pavilion? You are not much worse than them, so why can't you?"

Xiao Qingyan was somewhat bewildered by their sudden change in attitude. "No... my cultivation level is only at the Great Perfection of the Mahayana stage. Wait, why are you helping me?"

“Alas, Qingyan, as you know, although our Jiang family has some status in Pingze Continent, we are still rivaled by forces like the Linglong Sect. Sometimes we face difficulties.” Jiang Xiangyun said, “My seventh brother is sometimes a bit reckless. Before, when you were in the second realm, he just wanted to force you to face reality and see the true colors of Guanshan and the others.”

Recalling Chu Guanshan's ferocious expression when he planned to devour his primordial spirit, Xiao Qingyan still couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. If Jiang Gu and Jiang Xiangyun hadn't arrived in time, he might have already had his primordial spirit devoured by Chu Guanshan...

"What reality? My father treated me extremely well, you don't want—"

“The scars on your arms weren’t something you were born with; they were forcibly implanted and branded,” Jiang Guyan said succinctly. “This includes your meridians, bones, and even your entire body.”

Xiao Qingyan's face turned pale. "What did you say?!"

Jiang Xiangyun patted his shoulder reassuringly, “Qingyan, don’t worry. But what Seventh Brother said is right. Our ordinary bodies are perfectly integrated with our primordial spirits and have the same attributes. But your primordial spirit is water, while your body is fire, and your meridians are not very smooth. The life-protecting restrictions that your father and the other pavilion masters gave you were set up to force your primordial spirit and body to merge. If you don’t believe me, you can try running water-based spells and fire-based spells separately.”

After trying it, Xiao Qingyan clearly felt the difference between the two. With the same amount of spiritual power, his water-based spells were obviously much stronger than his fire-based spells. However, he rarely used water-based spells and practiced all fire-based spells... His heart was immediately filled with shock.

Jiang Xiangyun and Jiang Gu exchanged a glance.

These were discovered when Jiang Gu forcibly placed the black jade bracelet into Xiao Qingyan's primordial spirit. Although they haven't investigated it clearly yet, there's no doubt that Xiao Qingyan himself has a problem. The two of them used coercion and enticement, half of their lies being true and half of their words, to make Xiao Qingyan's expression change drastically.

Jiang Xiangyun said, "My brother and I didn't want to cause trouble, but Chu Guanshan first orchestrated the rebellion of Luo Xiaoyuan and others five years ago, then planned to devour your primordial spirit, and also planned to exterminate our Jiang family. So we had no choice but to take action."

Xiao Qingyan was almost convinced by him in a daze, but he still looked at Jiang Gu, "But Jiang Gu also wants to kill me."

"I'm sorry." Jiang Gu's apology was insincere. "I thought your body belonged to my disciple, and I acted impulsively."

Xiao Qingyan opened his mouth, and then Jiang Xiangyun said, "Moreover, Chu Guanshan mistook you for Yu Jie, which is a problem in itself. Why does your father cherish you so much?"

The reason why the spirit beasts live peacefully and are protected by the butchers is because it is not yet time for them to be slaughtered.

Jiang Gu's words echoed in his mind again.

Xiao Qingyan shook his head instinctively, "No, I don't believe it. Don't even think about trying to sow discord between us—"

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Gu knocked the man unconscious with a single chop to the neck, and then looked at Hu Jingchen.

Hu Jingchen was immediately startled, and pointed to himself uncertainly, "Is there something else going on with me?"

"We'll borrow your memories from this period of time," Jiang Ke said angrily. "We'll exchange them for a magical artifact, and then we'll set you free."

After a moment's thought, Hu Jingchen readily agreed, "Alright, let's take a look at the magic weapon first."

After all, he had spent the entire time cultivating in the dark and gloomy spirit pet pouch. Although he could endure it, to be honest, it was definitely not a good memory, and he would rather forget it.

Hu Jingchen's memories during this period were replaced in Xiao Qingyan's primordial spirit. However, Jiang Gu did not completely erase Xiao Qingyan's memories from the trial realm. Instead, he used some methods to slightly modify them. In addition, the fox clan's enchanting fragrance deepened Xiao Qingyan's impression of what they had just said. Unless one searches the soul, even a Dao Ancestor realm expert would find it difficult to detect that Xiao Qingyan's memories had been altered.

After seeing this, Jiang Xiangyun was completely convinced. "In this way, Xiao Dan will have difficulty noticing that his memory has been altered, and Xiao Qingyan can also successfully extricate us from this matter. No wonder you insisted on breaking ties with him; it turns out you were waiting for this. Seventh Brother, I admire you."

Jiang Gu deliberately exposed his true colors to shake Xiao Qingyan's mind, so that they could put on such an impressive show and cultivate a perfect puppet. It can be said that he was planning step by step. If Jiang Gu were his enemy... Jiang Xiangyun was secretly glad that he had the insight to recognize talent.

Hu Jingchen left bewildered with the magic weapon in his hand. It was a story for later that he would inexplicably pass the trial and be recruited by the Eight Pavilions. Meanwhile, Xiao Qingyan woke up not long after.

He only remembered being persuaded by Jiang Gu to enter the second level of the trial, only to discover that his primordial spirit and physical body were incompatible, and that the life-protecting restrictions on his body were actually designed to cultivate him into a so-called Jade Rank. His Uncle Chu, who had always doted on him, hunted him down in the second level, even imprisoning him in a spirit pet bag to refine him. Fortunately, Jiang Xiangyun and Jiang Gu appeared and saved them. Chu Guanshan had connections with Luo Xiaoyuan and other traitors from the Eight Pavilions, which was discovered by Wen Ziheng. Wen Ziheng sacrificed all his strength to self-destruct his primordial spirit and perish together with Chu Guanshan, thus saving them all...

These memories were somewhat chaotic, and sometimes even felt unreal, but the torment and confinement in the spirit pet pouch were so profound that they made his scalp tingle whenever he thought about them. The anger and fear he felt upon discovering the abnormality in his body were also so real that he dispelled his doubts.

Moreover, Jiang Gu and Jiang Xiangyun's advice to him was also correct. If his father really had other plans for him, the only way to ensure his safety was to seize real power within the Eight Pavilions and Misty Rain Terrace. If he could have the support of the Jiang family, he would definitely achieve twice the result with half the effort.

He didn't want to continue being a pampered young master.

Looking at Jiang Xiangyun and Jiang Gu who were guarding the bedside, he was deeply moved by the alluring fragrance of the fox clan and said in a deep voice, "Would you two be willing to come with me directly into the Heaven and Earth Pavilion?"

Jiang Gu and Jiang Xiangyun exchanged a glance, then bowed and said, "We are willing to obey Young Master Xiao's orders."

The Trial Realm disappeared, and the Yin-Yang Tower was in chaos. Xiao Dan was furious and sent people to investigate. Leaving aside these events, Jiang Gu and Jiang Xiangyun had already taken advantage of Xiao Qingyan's influence and boarded a flying boat heading to the Heaven and Earth Pavilion.

——

Inside the room, Jiang Gu was using the black jade bracelet to repair his primordial spirit. His consciousness had completely sunk into his sea of ​​consciousness, and his breathing was barely audible.

Wei Feng's primordial spirit could not cultivate within the puppet's body. Although he could now cultivate without the aid of a body, the method Chu Guanshan taught him would deplete his lifespan and primordial spirit, which Jiang Gu strictly forbade. If it weren't for his eyes turning red quickly, he would have been severely scolded.

But Jiang Gu clearly knew how to punish him. For several days in a row, he could only watch Jiang Gu cultivate without moving. Even though his ghost pattern mist could heal injuries, or at the very least, spiritual communication would be faster, Jiang Gu deliberately chose not to use it. Wei Feng felt like he was about to go crazy.

Sensing the change in Jiang Gu's aura, the person who was idly watching the clouds from the window suddenly brightened up and was in front of Jiang Gu in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Gu slowly opened his eyes.

"Master, are you feeling better?" Wei Feng knelt on the ground, holding his knees and looking at him with concern.

"Hmm." Jiang Gu responded coldly. Wei Feng's constant pacing around the room was really an eyesore, but he was worried about kicking him out. "If you have nothing to do, you can refine half of the Trial Realm within your body."

“No need, it’s already integrated with my primordial spirit.” Wei Feng’s eyes lit up as he said this, and he happily grabbed Jiang Gu’s hand. “Master, why don’t you put your primordial spirit into the Trial Realm to heal? The spiritual energy there is abundant, and no one will disturb you.”

Jiang Gu coldly refused, "No need."

Wei Feng said confidently, "I will absolutely not use it to communicate with my master."

Jiang Gu silently watched the barely suppressed excitement in his eyes, then withdrew his hand and said in a deep voice, "Wei Feng, let's talk."

Wei Feng was stunned for a moment, and inexplicably became nervous. He had never seen such a serious expression on Jiang Gu's face before—no, he had seen it before, when Jiang Gu was discussing official business with Jiang Xiangyun and others.

A sense of panic crept into his heart. He lowered his eyes, grasped Jiang Gu's hand again, and said softly, "How about we wait until you've healed? Oh, Master, should I go outside the border and bring back my avatar and body? The Mo Dao is quite inconvenient to use only with my primordial spirit, I—"

Jiang Gu interrupted him, raising his hand to pinch the back of his neck, "Your heart and Yuan Dan are most likely in the Heaven and Earth Pavilion, so we can't go back to Pingze for the time being."

Wei Feng opened his mouth, his heart suddenly sinking, "Oh."

"Why are you panicking?" Jiang Gu casually patted his head, but wasn't entirely satisfied with the feel of it.

"I'm not panicking," Wei Feng said with a grin. "Wherever Master goes, I'll go."

The smile didn't reach his eyes.

Jiang Gu frowned slightly. Wei Feng had already wrapped his arms around his waist and wanted to bury his head in his chest. Most of Jiang Gu's attention was on the primordial spirit of the black jade bracelet. Caught off guard, he was thrown backward by Wei Feng's sudden attack. He quickly reached out to support his body. Wei Feng was already kneeling on one knee on the couch, close to him.

Wei Feng was extremely close to him, their noses almost touching. He stared intently at Jiang Gu with his beautiful and pitiful eyes and whispered, "Master, when will we become Daoist partners?"

"What did you say?" Jiang had no choice but to shift his attention back from healing, as the current position between the two of them made him feel vaguely uncomfortable.

It felt like his authority was being challenged and his territory being invaded, making him instinctively want to kick the person away.

But Wei Feng looked truly pitiful. He looked at Jiang Gu with an almost resentful and blaming gaze, his eyes reddening as if he was trying to suppress his grievances. "We've kissed, touched, and even had our spiritual connection. Why won't you even give me a title? Or do you think Xiao Qingyan is better?"

“Of course not.” Jiang Gu frowned, then his face turned cold. “Stop thinking about these nonsense things and get up.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Feng moved even closer, his nose brushing against Jiang Gu's cheek. He pressed his entire body against Jiang Gu's neck, his breath hot and scorching. "I don't care, I've already handed over half of the Trial Realm as you said. Now my primordial spirit is in great pain. Master, you either form a Daoist partnership with me or communicate with me spiritually, otherwise I'll be annihilated right now."

Jiang Gusheng was so angry she laughed. "I think you're—"

He was speaking when he suddenly felt a wet touch on his neck. Wei Feng hugged him tightly, but a suppressed sob still escaped his lips. Jiang Gu was stunned for a moment, then said helplessly, "Don't cry."

Wei Feng slowly raised his head, his expression gloomy and his eyes red. "Then swear to the heavens that you will not become a Daoist partner with Xiao Qingyan, or I will swallow him whole right now, leaving not even a bone fragment."

"..." Jiang Gu thought he was sick.

Wei Feng's tears flowed fiercely, and the concentration array within the puppet's body showed signs of shattering. Jiang Gu's expression changed slightly, and he frowned as he looked at him. "Xiao Qingyan is not a calamity jade, so naturally I will not become his Daoist partner."

Wei Feng looked at him suspiciously, "Really?"

"Hmm." Jiang Gu said expressionlessly, "I swear to the heavens."

Wei Feng's expression instantly brightened, and then Jiang Gu continued, "I will not become your Daoist partner."

Wei Feng's handsome face instantly darkened. "Why?"

"Having been in Wangyue for so many years, you should understand the relationship between the Jade Steps and the Tribulation Jade." Jiang Gu ruthlessly exposed the layer of paper that he had been carefully protecting, and said coldly, "There's no need to go to such lengths to test me."

Wei Feng stared at him with a deep gaze.

"At least I won't kill you now." Jiang Gu raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his cheek, pushed him back, stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles on his sleeve. "Focus on healing."

After saying that, he turned to leave, but before he could even touch the door frame, someone grabbed his wrist.

“…Master.” Wei Feng explained in a slightly hoarse and somewhat pale voice, “I didn’t actually think that much about it.”

"Mm." Jiang Gu nodded, but withdrew his hand.

The door opened and closed, leaving Wei Feng alone in the large room.

He scratched his head in frustration, staring blankly at his empty hand. Jiang Gu wasn't there, and he didn't bother to pretend anymore; his irritability and hostility were on full display.

For a moment, he wanted to rush out without a care, kill everyone on the ship, including that damned Xiao Qingyan, then capture Jiang Gu and imprison him in the Trial Realm. He would then take him far away and do whatever he wanted to him. What nonsense about Jade Step Tribulation Jade? So what if he's a Celestial Lord descending from heaven to undergo tribulation? As long as he had Jiang Gu in his hands, Jiang Gu could forget about stepping on him to ascend to immortality alone!

Wei Feng clenched his fists, his face contorted in a grimace, his heart burning with hatred that felt like it was bleeding. But then the tightly closed door in front of him was suddenly opened.

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and looked at the person who had just arrived.

Jiang Gu glanced at him with a puzzled look, then tossed the storage bag in his hand into Wei Feng's arms. The heavy feel of the bag startled Wei Feng for a moment. He looked down and squeezed the storage bag, his voice dry as he asked, "What is this?"

"Spirit stones." Jiang Gu took a bag himself, lay down on the couch, and began to set up an array. "The flying boat is too fast, and it is difficult to gather spiritual energy. Using spirit stones to set up an array will make healing faster."

He paused, looked at Wei Feng who was still standing frozen at the door, and frowned, saying, "What are you standing there like an idiot for?"

Wei Feng clutched the heavy bag of spirit stones and said with difficulty, "So you just... went out to borrow spirit stones?"

"Otherwise what?" Jiang Gu was a little impatient. He felt somewhat embarrassed to go out and borrow spirit stones, especially in front of his disciple.

Wei Feng chuckled, so his master wasn't angry and ignoring him just now, nor did he intend to have to live in separate rooms.

He grabbed the bag of spirit stones and went up to Jiang Gu. The gloom around him vanished, and he said happily, "Master, I'll protect you!"

Jiang Gu glanced at him indifferently, his dissatisfaction growing even stronger.

This unpredictable temperament must have been cultivated by Chu Guanshan.