Chapter 263 A Series of Obstacles (Part Seventeen)

Before Jiang Gu could reply, a voice suddenly interrupted: "Wen Xiuji, you people from the Yaoyan Temple are truly shameless!"

A female cultivator dressed in golden, close-fitting clothes appeared before them. This woman was stunningly beautiful, yet her voice was full of vigor. She carried a broadsword on her back and exuded a menacing aura. Behind her was another woman, who held two axes and looked at Wen Xiuji with displeasure, saying, "Master, it was that flute spirit who stole my life-extending pill!"

It turned out to be the female cultivator who had snatched the medicine from Yu Sanlang in Hongyun City that day.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, I am Ci Jun from the Changning Divine Palace." The female cultivator at the front bowed to Jiang Gu. "She is my natal axe, Ci Chun Shen. She met you once in Hongyun City before, but she didn't have a chance to greet you. Please forgive her, Fellow Daoist Jiang."

"Ci Jun, why aren't you staying obediently in your Changning Temple? What are you doing out here?" Wen Xiuji said coldly.

"The spiritual and turbid energies in the world are fluctuating so violently, our Changning Divine Palace naturally needs to investigate the cause," Ci Jun said, arms crossed. "Moreover, the Divine Lord issued a divine decree, ordering us to obtain the Chaos Core. What, doesn't your Yaoyan Divine Palace have a divine decree?"

“Of course there is,” Wen Xiuji said. “The temple has issued three divine decrees, stating that the Chaos Core must be returned to the Yaoyan Temple.”

"Oh?" Ci Jun smiled dismissively. "Your Yaoyan Temple is quite arrogant."

"If you ask me, the Changning Temple would be better off not meddling in other people's business." Wen Xiuji raised his hand to stop the restless disciples behind him. "If you delay the Divine Lord's grand plan, can you bear the consequences?"

Ci Jun sneered, turned to look at Xiao Dan, and said, "City Lord Xiao, although I don't know what this Chaos Core is, since it's in your hands, please hand it over."

These words were indeed rather impolite, but neither the Changning Divine Palace nor the Yaoyan Divine Palace needed to be polite to him. After all, the human race's foundation in the Chenyao Continent was still shallow, and although Xiao Dan was highly skilled, there were very few cultivators under his command who could rival the Half-Immortal Clan. These people had rarely shown their faces since they occupied Anliu City. If it weren't for the repeated divine decrees issued by the Chenyao Continent's Strange Divine Palace, they would not have noticed Xiao Dan and the so-called "Chaos Core" he had hidden.

Xiao Dan's face was extremely ugly.

He originally only intended to use the Chaos Core to scheme against Wei Feng, but he didn't expect that Jiang Gu and Wei Feng, master and disciple, would be so crazy as to directly attack the Chaos Core, attracting these half-immortals and even bringing a divine decree... This situation put him at a disadvantage, but it wasn't much better for Jiang Gu and Wei Feng either.

"One-tenth," Xiao Dan transmitted to Jiang Gu.

“One-third,” Jiang Gu said.

Xiao Dan said, "It's not a good thing for Wei Feng to absorb too many Chaos Cores. If you really care about him, you shouldn't ask for so many."

"Half." Jiang Gu twitched the corner of his mouth.

"..." Xiao Dan finally understood where Wei Feng learned his reckless behavior. He gritted his teeth and said, "One-fifth, no more than that. If he absorbs it all, the Path to Heaven will be completely hopeless."

"Deal." Jiang Gu agreed readily.

After being called trash by Jiang Gu last time, Xiao Dan was forced to make a losing deal again. He had a bellyful of swear words but nowhere to vent them, and his face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"What should we do now?" Chanlin clutched his stomach. "Should I throw up first, so these people won't tear me apart?"

Feng Wuyou looked at Jiang Gu. Jiang Gu would be treated favorably by the Half-Immortal Clan because of his Jade Rank status, but they might not be. It would be reasonable for Jiang Gu to abandon them.

“You guys are going a bit too far,” Jiang Gu said calmly. “You say there are divine pronouncements, and there are chaotic cores, and there are chaotic cores, but if you ask me, no one has ascended for tens of thousands of years. Perhaps the so-called temples and tribulations are just fantasies?”

Upon hearing this, everyone present changed color, especially Wen Xiuji and Ci Jun, whose faces were filled with disbelief. Wen Xiuji said, "You are a reincarnation of an immortal!"

"If I were an immortal, why would I choose a world where no one can ascend to transcend tribulations?" Jiang Gu said calmly. "Everyone, stop deceiving yourselves. It's all just wishful thinking."

These words would not have mattered if they came from someone else, but Jiang Gu was a confirmed reincarnation of an immortal. Upon hearing this, some people with unstable Dao hearts staggered a few steps and vomited blood. However, most of the half-immortals were shocked and angry, and for a moment, countless Dharma forms were all aimed at Jiang Gu.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, watch your words," Ci Jun said coldly.

Jiang Gu glanced at Wei Feng beside him without leaving a trace. Wei Feng nodded to him. Just now, while everyone's attention was on Jiang Gu, Xiao Dan had already transferred a small part of the Chaos Core to him through the magic seal. He even "thoughtfully" included a magic artifact to keep him conscious.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Centered on Wei Feng, the spiritual and turbid energy in the world suddenly vanished, as if a huge lake had been instantly drained of water. The movements of all cultivators and Dharma forms seemed to be slowed down dozens of times. The massive chaotic core beneath the ground trembled violently, and the long nails that suppressed it shattered instantly. Countless dark ghost patterns surged out from the broken ground, and the chaotic core scattered into countless demonic entities that fled in all directions. Wei Feng transformed into his original form, wrapped Jiang Gu and the others in the viscous ghost patterns, and before anyone could react, he darted through the countless Dharma forms like lightning. The tribulation lightning following closely behind him stretched endlessly, as if it had been stretched into a long golden ribbon falling from the heavens, trailing behind everyone.

The dark, viscous monster was reflected in Wen Xiuji's pupils. However, as soon as he blinked, the spiritual energy and turbid energy that had been instantly drained surged up from the ground, and everyone's movements returned to normal.

boom--

Blinding lightning bolts crashed down, leaving nothing unscathed in Wei Feng's path. Deep craters continuously exploded in the ground. The enormous Dharma images searched everywhere for Jiang Gu and the others, but were interfered with by the lightning and could not lock onto them. Meanwhile, Wei Feng had already led everyone to escape tens of thousands of miles away.

"Chase!" Wen Xiuji and Ci Jun gave the order simultaneously.

Countless Dharma forms transformed into streams of light, chasing after the scattered and fleeing Chaos Core, while Wen Xiuji and Ci Jun led most of their forces to pursue Jiang Gu and Wei Feng.

Wei Feng's spiritual energy and turbid energy surged and surged, which directly enabled him to break through to the Great Perfection of the Dao Ancestor Realm. The tribulation lightning of his ascension relentlessly pursued him. The vine umbrella protecting his primordial spirit gradually began to crack under the high intensity of the lightning tribulation, and the magic artifact that Xiao Dan had given him to maintain his consciousness also began to shatter.

"Master, I feel... I can't hold on much longer," Wei Feng said to Jiang Gu, looking down at him.

Jiang Gu was shielded by him at his chest, and upon hearing this, he said, "Give me the Chaos Core."

“But—” Wei Feng was unwilling. This thing was extremely evil. His body already had ghost patterns, so it didn’t matter if his turbid and spiritual energy were mixed. But Jiang Gu was an orthodox human cultivator. The spiritual energy in his sea of ​​consciousness was completely pure. Moreover, he had just been injured, and it would be too dangerous for him to rashly accept the Chaos Core.

Jiang Gu didn't waste any words with him. After using the black jade bracelet to protect his primordial spirit, he directly pulled the chaotic core into his sea of ​​consciousness. The surging turbid air almost made him vomit. His movements were too fierce, and Wei Feng's cultivation growth suddenly slowed down. The person he wrapped in the ghost pattern rolled out in pieces.

"Master!" Wei Feng helped Jiang Gu up, looking at him with a nervous expression.

The lightning tribulation that had been trailing behind them dissipated, but the surrounding turbid and spiritual energy was still being consumed abnormally. Wei Feng's cultivation level dropped slightly, but he remained at the Great Perfection of the Dao Ancestor Realm, which amazed Feng Wuyou.

"Seal the meridians," Jiang Gu said in a deep voice.

Wei Feng nodded, sealed all his meridians, and tried to attach the ghost pattern to Jiang Gu, but it was repelled by the spiritual power on Jiang Gu's body.

“Your proximity will accelerate my cultivation,” Jiang Gu said. “Now is just right.”

It was just enough to protect itself without growing too much, so that under the protection of the vine umbrella it would attract the attention of the heavenly lightning, and the two sides maintained a delicate balance.

Jiang Gu pushed him aside to steady himself, and flung two figures out of the spirit pet pouch. They were Wen Hanjiu and Chang Ping'an.

"Did you tip off the Half-Immortal Clan?" Advisor Jiang asked.

"Huh? Wasn't it supposed to be a divine decree from the temple?" Chanlin asked, puzzled.

Chang Pingan helped Wen Hanjiu up and said calmly, "It has nothing to do with him. The Changning Temple did not receive the divine decree. It was I who relayed the message. I don't know about the Yaoyan Temple."

"Ping An, why did you tell the Changning Temple?" Wen Hanjiu looked at him in confusion.

"The Path to Heaven cannot fall into the hands of others; it can only belong to the Changning Temple." Chang Ping'an helped him up.

Wei Feng sneered, "And who are you?"

"Chang Ping'an, a disciple of the Changning Temple," he said, meeting Wei Feng's gaze with neither humility nor arrogance.

Wei Feng narrowed his eyes but did not act rashly. As soon as Xiao Dan made a move, he was stopped in place by the Xuan Yang Halberd, and Jiang Xiangyun stared at him with icy eyes.

They landed in a deserted mountain forest. Besides Jiang Gu and his apprentice Wei Feng, there were Jiang Xiangyun, Feng Wuyou, and Chanlin, as well as Wen Hanjiu, who used to be on the side of Yaoyan Temple, and Chang Ping'an, who used to be on the side of Changning Temple. Finally, there was Xiao Dan, who didn't associate with anyone and was single-mindedly focused on building the road to heaven.

The vast majority of the Chaos Cores are now in Xiao Dan's hands, the rest are in Jiang Gu's sea of ​​consciousness, and the Crimson Crystal Tower, on which the Path to Heaven relies, is inside Chan Lin's stomach.

Apart from Jiang Gu, who is at the mid-stage of the Dao Ancestor Realm, and Jiang Xiangyun and Wen Hanjiu, who are at the early stage of the Dao Ancestor Realm, everyone else's cultivation has reached the Great Perfection of the Dao Ancestor Realm. If they were to actually fight, Xiao Dan might not be able to win. Even if he were to win by chance, he might not be able to secure the Crimson Crystal Tower and the Chaos Core, since the Half-Immortal Clan of Changning and Yaoyan Divine Palace are still hot on his heels...

Xiao Dan felt incredibly aggrieved. This was a completely undeserved disaster for him—after all, it was Wei Feng who had taken the initiative to contact him through the Mirror Flower Scroll. He had his eye on Wei Feng's ability to absorb turbid and spiritual energy. If the deal went through, he could also obtain Jiang Gu's immortal bones. Even if the deal failed, he could still boost Wei Feng's cultivation and attract most of the attention of the semi-immortal race. But he never expected that Jiang Gu would flip the table and drag him down with him. Now they were all in the same boat.

This is utterly absurd.

The earth trembled, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and the leaves rustled in the strong wind. Everyone present was on edge, and a battle was about to break out.

Xiao Dan laughed: "Jiang Gu, at this point, continuing to fight will not benefit either of us. We might as well each escape and get rid of the Half-Immortal Clan before making any further plans."

Fortunately, only he could open that path to heaven.

Jiang Gu glanced at Jiang Xiangyun, who then sheathed the Xuan Yang Halberd and stepped aside.

Xiao Dan immediately transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the horizon.

"Seventh Brother, why did you let him go?" Jiang Xiangyun asked.

Jiang Gu refused Wei Feng's help and said, "We have already obtained the Path to Heaven and a portion of the Chaos Cores. With him around, we can still keep the attention of the Half-Immortal Clan at bay."

"But the Half-Immortal Clan won't let us go either." Feng Wuyou looked worriedly at Chanlin's stomach. If he had known that Chanlin was going to swallow something so deadly, he would have preferred to let Chanlin go back to the Seven Star Tower to make money. "Where should we go next?"

Jiang Gu's gaze fell on Chang Ping'an: "Changning Temple."

Everyone was stunned. Only Wei Feng's attention was focused on Jiang Gu. His sudden increase in cultivation level did not excite him at all. On the contrary, Jiang Gu's refusal to let him touch him made him anxious.

The group unleashed their magical artifacts and soared into the sky. Jiang Gu glanced at Wei Feng and asked, "Wei Feng?"

Wei Feng snapped back to his senses and said to him, "Master, you are too badly injured. I'll take you with me."

"No need." Jiang Gu drew his Crimson Snow Sword, not forgetting to remind him, "Conceal your aura well—"

Before he could finish speaking, Wei Feng reached out and scooped him up in his arms. Jiang Gu, seriously injured and caught off guard, was lifted off the ground, his expression blank for a moment.

Looking at the blankness in his eyes, Wei Feng gritted his teeth in frustration and hugged the struggling man even tighter: "I sealed most of my meridians and was minimally affected by the Chaos Core. You'll be fine."

Jiang Gu frowned unhappily: "Put me down."

How could Wei Feng hold him like that!

"I won't let go." Wei Feng jumped straight onto the Mo Dao. The wind howled past, and Jiang Gu's long hair and white clothes became entangled with his red sleeves in the wind. Wei Feng looked down at him and pleaded in a soft voice, "Master, I'll listen to whatever you say. Can't you just listen to me this once?"

Even though his limbs felt like they were being crushed, and the wounds on his soul were gradually widening, causing him to lose his mind from the pain, Jiang Gu still refused to be carried by someone while flying on a sword. Moreover, this was an escape, and he was determined not to entrust his life and escape route to others.

Even if that person is Wei Feng.

"Master, close your eyes and regulate your breathing to heal your injuries." Wei Feng hugged the person tighter and let him lean on his shoulder.

Jiang Gu said coldly, "Wei Linming, don't force me to take action."

"If you make a move, I'll just snatch the Chaos Core and swallow it, then let the heavenly lightning strike me dead," Wei Feng said through gritted teeth.

"Are you threatening me?" Jiang Gu was somewhat angry.

"...I didn't." Wei Feng's harsh words instantly fell silent. He looked at Jiang Gu with grievance and anxiety, "Master, please believe me this once. I will protect you. If you continue to force yourself to not heal, it will only make your injuries worse."

Others only know that Jiang Gu is a reincarnated immortal, with powerful cultivation and unparalleled wisdom, but they forget that he is now just an ordinary human cultivator. No matter how powerful he is, he will still feel pain and die if he is injured.

Tears welled up in her eyes and, quite pathetically, fell, landing with a plop on Jiang Gu's chin.

After a suffocating silence, Jiang Gu closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing and heal his injuries.

Wei Feng breathed a sigh of relief, lowered his head and kissed Jiang Gu. Jiang Gu's primordial spirit was healing in his sea of ​​consciousness. His body and eyelashes trembled slightly, but he did not refuse. Wei Feng decisively deepened the kiss and sent a breath of turbid air into him. The black turbid air spread through his meridians, sank into his sea of ​​consciousness, and enveloped that small piece of chaotic core, isolating it from the clear, golden spiritual power.

Jiang Gu unconsciously gripped his arm, his well-defined fingers standing out against the red fabric.

Wei Feng's eyes darkened. He supported Jiang Gu's back and pressed him against himself. Without hesitation, his primordial spirit entered Jiang Gu's sea of ​​consciousness and enveloped the bright golden primordial spirit that was about to shatter.

Jiang Gu suddenly opened his eyes, his voice sharp: "Wei Feng!"

"I'll heal you." Wei Feng's voice was tense. "I already know the dual cultivation technique. I'll be careful not to let the Chaos Core detect it."

Jiang Gu said coldly, "Is this what you mean by making me believe you?"

Wei Feng pursed his lips, transformed into a cloud of black mist that enveloped his primordial spirit, and said in a muffled voice, "Master, you can cultivate together however you like, I can teach you."

Jiang Gu was so angry that he laughed.

In broad daylight, with Half-Immortal Clan pursuers behind them, Jiang Xiangyun and Feng Wuyou's group in front, and Heavenly Tribulation Lightning lurking all around, the Chaos Core that could obliterate Wei Feng at any moment was just inches away from them, yet Wei Feng actually dared to ask him to teach him how to cultivate spiritual communion—he was simply courting death!

However, Wei Feng acted swiftly. Taking advantage of Jiang Gu's fear of the Chaos Core and his severely injured primordial spirit, he insisted on leading Jiang Gu into the dual cultivation method. He patiently and meticulously helped Jiang Gu repair the wounds on his primordial spirit, generously transferring all the purified spiritual power to Jiang Gu.

The excruciating pain of wound healing intertwined with the ultimate pleasure of spiritual communion. A fine layer of sweat appeared on Jiang Gu's forehead, his gaze was cold but the corners of his eyes were frighteningly red, and beautiful blue veins bulged on his neck.

Wei Feng lowered his head and kissed the side of his neck, whispering in his ear, "Master, believe me, dual cultivation is faster than healing yourself."

Jiang Gu suppressed his unsteady breathing, his eyes flashing between clarity and confusion. Torn between his controlled anger and his rapidly healing rationality, he gritted his teeth and cursed, "...You little beast."

Wei Feng affectionately licked his earlobe and obediently said, "Yes, I'm just a beast."